Lilys: shoegaze roots, power-pop detours

Lilys

Musical Group

Forfans of shoegaze, 90s indie rock, and power-pop-curious listeners.
2 Reviews 0 Definitions 1 Charts

The Profile

Lilys is the American indie project led by Kurt Heasley, formed in 1988. Beginning with the shoegaze-influenced debut In the Presence of Nothing (1992), the project later pivoted toward jangly power pop on releases like Better Can't Make Your Life Better; the single A Nanny In Manhattan reached the UK Top 20 in 1998.

Led by Kurt Heasley; debut album In the Presence of Nothing (1992); stylistic shift from shoegaze to power pop mid-1990s; American; active from 1988 to present; UK Top 20 hit with A Nanny In Manhattan in 1998.

Two glowing reviews trace Lilys from the MBV-kissed haze of In the Presence of Nothing (1992) to the janglier, power-pop swing of A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns (1994). Comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, Yo La Tengo, and Pavement abound, with kudos to Heasley’s songwriting and textures. The verdict: a classic debut and a smart stylistic pivot worth rediscovering.

Notable Quotes

❝ The Lilys are Kurt Heasley, a singer-songwriter and guitarist who bears more than a vague resemblance to the good old Malkmus.

❝ it’s also beyond doubt that we’re talking about the most similar album to Loveless ever recorded - the argument stands almost entirely in the attack of Tone Bender - even more than MBV itself, at times.