The 80s Detriot Post Punk band Spahn Ranch was the jump-off for one of the greatest Shoegaze bands of the early ’90s that never got the shine they deserved. The band that I am speaking of is Majesty Crush featuring Hobey Echlin and
Odell Nails of Spahn Ranch as well as Mike Segal and David Stroughter. They released the groundbreaking album Love 15 on Chameleon/Dali Records which went out of business a month after the release of their album.
Right now I want to talk about how Majesty Crush makes me feel! I love the whole album, I can’t even tell y’all what my favorite song is because the whole album jams! I will say that when I hear the song “Uma” I know that I’m listening to a band that were in their zone and who created Shoegaze in their likeness. At certain times during Love 15, I do hear a Spahn Ranch vibe in the mix, but that is totally understandable because they shared members. I’m going to go on record and say that “No. 1 Fan” is one of the greatest Shoegaze songs ever created and I never get tired of hearing it. David Stroughter had such a beautiful voice and he wrote really rad lyrics. “Cicciolina” is a banger and totally has a vibe that makes me feel that this band should have been huge! “Penny for Love” is an anthem that really makes me happy that I’m on this planet.
Majesty Crush might have had bad luck as a band but I will say that they manifested an album that is truly historic and gives me chills. Not sure if they knew it, but they have also inspired a new generation of POC kids to start Shoegaze bands. Today I want to celebrate Majesty Crush with this in-depth feature. I’m not surprised that they performed with bands like The Verve, Curve, or Chapter House back in the day because they were that dope! Hey, Odell Nails, both of your bands changed my life! As a Black Punk in the 80s, your band Spahn Ranch really meant a lot to me alongside Glorious Din. David, I’m speaking to your spirit, I want you to know that your performance on “Feigned Sleep” is sublime! Majesty Crush was not meant to be the biggest Shoegaze band during their time, but they did create one of the best albums from their era. I heard that Numero Group plans to reissue Love 15 and I really hope that they do because I would buy this album in a heartbeat!
