Venus Beads

Lost in the grunge revolution of the early '90s was the guitar-drenched Venus Beads. Consisting of Rob Jones (vocals, guitar), Anthony Price (guitar), and Mark Hassall (drums), the Venus Beads formed in England and raised a few eyebrows by having their debut album, Incision, co-produced by former House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers, who had achieved godlike status in the U.K. press with his previous band. The Venus Beads absorbed the pre-Nirvana sounds of the shoegazer scene, namely the dreamy wall of guitars and soaring harmonies of Ride, and gave them a punk kick. "Moon Is Red" landed on college-radio stations, but the Venus Beads never took off in their homeland or in America. The band was immediately banished to the cutout bins, where their records, including their second LP, Black Aspirin, are often found.