While the band's early work blended noise rock with electropop, their later work incorporates Italo disco. The band is known for evolving through the years since their original collaboration, and experimenting with various musical genres.
They have released a number of albums since the early 2000s, their most recent being 2008's Deep Gems.
Glass Candy was formed by Ida No, from Vancouver, Washington and Johnny Jewel, from Austin, Texas, in 1996. The two began working together in Portland, Oregon, just across the Columbia River from No's hometown of Vancouver, Washington. No describes their early work as "droney and weird." Their first two singles, which they self-released under the name "Glass Candy & the Shattered Theatre", were "Metal Gods" (2001) and a cover of Josie Cotton's "Johnny Are You Queer" (2002). They toured with The Convocation Of... in 2001, and released a live album that year on Vermin Scum. Their first studio album, Love Love Love, was issued on Troubleman Unlimited in 2003. A second full-length followed on Troubleman the next year. Jewel founded Italians Do It Better with Mike Simonetti as a subsidiary of Troubleman. In 2007 Glass Candy released their third album B/E/A/T/B/O/X on this label to considerable critical praise. In late 2008, a rarities, b-sides and remix album was released under the name Deep Gems. In a review of Deep Gems, Spin Magazine referred to the band as "an eccentric Portland pair" that "spook the dance floor".
Glass Candy songs were used for a Chloe runway show, as well as used by Karl Lagerfeld for the Spring/Summer '08 Chanel Haute Couture fashion show and the Fall/Winter one of '08/'09.
Recently Glass Candy's "Digital Versicolour" was used in the soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn's feature length film Bronson.
Current members
Ida No - vocals
Johnny Jewel (formerly known as John David V.) - drums, programming
Former members
Avalon Kalin - drums
Jimi Hey - drums
Dusty Sparkles - saxophone and drums
Discography
Smashed Candy (Vermin Scum, 2001)
Love Love Love (Troubleman Unlimited, 2003)
Life After Sundown (Troubleman Unlimited 2004)
Iko (Troubleman Unlimited, 2005)
"I Always Say Yes (12" Main)" (Italians Do It Better, 2007)
B/E/A/T/B/O/X (Italians Do It Better, 2007)
Miss Broadway (Vinyl, 12")" (Italians Do It Better, 2008)
Deep Gems (Italians Do It Better, 2008)
Etheric Device
Glass Candy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Awake in the invisible morning
Yes we're ready to go exploring
In the frozen field
Dance in the weightless mist once again
Breaking ice in the grass/Playing bells made of glass
Touching ether/The importer
Of diamonds, rubies and saphires
Until we are frozen over & no one's there to see
I thought there was you
Now I know there's only me
The wheel goes round once more
We return again/Again in Spring
Birds are calling from the trees/Leaves are singing in the breeze
We return again
The opening lines of the song “Open our eyes/Our eyes are open” refer to a moment of awakening, to opening one’s eyes to a new reality that exists beyond what is immediately visible. This is reinforced by the line “awake in the invisible morning,” which suggests a state of heightened awareness or consciousness beyond the physical realm. The lyrics then proceed to describe a desire to explore this new reality, to dance and play in the “frozen field” of this newly discovered world. Throughout the song, there is a sense of wonder and discovery, with references to touching “ether” (an allusion to the classical concept of an invisible substance that permeates the universe) and importing “diamonds, rubies and sapphires.”
The final lines of the song, “I thought there was you/Now I know there’s only me/The wheel goes round once more/We return again/Again in Spring” suggest a cyclical nature to existence, with each individual responsible for their own journey of discovery and self-discovery. There is a sense of loneliness and isolation that accompanies this realization, but also a recognition of the beauty and wonder that can be found in the world if one is willing to look for it.
Line by Line Meaning
Open our eyes/Our eyes are open
We are ready and aware, fully conscious of our surroundings
Awake in the invisible morning
We are experiencing a new beginning, a fresh start to something that is not yet visible
Yes we're ready to go exploring
We are excited and prepared to discover something new
In the frozen field
We are in a place that may initially seem barren, but where there is potential for growth
Dance in the weightless mist once again
We are free to move to the rhythm of the intangible, unburdened by gravity or a physical world
Breaking ice in the grass/Playing bells made of glass
We are creating something beautiful and fragile out of something hard and common
Touching ether/The importer
We are coming into contact with a new element, something that might bring us riches
Of diamonds, rubies and saphires
These are the precious things we hope to gain by reaching for the unknown
Transmitting color
We are changing the way we see things, enhancing our perception and adding vibrancy to our reality
Until we are frozen over & no one's there to see
We continue to explore, perhaps even becoming stagnant, without recognition or help from others
I thought there was you
There was someone we hoped to share this experience with
Now I know there's only me
We realize that ultimately we are alone in our journey and must rely upon ourselves
The wheel goes round once more
We experience similar cycles, patterns that repeat as time moves forward
We return again/Again in Spring
We come back to where we started, but with newfound growth and knowledge
Birds are calling from the trees/Leaves are singing in the breeze
We are surrounded by life and activity, a reminder of the interconnectedness of all things
We return again
We come back to where we started, but changed and renewed
Contributed by Aria K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.