Mary Timony's band blended folk, shoegaze, and punk into something entirely their own.
For a good sense of their sound, try 'Lullaby Of The Months' or 'Pat's Trick.' Both have that signature Helium mix of melody and weirdness.
Helium mattered because they never settled into a single sound. Songs like 'Pat's Trick' and 'Lullaby Of The Months' had this dreamy quality that pulled from folk and shoegaze but kept an edge. They made music that felt both familiar and completely strange.
The band formed in the early 1990s with Mary Timony, Jonathon Turner, and Shawn King. They released 'Shame on a Prayer' in 1995 and 'The Magic City' in 1997 before the original lineup changed. Helium kept going through 2000, then Timony moved on to Wild Flag before the original trio reunited for shows in 2014.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.