Shoegazer (notes, discussion)

squashed · Shoegazer (notes, discussion)

There are two big entries at MdM by Moka related to Shoegazing.

Shoegazing
http://mookamotel.blogspot.com/2006/03/shoegazing.html

My bloody valentine - strawberry wine (1989)
Ride - dreams burn down (1990)
Kitchens of Distinction - under the sky, inside the sea (1991)
My bloody Valentine - soon (1991)
Slowdive - machine gun (1993)
Swervedriver - duel (1994)
Medicine - all good things (1995)
Chapterhouse - mesmerize (1996)
Spiritualized - broken heart (1997)
Should - sarah missing (1998)
The meeting places - see through you (2003)
Destroyalldreamers - destroy all dreamers (2004)
Readymade - rehearsed disaster (2005)
Silver Screen - all I have (2005)
The fleeting joys - go and come back (2006)
Astrobrite - miss teen USA (2006)

Shoegazing Part II (while thinking of your hips)
http://mookamotel.blogspot.com/20...ng-part-ii-while-thinking-of.html

m83 - I guess I'm floating
(before the dawn heals us, 2004)
Malory - lake of doubts (maladon remix)
(Outerbeats, 2002)
Sigur Ros - Bium Bium Bambalo
(angels of the universe, 2001)
Dub Tractor - much better than this
(hideout, 2006)
Windermere - coast is clear (curve cover)
(never lose that feeling Vol.1, 2005)
Dwayne Sodaberkh - whiskey eyes
(Cut open, 2006)
Butterfly explosion - sofia
(the butterfly explosion, 2006)
Gregor Samsa - young and old
(55:12, 2006)
Airiel - firefly
(melted Ep, 2004)
Slowdive - dagger
(Slouvaki, 1996)
Aarktica - ocean
(Pure tone audiometry, 2004)

squashed

wiki entry. (somebody should fix it up a little)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoegazing

Shoegazing is a style of alternative rock that emerged in Ireland and the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. Isn't Anything by My Bloody Valentine, released in 1988 (see 1988 in music) is said to have defined the sound.

Technical definitions

Shoegazing is characterised by a self-deprecating, introspective, non-confrontational feel. Generally employed are distortion and the fuzzbox, droning riffs and a Phil Spector-esque wall of sound from the noisy guitars. Another way to describe the guitar effects would be "lead-guitarlessness", typically with two distorted rhythm guitars interweaving together and giving an exceptionally muddied sound. Although lead guitar riffs were often present, they were not the central focus of most shoegazing songs.

Vocals typically are subdued in volume and tone, but underneath the layers of guitars is often a strong sense of melody. While the genres which influenced shoegazing often used drum machines, shoegazing more often features live drumming. Chapterhouse utilised both samples and live drumming, while drummers such as Chris Cooper of Pale Saints and the late Chris Acland of Lush often displayed complex drum patterns.

The name was coined by the New Musical Express, noting the tendency of the bands' guitarists to stare at their feet (or their effects pedals), seemingly deep in concentration, while playing. Some fans will argue another story, that shoegazing music was originally made with the intention of being listened to while taking heroin,[citation needed] and that the name refers to a passage from the book Naked Lunch. Melody Maker preferred the more staid term The Scene That Celebrates Itself, referring to the habit which the bands had of attending gigs of other shoegazing bands, often in Camden. The key record labels associated with the genre were Creation Records (My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Slowdive) and 4AD.

squashed

shoegazing

According to the all-music guide, shoegazing is:

"A genre of late '80s and early '90s British indie-rock, named after the bands' motionless performing style, where they stood on stage and stared at the floor while they played. The sound of the music was overwhelmingly loud, with long, droning riffs, waves of distortion and cascades of feedback. Vocals and melodies disappeared into the walls of guitars, creating a wash of sound where no instrument was distinguishable from the other."

I wouldn't say that the vocals & melodies disappear since they are usually very pretty and fundamental to the song, but its true that the magic of the songs is in the complex harmonics blended into the noise. For more detailed musicology, people named Thad and Sande wrote some in-depth analysis, including the observation "Despite the backlash against shoegazers in the music press, the genre is alive and well in the underground, and on small record labels." In the US, the genre was evolved into/renamed as dreampop.

My Bloody Valentine is usually said to have invented and defined the genre. There are 3 full-length albums and a few EPs. Start with Loveless, their final and most consistent work. I personally love their early album Ecstacy and Wine, but good luck finding it - i've seen it selling for $50.

Lush was a British pop group headed by Miki, flamboyant half-Japanese lead singer, and Emma, who wrote and performed the stunningly beautiful guitar parts. I saw them live 4 times and tended to scream a lot. Their last album Lovelife was largely second-rate pop music, so start with their earlier 2nd album Spooky.

Slowdive/Mojave3 started out as a dreamy, swirly shoegazer band, matured on their second album, then did an ambient album Pygmalion and then reincarnated as a 'country-ish' band as Mojave3. All of their albums are worth having, though you could start with their first, Just for a day.

Swirlies are a avante-gard noise/jangle band much like Isn't Anything-era MBV, but from the US east coast and having a more American sound, occasionally Smashing Pumpkins-like. I recommend the albums Blonder Tongue Audio Baton and They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons.

Blind Mr. Jones (10k) Blind Mr. Jones - British shoegazer band, heavy harmonies and flute(!), boy vocals. Sadly overlooked. I am still searching for their other album Tatooine. Their AMG page has a lot more info.
Ride Ride was an important shoegazer band for their first 3 albums (Smile, Nowhere, Going Blank Again). Occasionally brilliant, as in the incredible song "Like a Daydream" on their first US release Smile, they went downhill rapidly and lost their fans long before breaking up.

diff_engine_150.jpg (7239 bytes) Difference Engine was an "indie" band with one known album, Breadmaker, haunting and deeply emotional within the context of shoegaze-dense guitar noise. AMG link. There was a later CD on Bedazzled but it sounds more mellow and jangly.

Everything's Alright Forever (12k) The Boo Radleys had around 3 excellent shoegaze songs on their early album Everything's Alright Forever, but the rest of their work is Brit-plop. I'm still trying to acquire their earliest release Ichabod & I.

Secret Shine (6k) Secret Shine was an obscure "indie" band, yet i think they are a delightful gem of shoegaze / dreampop. They were from Bristol and affiliated with the Sarah record label. TweeNet has a discography. An earlier incarnation had the name Dreamscape. Some people have referred to them dismissively as a "MBV clone", which sounds like a compliment to me.

shiFt_150.jpg (5534 bytes) shiFt - a Texas dreampop band, much recommended - EP 'a folding sieve'. The track 'breathe salt' has an incredible harmonic noise texture. A must-have for MBV fans. Changed their name right after that album to Should.

http://www.washedashore.com/music/shoegaze/

squashed

Interesting list at Amazon on Shoegazer

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/...-0140227-6599044?%5Fencoding=UTF8

.
.