The Shoegaze/Dreampop Thread

[Pandabear 414]

I believe there is already a similar thread like this, but it's only for Japanese bands, while this one is more encompassing. And the bands/artist don't have to strictly be shoegaze or dreampop, but can employ other styles as long as the shoegaze/dreampop sound is still present in the music.

And for anybody who isn't familiar with the genres..

Shoegaze

Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze) is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991. The British music press—particularly NME and Melody Maker—named this style shoegazing because the musicians in these bands stood relatively still during live performances in a detached, introspective, non-confrontational state, hence the idea that they were gazing at their shoes. The heavy use of effects pedals also contributed to the image of performers looking down at their feet during concerts.

The shoegazing sound is typified by significant use of guitar effects, and indistinguishable vocal melodies that blend into the creative noise of the guitars. Common musical elements of shoegazing consist of distortion, droning riffs and a "wall of sound" from noisy guitars. Typically, two distorted rhythm guitars are played together to give an amorphous quality to the sound. Although lead guitar riffs were often present, they were not the central focus of most shoegazing songs. Vocals are typically subdued in volume and tone, but a strong sense of melody generally exists underneath the layers of guitars.

Dreampop

Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane (to whom the term has been attributed) began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sensual soundscapes. The term was almost exclusively used in the United States. An "all-star" dream pop collective named This Mortal Coil were known for covering obscure songs mainly from the 1960s and 1970s.

The essence of the music is a focus on ethereal textures and moods, rather than on propulsive rock riffs. Breathy, high-register female vocals or almost whispered male vocals are usually the means of lyrical delivery; lyrics are generally introspective and existential in nature. Cover art tends to consist of blurry pastel imagery or stark minimalist designs, or a combination of these two styles.

So yeah...you can see both genres have similar sound. I have recently really been really getting into the genre(along with Trip-Hop). I think two of the bands responsible for exposing me to the whole shoegaze thing were The Smashing Pumpkins and Plastic Tree. They're not full on shoegaze, but incorporated the sound into their music. From there I discovered a whole bunch of other bands from My Bloody Valentine to the recent wave of Nu-Gaze .



One of the Nu-Gaze bands who are releasing a new album this year that I'm really excited about is Scarling. I've been waiting 7 years for this. Check them out if you don't them. They're amazing.

 
 

Another Nu-gaze band whose new album I'm looking forward to is the Silver-sun Pickups. They're pretty mainstream compared to scarling, but are still worth listening to.

Some other bands I've been loving at the moment...

A Shoreline Dream - Saturday Morning

Tamaryn - The Waves

Engineers - Sometimes I realise

Drop Nineteens - Winona
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT_EEj8Iglo

Galaxie 500 - Flowers

Yuck -  stutter

[fitear1590 2414]

I'm not too well-versed in these styles, but from what i've heard, I like!

One of my friends introduced me to Slowdive and they are fantastic! Highly recommended.

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Moreso "inspired" by shoegaze/dream pop, Rose Elinor Dougall is a favorite of mine. (See the second half of the song)

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And I don't know if they count, because they have a much more 80's "indie pop" approach, but The Pain of Being Pure at Heart's guitar and vocal styles do seem to fit.

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I really like a lot of what you posted, particularly Tamaryn. Also, never even thought about Yuck from the shoegaze perspective, but I love their album.

[Asakusa 95]

my new favourite thread <3

[Pandabear 414]

@fitear1590

Slowdive sounds amazing. And I really liked Rose Elinor Dougall. I enjoyed The Pain of Being Pure at Heart too. They sound pretty shoegazey, but that could also be because they have a indie/noise rock sound going on. Sort of like Yuck. There are a lot similarities between shoegaze, dream pop, and noise rock since they pretty much evolved from one another. So it's not that uncommon to not be able to tell them apart.

Also you should check out Tamaryn's debut, The Waves. It's become one my favorite shoegaze albums. It's absolutely speculator.

This is one my favorite songs off of The Waves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ8GWu6mbH8


Some more shoegaze/dreampop worth checking out.

I saw these guys open for Interpol last year at Radio City Music Hall and they were awesome. They had a beautiful seizure inducing lightshow.
School of Seven Bells - ILU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZQmnF_jWqE

Got into this band thanks to PRISM>
Lark's Tongue - Tucson, Arizona

Probably best know for having Chino Moreno of the Deftones as one of the vocalists. They lean more toward a dreampop/Trip-hop sound. They still sound amazing.
Team Sleep - Ever(foreign Flag)

A Sunnyday In Glasgow - Passionate Introverts(Dinosaurs)

I wouldn't mind if there was more instrumental shoegaze tracks.
Violen's - Generational Loss

Medicine - Live It Down

 

[Pandabear 414]

A new Silversun Pickups song came out. They ditched their rocker sound and seem to have gone into a more old school shoegaze direction. I've already pre-ordered their new album. Can't wait for the 8th of May.

Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)

[saishuu 3220]

A new Silversun Pickups song came out. They ditched their rocker sound and seem to have gone into a more old school shoegaze direction. I've already pre-ordered their new album. Can't wait for the 8th of May.

Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)

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oh man, that sounds great.

[joyless 4]

this thread needs more Whirr.

IA-ZIEliNC8

and ANNE, for that matter.

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ending it all with a little self-promotion.

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[Licio123 181]

Damn, this topic is awesome! Loved that Silversun Pickups song, gives me Pura Tree vibes.

[Pandabear 414]

e4PsDnY3P5M

Whirr and Anne were great. And is Airs your shoegaze project/band? It's sounds great.



In others news, Yuck came out with a new single. It's amazing. The intro reminds me a bit of the smashing pumpkins.

Yuck - Chew

Can't have a thread like this and not post anything from this band.
My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes

Thread is also in need of some these guys.
Ride - Dreams Burn Down

Also I recently discovered Tokyo Shoegazers. A Japanese shoegaze band with female english vocals. What's really interesting are the members in the band which include people from 101A, Acid Android and Plastic Tree. They sound awesome. I think I just might purchase their debut through Itunes.

Tokyo Shoegazer - Bright

[Kuro/Shiro 1]

Well I guess my first post must be in this thread. You guys probably know The Cure, they had/still have some great melancholic dream pop songs like:

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or other songs from "Disintegration".

burrrn is an awesome shoegaze band from Japan, catchy riffs and a very beautiful vocalist. <3

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Cocteau Twins:

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Some other dream pop shoegaze bands you could check out:

My Bloody Valentine, All About Eve, Lush, Bel Canto, Seefeel, Smashing Pumpkins (there are some Dream Pop songs on Melancholie and The Infinite Sadness!), Aenima, Kampec Dolores

[Pandabear 414]

burrrn is an awesome shoegaze band from Japan, catchy riffs and a very beautiful vocalist. <3

-HsD5vV9Y_U

Some other dream pop shoegaze bands you could check out:
All About Eve, Lush, Bel Canto, Seefeel, Aenima, Kampec Dolores

Buuurn sounds awesome. Nice post. I'm definitely going to go check those guys out and the other bands you mentioned that I'm not aware of.


And back in the world of shoegaze/dream pop. Tamaryn's got a new album coming out in october. Previews sounds amazing.

Tamaryn - I'm Gone

And speaking of the pumpkins...
James Iha - To Who Knows Where

Zwan - Honestly

More awesome stuff.

Catherine Wheel - Crank

The Church - Destination

And I will always be a huge fan of Supecar. There early indie rock albums used a lot of that dreampop sound.

Supercar - Lucky

There later albums still had that ethereal sound except then they started using electronic stuff.

Supercar - Storywriter

[ficsci 50]

Nice thread, I realized that while I like it when bands incorporate shoegaze/dream-pop elements, I'm not into that many bands that are "exclusively" dream pop/shoegaze, so I'll definitely check out some of these stuff.

Also, at the present, it seems like many bands are mushing together shoegaze & post-rock as one thing. I dunno if I'm a big fan of that, but I guess some pull it off/doing it right and some don't.

v Oh No Ono. They're like mixing Beatlesque psychedelic pop with dream pop (also they're friends with members of Mew)

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And please don't hit me for this if you don't like Zeitgeist

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[Pandabear 414]

Oh No Ono sounds interesting. I'm going to go try their albums. And I enjoyed Zeitgeist. That's The Way My Love Is was actually one of my favorite songs of that album.

These are my other favorite pumpkin songs that use that shoegaze and dreampop influence.

The Smashing Pumpkins - Real Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxQkMN6caPw

The Smashing Pumpkins - Rhinoceros

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOy4C3mh0Es

The Smashing Pumpkins - Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmUZ6nCFNoU

[Pandabear 414]

I've been into Whirr a lot recently.

Whirr - Junebouvier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLsk5ju2oWc

Some of my other recent discoveries.

Your basic Japanese indie shoegazing band. They've got some really good stuff.

Cruyff In The Bedroom - Loved

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hWxboiBVKQ

An indie based band from Philadelphia playing on the shoegaze and pop rock sound.

PET MILK - Chery Outline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvT2VBasdZk

A shoegaze supergroup featuring members from Slowdive, Jesu, and others from the metal world like Kralice, and Katatonia. Amazing stuff.

Sailors With Wax Wings - Yes, I Have A Thousand Tongues, And Nine And Ninety-Nine Lie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbCQZU1O7Mg

[fitear1590 2414]

Some more shoegazey and dream pop offerings!
 

Boy Friend (not to be confused with the k-pop group "Boyfriend")

Synth-based dream pop duo from Texas. I stumbled upon them, because the singer used to be in one of my favorite bands in high school.
Extremely slow, hazy songs.

 

Memoryhouse

Another dream pop duo, but this time from Canada.  My friend "byudie" introduced me to them. Their sound combines some indie pop tendencies (bands like Camera Obscura), particularly on their most recent release, but there's plenty of relaxing dreaminess to be had.

 

DIMMDIVISION.

Mysterious band featuring members from lots of respectable "angura" bands like The God and Death Stars, deadman, Moran, the studs, etc. They combine this sound with elements of shoegaze. They say their music should give "a feeling of floating."  Their newest single (recently uploaded) is absolutely gorgeous, imo.

 

[Schmooples2600 105]

This thread needs more love for My Bloody Valentine! They recently released Yellow Loveless, basically the original Loveless but covered by various Japanese bands. With as highlights Sometimes covered by Boris and Lemon’s chair’s cover of To Here Knows When.

I’m not entirely sure they fit here, but you should definitely check out 푸른새벽 (Bluedawn). They’re easily one of my favorite all time bands, the music is very atmospheric and the vocals are great.

Another not really shoegaze but definitely worth checking out band would be The Radio Dept. Their music has more of an indie/rock feel to it.

You should try Astrobrite sometime as well, Astrobrite is Scott Cortez’s (from lovesliescrushing) project. They sound a bit like some of Coaltar of the Deeper’s shoegaze like songs.  Cortez wrote the lyrics for coaltar’s song AOA and Narasaki was involved in the production of Astrobrite’s album Super Crush. So if you’re into Coaltar you’ll probably enjoy Astrobrite as well.

And thanks for all the recommendations, I’ll definitely give them a listen.

[Pandabear 414]

This thread needs more love for My Bloody Valentine! They recently released Yellow Loveless, basically the original Loveless but covered by various Japanese bands. 

 

And here I thought you were going to mention that MBV just recently released their first album in over a decade and is the follow up to Loveless. But yeah, Yellow loveless was awesome. Lemon's chair was a highlight for me.

 

Some other shoegaze bands I discovered.

 

Clams - from japan. Awesome female vocals with pop melodies and tons of fuzzy guitar noise. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj7mFRu_hJg

 

Sugar Plant  - Again from japan. They're stuff is more dreampop. Really ethereal with female vocals and warm synths. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXIE3oJqPro

[Calistan 0]

Great songs everyone!

You should check my Spotify playlist. Really happy with it as of this moment. Most def songs with a dreampop feel in every song.

Dreampop

Dreampop

<iframe src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:user:rayday:playlist:20Eic3nbzrh2c5UUn8Ga6U" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>

[byudie 0]

DIIV - Human - Indie Dream Pop album I sometimes listen to 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVPiNKUal8c
 
Dive - Freeze Frame - Japanese Shoegaze band

 

Asobi Seksu - Walk on the Moon - New York Dream Pop Artist 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbyI3Z5Voms

 

Dreamscape - Finally Through - One of my favorite Dream Pop albums from the 90s

 

Echo Lake - Even the Blind 

 

Esben and the Witch - Deathwaltz

 

Hartfield - Girl Like You - Japanese

 

The History of Apple Pie - See You 

 

cellzcellar - Pendulum - wonderful Japanese album 

 

Honeydip - Summer's Gone - Nice Japanese Shoegaze Album 

 

IO Echo - Ministry of Love - Awesome live 

 

Lush - Light From a Dead Star - A monumental album 

 

Oeil - Strawberry Cream 

 

Pastel Blue - See Saw Song - Underground Japanese Shoegaze Artist 

 

Ringo Deathstarr - Rip

 

Shelling - Floating Area- Japanese Dream Pop

 

TEEN - Electric 

 

Vidulgi OoyoO - Elephant - Korean Dream Pop/Shoegaze 

 

 

극초단파(UHF Seoul) - 테니스하기 좋은 계절입니다(Good Day to Play Tennis) - A downright perfect album by this wonderful little known Korean group 

 

http://decembrejanvier.bandcamp.com/

 

死んだ僕の彼女 - Underdrawing For Three Forms Of Unhappiness At The State Of Existence

 

 

 

 

 

[Pandabear 414]

Medicine released a new album after 13 years.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbvFSzdBra8

 

Yuck finally made a new album too. Sad they lost Daniel on vocals.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Jv6iQrm8o

 

New MBV was decent too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBKjhgHGVZs

 

And there are rumors of a possible slowdive reunion and tour. They may only be rumors but it would be so awesome if it turned out to be true. 

 

Neil and Rachel performed some slowdive songs together live back at the end of October.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN_MQs3CNrw

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Dunno for sure if they fit in here with their current music, but the latest album by The Horrors is pretty cool! Saying this as someone who rarely listens/tolerates most shoegazey dreampoppy stuff... this one is heavily drenched in neo-psychedelia and some electronic-y/krautrocky influences.

 

[digi 192]

 

Really great song by Bleach (the British band from the 80's and 90's). Most of their songs, if not all, give off a shoegaze-y aura, especially this one. What makes it even more interesting, is the rap vocals nearing the middle of the song. I'm not usually a fan of that, but I think the combination of shoegaze and rap goes together well in this case! 

[James 0]

Hey everyone. I'm new to this forum. I was searching around for "Japanese shoegaze" and I stumbled upon this thread.

 

I'm new to the shoegaze genre, and I was hoping if any of you could recommend some shoegaze/alternative for me. I'm not a fan of very upbeat music, here are two songs that have captured my attention (one is from a poster on the first page):

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNzkQHPPgNE

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEU7zBLs7VI

 

 

I'm mostly familiar with Slowdive, MBV, and Ride. If anyone can recommend songs/albums like the ones above, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Thanks!

[James 0]

Just to add on to this thread, here is a band that I've been enjoying for quite a while now. I saw some Anne/Whirr mentioned, but I haven't seen these guys on here yet, hope you enjoy:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9w3yZ5DR2s

 

Sorry, I'm not sure how to embed videos properly on here!

[The Reverend 3566]

Resolved: That part in Slowdive's 'When The Sun Hits' when he sings 'it matters where you are...' and the drums and guitar really kick in is the greatest moment in recorded shoegaze.

Rebuttal: Bring it on!

 

 

 

@00:58 if you want to jump right to it.