shoegaze

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Catherine Wheel’s “Black Metallic”

An old press pic of Catherine Wheel, circa 1992, for their debut album "Ferment."
Earlier today, as I was leaving work, I ended up in a conversation about bands from the late '80s-early 90s.  I contributed a few names, which I'll get into after this post. But one of the acts that came up was the British shoegaze band Catherine Wheel - shoegaze referring to wall-of-sound guitar bands with …

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Lo Moon’s “Loveless” @ the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA – 09.23.18

Lo Moon's Matt Lowell @ the Greek Theatre on 09.23.18.
I first saw LA.-based Lo Moon last year, when they opened for Air at the Greek Theatre in Griffith Park.  Back then, I'd only just heard their single "Loveless."  It was a welcome surprise, unveiling a hypnotically beautiful slightly-cosmic dreamscape through chilled guitar chords and sprawling progressive builds.  The feeling was fresh yet familiar, an …

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Ride’s “Grasshopper”

Newly reunited Ride return to the Roxy Theatre on 04.08.15, nearly 24 years after they made their L.A. debut in the very same venue.
This shoegazer oldie from the UK's Ride popped on the car stereo this afternoon.  It's a sprawling 10 minute wah-wah guitar-laden instrumental that really brings me back to the era of wall of sound psychedelia.  Smoke 'em if you got 'em and give this one a whirl. Grasshopper" from 1992's “Going Black Again“  by Ride. …

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Tamaryn

Tamaryn's "Tender New Signs" (2012), "These Waves" (2010) & "Cranekiss" (2015).
These first two tracks from New Zealand-born singer-singwriter Tamaryn Brown are perfect late night lounge lizard psychedelic shoegazy affairs, say 3 to 4 in the morning, when you're coming down from whatever it is you're coming down from.  Light a few candles.  Burn some incense.  Turn up the volume.  And chill. "While You're Sleeping, I'm …

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The Verve (pre-Bittersweet)

The Verve's 1992 EP singles "All in the Mind" and "She's a Superstar," and their 1993 debut album "A Storm in Heaven."
I've been finding that most people I've talked to about the Verve, or frontman Richard Ashcroft's solo efforts, haven't heard the early material - i.e. pre-"Urban Hymns," which features their most popular and least profitable song "Bittersweet Symphony."  Thank the Stones for that last bit, due to a copyright disagreement over a particular sample.  Anyway, …

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