Browsing Tag

shoegaze

Chicago’s Sleeps While Walking made their kinetically affecting shoegaze debut with ‘One Trick Pony’

Posted on 14 July 2024

Sleeps While Walking, one of the most promising DIY alt/indie rock outfits to crawl from the underbelly of the Chicago scene has unleashed their kinetically affecting, obsession-worthy debut single, One Trick Pony.

Quite honestly, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Paul Banks has forged a new supergroup to sit alongside Muzz and Interpol for the way the achingly emotional vocal lines cut through the discordant atmosphere of shoegaze synthesised with the sludge of grunge.

As the rough rings of choppy acoustic guitar strings from the intro evolve into windingly hypnotic distorted guitars and start laying the foundation to build an insurmountable wall of sound that is constructed in the middle ground of Deftones and My Bloody Valentine, prepare for heart-in-throat immersion from the soundscape which is underpinned by forlorn grit and gyrating gravitas.

The deeply emotional inflections in the piano-decorated melodies are enough to render your heartstrings raw; with the vocals centrally placed in the chaos of the production pulsating further heartbreak into the debut, Sleeps While Walking became one of the strongest and the most original shoegaze outfits of 2024.

They cut straight through the static of indie landfill with intense precision and challenged my jaded-by-endless-assimilation view of the alt-indie scene. It may be cliché to declare they’re the real deal, but they’re unmistakenly authentic conduits of resonant revolution. Join them at the vanguard.

One Trick Pony was officially released on July 1; stream the single on Spotify and await the debut album which will drop on July 19.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nostalgic Smells filtered emo through a grunge lens in his third release, On an Axis

Posted on 27 June 2024

Nostalgic Smells’ latest single, On an Axis, is an ennui-loaded continuation of the sludged-up rancour introduced in his 2024 debut single, Glimmer. The distinction in this third release lies within the tensile textures of grungy, Deftones-esque hooks that tumultuously pull you along with rhythmically infectious progressions reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine.

David Weir, the independent musician behind Nostalgic Smells, showcased his adeptness at weaving visceral, pulsating progressions with lithe guitar lines that wind sinuously around the rhythm section through On an Axis, which alludes to how easy it is for worlds to be knocked out of kilter. His diaphanous voice works in striking contrast to the grungy instrumentation, creating a dynamic interplay that transforms an aural experience into an emotional connection.

Drawing inspiration from legendary bands like Deftones, Hum, Failure, and Quicksand, Weir leverages his 20 years of experience as a drummer to craft a sound that pays ode to pioneers, while charting his own path by following intersections through grunge, emo and shoegaze.

On an Axis became a discordant presence on the airwaves on June 17th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sun-kissed memory meets dreamy indie-pop reverie in Suni’s Barcelona

Posted on 26 May 2024

Suni, the 26-year-old Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter, delivered a mesmerising escape with their latest single, Barcelona, the shoegazey guitars and indie dream pop aura craft a lush-with-melancholic-soul atmosphere that drifts you away into the heat of bitter-sweet sun-kissed memories. The harmonies sting with emotional potency, amplifying in resonance with every listen as the production nestles into the euphonic middle-ground of Jaws and Cigarettes After Sex.

Suni didn’t just capture an emotion nestled within a sunlit landscape; with Barcelona, they positioned themselves at the heart of a panache-driven pop revolution. The textures within the track act as a key, unlocking a doorway to the pantheon of indie pop singer-songwriters. It’s a musical experience that transcends mere listening, inviting you to dive into an evocative world where each note tells a story.

For fans of introspective and emotionally charged indie music, Suni’s Barcelona is an essential addition to your playlist. Let the music wash over you, and transport you to a place where the lines between reality and reverie blur, and the only thing that matters is the emotional resonance of sound.

Barcelona was officially released on May 17th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ander became the paragon of a post-grunge prodigy with ‘accident’

Posted on 20 May 2024

After the pensive melodic intro teases nothing more than an assimilation of Nirvana, ander catches you off-guard with the immense authenticity in the moody synthesis of grunge, emo, indie post-punk, and bruisingly heavy shoegaze within his latest single, accident.

At 17 years old, the solo artist is already putting the majority of artists to shame with his fusionistic outpours of visceral emotion which pull you into their intensity before striking every feasible raw nerve. Rhythmically tensile yet cataclysmically tumultuous, accident is a cultivated earworm which belies ander’s age. The vortex of distorted guitars as they thrash against the haunting narrative of introspection redemption couldn’t be more affecting if Deftones laid down the instrumentals.

With his ability to make most of his contemporaries sound tired, uninspired and as though they are just going through the motions while painting by numbers, we have no doubt that ander has what it takes to cut through the static of sonic banality and rise to the top of the alternative charts.

Accident was officially released on May 10th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Etherdene delivered a tenderly interstellar reminder of our place in the universe with ‘We Are in Space’

Posted on 1 May 2024

We’ve made our adoration of Etherdene’s illuminatively authentic dreamy synth-pop signature and her evocatively ethereal vocals no secret. After the release of her latest single, We Are in Space, which serves as a groundingly interstellar reminder of our place in the universe, she’s affirmed her position as one of the most promising artists of her generation.

Following an open sequence of glassy synths that resound as though they could have been conjured by the Weeknd, Etherdene drifts her latest tender tour de force into a shoegazey installation that cuts as deep as Slowdive’s discography. As the instrumentals glide and glisten throughout the impeccably crafted progressions, We Are in Space tears at the heartstrings with a reprise of, “We are in space, I don’t know what’s going on, but I love you, I love you”.

Even though it is all too easy to feel minuscule and inferior when contemplating the vastness of the universe, Etherdene ensured that there was no danger of that through the soulful juxtaposition of her refrain which testifies to the true meaning of life in the chaos of our mostly understood universe. The sticky sweet and synthy brand of romanticism is enough to drive you to the brink of tears before replenishing your soul with euphoria. Someone give the girl a Grammy.

We Are in Space moved into Earth’s orbit on April 24; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

djamesk13 weaved scathing socialism into a grungy dreamscape with ‘Everything Is Certain – Your Majesty’

Posted on 8 February 2024

The London-based solo artist, djamesk13, is no stranger to the arenas of Avant-Garde alt-rock, but for his latest release, Everything Is Certain – Your Majesty, he went deeper into the domain than ever before while exploring our strained relationships with high society.

While we used to look at royalty and other figures of the elite ruling class with awe, the tables are gradually turning on the perception shared by the masses. Simply put, Everything Is Certain – Your Majesty is a socialist masterclass, but instead of running in the same vein as the Manic Street Preachers, djamesk13 orchestrated a dreamy grungy dreamscape to run his reflective lyricism through.

“How can you be magnificent when we can buy you” will go down as one of my favourite lyrics of all time, and for the way the instrumentals and ethereally sludgy vox juxtapose the lyrical sting, Everything Is Certain – Your Majesty became an unforgettable release; a paragon of the post-grunge movement.

Everything Is Certain – Your Majesty was officially released on January 28th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Debbie Christ is scintillatingly affecting in her advocacy of authenticity and resilience in We Carry On

Posted on 18 December 2023

Taken from her I’ve Got Time / We Carry On double A-side single, We Carry On by Debbie Christ is a scintillatingly affecting extension of the Shoegaze genre, which spills all the reverb and chorus effects your heart could possibly desire while adding new arcane layers to the intricate tapestry of a production that will consume you down to the last atom of your being as you’re absorbed in the experimentalism.

The defiance of categorisation within the synthesis of femme garage rock, folk, punk and indie not only invites you into a dream-like aural experience but compels you to embrace your own authenticity and walk your unique path, away from the shame of exhibiting your eccentricities.

After overcoming loss, addiction, cancer, and rebelling against her evangelical upbringing, I can’t think of a better voice to help you chart your own path with resilience than Debbie Christ. She’s an icon, not for all she’s endured, but for her determination to emancipate others from their suffering and embolden them.

Towards the outro, We Carry On moves away from the Angel Olsen-reminiscent choral accordance to deliver rancour in the same vein as Big Thief and Lucy Dacus around the Grandaddy-esque synths that add yet another dynamic to the release that is far too infectious to encounter just once. If there’s any justice left in the music industry, Debbie Christ will be one of the biggest names in indie in 2024.

We Carry On is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kaleidoscopic melodicism courses through Dons of Youth’s single, Rush

Posted on 29 November 2023

Dons of Youth, an indie-pop duo composed of Peter Moe and Kelly Matthews III, hailing from Nashville, TN, has crafted a dream pop reverie with their latest track Rush.

Rush is a pristine example of the indie dream pop genre, evoking the ethereal soundscapes akin to Cigarettes After Sex and Beach House and nodding respectfully to the Shoegaze pioneers. The textured tapestry of sound, with kaleidoscopically colourful melodies and harmonious timbres that weave through the air, creates an immersive auditory experience that you will want to be consumed by time and time again. The band’s artistry shines in the elemental melodic interplay, which complements the tranquil and honeyed vocal lines. There’s an intimate quality to the vocals that feels like a secret whispered in confidence, creating a strong emotional resonance that’s both personal and universal.

The duo, who began their collaboration at Belmont University, have matured into an outfit capable of bringing a cogent distinction to their self-produced sound, which puts them in good stead for their upcoming debut album, which promises to deliver a narrative journey through the labyrinth of young love, desire, and romance. These themes are palpable in the tender fabric of Rush, which not only showcases their technical prowess but also their ability to capture the nuanced emotions of coming-of-age stories.

Stream Rush on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Space out with the rock-licked soul in Church Burglars’ kaleidoscope of psychedelic shoegaze, Fairy Tale Ending

Posted on 1 November 2023

If you take your rock classically cut with a twist of spacey psychedelia, explore the riff-carved cosmos in the standout single, Fairy Tale Ending, from Church Burglars’ debut album, Subconsciously Conscious.

With soaring riffs as strident as the licks orchestrated by Slash’s fair hands fused with the soul-lavished euphonic sensibilities of the Flaming Lips and Pink Floyd, Fairy Tale Ending is a prog-rock meditation on the highs and lows of diehard romanticism. The endlessly caressing vocal lines which have more in common with the Shoegaze pioneers than your average rock outfit draw you right into the gravity of the bitter-sweet release, which stands as a testament to the LA-based outfit’s determination to make real music for real people.

After the founding members met at Berklee College of Music in Boston shortly before the COVID pandemic, frontman Mike Foltz used the international live music breather to travel to LA to record the debut LP independently with the exception of a few lead guitar parts laid down by Alec Grugel. With the full line-up finalised, Church Burglars are making waves in the live circuit; grab any opportunity to see them in an intimate setting before you have to join legions of fans filing into arenas to witness the virtuosity of Foltz.

Fairy Tale Ending is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

It’s all about the instrumental and mental breakdowns in Jeff from Work’s shoegazey grunge rap hit, Stand Up

Posted on 19 October 2023

Imagine the Beastie Boys augmenting their sound with the anthemics of Nirvana and accentuating the intricacies of the melodies with elements of post-punk, and you’ll almost envision the snarky sharp alchemy which bursts through every (instrumental and mental) breakdown in Jeff from Work’s seminal single, Stand Up, which also forcefully feeds nuances of the Smashing Pumpkins and Joy Division.

Taken from their concept LP, Overtime, which chronicles the oddities of the human experience through the eyes of Jeff, a ready-to-break slave to the rat race, the single is an exhilarant manifestation of rage, corporate disdain, shoegaze etherealism, and pure juggernautical experimentalism.

Their schtick starts to make all the more sense upon learning that the band formed after meeting at an LA ad agency and discovering they had more in common than their workplace angst. It’s an unlikely aural antihero story, but we’re here from it. They have exactly what it takes to become one of the biggest icons of the alternative scene in 2024.

Stream Overtime with the rest of the debut LP which dropped on October 5th on SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast