Actually at a concert right now, although music won't start for a little while. Carnival of Madness tour, with Alter Bridge, Theory of a Deadman, Adelitas, Emphatic and Black Stone Cherry. Absolutely pumped, especially considering the venue(Hampton's Casino Ballroom, for those familiar). Also, those wh have seen the Protomen:so jealous!
Alcest is great stuff. I love everything Neige does.
For some other recent, excellent shoegaze, you guys should check out Have a Nice Life. And if shameless My Bloody Valentine worship is what you crave, I give you the terribly named Ringo Deathstarr.
__________________ It began - and ends - with Pylon. Pylon stands in the doorway, beckoning me in.
The next album I'm really excited for is Animals as Leaders's Weightless, which I think is coming out in November. One of the song's in online, and it sounds very cool. Their bandleader put up two videos on his YouTube channel for the first time in years about a month ago:
First @Kindablue, I was pleased to see that your Poe link was highlighted for me as a link I'd already visited. She has a few songs that don't work for me, but she also has a bunch that are among my all-time favorites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forb
I totally dig the female vocalist-songwriter types, always open to new suggestions, but these are the ones that always do it for me.
Alanis Morissette
Tori Amos
Princess Superstar
Jewel
Ani Difranco
Okay, Princess Superstar is a little different... but it feels like it fits to me.
Someone explain why I love this type of music.
A few more to try out.
Sarah Blasko (this video is one of the most beautifully filmed I've ever seen) Bat for Lashes (Natasha Khan) Jem (this fan video is pretty much the only reason to ever have anything to do with the movie Ultraviolet ) St. Vincent (having worked in a bookstore that hosted music events, I can say this video is frighteningly accurate)
Heh, Portlandia was great...
St Vincent's pretty cool. Some of her fanboys tend towards the "rabid" end of the spectrum, but I guess that's to be expected.
I'd kinda like to hear her fronting a more conventional rock band, or even something shoegazy/grungy. I guess I'll just hold out for that St Vincent/Silversun Pickups collab that's clearly right around the corner.
That Have a Nice Life link's pretty great. Sounds like they'd be awesome live...
First @Kindablue, I was pleased to see that your Poe link was highlighted for me as a link I'd already visited. She has a few songs that don't work for me, but she also has a bunch that are among my all-time favorites.
A few more to try out.
Sarah Blasko (this video is one of the most beautifully filmed I've ever seen) Bat for Lashes (Natasha Khan) Jem (this fan video is pretty much the only reason to ever have anything to do with the movie Ultraviolet ) St. Vincent (having worked in a bookstore that hosted music events, I can say this video is frighteningly accurate)
Whoa man, you two are amazing. This may be a monumental day in my life.
I also suggest Imogen Heap. While she's not a singer-songwriter type in the vein or some of those artists, she can be fairly minimalist with her work and has a very beautiful voice.
"'There aren't any beginnings,' Burton said. 'Nor any ends.
It seems to me that man has engaged in a blind and fearful struggle out of
a past he can't remember, into a future he can't foresee nor understand.
And man has met and defeated every obstacle, every enemy except one.
He cannot win over himself.'"
~John Steinbeck~ My Homebrew(Most Recent) | Forum Rules | IRC
So I take it it's a good time to start listening to Shoegaze that isn't Only Shallow.
Any recommendations beyond the ones aforementioned?
Ride's first album Nowhere is practically essential. Their second, Going Blank Again, is a bit more on the britpop side, but still highly recommended. SPC ECO are fairly decent on the more modern side. Some of Curve's albums may also be worth checking out - Cuckoo being probably your best bet - although they're more 'elements of' than 'pure' shoegaze.
Right off the bat, I like the piano recording on the first one. It's not lo-fi, so much as "set up a couple of mid-level mics and press record". Acoustic piano's easily the hardest instrument to record, but I think they captured a terrific sound.
I wish the vocals were maaaaybe a decibel or two louder, though, or at least more heavily compressed. There are points at which they're drowned out by the piano, which is a little distracting.
The song itself doesn't seem particularly remarkable to me; coupla very pretty moments, coupla pretty predictable ones. It's a very good performance, though; sounds like it was done, vocals and piano, in one take. Very cool, not quite something I'd normally listen to, though.
Since they call this one a demo I won't bother commenting on the recording.
...although I don't think it'd be too much to ask for them to turn up the vocals just a hair. >_>
Not as big a fan of this one. I kinda feel like this is the sort of music that you connect with, or you don't; there's no middle ground, because it's such an unrepentantly simple song. Not that there's anything wrong with simple songs, but they're, in my experience, more polarizing, by necessity.
I dig this one. Kinda Spoony, but more... British. Are these guys British? They sound very British. Everything about it, is very British. Lil' bit of Zombies, lil' bit of Stones, lil' bit of The Jam... and then, like, Sublime.
My favorite one of the set. Don't have any really specific thoughts on it... it's like a coupla guys took a snapshot of a Radiohead song, just one moment of it, and expanded it into a full song. If that makes any sense. It's Radioheady, but a lot more rough and immediate. Still has that sort of ethereal element, though, which is very cool.
AJJ: I like these guys. They're kinda like if Mountain Goats were angry drunks instead of sad drunks. And in this metaphor they're really drunk. But they're commendably tight for a genre that's really forgiving on sloppiness.
I feel like if I saw The Dodos live I'd go home their biggest fan on earth. I'm not quite sure why I'm not as into them as I think I should be, because I love their lyrics, I love melodies, and I love the sounds they get. I'll download an album, see if it grows on me.
Essex Green... her voice really does not do it for me. I guess that's coloring my perception of the rest of the track, because I found a lot of elements that I'm normally fine with a little irritating. The rhodes part and the harmonies, especially.
...that synth pad, though, I will always find annoying, no matter what context it's being used in.
That Ghost Mice song is badass.
I'm going through most of Kreator's old stuff. I was enthralled by 'Hordes of Chaos' when it came out and I'm currently sampling Terrible Certainty and Pleasure to Kill, which are the bees knees. I also recently discovered Heathen, Sodom, Death Angel, Blood Tsunami (Yeah, the name's kind of odd), and Skeleton Witch. I haven't listened to them as much as I'd like to, but I already like what I've heard.
Also, Revocation's new album, which I'm not too impressed by, but still find good nonetheless.
I also used to think that Black Metal was just chaotic noise, but I'm really digging Dark Tranquility and Emperor. I hear they're just gateway bands though, and alot of the other Black Metal I've listened to still doesn't impress me yet.
So, I finally got around to listening to Hercules And Love Affair. Those guys are... obnoxiously good. Still probably my least favorite act on DFA, but the other ones (LCD Soundsystem, The Juan MacLean, and Holy Ghost!) are among my favorite bands out there, so I guess that's not saying much.
Folks that into female singer-songwriter stuff might like trying Entertainment For The Braindead. A German woman who does folk-rocky-stuff. My personal favourite album by her is the Roadkill album, where EVERYTHING you hear is either her voice, or a banjo (and a tambourine, but that doesn't count!). Damn cool stuff.
Also, ALL of her music is Creative Commons. Sweet!
If you're into folky-stuff, Omnia is really good, too. All acoustic, and it sounds AMAZING.
I've also been listening to a bit of Nurse With Wound, who are amazing, in the bizarre american avant-garde kinda way.
__________________ sense and sensibility
and peaceful productivity
a pretty girl with broken wings
is all that i desire
My friend Shannon Curtis just released a video for her latest single, Let's Stay In. She made the video in an afternoon using a piece of paper, a Sharpie, and an iPhone. Wow.
I also used to think that Black Metal was just chaotic noise, but I'm really digging Dark Tranquility and Emperor. I hear they're just gateway bands though, and alot of the other Black Metal I've listened to still doesn't impress me yet.
I don't know about Dark Tranquility, but while it's true that Emperor was my gateway to black metal, I'd argue that Emperor is still the pinnacle of black metal. Oh yes.
You know, it's odd. Seems like a lot of black metal bands are evolving into shoegazing bands. While I do love shoegazing, is it the black metal guys just taking a big long look at their lives and saying "...WTF have I been doing?" and switching over to a bit happier stuff?
__________________ sense and sensibility
and peaceful productivity
a pretty girl with broken wings
is all that i desire
You know, it's odd. Seems like a lot of black metal bands are evolving into shoegazing bands. While I do love shoegazing, is it the black metal guys just taking a big long look at their lives and saying "...WTF have I been doing?" and switching over to a bit happier stuff?
Can you list any examples? Not that I'm doubting you (bands quitting black/death metal is hardly a new thing, just look at Tiamat), just that I'm curious as to what this influx is bringing to Shoegaze (probably my favourite indie sub-genre*)
* or sub sub genre, depending on whether Indie counts as a full genre.
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