Matt Bartram - Arundel

I didn’t even realize it until I sat down to type this, but this will be the second time I’ve written about a solo artist from a notable shoegaze band in just barely over a week. This time we get an album from Air Formation singer/guitarist Matt Bartram titled Arundel, which was released this past May on the Drifting Falling label.

For Bartram, and many others that take on a solo record, it’s a chance to expand and freely experiment with a certain sound. In Bartram’s case, the Flying Saucer Attack influence that was occasionally hinted upon within his work in Air Formation is let loose here on Arundel. This is a much more ambient and hazier affair for sure, taking on some psychier elements in the area of Spacemen 3 or Medicine but not to the same extremes of either. Like FSA, Bartram’s work here on Arundel often functions heavily with a pulsating rhythm underneath multiple layers of feedback and fuzz that inevitably sucks the listener into its warm and cozy wrappings. That it has such an effect says plenty about Arundel as a whole. Helped along by Bartram’s soothing vocals, which are surprisingly not completely buried in the mix of things, is a nice touch and a wise choice for someone that generally has such a quality to their voice. Fans of Air Formation should find this release intriguing and anyone interested in a lulling more ambient focused shoegaze sound should definitely check out Arundel.

Matt Bartram – Leave by Nine [MP3]

For those looking up to pick up Arundel, it can be had over at Tonevendor. Definitely pick it up if you’re digging the tune above, much more where that came from. It’s a solid album.

Pia Fraus - After Summer...

Pia Fraus just recently returned this past May to deliver their fourth and latest album upon us titled After Summer. The album also happens to be a return to Clairecords, which released their second full-length In Solarium five years ago. Since then the bands has released one other record along with a couple EP’s in between.

I must say, Claire has been on a pretty good roll lately with their releases and judging by the songs contained on After Summer it’s going to continue. The album doesn’t stray away too much from the bands previous output, which means listeners should be prepared to hear a solid mixture of shoegazey guitar feedback and upbeat pop rhythms for a sunshine radiating style of dream-pop. This time around however things get a bit more polished and the all around sound has been tightened up some, which probably has something to do with them working with producer Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits) this time around. Fans shouldn’t see much a problem, if any, with this though as everything that was to like about Pia Fraus before is definitely still here on After Summer. If anything, Blake’s work with the band has helped strengthen up some of the finer points of the bands sound that may have been sorely lacking on 05’s Nature Heart Software, which was a bit tougher of a record to get into for me personally. It’s definitely good to hear the band come back strong on After Summer.

Pia Fraus – Doctor Optimism [MP3]

For those enjoying the music and that are looking to pick up After Summer, then head on over to Tonevendor to do so!

Glissade - Further

It has been raining here off and on all morning, seemed like the perfect time to throw on the new record Further from Greensboro, NC shoegaze trio Glissade. While the cover of the album features a nice shot of an ocean coast, I don’t have that same sort of view here in the Midwest so I am making due by syncing it up to a cloudy/rainy afternoon. Music to watch the streams of water jet down my road and into my yard, creating a lovely mess of trash and decomposing leaves to pick up tomorrow.

While I am not quite sure how long Glissade have been around, Further marks their fifth release and second full-length record. It also happens to be the first time I have ever heard the band and I must say the initial impression is a strong one. Further strives to be a successful and effective atmospheric journey, and for the most part it meets its goal. Just by the appearance of the album, it would almost lead one to believe that the entire album is just slowly blended rise and falls of distortion. At least for me the album name Further automatically triggers some sort of Flying Saucer Attack element. However though, Glissade takes on more of a post-rock approach, giving the songs more of a distinctive appearance from one another. Furthermore, the band also manages to burst out with some fairly hard hitting and intense pieces during some of the songs climaxes which reveal a completely unexpected side to the band…at for me as a first time listener. But going back to the FSA mention though, while it’s probably completely coincidental, Glissade does have a slight psychedelic wrapping to their song craft that does kind of remind me of the bands more pysch influenced material. This is definitely something that fans of instrumental shoegaze/post-rock will want to check out. Think Destroyalldreamers, but without as much of the glimmering sheen to them and bit of a rougher edge.

Glissade – Fields of Snow [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Glissade’s latest full-length, then head on over to Tonevendor to do so. Good stuff.

Soundpool - Dichotomies & Dreamland

Back in 2006 NYC’s Soundpool completely came out of nowhere with their excellent debut On High, which was some sort of masterfully executed danceable shoegaze…at least that’s what I suppose it could be called. Wasting hardly any time the band have returned here in ’08 with their follow up Dichotomies & Dreamland released this past March through Aloft Records here in the US and through Quince in Japan.

While it’s hard to determine whether Dichotomies & Dreamland will change the minds of anyone that disliked the first record, I can say that fans of it will notice a few favorable changes here. The songs have been scaled back a bit from the full bore bouncy pop rhythms that were fluent throughout On High. Instead here we receive a much more ambient and mood driven version of Soundpool, loaded with textures, guitar effects, and a number of songs that are dictated by slow burning crumbles of feedback. Jumping between variations of the two easily works in their favor. The electronic side of the band has also taken on a greater importance, giving them a sound that resembles at times a sped up Bowery Electric or a fuzzier Boards of Canada or Broadcast.

Fans may not fully embrace Dichotomies & Dreamland at first, as it’s not as instantly catchy as their previous effort. However, it’s definitely a further advanced and accomplished album in that it doesn’t lean too heavily on one aspect of the groups sound. With multiple listens it easily proves to be the clear winner between the two in the end.

Soundpool – Do What You Love [MP3]
Soundpool – Lush (What Becomes You) [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Dichotomies & Dreamland then head on over to Tonevendor and pick up this fine addition to the expanding list of fine 2008 releases. Soundpool are one of the bright spots amongst the rapidly growing shoegaze resurgence.

Keith Canisius - Ferris Wheel Makeout

Some might remember back to 2007’s year end list for the blog and one of the records ranked somewhat highly on the list was an album by the Danish shoegaze/dream-pop group Rumskib. It was very nearly my favorite shoegaze related record of the year, only being barely beaten out by Airiel’s excellent full-length. Well one of the main creative forces behind Rumskib, Keith Canisius, has emerged early this year with his debut solo album. The record, which is titled Ferris Wheel Makeout, was just released this past February on the Japanese label Quince and has since been released digitally through Darla Records in March making it their very first digital release.

Unsurprisingly Ferris Wheel Makeout shares a bit in common with Rumskib. However, there is a notable added element of electronic drum programming here that loosens up the songs a bit and allowing Canisius to not have to completely rely on pushing the melodies to the absolute limit like on the Rumskib album. Although I quite enjoyed it, I think that was one of the main criticisms of that record from other listeners, which was understandable. The added electronics do a nice job of giving this album a slightly different feel and probably a satisfying outlet for Canisius. Helping him out somewhat on the album with some of the programming was Jonas Munk (Manual), which for the most part Ferris Wheel Makeout falls comfortably within that Manual and Ulrich Schnauss mold. In the end Canisius’ solo debut comes off as a solid midway between the hazy/ambient qualities of the aforementioned artists and Rumskib’s heavily Cocteau Twins synth influenced dream-pop. It’s definitely worth checking out for anyone that is already fans of any artists/bands mentioned in the post or just this style of music in general.

Keith Canisius – Far From [MP3]

For anyone looking to pick up the CD version of Ferris Wheel Makeout, then head on over to the excellent Tonevendor or Darla to do so. Anyone that would prefer the digital version can get it from the usual suspects of Emusic and Amazon.

Secret Shine - All of the Stars

It’s been roughly 15 years since Secret Shine have released an album. Their last was in 1993 on the notorious Sarah Records titled Untouched. A fine album and occasionally overlooked gem of the first wave of shoegaze. The band would play together up until a show in Oxford in 1996, which after that they went on a hiatus of sorts. They would return in 2004 with the release After Years, which compiled a majority of their back catalog including the aforementioned Untouched. This all resulted in two more EP’s in 2006 leading up to their recently released new album All of the Stars, which is being handled by the excellent Clairecords. It’s been a long time coming, however I think the reception will be most favorable.

The amount of time between full-lengths here is obviously a large one for any band. While the EP’s were a nice dose of new recordings, I was still intrigued as to how a new full-length would turn out and sit alongside in comparison to Untouched. The band holed up for practically all of 2007 to record All of the Stars. At first listen to it I was completely surprised by the sheer volume of the sound. Their earlier output had mostly found its home in the more ethereal area of something like Slowdive, etc. However here on the new album the guitars have a noticeably larger and even rawer sound and feel to them. Songs like “Know” and “Café Crash” just topple over the listener like an enormous wave. Member Jamie Gingell produced the album and has done a marvelous job at capturing Secret Shine operating at a whole new level of power. Everything that made the band such an enjoyable listen during their initial run together can be found within All of the Stars and it’s quite obvious that time hasn’t slowed down these shoegaze vets one bit.

Secret Shine – Café Crash [MP3]

For those looking to pick up All of the Stars, then head on over to Tonevendor. Definitely recommended.

Citified - The Meeting After the Meeting

Back in ’05 before I was doing the blog thing, I had run across a fantastic little mini LP by Greensboro, North Carolina’s Citified that was released on Eskimo Kiss Records. As far as catchy indie rock albums went, I think it was definitely my favorite of the bunch that year. Part of it had a lo-fi 80’s college rock type of feel to it, while also managing to sprinkle in dabs of reverb throughout. It had me hooked pretty quickly, to say the least.

Anyway, I think at the time of the first recording Citified was mostly the one man project of Chris Jackson with maybe a couple other guys helping out here and there. Just this past month or so though Citified has returned, and this time Jackson has recruited a full band to back him. The bands second release, The Meeting after the Meeting, is yet another small dose of nostalgia and reverb drenched melodies. It took me a bit to get used to cleaner and fully fleshed out sound, however everything that made the first LP so special is successfully worked into the seven songs on this EP. The clarity allows the glistening guitar lines to add a bit of a dream-pop element to the bands overall sound that couldn’t or didn’t really make as much of an appearance on the first record. The distance in Jackson’s vocals fit right along with the underlying melancholic small town trappings, which was one of the things that initially endeared the bands music to me when I first discovered them.

The Meeting After the Meeting:
Citified – Read Like a Number [MP3]

Citified:
Citified – I’ve Seen You Older [MP3]

Part of me wonders what a proper full-length album from these guys would be like, but then again the songs are so short and sweet I don’t necessarily see it happening or how it would work in the first place. Regardless, I’ll settle for the small dashes of output from Citified over most “indie” bands entire discography any day. For those that are interested, then head on over to Eskimo Kiss to pick up the bands latest EP The Meeting After the Meeting. The bands first LP is also available too, so definitely pick that up if you have the chance.

Dead Leaf Echo - Pale Fire

Kicking off this week is the new EP, titled Pale Fire, from the NYC trio Dead Leaf Echo. The disc, which was released on March 24th through Year of the Gallon, is a set of six vibrant but yet moody songs that should easily spark the attention of fans of dream-pop/shoegaze. Diving back into the genres earlier days, Pale Fire shares the same sort of glimmering sound that bands like Slowdive and/or Lush (sans Guthrie production) managed to excel in creating during their successful runs through the early 90’s. Adding in a strong influence from 80’s new wave/post-punk bands like Psychedelic Furs and The Cure (the singer at times seems to be channeling Robert Smith), the band has developed what proves to be an exceptional and ultimately fresh sound.

Dead Leaf Echo - Thought Talk [MP3]

Be sure to pick up Pale Fire while you can if you dig the tune posted above. The first pressing of the disc is limited to 200 hand numbered copies that come in two different available versions of artwork. While you’re at it, also be sure to check out the bands previous EP Faint Violet Whiff, which was also released on Year of the Gallon. To purchase either, head on over to their MySpace.

Tears Run Rings - Always, Sometimes, Seldom, Never

The debut Always, Sometimes, Seldom, Never from Tears Run Rings is sort of an interesting case in that it was put together over a three year period by the swapping of CD-R’s and of course use of the internet. These days it seems like that sort of practice is becoming more common where collaborations can take place without even having to leave your home. It’s just kind of neat I guess. But anyway…

Always, Sometimes, Seldom, Never is the first full-length from the LA/Portland/Seattle based Tears Run Rings. The band experienced a nice reception to their first EP A Question and an Answer last year when it topped out at # 1 on the ToneVENDOR top sellers list. Already with their latest release they are sitting at # 7 and I have no doubt it will be climbing in the months to come. Featuring ex-members of the mid-nineties indie-pop/twee outfit The Autocollants, some of the bands jangly pop rhythms can still be plucked out of Tears Run Rings’ heavily shoegaze centric sound. The overall result of it is quite nice too adding a bit of an uncommon element to the style that is usually dominated by distortion. The male/female vocal combination that the band features sort of adds to this effect as well.

Tears Run Rings have put together a very solid debut and make a case to be considered one of the top groups amongst the current shoegaze crop. It’s well worth checking out.

Tears Run Rings – How Will the Others Survive [MP3]
Tears Run Rings – Mind the Wires [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Always, Sometimes, Seldom, Never it can be currently had over at ToneVENDOR. For fans of shoegaze, this is definitely an album that has to be checked out.

Heroes of Switzerland - Comfort in Fear

Bands that list My Bloody Valentine in their bios as an influence are supposed to have loud swirling guitars and obscene amounts of feedback right? This apparently isn’t the case for Heroes of Switzerland, who hail from Nottingham, UK. The band cites a number of other bands within their bio and basically makes it clear that their only concern is to play good rock music. In the end they accomplish that on their debut album Comfort in Fear, which was just released at the end of this past February.

Heroes of Switzerland mix in various elements from indie-rock and the early days of shoegaze within their sound. There are no endless walls of feedback or layers of woozy sounding guitars here though. Instead one should think more in the direction of past bands like Swervedriver or post-Ferment Catherine Wheel (You know, when they wanted to become rock stars?). But anyway, this is the type of music that Heroes of Switzerland have decided to dwell in and they have made good on it for their debut Comfort in Fear. The album is full of solid tracks that feature a number of great melodies to hook you in. This is a band that gets it done with pure songwriting as opposed to lying heavy on the effects pedals or just drowning the listener’s ears in an auditory assault. Good stuff indeed.

Heroes of Switzerland – Compliancy [MP3]
Heroes of Switzerland – Soaring [MP3]

Those looking to pick up Comfort in Fear can do so through CD Baby. Definitely do so if you’re enjoying the posted tunes.

Experimental Aircraft - Third Transmission: Meet Me On Echo Echo Terrace

Third Transmission: Meet Me On Echo Echo Terrace is the third album from the Austin, Texas based Experimental Aircraft. Having been absent for quite some time now, the band has come back as strong as ever with this wonderful album. As far as spacey/shoegaze releases go so far this year, this has definitely found a place among the top of the early pile. In actuality I should use the word shoegaze somewhat loosely with them, as they are much more than your average distortion heavy “wall of sound” type of band. They manage to blend elements of indie-rock and hints of psychedelic influence within the distant sounding fuzz. Experimental Aircraft sound very much like a product of where they are from, with songs that stretch and reveal a hint of haunting loneliness that one can easily be consumed by living in such an area. It sets the mood perfectly. Adding to it all is one of my favorite aspects of the band, which are the gorgeous vocals from singer Rachel Staggs. Her soft drifting vocals complement the bands overall forlorn sound perfectly with her injecting that slight ounce of hope among it all. Also making an appearance, more here than on their previous albums, are the additional vocals from TJ O’Leary. Who often sounds a bit more fluctuant but adds nicely to the bands palette. This is definitely an album to check out for fans of hazy/spacey indie-rock. Good stuff all around.

Experimental Aircraft – Stellar [MP3]
Experimental Aircraft – So Simple [MP3]

If you’re interested in picking up Third Transmission: Meet Me on Echo Echo Terrace, then head on over to Graveface Records and order a copy. Definitely comes recommended. Enjoy!

Ides of Space...

Ides of Space was an Australian shoegaze/indie-rock group that was formed in 1999, however despite a bit of exposure here in the US and doing well among college radio they still went fairly unnoticed here. They seemed to have a bit more success in their home country of Australia though. They recorded two EP’s, First Translated in 1965 and We Have Nowhere to Be, both of which were released in 2001. Those two EP’s would be collected onto one single album titled There Are No New Clouds through the US label Better Looking Records. It was actually with that album that I first heard them and instantly liked what I heard. While it isn’t anything terribly original, the songs are definitely strong, consisting of good but also restrained use of dense feedback to help craft them. Sometimes maybe a bit too somber, however the band does well to make sure it doesn’t dwell on those moments too long. I definitely recommend checking out There Are No New Clouds, since it’s the easiest thing these days to track down by them and because it’s close to, if not, the best thing they did while together.

Ides of Space – This Side of the Screen [MP3]
Ides of Space – Random Noise Generator [MP3]

The band did record an actual album that was released in 2004 called Sleeping Fractures. I don’t really know too much about it actually, although I think it was originally planned for a US release through The First Time Records, but evidently never happened. It’s definitely worth listening to if anyone out there can find it/afford it. After the release of Sleeping Fractures the band pretty much disappeared, at least it seemed that way to me. However, this past year a few of the members turned up in a new project dubbed Line Drawings. You can find them over on their MySpace.

As for obtaining a copy of There Are No New Clouds, it’s still available through Better Looking Records. Definitely give it a spin.

Closedown - Nearfield

Closedown were an early American shoegaze band that released the album pictured to left called Nearfield in 1994 though the ambient/electronic dominated label Silent Records. That could possibly be a small reason as to why this album isn’t better known than it is among shoegaze fans or just music fans in general. There is a fair amount of chill electronic/ambient material throughout the album, but in a few ways Nearfield reminds me of the brilliant album Quique by Seefeel that managed to be successful in being sort of a crossover success among the underground. Nearfield isn’t that type of album, but it shares a few similarities between it that I think is neat. The album takes on the same approach using waves of light distortion off and on throughout it, slowly and meticulously introducing layer upon layer. One of my favorite tracks off the album, “Red Oval” even comes close to matching the same type of powerful pulsing monotonous beat that eventually lulls you into a trance like state after awhile and then seven minutes have just flown by. Pretty solid stuff if you ask me. Nearfield is sort of an album of halves though, partly made up of slowly rising mood driven ambient pieces and then the glisten and sparkle of something similar to that of Slowdive, which they do very well I might add. I definitely recommend this to fans of that dreamier type of sound check this out.

Closedown – Red Oval [MP3]
Closedown – Sunangel Summer [MP3]

Anyone interested in obtaining this fine album can do so by heading over to Amazon. There are still a few albums floating around on their marketplace, and I imagine there are number of other places online that still have copies of this too. Anyway, definitely check it out if you’re a fan of shoegaze and/or dream-pop.

Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness

Deathconsciousness by the Middletown, CT duo Have a Nice Life already seems to be generating a bit of buzz across the internet and it’s only been out for a few days now. On top of that it’s self-released by the band on their own label Enemieslist, so it’s a bit surprising to see it getting such wide amount reaction so quickly. When I first caught wind of this record I really didn’t know what to expect from it. I saw that it was a double disc lo-fi affair that listed big time names like Swans, Sunn O))), Joy Division, and My Bloody Valentine. That left me a bit worried, more so the two disc part. You never know what possibly lies ahead when taking on something like that. However, Have a Nice Life have completely risen to the occasion and produced a double album that should gather steam as the year moves forward as the positive responses continue to roll in. I assume they will, because it’s pretty good.

The aforementioned comparisons, influences, or whatever they are supposed to serve as are a pretty rough indicator as to what this sounds like. I’ll go ahead and say it completely took me by surprise when listening to Deathconsciousness the first time through. Each song is almost of a different style than the other while still maintaining the cold detached ambiance the whole record basically soaks itself in. When entering the Enemieslist website there is a note saying that the band has proclaimed it the “most depressing record in the history of music”. I’m generally not too big on that sort of thing, but it definitely is one dark and bleak sounding record. Plus, they did include a full 80 page book with the record to back it up and explain the full meaning behind it. I have to commend them for that. The music though is for the most part excellent. As I mentioned every song is something a bit different, although the drum machine programming can be a bit repetitive at times. Ranging from full on drones laced with sparse textures to fuzz filled beauty, it’s a full listening experience that must be heard from start to finish. There are portions that remind me at times of some of the earlier 4AD stuff as well.

Deathconsciousness comes as a wonderful surprise for me in 2008, and I am thinking it will be the same for some others out there. Definitely take a listen to a couple cuts from the record below.

Have a Nice Life – Bloodhail [MP3]
Have a Nice Life – I Don’t Love [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Deathconsciousness head on over to Enemieslist and drop them an e-mail and they’ll be able to fix you up. Enjoy!

The Vera Violets - Dirty Rainbow

Safranin Sound is steadily working its way up the ladder as one of my favorite current running labels. Helping propel their ascent on said ladder is one of their latest offerings from the Tampa, Florida based band The Vera Violets. Now unlike quite a few of the bands on Safranin’s roster, I have been familiar with The Vera Violets for quite awhile now and it’s great to see they’re part of that family and releasing their latest album Dirty Rainbow through it.

On Dirty Rainbow the band has returned once again with twelve solid tracks of their fuzzy psychedelic influenced rock. Stepping away a bit more from the shoegazey drone found on their past efforts, The Vera Violets have dove a bit further into the depths of 60’s psych and garage rock and have come out with an even hazier druggy swirl than before. While the songs are definitely wrapped in a smoke screen type of fuzz, there is a noticeably evident jangle pop vibe going on that hasn’t revealed itself as much in the past. It serves the band well as it works as a nice change of pace mixed in with some of the bands more strung out and darker influenced songs which have particularly dominated their earlier albums. Those out there who are already fans of The Vera Violets definitely won’t be disappointed with this release as it features everything that is great about the bands past releases while still managing to work in some newer key focuses.

The Vera Violets – As You Are Mine [MP3]
The Vera Violets – In the Sun [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Dirty Rainbow it is available through Safranin Sound. Definitely pick this up if the tunes above are to your liking. Enjoy!

Her Vanished Grace - Twilight

Although being around for nearly 15 years, this is the first time I’ve ever had a chance to hear Her Vanished Grace, the husband/wife tandem of Charles and Nance Nieland. The band has released a number of records together over the years, developing a respectable cult following. Their album Twilight serves as their latest, released just at the end of ’07, and is my introduction to the band. First and foremost I got to respect a band that has spent so many years playing music that they genuinely love, even if it comes at the expense of accessibility and maybe even a larger audience. That obviously takes dedication. Her Vanished Grace, from what I can tell, has been putting out their brand of finely crafted shoegaze/dream-pop tunes for awhile now and look to have no plans of stopping on Twilight.

Featuring the warm and recognizable fuzz of shoegaze’s past, Twilight wraps it in a welcome influence of eighties new wave with a hint of Cocteau Twins-esque looming in the background. One thing I did notice was the front end of Twilight is surprisingly riff heavy drawing the majority of its power from that source as opposed to a cacophonous swirl. As the album progresses though, the band eases into calmer shoegaze/dream-pop territory and is where it really begins to take hold. The albums closer “Alone” is a highlight, showcasing some of the bands stronger qualities and is also where the band is at its most ethereal.

Her Vanished Grace – Twilight [MP3]
Her Vanished Grace – Alone [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Twilight, it can be currently had on CD Baby. Definitely check it out for those that are fans of a bit harder edged shoegaze sound. Enjoy!

Lorelei - Everyone Must Touch the Stove

The Washington DC based Lorelei originally formed right around 1990 as a five piece but was quickly stripped down to a trio after the release of their first single. Their initial stint together lasted all of six years before calling it quits after they released their only full-length, Everyone Must Touch the Stove on Slumberland in 1994. The album was released sort of right on the tail end of the whole shoegaze wave of the early nineties, which may have actually been a good thing for the band because it proves to be one of the more interesting releases that still sort of falls into that category. While there are plenty of lush and blanketed moments of distortion scattered throughout the album, it draws from many other sources as well. The band enlisted the use of a number of different instruments on Everyone Must Touch the Stove, which is what truly makes this album much more fun listen than many other albums that fall under the same umbrella. I imagine an album like this seemed sort of out of left field for what people might have expected, however the hint of experimentalism that it contains definitely gathers it some respect from at least me. It’s different, while still managing to be highly listenable. Songs like “Throwaway” and “Inside the Crimelab” are a couple of prime examples of the bands overall approach to sort of expand the genre in a way.

Lorelei – Thigh for a Leg [MP3]
Lorelei – Inside the Crimelab [MP3]

Lorelei reformed back in 2003 resulting in the recording of a three song 12'' called Informed by the Future that was released on the bands own label, Textile Sounds. The band apparently has plans to release material this year, which will great to hear. Also, be sure to check out the bands EP Asleep, which was precursor to the full-length. Well worth checking out. If the tunes above are of interest then please by all means head on over to the Slumberland website and pick up Everyone Must Touch the Stove.

Stella Luna - Stargazer

Apologies for the late post, my internet connection has been dropping the ball since about 1 AM this morning. Never ever move to an area where you are forced to choose between one big lazy cable company or basically nothing. Enough whining, on to the music…

Awhile back I put a track on a monthly mix from the late Florida based band Stella Luna off their amazing EP Stargazer. I can’t count the number of times I’ve listened to the four song disc, but it’s definitely been a crazy amount since it came out in 2002 on Clairecords. Knowing that this was the bands one and only release, it seems like it deserves a bit more than just a track thrown on a mix. Especially when considering that this may be one of the best shoegaze inspired EP’s that many may have not yet heard. It’s truly unfortunate that this is basically all we have from this band. The Stargazer EP had originally been intended to be a teaser of sorts to their upcoming album that obviously never made it to release. To think what a full-length would have been like from this band just frustrates me to no end because the EP is so great that it just allows my mind to run wild with the amount of possibilities. While it may have not been something entirely new to the genre of shoegaze, it was the execution of the aforementioned that really made it something special. While there are records that embrace a space rock vibe, Stargazer clenches firmly to it and combines it with the perfect amount of feedback and dissonance. There have been more than a few good shoegaze albums to come out since Stargazer was released, however for my money this about as good as it gets.

Stella Luna – Antares [MP3]

I do highly suggest picking up this EP over at Tonevendor for those that may not have yet and are fans of music such as this. It’s a must have, simple as that.

The December Sound - The Silver Album

Boston’s The December Sound managed to nab a fair amount of attention with their debut EP Kill Me awhile back and have now just self-released their debut full length The Silver Album, which should surely net them some favorable responses once again. Just like on their EP, the band remains in their unpredictable ways by compiling together thirteen tracks that approach the areas of psych, shoegaze, and post-punk while meshing them together excellently. I can imagine it’s not easy for a band like The December Sound with the style that they play to set themselves apart from the past. There is always going to be comparisons to The Jesus and Mary Chain whenever there is an element of overblown distortion and dark moody psychedelic textures thrown into the mix. The December Sound certainly has that, but they’ve done so in a way that seems to cover so much more ground than that of just another rehash. It seems unfair to even mention that word in this write up. The Silver Album is just as much a shoegaze album as it is a full fledged rock album, and the heightened focus on songwriting instead of pure volume most definitely pays off for this band. I don’t think I’ve really heard a band that incorporates a true rock n’ roll aesthetic into their sound as well as The December Sound does here on this album since maybe Swervedriver. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t sound much like them but it most definitely has the same sort of rock under current and recklessness to it. The December Sound is yet another great addition to the rapidly growing amount of bands that are breathing new life into this type of music.

The December Sound – No Heaven Like Hell [MP3]
The December Sound – Reminder [MP3]
The December Sound – Maker [MP3]

For those looking to pick this up then head on over to the bands MySpace where they have both The Silver Album and their fantastic EP Kill Me available for order. For the time being, enjoy!

epo-555 - Mafia

I must admit, when something happens by coincidence it’s fairly neat. I was originally turned on by the Copenhagen electro/pop/shoegaze outfit epo-555 not too long ago by a reader of the blog that dropped their name while recommending a few things to me. I took a listen to their 2004 album Dexter Fox and enjoyed what I heard. So fast forward a couple or so weeks later and their second album and US debut Mafia ends up in my mailbox. Good timing on their part, since they were still relatively fresh in my mind. Like I said, coincidences can be pretty neat. However, it’s by no coincidence that their second album follows up their debut with an equally strong set of songs. They are simply a good band.

I will admit an album like Mafia won’t necessarily stand out on first listen. In fact the first time I listened to it I didn’t even really remember listening to 11 tracks but my CD player was telling me otherwise. Their songs sort of just drift by with soft boy girl vocals that occasionally chime in during the dreamy mix. On multiple listens though it really begins to take shape, it would seem Mafia is almost sneaky good. It works in a number of infectious melodies that I certainly didn’t catch the first time through. There is enough subtle noise thrown in amongst the layers of digital beats and guitar fuzz to give it that sort of edge that an understated sound like epo-555’s needs every so often. Definitely check out Mafia, especially for those that are into dreamy electronic pop music. This is definitely a keeper.

epo-555 – Hyperschlieb [MP3]
epo-555 – Maid in China [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Mafia, then head on over to Amazon.

Ceremony - Disappear

It sure is great when one great band can split up and result in the formation of two other great bands. I am not saying I like it when a group that I greatly enjoy breaks up, but if it’s going to happen then this is the type of scenario in which I can only hope for. In this case it was the breakup of the amazing Skywave in which the members splintered off into A Place to Bury Strangers and Ceremony. I already wrote about the new A Place to Bury Strangers record earlier this year, now it’s time to take notice of Ceremony’s new record Disappear, which solely consists of both ex-Skywave members Paul Baker and John Fedowitz.

Ceremony continues forth with the sound that made Skywave such a distinct band, using an ample amount of distortion to their advantage. However, where as their previous bands sound was of almost of ear splitting proportions at times, Ceremony tones it down a tiny bit in favor of some new wave electronic elements along with making good use of a drum machine. The vocals play a big part in the duos sound, adding mightily to their already distant and darker natured persona. All of it is still buried underneath a solid layering of fuzz and when put all together it makes for some very fine noise-pop.

Ceremony – Dull Life [MP3]

For those out there looking to pick up Disappear, head on over to Safranin Sound. One of the best shoegaze/noise-pop albums I’ve heard this year, easily. So do check it out.

Immovable Objects - Hoping it Stays Just This Broken

For Matt Gagin, the only way to truly create the music that he wished was to go the solo route. After spending years playing in bands from his late teens to his mid twenties the idea of being in a band just wasn’t something he wanted to deal with anymore. After departing from his last group, shoegazers Waterline Drift, he was able to start work on his solo project Immovable Objects. A little over a year in the works, Gagin has just released his debut album under the Immovable Objects moniker called Hoping it Stays Just This Broken currently out on Hawnyawk Records.

Gagin’s musical past lies somewhat in hardcore music, however spending time in those types of bands it made him realize that melody and texture was what he wanted to focus on in his music. While touching upon this a bit in his previous band, Gagin takes his vision and pushes it a bit further as Immovable Objects adding electronic elements to it creating an even more delicate and swirling mixture of sound. One noticeable difference here though is that instead of focusing completely on creating a wall of sound, there is more emphasis on the electronics here that often times remind me of some of the better moments in Mum’s catalog. Having this accompanied with Gagin’s soft vocals and the subtlety paced build of shimmering guitar work throughout the songs seems to have worked quite well for him. Not bad at all for a record that Gagin says wasn’t even meant to be created in the first place. Thankfully for fans of shoegaze and/or dream-pop, Gagin followed through and completed Hoping it Stays Just This Broken as I am sure it will be enjoyed by most who give it a listen.

Immovable Objects – Shut Up and Listen [MP3]

For those looking to check this out, head on over to CD Baby to pick up the album and check out the Immovable Objects MySpace for a few more tunes off the album.

Swervedriver to Reunite and Tour in Spring of 2008...

I usually don’t do much “news” on the blog, but this was too good to pass up really. For those that haven’t already read or heard yet, the publicist for Swervedriver let it be known earlier this weekend that the band (Adam Franklin, Jimmy Hartridge, Steve George, and Jez) will be be reuniting this Spring for a tour. The band hasn’t played a show together as Swervedriver for almost 10 years now since their hiatus began after the release of their last album 99th Dream. The best part of all of this is that they are in fact coming to the US of A. So that means there is a legitimate chance for me to actually see the band, which is extremely exciting since they are definitely one of my favorite bands of all time and their second album Mezcal Head is probably in my list of top 10 records.

Currently Adam Franklin is out on tour supporting the release of his recent solo album Bolts of Melody, which I suggest checking out. For dates on his current tour, check out Adam’s MySpace.

Thanks in part to this great piece of news; it gives me a great excuse to repost a couple of my favorite rarity Swervedriver songs along with a couple others from their first and second albums. Enjoy and I hope some of you out there are as stoked about this as I am.

Swervedriver – Year of the Girl [MP3]
Swervedriver – Flawed [MP3]
Swervedriver – Rave Down [MP3]
Swervedriver – Girl on a Motorbike [MP3]

You can still find some of Swervedriver's albums over at Amazon. For those looking to pick up Adam Franklin’s solo disc Bolts of Melody then head on over to Hi-Speed Soul Records.

Destroyalldreamers - Wish I Was All Flames

2004 seems so long ago when Montreal instrumental shoegazers Destroyalldreamers released their debut album À Cœur Léger Sommeil Sanglant. Upon its release the album received quite a bit of positive words written about it as well as Tonevendor eventually declaring it the best shoegaze album of ’04. All of it was deservedly so as À Cœur Léger Sommeil Sanglant was indeed a very fine album of lush atmospherics and shimmering guitar work. As one could imagine with an album as good as that one, the wait for the next would feel excruciatingly long. Although there were tracks on compilations released in between and a vinyl only EP on Claire’s Echo titled Glare/Halo, it just wasn’t enough to weaken that sort of pain. Once you’ve had a taste of something that good you simply cannot wait very long to have it again. So here we are in October of 2007 and the wait has finally come to an end as Destroyalldreamers have just released their follow up Wish I Was All Flames on Where Are My Records.

To put it quite simply, for those that enjoyed the last album I cannot possibly imagine any them being disappointed with their latest effort. It’s every bit as magnificent as their debut. During the period in between albums it was noted that the band focused some on learning how to produce, which definitely shows. While their debut was every bit as pristine with its ambient textures, on Wish I Was All Flames the crispness of the guitar swirls and overall layering effects are executed in an almost flawless fashion. It’s pretty evident after listening to this record a couple times that this trio has spent countless hours honing in their craft. Where À Cœur Léger Sommeil Sanglant tended to drift just a little bit, Wish I Was All Flames seems to have tightened things up completely not letting the songs wear out their welcome or possibly risk losing the interest of the listener. Those are things that I imagine one learns playing in a completely instrumental band though and for a band that has only put out two albums, there are hardly any flaws to their music that can be found. Destroyalldreamers continue to show why they are easily one of the best groups currently active out of the new crop of shoegaze acts.

Definitely give this band a listen, especially if ethereal shoegaze/dream pop is your thing. It won’t disappoint.

Destroyalldreamers – Wish I Was All Flames [MP3]
Destroyalldreamers – A Summer Without You [MP3]

Wish I Was All Flames can currently be purchased directly from the band on their website.

All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors...

Releasing a couple albums in the mid to late nineties, New Jersey’s All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors for the most part went unnoticed sadly. Part of it I imagine was due to the constant criticism of them being just another MBV clone. At this point that could be said for a million bands, and as for ANLALF I honestly believe they weren’t THAT similar.

Their first Self-Titled album was released in 1996 and was later reissued on Gern Blandsten in 2001 with some extra tracks. It’s a bit different than what their follow up and final album Turning into Small would have to offer, which was released in 1998 on Gern Blandsten. Turning into Small is definitely the most accomplished of the two and for casual fans might be the only one worth checking out, however it’s extremely enjoyable in my opinion. While it does resemble MBV in more than a few ways, it’s far from a direct aping of style which some write ups of the band would lead one to believe. In actuality the band was much more focused on the manipulation of swirling electronics and synth as opposed to creating a wall of sound through droning guitar layers and immense layers of feedback. Granted, there is still plenty of feedback and the end result is more or less a nice sheet of melodic noise, but instead of being completely blissed out and taking the ethereal dream-pop route the band often treads into space rock territory using tones that seem otherworldly and a bit disorienting. They’re really a band that got pigeonholed for really no reason, which is too bad. They were in my opinion doing something quite innovative with the sound. After the band had already split, they released a compilation of singles and rarities in 2001 called Straight Blue Line on Gern Blandsten which is also worth taking a look at as well. Anyway, definitely check out the tracks below and decide for yourself.

All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors:
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – Muffin 57 [MP3]
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – Saturn Jig [MP3]

Turning Into Small:
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – You Can Never Tell [MP3]
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – When Things Come Falling [MP3]

Straight Blue Line:
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – Exploded View [MP3]
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – That Familiar Look to You [MP3]

After the band broke up members went on to form the bands Jett Brando and Ifwhen. Most of All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors’ albums can still be found on Amazon, so definitely check those out if the music is to your liking. As always, enjoy!

Pluramon - The Monstrous Surplus

You know an album is good when it makes you want to revisit the artist’s entire catalog. There is that point in the album in which I think, “man, what have I possibly missed here?” In Pluramon’s case it looks like it might be quite a bit. Although I came along the Marcus Schmickler based project Pluramon back in ’03 when the projects last album came out called Dreams Top Rock, I casually listened to it from what I recall and then never really dug it out again. The more I listen to Pluramon’s latest album The Monstrous Surplus the more it’s appearing to be a huge mistake for neglecting any of the past material as I did.

Schmickler dates back into the mid 90’s with Pluramon and even further regarding electronic music as a whole. He has released numerous albums among other things under many different aliases all of which explore the vast landscape of electronic music. Pluramon happens to be really the only one I am semi familiar with however, having listened to it in the past, albeit briefly and lazily probably. That being said, Monstrous Surplus snuck up on me in the best possible way, capturing me with the albums first track “Turn In”, which is one of the finest portions of dream pop to reach my ears this year. Featuring the beautiful sound of swirling guitars and plenty of reverb, the song is made even more delicate with the inclusion of vocalist/collaborator Julee Cruise. Some might recognize her from when she provided vocals for the soundtrack to the David Lynch series Twin Peaks. Those who know her will undoubtedly recognize her voice. This should also make fans of Dreams Top Rock happy too, since she also collaborated with Schmickler for that album as well. Also making vocal appearances are Schmickler himself and backing him up is Julia Hummer for the majority of Monstrous Surplus.

Like I mentioned, The Monstrous Surplus is practically a complete surprise. Those are always nice though. Pluramon has managed to release an album of dream-pop that makes it home above the clouds and occasionally within, to which I’ve been searching for in many other albums this year but had yet to stumble upon. I have to give kudos to Schmickler for upping the ante here.

Pluramon – Turn In [MP3]
Pluramon – Drowning in You [MP3]

For those interested in picking this up, The Monstrous Surplus comes out October 23rd through Karaoke Kalk, which can be pre-ordered now through any major vendor such as Amazon. I definitely recommend it for those that are fans of dream-pop and such.

The Voices - The Sound of Young America

I remember first hearing The Voices sometime in 2005 I want to say. Their debut album was either about ready to come out or it had already come out. I am not quite sure; I just recall enjoying their music. After that though it seemed like I didn’t see much about the album or the band really after its release. Granted, it never occurred to me to ever use that handy thing called Google. In actuality, with them basically flying under the radar the whole time I kind of forgot about them as well. So as one could imagine, I was pretty pleased and surprised to discover a couple months ago that the band was putting out a new album entitled The Sound of Young America through My Kung Fu Recordings, which has since come out this past August.

The Voices are a trio that is from Port Talbot in South Wales that are highly influenced by the shoegaze sounds of the early 90’s. For a trio their sound is expansive and compared to their first self-titled album, their latest The Sound of Young America reaches out further into the depths of space and drifting waves of feedback. With seven songs that clock in under right around forty three minutes, The Voices are more about a churning repetitiveness that slowly snowballs into an explosive mixture of feedback laden noise and shimmering waves of beauty. While the slow build and payoff method of The Voices may grate on some, I don’t have any doubts that fans of the genre will appreciate the latest effort from this fine and severely underappreciated band. And yes, I am just as guilty for forgetting about them in the past. However, I am hoping maybe this time with The Sound of Young America the band will stick as they’ve obviously outdone themselves here. For those out there looking for good new shoegaze, then do check this out.

The Voices - I'll Always Be Within You When There's No One Left Inside [MP3]

For anyone looking to pick The Sound of Young America up, then head on over to Tonevendor. Definitely one of the better shoegaze related albums that I’ve heard this year, it’s a keeper indeed.

Electro Group...

Sorry for the sporadic updates lately. To be honest I’ve just been slacking, no other excuse really. I guess maybe some minor burnout, but nothing too serious…more of me being kind of lazy about it. However, I have been trying to do a bit of catch up with the plethora of albums that have come out this year that I want to listen to before the year comes to an end. Not a bad problem to have, but a task nonetheless. One more album that will soon be added to that list is the upcoming disc from fuzz rockers Electro Group titled Good Technology, which will be out on the always excellent Clairecords on September 4th. Don’t be surprised to see a review of that disc show up on the blog sometime next month. However for now I’ve thrown up some tunes from the bands debut album A New Pacifica from 2001 on Omnibus Records and their and their EP Ummo from 2004, also on Omnibus.

It doesn’t seem like I see the name Electro Group show up too often in discussion about current and worthwhile shoegaze/noise-pop groups, which is too bad because A New Pacifica is easily one of the better albums I’ve heard from the newer crop of bands. Comprised of singer/guitarist Tim Jacobson, bassist Ian Hernandez, and drummer Matt Hull the group plays some feedback heavy shoegaze, akin to My Bloody Valentine or early Ecstasy of Saint Theresa. The songs are greatly driven by the rumbling fuzzed out bass lines provided by Hernandez. Electro Group really creates the perfect blend between sweet sugary melodies and the harsher aspects of shoegaze/noise-pop, which kind of further confuses me as to why these guys don’t have a larger audience. Occasionally the band comes up in association with the twee outfit Rocketship, whom Jacobson is friends with and has spent some time helping out playing some instruments with here and there, but his status of being an actual member of that band has been a bit overblown a bit. Regardless, it still wouldn’t surprise me if that’s where some of the pop influence for Electro Group came from. Anyway, for those that haven’t heard Electro Group and are looking for some fuzzed out noise-pop with infectiously warm melodies then definitely check out the tunes below.

A New Pacifica:
Electro Group – If You Could See [MP3]
Electro Group – Cyrna Ruka [MP3]
Electro Group – Manimal [MP3]

Ummo:
Electro Group – Panzer Treat [MP3]

Both of their current albums can be had over at Amazon, along with a pre-order option for their upcoming full-length Good Technology. In the meantime, a couple new tracks from the album can be heard over on their MySpace. Do pick these up if you like the tunes above.