This year could be the year that finally puts shoegaze and dreampop on the map… Or it could just inspire more than 57 replies in a topic about shoegaze and dreampop. Either way, please get talking about it.
Quite a lot of it around last year. I really liked Film School and Lowtide and Slow Crush. Hoping for that new MBV. Would also like a new Deafcult release. Not sure if that’s on the cards.
Last year’s thread:
Thanks for starting this year’s thread @Avery - last year remained a bit of a non-starter for me on shoegaze, despite trying out the likes of Deafcult, Holy Fawn, Mint Field (ended up being ‘ok’) and all the stuff in the Melodic / Aggressive Shoegaze thread (which I don’t think helped this one by its considerable overlap).
Feel a bit more positive this year as Swervedriver have a confirmed release, MBV might (ha) release something and Tamaryn and Panda Riot (two of my absolute favourites of the last seven or so years) both look to have new releases due.
Right, I’m off to stare at my laces.
Quasi-shoegaze rock band Longwave are back with an album planned this year after a ten year hiatus. Not exactly a favourite with the critics, but I’ve always been pretty fond of them.
New WESTKUST album announced 
I saw Longwave once, supporting either Death Cab or The Cooper Temple Clause when I was on holiday in NYC. Definitely had The Strangest Things.
Yeah, i really wanted t9 like that Holy Fawn album, but it didn’t click. Same with the Mint Field one, although i thinkni enjoyed that a little more.
I keep forgetting about the new Swervedriver one. Seems like ages since the lead single off that. Or was that a comeback ep, before the album?
Think that was a lead single. Picked up Juggernaut Rides at last at a vaguely sensible price and that’s a nice compendium of Phase 1 Swervie. The problem I find with a lot of very recent shoegaze is that it’s either not as good a version of Phase 1 Slowdive (pre Pygmalion) or watered down Deafheaven (so barely shoegaze at all).
What I liked about Tamaryn was that the debut (less so the follow ups) picked something different (Nick McCabe’s early Verve guitar) and redid it with female vocals, while Panda Riot’s debut (an absolute classic) was SO chock full of tunes that its slight reliance on familiar shoegaze tropes was completely covered up. Ringo Deathstarr are probably the best modern proponent of the heavier, grungier end that Swervedriver kicked off, and I still have a lot of time for them.
Recently discovered the Fleeting Joys (Despondent Transponder), which is as good an MBV pastiche as you’d hope for, certainly up there with early Astrobrite anyway. Wish more shoegazers would take the woozy sound collage forward rather than mopey Slowdive-isms.
OK, so I hadn’t realised both You’re Jovian and Gold Muse (both ex / current Swirlies) had been busy at the back end of last year:
There’s a lot of good stuff on both bandcamp pages.
I get what you mean about lots of phase 1 Slowdive copies. There is a lot of that around. I’m happy to listen to it in the background or for falling alseep to, but it’s lazy. Deafheaven types are fine i guess but it often sound earnest for the sake of being earnest or something.
I’d say film school are sometimes capable of something a bit more grungey with occasional soundscapes, particularly on Hideout.
Have to give Fleeting Joys a listen.
I wouldn’t make them your priority!
They’ve definitely bought a reverse reverb at some point.
Er…
Swervedriver added to the Dandy Warhols London show in a few weeks 
I’m going to this, and it’s the week after the new album comes out so a pleasant surprise opportunity to hopefully see a chunk of it live. Juniore on the support also means that I will be getting there uncharacteristically early doors…
Great news !
From a fellow shoegazer to another…good post and thanks for starting the thread this year…although I would say that shoegaze/dreampop has not been short of coverage in the 00s…
I really liked the Lowtide one too…nothing new…but expertly done and some really affecting tunes particularly AC30 which I like to think may be a tribute to the formative shoegaze revival club/label AC30 and a tribute to the genre as a whole. Liked Film School too though their debut (ironically their least gazey) is by far my favourite.Holding out for an MBV LP and tour in hope rather than expectation…
With you on Astrobrite …Crush is probably my favourite MBV LP not written by MBV…
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Feel compelled to now give my top 10 post 2000 shoegaze LPs and solicit others’ …interested to read…and a nice placeholder until shoegaze 19 kicks off…which it actually has already with Lorelle and the Obselete today (early impressions positive) and Swervedriver next week (thought their last LP was an under-rated gem so hoping for more of the same.
Wanted to also include Trespassers William on a dreampop angle but it felt a stretch
Currently listening to Ringo Deathstar’s ‘Mauve’, brilliant. Anyone know what they are up to these days? Haven’t heard anything in awhile now… Get in the studio folks!
I think one of them is busy fathering and one is in real estate! They’re still active but I guess dealing with the reality of pushing the bills!
Damn. Don’t we know it all too well…