Shoegaze Megapost

As it turns out, I recently realized that I like Shoegaze. In the interest of full disclosure, I can only say, how about that?

Here's some stuff I've been listening to the past couple of months.
Flying Saucer Attack


Sally Free and Easy EP

I picked this up used on one of my first exploratory outings into Seattle. I only knew of these guys because of a record that had been posted up at Glowing Raw. They had put up the 1995 record Chorus. I liked that, so when I saw Further (also 1995) and the Sally Free and Easy EP at Easy Street Records, I grabbed them. It's like Slowdive without all that music.

Further


Tears Run Rings
Why would a Shoegaze band name themselves after a Marc Almond song? I don't know, but these two records are good. This San Francisco band is more musical than FSA, and they also have the addition of pretty, airy ladyvox.

Always, Sometimes, Seldom, Never (2008)


Distance (2010)

Tears Run Rings - Divided from Tears Run Rings on Vimeo.

Air Formation
A friend of mine hooked me up with a copy of Daylight Storms (2007!), which has that whole e-bow on the atmospheric guitar + dzhunn-dzhunn-dzhunn-dzhunn rhythm guitar thing you'd expect it to have, but the lead singer sounds kind of like Morrissey- or the guy from Gene. Oh, holy shit. Do any of you guys listen to Gene?

Daylight Storms (2007)


This is a cleaner sounding sonic mud, in that I think they are just playing enough atmospheric instruments loudly enough to wind up with a wash of that stupefy-your-third-eye, stare-at-your-toes kind of sound, as opposed to adding a lot of processing to the mix.
Out of their surprisingly long (and lately issued) catalog, I have listened to Daylight Storms and Ends in Light (2002) the most.


Belong
Another Glowing Raw find that I only discovered yesterday but that I have been listening to on repeat since then is Belong. They're on Kranky, which is the magical box that shat out Deerhunter and made the universe safe for awesome again. Belong is from New Orleans. A combination of bands like those listed above, they play their instruments (like Air Formation), but behind a thick veil of static and effects (Like Flying Saucer Attack), and, in addition, it sounds like they have keyboards in there somewhere (like Tears Run Rings). I feel pretty good saying this is booby-tits.

Common Era (2011)


belong 'perfect life' by kranky

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Belong (2011)


Last, but certainly not least, have you guys listened to the new Pains of Being Pure at Heart? Someone told the twee kids how to use their distortion pedals and rock. The whole new Pains of Being Pure at Heart record, oddly enough entitled Belong (how's that for running rings around this post?) is everything loud and distorted about the nineties and early oughts with symmetry, energy, and pop sensibility. It's like the second coming of Smashing Pumpkins, Seam, and My Bloody Valentine all wrapped up in one disgustingly fresh and precious package. It's almost unstoppably addictive.
You can listen to the whole record on Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/thepainsofbeingpure/sets/belong

That's all I got.