New Wave Outpost Forum

I really like Lush. I don't know much about My Bloody Valentine or Pale Saints but I know a lot of NWO members like them.

Shoegazing music to me is kind of an outgrowth of 80's New Wave. Would you agree?

I was really into the scene for about 2 years. If your one of those who think new wave = synths/keyboards/dance then your more likely not to view it as an outgrowth. The shoegaze scene relied heavily on guitar processing, effects, and amplification. Many of my old new wave friends embraced it, others turned to the house/techno/rave scene. Slowdive, Pale Saints, Ride, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Boo Radleys are some my favs.

Wanted to add that I've seen many of these bands live in small clubs. They are amazing live! Just don't expect much crowd interaction and sing-a-longs.

I was very into Curve for the first couple of albums & EPs. Check them out if you like Lush.

I was into Chapterhouse, Ride, and Catherine Wheel @ the time when it was a current genre. A few years after I became familiar with (and love) Slowdive & Lush. I know Kitchens of Distinction aren't mentioned often, but I've always thought of them as blurring the line between bands like Slowdive, Lush, and the Cocteau Twins.

Although I've always been partial to synth-based stuff, I loved how the shoegazer guitar tones (drowned in all of the flange/chorus/delay/reverb) transcended the traditional sounds most people associate with guitars and almost seemed like new instruments of their own, blurring the lines between guitars and synths. I miss those bands & Mohave 3 hasn't replaced my wish for more Slowdive material.

[quote]... Kitchens of Distinction...[/quote] I love these guys, have most everything they ever put out, plus seen them in concert back in the day. They were great. Welcome to the NWO VCO!

At the time, the Shoegaze term never entered into my consciousness. I know I liked Catherine Wheel and My Bloody Valentine back then very much. It really wasn't until Otters turned me onto a ton of Shoegaze that I became aware of the breadth of bands during that short period. I look at it now as just part of this great stream of really good guitar-pop that has always existed throughout the 80s, 90s, and even today. None of these bands get any airplay at all but there's an immense library of music there that I've discovered and continue to look up, largely as a result of my NWO interactions - thanks guys!

[quote]Catherine Wheel[/quote] My favorite by them is 'Chrome', I still listen to it every few weeks.

[quote][i]Originally posted by SwampThing[/i]
<br>[quote]... Kitchens of Distinction...[/quote] I love these guys, have most everything they ever put out, plus seen them in concert back in the day. They were great. Welcome to the NWO VCO!
[/quote]

Thanks, ST. I saw them open for Suzanne Vega when I was in college. I wasn't there to see her, but KOD. KOD never got the recognition they deserved. It's amazing that just those 3 guys had such a huge, ethereal sound in their live show. I saw them afterwards as they were taking down their equipment and told them what a great show it was and Patrick said "Cheers, thank you!" I'm sure they were wondering what the hell they were doing in northwest Arkansas playing @ a bar. I took some friends to it and they were floored by their performance.

Btw, "Black Metallic" by Catherine Wheel is one of my all-time faves. Long song, but I can sit through repeat listens.

Chrome is a great album from beginning to end - can't think of many that I can listen to through & through without skipping a track.

I liked Kitchens - 4 Men was an awesome, awesome song - I love the end with him screaming "Why'd you have to pick meeeeeeeee! Whyyyy!"

I don't get the term "Shoegaze" or "Shoegazer". /
This music doesn't make me want to gaze at my shoes or anybody's for that matter. I think melancholy or ethereal fits better. Just my opinion. Where do people come up with these terms? It boggles my mind. Like, who thought of this word first and why?

Speaking of names and categories, I think it's silly when people have to find a name for every little subgenre of music out there. Somtimes it's nice when filing CDs, but do we have to have a name and category for every band and every idea? At one point me and my friend saw on a flyer "Apocolypto" was one of the types of music a club was advertising they play. We couldn't stop laughing. It was the running joke for a long long time, because we couldn't figure out what Apocolypto was, and none of our friends had ever heard the term.

"shouldershrugger"

I totally stole this quote from another message board web site, but here it is
[quote]"Shoegaze" bands spend a great deal of their performance fiddling with their guitar pedals and other equipment on stage. As such there is little eye contact with the audience because they are particularly interested in producing this lush sound from all of their stage gizmos. From the audience perspective though it looks as if they are looking down all the time....at their shoes....hence the term: shoegaze.
[/quote]

I remember some calling the music "Dream-Pop" also.

Shoegaze - like New Wave and Post-Punk - is making a comeback. Check out the bands M83 and Stars for current shoegaze - beautiful stuff.

Tess[8D]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Horrorgrrl[/i]
<br>Shoegaze - like New Wave and Post-Punk - is making a comeback. Check out the bands M83 and Stars for current shoegaze - beautiful stuff.
[/quote]
Wow, I hadn't categorized them in that same genre but I totally see it. They do seemt od raw more of their swirl from keyboards though. Am I right in thinking that? I actually like M83 and Stars at least as much as a lot of shoegaze...except for almighty Catherine Wheel of course.

I totally dig the shoegaze scene also- was into it heavily in the early 90's and still love a lot of the music today. Actually, been listening to Slowdive and The Pale Saints a lot lately. Funny how Catherine Wheel is such a big hit here...I just couldn't get into them back then. Perhaps I might give them a try again. [:D]