TSS Compilation : Volume II – Truegaze to Shoegaze
With the announcement of My Bloody Valentine playing on Sunday night at Coachella, it is only fitting that we here at TSS should all become more well versed in the genre of shoegaze. Personally, I am hoping to sail through previously uncharted waters of the shoegaze movement. For those of you who are not familiar with the genre, you might be asking yourself, “What the **** is this shoegaze?” Well, to be honest I am not really sure myself. What I do know is that it is used to describe MBV; consequently, it is heavily layered with sprinkles of a light female voice. Other descriptors one might use are: Sonic, Dream-like, Meditative, etc. In the end, my belief is that shoegaze is any form of music which helps define the truth through introspection.
I asked five regular participates of the TSS crew to give us their selections which meet their own criteria for shoegaze. Some of our more versed listeners might debate whether these songs fit the true definition of shoegaze but remember these monthly cds are about expansion of the musical mind, attempting to melt away the prejudices keeping us from fully experiencing sound.
I am just as excited as the next guy about exploring these tunes. Enjoy.
(Click the Album to start downloading)
Thank you everyone who submitted their playlists.
Capt AKAK
Tags: coachella, My Bloody Valentine, shoegaze
February 28th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
no go
March 1st, 2009 at 3:15 am
I think I can guess Brian’s choices: Faunts, Team Sleep, Blind Mr. Jones, Isobella and maybe Primitive Radio Gods. With the exception of MBV, Ride, Slowdive -the rest of us skirted the issue, eh? My picks were deffo on the psychedelic cusp of shoegaze, especially The Olivia Tremor Contol track.
Shoegaze – The American term is Dream Pop, but shoegaze is a term coined by Melody Maker writer (“The scene that celebrates itself.”) describing bands’ stage presence.
March 1st, 2009 at 8:09 am
i wouldn’t say skirted the issue…with my picks i went for some of the bands that spawned the shoegaze movement…..first and foremost the Velvet underground…which of any band really personifies shoegaze (nodding out) before there was shoegaze….and Dinosaur Jr because it is generally accepted that after one of the first Dino tours in Britain alot of people latched onto the sonic wall of sound….melt your brain thing that MBV tweaked into something that had never been done before….the Welsh band I did just throw in because it was interesting and all that….but it is dreamy and from that era…..anyway good to go i think the comp is cool and beautiful…..
March 1st, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Frankly, I surprised that Asobi Seksu did not make the cut. I was thinking about throwing them in last minute. Someone else told me that they cant believe The Cure was not on the compilation….”heavily layered with female vocals”….I guess The Cure does fit that description. Snap, Robert Smith, Snap.
March 2nd, 2009 at 7:19 am
errrrrrr! (that’s a grinding NO sound)
i’ve only listened to a couple so far, but there’s way too much rock-n-roll and poppiness in there. the classic guitar lines just don’t cut it.
and hey, i was there. i know. and we called it Shoegazer.
the Fields and Oliva Tremor Control songs get a big boot outta the category fast. oppp. and Team Sleep. those guitars just go too much to someplace. so that’s three ‘no ways’ outta 5.
now that i’ve thoroughly annoyed you, i’ll listen more after work and get back to you later.
peace out you ignorant hippies
(with love and good humor from the outsider)
laura
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:17 am
Shun the outsider.
Quick.
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:21 am
Bruce just last night I found out you contributed to this album, I got all giddy and excited, I am downloading the album at the moment. Replace my name with Brian’s in your post and you were just about dead on with that guess.
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:32 am
oh, god, i’m so used to shunning, it’d be like slattering me with affection.
(humor, again)
so, since it turned out to be a snow-day, i’ll try saying what this shoegaze stuff is instead of what it isn’t.
i’ll call myself a purist first, and say that no band that started after the mid-90′s could possibly be run by shoegazers.
then i’ll give you the shoegazing emotional state:
it was lying on the sofa with speakers on each side of your head crying in the green-light explosions of the first gulf war. it was
dreaming of ripping down American flags. it was isolation. it was non-linear guitars and bass turning in on themselves with drums and ethereal harmonies that neutralized the dissonance. it was the the LA riots that followed the trial of Rodney King, the birth of homegrown violent video voyeurs in the mainstream media. it was the soundtrack for a world out of our hands and out of control. it’s draw was the saving-grace vocals as a rescue from helplessness and silent shame. it was the music of the still-to-be-named Lost Generation, the forgotten one, slapped wickedly between the Boomers and Generation X.
it was a sweet celebration of chaotic malaise.
is that any better, Hemmy? (video references to follow)
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:16 am
No Cure, No Jesus and Mary Chain, No….I could go on forever. Weak compilation.
Trying to be all obscure and shit…
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:34 am
I am so tired of hearing about the cure every 30 minutes of my day for the past 5 days.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:34 am
i like you dharmabum. (dharmabum was my own web name and e-dress till it was overrun by spam.) i can’t call the Cure shoegazers. but i think i like you just the same.
and now, for a lighter side of shoegazing,
Chapterhouse – Pearl
Chapterhouse – Pearl | Music Videos | SPIKE.com
or try
http://www.spike.com/video/pearl-chapterhouse/2791102
(Bobby, i still can’t post a blog or a video. see i am most permanently shunned.)
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Wow Laura that paragraph was epic….truly epic.
Re Dharmabum: The site is supposed to be as much about celebrating already known music as it is about learning about new music. Hence the (possibly) obscure songs to some people on here. Personally I only listened to the first two songs this morning. It seems pretty awesome to me but what do I know about shoegaze….next to nothing because there is no way I would have The Cure on it.
I would never let you be shunned from the site, Laura. Never.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:18 pm
thanks, Cap’n. the paragraph could use some editing though. i mean, “it’s” instead of “its!” that was bad!
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
all my posts could use some editing……
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Exactly Capt. I had considered putting Asobe Seksu, MBV, and even God is an Astronaut on my portion, but I wanted to stick with artists you all may have not heard of (I will admit, I did have a hard time including a band like Team Sleep on there…).
However, I don’t believe Cure even crossed my mind.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:26 pm
shoegaze or not, I am thoroughly enjoying the album; thanks to everyone who contributed!
thanks for your input laura, the site is always lacking in opinions from women. and it’s always great to get such thoughtful and informed ones.
capt. I try to edit for you, but there just isn’t enough time in the day…
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Re Laura. Methinks you automatically assumed The Olivia Tremor Control song isn’t shoegaze-y cos, uhm, most of their stuff isn’t. That one is. Fields – Think “folksy-shoegaze” and I’m sure you’ll see it my way. Heh.
Had I seen the list, I might have insisted on tracks from Lush, Catherine Wheel, Chapterhouse, Blonde Redhead, Swervedriver or newer acts like A Sunny Day In Glasgow, Mahogany, Autolux et al…I sorta figured people who weren’t dealing with life threatening computer crashes would handle the basics!…but, y’know, whatever. It’s still full of good songs…that could remotely be tied with shoegaze aesthetics. Win!
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
The Cure’s first 3 albums (Pornography especially) started the whole shoegazer movement.
Judging by this compilation some people aren’t really clear on what shoegazer is.
The Cure has to be included.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
PS. Just think of me as that guy that Jack Black plays in High Fidelity
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Touche’ Hoff, after all of this Cure talk I was trying to think of which of their songs I would have chosen and I could only come up with songs from Pornography.
And Bruce, I had originally chosen Black Metallic by Catherine Wheel, the only reason why I didn’t was because I wanted to squeeze in as many songs as I could for the 15 minutes, and Black Metallic is the length of two songs and then some. But god damned isn’t that a great song. However, I only own their Ferment album, what else of theirs would you suggest…
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:25 pm
yes, there must be Lush!
ok, oceanRain, i’m trying to broaden my purist definition of Shoegazer
think Mazzy Star’s Blue Flower as pre alt country heroin chic shoegaze: (there’s too much of a narrative for me to call it pure.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k7QfyB55RU
and here’s a diddy for the Captain by Lush:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9T1iyuBv3M
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Re Catherine Wheel. Chrome is my favorite, their 2nd album. After that things go downhill *ahem* fast.
Pendant alert. The Cure “trilogy” (17 Sec, Faith, Pornography) is nos. 2, 3 & 4 chronologically. Three Imaginary Boys (Boys Don’t Cry in the US) was their debut.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
You correct Ocean Rain. I would expect nothing less from you my friend.
Now everybody who participated in this compilation go listen to the “trilogy” of shoegazer Gods in meditation.