Rollerskate Skinny - Novice EP

Artist: Rollerskate Skinny
Album: Novice EP
Year: 1992
Genre: Noise Pop, Shoegaze
Country: Ireland

Let me say what needs to be said, yes, the album features Jimi Shields, younger brother of My Bloody Valentine's own Kevin Shields. If you don't know him, you're in the wrong place. This needed to be said because every review of Rollerskate Skinny talks about that and that only. Now that its out of the way, the review can start.
This EP is exclusively released on a 10" vinyl, that features that band's old strawberry logo when they were still called Shake. The album only contains two, albeit lengthy tracks, both around the 8 minute mark. The EP happens to have a much more industrial sound than most of the Shoegaze of around that era. In fact, the Shoegaze tag is very reluctantly added, it should just be classified as Noise Pop. To be honest, it has a sound of it own, which in musical terms, is usually a plus. It is a release loved by most Shoegaze fans, for its noisy characteristics, long progressive tracks, and of course, ties to Kevin Shields, who is essentially worshipped by fans of the genre.
However, don't be discouraged, this release is very good. The two tracks are both very repetitive in nature, yet it is very hard to get bored of them, which is quite a shock in most cases. Like said before, the guitars are very noisy, not so much delayed and reverbed like one might of expected, but more 'fuzzy', rather than 'ethereal' or 'dreamy'. Think more of The Jesus & Mary Chain rather than Cocteau Twins.
Overall, this EP is worth having in your collection, and deserves a couple good listens. Try not to think of this being Kevin Shields' younger brothers band, but think of it separately. It sounds nothing like MBV.
Rating: B

Tracklisting:
1. Complacency
2. Cushy Daughter

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?mnmyyv0lmss

Tomorrow huh? What a lie./ El Ten Eleven - s/t

Artist: El Ten Eleven
Album; El Ten Eleven
Year: 2004
Genre: Post-Rock, Math Rock
Country: U.S.

Lets pick up where we left off. El Ten Eleven is one of those bands that people should hear more about, but they don't. Maybe its a good thing, maybe a bad thing, but they should be more known. They should be better than $8 for a show in a bar called Mojos. But really, fans can't complain about cheap tickets and music dweebs can still remain elite with their 'obscurities'. El Ten Eleven though, are far from obscurity. Sure their name isn't really heard around a lot in day to day life, but at least their music is very accessible. Arguably the most accessible album to be featured on this blog to date.
Cue descriptive music paragraph. Though it may sound like a 4 or 5 piece instrumental project, the band actually consists of two members. As well as this, there is no 'studio magic', just two guys who have a serious knack for multi-tasking, and looping. Playing Bass with one hand, and harmonic guitars with another, as well as keeping a drum beat with one hand and playing keys with another. A normal person would crack at this pressure, believe me, I've tried. They seem to do it flawlessly though which makes it all more amazing. See for yourself in the video below.
While the first half of the album is definitely the greater half, the whole album deserves an intent listen. It is a great album as it is, and think about all the elbow grease put in to perfect and play it makes it all the more amazing.
Rating: A

Tracklist:
1. My Only Swerving
2. Sorry About your Irony
3. Lorge
4. 1969
5. Central Nervous Piston
6. Thinking Loudly
7. Fanshawe
8. Connie
9. Bye Mom

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?2m2mtjmmaz2

.

Yeah I know, I need to post more music. I've been slacking.
Tomorrow, I promise.

Aly, walk with me, in the Summer...

I'm getting sick of Classic Rock Elitists

I like Classic Rock, Its alright. I must admit though, It is the most over-hyped genre of music that is still played today. The music is fine, my problem is the fans. Classic Rock fans are probably the most closed minded people you will ever meet. "Hurr durr music hasn't been the same since 1983, or whatever." If you know someone whose favorite genre is Classic Rock, chances are they don't listen to anything else. They will disregard all other genres, especially modern bands. If its not Zeppelin, they will hate it.
The Classic Rock Radio stations are the worst though. Honestly, I think i've heard every song played on there at least 76234847 times my life. They are fueling the idea that the best music has already been produced, and that we have to listen on repeat rather than explore new stuff.
I don't know why I'm writing this, I guess I'm just bored.

Rooftops - A Forest of Polarity

Artist: Rooftops
Album: A Forest of Polarity
Year: 2010
Genre: Melodic Math Rock
Country: U.S. (Washington)

Melodic Math Rock. There's a genre that hardly exists. Take account of almost all Math Rock, and its usually some of the most abrasive, confusing music out there. However, most people like music for enjoyment, not to think the entire time. The people who are only into 'intellectual' music, are usually the most pretentious people you will ever meet. Math Rock comes from Progressive Rock, which also experiments with all sorts of time signatures and abrupt tempo changes. Think Rush, Genesis and King Crimson as the most well known of the genre. Maybe Jethro Tull as well. Its iffy though.
So what makes Rooftops so special? The album is quite minimalistic. The only obvious instruments are the drums, guitar and bass. Vocals are extremely scarce. As said before though, this music is melodic. It is easy listening. This makes for a more catchy, accessible album.
The album as a whole though can wire you up. Its sort of 'get-up-and-go music'. Just listen, and you will see what is meant by that. The songs however, don't sound a whole lot different that one another, which admittedly, can get a little redundant. Still, in the long run it is a fantastic album and is not hard t listen to, more fun to listen to.
Protip: All the song titles are anagrams.
Rating: B

Tracklist:
1. Fiery Atlas
2. Astray Life
3. I Fast Early
4. Raft Easily
5. Year as Lift
6. Tear as I Fly
7. A Layer Fits
8. Leafy Stair
9. Era Falsity
10. Sea Frailty

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?mmzzmm4ndmi

For those who actually know me.

You may have noticed, but I have lately been completely isolating myself from the world. True, most of these days, I was snowed into my house and stuck there, but I've actually gone out of my way to ensure that I'm not bothered. For instance, I've deleted my facebook account, don't post any more videos on my youtube account, and don't respond to many text messages. I apologize, but I feel the need to be alone the next couple of weeks. I know I'm already anti-social as fuck, but I'm pretty sure becoming a total recluse for the next couple of days, weeks, whatever, will be good for me and help me figure myself out.
Don't be concerned about how little I update on here, and how little I strive to make contact with my friends because, honestly, we live about as far away from each other as we could. I'm going to try and move onto a new sector of my life because pining after the old one is starting to get redundant, and is starting to depress me more and more.
For those who don't know me, disregard this, and keep downloading.

Oh, If Only....

Hopefully, I can save up enough to purchase one of these suckers for my future studio. I especially like how the vocals sound with it.
Currently, I'm working on getting a good MIDI keyboard, an 8 track, a couple SM-57s or 58s, and possibly a new amp, preferably a tube amp.
Get ready, debt, here I come.

Carbon Based Lifeforms - World of Sleepers

Artist: Carbon Based Lifeforms
Album: World of Sleepers
Year: 2006
Genre: Ambient, Psybient, Electronic, Chillout
Country: Sweeden

Ah, Ambient Music. I'm assuming that if you have any interest at all in Ambient Music, you already have Music For Airports by Brian Eno. If you don't, you best start downloading. While this doesn't sound a whole lot like this, it is definitley something worth checking out if you're a fan.
A good comparison of this would be Helios, another Ambient band. But really, if this is your first step into Ambient Music here, don't worry about it. Ambient Music is one of those genres you will either embrace, or hate. Its pretty hard to get really into, but once you do, its incredible. However, many people consider it boring, tedious, pointless and annoying. True, it's not your conventional verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-verse-chorus, but if you're smart enough, you realize social norms are meant to be broken. This includes music norms.
For the people who love to focus on the beat, it's still there. It's hard to find at times, but honestly, Carbon Based Lifeforms is very entry-level Ambient. Brain Eno and Aphex Twin tier. But on this record, you will hear a variety if instruments. The beat sounds like live drumming half of the time, there is definitley guitar and bass at some points, as well as sampled vocal interludes and of course, the basis of all Ambiance, the synth. Take it from somebody who likes achieve beauty in music, this is PURE beauty.
What about the forests?
Rating: B+

Tracklist:
1. Abiogenesis
2. Vortex
3. Photsynthesis
4. Set Theory
5. Gryning
6. Transmission/Intermission
7. World of Sleepers
8. Proton/Electron
9. Erratic Patterns
10. Flytta Dig
11. Betula Pendula

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ny3yf3w2n2g

Bedhead - WhatFunLifeWas

Artist: Bedhead
Album: WhatFunLifeWas
Year: 1994
Genre: Slowcore, Dream Pop
Country: U.S. (Texas)

Bedhead's first album is somewhat similar to Galaxie 500's last album. Considering it came out around Galaxie 500's break up, its quite a relief. No falsetto vocals though, instead replaced by almost droning, emotional vocals. The guitars are however, very similar, Clean Channeled guitars with hints of reverb and delay, with drums that come and go, soft and hard. The sound coming is somewhat depressive, but in a melancholic, almost nostalgic way, as if it makes you remember the good times, and the bad times in the distant past. It almost sounds as if Dream Pop was mixed in with Emotive Hardcore. It is a finely crafted, and original sound.
The best word to describe this album is...unappreciated. Really, as unevident as it may seem, this album is very original. The album as a whole is almost like a life experience, with varying degrees of sadness, happiness, anger, depression, and pretty much any other emotion you can think of. Essentially it's the anthem of a loner in their late teens or early twenties. Again, why did you think it was posted on here?
But in all honesty, the pure emotion in this work is incredible. It's not obvious if this is intentional or not, but by God, the emotion is there. It is a beautiful, almost magnificent display of emotion, and it's not even only in the vocals. The guitars, the rising and falling bass, and the subtle or loud drums all complement each other into pure bliss. It really seems to have a mind of its own, bending between various genres from alt country, to emo, to post-rock, as well as being so seemingly modest about itself.
You may be wondering why this loser is absolutely raving about this pretty unknown, overlooked and unappreciated masterpiece, but really the music speaks for itself. If the aforementioned adjectives above seem to strike up a fancy, the link is right below. To be honest, one slightly bad review out there doesn't seem to exist. Look for yourself, while listening to possibly one of the greatest albums of the 90s. Period.
Rating: A

Tracklist:
1. Liferaft
2. Haywire
3. Bedside Table
4. The Unpredictable Landlord
5. Crushing
6. Unfinished
7. Powder
8. Foaming Love
9. To the Ground
10. Living Well
11. Wind Down

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?2yzzoyzmnzw

Target Market - Concealer [EP]

Artist: Target Market
Album: Concealer EP
Year: 2004
Genre: Emotive Hardcore, Generic Indie
Country: U.S. (St. Louis)

Wow, this EP. Sometimes you just find treasures at the most random times. I'm going to go ahead and tell the sotry about this find.
Thursday, I went to a record store downtown. Slackers to be specific. They have a bin with a bunch of random CDs for $.50. As you might of imagined, they are all generally pretty shitty. For example, a rap group called Himalyas. The name speaks for itself. So when I went there, a couple friends and I agreed that we would close our eyes, grab whatever, and would have to buy it. I ended up with this album. To say the least, I was very impressed.
Readers may not know this, but I am an avid fan of the Early 90s style Emotive Hardcore Scene. Sunny Day Real Estate, Texas is the Reason, Cap'n Jazz, Mineral, Promise Ring, the list goes on. Unfortunately, this style is quite limited. Fans, hell, almost everyone knows that Emo made quite a change in the future. A bad one. That's unimportant now though.
This album is good. It combines the guitars and drums of American Football, and the Vocals of Cap'n Jazz. It sort of reminds me of Algernon Cadwallader, if you're familiar with their work. Although I haven't really listened to it too much yet, I'm really digging it. Its kind of sad that the band ended up in a 50 cent bin, they deserved a little better. I'm not sure what they're up to right now, but I think they released an LP in 2009. I'll check it out later. Point being, this album was quite a treasure, and worth the 50 cents. But I'll let you have it for free.
Rating: B
No Album Artwork found, I hope this'll do.

Tracklist:
1. Birds and Plane Engines Don't Mix
2. Flip the Switch
3. We Screamed Lights Out
4. Sounding Off, Gaining Clearence
5. In Stellar Orbit

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?fcoeo1y091hdfcg

Pinkshinyultrablast - Happy Songs for Happy Zombies [EP]

Artist: Pinkshinyultrablast
Album: Happy Songs for Happy Zombies
Year: 2009
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop
Country: Russia

Do you like Mother Russia? Fyodor Dostoevsky is from Russia. He wrote Crime and Punishment there. I bet you haven't even read that book have you?
Pleb.
This band honestly sounds nothing like Mogwai, yet the name of their debut EP happens to be a play on Mogwai's second LP, Happy Songs for Happy People. Are zombies ever happy? Aren't they just the living dead? The dead don't carry any emotion, so why the hell would zombies? To be honest, walking slow and living off of brains doesn't sound like a very happy life. Why is this relevent?
Pinkshinyultrablast, one of the few Russian Shoegaze bands, make their attempt at the Nu-gaze here on their first ever release. Its pretty good, even though nothing about it really sets it apart from other Shoegaze. The vocals are female, atmospheric, and low in the mix. The guitars employ the quiet/loud technique characterized by the pixies, with more sonic, psychedelic noise instead of catchy overdrive. The drums are...well drums. Really, there's nothing different here.
Go ahead and listen, its nothing new, but then again, Shoegaze doesn't change much. Its a rather short EP, but at least it sounds good. At least you will experience some sort of familiarity, supposedly.If you're not convinced, the front woman, Luba, is super cute.

Soooooo Cute.
Rating: B-

Tracklist:
1. Blaster
2. Deerland
3. Honeybee
4. Ode to Godzilla

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?mgmtkjdmyzz

Another 7" treasure that happened to come in the mail.

A Place to Bury Strangers
Missing You, I Know I'll see You, and Breathe 7" Box Set
With DIY style box screening.
Not sure how many are made, but I know these were sold at shows.

 Will Upload if requested. Just leave me a comment if you're interested. Even if you're not interested, leave me a comment anyway, I like feeling loved.

Alison's Halo - Dozen/Calender 7"

Artist: Alison's Halo
Album: Dozen Calender 7"
Year: 1994
Genre: Dream Pop, Shoegaze
Country: U.S. (Arizona)

Its here, as promised. An explanation of Alison's Halo is already up here, so this will be short and sweet. This is a very good EP indeed. It has the sheer beauty as Eyedazzler had. If you liked what you heard from them, and want more, look know further. The luscious guitars and beautiful vocals are still there. Embrace them. Love them. Whatever.
Really, this album has 1000 copies made, and mine happens to be #35. A good number, arguably. Unfortunately, the album artwork was nothing special.
I realize it was very illegal for this to be done, but whatever. I have more 7"s that may be uploaded soon, so keep coming back.
Rating: A
Apologies for the tiny pic.

Tracklist:
1. Dozen
2. Calender

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?u5is533798dmxt7

The Fauns - S/T

Artist: The Fauns
Album: The Fauns
Year: 2009
Genre: Dream Pop, Ambient
Country: U.K. (Bristol)

Dream pop is lovely. The Fauns are lovely.

In all seriousness though, this album is blissful, beautiful, bright, and various other adjectives that start with the letter B. Okay, NOW time to get serious. The Fauns are from the United Kingdom, essentially the spawning point of Dream Pop and Shoegaze. They are a 6 piece, fronted by Alsion Garner, and signed to Laser Ghost recordings. They are slowly becoming readily known, which is great.
However, this band is Dream Pop, not Shoegaze. If you are looking for aggression in the guitars, you're looking in the wrong place. Think Pygmalion era of Slowdive, with their ambiance. The guitars are luscious, if anything. But really, the band definitley has more emphasis on the frontwoman, at least more so than most bands reviewed here. But don't think this just a vocalists work, this band is a collective.
Short and sweet review but, whatever. This album is great, and very beautiful. Its the kind of thing you would listen to while looking out a car window, watching clouds, trees, grass and houses fly by. Its also kind of a wintry album, slow and dark. Deemed bawwcore on last.fm, presumably for this reason. Anyway, just download it. Play it in a car or something, it doesn't really matter.

Tracklist:
1. Lovestruck
2. Cool Stuff
3. Understand
4. The Sun is Coming
5. Fragile
6. Road Meets Sky
7. Black Sound
8. Deranged
9. Come Around Again
10. 1991
11. Lovestruck (Tunnel of Love Mix)

Link: Steve Lamacq

I was looking at amps today.

I found a Peavy Tube Amp. Can't remember the model specifically. It was $375, which I think is a great deal. We'll see.

Incidentally, a couple 7"s came in the mail yesterday. I figured I'd let them all come before I do some uploading. Just so you guys know, I got a Black Lips/Subsonics split, A Texas is the Reason/Promise Ring split, and a couple A Place To Bury Strangers singles. Fuck Yeah.

Auburn Lull - Cast From the Platform

Artist: Auburn Lull
Album: Cast From the Platform
Year: 2004
Genre: Dream Pop, Ambient, Space Rock
Country: U.S. (Michigan)



Sometimes, you feel like you're lost in a dream. You can have a sensation, particularly in the earlier stages of motion pictures inside your sub-conscious, where reality and an alternate reality seem to become one. One reality influences another, and vice versa. But what do dreams actually mean? Are you supposed to follow them? Do they mean anything, or are they just random? That's a question debated by many; Scientists, Psychologists, Teachers, Children. Fuck, why do we dream?
What is a dream?
We don't know what a dream is.
So why is Dream Pop called Dream Pop? Is it because its supposed to create an ethereal landscape that's supposed to simulate your body being in a different place than your head? Maybe. Or maybe it's just because it sounds pretty. That's also plausible. Dream Pop really is a shitty name for the genre it represents, but another name just doesn't seem to suit it either. Space Rock just sounds dumb. Space Rock is kind of vague to be totally honest. Pink Floyd are sometimes called Space Rock. Slowdive are Sometimes called Space Rock. Pretty much all Post-Rock bands have achieved the Space Rock label by someone. Genres are pretty stupid in general to be honest. Don't even get me started on Post-Punk.
Auburn Lull are another band that provides the blissful landscape in their music which causes them to fall under Dream Pop. It's pretty, yes. No one can deny that. Dreamy though. Huh. What sounds dreamy? Dreamy as an adverb is even worse than Dream as a noun. Since when have you heard Galaxie 500 in your dreams. Dreamy is a sound ideal? Now this is getting ridiculous.
Auburn Lull have a very LUSH sound, for lack of better words. They play in a smooth, sweet tone that causes you to engulf yourself, or have it serve as background music for driving or looking out a window or having sex or whatever you do. Each instrument is performed in a very minimalistic matter, as if they are all some sort of variable in a formula to create a beautiful track. Isn't that the purpose of all instruments though? Shit, if you look at something too literally, everything seems the exact same in hindsight. Even though its kind of obvious not all bands go for a 'Beautiful' sound.
But really, It doesn't matter. Lets get back to how good this album is. First off, this is an album that is supposed to be listened to as a whole, not each track individually. Secondly, Every song sounds very similar, yet different. This gives you a sense of familiarity, with out experiencing total boredom. Lastly, this album just sounds good. Listening to it is pleasurable. That should be a good enough reason for listening to it by itself, right?
Rating: A-

Tracklist:
1. Building Fifty
2. Sinking Meridian
3. Jersey Narrows
4. Season of False Starts
5. Deterior
6. Direction & Destination
7. Rising Meridian
8. Seaforth
9. Trenches
10. Sovereign Massages
11. Shallow in Youth
12. -

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?mtibnmcmmkw

Sorry I havent posted in a while

I've been quite busy with school. My major requires lots of reading and work. But today, my class was canceled due to snow. So I have time to write a review. Expect one soonish.

This is what my street looks like.

It rarely snows where I live, and it never snowed where I grew up. As you might of guessed, I love the snow. Its really pretty. Unfortunately, I can't drive for shit in it.

Also expected soon, I have a rare Alison's Halo 7" coming in the mail. Once I figure out the software on how to record from vinyl into mp3s, I will definitley post it up on here. I've never tried doing this, I have a Audio-Technica AT-LP60-USB turntable, with audacity on my computer. I'm unsure on how the quality will be, but don't fret, I'll make sure its up here.

LSD and the Search for God - S/T

Artist: LSD and the Search for God
Album: LSD and the Search for God
Year: 2007
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop
Country: U.S. (Cali)

Some albums deserve the fame they get. Others don't. That's what people believe, and to be honest, its kind of true. However, music is totally subjective, so its hard to say what deserves fame and what doesn't, because all opinions on this are bound to be biased as fuck. Whatever, whats trying to be said here is just going round in redundant circles and it has no point. What one considers a masterpiece may be a pile of shitty noise to another. If you're skeptical about this statement, you're an idiot.
Despite what was said above, this EP is arguably the cream of the crop when it comes to late 2000's Shoegaze. Its all a matter of opinion you may suppose, but look up any review and you will hear nothing but greatness. Realize though, this album is generally reviewed exclusively by Shoegaze nerds like, say, the writer of this specific review here. But face it, this is a Shoegaze blog. Deal with it.
But in reality, this album sounds much more like 90s Shoegaze than 00s Shoegaze. It's loud, abrasive and aggressive, yet beautiful, sweet and supple. This is just the way San Fransisco Bay Shoegaze is, very deep and beautiful, while achieving the fuzzy undertones of the Shoegaze definition. Little is known about LSD and the Search for God; this is their only public release, and they have said nothing about releasing anything else anytime soon. Damn shame really.
The first track, 'This Time', is a very fuzzy, yet not very aggressive ballad. This may sound like a weird description, but hey, weird music is good. Its all held together by a simple drum beat, which rings through the majority of the song. 'I don't Care' shows LSD's more aggressive side, with a memorable harmonizing riff to go along with fuzzy backing guitars. 'Starting Over', is a song that enables the loud/soft dynamic of My Bloody Valentine, with a very dreamy verse followed by the ear-shattering chorus. The highlight of the album indeed.
As said before, calling this a masterpiece really means nothing to anyone but myself, but it should at least be said. This album is a superb example of how the British style of Shoegaze was imitated by San Fransisco Bay-ers. This album was highly regarded by critics for a reason, and this is just another positive review.
Rating: A+

Tracklist:
1. This Time
2. I Don't Care
3. Backwards
4. Staring Over
5. Starshine

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?a0ggd1gwtm2

The Vera Violets - S/T

Artist: The Vera Violets
Album: The Vera Violets
Year: 2009
Genre: Shoegaze, Psychedelic, Post-Punk
Country: U.S. (Florida)

I'm sure all the viewers here use last.fm. If you haven't used the 'Similar Artist' function, you will realize it is a great way to find new bands, particularity more underground bands, that sound a lot like your favorites. It can also help you branch out more into different genre pools as you surf through the different bands. Listening to different genres and having an extensive collection of somewhat rare obscurities is what all audiophiles do, and encourage. Also having a vinyl collection, headphone amplifiers, ridiculously expensive stereo receivers and Headphones for different occasions helps too. Being a fan of music is a habit that causes your bank account to scream in pain.
Shoegaze all sounds pretty similar. Its hard to deny that. It has distinct sounds that causes people to classify it as Shoegaze. The genre doesn't have a definition really, bands just have an organic similarity to each other. It doesn't matter though, the familiar sounds are typically well received. But, there is another side to this. Shoegaze is a genre that is in a specific sound range, however, this sound range is huge.
The Vera Violets' self titled LP, their 4th release, explores many different aspects of Shoegaze. The first track, 'She's so Epic' is a dreamy, ambient sound scape with little aggression or abrasiveness. The next track, 'Sunday Afternoon' is definitley more post-punk orientated and influenced. Its must faster paced, louder, and noisier. The drums are significantly different. The third track, 'Dreams of Zena,' sounds like a song by Adorable, essentially a fuzzy pop song, with vocal hooks, even though the vocals are very droning. 'Lady Satania' sounds like a Smashing Pumpkins song. Too much like one, in fact.
So, if you want an album that explores Shoegaze and Dream Pop as if they wanted to play like every band in the genre, this is an excellent album to download. VERY highly recommended.
Rating: B+

Tracklist:
1. She's So Epic
2. Sunday Afternoon
3. Dreams of Zena
4. Lady Satania
5. Destroyer
6. Black Widow
7. Electric Serpent
8. Dead River
9. Rise and Fall

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?tezqmn0mi0j

Yeah.

Stella Luna - Stargazer [EP]

Artist: Stella Lune
Album: Stargazer
Year: 2002
Genre: Shoegaze, Space Rock, Post-Rock?
Country: U.S. (Florida)

Stella Luna are signed to Claire records. No one has probably heard of Claire records, but then again, hardly anyone has heard of Stella Luna either. Like many Shoegaze bands from the early 2000's, they didn't have many releases. In fact the only known releases are Stargazer. There are probably some demos or some 7" splits, but no one seems to care enough to find them or share them. Yeah, this band is pretty fucking underground.
First off, as previously mentioned, Shoegaze was pretty much dead in 2002. Secondly, this band is from Florida, not New York. And finally, this album is so ridiculously hard to find that people don't even bother. 4 songs from a random band? Who cares? Well if you don't really care too much, but still kind of want to hear it, thankfully it's been uploaded to mediafire by someone. To be honest, this album deserves some recognition, and deserves to be shared.
There is one problem people find with Shoegaze; it all sounds so similar. It's really hard to deny that, even Shoegaze fans might say. Sure, you could identify Lush from My Bloody Valentine and LSD and the Search for God pretty easily, but really the genre has the same typical, melancholic, personality free sound.
Really if you're looking for something completely different in the Shoegaze world, you're looking at the wrong album. The album is called Stargazer, which is about as close to the definitive Shoegaze album title as you can get. However, some of you may notice I also put Post-rock with a question mark as a genre. That was done for a reason. First of all, this EP is structured a lot like a post-rock album. All of the songs flow into each other, each textured by different sound ideas. And most of all, the vocals act as an instrument, rather than lyrical purpose. It's exceptionally hard to decipher what the vocalist is saying, if anything. And if you really want to know, good luck to you finding any lyrics.
But back to the sound. Despite the Post-rock opinion above, this sounds just like a Shoegaze album. Lots of Fuzz, Delay, Reverberation, etc. The vocals are very droning. The tracks run a little long, about an average of 6 minutes or so. The album starts off with 'Change', a track which has the underlying fuzz tones of Shoegaze a la LSD and the Search for God. This track sounds like it has probably 5 or 6 guitar tracks, all intertwining with each other. The droning male vocals, and female vocals harmonize with each other in what appears to be verse/chorus, but you can't really be too sure. The track unexpectedly fades into the title track, which happens to also be the shortest on the album, clocking in at 5 minutes exactly. A very drum heavy track that has a less harsh, yet still very fuzzy guitar tone.
The rest of the album all flows with each other in such a matter as the first two tracks. While a somewhat short album as far as numbers of tracks go, it leaves quite an impression. I've heard of people finding it a masterpiece, others a boring piece of garbage. See for yourself what you think.
Rating: B+

Tracklist:
1. Change
2. Stargazer
3. Antares
4. A Bridge to Nowhere

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ouz2nn0jxri

I'll be out for a couple days,

I've got a long, busy couple of days ahead of me, so my trend of updating every day will be put on hold for a little while. Don't worry though, I'll be back sooner than you know it. I've got tons more material to share, I'm going to upload some Post-Rock next, because all this 2000's Shoegaze is starting to get somewhat redundant. I've also got tons of Emo, either from the second wave, or modern bands playing from that style. I've also got lots of Folk, Math-Rock and just some generic Indie Rock stuff if you're interested.
I know I don't have many viewers yet, but hopefully that will change soon. I just don't really know how to get this blog out there, and I don't have many friends. So if you know people with similar taste, go ahead and share this blog with them. Also, feel free to comment, I like hearing the feedback and your opinions on the music I upload. If you already have all this stuff, don't worry. I'm just setting framework right now, and tons of obscure stuff will be headed this way soon.
Thanks for reading.
-Anonymous

A great loop

This video never ceases to send shivers down my spine.



I just love his pedal setup. Mine currently consists of a Fender Jazzmaster ---> Big Muff Pi ---> Hardwire RV-7 ---> Boss CH1 ---> Line 6 DL4 ---> Some shitty Roland amp. I need a new amp, probably a Vox AC30. Some woman mad at her boyfriend was selling a '65 Fender Twin Reverb on ebay for $300. Unfortunately, the bidding went up to like $1200 or something. I need a tube amp.

One day if I'm bored, I'll write some material and share it up here. I already have some recordings in the 'Surfgaze' style, but I'm going to record more before I do an upload.

Oh hell, its not like anyone reads this blog anyway. For those who don't know me, I'm a very anti-social person. So I apologize for my lack of human communication skills. For what I lack in that, I excel in pretentiousness, apathy and melancholy.

The Daysleepers - Drowned in a Sea of Sound

Artist: The Daysleepers
Album: Drowned in a Sea of Sound
Year: 2008
Genre: Dream Pop, Shoegaze
Country: U.S. (NY)

Not many casual listeners know this, but there is a significant distinction between 1990s Shoegaze, and 2000s Shoegaze. Not to say the first wave all sounded the same, but a big Shoegazer can definitley tell what was released in which decade. Its hardly something that can be described though, its just something that is heard. Most of what is posted on here is modern Shoegaze, because if you're a fan of the genre, chances are you have pretty much all of the first wave's material. Modern Shoegaze is essentially stylized, noisy pop. Its too abrasive to be considered Dream Pop in some cases, and its too rhythmic and not experimental enough to be called Noise Pop. Shoegaze and Dream Pop typically have multi-gendered members. Its kind of weird to be honest, but there are few exceptions. Both 90s and 00s Shoegaze are like this. The Daysleepers fall in this category, as well as every band posted in this blog so far. So really, the Daysleepers aren't that different from everybody else.
But what can be said about The Daysleepers? Well they're from Brooklyn, their influences are My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and The Cure, and they don't consider themselves Shoegaze. This description perfectly fits a Shoegaze band. Yet another New York group who cites their influences as a bunch of European bands, and plays fuzzy Dream Pop. The vocals are a little more well heard in the mix, but that's a sort of modern approach anyway. This album is from 2008, if you recall. This is about the time the Shoegaze revival really hit New York City.
Upon first listening, one may think Kitchens of Distinction over and over. No one can disagree with that, it sounds just like Kitchens of Distinction and Frank(just Frank). The lack of originality in this album defers at first, but its is actually quite good. Despite a sound title that should appeal to all Shoegazers, the album artwork is God-awful. Enjoy it robots.
Rating: C+

Tracklist:
1. Release the Kraken
2. Twilight Boom
3. Distant Creatures
4. Summerdreamer
5. Tiger in the Sea
6. Megaton Supernova
7. Space Whale Migration
8. Lovesparkles
9. The Secret Place
10. Run

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?zwjwmtm2nfx

Active Child - Curtis Lane

Artist: Active Child
Album: Curtis Lane
Year: 2010
Genre: Ambient, Dream Pop, Mildly Electronic
Country: U.S. (Cali)

Sometimes, you just find albums in your library without any recollection of when, why or how you got them. Everyone reading has probably looked through their collection once and said, "who the fuck are these guys?" Sometimes, they're things you downloaded and forgot to listen to, or just downloaded for the indie cred. Regardless, its there, you're bored, and you feel like listening to something new. The initial reaction is to go online, see if pitchfork gave it a review (don't lie, you all do it), and if there is none, you know you have a hipster victory token. Two things can happen from here, you could either find your band of the week, or found something to contribute to the infamous recycling bin. Finding a hidden treasure on your computer is one of the many joys of having a collection that in retrospect, is far too large.
If you were to ask if I knew who Active Child were 2 weeks ago, you would see a confused look on my face. Little would you know, a release of theirs has been chilling in my collection since mid-October. It was found clusterfucked with a bunch of other albums completely unknown in my collection, some of which still have yet to receive a listen. Thankfully, this album has been heard, and enjoyed to its potential. (Incidentally, this album does have a pitchfork review.) After a few more listens, this album has been deemed worthy by a specific screening process.
Calling the album ambient is quite a stretch to be honest, but it kind of has to be included. The album is dominated by keyboard, drums, guitar, and falsetto vocals. However, it sounds nothing like Sigur Ros. Usually once the songs pick up, they are actually danceable. Not that this music was probably intended for dancing at all, but the pace is much faster than most ambient, dream poppy, post-rocky, electonicy styles. It even has ostinatos  at some points in certain songs. Point being, this record is far from what it may seem like it may be. Its actually catchy.
The main charm of this album is its 'bedroom' recording feel. Even if you've never heard this term, you should know what it means. Essentially, it has a somewhat personal appeal, like he's actually playing for you. It's like the demos your friends send you over the internet. It's like these recordings feel actually private in a way. He's not in your face about his music. A great release, which shows potential in Pat Grossi and Active Child.
Rating: B+

Tracklist:
1. I'm in Your Church at Night
2. She Was a Vision
3. When Your Love is Safe
4. Take Shelter
5. Weight of the World
6. Wilderness

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?lx1zvj5u4ki
If you really like him, you should check out his latest release, which became available 2 days ago. http://activechildmusic.com/2011/01/06/daytrotter-performance-out-for-free-download/

Alison's Halo - Eyedazzler 1992-1996

Artist: Alison's Halo
Album: Eyedazzler 1992-1996
Year: Released in 1997
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop
Country: U.S. (Arizona)

No one can deny that early 90s Shoegaze was a British thing. Sure the U.S. had bands that were of the specific style, such as Drop Nineteens or Lilys, but the main movement was centered in England, particularly in the River Thames area. The U.S. was still dominated by Grunge during the early to mid 1990s, and Shoegaze was not something that was commonly talked about between music listening teens and young adults. The U.S. counterparts of Shoegaze were typically college students with an extreme fascination in English Alternative music, and they typically came to be in large, Northern cities.Cities such as New York, Boston, and Chicago were where these few bands seemed to conglomerate, and develop a small but loyal fanbase of those who wish they were in Oxford to see Lush play with Ride.
Alison's Halo, on the other hand, were from Tempe Arizona, a place definitely not known for a music scene, or a very English influenced culture. However there is little question what kind of music they played, this is pure Shoegaze at its finest. They are still, I believe, the only Early 90s American Shoegaze outfit to feature female vocals, a theme not exactly prominent with American Alternative in the 1990s. Female vocals in English Shoegaze, however, are arguably just as prevalent as male vocals. Now, knowing whether this band is actually playing tribute to the English scene, or are developing their own fusion of Space Rock and Punk, is unknown.
This release, much like Gala by Lush, is a collection of songs from their previous EPs, due to these EPs not having a very significant amount of copies. Even though Gala was 7 years senior to Eyedazzler, their similarities are remarkable. They are both very female orientated groups focusing on Pop ideals, just as much as the musicianship and sound of the noisy instruments around them. In total, with the creativity, both records sound absolutely beautiful.
It is unknown if the tracks are in any sort of chronological order, or rearranged for this release, but the order seems to flow well enough. The songs on the album vary from abrasive and noisy to gentle and dreamy. This creates an unpredictable album flow that works well with the songs. Some songs seem to branch out more, such as 'Always April' which reminds me a lot of 'Zombie' by The Cranberries for some reason. The songs vary in length as well. Some are quite short, and some run for 7 or 8 minutes.
This album is a great example of American Shoegaze, and sounds a lot different than that of the New York and other big city Shoegaze counterparts. Well worth an intent listen.
Rating: A-

Tracklist:
1. Raindrop
2 .Wishes
3. Melt
4. Chime
5. Always April
6. Snowbleed
7. Torn
8. Leech
9. Sunshy
10. Chalkboard James
11. Untitled [Live from 1995]

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?yzyztnzyier
May or may not work, let me know if it has troubles. I know at least one mediafire link has corrupted files.

Astrobite - Crush

Artist: Astrobite
Album: Crush
Year: 2001
Genre: Straight up Shoegaze
Country: U.S. (Somewhere in the Midwest)

I'll cut the trend of starting my review with worthless babble that only has remotely to do with the album in question. Astrobite is one of those bands that are treasured by hardcore Shoegaze fans, and generally unknown by everyone else. It is a so-called 'Shoegaze Supergroup', because it contains members of STAR, Lovesliescrushing, Majesty, and Mahogany, among others. They had a hiatus between 1997 and 2001, and came back on the scene almost instantaneously with this album. Alas, it didn't matter, because no one had a fucking clue who they were. And no unsuspecting music fans would by this album due to its absolutely horrendous album art.
Despite the somewhat sad story that may be called its 'fame', this album came at a time when the Shoegaze style was practically dead. 1998 through 2004 were years that no one really cared about the genre, and this album was released right smack in the middle of that time period. Honestly, its no surprise that no one knew who they were, because during their period from 1994-1997, all they released were a couple EPs on cassette, none of which are ever talked about, and none of which have been leaked or found online. Really, little information is known about Crush, and its their most well known album.
Who cares about its history, its how the album sounds that really matters. It sounds like the missing link in the My Bloody Valentine chain; an album that incorporates elements of Isn't Anything, and Loveless. Now, that being said, this band is definitley not a MBV clone, nor does it really sound like it. It just seems like My Bloody Valentine would listen to this right after Isn't Anything and said "Okay, lets try this on the next album." The album opens with 'Crasher', essentially the album track. Its starts off quiet, and then envelops you into a noisy, sonic landscape, with fuzzy guitars. The album seems to climax with 'Overdriver', A song that seems to vary between pure Noise Pop, Shoegaze and even almost Post-Punk at times. The album closes with 'Peachfuzz', which sounds like the Verse of 'Soon' by My Bloody Valentine. Like 'Soon' was for Loveless, this track is a great closure song, with a catchy drum beat, and a fine attempt at Kevin Shields's glide guitar. To be honest, glide guitar doesn't have a clear definition on what it is, but this might be what he was talking about. I would also like to point out that all the album tracks seem to have one word, which just seems like a Shoegaze LP trend in the 2000's. It just seems like it.
Rating: B+

Tracklist:
1.  Crasher
2. Radiofriendly
3. Bottlerocket
4. Lemondrop
5. Overdriver
6. Hopefully
7. Happysad
8. Blown
9. Crushed
10. Butterflykiss
11. Comet
12. Peachfuzz

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ydkkihyheth

Autolux - Future Perfect

Artist: Autolux
Album: Future Perfect
Year: 2004
Genre: Noise Pop, Experimental, Shoegaze
Country: U.S. (Cali)

In the music industry, bands are known in their respective genres on the following criteria: they helped pioneer the genre, they popularized the genre, or they're just fucking good at what they do. It can be a combination of the following, but that is essentially how bands become known. Stage personality really doesn't matter that much. How fame is handled (or in some cases, how no fame is handled) has little importance to the masses listening to them. The reason people enjoy music, except for the popularizing image and/or the indie cred, is purely based on the sheer quality of the music. This is the way things go, you either enjoy it, or you don't. The definition of subjective, is almost completely described by the concept of music tastes alone. Its simple really, people like their own music. If this was untrue, than music would have never evolved and we would still be listening to Irving Berlin, or Mozart exclusively. Sure people enjoy these two artists, but not everybody.
On a different note, Autolux. A band formed by 3 supposedly bored musicians of bands from the 1990s. Guitarist Greg Edwards was in the grunge outfit Failure, a band whose release Fantastic Planet is definitley worth a listen, whilst Drummer Carla Azar was a former drummer for PJ Harvey. Bassist and vocalist Eugene Goreshter completes the band, and gives them the distinct tenor vocals, but not in a very conventional style. This release deserves a giant question mark when given genre, or what the band is really up to. They disappeared for over 6 years to release their mediocre follow up Transit Transit in 2010.
This album has a distinctive spacey, noisy, melodic brand of what is questionably Shoegaze. Although it sounds completely original, it is exceptionally hard to put a finger on what they are doing that is different. But honestly, it doesn't matter, whatever it is they're doing, they're doing a hell of a good job at it on this release. Although it may be a little hard to get into it at first, it completely grows on you, until this is the only album you listen to for a week. No one is even sure why.
The album starts off with the heavy drum beat of 'Turnstile Blues'. Its a very memorable beat, and it is followed by Goreshter's uniquely harmonizing vocal style. Once the chorus is approached, a wall of guitar noise hits like no other song in the 2000's had previous to that date. The song progresses from there with a simple, yet genius guitar riff that goes perfectly with the song. The next two tracks, 'Angry Candy' and 'Subzero Fun', are prototypes of fuzzy pop songs that have become popular later in the decade. Maybe not quite the same, but its there nonetheless. The album fluctuates from there, varying between different degrees of ambient noise, fuzzy power chords, and strange vocals. Those mighty drums will haunt for days.
Rating: A

Tracklist:
1. Turnstile Blues
2. Angry Candy
3. Subzero Fun
4. Sugarless
5. Blanket
6. Great Days for the Passenger Element
7. Robots in the Garden
8. Here Comes Everybody
9. Asleep at the Trigger
10. Plantlife
11. Capital Kind of Strain

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?wzljimvgnyy
Link to Fantastic Planet to those interested: http://www.mediafire.com/?nvlo5teowtj

Best of 2010

I was asked by a friend to post a Top 10 albums of 2010 list on here. I decided to go overkill and post a Top 30 instead.
P.S. The last one I did was a draft. Here is the finalized list.

30 .Interpol - Interpol
29. Tyvek - Nothing Fits
28. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
27. Secret Cities - Pink Graffiti
26. Wavves - King of the Beach
25. Zola Jesus - Stridulum EP
24. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
23. No Age - Everything in Between
22. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
21. Earl Sweatshirt - Earl
20. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
19. Wild Nothing - Gemini
18. Harlem - Hippies
17. Fang Island - Fang Island
16. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
15. Sleigh Bells - Treats
14. Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
13. Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself
12. Seaspin - Reverser EP
11. Girls - Broken Dreams Club EP
10. Cloud Nothings - Leave You Forever EP
9. Best Coast - Crazy for You
8. Salem - King Night
7. MGMT - Congratulations
6. Swim - Caribou
5. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
4. Dinosaur Feathers - Fantasy Memorial
3. Beach House - Teen Dream
2. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
1. Whirl - Distressor EP 

I was going to post pictures for every album but I'm lazy.

My music taste sucks. 2010 was an alright year though.

The Index - The Index

Artist: The Index
Album: The Index
Year: 1968
Genre: Garage Rock, Old School Psych, Do Wop
Country: U.S. (Detroit I believe)

Like said before, the internet is full of possibilities. Legions of people trolling everyone across the world, sharing pornography, and best of all, stealing music from people we don't even know. The internet can ruin peoples lives, be used to trade things illegally, and scam everyone on the planet with visions of children starving in Nigeria. As often as you find useful information, you find heaps of bullshit. You find porn even if you're not looking for it. You find disturbing images, either of the deceased or tweens taking pictures of themselves from angles that 'flatter' their mediocre features. What a glorious place. I must say though, without the internet, no one would have never discovered a sizeable chunk of the bands they listen to, or found a way to express their personalities on blogs they assume only their friends actually read. Also they never would have seen goatse.cx.
But honestly we have to hand it to the internet (and more importantly, one of my best friends), for finding treasures such as The Index. A band that hardly anyone knows anything about, except for the 300 people who luckily have a copy of this album, and the other people who took it from the guy who thankfully decided it needed to be shared. 300 physical copies of this record are in existence! Now, this blog is predominated by Shoegaze. Is this record classified as Shoegaze? No. Does it sound like Shoegaze? Absolutely not. Does it have styles that shaped Shoegaze? More than likely.
Also to destroy more of the trends on here, every record posted is from the past 4 years, with the exception of Pygmalion, which was released in 1995, so its pretty recent. Well, not really, but in comparison with this release, 16 years ago was pretty recent. 1968 was 43 years ago. This was a time when people discovered reverberation, and had tons of fun with it in the music. So really, The Index weren't terribly original, but still, they were good.
This record is quite a treasure. The album starts with a fantastic cover of 'Eight Miles High' by The Byrds. The guitars almost sound like a Lo-Fi Galaxie 500 cover, with a bassline that stays in your head for days. The next song is 'Israeli Blues'. An instrumental track, which sounds almost like Do Wop. A little more electric though, almost as if The Velvet Underground were to try to play something in that style. Honestly, The bass in this record is so memorable. The album closes with Feedback, which is well, noise. But its more controlled noise though, something like Jimi Hendrix, The Velvet Underground or maybe even Sonic Youth would try to pull off. Despite it seeming like an unattractive track to many, its definitley quite a cool thing to listen to.
This record is an essential for reverb fans, obscurity collectors, and just pure rock n' roll fans in general. It may not seem much different than what Lou Reed and his crew were doing back in that time, its definitley interesting to see what was going on as well, without the help from Andy Warhol. Is it worth the $3000 dollars the records are selling for? Probably not. Is it worth the 61Mb of space on your hard drive? Answer that yourself.
Rating: B

Tracklist:
1. Eight Miles High
2. Israeli Blues
3. John Riley
4. Turquoise Feline
5. Rainy, Starless Night
6. Fire Eyes
7. Shock Wave
8. You Keep me Hanging
9. Feedback

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ddwjgyrv1ct

Seaspin - Reverser [EP]

Artist: Seaspin
Album: Reverser EP
Year: 2010
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop
Country: U.S. (Cali)

As previously stated, 2009-2010 marked a huge Shoegaze revival. But sometimes, the EPs are better than the LPs. Why express an albums worth of songs when you can sample the best of the best on 4 or 5 tracks? Is it because they would sell more copies for a higher price? It doesn't matter, true music nerds will download it all for free anyway. If you want to sell more, put it on vinyl. Its 2011, vinyl is back. The hipsters will eat it up. I have an extensive vinyl collection myself, so I honestly shouldn't be talking.
Its the power of the internet that helps people discover bands like Seaspin. Its nothing new really, its just a god-tier Shoegaze revival EP coming from the San Fransisco scene, an area that has released dozens of excellent EPs in the past couple of years (see LSD and the Search for God and Whirl). Because of the internet, legions of Shoegaze revivalists can download these even though they are stuck in Bum Fuck Nowhere Missouri. Even though I'm sure the bands aren't great fans of this, people would definitley come to their live shows if they came to, say, Missouri.
The EP opens with 'Love is a Fable', which is really the greatest track on the album. A noise pop classic, the underlying guitar track makes Shoegazers smile. Topped with the melody and the harmonizing vocals, this song could be compared to 'Leave Them all Behind' by Ride, except with female vocals. After the fuzzy noise of the first track, the EP segues into a much more poppy song, 'Dream Life'. There is no other way to describe this track other than pure beauty. You would honestly think this is not the same band that you just listened to on the previous track, but it is. It is a non-distorted, yet heavily delayed and reverbed. The vocals almost sound like a common pop star's, but it just fits with the tune so well.
The album fluctuates from there, varying between different levels of effects in the guitars, between hard and soft melodies, and the aggressive and passive vocal styles. This record does take some random turns, but at least it doesn't bore you. A highly recommended piece.
Rating: A-

Tracklist:
1. Love is a Fable
2. Dream Life
3. Give Yourself
4. Reverser
5. The Way You Move

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?u5gnmughjlm

Young Prisms - Friends for Now

Artist: Young Prisms
Album: Friends for Now
Year: 2011
Genre: Noise Pop, Lo-Fi, Shoegaze
Country: U.S. (Cali)

Ever since around 2007, there has been a small, yet significant revival of Shoegaze. No fans can deny this. Nowadays, however, instead of Shoegazers being total quality nerds with the greatest gear selections, and perfectionist sound recordings to the point that they make their label go almost bankrupt (*cough* Kevin Shields), there has been a fusion with the lo-fi tradition, that has also had a recent revival. Some people dub this as Shitgaze, a term coined by the band Psychedelic Horseshit. They're worth a listen if you're interested.
However, the genre of Shoegaze is quite loose sound-wise, and descriptively. Not all bands who play Shoegaze stare at their feet for the duration of a performance. In fact, for every show I've seen of bands who play Shoegaze, none of them are as secluded as everyone thinks. Post-rock though is a different story. Okay, now this is getting off-topic.
This album is very good. Though quite lo-fi as far as some Shoegaze goes, its still got the effects, the droning vocals, and the aggressive guitars of its contemporaries. I guess if I were to compare this to anyone, it would be a more low quality Kitchens of Distinction. And by low quality, I mean production styles, not quality of musicianship. The very ambient opener flows solidly in with the pounding drums of 'If You Want to'. "Stay Awake', the final track of the album is an epic ambient pop song. The highlight of the album indeed.  A solid album which I've only come across just recently, I figured I would share it.
Rating: B+

Tracklist:
1. Friends for Now
2. If You Want to
3. Sugar
4. Eleni
5. In Your Room
6. All Day Holiday
7. Breathless
8. Feel Fine
9. If Don't Get Much
10. Stay Awake

Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MF2W4D18
If it asks for a password, use 098. If the link is terminated, tell me, and i'll post a new one.

The Vandelles

Artist: The Vandelles
Album: The Vandelles [EP]
Year: 2009
Album: Del Black Aloha
Year: 2010
Genre: Noise Pop, Shoegaze, Post-punk, Surfgaze
Country: U.S. (NY)

I've only discovered The Vandelles recently, and I'm quite sorry to myself about that. I've been a fan of A Place to Bury Strangers since they released their 2009 album, 'Exploding Head', and The Vandelles pick up where they left off. Incredibly fuzzy guitars, mixed with feedback and pounding drums hold this album together as a Noise Pop classic. If you like a droning, at some points almost robotic, vocal style, you need these albums. The EP and the LP don't sound very much different, but its okay because they both sound very good, and its not a sound that gets boring quickly.
If you're skeptical, Look up the song 'Lovely Weather', which happens to be on both records. It should be on youtube. If you like the kind of style there, you will be hooked. The most obvious sound heard is that of A Place to Bury Strangers, but I also see the 'Surfgaze' sound of The Raveonettes. (By the way, I've officially just coined the term Surfgaze. Hopefully it doesn't already exist.) I highly recommend this album to someone who likes noisy post-punk, and who wants to feel like they're falling into a swirl of a black and gray abyss.
EP Rating: B+
LP Rating: A-

Tracklist:
[EP]
1. Fever of the Beat
2. Swell to Heaven
3. Die For it Cowboy
4. Lovely Weather
5.Dead Wave

[LP]
1. Dash n' Dive
2. Get Down
3. Lovely Weather
4. Roving Rex
5. Going Downtown
6. Chain Walking
7. Fever of the Beat
8. Blue LA Strip
9. Bomb the Surf
10. California Killer
11. Die For it Cowboy
12. Bad Volcano

EP Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?nzdn4nh0y4v
LP Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?llfnyzkjz0m

Whirl - Distressor [EP]

Artist: Whirl
Album: Distressor
Year: 2010
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Noise pop
Country: U.S. (California)

EP of the year in my opinion. Actually scratch that, It's a tie with Broken Dreams Club by Girls. Also the Cloud nothings EP. Oh fuck, whatever. Point is, this is really good. It sounds like it's the bridge between Shoegaze and Dream Pop. The rhythmic fuzz with one guitar along with the heavily reverbed lead guitar, and droning, androgynous sounding vocals, is what proves that this is a recording for Shoegaze fans to remember. Listening to it, it sounds as if it is a fusion of all the original bands of Shoegaze put together; The underlying noise of My Bloody Valentine, the pop hooks of Ride, The pretty, yet harsh vocals of Slowdive, and the sheer beauty of Lush, almost makes a total fusion have its own sound ideal. Just the way 'Preface' leads into 'Leave', shows you the ride you're about to take. Embrace it, its a very good ride.
My Rating: A

Tracklist:
1. Preface
2. Leave
3. Blue
4. Ghost
5. Meaningless
6. Child
7. Sandy

Links: (mp3) http://www.mediafire.com/?t2neunngqko
(FLAC) http://www.mediafire.com/?aac25417ffw72ag

Slowdive - Pygmalion

Artist: Slowdive
Album Pygmalion
Year: 1995
Genre: Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Ambient
Country: UK

If you're on here, I'm sure you know Slowdive. They pioneered Shoegaze in the 90s. You should have Souvlaki in your collection right now, and if you don't, I highly suggest you get off this blog until you do just that. However, most people, like me for a long time, stop there. Pygmalion was quite different, songs clock in at an average of around 5 or 6 minutes, The sound is nowhere near as aggressive, and even me calling it Shoegaze myself is kind of a stretch. However, I've always had this album downloaded, and never really gave it a good listen until I recognized one of the songs from this album on a film I recently watched. The film was 'Doom Generation' in case you were wondering. I also found it somewhat mediocre if you're wondering that too.
The song at the end of the movie is great though. The song was 'Blue Skied an' Clear' which in my opinion is the highlight of the album. It gives me a feeling of the apathetic nostalgia that I believe everyone experiences in their youth, particularly their later teen years. Honestly the whole album kind of sounds like this, like a dream that is fading away slowly, but its almost as if these are good memories you want to go away, so you can remember intently. I think this may be my own personal feeling from listening to this, but I wish you experience these thoughts as well. It just feels right.
My Rating: B

Tracklist:
1. Rutti
2. Crazy for You
3. Miranda
4. Trellisaze
5. Cello
6. J's Heaven
7. Visions of La
8. Blue Skied an' Clear
9. All of us

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?gzyknf2nmjy

Want to see some cool shit?

http://yyyyyyy.info/
My friend showed me this website of supposedly randomly generated images found across the internet. I'm not sure if it selects them from the whole internet, or if it has some sort of algorithm of images the creator has already saved. It changes ever so often you go on it, every hour or so. Enjoy the weirdness.

Ringo Deathstarr - Sparkler

Artist: Ringo Deathstarr
Album: Sparkler
Year: Late 2009
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop
Country: U.S. (Texas)

With a band title which is an obvious pun on the drummer for The Beatles, this album is a shoegaze staple. Noisy, textured guitars, ethereal vocals subdued beneath walls of jangly noise, pounding drums, and killer bass lines to hold it all together. If you really liked the glide guitar, and dance oriented drum lines from 'Soon' by My Bloody Valentine, you will like this album. The vocals are a lot more in your face than most of the albums in the first wave, but they are definitley not a vocal led band. All the instruments work as a collective. The sound is not particularly too noisy, but textured. It flows together very well.
Overall, this album is a fine example of how a musical genre spawned in England can be done with style overseas.
My Rating: B+

Tracklisting:


1. Swirly
2. Starrsha
3.Some Kind of Sad
4. Down on You
5.Sweet Girl
6. In Love
7.Summer Time
8. Rats Live on Evil Star
9.Your Town

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?mm2miutn3zl

This is a pretentious blog. It does it's job.

Allow me to start, my name is anonymous, and I'm obsessed with music. I'm not a big fan of purely picture blogs, or a lot of words. That's all you need to know. Now, I'll begin what I wanted to.