Slowdive

[Kekke]

yeah it's pretty downtempo.

[cestlamort]

Slowdive had the country thing buried in there before Mojave 3, too. (incl. their stunning cover of "some velvet morning").

Genre recap:
Shoegaze was kind of a catch all for all sorts of bands, based around lots of reverb and guitars (and looking down at the pedalboards). MBV are the pinnacle, but it also included Slowdive (MBV that Creation records "could afford" if I remember the quote correctly), Ride, Swervedriver (almost "American" sounding in some ways), Chapterhouse, Lilys, Swirlies, Lush, etc. So, it went from semi-delicate (later called "dream pop") to crushingly loud. Current bands could maybe include some BRMC, Daysleepers, Longwave, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, M83, Asobi Seksu, and tons more.

Also known as "the scene that celebrates itself" in the British music press, although I don't remember any more or less self-aggrandizing than any other genre. And much less unfortunate fashion choices than some other movements at the time.

I'd suggest picking up Slowdive's "soulaki" and My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" to start. The former is a great winter record. The latter is just great.

Back to Slowdive, their last record (Pygmalion) was groundbreaking for modest electronic records to come (and was the inspiration for Thomas Morr to start the Morr label in Berlin).

[DOUBLEUman]

Genre recap:
Shoegaze was kind of a catch all for all sorts of bands, based around lots of reverb and guitars (and looking down at the pedalboards). MBV are the pinnacle, but it also included Slowdive (MBV that Creation records "could afford" if I remember the quote correctly), Ride, Swervedriver (almost "American" sounding in some ways), Chapterhouse, Lilys, Swirlies, Lush, etc. So, it went from semi-delicate (later called "dream pop") to crushingly loud. Current bands could maybe include some BRMC, Daysleepers, Longwave, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, M83, Asobi Seksu, and tons more.

A good summation. I would only add that the term is far more important these days than it ever was back then. We live in a time of obsessive genre defining.

[cestlamort]

Genre recap:
Shoegaze was kind of a catch all for all sorts of bands, based around lots of reverb and guitars (and looking down at the pedalboards). MBV are the pinnacle, but it also included Slowdive (MBV that Creation records "could afford" if I remember the quote correctly), Ride, Swervedriver (almost "American" sounding in some ways), Chapterhouse, Lilys, Swirlies, Lush, etc. So, it went from semi-delicate (later called "dream pop") to crushingly loud. Current bands could maybe include some BRMC, Daysleepers, Longwave, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, M83, Asobi Seksu, and tons more.

A good summation. I would only add that the term is far more important these days than it ever was back then. We live in a time of obsessive genre defining.

Or even micro-genre defining. We tried to coin semi-goth shoegaze as "pointy shoe gaze" but it didn't work so well. (And local weekly, the Stranger, described Erik Blood as "shoegays," which didn't catch on either).

[CappuccinoKid]

Another great shoes gazer band The Telescopes. My claim to fame hehe, I was in a band with their drummer (who I went to school with) and guitar player before we split up and they joined a band called Sensitive Children who then changed their name to The Telescopes. I was asked to play bass but turned it down, doh! My best friends brother took the job and I am glad he got it, he deserved it.
I never thought a local band from my town would ever 'make it'. Shame they split up, why is it ego's always get in the way when things start getting successful? It took them 5 years to get a record deal, and two to screw it up. If only they had played Rics...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gWORi0FuBE

[cestlamort]

Another great shoes gazer band The Telescopes. My claim to fame hehe, I was in a band with their drummer (who I went to school with) and guitar player before we split up and they joined a band called Sensitive Children who then changed their name to The Telescopes. I was asked to play bass but turned it down, doh! My best friends brother took the job and I am glad he got it, he deserved it.
I never thought a local band from my town would ever 'make it'. Shame they split up, why is it ego's always get in the way when things start getting successful? It took them 5 years to get a record deal, and two to screw it up. If only they had played Rics...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gWORi0FuBE

An all too familiar story... great band, though.

I take some comfort by having been in bands with folks who were later in bands with folks who made a living from this thing.

[suedehead71]

I believe the correct spelling is hippie. The establishment, Sears and Dragnet spelled it hippy. Thank you and watch the brown acid.

as one who had lived in the Haight area of San Francisco for 13 years, i can definitely say it is indeed, "hippie." some classier establishments still have their "hippies use side door" signs up. haha.

[CappuccinoKid]

I believe the correct spelling is hippie. The establishment, Sears and Dragnet spelled it hippy. Thank you and watch the brown acid.

as one who had lived in the Haight area of San Francisco for 13 years, i can definitely say it is indeed, "hippie." some classier establishments still have their "hippies use side door" signs up. haha.

It IS hippie, BUT even if it was hippy the plural should still be hippies, not hippy's as that would mean hippy is.

Grammar nazi alert!

[DOUBLEUman]

I believe the correct spelling is hippie. The establishment, Sears and Dragnet spelled it hippy. Thank you and watch the brown acid.

as one who had lived in the Haight area of San Francisco for 13 years, i can definitely say it is indeed, "hippie." some classier establishments still have their "hippies use side door" signs up. haha.

It IS hippie, BUT even if it was hippy the plural should still be hippies, not hippy's as that would mean hippy is.

Grammar nazi alert!

And besides, "hippy" actually means "having big hips."