Skep Wax Announces Under the Bridge

I’ve made no secret of my affection for Sarah Records, so it’s great to see that our friends at Skep Wax (partners in our Swansea Sound release) are rekindling the Sarah flame with a new compilation, Under the Bridge. There’s 14 songs, many with original Sarah Records acts like Secret Shine and the Orchids, releasing exclusive content specifically for this compilation, with a few related acts like The Catenary Wires and Jetstream Pony also being thrown into the fray. I love that the collection points at what all these bands are doing now, rather than continuously praising them for all they’ve done before (but read that Bandcamp Guide HERE). Hopefully these new recordings give you a glimpse at what you may (though hopefully you didn’t!) have missed over the years…all leading up to the release of the LP on March 18th.

Some More Secret Shine

Secret Shine just dropped their new album last Friday, so why not highlight another of the album’s standout singles. Here you’ll find the band balancing harmonious vocals with cascading guitar chords that swirl in the distance. There’s this sense of falling freely, though with these vocals it feels like you’re smiling the whole way down. These guys have never sounded better than they do right now; they’ve almost moved beyond shoegaze into a dreamier realm all their own. If you like what you hear, There Is Only Now landed in stores last week via Saint Marie Records.

Brand New Secret Shine Tune

The last decade has seen a huge resurgence in acts claiming to nod to shoegaze, but it’s great to see one of the genres oldest purveyors making a new album. Secret Shine have just announced There is Only Now, which they’ll be releasing through Saint Marie Records. The first single is drenched in quietly squalling guitars, yet there’s a softness to the vocals, letting the band walk a line where the voice is almost an added textural element. I always thought the original sound in shoegaze came across a little harsh, but these guys (and gal) craft it melodically, which is music to my ears. The release will hit on March 17th.

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New Music from Secret Shine

It seems strange to me that there were all these incredible bands rocking around the British Isles long ago, yet they hardly got recognition.  Somehow, shoegaze music returned to the fold, and with it, many of these great bands.  Such is the case with Secret Shine, one of the bands from the great Sarah Records catalog.  The group has returned, and will release The Beginning and the End on December 25th.  If you’ve been loving groups like Pains of Being Pure at Heart, or others that border on shoegaze/dream pop territory, then this will be the perfect fit for your collection.  This single is warm, hazy, but overall, absolutely beautiful. Get down with the past, as its the present now.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/secret-shine-no-more-inside.mp3]

Download: Secret Shine – No More Inside [MP3]