Tag: shoegaze

The Lions Constellation Return with New Moon Rising

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Those of you who’ve followed the last couple of decades of shoegaze and dreampop should already be familiar with Spanish act The Lions Constellation (featuring RJ from Lost Tapes). But, they’ve only had two releases, that is until now…today they announce their brand new LP, New Moon Rising. We’re fortunate to offer you the first listen, with this brightly twisting guitar dancing in the forefront, then peeling back so the vocals can soothe from the core of the tune. Those notes get to soar a little bit in the chorus, with a fiery wall of distortion lifting up the melody as “but if you…” crests and rides atop the mix. They’ve grasped the perfect balance here too, as nothing seems too bold or too melodic, all of the things mixing and melding together into a great ball of noise…even as the track pushes towards a sort of mini-breakdown that opens up again to the chorus. They’re brand new LP will be out on November 21st via Shelflife in the States and Make Me Happy/Too Good to Be True in Europe.

Whisper Release Turn Around

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There is always something brewing within the confines of our fair city, and Whisper is one of the newer acts popping up on my radar. They’re crafting songs in the style that is blending both dream pop and shoegaze, taking the noisier elements and blanketing them in a layer of quiet that allows the melodic structures to crest and fall. This single teases with tension, letting the breathy vocals open into a collision of churning crystalline guitar notes as the drums punctuate the noise. They don’t full dive into the noisy pull though, just maybe dangling a toe in the waters of distortion, so you can still hear the beauty in what they’re doing.

Whisper Share Cross Country

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The Austin music scene has ebbs and flows, with the most recent band to explode being our pals in Blushing. But, Whisper is a relatively new act to keep your ears upon, offering up a more modern take on the genre. They’ve painted the backdrop of their music with heavy washes of distortion and ambiance, using a lighter lead guitar to jangle and twist in the front, as if it’s operating on its own accord. Colton Eason’s vocals embrace the mellower intersection of where emo-ish sounds have come in, bringing in a hint of a “whisper,” if you will. It’s a rad little number, and one we hope you’ll give a chance as we await fresh hits from the group.

March Dove Share Skyfalling Single

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When this single from Polish bunch March Dove made its way over, I was captured by the growl of the guitar; it felt like it had its own story to tell, so when the vocals came in atop, the track sort of just gripped me. I thought they could have happily stayed in the dream pop realm, albeit the darker side, but they opted to embrace the shoegaze with this forceful blast of noise. The song recedes momentarily, though the group bring it all back, tackling noisier territory that echoes throughout as the song carries on, lost in its own striking world.

Fotoform Share Grief is a Garden

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This Fotoform tune has been kicking about for a few days, but as I was on vacation, I’m just now able to guide you towards the comfort you’re seeking. For my two cents, the song’s draw is the perfect dynamic balance between the angelic tones of singer Kim House and the ambient waves of noise that billow through the background of the song; it creates this cavernous structure, with House as your guide, leading you towards your own solace. Yet, like the thematic essence of grief, growing and budding, the song, too, offers something entirely new when you hit the 2:34 minute mark, channeling a darker sentiment. It’s harrowing in its nature, only to blossom and bloom at the end, recapturing the perfect shimmer for a brief moment before slinking back into the dark. Their new album Grief is a Garden (Forever in Bloom) drops on April 18th.

Moon Cowboy Shares Baby Jane

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You’ll notice the tendencies of modern shoegaze the instant you press play on the new single from Portugal’s Moon Cowboy; you get a wash of distortion and feedback reverberating around a melodic core. For me, it’s the entrance of the vocals that really cemented my infatuation, bringing in this gentleness that perhaps works in contrast to the genre’s expectations; it reminds me of my wife trying to soothe the heavy emotions of one of our children, calming and loving all at once. For some reason, it sort of feels like Galaxy 500 if they had dipped their toes in the dream pop world, so I reckon you’re going to love it.

Stream A Bad Dream in a Raging Sea

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The last several years, the mysterious Waves of Dread have teased us with single after single, walking that line between dream pop and shoegaze, consistently creating these tunes that wash over us with emotion. And now, we’ve finally got the debut LP from the group, fulfilling all the promise they’ve left us with through the years. Just take a listen to the opening tune; it opens with this trickling bit of pop, careful not to show its cards…and then it drops in and hits you with a wave of dread (see what I did there!). Throughout the entirety of A Bad Dream in a Raging Sea, you’re confronted with your own tastes and opinions…would you like them to sink into the melody or would you like them to step on the pedals? Either way, we all win; stream the LP below!

New Single from Waves of Dread

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I’m always down to get behind a Waves of Dread single, so here we are with the band’s latest tune, “Forevermore.” Honestly, when this song opened, I immediately jumped to the JaMC comparison, but that didn’t last long, as the vocal entry marks an adjacent touch. There, the calmed cool feels a bit like classic Pains of Being Pure at Heart, albeit through the lens of a heavier wash of guitars in the distance. Even with those nods, the band manages to turn a chorus into something entirely their own, which is a great marker for the band’s songwriting; they can bring you nostalgia and familiarity, then churn it into something that feels completely fresh. I’m sure we’ll hear more soon!

Belinda May Share Sparkling Pop Tune

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Japanese shoegaze band Belinda May pop up from time to time on these pages, and I’m always glad to share their sound. I mean, its hard not to get excited by the jangling guitar licks that wrap up the melody in this nice delicious package to deliver into your ears. The whole Covid situation impacted their trajectory, as they were riding high on the release of “Beautiful Days,” but now with new singer Harada in tow, the band seem even better. The snappy drums catch the beat and ride those sunny moments to a hook-laden result that’s going to be rewarding the minute you turn it up. This new track appears on a 7″ for Fastcut Records.

American Levitation Co Shares Shine

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I sit here hopefully thinking that this new Swedish band of rockers are giving Austin’s Levitation a nice little nod with their band name, American Levitation Co. But, my digression aside, the group are pulling on their JaMC shirts and dropping a stomping bit of fuzzed out rock n’ roll. One listen through and you’ll be greeted by that thumping beat and squall of guitars, all of it tied together by this gooey melodic vocal work that drives home the pop sentiment. I love its familiarity, and am interested in hearing if they can move into making the sound fully their own as they go forward.

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