Ep. 113: Shoegaze [TEASER]

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration

Shoegaze is a subgenre of rock and roll that first emerged in the British Isles in the late 1980s. The term was coined by Andy Ross, a British music executive, who observed shoegaze artists “shoegazing” (looking down at their feet to play with guitar pedals) during a 1991 show in London. Interest in the subgenre peaked shortly thereafter with the release of My Bloody Valentine’s sophomore album Loveless, and shoegaze effectively died by 1994. Despite the subgenre’s brief initial popularity, shoegaze has experienced a revival every subsequent decade, leaving modern listeners to question what makes its sound so enduring.

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by detailing shoegaze’s early influences (Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique, ‘60s psychedelic rock, and new wave) before describing what the subgenre actually sounds like. With that context established, they then discuss the music of Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Gleemer. The episode rounds out with an examination of “zoomergaze” (the newest revival of shoegaze) to try and answer the question of what makes the subgenre so appealing to Gen Z.

Links:

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YijO72un5g7jh3qMt98ft

Shoegaze Classics Spotify Playlist

Shoegaze: a Beginner's Guide by Ella Fraser-Thoms

Feedback, Distortion, an Exploration of Sound: A Brief History of Shoegaze - Underground England

Rock for Dreamers: History and Transcendence of the Shoegaze Music Genre - Sound of Life

The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time - Pitchfork

124 - Simon Reynolds on Shoegaze, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, Pavement & More - Music Maps Podcast

Simon Reynolds - Still in a Dream of Shoegaze, Slackers, and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984-1994 - C86 Show - Indie Pop

Shoegaze as an Aesthetic

“Venus in Furs” by the Velvet Underground by Erich Kuersten

“Relentless Wall of Sound”: Nadine Shah Describes her Favourite Velvet Underground Track by Kelly Murphy