shoegaze
EP: Auckland’s Silk Cut shape out another elegant dream pop delight in new EP ‘panda’.
Last year’s ‘astronaut’, the debut EP from New Zealand’s enigmatic Silk Cut (reviewed by me here) was a hazy dreamy introduction to a band that has, amongst its constituent members, a breadth of experience. Singer/guitarist Andrew Thorne has played with Modern Chair – a collaboration between him and another veteran of the NZ music scene, Wayne Bell. …
EP: Grids/Units/Planes unveil the heady and mesmerising electronica of ‘Diverge And Coalesce’
The sounds of Brisbane project Grids/Units/Planes (GUP) are that of a cloudy, diffuse space that glitches and hums in a languorous rich texture: awe-inspiring and transfixing. I have always thought that the magic in effective instrumental music is the ability to tell stories and create images without words, and in ‘Diverge and Coalesce’, GUP have …
News: Dreamy popster Annie Hamilton announces debut album with release of the hypnotic and psychedelic ‘Night Off’ as well as dates in Europe.
A psychedelic fugue permeates the sparkling new single ‘Night Off’ from multi-talented Australian musician, visual artist and fashion designer Annie Hamilton. It comes as a tasty appetiser for Hamilton’s newly announced debut album ‘the future is here but it feels kinda like the past’, out on 20 May 2022 through [PIAS] Australia. Our ears were turned …
News: Chicago’s coolest trio Horsegirl announce debut album ‘Versions of Modern Performance’ through Matador Records and unveil the utterly brilliant single ‘Anti-glory’.
With an attitude that recalls The Jesus and Mary Chain and scuzzy, fuzzy drone attack, Horsegirl have just delivered a stunning single ‘Anti-glory’ – filled with a certain cognitive and sonic dissonance, brutal drums, sweet doo wop backing singing straight from the sixties and a raw visceral guitar attack. This is utterly compelling and marvellous …
News: Australian institution Screamfeeder announces new album ‘Five Rooms’, tour and unveils the delicious pop fuzz single ‘Don’t Get Me Started’
Screamfeeder have been a veritable indie institution in Australia for more than a remarkable thirty years, and following a return to the live scene recently, they have announced the release of their new album ‘Five Rooms’ on 6 May 2022, along with a tour of the East Coast capitals with fellow legend Adalita (Magic Dirt). …
News: Italy’s magnificent Stella Diana are back with news of new album ‘Nothing To Expect’ and with another atmospheric slice of gothic shoegaze in new track ‘Sleepless Girl’.
It’s been a while since we last heard from one of Italy’s most exciting bands coming out of the burgeoning psych/shoegaze scene in Italy over the last five years. Stella Diana have made a triumphant return with the shimmering and atmospheric single ‘Sleepless Girl’. Stella Diana excel in creating a chilling sonic architecture to their …
Album Review: Mild Orange emit incandescent rays of sunshine in their new shimmering album ‘Looking For Space’: a dream pop classic that sets a high benchmark for 2022.
New Zealand’s dream pop maestros Mild Orange have been casting light into the shadows of the past two years with a steady supply of pulsating, glossy and shimmering singles. ‘Looking For Space’ is the ultimate result: a collection of mesmerising and intoxicating tracks that confirm Mild Orange’s glorious contribution to the global stage. When we …
News: Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever announce new album and unveil superb hyperkinetic single ‘The Way It Shatters’
In very exciting news, Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (RBCF) have today announced the release of their third album, ‘Endless Rooms’ – out Friday, 6 May 2022 through Ivy League Records and Sub Pop. Of course this a welcome return following the magnificent album ‘Sideways to the New Italy‘ which made Backseat Mafia’s top 50 albums for 2020 …
Premiere: Italian darkwave maestros Ostara’s Bless unveil the stark and beautiful video for industrial gothic sounds of ‘Fear Of The Neglect’
The single ‘Fear Of The Neglect’ from Italian group Ostara’s Bless has a luscious, layered industrial stomp with a barbed-wire spine and a dark ominous insistent thrum. We are honoured to be able to premiere today the rich and beautiful video for the track that comes off the band’s epic ‘Masculine/Feminine’ double album. The track’s …
Track: New Zealand dream pop exponents Mild Orange unveil the ethereal ‘Oh Yeah’ as anticipation builds for their album ‘Looking For Space’ and European tour
The shimmering glow of the music being released by New Zealand’s Mild Orange augers well for their new album ‘Looking For Space’ due out on 10 February 2022, and the new single ‘Oh Year’ adds further fuel to the fire. ‘Oh Yeah’ has a quiet, reflective and smooth flow with sinuous guitars weaving in and …