Do I dare ask what "Shoegaze" is?

[Bob Zaod]

Still haven't the slightest clue. The label itself sounds like something I'd dislike but anyone care to enlighten me with something they think is quality Shoegaze music?

 

[Jambi]

 

[fretworn]

 

[Bob Zaod]

I am turning to my TGF brethren to show me the way but I'm not afraid to use the youtube thing. I just fired up a Shoegaze playlist. I am about 22 seconds in and I want to vomit. So it's Vangelis with guitars? Did I pin it right?

 

[JiveTurkey]

For you Bob; no.

 

[Bob Zaod]

For you Bob; no.

This is me after listening to 37 seconds of shoegaze

 

[hemmelight]

It's big washy guitars in a UK "Indie Rock" context. My Bloody Valentine is kind of the poster-child for the genre, along with Slowdive.
As I understand it, the name "shoegaze" appeared because these bands will use a fuck-ton of pedals while also looking at the floor and vibing lol.
"Shoegaze" as a term was meant to be derogatory, but it stuck.

MBV are infamous for playing ridiculously loud. So loud that you start hearing things that aren't actually being played, but that's the intended effect. When I think shoegaze I hear this MBV song in my head:

 

[Bob Zaod]

It's big washy guitars in a UK "Indie Rock" context. My Bloody Valentine is kind of the poster-child for the genre, along with Slowdive.
As I understand it, the name "shoegaze" appeared because these bands will use a f**k-ton of pedals while also looking at the floor and vibing lol.
"Shoegaze" as a term was meant to be derogatory, but it stuck.

When I think shoegaze I hear this MBV song in my head:

Well thats better than the mess I just listened to.

 

[jellodog]

"Shoegaze" was a faintly insulting moniker given by the British indie music press to a small handful of bands that exhibited shy / fey guitar strummers that used a lot of delay, reverb and chorus effects (simultaneously) to create hazy washes of sound... in the late eighties.

Typified by the Thames Valley indie scene of the time (that's when and where I grew up). The joke was that the introverted people in these sorts of bands spent most of their time avoiding the audience and gazing at their shoes (and likely pedals). The band "Slowdive" is a good example.

Anyway, for better or worse, the name stuck and it became a genre.

As much as I might seem to be disdainful of it (from my slightly scathing explanation), I was totally into it at the time and still am. I was also a shy, fey guitar strummer!

 

[JiveTurkey]

I like Shoegaze adjacent/godfathers(?) such as the Cure more than anything I have heard that is defined as that particular genre?

 

[fretworn]

It was because the stage presence was terrible with everybody looking at their shoes, while playing guitar like pads… Even vocals

 

[jellodog]

So loud that you start hearing things that aren't actually being played

Spot on!

It's funny, I attended a few shoegaze gigs back in the day (1980s) and there were many moments where I first thought, "wow that harmony is amazing" ... and then the next thought was "did they really play that harmony, or did I just imagine it? So hard to tell what's going on... it might all be in my head? ... this is really loud!".

 

[jellodog]

Shoegaze adjacent

I love this phrase!

 

[jellodog]

The other gear-related item of note is that some of the shoegaze bands are known for playing Jaguars and Jazzmasters for no other reason than the fact that at the time nobody wanted these guitars, and they could be picked up for little to no money.

But certainly, the constant warbling of the offset Fender vibrato unit is a huge part of the My Bloody Valentine sound, for example.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Sounds like you guys are describing current American Indie

 

[sleewell]

i love shoegaze


blackgaze is cool AF too

 

[telecode101]

I was also surprised to discover it's the genre name given to the old indie alternative pop. and then i was reminded how much of a crush i had on Lush back in the day and forgot all about it. :0)

 

[jellodog]

Sounds like you guys are describing current American Indie

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that some of the US Dream Pop genre has roots and influences in Shoegaze?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Sounds like you guys are describing current American Indie

We need an amish jugband emoji

 

[DrewJD82]

Hahahah I always just assumed it was bands heavily influenced by Radiohead but with a shitload of delay pedals.