Let’s not kid ourselves; of all the genres of music that people can be super hipster about, shoegaze is definitely up there.
I wouldn’t say that shoegaze fans are “insufferable” by any means, but we can be a little smug, present company included. I’ve certainly been in situations where someone mentions how shoegazey the Deftones are, and I immediately think of like 10 songs from other bands that I want to share with them.
(For the record, yes, the Deftones are shoegaze and, in fact, you could probably say they single-handedly paved the way for nu-gaze, but that’s a conversation for another time.)
To put a definition to the genre: shoegaze is music with lots of melody and heavy distortion — on both the instruments and vocals — that’s turned up past 11, so a lot of feedback squeals out while the band is playing. It comes at you like a wall of sound. There’s also some crossover to dream pop, which is kinda like shoegaze without the intensity, as well as blackgaze (black metal and shoegaze), but — for the purposes of this list — we won’t delve into those a whole lot.
In the interest of advancing the shoegaze fanbase and not being a gatekeeping asshole, I’ve complied a list of songs from the earliest days of shoe gaze to the modern era, for newcomers to test the waters of there interest in the genre, and also just impress your friends or strangers with song knowledge they didnt’ expect you to have. Never let ’em know your next move…
The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Taste of Cindy”
You can’t have a shoegaze conversation without talking about The Jesus and Mary Chain. These guys are like the Black Sabbath or DJ Kool Herc of the genre, though some might make a case for bands like Cocteau Twins or Siouxsie and the Banshees. They didn’t know they were doing shoegaze, but when you listen back to songs like “Taste of Cindy,” from The Jesus and Mary Chain’s first album Psychocandy (1985), it’s clear where the “wall of sound” idea came from.
My Bloody Valentine – “Come in Alone”
If bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Siouxsie and the Banshees were early influences on shoegaze, My Bloody Valentine defined the genre. Specifically with their 1991 album Loveless, featuring the song “Come in Alone.” In addition to this song, you should also check out the one that immediately follows it on the record, “Sometimes.”
Slowdive – “When The Sun Hits”
And if My Bloody Valentine defined the genre… then Slowdive fucking PERFECTED it. A lot of their music fits snugly into the dream pop crossover categorization, but Slowdive’s 1994 album Souvlaki is a must-listen for anyone even remotely interested in shoegaze. If you only listen to one song from it, though, I highly recommend “When The Sun Hits.”
Starflyer 59 – “The Dungeon”
Rarely getting the credit he deserves for his contributions to the genre, Starflyer 59 founder Jason Martin is about to get all the flowers I can deliver in one paragraph. This genius motherfucker was experimenting with shoegaze sounds in the early ’90s at the same time as a lot of bands who get credit for breaking ground in the genre, and he’s STILL craking them out. Listen to “The Dungeon” from the band’s self-titled first album above, and click here to listen to the song “1995” from Starflyer’s 2024 album Lust for Gold.
Jesu – “Friends Are Evil”
Pushing the “shoegaze” envelope into very heavy territory, Jesu’s self-titled 2004 album is a masterclass in genre fusion and seeing how far you can go before the horizon between the two is no longer visible. “Friends Are Evil” is hands down one of the best songs on the album, and one you’ll find yourself completely enamored with.
Deafheaven – “Luna”
To call Deafheaven one of the most divisive metal bands of all time would be an understatement. Their 2013 album Sunbather perched them atop just about every “Best Of” list for that year and pretty much single-handedly brought the term “blackgaze” out of the underground and into mainstream music conversation, and a lot of metal purists did not like that. But hey, fuck those guys.
Listen to the song “Luna” from their 2015 album New Bermuda, because I think it’s one of the best songs that encompasses everything they do well. Also, listen to their new album, Lonely People With Power. It is, hands down, album-of-the-year material.
Nothing – “Hymn to the Pillory”
I could go on and on about how good Nothing is and how much you should listen to them but, if you’ve made it this far, you probably have at least enough faith in me to give it shot no matter what I write, so I’m going to tell you maybe one of my favorite stories that involves Nothing.
Years ago, I’m pretty sure it was May 2019, I saw Nothing with my friends Bill and Hannah (who are now married, congrats guys!) at the Exit/In in Nashville. They were playing with Basement and Gouge Away. Before the show, I took an edible, and then once there, I proceeded to drink a few beers. At one point, Hannah noticed Julien Baker (from boygenius, her collabs with Torres, and her amazing solo career that you should be following) was hanging out alone and said hi because she’s a big fan.
Over the course of the evening, we ended up standing right next to Julian, and I, whilst profoundly drunk and high, talked her ear off about divorced dad rock. Which, contrary to what Hannah will tell you, Julien was fully engaged with and offered a lot of respectable opinions. I distinctly remember both of us admitting we were big fans of Bush.
Anyway, Julien and I ended up being great friends who occasionally hang out. (This part is 100 percent a lie. She would never remember me, and if you read this, I’m sorry if I ruined the Nothing show for you, Julien.)
Also, my favorite Nothing song is probably “Tired of Tomorrow,” but I’m gonna suggest you jam “Hymn to the Pillory” to really get the full shoegaze experience they offer.
Superheaven – “All The Pain”
Man, I just love Superheaven so much. These dudes make grungy shoegaze jams that don’t reek of pretentiousness, and it’s so refreshing. You might say they are the weekend garage beers of shoegaze. Definitely check out the song “All The Pain” from their 2015 album “Ours is Chrome,” but also make sure you go listen to their new Stare at the Void EP, which just dropped about a week ago and features a handful of incredibly hypnotic songs.
Hundredth – “Suffer”
So in their early days, the South Carolina boys in Hundredth were a hardcore band; circa the mid-2000s Christcore phase the scene went through. Then, they pulled a No Doubt (Looking at you, Rock Steady) and completely abandoned their roots for shoegaze with 2017’s RARE, and, honestly, it was the move. Like the Heavens Super and Deaf, Hundredth also have some new music out (really fun, dancey pop-rock) that you should queue up, but start with the RARE track “Suffer.”
Scarlet House – “Run”
Last, but far from least… I am once again asking you to listen to Scarlet House. I previously recommended the one-man grungegaze band on this list about songs from 2024 that you should not sleep on, but… I fucked up and picked one of his songs from 2022 cause apparently I can’t read numbers correctly. Anyway, listen to the ACTUAL 2024 song “Far” — as well as his new song “Petals” — because Scarlet House is the future of shoegaze.
If this list doesn’t do it for you, or only gets you started, I further recommend checking out these bands: Catherine Wheel, Swervedriver, Lush, Gleemer, and Alcest. Also, consider Citizen’s Everybody is Going to Heaven album because it’s very shoegaze-coded.
The post 10 Shoegaze Songs You Should Know to Impress Strangers appeared first on VICE.
