Nu gaze

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An instrumental sample of Silversun Pickups's song "Panic Switch", from their 2009 album Swoon . The song features distorted guitars, walls of sound, and modern synthesizers.

Nu gaze (sometimes called newgaze) is a form of alternative rock that originated in the 2000s that is directly influenced by the primarily British shoegaze scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. [1] A renewed interest in shoegaze occurred in the early 2000s when bands such as Maps, My Vitriol, Silversun Pickups, and The Radio Dept. first emerged across both sides of the Atlantic. The origin of the moniker "nu gaze" has been credited to an interview in 2001 with My Vitriol frontman Som Wardner [2] in which he denied his band was shoegaze, instead stating humorously, "I guess you could call us nu gaze".

According to an article in The Oxford Student , music from the genre features "droning riffs, subdued vocals and walls of distorted, messy guitar or synth". [3] The style of the music relies on using various effects such as looping, effects pedals and synthesizers to distort the music. [4] The shoegaze revival draws inspiration heavily from shoegaze but incorporates more modern synthesizers and drum tracks.

Examples

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Vitriol</span> British rock band

My Vitriol are a British alternative rock band, formed in 1999 in London. The band currently comprises singer and guitarist Som Wardner, drummer Ravi Kesavaram, guitarist Seth Taylor and bassist Tatia Starkey. The band had success with their debut album Finelines in 2001, which spawned three top-40 hit singles on the UK Singles Chart, before announcing a hiatus in 2002. The band were credited as spearheading a new shoegazing movement, dubbed nu gaze. They released new material in 2007, and released limited fanbase album The Secret Sessions in October 2016. The band name is taken from the Graham Greene novel Brighton Rock.

<i>Finelines</i> 2001 studio album by My Vitriol

Finelines is the debut studio album by the British rock band My Vitriol. It was released on 5 March 2001 through Infectious Records. Initially consisting of a duo, My Vitriol released their debut EP Delusions of Grandeur (1998), before expanding to a four-piece. They signed to Infectious Records in December 1999, and began recording their debut album at Linford Manor in Milton Keynes, with Chris Sheldon, and frontman Som Wardner co-producing. Described as an alternative rock album, Finelines was compared to acts such as the Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, and Foo Fighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silversun Pickups</span> American rock band

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<i>Carnavas</i> 2006 studio album by Silversun Pickups

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lazy Eye (Silversun Pickups song)</span> 2007 single by Silversun Pickups

"Lazy Eye" is the first single from Silversun Pickups' debut album Carnavas, written by lead singer and guitarist Brian Aubert. The band performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Later With Jools Holland, and Last Call with Carson Daly. The song is a playable track on Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour.

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<i>Swoon</i> (Silversun Pickups album) 2009 studio album by Silversun Pickups

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panic Switch</span> 2009 single by Silversun Pickups

"Panic Switch" is a song by the American alternative rock band Silversun Pickups. It was the first single released from the group's second album, Swoon (2009), on March 17, 2009. The song reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, becoming their first number-one single on any Billboard chart. "Panic Switch" was the first song by an independent artist to reach number one on the chart in 11 years. After a one-week stay at number one, it spent 11 weeks at number two behind Linkin Park's "New Divide". It is also their first Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 92.

<i>Better Nature</i> 2015 studio album by Silversun Pickups

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<i>Widows Weeds</i> (Silversun Pickups album) 2019 studio album by Silversun Pickups

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<i>Physical Thrills</i> 2022 studio album by Silversun Pickups

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References

  1. Rogers, Jude (27 July 2007). "Diamond gazers". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  2. "Paint It Back // My Vitriol ~ Finelines - GoldFlakePaint". Goldflakepaint.co.uk. 5 April 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  3. Travers, Katherine (6 October 2010). "Hidden Treasures: Nu-Gaze". The Oxford Student. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  4. "Shoegaze Music Profile: Distortion, Reverb and Flange". Altmusic.about.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  5. "Finelines by My Vitriol". BestEverAlbums.com.
  6. Matera, Joe (21 July 2009). "Silversun Pickups: 'We Like When The Guitar Is Used As A Texture'". Ultimate-Guitar.com. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  7. Velasquez, Juan (4 October 2023). "Meet Julie, the L.A. Art Rock Trio Who Embrace the Sweet and Unsettling". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 28 August 2024.