Shoegaze is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume. It emerged in Ireland and the United Kingdom in the late 1980s among neo-psychedelic groups who usually stood motionless during live performances in a detached, non-confrontational state. The name comes from the heavy use of effects pedals, as the performers were often looking down at their pedals during concerts.
The Warlocks are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1998 by the guitarist/singer Bobby Hecksher. The band's music has ranged from psychedelic rock to drone music. There have been many changes in personnel since its formation, with Hecksher the only constant member.
The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle, despite the plural moniker. Although he remains the core member of the band, he has worked with a variety of collaborators over time, including bassist and vocalist Peter Hughes, drummer Jon Wurster, multi-instrumentalist Matt Douglas, singer-songwriter Franklin Bruno, bassist and vocalist Rachel Ware, singer-songwriter/producer John Vanderslice, guitarist Kaki King, and multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark.
Owen is the primary solo project of American indie rock and emo musician Mike Kinsella. The project features soft melodies and complex acoustics, combining acoustic guitar with keyboard, other guitars, vocals, and drums.
Duster is an American indie rock band from San Jose, California that was formed in 1996. The group has consisted of multi-instrumentalists Clay Parton, Canaan Dove Amber, and Jason Albertini for most of its history; Albertini left the band in 2022. Duster were closely associated with the burgeoning slowcore and space rock revival movements during the 1990s.
Loscil is the electronic/ambient music project of Scott Morgan from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Morgan launched the project in Vancouver in 1998 while a member of the multimedia collective Multiplex, which curated audiovisual events at an underground cinema called The Blinding Light. The name Loscil is taken from the "looping oscillator" function (loscil) in Csound.
Amy Blue is a British alternative rock band composed of Simon Chatterton (guitar), JP Rutter (guitar), Lex Sampson (drums) and Tom Parr (bass). The group's name was inspired by Rose McGowan's character in the 1995 Gregg Araki movie The Doom Generation.
Pink is the tenth album by Japanese experimental music band Boris. It was originally released in 2005 through Diwphalanx Records in Japan and subsequently reissued in 2006 by American label Southern Lord Records.
Babatunde Omoroga Adebimpe is an American Nigerian musician, singer-songwriter, actor, director, and visual artist best known as the lead singer of the Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio.
Shocking Pinks is the project of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nick Harte from New Zealand.
Tears Run Rings is an American shoegaze band consisting of singer/bassist Laura Watling, singer/guitarist Matthew Bice, guitarist Ed Mazzucco, guitarist Tim Morris, and drummer Dwayne Palasek. They have released three albums.
Brad Laner is an American musician and record producer best known for his work with the shoegaze band Medicine, which he founded and led.
From Indian Lakes is an American indie rock band formed in 2009. Vocalist Joey Vannucchi writes, performs, and produces the music. The band's sound generally incorporates elements of pop, acoustic, emo, shoegaze, and rock.
Meishi Smile is a Los Angeles based band formed by producer, vocalist, and songwriter Faye Yim. The name Meishi Smile was first used in 2010. The project has elements of noise music, J-pop and shoegaze.
Pile is an American indie rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Starting as the solo act of Rick Maguire in the late 2000s, Pile has been a collective since the release of Magic Isn't Real in 2010. To date, Pile has released seven full-length albums. In recent years the band has gained increasing popularity, becoming a prominent part of the Boston indie rock scene and frequently touring through both the US and Europe. While remaining outside of the mainstream, the band has been repeatedly recognized for captivating a particularly enthusiastic and dedicated fan base. Their sound has been described by The Village Voice as a "distinct blend of melted guitars" with "howling-wolf vocals and shred-free guitar harmonies".
The Courtneys is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2010. The band is composed of Sydney Koke, Courtney Loove, and Jen Twynn Payne.
Somewherecold Records is an American independent record label established in late 2004 by Jason T. Lamoreaux. The record company was founded in Lexington, Kentucky, but is currently headquartered in Shelbyville, Kentucky. It releases ambient, shoegaze, dream pop, slowcore, post-rock, space rock and drone music, with an international roster of artists spanning from the early 2000s to the present. Somewherecold Records has released music on vinyl records, compact discs, compact cassettes and digital audio formats, with global distribution through The Business.
Taja Cheek, known professionally as L'Rain, is an American experimentalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and curator known primarily as the lead vocalist and songwriter of her eponymous band. L'Rain has been recognized for experimental music that draws on a vast number of traditions and genres in a practice and aesthetic Cheek calls "approaching songness".
The Microphones were an American indie folk, indie rock, and experimental band, founded and fronted by Phil Elverum. The band has released 5 studio albums, 13 miscellaneous albums, 3 extended plays, and 8 singles. Elverum began the Microphones initially as a solo project, releasing cassette demos of tests and experiments. Between 1996 and 1998, Elverum released four demos, mostly on Bret Lunsford's label Knw-Yr-Own. The CD Tests, released in June 1998, was a compilation album comprising tracks from previous cassettes. The same year, the band released the 7" single "Bass Drum Dream". The band's first studio album, Don't Wake Me Up, was released on K Records in August 1999 and gave the band a small following. Two more 7-inches were released in 1999: "Feedback " and "Moon Moon".
