Cranes - Loved (1994)



Cranes were one of the many bands in the early 90s that were inspired by the music of the Cocteau Twins. But as well as that they also had strong gothic rock and shoegaze influences running through their captivating dream pop sound. The first thing that usually strikes you when you first listen to Cranes is vocalist Alison Shaw’s distinct and unusual high-pitched, child-like vocals. I do admit that the first time I listened to Cranes they did put me off somewhat but eventually I grew to love her vocals and of course the band’s wonderful music. But Cranes are more than just Cocteau Twins on helium, Alison’s vocals seem to add a feeling of innocence that contrasts with the sometimes gothic sound that the band create. There is a very ethereal feel to this album and a feeling of detachment created by the band’s colourful and psychedelic sound and of course Alison’s distinct airy vocals. The mood shifts somewhat through the course of the album, from the gothic darkness of ‘Lilies’ and ‘Come This Far’, to the sad and introspective ‘Are You Gone?’ and ‘In The Night’ to the more melancholic and epic sounding ‘Paris and Rome’. But all throughout the album the band maintain the same highly creative artistic vision and pull off a very consistent and thoroughly enjoyable album, full of many twists and turns and some very interesting musical textures.

Loved is less gothic sounding than its 1993 predecessor Forever, which is an album I also highly recommend, and has a slightly more distinct and focused sound with a wider variety of instrumentation and rhythms. Both albums are essential listening if you are looking the explore the wonderful world of 90’s dream pop.

Recommended Songs: ‘Shining Road’, ‘Lilies’, ‘Paris and Rome’


The Daysleepers - The Soft Attack (2006)



Well ok it’s not actually a full-length album but an E.P., but at thirty-three minutes and forty-nine seconds and with seven tracks it could very well be an album. Never-the-less it’s an E.P. well worth investigating from one of the best shoegaze bands of the 00’s. Something about The Daysleepers and this E.P. in particular reminds me of snow and cold, dark evenings. Probably because when I first started listening to this just before last Christmas we were up to our knees in snow and freezing our asses off and the music here kind of reminds me of that time, also add to the fact that the band seem to like posing for promo pictures in snow. The band aren’t exactly that original and seem to draw some heavy influences from The Cure and Slowdive in particular, but forget about that, the band do what they do so very well and create some really beautiful and epic music in the process. The guitars are shimmering and delay-heavy and the vocals feature tons of reverb and both of these combine to create a huge swirling, dreamy sound. But the band certainly don’t just rely on a dense and beautiful wall of sound, they also place a big emphasis on songwriting and allowing the vocal melodies to shine through and grab your attention, which makes them stand out from their peers. They do this brilliantly on the unforgettable ‘Cloudless’, ‘Stereo Honey’ and of course the beautiful and sweeping ‘Mother Ocean’. The band can also keep things heavy and atmospheric such as on ‘Moonfrost’ and the epic ‘Lightforms’, which builds and build over the course of its six and a half minutes into a dramatic conclusion.

The Soft Attack further built on the promise shown by their debut E.P. Hide Your Eyes and is perhaps that little bit more enjoyable and more focused than their rather good 2008 debut full-length album Drowning In a Sea Of Sound. The band however have been quiet for three years now and no new music seems to be on the horizon. But this E.P., along with Hide Your Eyes and Drowning In a Sea Of Sound will keep your ears pleasured in the meantime.

Recommended Songs: ‘Cloudless’, ‘Stereo Honey’, ‘Lightforms’

EDIT: YAY!
http://thedaysleepers.blogspot.com/

Originally Posted by Nosferatu Man Absolutely loving the thread, downloading religuously the albums I havent heard. Will Whipping Boy be making an appearance?

Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me (1987)



You’re Living All Over Me was Dinosaur Jr’s second album and it was the one which they made their mark within the American underground scene. It was a key album in alternative rock in the late 80’s and today it still stands up as an essential alternative rock release as well as an ideal place to start with Dinosaur Jr. Some of the best indie and alternative albums of the 80’s are the ones that were never recorded quite right. The production on this album is very raw, ragged and lacks low-end, yet manages to capture the live energy of this band brilliantly complete with mistakes and all. It was the first album to predominantly feature J Mascis on lead vocals in contrast to their debut album Dinosaur which featured Lou Barlow on most of the lead vocals. One of the things I love most about Dinosaur Jr. is J’s detached and laconic vocals, which seem make him sound like he’s half asleep or completely baked. His vocals contrast very nicely with the noisy distorted sound that the band create and he also has a great sense of melody, these all combine brilliantly on the blinding opener ‘Fury Little Things’, the Black Sabbath jamming with Neil Young sound of ‘Sludgefeast’ and of course the excellent ‘Tarpit’. J’s guitar playing is second to none; sometimes wild and noisy yet sometimes melodic and relaxed. Lou Barlow also contributes very nicely here with the punk-influenced ‘Lose’ and of course the very lo-fi closing track ‘Poledo’, which is basically a collection of bedroom recordings stitched together.

If you are looking for the original Dinosaur Jr. in all their raw and youthful glory this is the album to get. You should also get the follow-up album Bug and their debut Dinosaur to complete their 80’s holy-trinity. There’s no doubting the impact that these albums have had on indie and alternative rock bands over the years since and their impact will continue to be felt for some time.

Recommended Songs: ‘Fury Little Things’, ‘Sludgefeast’, ‘Tarpit’


Drop Nineteens - Delaware (1992)



While the UK was the centre of the ‘Scene That Celebrates Itself’ a small number of bands stateside were starting to take notice of the shoegazing movement across the water. One of these bands included Boston’s Drop Nineteens who combined the sounds of My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive with American indie rock influences from the likes of Dinosaur Jr., Pixies and Sonic Youth. Their music seems to have a distinct summery suburban feel to it which I find with some American alternative rock albums of the early 90’s such as The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream and The Lemonheads’ It’s a Shame About Ray and it perhaps has a tingle of nostalgia to it rather than sound dated. Despite the noisy walls of guitar that feature predominantly in their sound the band have a distinct pop sensibility which really catches your attention. The opener ‘Delaware’ gives you a good indication of this but it is the killer single ‘Winona’ that really hits the nail on the head, its unforgettable melodies make this one of the best indie rock songs of the 90’s in my opinion. The band also had a few tricks of their own up their sleeves, ‘Reberrymemberer’ features walls of noisy guitar and submerged, indecipherable vocals alternating with intense screaming, thus proving that screaming can go very well with shoegaze. Also the minimalism of ‘Ease It Halen’ shows that the band were well capable of experimenting a bit and finding a sound of their own.

Drop Nineteens achieved far more success in the UK (where they received good press and indie chart success) than their native homeland where this album was unfortunately swallowed up by the domination of grunge. Nowadays this album stands up remarkably well on its own not only as a great American shoegaze album, but also deserving of a place in your collection alongside the likes of Nowhere, Loveless, The Comforts of Madness, Whirlpool, Souvlaki etc. I actually found this album on CD at a record fair not so long ago which was quite rare but I didn't have enough money for it unfortunately.

Recommended Songs: ‘Delaware’, ‘Winona’, ‘Reberrymemberer’

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