My Bloody Valentine

It looks like the pioneers of shoegaze is going to be recording a new album. It has been 17 years since the band disappeared and left many of us with their hypnotic music from Loveless, wondering if they were ever going to return. The long wait is over and after being reunited on stage, Kevin Shields is ready to go back to the studio. I guess the short story is that Kevin was digitally remastering his archive and heard some prerecorded songs that never made it to an album. He decided, by golly these songs are good. Let’s get band back together! Okay, It probably wasn’t like that, but you get the picture. I’m pretty excited, since the rumor has it that the album is mostly original material from the Loveless era, but Kevin mentioned that there’s going to be new material as well. The songs that he recorded for the Lost in Translation soundtrack like City Girl were good, and if the new material is like that, I think we’re still in good hands. Here’s some videos for old time sakes.

On a sad note I wasn’t able to go see them in Santa Monica. I know. For shame!

Source: New York Times Article.

Soon

Only Shallow

I hope you got a chance to listen to Malory, because if you’re in to shoegazing, they’re a band that needs your attention and those 30 second audio samples doesn’t do them justice. The next band on this list is actually a band from the U.S. I know! A dream pop band from the states is an interesting find indeed. It’s like finding the holy grail or something. Okay, that was extreme, but they’re are a number of bands out here that play some decent newgaze. One band that I stumbled upon is Airiel.

Airiel is a band from Chicago that was originaly formed in 1997. In 2007, they released their first full album called The Battle of Sealand. Before that they released 4 EP’s with the main title called Winks & Kisses. Each EP had a different subname though, and they are: Melted, Frosted, Crackled and Dizzy. I believe their EP’s has their best work, but whom I to say anything? The Winks & Kisses: Melted EP released in 2004, is a very good indication of what this band is capable of. Songs like Sharron Apple, Firefly, and my favorite In Your Room is a great track. I woud say it’s a must download. The song is long at about 9min and 26sec, but it’s worth it. Another laid back song is Shirley Temple Tidal Wave from the Crackled EP. Check out their Airiel Myspace Page to listen to their entire album. They also have a cool looking icon for their band as well.

Lately I’ve been listening to a band called Air Formation. Always looking for new music that is anything shoegazing, Air Formation is one of the few bands that is still making good dreampop music. Formed in 1998 from Brighton, England, they seem to have their own unique sound and they definitely have many catchy melodies. Like Slowdive, their name pretty much sums it up.

The album that I’ve been listening to is called Daylight Storms and was released in 2007. Songs like Cold Morning and The Dark has Fallen is a good representation of what the Air Formation sound is like. If you like bands like Slowdive, Flying Saucer Attack, Joy Wants Eternity, then this band is a must have on your playlist. Here’s the link to their official site. Enjoy.

Source: Artist Direct