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.

Like my previous post on Air Formation, there are a number of  bands out there that are still preserving the shoegazing sound. I believe these bands are now defined as “Newgaze”, but they still keep the same principles of dream pop alive. This week I would like to share some bands that are worth mentioning and please, if you know some others, feel free to leave comments. Your recommendations will be much appreciated.

Malory

The first band that I’m really enjoying is a German shoegaze band called Malory. In my opinion, this four member band is probably one of the closest musicly to Slowdive that I’ve heard so far. It’s not really a big surprise considering this band proclaims their love for them, and you can definitely hear it in their music. I have two of their albums, Outerbeats and Not Here Not Now and a few of their songs off of the Third face.  If I would have to tell you to buy one album it would be kind of difficult for me. I think it’s safe to say that if you get any of them, you’ll be safe. The Third face album, which was released in 2006, is probably the most unique of the three. It has more of an electronic beat to it than the typical heavy sound layering found in most shoegazing music. Still a worthy album and maybe a sign of things to come.  Falling Shine and The Choice You Have from the album Outerbeats are some good examples. Underwater and Dany from the album Not Here Not Now are some fine tunes as well. Two song from the album the Third face worth  mentioning is Wake Up and Sleeper. I believe the band is finishing up their fourth album and is hopefully going to be release in last part of 08.

Please stay tune for more bands later in the week.

Here is a video of the song Sleeper.

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