If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Ingrid Pop 2023 seems to be the year of finally seeing bands I've been a fan of for decades but have just never seen. The latest on that list was Slowdive. The shoegaze legends played a show earlier this week at the House of Blues that sold out almost instantaneously. It was a strange night on Lansdowne St, with lines for Slowdive and Boygenius all the way down the street to Brookline Ave. The wait to get into the venue felt as long as my wait to see Slowdive, so would it be worth the wait? Simply put... yes. And then some. Slowdive have been doing this for a long time, and they have mastered their genre and performing live. It's kind of a joke that shoegaze bands are boring live since they don't put on any show besides just standing there. Anyone who has ever told that joke has never seen Slowdive. Sure, they didn't jump around on stage, but they had the all ages crowd in the palm of their hand as soon as they played their first note. Singer Rachel Goswell sta...

Artist : Speedy Ortiz Album : Rabbit Rabbit Quick Thoughts : Speedy Ortiz and Sadie Dupuis are extremely good at what they do, and Rabbit Rabbit is another solid entry in a long list of them. It's got that angular baseline feel combined with a lot of interesting songwriting and great vocals. Basically nothing unexpected except for how great it is. If you're a fan, you won't be disappointed, and if you're new, this is a great place to start. Songs of Note : "You S02," "Plus One" Artist : Slowdive Album : everything is alive Quick Thoughts : Shoegaze legends Slowdive are back after a six-year absence with another great effort. It's dreamy and hazy in all the right ways, and captures a band still operating at the top of its game decades after their start. A mandatory listen this week. Songs of Note : "prayer remembered," "alife," "the slab" Artist : Jeff Rosenstock Album : HELLMODE Quick Thoughts : Jef...

Photo by Ingrid Pop Shoegaze can be beautiful at times, and the latest from Slowdive might be the most beautiful shoegaze song we've ever heard. "alife" is an ethereal masterpiece. It's a lush sonic delight that envelopes the listener in this warm glow as it passes over you. Slowdive are one of the most gushed about bands in the shoegaze scene, and for good reason. Most bands that have been around since the late 1980's (even if they did take 1996 to 2013 off) aren't making music anywhere near this vital. Over thirty years in, and the UK legends are making the best music of their career. Neil Halstead says of the new song: “‘alife’ is one of the first tunes we finished for the record. Shawn Everett did a really nice job with the mix. We tried so many times to figure out a good mix by ourselves and couldn’t do it . . . it sort of had us beaten until Shawn stepped in. We decided if he could handle that one he could probably do the whole record. Our friend Jake Ne...

Photo by Ingrid Pop Shoegaze heroes Slowdive continue to prove why they're worthy of their legendary status by releasing amazing new songs. They're latest, "the slab," is both pure, classic shoegaze while adding a new element to their longstanding sound. "the slab" opens with an extended instrumental portion that sounds almost like if The Cure decided to give shoegaze a try. It's more cinematic than we're used to from the British band, but it's a version of them that's quite welcome. Not many bands that formed in 1989 sound like both a classic version of themselves as well as a progressive version, but most bands aren't Slowdive. Vocalist/guitarist Neil Halstead says of the new single: “This is the heaviest track on the record and as the name suggests we wanted it to feel like a big slab of music. We wanted it to feel very dense.” You can watch the video for "the slab" below. everything is alive  is due out September 1 on Dead O...

Photo by Ingrid Pop Shoegaze legends Slowdive continue to prove that they are masters of the genre decades into their career. The British band's latest single, "skin in the game," is a gorgeous, almost painfully slow track that builds so slowly you'll barely even notice. It's almost orchestral in its complex layers of noise. It might just be the oppressive humidity here in New England, but you can almost feel the song flow by you in waves. I tend to enjoy the louder side of shoegaze more than the more quiet side, but when the quieter side is done this masterfully, it's impossible to resist. Most bands tend to slow down thirty plus years into their career, but not all do it as perfectly as Slowdive. You can watch the video for "skin in the game" below. everything is alive is due out September 1 on Dead Oceans, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Slowdive, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Wed. Ju...

Photo by Parri Thomas Slowdive have still got it. The British shoegaze legends reformed in 2014, and are now set to release their fifth album. The first single from that album, "kisses," just sounds like pure vintage 90's shoegaze. It's gorgeous and just oozing with fuzz. The song does have a bit of a pop center to it, so nowadays we would most likely refer to "kisses" as dream pop, but the two genres have a ton of crossover between them. Slowdive have crafted a wonderfully hypnotic song that stands alongside the best of their early 90's heyday, and we couldn't be happier for it. Vocalist/guitarist Neil Halstead says of the new single: “It wouldn’t feel right to make a really dark record right now. The album is quite eclectic emotionally, but it does feel hopeful.” You can watch the video for "kisses" below. everything is alive  is due out September 1 on Dead Oceans, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Slowdive, check out the ...

There are a few factors that guarantee we're going to like Beachy Head. First of all, they're a bonafide supergroup. Back in 2019, Christian Savill of Slowdive started writing and demoing some songs without any real plan. He sent these recordings to Ryan Graveface (The Casket Girls) and Steve Clarke (The Soft Calvary). Fleshing out the band is Matt Duckworth (The Flaming Lips) on drums and Rachel Goswell (Slowdive, Mojave 3, The Soft Calvary, Minor Victories) adding some vocals.  The second factor is the name. Beachy Head is a popular destination in Sussex because of its beautiful chalk cliff. It's also known as a suicide spot. Third is the music. "Destroy Us" is a swirling song that may lean more towards the pop side of dream pop or shoegaze than we'd expect. It feels like an updated throwback to the gothic side of New Wave. Of course, as with most music of this genre I find it to be beautiful and uplifting, but I'm pretty sure that's just me. Most pe...

If you love covers as much as we do, you most likely know all about The Blog That Celebrates Itself . In case you're unfamiliar, it's a Brazil based blog that puts together these insane tribute compilations, and then gives them away for free on Bandcamp. Free covers? We're always up for that. Last week, they released their latest, Just for Life: A Homage to Slowdive. As with most compilations put out by The Blog That Celebrates Itself, it's great, but I usually barely know any of the bands on the compilation. However, track 7 is a cover of "Joy" by Sheer. We definitely love Sheer around these parts, and knowing that one of our favorite fuzzed out guitar pop bands is doing a song by one of the finest shoegaze bands is fairly thrilling. Sheer's version has just a hint more of a pop side than Slowdive's original, but it's a very straightforward cover.  You can listen to Sheer's version of "Joy" below. If you like what you hear, you...

Photo by Ingrid Pop Slowdive have always made me feel like such a poseur. Of course I know Slowdive, and of course I love them. But they've always been one of those bands that I always seem to forget about, and then when I'm reminded I wonder why I don't listen to them constantly. Considering yesterday they released their first song in 22 years, I'm going to be reminded of them much more regularly over the next year, which is fine by me. The shoegaze legends skipped the early 2000s nu-gaze movement and have been brought out of retirement in the current shoegaze resurgence. Coming back after two decades is always a tricky thing, but, judging by "Star Roving," Slowdive's return will be epic. It's not reminiscent of 90s shoegaze, it's like a lost Slowdive song has just resurfaced. I absolutely can not wait for this new album. You can watch the video for "Star Roving" below. You can purchase your own copy of the song here . For more on ...