WL//WH Weekly Shoegaze / Dreampop / Psychedelic / Indie Tips

Weekly Shoegaze / Dreampop / Psychedelic / Indie Tips – OCTOBER #40-23

Harry Gruyaert photography

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

  • UK grunge rock /indie pop collaboration The Happy Somethings & Slovenly Boy “I Don’t Smoke Dope” single

We really enjoyed the swing and buoyancy of “Hey Tricky!” from last week’s EP, and here are the hyperactive trio immediately back to team with fellow act Slovenly Boys, with another good dose of pure carefree pop coated in seething, wah-wah-tinged, edgy guitar distortion, pulsating over crisp plodding percussions and subdued sizzling riffage obsessions around high angst vocals, confessing, just about everything whilst trying to coax another, into intoxicating waves of contemplation.

  • Phoenix, AZ veteran synthpop /indie pop /new wave trio Fine China “Breathtaker” from the upcoming 12″/CD/Cassette EP “Eyes In The Water” via Velvet Blue Music

The veteran group from Phoenix returns with their refined Wave / Indie Pop sheen, anchored in solid ’80s roots, rife with nostalgic emotional-ridden melodic sensibilities, after an EP two-thirds composed of organic atmospheric new age meditations. The glittering and glossy synth-pop number “Breathtaker” bounces over a disorienting wistful frenzied rush of rapid skipping beats, humming pulsing basslines, anxious stacks of twinkling synth melodies and searing guitar flourishes along with dramatic aching vocal angst, breathlessly chasing poetic, sentimental dreams.

  • Helsinki, Finland post-punk /indie rock /new wave project Primary Delusion “Beyond The Blue” single     

Rooted in the guitar rock sound aesthetics of the ’80s, triggers melancholic yet uplifting melodies with a breathtaking release of tension that swirls and palpitates through sad dizzy guitar strains, resonant wistful twinkling reverberations and beautifully organic piano glows, whilst dreamy romantic croons stir a mind-freeing poem of love and hope to float uninhibited, “Beyond the Blue.”

  • Brisbane, Australia ambient /minimal electronics /dream-pop /folk artist fhae “We stay and stay thankful” from the upcoming third album “She lives within me” on 4000 Records
  • Canadian ambient /psychedelic /folk /dream pop project of Crystal Dorval from Vancouver, White Poppy “Happy” from the album “Sound Of Blue” the second volume of the “Paradise Gardens” trilogy on Not Not Fun Records
  • Chicago-based ambient /kosmische /dream /minimal experimental pop project of longtime collaborators, Libby Ramer & Ben Billington (former members of Moonrises and Partner), aka Lofting “Sail” from the LP “All That Leaves” [Crash Symbols]
  • Australian-born, Oakland-based dream /surf /psych /indie pop artist Hazel English “There She Goes” (The La’s cover)
  • Norwegian ethereal wave /dream pop /experimental audio/visual artist, Glassmanet “Enter the Deep” single
  • California-based bedroom indie pop /dream pop project HONEYWHIP “Polaroid” new single.
  • San Francisco, CA-based indie /dream pop /slowcore collective led by singer/guitarist Karina Gill, CINDY “Saw It All” from “Likely Story/Saw It All” (previously only available on a 7” as part of the ltd. edition pressing of “Why Not Now?” LP) on Tough Love
  • Scotland-based cinematic /experimental electronic pop musician Mark Tranmer (The Montgolfier Brothers, Wingdisk, Vetchinsky Settings, Bad Dancers Collide), GNAC “April In Space” from upcoming “April In Space” EP from the forthcoming GNAC album “Estimating Green”
  • UK ambient /dream pop /post-rock /guitar project of Ben Holton (epic45, My Autumn Empire), AKA Birds In The Brickwork “May (Erecting The Maypole)” from “Twelve Months / Volume Three” (a collection of music to accompany the Birds In The Brickwork Calendar 2024) [Wayside & Woodland Recordings]
  • Chicago, IL lo-fi electronic pop project of singer-songwriter Owen Ashworth (formerly of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone), Advance Base “Rene Goodnight” from the single “How You Got Your Picture on the Wall” on Orindal Records
  • Athens, Georgia chamber pop /rock’n’roll /power pop project of Drive-By Truckers keyboardist/guitarist Jay Gonzalez and lyricist Pete Smith, aka Gonzalez Smith “The Lexington Line” from the debut LP “Roll Up a Song” on Bobo Integral Recordings
  • San Francisco-based indie folk musician and composer (member of Cool Ghouls, The Gonks, and Supreme Joy), Ryan Wong – “The Adventures of Pete & Pete (TV Theme)” from V/A “Stay Tuned: Season 3” cassette compilation of Perpetual Doom’s beloved TV theme song cover series [Perpetual Doom]
  • London-based indie folk band The Lost Cavalry “The Day’s Sun” off the third studio album “Sunlight Shapes The Day”
  • London-based lo-fi /electro-acoustic folk rock project of Comet Gain co-founder, singer-songwriter and guitarist David Feck (aka Charlie Damage), aka DAVID CHRISTIAN AND THE PINECONE ORCHESTRA “My New Mattress” from the album “Sentimental Burrito” (collection of leftovers, covers, demos, etc.)
  • Austin, TX-based shoegaze /jangle /indie pop /noise /dream pop band led by Mike Lee, Letting Up Despite Great Faults “Cherry Splits” single
  • Granada, Spain indie pop /shoegaze /dream pop duo Apartamentos Acapulco “Dos Días Contigo” new single.
  • Münster, Germany bedroom /dream-pop /indie-pop band led by Sebastian Voss, AKA The Fisherman and his Soul “Warm Nights In Berlin” from “A Picturesque Marina” (EP) via Subjangle/ Bureau Platiruma!!!
  • Melbourne, Australia lo-fi /jangle /indie pop band Soft Covers “Shampoo” from the debut album “Soft Serve” via Little Lunch Records (vinyl) and Hidden Bay Records (tape)
  • Southern California-based C86 /jangle /indie /dream pop /guitar pop project of Ken Aki & Gretchen DeVault, aka Hero No Hero “Gentle Breeze” from the album “Pacific Standard Time”
  • East Bay, California lo-fi bedroom indie-pop music project of Ryan Marquez, aka The Umbrella Puzzles “On The Tip Of My Tongue” single
  • San Francisco-based shoegaze /folk /60’s pop /dream pop project of songwriter Jason Quever, aka Papercuts “This Strange Effect “(Kinks Cover)
  • Clare, Australia jangle noise pop trio The Boltons “Saviors & Marauders” second single
  • Seattle, WA power-pop /indie pop trio Model Shop “Easy Winter” the first single from “Check the Forecast” EP on Meritorio Records
  • UK-based acoustic /power pop /jangle /psych /indie pop singer-songwriter Paul ‘Trip’ Ryan aka SUPER 8 “I Am The Rain” from the album “LEGENDS – A Tribute to Astrud” (19901993)
  • New Zealand indie rock creative collaboration between members of The Bats, The Clean, Tall Dwarfs and Toy Love (Kaye Woodward, Alec Bathgate, Paul Kean, and Hamish Kilgour), The Sundae Painters “Sweet Dreams” from the upcoming S/T album via Leather Jacket Records and Merge Records
  • Cardiff, Wales-based ’60s inflected indie pop band THE LOVES “True Love” from “The Most Of The Loves” 2xLP collection [20002011] via Daytrip Records
  • Memphis, TN punk /indie rock /rock’n’roll /garage pop solo-slash-group venture of Alijca Trout (Sweet Knives, Lost Sounds, River City Tanlines), aka Alicja-pop “Not Gonna Be Dumb” from the 2-track 7″ single “I’m Here I’m There / Not Gonna Be Dumb” on Feel It Records
  • New Brighton based, New Zealand veteran indie rock /shoegaze /dream pop singer and songwriter (Little Dead Things, All Fall Down, The Letter 5, Swim Everything, Creeley, Range, 103, Thomas:Parkes, and The LEDs), Blair Parkes “Go baby go” single
  • Cardiff, Wales-based psychedelic collective Soft Hearted Scientists “Rode My Bike” single via Country Mile Records
  • Adelaide, Australian indie /synth-pop project New Labour “The Convicts” single
  • London-based ambient pop /post-rock /indietronica /coldwave /dark wave /ghostrock band led by Glen Johnson, aka Piano Magic “Blank Page (Board Mix)” [Digital only Bonus Track] from the remastered reissue of the 2007 album “Part Monster” on Second Language 
  • San Francisco, CA indie /psych-pop /noise pop group Lavender Blush “You Love Me Now Wait” from upcoming 12″ LP “There’s Nothing Inside Your Heart” on Shelflife Records
  • Toronto, Canada indie-rock 4-piece SWiiMS “All I Die For” first single off forthcoming LP, “Into The Blue Night” [Mint 400 Records]
  • South Korean-based surf-tinged bedroom pop project of Scottish multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter David Skimming, aka Lunar Isles “Arrival” single
  • Irish post /punk /alternative /indie rock band from Dublin, The Wup Chow “Thumbprints” from “Once a Ballroom” EP
  • Chicago-based DIY ambient /shoegaze /dream pop singer, composer and musician Alessia Kato, aka Ghost Days “Heart Apart” from the upcoming album “Angel Tears” 
  • London, UK dream pop duo DEARY “Sleepsong” from the upcoming S/T debut album [Sonic Cathedral]
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania dream pop /shoegaze band DRAMAMINE “Seahorse” from the album “Dreamcatcher”
  • Bath, UK indie /shoegaze solo multi-instrumental artist (aka Zed-Point), Sandoval “Born at night” single
  • West Midlands, UK shoegaze /dream pop solo project MOGY “Girl Alone” from “Numb.” EP
  • Boston, MA dream pop /indie rock /shoegaze band Honeywave “My Dad Saw Joy Division Live” from the debut “Connect” EP
  • South Australia-based Dreampop /Shoegaze one-man band of songwriter, guitarist, and producer Dave Thomas, aka Hey Calamity “Sodium Flame feat. Emily Thomas” from the third album “Urbania” on Shore Dive Records
  • Italian indie /dream pop /shoegaze solo project of M.Cingolani from Fano, Waving Blue “Talk To Me” from “August is the worst month of the year” EP
  • Florence, Italy dream pop/shoegaze band WE MELT CHOCOLATE “Holy Ramen (feat. The Sensitive Club)” single
  • Manchester, New Hampshire indie rock /shoegaze singer-songwriter Cade Earick “Gazed” single
  • Colchester, UK shoegaze /indie rock band She’s In Parties “Ritual” from debut “End Scene” EP [Submarine Cat Records]
  • Hattiesburg, Mississippi surf rock /shoegaze /dream pop solo project Beach Novels “Hate It Now” single
  • Seattle, WA shoegaze /indie rock band Waves Crashing “Rose Hue” single
  • Argentinian noise-pop /psych /shoegaze trio from Mar del Plata, Tomates en Verano ”Simulando Esperar” new single on Casa del Puente Discos
  • Philadelphia-based early 90s genre-shifting shoegaze /indie rock band led Kurt Heasley, aka Lilys – “Won’t Make You Sleepy” from upcoming V/A “Aspirin Age Volume Three (a shoegaze compilation)” cassette album via Broken Sound Tapes
  • Florence, Italy-based grunge /shoegaze band led by Brazilian musician Denis Kandle, aka DKANDLE “Floating Orb” from the new LP “More Drag Queens Less Drama Queens”
  • Seattle, WA alternative rock /grungegaze /shoegaze band Divaria “Smoking In The Park” from 2-track single “Fremont”
  • Gainesville, Florida-based indie rock /grunge-gaze band, Bed Bug Guru “Tightrope” single                             
  • Dundee, UK dark /heavy /shoegaze two-piece Cats Cradle “This Is Not Your Heaven” single off upcoming debut EP “This Is Not Your Heaven”
         
  • San Francisco-based bedroom shoegaze /dream pop project of Brandon Setta, You Wish “Anti Grav” single
  • Columbus, OH emo /indie rock /shoegaze 5-piece band Minnows “Two Truths” single from the forthcoming LP “Foreign Moon”
  • Wollongong, Australia emo /shoegaze /alternative rock band DRIFT “Begin” from the LP “Candyland”
  • Pittsburgh, PA alt-noise rock /shoegaze band Gloomer “Feel Again” from the debut LP “Embrace The End” [Friend Club Records]
  • Lubbock, TX ‘red dirt’ shoegaze trio Arcave “It’s Always Windy Here” from the 2-track single “Black Tides/Black Horse”
  • US atmospheric black metal /shoegaze /blackgaze artist Damián Antón Ojeda, AKA Sadness “Spring twilight” from the split EP “Secret Green” with Jymeria
  • Sweden fuzzy shoegaze instrumental doom-pop solo project Kitten Paws “Underbara Huvud” single
  • UK experimental /dark ambient /post-rock /post-punk /psychedelic band led by Matthew Rochford, Abrasive Trees “Kali Sends Sunflowers (Boho Mix)” from the EP “Kali Sends Sunflowers (Gravity Machine Remixes)”
  • Minsk, Belarus noise rock /psychedelic /shoegaze band Rich Chamomile “My body” from the single “Sunshine/My body”
  • Los Angeles-based post-punk /indie rock /shoegaze artist Lauren Lakis “Loud Voices” from the full-length album “A Fiesta and a Hell” via Dum Dum Records (tape)
  • Philadelphia, IL indie rock /power pop band (members of Wax Wav and Plow United), The Blackburns “Time Turns Around” single from the self-titled album out Marc 13, 2024 on Sell the Heart Records
  • Austin, TX based Noise /Garage Rock /Shoegaze /Rock and Roll 4-piece Queen Serene “Double Life” from the upcoming album “Queen Serene”
  • Connecticut indie rock band led by former Cymbals Eat Guitars frontman Joseph D’Agostino, aka Empty Country “Dustine” off “Empty Country II” on Get Better Records and Tough Love
  • Swedish veteran power pop /garage punk rock 4-piece from Nyköping, THE MANIKINS “In My Head” from the upcoming 6th studio album “Swedish Woods” via Lövely Records
  • Vancouver, Canada synthpop /new wave /power pop trio Autogramm “WannaBe” from upcoming third LP “Music That Humans Can Play” via Stomp Records
  • Washington, D.C. indie rock /garage-punk-pop singer-songwriter Elisabeth Nelson, aka The Paranoid Style “Print The Legend” from upcoming LP “The Interrogator” via Bar/None Records
  • Luxembourg-based artist bedroom pop /indie-rock project of singer-songwriter Jana Bahrich AKA Francis of Delirium “First Touch” single on Dalliance Recordings                                                           
  • Lo-fi indie rock band from Ireland, Thanks Mom “If You Want Me” single
  • Los Angeles-based bedroom dream pop brainchild of songwriters Chris Hackman (Human Barbie) and Xuan Nguyen (Xuan), aka Veronicavon “Dreamgirl” from the upcoming LP “Deep End” [Born Losers Records]
  • Cambridge, UK guitar pop duo Tony Jenkins (from the New F00ls and ex-Victorian Tin) and Christian Gustafsson, aka Kammahav “Encore” new single
          
  • Edinburgh, UK folk / indie rock band Broken Records “The Dreamless Sleep Of The 1990s” from the 5th studio album “The Dreamless Sleep Of The 1990s” on J Sharp Records
  • Bristol, UK based ambient /post-rock /folk /electronic /cosmic psychedelia 4-piece band Quade “Of the Source” from “Nacre” LP [AD93]

Harry Gruyaert photography