Weekly Shoegaze/ Dreampop / Psychedelic / Indie Tips #47

Laura Makabresku
PICKS OF THE WEEK:
- San Francisco‘s dream pop/shoegaze 5-piece Pure Hex “Fall” from the debut S/T EP
The debut 4-track EP by Bay Area‘s Pure Hex, although including the excellent two previous singles, represents a heady combination between moving, emotional vocals, immersive quiet/loud dynamics and melodic yet abrasive reverb-infused layers of guitar distortion in a fascinating balance between energy and introspection, lights and shadows, that flow at the same time effortlessly organic and utterly irresistible. Beautifully hazy and endearing all the way to the end.
- San Diego shoegaze quartet, DISTRESSOR “Youth” from the EP “Away” on Library Group Records
Distressor 4-track EP burst with the band’s off-kilter brand of shoegaze-y noise rock weaving subdued, somber vocals with pounding rhythms, coarse distorted guitar textures, and searing surging lines, cruising on the striking line between the jarring, the spooky, the stealthily melodic and the wiry atmospheric, oozing with raw energy and emotive grit.
- Buenos Aires, Argentina shoegaze/dream pop band fronted by Nicolás Castello, NAX “Angeles de Hielo” first single from forthcoming debut LP.
Argentinian outfit Nax preview the forthcoming LP with a perfectly crafted, timeless slice of 4AD-infused, shoegaze-informed dream-pop, made of dazzling guitar chords, crushing melodies and blissful atmospheric density laced with entrancing power and ethereal allure that, although sounding familiar, we’ll never get bored of such otherworldly chilling sonic realms.
- Isle of Man-based instrumental post-rock project of guitarist Michael Daugherty, aka Nanaki “Jingle Bells” from the Christmas sampler V/A ‘Enter Snowman’ via Small Bear Records
- Texan blues/soul/surf/psych-pop collaborative project between Houston‘s trio and Fort Worth‘s soul singer, Khruangbin & Leon Bridges “Texas Sun” title track from upcoming EP on Dead Oceans
- UK electronic project by Dean Garcia (SPC Eco, Curve), Rose Berlin (SPC Eco) and Mark Wallbridge (Vasko the Pig), aka INKRÄKTARE “Free The World” from the album “We Are Not Really Here”
- Sevilla, Spain post-punk/psych/noise/shoegaze/indie trio BELADRONE “El Valle” second single from upcoming debut LP “Andévalo” out in 2020 on El Genio Equivocado
- Brooklyn, New York soul/bedroom/indie-pop solo project GOLDEN “Unaccountable” off her debut 7-track ‘Lazarus’ mixtape
- London, UK based alt/new wave project of Australian frontman/songwriter Sam Nicholas, CORRECTIONS “Coronary Eyes” from forthcoming album “Simply Activity”
- Darkgaze/psychnoise quartet from Brazil, TRAVELLING WAVE “The Lake” new single
- Wrocław, Poland noise-rock/shoegaze/darkgaze band GIVE UP TO FAILURE “All I Wanted” first single from the upcoming debut album “Burden”.
- UK dark, psychedelic sonic alchemists from Nottingham, THE CULT OF DOM KELLER ”Hello Hanging Rope” from the forthcoming album “Ascend!” on Cardinal Fuzz / Little Cloud Records
- Australian shoegaze quartet from Melbourne, Flyying Colours “Goodtimes” new single on Club AC30.
- Phoenix‘s dream pop/desertgaze trio Citrus Clouds ‘A Pastel Sky” new single
- Austin, TX dream pop/shoegaze outfit ThunderStars “Ride” from forthcoming debut album “Number Stations”
- Finnish-language slowcore/dream pop band based in NYC, älägator ”ei tarvinnut kuin katsoa”
- Glasgow, UK indie/new wave/synth-pop 4-piece CATHOLIC ACTION “People Don’t Protest Enough” from the upcoming sophomore LP “Celebrated by Strangers”
- London-based dream pop/synthpop collaboration between Greek artist Marianthi from MARSHEAUX and Dj/producer, Undo Records head Nick Bitzenis (also Mikro and Fotonovela), Melllo & Nikonn “Disconnected” second single
- Tokyo, Japan lo-fi/indie-pop/dream-pop/chillwave/synth-pop duo THE BORING TAPES “Black Water, White Rainbow” from the 3rd EP “Samsara” on Ano(t)raks
- Gothenburg’s cosmic electro-pop project of Simeon Pappinen Hillert, aka Silveräpplen “Take Me, I Am Yours” second single
- Melbourne, Australia soul/funk/psych-pop band BANANAGUN “Out of Reach” upcoming new 7″ single on Full Time Hobby
- Springfield, Missouri alt/grunge/psych-rock quartet DREAM RITUAL “Slow Kiss Goodbye” new single
- Scottish indie pop/rock band from Glasgow founded in 1983, Close Lobsters “All Compasses Go Wild” new single off upcoming 2020 album “Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera in the Forest of Symbols” on Shelflife Records.
- Cassadaga, FL dream pop/shoegaze project of Matthew Messore, aka Cathedral Bells “Ephemeral” new single on Good Eye Records
- Japanese pop-punk/power pop/indie pop project Lucie,Too “Chime” title track of the new EP on Thistime Records
- Los Angeles‘ indie/dream pop duo Zeeland “Show Me” from upcoming “Vanilla” EP on spirit goth records
- Indonesian indie-pop trio Turks & Caicos “Bad Situation” title track from the first EP “Bad Situation” on Dismantled
- Austin, TX indie-pop trio FANCLUB “Trespassing” new single
- Philippines indie-pop music alchemists from Manila, Cinéma Lumière “Love” debut single
- California‘s jangle/psych pop solo project SOFT SHELTER “Ashes” debut single
- Belfast, Northern Ireland bittersweet jangle guitar pop trio SEA PINKS “Watercourse” from the retrospective album “Armeria Maritima • Selected Songs 2010-18”
- Toronto‘s Psychedelic/Shoegaze/Dream-pop solo project of Sam Chown, SHMU “Tomorrow Will Never Come” from the upcoming album “Pure Bliss” on Requiem Pour Un Twister
- San Francisco DIY indie/power pop/jangle-pop project of Glenn Donaldson (Skygreen Leopards, Art Museums etc), aka The Reds, Pinks & Purples “I Should Have Helped You” new single
- Indiana‘s electronic/indie/jangle/dream pop project, KEVIN KRAUTER “Surprise” from forthcoming sophomore LP “Full Hand” on Bayonet Records
- Moscow, Russia lo-fi/psych/dream pop duo MINERAL “Art school smash (погром в школе искусств)” from the EP “Mineral (минерал)”
- Chicago, IL post-punk/jangle/dream-pop/indie pop band The Hazy Seas “Heavy Heads” 1st single from debut s/t album due January 2020
- Kansas City lo-fi/ bedroom pop/ shoegaze solo project OBSCENITY PLUGS “Hard” from the EP “B-Sides”
- Brighton, UK based indie/shoegaze/post-punk/alternative rock outfit, BEATASTIC “Sky High” from the new EP “Diffraction” on Shore Dive Records
- Bray, Ireland indie electronic band COLUMBIA MILLS “Who Am I Supposed To Talk To Now?” 2nd single from upcoming second album ‘CCTV’ due for release 2020
- Victoria, Canada chill pop/dream pop solo project of Mark Berg, TROPIC HARBOUR “Dusty Light” new single
- Woodstock, New York-via-London, UK indie/ethereal/dream-pop duo Tessa Murray & Greg Hughes, aka STILL CORNERS “The Calvary Cross” (Richard and Linda Thompson cover) from “Live in Studio” 2-track single
- London, UK indie/psych-pop 4-piece The Proper Ornaments – “Black Tar” new single from the upcoming album ”Mission Bells” on Tapete Records
- Los Angeles indie rock project of Alex Brown Church, aka SEA WOLF “Fear Of Failure” new single on Dangerbird Records
- Italian indie/psych-pop band from Bologna, ALTRE DI B “It’s a Cloudy Day in San Francisco” new single on We Were Never Being Boring Collective
- Toronto, Canada lo-fi/chill/jangle/indie pop band NUTRIENTS “Such Slime” from the S/T album on Earth Libraries
- Philadelphia lo-fi/bedroom/indie-pop solo project Painted Forest “Tornado” from the new EP “Fade In, Burn Out”
- Liverpool, UK Dreampop/Shoegaze band BECOME THE SKY “Pictures” new 2-track single
- Melbourne/Adelaide-based dream pop/experimental emo-folk artist (FKA Water Bear), Lauren Abineri ‘Not Forming (feat. Market)’ from her debut cassette album ‘Everything That I’ve Stolen’ via Health Tapes.
- Louisiana-born / Brooklyn, NY based experimental ambient minimalistic folk singer/songwriter Julianna Barwick ”Night” from the forthcoming album “Circumstance Synthesis” on RVNGIntl.
- Wigan, UK ambient/shoegaze/krautrock/electronic musician and producer (Engineers songwriter and co-founder, Ulrich Schnauss collaborator), MARK PETERS “The Box Of Delights” from upcoming “Winterland” EP via Sonic Cathedral

Laura Makabresku