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

• Glasgow, Scotland 3-piece electronic-pop /indie rock band featuring members of De Rosa and Knockout Ned, aka Jewel Scheme “Walking in the Air” (written by Robert Blake, 1982) from the debut Christmas charity Self-Titled EP
  

The new Glaswegian group featuring members of early 00s Chemikal Underground label affiliated De Rosa and Knockout Ned, curiously debut with a 3-track charity Christmas EP, a shimmering, yet restrained, gift box made of a handful of covers, from Howard Blake to the best known Chrissie Hynde/Pretenders, and Phil Spector/Darlene Love, that actually only have the seasonal backdrop, avoiding that affectation and solemnity at times detestable, while ‘walking in the air’, as the stirring opening suggests, infused with intimate and dreamlike bittersweetness wrapped in wintry lonesome fluting blows and sad swirls, wistful stacking piano melodies, and tremoring low ends, to lift heartfelt folksy vocals into the icy sky high views of a Christmas fantasy.  Atmospheric vocals and glittering emotional instrumentations shift with the sentiments and moods of each track, to evoke angsty thrills, joy, and warm, fuzzy nostalgia, encompassing, with subtle heartwarming intensity, all the conflicting poetic universes aroused by the Christmas season. All proceeds will be donated to Strathcarron Hospice. Jewel Scheme‘s debut album is scheduled for next year, take note…

• Pennsylvania-based jangly indie pop project of Todd Shuster (formerly singer/guitarist of early-mid 80s band The Impossible Years), Cherry Fez “Everything Must Go” first single from Cherry Fez’ forthcoming “The Prisoner of Gamla Stan” plus last January’s “Honeycomb Tearoom” 2xCD double album via Subjangle
  

I found, and still own, the only 1985 4-track EP by Philly‘s Impossible Years released via Dreamworld label co-owned by TV Personalities‘ Dan Treacy for a few quids in a dismissed shop warehouse at the beginning of the 2000s, with, to my surprise, a melodic guitar-driven sound that surfers on glittering waves kissed by rays of psychedelia, jangle and power-pop, this latter mostly in the first 7″ from 1981, constantly rehashing the 60s tinged past to re-elaborate it seamlessly, still today, with a refreshing and endearing flair. In the restless and sentimental first preview, “Everything Must Go”, a sparkling guitar strums, jangles and flourishes, swaying through vibrant tambourine shakes and soft percussions, to underlie a high angsty atmospheric vocal, regretting everything at the end of a romance.

• Oslo, Norway fuzz noise-pop band led by guitarist and vocalist Christian Dam, The Age of Colored Lizards “Picture of You” single via Sotron Records.
  

The atmospheric noise rockers from Oslo end up a rather rich and gratifying year, both in terms of creation and quality, with aching heartbroken reflective melancholy that stems from endlessly narcotic and abrasive ringing guitar riffs, tinny tambourine shakes, and humming basslines, to enshroud sad angsty vocals in the distorted shimmers and bittersweet memories found from looking at a “Picture of You.”

• Italian psych-pop /indie folk singer-songwriter Her Skin – “Blue-eyed boy” from V/A “A polaroid for Christmas 2023” Christmas charity compilation [ “Memoria polaroid” – un blog alla radio]

A humble, small Christmas gift from a precious Italian blog, luckily not the only one over here, that has been going on for many years to spread the good old/new Indie Pop and around. 19 heartfelt tunes from International artists united to help a good cause, check it out!

• French drone /folk /American primitive /râga /psych /blues /Middle East influenced instrumental guitarist, Raoul Eden “J’aime Espérer Comme un Matin qui Passe” from the album “Anima” via Scissor Tail Records
  
• Zurich, Switzerland Western /Latino instrumental two-piece band formed of the brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez, aka Hermanos Gutiérrez “Blood Milk Moon” single [Easy Eye Sound]
• L.A. based by the way of Montreal, Brussels-bred indie /surf /shoegaze /dream pop singer-songwriter Carina Messier “And Then Goodbye” single
  
• Greek dream pop /shoegaze dark wave instrumental solo project Urban Space “I Know This Is a Dream” single.
  
• London, UK indie folk singer-songwriter (Fuel, the Wave Room), Hamish Mackintosh “Motherlove” single
  
• French Chanson /indie folk singer-songwriter Camille Bénâtre “Sans terre et sans roi” from the upcoming third album “Dommage” via Hidden Bay Records
  
• Buenos Aires-based, French DIY indie-rock band created in 2013, Ural Mountains “Maybe Not ” (Cat Power Cover)
  
• Melbourne-based Ethereal Rock duo Nausicaa – “Darkness” from “Crystalline” EP
  
• Brooklyn, NY ambient pop collective led by songwriter Greg Gonzalez, Cigarettes After Sex “Motion Picture Soundtrack” single on Partisan Records
  
• Atlanta, Georgia dream-pop solo project of multi-instrumentalist Bailey Crone, aka Bathe Alone “Call me back” single [Netwerk]
• British indie folk /rock multi-instrumentalist & singer-songwriter from London, WILDES “Heartbreak is silent” single
  
• Edinburgh, UK grunge /shoegaze /dream-pop foursome Puppy Teeth “Black Honey” debut single
  
• Austin, TX indie rock band The Infinites “The Expat” from the upcoming second album “Archetypes” on Meritorio Records.
  
• Leicester, UK jangle indie pop DIY project Shopfires “In A Place We Find Ourselves” 2-track sophomore single
  
• San Francisco DIY folk /dream pop /indie sad pop band led by Glenn Donaldson (Skygreen Leopards, Art Museums, etc), The Reds, Pinks & Purples “Every Shade of Blue” from the EP “We Can’t All Be Heroes”
  
• Barcelona based lo-fi electronic /indie pop new project of UK musicians James Hackett (The Orchids) and Ian Carmichael (One Dove), aka Montjuïc “Never Be The Same” single
  
• Swedish electronic dream pop duo consisting of Karolina Komstedt (from the band Poprace) and Johan Angergård (Acid House Kings, Poprace), CLUB 8 ”Sunny” new single
• New York dream pop /psychedelic pop 4-piece Comedown Room “October” from the debut EP “The Room” 
  
• Hull, UK indie rock /shoegaze /’ugly pop’ four-piece bdrmm “Be Careful (Fila Brazillia remix)” [Rock Action]
• San Diego, CA indie pop singer-songwriter (of Slum Summer), Hugh J. Noble “Lorain” from the second album “Here In The Smoke” via Jigsaw Records
  
• Southern California sunshine /jangle /indie pop group The Armoires “Music & Animals” single on Big Stir Records
  
• Yaroslavl, Russia indie pop trio Videoprokat” She” single
  
• Manchester, UK based 4-piece indie art rock band Narwhals “Airport Runs” single on Bread Records
  
• US mid-90s formed shoegaze /indie pop band (Buddha on the Moon), The Imaginary Friend “Scissors” (Barbara Manning cover) from 2-track “Scissors & Ivy” single
  
• US indie /beach-pop /dream pop /psych-pop duo TWEN “SeaStar” single from the forthcoming 3rd LP.
  
• Finnish 5-piece indie rock band from Helsinki, Cassette Fortuna “Standby” from the debut “Cassette Cleaning System” EP
  
• Montreal, Québec faux-vanity pop project of Amery Sandford (BBQT) and David Carriere (TOPS), aka Born At Midnite “Spotlite” single on Arbutus Records
  
• Washington, DC experimental /electronic /indie rock collective Aunt Katrina “Optimistically” from the cassette mini-LP “Hot” via Crafted Sounds
  
• Glasgow’s indie pop /jangle /art-punk band Water Machine ‘Blisters’ off ‘Art Fair / Blisters’ 7″ single on Fat Cat Records
  
• Tallinn, Estonia sovietwave /dream pop /new wave /post-punk band Товарищ Астроном [Tovarish Astronom] “Прятки” from the album “Прогулки”
  
• Sheffield, UK indie /dream pop trio Pale Blue Eyes “Green Eyes” from “This House Bonus Disc” ltd. CD EP on Full Time Hobby
  
• Melbourne-based shoegaze dream pop collaboration between New Zealand-native singer-songwriter Mayzie and shoegaze band Oceans, Mayzie, Oceans “Laura” first single from the upcoming 2024 collaborative album.
  
• Eugene, OR emo /post-hardcore /shoegaze band To Be Gentle “Pale Lover” single
  
• Northampton, UK-based instrumental ‘post-rock’ band AV Sunset “Soundtrack” from the debut LP “Disconnections”
  
• Granada-based Spanish/Irish dream pop /shoegaze /dreamwave musical project of Jose Pardo and Barry Creed, aka PYON SON KUT “Pursuit Flight” from the two-track single “RYSE”
  
• Naga, Philippines shoegaze /noise-pop solo project of Marl Amador, Possvm “Stray” (Single)
  
• New York ambient /cinematic /shoegaze band formed in 1992 led by Andy Cheng & Andrew Malenda, Anilore – “Lia Fail” title track of the upcoming third album “Lia Fail”
  
• St. Petersburg, FL shoegaze /dream pop project of guitarist-songwriter Craig Pethe, aka The Cataract Pools “The Battle” single
  
• Russian electronic /shoegaze band from Moscow, Secrets of the Third Planet/S3P – “Конверт” off of the upcoming EP “Miracle Minor”
  
• Seinäjoki, Finland 3-piece Shoegaze /Dream Pop band Ludalloy “I Was The Wind” second single from the upcoming LP
  
• Scottish ambient /psych /dark wave /shoegaze two-piece Sun Shines Cold “Until the end” from upcoming “Until the end” EP [1991 recordings]
• Berlin-based noise rock /grunge /shoegaze band YEAHRS – “Raindrops” single
  
• Perth, Australia indie /dreamrock band Star Arcana “Post Autumn” single
  
• Pontianak, Indonesia bedroom shoegaze /indie rock band Lullaville “Distorted” single
  
• Pachuca, Mexico post-rock /dream pop /shoegaze 4-piece Last Videotape “Nuevos Departamentos” single
  
• South Australia-based Dream pop /Shoegaze one-man band of songwriter, guitarist, and producer Dave Thomas, aka Hey Calamity “Bury My Bones” single
  
• Austin, TX post-punk /doomgaze /shoegaze project of Dutch artist Jasper den Hartigh, aka Holy Water “Lost In The Sun” from the cassette album “Slow Dissolve” via Somatic
  
• Miami, FL indie rock /shoegaze trio Las Nubes “Enredados” from the double A-side single “Enredados b/w Drop-In”
  
• Mexico City‘s Neopsychedelic Shoegaze band ENDLESS “Motion” from the debut EP “Motion” ltd. CD via Shore Dive Records
  
• Adelaide, Australia psychedelic rock collective SONS OF ZÖKU “O Saber” single off upcoming 2024 second LP “ËNDLËSS” via Copper Feast Records
  
• Brisbane, Australia instrumental dream pop /shoegaze project of Ethan Clark, aka Beige Walls and No Roof “Second Monday Of The Month” from “The Sun Stained Clouds” EP
  
• Stockholm, Sweden kraut /psych rock band Les Big Byrd “Mareld” from the upcoming 2014 fourth studio album “Diamonds, Rhinestones and Hard Rain” on Chimp Limbs
  
• Mid-’80s longstanding noise pop /psych guitar rock project of guitarist, singer and composer Nick Saloman, aka THE BEVIS FROND “Focus On Nature” the title track of the upcoming CD/2×12″ LP “Focus On Nature” on Fire Archive
  
• Philadelphia, PA jangle-power pop trio The Jette Planes “Look Back” from the live EP “3 & a Crowd”
  
• Cardiff, UK indie rock /post-punk band Slate “St Agatha” from first 2-track 7″ single “Tabernacl / St Agatha” via Brace Yourself Records
  
• Los Angeles/New York-based all-female indie rock band Chalk Talk “Loveseat” from upcoming LP “Sometimes I Call You” via Graveface Records
  
• LA-based indie-rock project of former Frenship, Celeste Tauchar, aka Talker “Drag Your Feet” single
  
• Californian folk / indie rock collective of friends and musical collaborators in Los Angeles, Reindeer Tribe “Cold” from the Christmas album “Cheer Up Darlin’, It’s Christmas”
  
• Spanish indie-bedroom pop singer-songwriter Mar Louise “All My Plants Are Dead” single
  
• Luxembourg-based bedroom pop /indie-rock project of singer-songwriter Jana Bahrich, aka Francis of Delirium “Real Love (soft version)” single
  
• Maiorca, Spanish ambient /Balearic /experimental guitarist since the 80s and Blau label co-founder, Joan Bibiloni – “Nits De La Sultana” from V/A “10” 10th anniversary 2xLP/CD compilation [Music From Memory]