the neverminds – “melt”

And now, strange ways to discover local bands, part two. It shouldn’t be any surprise I follow a number of Japanese shoegaze concert promoters on socials; I find it a good way to discover new acts from that part of the world. Recently, I’d noticed a series of posts and ads from one of them, […]

Draag – “Orb Weaver”

Lots of things about Los Angeles’ Draag hint that they’d like to be perceived as darker/gothier/heavier than they are – album and song titles sound like they would talk at length about their level 30 half-elf figher-magic user, given the chance, but musically, they’re just too pretty to pull it off. That’s not a slight, […]

Kurayamisaka – “Farewell”

One of the buzzier new acts in the Japanese shoegaze/dreampop world has been Tokyo’s Kurayamisaka, who stormed onto the scene with their remarkably confident and evolved 2022 debut mini-alubm kimi wo omotte iru. Picking a standout track from the five and a half options is hard – opener “theme” is just a one-minute build-up, but […]

Ride – “Chelsea Girl”

I’m still a bit high from Tuesday night’s superb Ride show here in Toronto – pics here – my first time seeing them in seven years, having missed their last two visits due to a conflict with a Massive Attack show and my son’s birthday. Sufficed to say, I didn’t want to miss this one. […]

Parannoul – “Gold River”

The most famous anonymous person in Korean indie – at least from the shoegazing perspective – is Parannoul. Hihs 2023 opus After The Magic continues to stand as a monument of the genre, at least in recent years, and last week he released what would appear to be his first new work since those sessions. […]

Miki Berenyi Trio – “Vertigo”

Having made their recorded debut with the appropriately transitional Lush cover a couple months ago, Miki Berenyi Trio have offered up their first taste of original music with “Vertigo”, which previews a full-length album the details of which are still forthcoming. Of the track, Berenyi says: ‘Vertigo’ is about anxiety and the efforts to talk […]