The "Shoegaze" Post

There is a peculiar type of music that I discovered I have a great affinity for. This type of music is known by many different names: Wall of Sound, dream-pop, but the most popular way to describe it is Shoegaze. The name comes from the singers hanging their heads down towards their feet while singing, embodying the mesmerizing qualities of singing.
These types of songs, and the artists that created them, strive to create soft, dreamy landscapes with their music. The sounds are lush, light, and airy, as if you can drift through them on a cloud. the music circles around you like the wind. The most popular tool for this genre of music is the guitar, and often these songs feature several instruments layered over one another, creating the illusion of multiple instruments playing at once, luring the listener into a trance.

My favorite band that creates this type of music is Blonde Redhead. Two guitars (and various other instruments), one female singer, and all heart. "Elephant Woman" is a slow, haunting song that with somber violin notes and gentle, whispering vocals. This band is one the best examples of the Shoegaze genre.

 

When this style of music was popular, other artists tried their hand at imitating the large, enveloping sounds of Shoegaze, including CKY (hard rock), A Place to Bury Strangers (not-as-hard rock), and Coldplay (kinda rock). 

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