LA-based multi-instrumentalist Danny Rincon is about to launch his debut album out to the world. Recording under the name Scrunchie, he is heavily influenced by the 90’s shoegaze sound as well as drawing inspiration from grunge and slowcore bands. He has been recording in esteemed company, namely renowned mixing engineer Sonny DiPerri who’s worked with My Bloody Valentine and Nine Inch Nails; and legendary mastering engineer Stephen Marcussen (The Smashing […]
You know it's a good week, a good month even, when you can welcome back the stylized sonic churn of new Bloody Knives. Motorik beats and a wall of guitar noise guide you through this fever dream, a promise of great things to come. Dark shadows obscure the sonic haze, but the rhythm section cuts through like a jackhammer. In short, it's vintage Bloody Knives, doing that thing they do […]
The Euro shoegaze scene has been slowly becoming dominant in my listening habits. In particular France has been featuring big. The latest band to drop into my inbox with their musical delights are the Bordeaux-based trio, Cosmopaark. The name is a contraction of cosmonaut and a nod to Gus Van Sant’s movie Paranoid Park, a film which has a nineties aesthetic. The nineties are a big touchpoint for the band […]
This albums chart is specific: rated only by number of total spins from an album on our air. It's an imperfect methodology, punishing those releases in the latter half of the year, but... it's also the easiest to prove, with a spin count to back it up. So, it's raw data that can be trusted, even if it does favor early-year releases. The only exception to the accuracy of this […]
This albums chart is specific: rated first by number of album tracks graduating to long-term rotation, second by total spins. And there's a methodology to that madness: many crucial albums unleashed in the latter half of the year. Those LPs, solid as they may be, would suffer under a "total spins" criteria, because there was less of a year to spin them in. This specific chart helps level the playing […]
Minneapolis is magical, so long as Lumari remains luminous. And they do. We first got excited about this sonic collective with the release of the "Doors and Corners" single in August of 2021. Hooks and chops abundantly provided, with small surprises around every corner. Strong choruses, a top-notch drummer that propels and provides power fills, guitars that churn and bend... it's a pretty perfect pop package set in swirl and […]
Some bands entertain, some thrill and excite but others completely transport you out of your life into strange fantastical worlds. This is my experience of The Stargazer Lilies. They remain a band I am in awe of and now a new album is nearly upon us. A new opportunity to explore the outer reaches of my imagination. Cosmic Tidal Wave is out this Frida,y so I took the opportunity to […]
Regular listeners will surely know of New Age Healers. This Seattle squad fronted by guitarist and vocalist Owen Murphy has been a staple of guitar-based shoegaze and alternative rock, and a regular on our airwaves since 2016. They've also proven to be a regular and reliable draw at the annual Seagaze festival, where they've carved a direct channel to fans with their crisp songwriting that doesn't rely solely on ample […]
Back in August last year, Ireland's Virgins burst into our consciousness with their epic debut single ‘Vows’. It was an instant hit with me, the perfect blend of dreamy rock and head-on gaze. The band is formed around the main man Michael Smyth with David Sloan on guitar, James Foy on drums, Rebecca Dow on vocals and Brendy McCann of Hand Models on bass. Since the release of ‘Vows’, the […]
