dream pop

Record #683: Drab Majesty – Demonstration (2017)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald / 1 Comment

A few weeks ago, my love of Emma Ruth Rundle’s masterpiece On Dark Horses and her post metal outfit Red Sparowes finally bade me to listen  to her psych-metal/dark-indie project Marriages (review coming in a few days).

And as I was digging in, I discovered that the drummer of Marriages has his own project—the moody, atmospheric new wave/dark wave/cold wave outfit Drab Majesty. And at my first listen to the project’s sophomore record Demonstration, it grabbed me in its painted-nailed, ruffle-shirted, androgynous arms and wrapped me up in a hold that was half hug, half Anaconda Vise.

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Record #644: Blonde Redhead – 23 (2007)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

As much as I try to stay atop notable new releases, it’s inevitable that some will escape my attention for a while.  In this case, “a while” is twelve years, as the first listen I gave to Blonde Redhead’s magnificent 23 was just last week.

And what a waste it’s been, because this would have been one of my favorite records from my college years if I discovered it earlier. It’s the perfect mixture of thick My Bloody Valentine-y textures, Radioheady beat work, and grade-A pop hooks.

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Record #633: Hundredth – RARE (2017)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

With all of the punk and hardcore kids starting shoegaze bands these days (see: Nothing, Turnover, Pity Sex) and bands implementing more of that lush instrumentalism into their sound (see: Touche Amore, Title Fight), it was only a matter of time until a hardcore band became a full-fledged shoegaze band.

It might seem like a massive jump for a hardcore band to shift to the gauzy, dreamy lushness of shoegaze, but Hundredth does it in a way that still captures their punk fury. Continue reading →

Record #621: My Bloody Valentine – m b v (2013)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

Some albums don’t need a follow up. They stand firmly upon their own two proverbial legs, singular icons that echo into eternity, transcending everything else the artist does.

Loveless is one of those albums. It cemented My Bloody Valentine’s legacy even without a follow up.

And for a long time, it finally felt like that follow up would never come. Then once it did, it was met with apprehension. After all, how do you follow up a record as sublime and transformative as Loveless? 

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Record #617: Holy Fawn – Death Spells (2019)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

It’s no secret that I have a very, very weak spot in my heart for music that blends metal’s punishing heaviness with unabashed prettiness. And the last few years (more specifically, ever since Sunbather brought further attention to the type of gorgeous metal that Alcest pioneered) scores of metal bands have been pushing into the dreamy lushness of shoegaze and post rock—and vice versa.

But few bands do it with the sort of shameless simplicity of Holy Fawn. And thus, few bands do it with as much success.

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