Shoegaze, the term coined because of associated band members’ tendencies to, well, gaze down at their effects pedals on the floor, is the sort of music where dream-pop meets noise-rock. (Pictured at left is one of the the most beloved shoegaze albums, My Bloody Valentine’s 1991 Loveless)

Let’s go back for a moment…

Influences on Shoegaze:

• Wall-of-Sound: Phil Spector’s famed production technique, also put to use by the Beach Boys, and later various punk groups in the 70’s, was incredibly influential in the recording techniques of early shoegazers, namely the multi-layered instrumentation and buried vocals.
  
• The Velvet Underground: Their proto-punk sensibility, their cool, their…sunglasses.
  
• Brian Eno: Pioneer in ambient and experimental art rock music, 1974 album Here Come the Warm Jets is awash with a warm, fuzzy sound, the most astounding pre-shoegaze examples being “Needle in the Camel’s Eye” and “Blank Frank”.
• Suicide: The entirety of Suicide’s debut album in 1977 is not only a testament to their influence on shoegaze (namely Spacemen 3 / Spiritualized) but a precursor to the synth-pop that would dominate the 80’s.
  
• Post-Punk: The list is long, but a couple of prime examples are The Chameleons (Script of the Bridge (1983) and What Does Anything Mean? Basically (1985) are key recordings) and The Cure (much of their 80’s output, and especially Disintegration, 1989), though it is the dark, minimalistic, and edgy vibe so often present in a variety of other post-punk groups that lent itself so well to this genre.
  
• Noise Rock: Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. Feedback, distortion…need I say more?
  
• Early Dream-Pop: Cocteau Twins (1984 release Treasure, and 1990’s Heaven or Las Vegas), Kitchens of Distinction, and Strawberry Switchblade are my favourite picks for the lovely, atmospheric dream-pop sound; early dream pop is specified here, because many later artists of the shoegaze genre have also been linked with this sound.

• The Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy (1985) is the album most frequently credited with responsibility for shoegaze as a movement. Single “Just Like Honey” certainly sounds ahead of its time, and other highlights include the feedback-ridden “Taste the Floor”, “Never Understand”, and “It’s So Hard”. (pictured, right)
  
• Spacemen 3: Often categorized as trippy space-rock and psychedelia, and very influenced by the Velvet Underground and Suicide; recordings favored by fans include The Perfect Prescription (1987) and Playing With Fire (1989). Members Pete Kember (Sonic Boom) and Jason Pierce (J. Spaceman) went onto record music independently, with J. Spaceman’s group Spiritualized in particular (Lazer Guided Melodies, 1992) becoming connected with shoegaze and dream-pop.
  
• Galaxie 500: Often underrated and less noise-oriented, the three albums they released in their existence are worth picking up if dreamy slowcore is your thing: Today (1988), On Fire (1989), and This is Our Music (1990)
  

• My Bloody Valentine: This is the shoegaze group. Isn’t Anything (1988) is just as worthwhile as Loveless, even if the general consensus is that itis not as epic or realized a project, and contains more punky, noise-rock elements than its successor: highlights are “Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside)”, “Lose My Breath”, and “When You Wake (You’re Still in a Dream)”. Loveless itself verges on musical perfection from start to finish, seemingly revealing something new with each listen.
  
• Ride: Known, with disappointing frequency, as the “other” shoegaze group, with the “2nd-best” shoegaze album, Nowhere (1990, pictured at left), Ride hold their own with perhaps the most clear, alt. pop-oriented expression of the shoegaze vision.
  
• Lush: My introduction to shoegaze was Ciao! 1989-1996, a compilation of Lush’s output from that time period; “Sweetness and Light” provides a brilliant capture of their pretty, jangly sound.
  
• Slowdive: 1993’s Souvlaki has the dreamiest, most drifting atmosphere of the 1990’s shoegaze releases. Brian Eno contributes to two tracks, “Sing” and “Here She Comes”, and the bonus version includes some tracks not to be missed, including a cover of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood’s “Some Velvet Morning”.