New Subscriber Playlist: “The New New Gaze”

When shoegaze first arrived on the scene in early ’90s Britain, it was initially a term of derision for those musicians who spent their time onstage staring at their effects pedals rather than interacting with the audience like proper rock stars. For a brief time, the British press fell all over themselves praising bands like Slowdive, Ride, and Chapterhouse — only to turn on them when Oasis and Britpop began storming the charts.

But Slowdive et al. were to have the last laugh. Time’s been kind to shoegaze; the genre has proven deeply influential to post-rock, emo, indie-rock, and even metal. Furthermore, a quick perusal of Bandcamp reveals that the genre is far from dead. This month’s playlist, titled “The New New Gaze,” highlights some of the best shoegaze to emerge in the last 12 months or so. Classic acts like Swervedriver, Lush’s Miki Berenyi, Ride’s Andy Bell, and Air Formation have all released new music. Meanwhile, a new generation with names like Whirr, Glare, and Glixen prove that shoegaze still has plenty of sonic territory to explore, even as they express an unfettered love for the greats who’ve gone before them.

Accompanying the playlist is the latest episode of my “Playlist Breakdown” podcast, in which I spotlight one of the playlist’s songs and why it’s so special, interesting, and/or meaningful. This month’s episode focuses on Life on Venus’ “Negatives,” a gorgeous slab of brooding shoegaze that proves the genre is alive and well in Russia.

Both of these are little bonuses for subscribers who support Opus financially. If you’d like to get access to them (and more), subscribe to Opus for just $2.50/month or $25/year. (You can also subscribe for free and get my weekend newsletter.)