Secret Colours | hearmoretunes.com

I have been waiting for Surf City to play locally for several months. Last time I looked they were somewhere in Europe on tour. However, a message on Facebook from the band let me know that they were coming to town, and I headed down to the Lucha Lounge to see them. The Lucha is a great venue, it’s small and has atmosphere. Good sets from Lizard of Oz and Wilberforces then it was time for Surf City. They seemed a bit rusty but soon got going. A bit more shoegazey and motorik than their last record outing. The crowd kept surging forward, threatening to knock the mikes over, but always a hand appeared to steady the mike as the crowd eased back. Very jolly and I enjoyed the new material. The new album is out about now. See the mix for one track, and the widget below for another…

The Lucha Lounge features pictures of masked Mexican wrestlers. I’m not into wrestling but the pictures are intriguing. El Santo features in the picture above. There is a documentary about him below. It’s MC’ed by a tragically hip Jonathon Ross.

<a href="http://balue.bandcamp.com/album/paradoxical-intention">Paradoxical Intention by Balue</a><a href="http://nightlands.bandcamp.com/album/oak-island-2">Oak Island by Nightlands</a><a href="http://secretcolours.bandcamp.com/album/peach">Peach by Secret Colours</a><a href="http://lordhuron.bandcamp.com/album/mighty-ep">Mighty EP by Lord Huron</a>

#balue, #beach-fossils, #beach-house, #black-angels, #black-rebel-motorcycle-club, #it-hugs-back, #kendra-smith, #kurt-vile, #lord-huron, #nightlands, #secret-colours, #silo-halo, #surf-city, #the-blank-tapes, #the-brian-jonestown-massacre, #the-luyas, #wye-oak

Shoegaze (and here), aka The Scene That Celebrates Itself is that lovely droney sound I associate with My Bloody Valentine and Loveless. Faded in the UK when BritPop swept in, but lives on, particularly in the US. Recent shoegaze goes under the ungainly nugaze moniker.

Reading the blogs, San Francisco looks like a hot bed of shoegazey goodness. Bands I recognise from previous mix’s such as Film School, Tamaryn (a kiwi), Young Prisms, Weekend, The Soft Moon, Whirr (formerly Whirl), LSD and the Search for God, Collider, Girls, oOoOO, Henry’s Dress and The Brian Jonestown Massacre count / counted SF as their home. San Fran shoegazers even have their own website and ran three Cool Waves Festivals.

Here is a mix with shoegaze tinged tunes.

True Widow (and here). Sometimes I wonder whether I should keep up my Emusic subscription. I hear a band I like, head over to Emusic to download the album only to find that the band isn’t there, or the label isn’t available in NZ. Bandcamp is only a click away and there the music is only a few dollars or is free. Emusic came through with this slowcore band (although they term their art stonegaze). Thick sounding guitars chug chug chug in languid jangly style. Excellent.

Mood Rings wistful. Their EP is free here.

Pia Fraus – Estonian shoegaze, yeah!

Milk Music Grungy Dinosaur jnr. / Wipers influenced band that has put out a series of 12 inch singles. Thick grungy tunes. Great. From Washington.

Reading Rainbow, LoFi duo from Philadelphia. Wistful.

A Grave with No Name. I thought this was an established band of muso’s, but it’s a solo effort from a London guy who calls up other musicians as necessary. Great base line. Nice mug shot boys.

Henry’s Dress (and here and interview) – defunct band from the 1990’s and Peel favourites

Siesta on Sunday are from 毛呂山町 so I am guessing that they are Japanese. Their tunes are free here. This song is fab, ultimate shoegaze. Not so enamoured of the tunes when the singer is nearer the top of the mix.

Colleen Green her tunes free here.