Dream Pop and Shoegaze has had no shortage of artists and albums in the last 10 years. So many that it’s easy to miss some great releases.
Below are 5 albums that you may have missed, starting with one from the original 90s heyday that flew under the radar, followed by 4 more recent ones.
Jupiter Sun – Jupiter Sun (1994)
Jupiter Sun was a band from San Jose, California, active from 1993-1998. They released their first 5-track self-titled EP on vinyl in 1994.
It has 5 songs all on Side A and a blank Side B. It’s their only release available on vinyl.
They were influenced by bands like The Stone Roses, Ride, The Charlatans, Blur, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine. and Adorable.
You’ll hear this in songs like Violet Intertwine.
The song Accelerate reminds me of modern shoegaze bands like Flyying Colours.
Tracklist:
A1 Blow Up
A2 Violet Intertwine
A3 Accelerate
A4 Tomorrow
A5 Headlight Beam Reaction
They also released a full length album (1995) and a second EP (1997), both on cd only.
XO – Heart (2014)
Alternative Rock / Shoegazers XO are from Los Angeles. It consist of brothers Jake and Jeff Turner.
Their debut full length Heart was released in 2014.
They are a slightly poppier take on My Bloody Valentine.
You can still buy this for the great price of $14 direct from them via Bandcamp on black vinyl. Only 5 remaining at this time.
Mumrunner – Valeriana (2020)
Mumrunner are shoegazers from Tampere, Finland.
Their excellent debut EP, Gentle Slopes, was released in 2016.
This album, their debut full length Valeriana, was released in 2020 by Shelflife Records (US) and Through Love Records (Germany).
If you like early DIIV then you may like this, or perhaps Beach Fossils or Wild Nothing.
Shelflife appears to be sold out of their vinyl variants but you can still by it from Through Love Records or Discogs.
SWEAM – Lounge Music For Cat People (2020)
SWEAM, from Oslo, Norway can be described as Dream Pop, Indie Pop, or Shoegaze, though I think they lean more toward the first two.
Their debut Lounge Music For Cat People is definitely not lounge music.
I played no album more than this in the later half of 2020 and into 2021.
It’s hard for me to choose which song to link to here because I think the whole album is solid.
They pressed 33 hand-cut records when it was released but you can get it digitally on Bandcamp here.
Beachy Head – Beachy Head (2021)
Beachy Head comprises Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell and Christian Savill, Flaming Lips drummer Matt Duckworth, Ryan Graveface (Casket Girls, Dreamend) and Steve Clarke (The Soft Cavalry).
“In 2019 Christian Savill found himself alone and with a year off from playing guitar for his grown-up band Slowdive. He started writing and demoing songs with no particular plan. From 2001 he had recorded with longtime friend and collaborator Sean Hewson as Monster Movie releasing several albums on Graveface Records. These new ideas felt different in that they’re more personal and honest.”
“Christian sent these sketches to good friends and multi-instrumentalists, Ryan Graveface and Steve Clarke, and Beachy Head was formed. Ryan and Christian put flesh on the bones in Savannah just before Covid struck. Matt Duckworth added drums. In between lockdowns back in the UK Steve added harmonies and other instrumentation. The final touch of recording was Rachel Goswell contributing vocals on a few songs.”
Available on Bandcamp