There are 50 shoegaze albums?
― Al Moon Faced Poon (Moodles), Monday, 24 October 2016 16:04 (seven years ago) link
lol
― marcos, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:07 (seven years ago) link
Nice list; wrong Swirlies album
― imago, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:18 (seven years ago) link
They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days In The Glittering World Of The Salons? Because that one isn't really thoroughly shoegaze the whole way through.
― Evan, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:25 (seven years ago) link
Close enough, surely! And it's one of the best albums of the 90s *carps*
It is a good list with good write-ups though, I have to stress
― imago, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:28 (seven years ago) link
I agree it certainly is one of the best albums of the 90s. Was just a guess as to why it could have been omitted.
― Evan, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:30 (seven years ago) link
i love that all natural lemon & lime flavors record. it splits the difference between gaze and stereolab.
― scott seward, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:40 (seven years ago) link
as much as i love it - and boy do i love it - i never really considered chrome a shoegaze album. it's a big rock move.
― scott seward, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:41 (seven years ago) link
tbh i agree. and i feel the same way about pygmalion
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Monday, 24 October 2016 16:54 (seven years ago) link
and bardo pond
― brimstead, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:57 (seven years ago) link
and fsa
whatever
guess there really aren't 50 shoegaze records! ahahaha
well they got the top 3 right, i think
― brimstead, Monday, 24 October 2016 16:58 (seven years ago) link
Unlike ambient, my depth of shoegaze knowledge is a lot shallower, for example the lovesliescrushing album at #46 is new to me, and I'm currently listening to it turned up on the big cans in work with a grin on my face. It actually reminds me of Tim Hecker a bit, not bad for a 1994 guitar band.
Very glad that one made the cut. Still remember that blowing my mind across the room upon original release.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 24 October 2016 17:01 (seven years ago) link
I'm just psyched to see Pubic Fruit in there
― ¶ (DJP), Monday, 24 October 2016 17:01 (seven years ago) link
AND to see Gala in the top 10 (though it should have been top 5)
― ¶ (DJP), Monday, 24 October 2016 17:02 (seven years ago) link
A little peek behind the curtain -- the rankings were determined by voting, but (at least as a freelancer) I wasn't given the rankings when I wrote up my entries -- just that the entries were in there. Which I think is good; if I had known my section for Souvlaki, for instance, was going to be for the number two entry, I might have been tempted to be a little more grandiose about it.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 24 October 2016 17:04 (seven years ago) link
teenage filmstars definitely one of the great lost shoegaze groupshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZtx2fxx8AM
― brimstead, Monday, 24 October 2016 17:06 (seven years ago) link
Teenage Filmstars - Star definitely makes me woozy once I get through it. It puts me in a really weird daze.
― Evan, Monday, 24 October 2016 17:21 (seven years ago) link
ha yeah it gives me that same "brain shake" feeling as some Disco Inferno stuff
― brimstead, Monday, 24 October 2016 17:32 (seven years ago) link
great to see Drop Nineteens in there but the real 'Woah!' moment was saved for Chapterhouse, an incredible record that never really got the props it deserved bitd.
― piscesx, Monday, 24 October 2016 18:01 (seven years ago) link
It didn't? From what I've seen they don't seem as overlooked, relatively.
― Evan, Monday, 24 October 2016 18:03 (seven years ago) link
Obviously the definition of shoegaze being used here is pretty ... blurry. But it does allow the list to explore various detours and hybrids. Liked seeing Seefeel and Curve in there (Toni is still married to Alan Moulder, right?). Was AR Kane in there anywhere?
Don't think I've ever heard of lovesliescrushing, excited to explore.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 October 2016 18:22 (seven years ago) link
is fennesz in this list? makes more sense here than in the ambient list in which he did appear iirc
― marcos, Monday, 24 October 2016 18:24 (seven years ago) link
was nice to see the adorable album in there.
that said, i still think 'ejector seat reservation' is the best swervedriver album.
(lack of love could be due to it getting lost and not getting a full USA release?!)
― mark e, Monday, 24 October 2016 18:28 (seven years ago) link
fennesz is influenced by shoegaze but it really belongs to the grand tradition of laptop farting a la mille plateaux etc
― brimstead, Monday, 24 October 2016 18:34 (seven years ago) link
'laptop farting' : haha ..
― mark e, Monday, 24 October 2016 18:36 (seven years ago) link
Fennesz wouldn't make sense on this list imho. It's not shoegaze in the traditional sense, at all. Fennesz is post-shoegaze. Much like the magnificent Morr Records compilation 'Blue Skied 'n Clear', where Morr artists like Schnauss, Manual, ISAN etc take shoegaze into the 21st century by covering Slowdive, Possibly my most treasured cover album ever.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Monday, 24 October 2016 18:40 (seven years ago) link
no moose is weird
― Brevs Mekis (dandydonweiner), Monday, 24 October 2016 22:09 (seven years ago) link
re Moose: ...XYZ probably doesn't quality and their three EP's is a complication called Sonny and Sam., i can see them not voting for it for that reason. same goes for the Boo Radleys Learning to Walk.
― Bee OK, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 00:47 (seven years ago) link
need to digest this list a bit.
― Bee OK, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 00:48 (seven years ago) link
Very happy to see A sunny day in Glasgow included!
― calstars, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 02:10 (seven years ago) link
This is a genre I never really paid enough attention to at the time, so I'm psyched to explore this list.
― o. nate, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 02:26 (seven years ago) link
That teenage filmstars song is dope.
I guess those genre/regions lists are going to pop up a lot now on Pitchfork? I welcome it, it's a very efficient way of discovering new music.
― Van Horn Street, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 03:12 (seven years ago) link
Disappointed to see no School Of Seven Bells on the list. Disconnect From Desire should be up there.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 03:58 (seven years ago) link
You know, now that you mention it!
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 04:10 (seven years ago) link
Love having some new to me stuff to explore. Asobi Seksu best discovery so far.
― that's not my post, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 06:43 (seven years ago) link
Literally no one - even Ned - needs this many shoegaze albums.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 07:17 (seven years ago) link
I like that they didn't take the obvious 1986-1996 approach to this and I'm really glad to see that Asobi Seksu album in there.
Dream-pop list next please, would make a good triangle point with the ambient list and this.
― boxedjoy, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 09:00 (seven years ago) link
This knowldgeable french guy (not me) has a top150 and he says it's better and I'm inclined to believe him.http://www.senscritique.com/top/Les_meilleurs_albums_du_shoegaze/951994
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 09:40 (seven years ago) link
i've got a list of 500 but it's shit500: alexei sayle "ullo john gotta new motor?499: dexy's midnight runners searching for the young soul rebels498: mortopsy brown light at the end of th etunnel497: SSQ - synthecide496: a theme tune ( news? / nationwide? tomrrow's world? can't remember how it goes)495: brown girl in the ring497: tijuana taxi498: the carpenters close to you499: clive dunn - grnadadddad500: batman -batman theme (prince)
― massaman gai, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 09:52 (seven years ago) link
That French list is good with some cool inclusions like Levitation, Th' Faith Healers and Coaltar of the Deepers. Omits Ulrich Schnauss presumably on the grounds of anti-electro snobbery
― imago, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 10:45 (seven years ago) link
no tom heasley either presumably due to an irrational hatred of tuba players
― massaman gai, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 11:49 (seven years ago) link
fifty consecutive shoegaze reviews, sure yeah i'll read this
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 12:18 (seven years ago) link
No Moose is mainly weird because the term shoegazing was, I believe, coined in a review of one of their gigs. You'd think they'd get at least a passing mention! This is Wikipedia levels of research here.
― Position Position, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 14:04 (seven years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 14:16 (seven years ago) link
i don't really need any swervedriver albums. i tried back in the day but the vocals kinda kill it for me. like a mix of kevin shields and seattle.
― scott seward, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 14:30 (seven years ago) link
Ned's Nineties was like 50% shoegaze haha (any plans to do a sixteen-years-on reboot? with even more shoegaze?)
― imago, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 14:31 (seven years ago) link
It definitely was gaze heavy. I have absolutely no plans for a reboot or for any similar effort, ever.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 14:32 (seven years ago) link
I would have tried very hard to get Emma Ruth Rundle included in this if I'd been involved. Also Venera 4.
― ¶ (DJP), Tuesday, 25 October 2016 14:33 (seven years ago) link
That was sort of my only real problem with the list, that shoegaze crosses so many wires with dreampop and honestly, in the case of Catherine Wheel, straight on hard rock without the codpiece and goat horns starter kit.
― Brevs Mekis (dandydonweiner), Tuesday, 25 October 2016 23:52 (seven years ago) link
If nothing else, the list led me to this fantastic Morr Slowdive tribute thing, so it was all worth it. Thanks, Bateau!
― Sunn O))) Brother Where Art Thou? (Chinaski), Wednesday, 26 October 2016 21:26 (seven years ago) link
Oh hell yes! :D That is awesome.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 26 October 2016 21:57 (seven years ago) link
i am on deck to do ILM's Shoegaze album and EP's and think i will do this next summer if someone doesn't take from me now.
― Bee OK, Thursday, 27 October 2016 00:47 (seven years ago) link
spoiler alert: my number one is Nowhere with, i think, Whirlpool coming in second. some omissions besides Moose are Revolver's Cold Water Flat, Ladies and Gentleman... and have always felt Gish should qualify for shoegaze?
― Bee OK, Thursday, 27 October 2016 00:51 (seven years ago) link
The absence of Smashing Orange (unless I missed it) is insane, as they were actually of the time, played in England (though from America), had great UK reviews, and were great. The correct Swirlies album was chosen.
― dlp9001, Thursday, 27 October 2016 01:00 (seven years ago) link
I would have put Underground Lovers' Leaves Me Blind above at least half of the listed albums. I feel HEALTH should be there too.
― MatthewK, Thursday, 27 October 2016 02:26 (seven years ago) link
Wow, the French guy's list has not one but three shoegazing bands from Texas
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Thursday, 27 October 2016 03:30 (seven years ago) link
The first Pitchfork list where I own 60% of the titles.
Notable omissions:
A.R.Kane - Lolita EP (1987) practically invented the genreMedicine - Shot Forth Self Living (1992) or Buried Life (1993) arriving at 'gaze from psychClosedown - Nearfield (1994) an early Slowdive inspired US bandThird Eye Foundation - Semtex (1996) if one wants to play up how 'gaze flows like viscous lava into other genres, in TEF's case claustrophobic drum n'bassPluramon - Dreams Top Rock (2003) Mentioned above. Loveless itself was composed on a sampler. Get over yourselves, technophobes.Fleeting Joys - Despondant Transponder (2006) and Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip (2011) not ageless art, but closer to their mark than In the Presence of MBVNo Joy - Wait to Pleasure (2013)Pinkshinyultrablast - Everything Elses Matters (2015) the last two genre bands I've really dug.
― publicity hungry, opportunistic, disgruntled former employee (Sanpaku), Thursday, 27 October 2016 06:34 (seven years ago) link
Shot Forth Self Living is number 29 on the Pitchfork list.Good call on Ringo Deathstarr.
― ArchCarrier, Thursday, 27 October 2016 09:15 (seven years ago) link
What AltJ albums made the list?
― Allen (etaeoe), Thursday, 27 October 2016 11:44 (seven years ago) link
Ah, French guy does have Nightblooms. That's another pretty major omission. I didn't notice if he had Texas Shoegazers Experimental Aircraft on his list, but their "Love For The Last Time" is also probably better than a few things on the Pitchfork list.
― dlp9001, Thursday, 27 October 2016 13:52 (seven years ago) link
Secret Shine's Untouched is a pretty big omission as well.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Thursday, 27 October 2016 15:46 (seven years ago) link
Speaking of Texans, both Pitchfork and the French dude left off Should's (née Shift) A Folding Sieve, which is amazing.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Thursday, 27 October 2016 16:33 (seven years ago) link
*coughs* Folks, I love you all. HOWEVER:
This wasn't an infinite list. This was a specific list of 50. That means there was a thing called a 'cutoff,' meaning that Many Different Albums could be and were nominated, but after the votes were tallied, did not in fact make it into the top fifty.
They weren't "left off," they weren't "notable omissions," they *did not win enough votes.*
Clear? Not hard to understand? Very good. I thank you all.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:04 (seven years ago) link
we're just trying to flash our shoegaze cred, it's not about the list
― brimstead, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:05 (seven years ago) link
lol at "the french dude"
You'd be surprised given some of the other reactions I've seen!
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:05 (seven years ago) link
keeping waiting for some kind of Catherine Wheel reissues, really want Ferment and Chrome on vinyl
― nomar, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:06 (seven years ago) link
Really disappointing to not see Wait To Pleasure in there. One of my favourite albums of this decade so far.
― pen pineapple apple pen (Turrican), Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:07 (seven years ago) link
xp they have so many bsides, i hope they do eventually do deluxe versions
― brimstead, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:10 (seven years ago) link
Ned, an internet list does not exist until everything left off of it has been listed.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:12 (seven years ago) link
― ¶ (DJP), Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:33 (seven years ago) link
You might be listing a while there.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:37 (seven years ago) link
what's time to an ILXor?
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:41 (seven years ago) link
Ok, not to take this overly seriously, but Smashing Orange were probably the first US group to tour as shoegaze, get reviewed in the UK papers that invented shoegaze, etc. It's a little silly, historically, to leave them out, given that they're touring the UK in 1990 supporting Lush and put out a bunch of amazing stuff by 1991. Nightblooms basically ditto but from Holland, substitute 1991 for 1990. I love Flying Sauce Attack to death, and Further is an amazing, incredible album and one of my favorite things on this earth, but it doesn't really belong on this list.
― dlp9001, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:43 (seven years ago) link
Nightblooms are shoegaze?
― Evan, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:44 (seven years ago) link
I mean, it's not like we're trying to get get Flyying Colours on the list (even if they are great). But you should probably have some respect for history...
― dlp9001, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:44 (seven years ago) link
xpost: Evan, you've heard their first album and earlier singles, right?
― dlp9001, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:45 (seven years ago) link
Oh maybe not. I'm a big fan of 24 Days At Catastrofe Café though.
― Evan, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:53 (seven years ago) link
I love that album too. Like top 10, actually. The one before is shoegaze to the max (I saw them touring it) and also very good, in a different way. Check "1000 Years" as a nice compromise between their pop and noise instincts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=dC0v-yOuEUA
― dlp9001, Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:56 (seven years ago) link
Thanks! By the way the strongest attribute of Catastrofe Café for me is the guitar heroics. Kind of like how they're almost at odds with the shy indie pop side.
― Evan, Thursday, 27 October 2016 18:04 (seven years ago) link
That was a very unexpected strength of that band. Like MBV had Brian May on guitar, but nobody knew...
― dlp9001, Thursday, 27 October 2016 18:22 (seven years ago) link
CW didn't even peak with the albums in this list!
― imago, Tuesday, 25 October 2016 21:44 (two days ago) Permalink
Agreed! May "Adam and Eve" beat "OK Computer" on some future top 50.
― geoffreyess, Thursday, 27 October 2016 19:56 (seven years ago) link