Since setting short or long term goals for yourself tends to keep you focused and away from the dangers of drugs, so as such, it is my short term goal to write a few entries this week digging through my archives. My archives are kept in a fortress outside the city proper and mote-protected.  However, I will share certain gems from these archives on my blog, because sharing is caring. Here’s one from classic UK dream pop outfit Chapterhouse.

So, Chapterhouse’s 1991 release Whirlpool never made a huge, umm, splash in the shoegazing scene, but it was very good. Had they developed these sounds more, expanding on their sonic landscape instead of following-up with a corny, overtly poppy, overly slick, incredibly dated sounding album (1993’s Blood Music), Chapterhouse might have been as recognizable of a name as Ride.

Though Chapterhouse tended to be more poppy than many of their contemporaries, they made quite a statement when they weren’t going for verse-chorus-verse structures and soft guitar sounds.

This… this is a total brain melter. And it’s a rare treat.

“Satin Safe” is shoegazing’s most sinister song.  These guitars are in pain. The song’s crescendo in the third act is scary. I love this because this is one of the few times you hear a wall of sound that is uncomfortably suffocating. You would’ve never seen this coming from Chapterhouse. Unfortunately, this song never made it on Whirlpool during its initial release. I was able to get my hands on the out-of-print Sunburst EP that this trenchant anthem appeared on a few years back.

Like Sarah Palin, this song frightens me.

MP3 :::
Chapterhouse – Satin Safe

The Decibel Tolls’ Super Swingin’ Mix is, like, a fuckton of MP3s in a single post focused on a particular genre or theme. The songs sequenced are meant to be listened to, ya know, as a mix. Hence, it’s recommended that you enjoy each song in order without commercial interruption. So you should hit Apple + T (or Ctrl + T for you, egad, PC users) on that shit, throw some D’s on that bitch, and keep the MP3s on this page rockin’ whilst you browse whatever it is you browse on the Internets. Rotate thy volume dial clockwise. Tinnitus for days.

Today, it’s time for the inaugural Shoegazing mix. Considering that shoegazing is generally the second genre I list when discussing this blog, I haven’t posted a lot of shoegazing tracks. I’ve scoured my digital arsenal for a small cross-section of shoegazing from the classic groups and the revivalists, as well offerings from groups who aren’t considered shoegaze proper, but rope in the aesthetic nonetheless. Here’s a healthy collection of wailing, screeching, but melodic canticles of wonder.

Remember, if you like what you hear, click on some of the provided links and show these groups some love.

The Telescopes – Flying
One of the big underrated groups of the shoegaze movement, The Telescopes were probably the loudest band on Creation Records before the label folded. Creative head Alan McGee liked the Telescopes more than MBV because the Telescope didn’t spend all his cheese like Kevin Shields did. The Telescopes reformed this decade and released Altered Perception that, unfortunately, was nothing more than a Spiritualized knock-off. For the true Telescopes experience, 1989’s The Perfect Needle was siiiick (but out of print).

Velocity Girl – Always
VG for most of their career encapsulated the Vaselines-style sound and ethos of Sub Pop’s non-grunge groups in the late ’80s and early ’90s. However, before toning down the volume and pumping up the twee, Velocity Girl’s first, eponymous EP was total shoegazing action. Normally, I would plop down a link somewhere in this entry so you can buy the EP, but guess what, it’s out of print. Well nevermind, it’s called “6 Song Compilation” these days, and you can find it here.

Chapterhouse – On the Way to Fly
Though their 1993 full-length Blood Music is not my favorite (like My Bloody Valentine’s “Soon,” most of that album prominently features very dated, very early ’90s programmed beats), this is an exceptional standout track and gives you a good idea what Chapterhouse was about. They, unlike many other groups in this period, really liked vocal harmonies. I, too, really like vocal harmonies. It’s the same reason why I love Queen. And oh junk! They’re on MySpazzz.

The Swirlies – Upstairs
The Swirlies served as a Yankee response to the Thames Valley-centric shoegazing movement. Well, I guess they were closer to dream pop and noise pop, but many of their songs followed the ‘gaze aesthetic like champs. The Swirlies never really released a bad album – particularly impressive for any early ’90s band. “Upstairs” comes from their 1992 EP What to Do About Them, and it totally rips. I can’t really write anything better than this hilarious Wikipedia article.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Awake
BRMC is another group that isn’t necessarily known for being a shoegaze group, but their first record was unequivocally a fine offering for the genre. I was in a huge Primal Scream/Jesus and Mary Chain phase when I picked up this album, and remember thinking “wow, this is almost better than the bands they’re emulating.” I wore it out. I think my copy of B.R.M.C. eventually turned to dust. “Awake” brings the crescendo that we all need and deserve. I still think BRMC is a good group, and I like the new acoustic D-blues direction they’ve diverted toward. Despite Peter Hayes’ rep for being super fan-friendly and a nice guy, I still feel like smacking him for agreeing to tour with Stone Temple Pilots. The fuck, Hayes? You were in the BJM! Do you think Anton approves of this?

Bottom of the Hudson – Holiday Machine
From their 2005 EP of the same name, “Holiday Machine” piles on layer after layer of gorgeous guitar fuzz and never lets up on the song’s intensity after the third bar. The track becomes suffocating toward the end, which I like. Just one week after their full-length Absolutely Kosher debut hit the shelves, bassist Trevor Butler was killed in a car accident. It’s hard to say whether Bottom of the Hudson will continue or not. Really sad. Sorry to bum the convo out.

Astral – Blinder
Despite the fact that they’re Californians (jay/kay lolz), Astral is one of my absolute favorite shoegzazer revivalist groups – easily on par with Serena Maneesh. They have a new record out on Vibraphone called Sleepwalkers that I have yet to peep, but this jam off of 2005’s Orchids is too good to not post somewhere on this blog. Thump this hard. Oh, and I’m kidding, I like Californians… for the most part.