I did a list of the top shoegaze albums: http://www.agitreader.com/news/shoegaze_top_10.html

Opinions can also be voiced here: http://www.agitreader.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6

this one goes to twelve.

swirlies 'in the glittering world of the salons'
lilys 'a brief history of amazing letdowns' 10"
lorelei 'everyone must touch the stove'
curve 'cuckoo'
medicine 'the buried life'
swervedriver 'mezcal head'
catherine wheel 'adam & eve"
my bloody valentine 'you made me realise' ep
the boo radleys 'giant steps'
the nightblooms (self-titled lp)
moonshake 'eva luna'
18th dye 'tribute to a bus'


p.s. i do like that pale saints record, and i love slowdive so apologies to them for not making my list (and tho i dig 'souvlaki' their first two eps are the best). and the house of love have their moments. unfortunately, lush never made a really solid lp; the drum triggers on 'spooky' drive me nuts ('leaves me cold' off 'gala' and whatever ep it's on is one of the best songs evar, btw). eff robin guthrie trying to produce an actual band. and 'going blank again' - while flawed - is certainly better than 'nowhere' (ride's finest moment is totally the epic 'grasshopper').



'doppelganger' is a shitty record.


edit: the catherine wheel is awesome.

cheers to any thread that mentions Swervedriver.

Chapterhouse were Grebo.

and grebo was heaven!!!

Nice article! BT, Richard Hills, and I used to have an MBV wannabe band called Ayanami. I have exactly one song if anyone wants to hear that.

I have to be a nerd and point out that The Telescopes self titled record actually came out in 1992 in the U.K., but wasn't released here until '94. I've gotten to know the main Telescope Stephen Lawrie in the past couple of years. Next to Loveless, that record is my favorite shoegaze record. Totally underrated and underappreciated. They're still around releasing records and touring.

The Comforts Of Madness is rad, but the Flesh Balloon and Throwing Back The Apple singles were better.

Same with Slowdive. Souvlaki is the best of the three albums, but as Cruise pointed out, the first two singles are the best. I have to admit that while I hated Pygmalion when it came out, its grown on me.

Chapterhouse were terrible. I remember reading an interveiw with Lush in which Miki essentially called them posers. Speaking of Lush, after they played at the Newport in '96 (I think?), we got to take Miki to Skully's and hang out with her while she gave us the drinks dudes kept buying her. Completely rad and she hugged me twice. I had a huge crush on her.

Everything Swervedriver has done is great. Everything.

I realize I'm in the minority, but I never cared for The Catherine Wheel. The singles (Black Metallic, Crank, Judy Staring At The Sun) are all excellent. The albums, kinda boring.

Nowhere is my favorite Ride record. Going Blank Again is great too though. The first time I took acid, I was riding in a car with some kids I skated with and the acid kicked in right at the beginning of Leave Them All Behind. It was incredible.

As far as the Swirlies, I always liked Blonder Tongue Audio Baton.

+1 on Shot Forth Self Living by Medicine

+1 on The Lilys In The Presence Of Nothing

Its weird this comes up. During the mid to late 90s in Toledo and Detroit, there was this mini shoegaze revival and a few really good bands. I just found a demo tape I had from a group called Xebec who went on to spawn Paik. Also Astrobrite put out a couple of really good 7"s.

My Bloody Valentine are the reason I play guitar.

I feel like I've written a book. Jesus.

I had to make my own list 'cos I'm a nerd...

1. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
2. The Telescopes - S/T
3. Should (nee shiFt) - A Folding Sieve
4. Ride - Nowhere
5. Swervedriver - Raise
6. Slowdive - Morningrise EP
7. Medicine - Shot Forth Self Living
8. Lush - Gala
9. Pale Saints - Flesh Balloon EP
10. The Darkside - Melomania

I have to give Moose points for Jack from the Sonny & Sam EP. That song rules.

I'm done.

my personal top 10 would be a little different (gotta have Th' Faith Healers in there for one) but as for the list and article overall, it's got a good beat and i can dance to it.

not really shoegaze per se, but some of OLD's the musical dimensions of sleastak arguably counts, and any way, that record is fucking kick ass. go find creyap'nilla if you've never heard it, shit gets way transcendental around the six and a half minute mark. also strawberry hill off the red house painters roller coaster record

no love for those first 3 mint 400 singles?

or bark psychosis' "hex?"


cuz that stuff and loop (god, i love loop) meant as much to my trippy-guitar-rock days as any of the heroes of shoegaze . . .


i guess i always preferred more bass than treble in my trips.

gimme gravity grave any day over the best stuff lush or ride did.

shouldn't this list have come out like 5 years ago?

I'd like to see the top 10 square dancing songs.