you resource for all things shoegaze & dream pop.

29 October 2018

New Video: Narcloudia | Tracy + Debut LP.


Photo by Morris Badiola

The wonderfully ethereal “Tracy” opens Day-Blind Stars, the just-released debut full-length from Philippines-and-Singapore based trio, Narcloudia (now there’s a band name we can get behind). The track is available for free on Bandcamp, where you can also buy the full digital album, praised effusively on Scout.




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24 October 2018

ALBUM REVIEW: The Silence Kit | Fall Proctection. Reviewed by Elizabeth Klisiewicz.


This Philadelphia post punk band has been pummeling our ears since 2006, and this latest album is no exception. Vocalist Pat McCay sounds a bit like Greg Sage at times, and I swear the band is channeling Adrian Borland at his darkest moments. Yet there are moments of pure beauty when the light bursts through, such as the almost cheery sounding “New Year’s Eve”. Everyone will hear something different, though I doubt anyone will miss Joy Division as an influence. I also appreciate the thoughtful lyrics on this song, they sound almost wistful.


“This Time” is mesmerizing and glum, and this is where the guitar work reminded me of The Sound. The plain-spoken lyrics are eerie and the guitar trips underneath like a dark current. “Can We Skip This?” is lush by comparison, and there’s an uptick in positive energy. “Everything You Feel Good About” is grand and throws down a bit of New Order panache, especially in that familiar bass line. Is Peter Hook on board? It definitely has single potential!

“Wound” meanders down a dark wave path and I love the repeating piano line that darts in and out of the mix. “Worry” hovers on the edges of psych with its watery guitar lines flowing like silver liquid. It reminds me a bit of the times when Robert Smith flirted with spacey textures. Pretty stuff!

“Never Say Goodbye” is a swell, synth pop tune, sounding quite unlike the band’s other tunes here. “How Does it Feel”? has a stately, dark structure, and guitars barely restrain their rage as misery pours down on the listener. I love the hard charging cadence here, a marked difference to the somewhat lighter fare earlier on. “Discard” is the filigreed coda, an almost warm and fizzy slice of dream pop that hints at future directions for this talented group. Nice work all around, and recommended from this picky scribe.  

Reviewed by Elizabeth Klisiewicz


Fall Protection releases on Friday, October 26, 2018.

19 October 2018

VIDEO PREMIERE: We Are Parasols | Hold Me Fire.


We are excited to premiere the brand-new video for “Hold Me Fire” by Portland-based trio We Are Parasols. “Hold Me Fire” is taken from the band’s newly released EP, No Center Line. We Are Parasols are known for their dreamy darkwave style and “Hold Me Fire” is a perfect example of their chameleon-like ability to blend dystopian atmospheres with a haunting dream pop edge. They weave this signature vibe throughout all 4 songs on the new EP as they explore the hazy, possibly non-existent lines between life and death, dreams and reality.  

The video for “Hold Me Fire” is breathtaking, somber, and a true piece of cinematic art. In it, an esoteric symbol haunts the dreams of a young woman as she frantically tries to reproduce the image in her mind onto paper. Simultaneously, an ancient pagan ritual plays out on a desolate seashore. At first it seems as though the arcane ritual is playing out in her dreams, but then the lines between reality and ritual begin to blur…


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17 October 2018