Here's ten interesting facts about an obscure 80's/90's British Alt-Rock genre I like called Shoegaze.
1. The Alternative Rock subgenre of Shoegaze is called it's name, because of how the performers stared at their shoes while working the effect peddles to create it's distorted sound.
2. Shoegazing evolved from Early 80's British Dream Pop and Noise Pop, with bands such as Spacemen 3, the Cocteau Twins, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Bands such as The Smiths, and Galaxie 500 were also influences on the Genre.
3. My Bloody Valentine's Loveless (1991) took three years to make, cost a quarter of a million pounds, and nearly bankrupted it's label, Creation Records. It was well worth it though, as it's considering by many the Magnum Opus of the Genre, and it's also considered to be one of the best albums ever made.
4. The Verve, the band who sung the ever popular "Bittersweet Symphony" were originally a Shoegazing band in the early 90's.
5. The 1984 release of Treasure by the Scottish Dream Pop band, The Cocteau Twins, is arguably the first commercial album to display the Shoegazing sound. Albeit quite low key, especially when compared to the sound of the real Shoegaze bands that arrived later on.
6. Lost in Translation, the 2003 film starring Bill Marray, featured a Shoegaze soundtrack.
7. The Shoegaze band Catherine Wheel had Bruce Dickinson's (of Iron Maiden fame) Nephew as it's front man.
8. The genre is also called the "the scene that celebrates itself" because of how bands would visit each others shows.
9. Blackgaze, a Shoegaze and Black Metal fusion was created after the genre's decline. Bands include Jesu, and Les Discrets.
10. Despite the Genre's decline in the mid 90's, Shoegaze is still around. With recent bands such as The Horrors, Warpaint, Silversun Pickups, and A Place to Bury Strangers, all featuring the Shoegaze sound in their musical works.
