Episode
Shoegaze, slackers, ‘noise chasms’ and the 10-year reinvention of rock
- Podcast
- Word In Your Ear
- Published
- May 19, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2678
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear
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Summary
A whole new age of psychedelia kicked off in the mid-‘80s, of dream-weavers and glorious underachievers, a complete rejection of the standard rock approach to stagecraft, sound and self-promotion. Simon Reynolds was at the heart of it, writing for Melody Maker and piping aboard the pioneering noise-mongers aiming to entrance and disorientate, as recalled in his new book ‘Still In A Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers and the Reinvention of Rock 1984-1994’. He looks back with us here from his home in Los Angeles at its key bands, events and spiritual godfathers, these among them … … the return to childhood via Syd Barrett and Jonathan Richman to Sarah Records … is ‘feeble little horse’ the most Shoegaze band name ever? ... what it was about Morrissey that made Smiths singles sink after Top Of The Pops … the reason Bowie formed a band … charming/infuriating interviews with the Cocteau Twins: “words only have any meaning when they’re sung” … how Britpop brought down the curtain of the wall of sound … Shoegaze, Dreampop, Lovelynoise, Wide-Brimmed Hat Music and the rock press attempt to impose order: “if a band was on the cover they could double their fee” ... the divine arrogance of Lawrence of Felt who “didn’t want ordinary people buying my records” … the ever-extending “noise chasms” of My Bloody Valentine … “shattering quartz”: reviewing music that’s about sound not words … Shoegaze DNA in the 21st Century ... and the greatest album of that decade, “each track like a session beer”. Order copies of ‘Still In a Dream’ here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/still-in-a-dream/simon-reynolds/9781399618373 Help us to keep The Longest Conti…