Shoegaze music. yes, there was once a genre of music that was named because the musicians spent a lot of time looking down at their sneakers. or at least thats what I was lead to beleive. haha.
I'll talk mainly about My Bloody valentine, and the early days of Smashing Pumpkins.
Oh man, the first time I heard this record, did my f*ing ears hurt. but it was beautiful. It blew my mind. I was riding around with my friend Rob, in his red VW bug, and this was just blairing. No real singular insturment stood out, the singing was almost completely zoned out, but everything was present at the same time. Did I meantion it was really really loud? Who knew something like this came out of Ireland in the late 80's?
Also we have this record.
Smashing pumpkin's early music owed a lot to Loveless. The only thing that seperated it was Billy Corgan's personality and ambition. Contrary to common knowledge, SP's music isn't all self hating teenage angst. well at this point, there was plenty to go around, but there has always been a range of emotional experiences in their music, which makes it very well rounded.
What made all of this music unique was the fact that it focused more on the environmental and spacial qualitys of sound in music, rather than the linear, straightforward ones. The wall of sound that was created in these songs created a dense and lush landscape to be visualized by the listener. Vocals and lyrics are present in the music, but no one really knows why, because they are almost more like another insturment in the mix rather than anything that adds context. but there doesn't need to be a context for the lyrics. that's not the point.
Songs in records like the Verve's "A Storm in Heaven", Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's first record, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Silversun Pickups illustrate these concepts perfectly.
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