Events

[INDIE] This year, influential English shoegaze band, Slowdive, released a self titled album; their first album in 22 years. Though the band was only active between 1989 and 1995, they became an icon of shoegaze, a genre of indie rock music that’s characterized by heavily effected guitars and dreamy, moody, or introspective themes and which could be considered an influence of contemporary bands like the xx and Beach House. In those 22 years since the release of their 1995 album Pygmalion, band members Neil Hal Stead and Rachel Goswell formed an alt-country group called Mojave 3, while guitarist Christian Savil formed dream-pop band Monster Movie, and drummer Simon Scott went on to produce ambient electronic music under the moniker Televise. The band reformed in 2014 and earlier this year released their self titled album. In a turn of poetic justice of sorts, the album has been hailed by critics—likely the same critics who used the word shoegaze as a term of derision the first time around (band’s like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine were considered “boring” by the British press of the time since they’d supposedly stand still starring at their effects pedals while they performed live). Shoegaze has of course been reappropriated by a certain sort of indie rock band, and now that it’s safe, Slowdive has returned and have been performing cuts from their new record as well as seminal records like Slouvaki, and their 1991 debut Just for a Day. Slowdive comes to the Town Ballroom on Thursday, November 9