Sonic City

Genre

Shoegaze Bands

Shoegaze emerged in late-1980s Britain, defined by walls of distorted guitar, heavy effects processing, and vocals buried deep in the mix. The name came from performers' tendency to stare at their pedalboards. These are the bands that shaped and sustained the genre.

Chapterhouse
shoegaze·1990s·England

Chapterhouse artist profile — Reading shoegaze band known for blending swirling guitars with dance rhythms on Whirlpool.

Curve
shoegaze·1990s-2000s·England

Curve artist profile — London duo fusing shoegaze guitar textures with industrial beats and electronic production.

DIIV
shoegaze·2010s-present·United States

DIIV artist profile — Brooklyn shoegaze band known for crystalline interlocking guitars, reverb-drenched textures, and jangle-inflected dream pop.

Feeble Little Horse
shoegaze·2020s-present·United States

Feeble Little Horse artist profile — Pittsburgh shoegaze band burying pop hooks beneath blown-out guitars, lo-fi production, and walls of feedback.

Lush
dream-pop·1990s·England

Lush — 4AD's dream pop and shoegaze pioneers whose shimmering dual guitars and ethereal vocals bridged both genres with rare grace.

Medicine
shoegaze·1990s·United States

Medicine artist profile — Los Angeles noise-shoegaze band known for abrasive guitar layers and Beth Thompson's detached vocals.

My Bloody Valentine
shoegaze·1980s-1990s·Ireland

My Bloody Valentine artist profile — shoegaze pioneers known for Loveless and dense, pitch-bent guitar textures.

Nothing
shoegaze·2010s-present·United States

Nothing artist profile — Philadelphia band merging shoegaze with downtuned heaviness, grunge weight, and melancholic atmosphere.

Ride
shoegaze·1990s-present·England

Ride artist profile — Oxford shoegaze band known for driving rhythms, dual guitars, and the landmark debut Nowhere.

Slowdive
shoegaze·1990s-present·England

Slowdive artist profile — shoegaze and dream pop band known for Souvlaki and luminous, reverb-drenched guitar textures.

Swervedriver
shoegaze·1990s-present·England

Swervedriver artist profile — Oxford shoegaze band known for heavy, riff-driven guitar rock with a motorik pulse.

Wednesday
shoegaze·2010s-present·United States

Wednesday artist profile — Asheville shoegaze band blending southern gothic storytelling, lap steel, and blown-out guitar textures.

Whirr
shoegaze·2010s·United States

Whirr artist profile — Bay Area shoegaze band known for dense, hazy guitar layers and prolific output during the revival era.

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