No phrase conjures up music snob rage quite like “emo revival.” This sloppy label has been applied to everyone from Owen to Dads, with no clear definition of what exactly makes this a “revival.” While I try to steer clear of this term for its ambiguous nature, there is one genre that seems to actually be reviving: shoegaze. Not-so-impressively dubbed “nu gaze,” bands like Pity Sex, Nothing and Whirr have been bringing fuzz back into vogue, replacing the reverb-heavy indie guitars of the early 00’s.
With this resurgence in distortion, 90s babies that once swooned over Hawthorne Heights now turn their adoration to My Bloody Valentine. As always, what was once old is new again. I write this not with better-than-thou, music snob snarkiness, but with happiness that this oft-forgotten genre is finally getting recognition, and that it’s inspiring some of the year’s best albums, a perfect example being the Topshelf-signed Field Mouse. Continue reading
DIE ANGRY 