Shoegaze anniversaries mark new releases
Listeners in Detroit heard tracks from My Bloody Valentine and Sinéad O'Connor alongside new material from Los Angeles and Taiwan.
By Noor Graham ·
Thirty-five years have passed since the release of My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless,” a benchmark for the shoegaze genre that remains central to the radio program’s recent lineup. The anniversary coincided with other milestones in alternative music history, creating a retrospective thread through the broadcast.
The show featured new recordings from artists across the globe. The Giraffe Told Me in My Dream, a band from Taiwan, contributed the track “Drop.” Fleeting Colours, based in Montréal, offered “Crystal,” while Los Angeles-based untitled (halo) provided “how to make your love (stay),” described as having a fuzzy sound.
Yello released new material, with the track “You And Me (feat. Heidi Happy)” included in the playlist. The program also secured an advance copy of a new album by Trentemøller, allowing listeners to hear two tracks: “Johnny Boy” and “Crash.”
Beyond the new releases, the broadcast honored other key dates in music history. It marked the 39th anniversary of Sinéad O’Connor’s album “The Lion and the Cobra” and the 36th anniversary of Slowdive’s self-titled debut EP. The Cocteau Twins’ “Box Set” was also celebrated, reaching its 35th year since release.
The playlist wove these elements together, moving between classic tracks and fresh material. My Bloody Valentine’s “Soon” appeared alongside Sinéad O’Connor’s “Jerusalem” and Slowdive’s “Slowdive.” Other selections included “Melonella” by the Cocteau Twins and “The Exploding Boy” by The Cure.
Additional tracks from the broadcast included “8th Deadly Sin” by the Miki Berenyi Trio, “Nada va a cambiar” by Encarta 98, and “Crank” by Catherine Wheel. The list also featured “Flood the Harbour” by Kai Tak, “Scattered Ashes (Song for Richard)” by Minor Victories, and “Baby Maker” by Pale Saints.
The lineup continued with “Burnham Beeches” by Lush, “You Look So Fine” by Garbage, “A New Goodbye” by Nation of Language, and “Winter” by The Church. The playlist concluded with selections from Golden Cats, Frazier Chorus, Yndling, Delerium, Dead Can Dance, Beach House, Nightbus, Ian McCulloch, Hazy Mountains, IVES, Curve, Stefano Guzzetti, Throwing Muses, Velour 100, and Meadowlake.
