Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration 
 
Shoegaze is a subgenre of rock and roll that first emerged in the British Isles in the late 1980s. The term was coined by Andy Ross, a British music executive, who observed shoegaze artists “shoegazing” (looking down at their feet to play with guitar pedals) during a 1991 show in London. Interest in the subgenre peaked shortly thereafter with the release of My Bloody Valentine’s sophomore album Loveless, and shoegaze effectively died by 1994. Despite the subgenre’s brief initial popularity, shoegaze has experienced a revival every subsequent decade, leaving modern listeners to question what makes its sound so enduring.
 
On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by detailing shoegaze’s early influences (Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique, ‘60s psychedelic rock, and new wave) before describing what the subgenre actually sounds like. With that context established, they then discuss the music of Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Gleemer. The episode rounds out with an examination of “zoomergaze” (the newest revival of shoegaze) to try and answer the question of what makes the subgenre so appealing to Gen Z. 
 
Links:
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YijO72un5g7jh3qMt98ft
Shoegaze Classics Spotify Playlist
Shoegaze: a Beginner's Guide by Ella Fraser-Thoms
Feedback, Distortion, an Exploration of Sound: A Brief History of Shoegaze - Underground England
Rock for Dreamers: History and Transcendence of the Shoegaze Music Genre - Sound of Life
The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time - Pitchfork
124 - Simon Reynolds on Shoegaze, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, Pavement & More - Music Maps Podcast
Simon Reynolds - Still in a Dream of Shoegaze, Slackers, and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984-1994 - C86 Show - Indie Pop
Shoegaze as an Aesthetic
“Venus in Furs” by the Velvet Underground by Erich Kuersten
“Relentless Wall of Sound”: Nadine Shah Describes her Favourite Velvet Underground Track by Kelly Murphy
History & Impact Of The Wall Of Sound
Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound”: The Technique That Changed Music Forever by Nathan Fields
Hunting Phil Spector - Homicide: Los Angeles (2024)
Cocteau Twins - History
Unpacking the Unique Sound of Cocteau Twins - Stained Glass Stories 
Why Does Gen Z LOVE Shoegaze? by Kelsie x The Yellow Button 
From Shoegaze to Zoomer Gaze: the Evolution of a Gen Z Musical Phenomenon by Whynow
 
Artwork:
Slowdive - 3 old live acts (1991-1993)
 
Recorded on 7/27/2026

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