What are some genres you want to get into more but often neglect?
Especially ones you're serious about actually exploring but keep finding other things to do.
Me, I want to finally get myself into shoegaze, as I've been wanting to do for years, but quickly got bored most of the time. I love the general idea of shoegaze, and a third play through Loveless really helped me develop my modern tastes. But usually, a new release by a band I like and of a different genre, or maybe a current trend on forums or something else will distract me. But since I wanna get through more 2026, and this modern band with great reviews called Tokyo Shoegazers has a new album a lot of people like, I'm going to just quit everything else and get through some Japanese shoegaze from the 90's upward, starting with Honeydip and The Sleepwalk. I've put off shoegaze for way too long, so I'm going to actually try to make a top 100 for it, ruling bare minimum of 8/10 rating if possible.
I've never really been able to get consistently into RnB & soul music but have recently become interested in the "UK street soul" movement so I've decided to indulge a bit there over the coming months.
I have found myself increasingly interested in hardcore since picking up the new Terror record in the past week or so and I have also seen my interest in metalcore developing over the last 12 months or so. Both have been of interest historically but I have never really bothered to embed my interest in them. I am watching documentaries/interviews, listening to podcasts, as well as listening to records of course. Could all change next week though as I do lack discipline with music exploration and tend to veer off. I am a very disciplined person in life in terms of eating a strict diet and following a stringent fitness routine. If I could transpose that discipline into my music exploration habits, I would be a lot better versed in music in general.
I have found myself increasingly interested in hardcore since picking up the new Terror record in the past week or so and I have also seen my interest in metalcore developing over the last 12 months or so. Both have been of interest historically but I have never really bothered to embed my interest in them. I am watching documentaries/interviews, listening to podcasts, as well as listening to records of course. Could all change next week though as I do lack discipline with music exploration and tend to veer off. I am a very disciplined person in life in terms of eating a strict diet and following a stringent fitness routine. If I could transpose that discipline into my music exploration habits, I would be a lot better versed in music in general.
For me it's the exact opposite: I've listened to more punk than any human should, but I never get myself to exercise. If you need some hardcore recs, I guess I've got a few, depending on which hardcore you're looking for.
I'm intrigued by what shoegaze is all about too. It would really help me to understand the blackgaze movement better, particularly being able to recognize typically non-metal influences that came into the sound.
I really want to get into more of the post-sludge of bands like Neurosis, Isis, Cult of Luna, and Rosetta, but there are a couple things that set me back on my exploration. One thing is the amount of genres I'm already focused on like metalcore, industrial metal, power metal, and progressive metal, which gives me little time to explore the more niche genres. Emphasis on "niche" because there really aren't many prominent post-sludge bands other than the 4 I've already mentioned, The Ocean, and Sumac. And the genre seemed to die down when I was trying to get into it a few years ago. That is, until recently when that promising Dimscua release came out and Neurosis surprise-released their new album with Aaron Turner (Isis/Sumac/Greymachine) replacing Scott Kelly, so there may be hope for post-sludge in the future.
I'm intrigued by what shoegaze is all about too. It would really help me to understand the blackgaze movement better, particularly being able to recognize typically non-metal influences that came into the sound.
Well, I'm no expert, so I don't know exactly what I CAN recommend to kickstart your journey. I suppose albums with a steer towards dream pop, such as Souvlaki by Slowdive, would be your best best. I will say this, though: when I first heard the chosen king of Shoegazeland: Loveless by MBV, I didn't get it. Left it alone for a couple months, played it again, wasn't sure of my convictions, then listened to their self-titled, and then back to Loveless, and I got it, like that Danny DeVito meme. But I don't wanna wait a couple months anymore or make you do that. But if I had to pick the more accessible act of the raw classics, I might say Slowdive or Ride.
I have a friend at work who's really into Shoegaze so I've been pitched a lot of albums, but I never was able to get into the genre straight up. I always seem to make time for Parannoul and other bands in that scene that combine more Noise/Post Rock influences, but never the heavy hitting classics of the genre.
I've wanted to dive into Soul and more specifically Funk, I'm always drawn in by the more jammy grooves and looseness of it all but have only listened to a handful of common classics and probably zero deep cuts. There's a Soul show on the public radio station I turn on in my car so I'll hear bits and pieces driving home late on Saturdays, so maybe this year will be the year.
I have said elsewhere i am interested in exploring more Middle Eastern traditional music, but another genre I have dipped my toes into and would like to explore further is gothic country. The trouble is, I just never really get round to it and, in truth, I don't even know where to start.
I have said elsewhere i am interested in exploring more Middle Eastern traditional music, but another genre I have dipped my toes into and would like to explore further is gothic country. The trouble is, I just never really get round to it and, in truth, I don't even know where to start.
Wovenhand are probably may favourite with Blush Music my favourite album by them (it reworks quite a few tracks from the debut and has a darker feel to it) then maybe Consider the Birds.
16 Horsepower
Angels of Light (with Michael Gira from Swans - I also think some of the later Swans albums have a gothic country style to them - but they are really long drawn out affairs)
Jay Munly (under various pseudonyms)
I have said elsewhere i am interested in exploring more Middle Eastern traditional music, but another genre I have dipped my toes into and would like to explore further is gothic country. The trouble is, I just never really get round to it and, in truth, I don't even know where to start.
Wovenhand are probably may favourite with Blush Music my favourite album by them (it reworks quite a few tracks from the debut and has a darker feel to it) then maybe Consider the Birds.
16 Horsepower
Angels of Light (with Michael Gira from Swans - I also think some of the later Swans albums have a gothic country style to them - but they are really long drawn out affairs)
Jay Munly (under various pseudonyms)
Thanks David, I have listened to some 16 Horsepower and quite enjoyed them. I will have a listen to some of the others soon.
I have said elsewhere i am interested in exploring more Middle Eastern traditional music, but another genre I have dipped my toes into and would like to explore further is gothic country. The trouble is, I just never really get round to it and, in truth, I don't even know where to start.
Wovenhand are probably may favourite with Blush Music my favourite album by them (it reworks quite a few tracks from the debut and has a darker feel to it) then maybe Consider the Birds.
16 Horsepower
Angels of Light (with Michael Gira from Swans - I also think some of the later Swans albums have a gothic country style to them - but they are really long drawn out affairs)
Jay Munly (under various pseudonyms)
Thanks David, I have listened to some 16 Horsepower and quite enjoyed them. I will have a listen to some of the others soon.
Wovenhand have a few members that 16 Horsepower have including the lead singer David Eugene Edwards
For Angels of Light try How I Loved You album.
Jay Munly has a pretty extensive discography and I haven't listened to them all - Kinnery of Lupercalia: Undelivered Legion was one of my favourite albums from 2022.
I think I have seen Daniel post a few time on other Munly albums and others in the gothic country realm.
Yeah, I don't mind Munly but I wouldn't say that I've found any of his material to be essential as yet. My favourite gothic country releases are Chelsea Wolfe's "Birth of Violence" & Angel of Light's "How I Loved You", both of which I consider to be genuine classics. Wovenhand's "Blush Music" & Sixteen Horsepower's "Secret South" are also very strong & won't disappoint.
I've also been thinking that I should check out more electro-industrial as I generally enjoy that combination given my history with electronic music.
I've also been thinking that I should check out more electro-industrial as I generally enjoy that combination given my history with electronic music.
Me as well, including EMB / industrial dance. I'm thinking about continuing with Hirasawa's Kaku P-Model series. I like the overall aesthetic, but you know me: it's gotta be inventive. And hearing these electronic albums write eight songs that sound the same, tempo, vibe and everything, gets on my nerves. Thankfully, Implode by Front Line Assembly was able to avoid a good deal of that, and stands as my current #1. But checking my charts, I only have 10 EI albums ranked 8/10 or higher, so I've been slacking on it. After catching up on the year's releases and exploring Jane Remover, I'll probably head to that.
Kinda procrastinated on shoegaze for 2026, but my next 2026 project happens to be a shoegaze album, so today's adventure is all about the catalog of Tokyo Shoegazer. Really cool that Japan's got their own full-on shoegaze thing going on. Finding the original version of their sophomore, Turnaround, was a bit of a hassle, but I found it. This first track at least has way more going for it than anything on Crystallize, which wa sa good solid debut that was well-produced and written, but a little tropey. If it keeps up like that, I'll be in the minority prefering this sophomore. Although, considering its much lacking popularity on Sputnik and RYM in comparison to the debut, I have to wonder what was so special about the sophomore that required a rerecording?
Btw, the lead singer of this Japanese band is actually an American lady who moved to Japan to work on voice acting. She's a pretty good vocalist.
Coaltar of the Deepers - The Visitors from Deepspace (1994)
Genres: Shoegaze, Alt-Metal
More Japanese shoegaze today. This time, it's Coaltar of the Deepers, a name I really don't get. Having gotten through their first three EP's for this, I'm hoping for some great stuff that'll rival the Have a Nice Life and Alcest in my charts. I've tried a couple of these Japanese shoegaze bands before, namely Honeydip and The Sleepwalk, and they didn't often "amaze" me. I'm hoping for something amazing this time.
To many's surprise, the album starts out with a death metal cover of Killing an Arab by The Cure, starting a little jazzy and then going right into the metal. Now, I get many of those guitar effects and noises I liked on the first two EP's but was missing on Sinking Slowly, and overall the guitar playing was fantastic. But better mixing was needed; I couldn't hear the vocalist. If this was deliberate, then I really don't like this decision. But it goes back into the reason for checking out this band in the first place: shoegaze, right after, and their brand of it is quite punish this time around. It barely maintains an alternative metal vein under the punk stylistics until it joins the shoegaze as a duo get to Earthling, which boasts the best rhythms and riffs out of all the catchy and hardcore melodies of the four tracks so far. But after halfway mark, to goes into some much appreciated softer territory. Four tracks of punk and metal shoegaze requires a break, even though they were average length songs with quirks of their own. But the soft track, Snow, switches to a noisier solo halfway through, keeping tempo but increasing the emotiional range a la Don't Fear the Reaper, and then drops down to an acoustic solo to end it before getting back on track. Interesting little touch, keeping the eight minutes from getting boring (we all learned a thing from The Prophet's Song). And the next track, Blink,, is one of the better ones, allowing our bassist and percussionist to act like it's some sort of power metal album with death tendencies while the singer serenades like it's the coolest thing in metal to be soft and sweet. There's some of the best and most surprising instrumental work here. And finally, a mass whirlwind of noise on the level of Merzbow gone rock for the next two minutes, abruptly cutting off.
Well, this was one catchy, quirky and noisy piece of art, certainly different from the majority of shoegaze I've experienced. Maintaining the surprise factor with some random surprises that don't break the flow, the album is able to constantly surprise and keep things fun. Did it "amaze" me? Occasionally. And this is considered one of the worst of their classic era. FOR shoegaze, I say this album's in the same league as MBV's You Made Me Realize. For metal, I'd say this is in the same league as The Dark Ride by Helloween.
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