eMusic Features

Who Are…Alcest

By Jon Wiederhorn, eMusic Contributor

Though he was raised in a vibrant French black metal scene, Alcest frontman Neige outgrew the rage and nihilism of the genre and strived to craft something that's just as powerful but far more beautiful. Drawing on his classical guitar training and his love for Celtic melodies and soundtrack composers, he developed Alcest, following the raw 2001 black metal-based demo Tristesse Hivernale with the 2005 EP Le Secret (which was recently re-recorded), which began with… more »

01.30.09 Spotlight 0

Behold the Shoes: A Brief History of Shoegaze

By Douglas Wolk, eMusic Contributor

No, it's not a great name: "shoegazing." Very few artists who've actually played in that style like the term; Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai has called it "a dumb term made up by clueless... idiots... if someone called us shoegazers, I'd be pretty unhappy." The other leading candidate seems to be "dreampop," which is also not quite satisfactory. But we're stuck with those words, because it's undeniable that there's a certain tendency in rock music, especially British… more »

They Say All Music Guide

Slowdive’s first release is their weakest effort, but it’s still a good cluster of somnambulist soundscapes and inert sonic haze. They were definitely falling toward a mood-over-song structure at this point. The title track features droning guitars (an early staple) and the swooning dual vocals of Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell, while the slightly morose and pulsing “Avalyn” appears twice in vocal and instrumental versions. They were at their most derivative here, taking most of their cues from My Bloody Valentine’s Isn’t Anything, but that doesn’t prevent Slowdive from being captivating. – Andy Kellman