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 began to hit their stride with their third EP of escapist psychedelia, reaching number one on the U.K. indie charts. “Catch the Breeze” ended up being one of Just for a Day’s brightest moments, and “Shine” would have easily been another, had it found its way onto the full length. The Slowdive treatment is given to Syd Barrett’s “Golden Hair,” and “Albatross” closes it out in grand, isolationist fashion with distorted whirs and tribal drumming. – Andy Kellman