MISS BLISS - Loose Groves & Lullabies (Independent, 2000)

AIR FORMATION - Air Formation (Drive In, 2000)

3.) ISOBELLA - Akasha (Clairecords / Studio 121, 2000)

MALORY - Not Here-Not Now (Allison, 2000)

MAHOGANY - The Dream of a Modern Day (Clairecords, 2000)

LOCKGROOVE - Sleeping on the Elephant Fog (Krunch, 2000)

SKYWAVE - Echodrone (Killer Rock'n Roll, 2000)

A BEAUTIFUL MACHINE - Solar Winds, White Noise & Antigravity (Embryo, 2000)

VOYAGER ONE - From the New Nation of Long Shadows (Loveless, 2000)

ORCHARDS & VINES - Tomorrow's Yesterday (I.M.U., 2000)

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SHOEGAZE ALL-STARS OF 2000:

1.) Miss Bliss - Loose Grooves & Lullabies
It's funny that I can't display the cover of my favorite shoegaze record of the year. I can't do that simply because said record, in a way, does not exist. Or at least has not been properly released. Yep, 'cuz my choice for best shoegaze album of 2000 goes to Miss Bliss and their incredible third album, Loose Grooves & Lullabies, a record that hopefully will be released by Burnt Hair this year. Bug Mike Gill about it at if you want to hear it. You'll be glad you did. And you'll thank me for it. In the meantime, a Dreampop Links review is here. Simply tThe most incredibly gorgeous, melodic, hypnotic & groovy record last year. Period.  

2.) Air Formation - Air Formation
What can I say. If you're a shoegaze fan as, um, I am, then you won't have any trouble enjoying this little delight of classic, early 90's shoegaze piece of work from Brighton, England. These guys are meant to be big. Droning atmospheres, thick guitars, hazy male vocals, soaring melodies... it's all here.

4.) Isobella - Akasha
A breathtaking, gorgeous and outstanding debut from this Florida band. Shimmering melodies, a stunning female voice and a delightful combo of guitar and keyboards that will lift you as high as you can get. A Dreampop Links review is here!

3.) Malory - Not Here-Not Now
Can it be a surprise that a oceanic shoegaze band copy the band that started it all. Nope. And that's the whole beauty of it. Slowdive? Yes. Lots of it. And it's gorgeous, let me tell ya. You say you'd rather go back and listen your old Souvlaki copy on vinyl? Well, that's fine. But then you really, really *are* stuck in the 90's.  

5.) Mahogany - The Dream of A Modern Day
Blowing away any expectations, Mahogany pumps up their sound into an incredible candy-colored haze of noise and minimal beats. A most delicious experience in sound and form.  

6.) Lockgroove - Sleeping on the Elephant Fog
This Boston quintet may have the most impressive debut this year. An album that gathers from different regions on music's outer regions, Sleeping... is a powerful engine of neopsychedelic noise & drones and crunchy melodies.  

7.) Skywave - Echodrone
Pure 60's melodic feedback noise. They borrow a bit too much from the Jesus & Mary Chain, true, but so what? This album is chockfull of great tunes and driving energy that will leave you gasping for air. Probably the only real heirs to the Psychocandy throne.  

8.) A Beautiful Machine  - Solar Winds, White Noise & Antigravity
The most unknown band in front of your ears that you have never heard of. A single guy in Victoria, Australia, has created in two magnificent albums (and tow more ep's!) with some epic, brooding & soaring noisy psychedelia that will keep your senses spinning around in an enveloping wall of sound. "Fazed-out dreamrock" as Skye, the sole navigator of this prolific spaceship, puts it on his mp3.com page. (For the record, Solar Winds includes a gorgeous cover of Ride's "Dreams Burn Down".)

9.) Voyager One - From the New Nation of Long Shadows
This band get the prize as the most MBV-obsessed crew. In fandom at least (check those West Coast dates as the band hosts a MBV Tribute Night!). But this Seattle band also create some hazy, rocking neopsychedelia  enough to leave you closing your eyes and grabbing the old air guitar.  

10.) Orchards & Vines - Tomorrow's Yesterday
Taking everyone by surprise, this Vancouver bands takes classic, straight-forward shoegaze up a notch lacing it up with some candy-colored dozes of hazy '60s psychedelia, with even a female singer that sounds strikingly like Grace Slick. Their songs either unfold marvelously on you mind or strap it onto a rocketship aiming to the sun.  

HONORABLE MENTIONS

But there were a lot of interesting releases throughout the year. As much for the ethereal crowd as for the feedback lovers. In case you didn't notice, there was an impressive amount of bands coming out from Canada that we can blame for taking our hard-earned money. South Pacific, blueScreen, Mellonova, Hooverphonic and of course, the Mean Red Spiders released some noisy music that was very nice. In a more low-key way, Australia was also home for some delightful sounds courtesy of very young bands like Cypher, A Beautiful Machine and Hazel Bionic, to name a few. 

Monster Movie, the band that fetaures ex Slowdiver Christian Saville, probably did with 'Crash Landing' the best single/mp3 of the year (their EP is out now on Clairecords!). If it is any indication, that was a perfectly melodic and slick piece of guitar pop that amply manages to showcase why Christian Saville made Slowdive the band we all love. His guitar work is still impressive.

Other bands that deserve to be mentioned: Study of the Lifeless and their impressive debut. Wonder what's up with them; NYC's Aerial Love Feed debut EP, with a fistful of songs enough to make you swoon. California's Electro Group did for noise-pop what Sigur Ros did for the ethereal crew. Both records were really nice, but special kudos go to the Icelandic band for creating such huge soundscapes. I know that I'm probably forgetting a lot of people here, so a big cheer to any band that thought, one way or another, on "shoegaze" at the moment to create a song.

Alejandro Alaluf