what is dream pop?

[musikanitwist]

having watched Sugar Hiccup once had given me the URGE to know more about dream pop. I know that net search isn't enough. I want to know more about dream pop and artists of this subgenre. thanks

Air
All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors
A.R. Kane
Astral
Azure Ray
Belly
Heidi Berry
The Boo Radleys
Bethany Curve
The Blue Nile
Bowery Electric
The Cardigans
The Chameleons
Cabaret Café
Claire Voyant
Cocteau Twins
Cranes
The Curtain Society
Damon & Naomi
The Dandy Warhols
Dead Can Dance
Engineers
Felt
The Flaming Lips
Galaxie 500
Lisa Germano
Highspire
Hinterland (band)
His Name Is Alive
Hooverphonic
ILYA
Ivy
Julee Cruise
Kitchens of Distinction
Lowlife
Luna
Lush
Lucidium
Mazzy Star
Medicine
Mercury Rev
Mojave 3
Monster Movie
Moonbabies
Moose
My Bloody Valentine
My Morning Jacket
Minipop
Pale Saints
Red House Painters
Rex
Ride
Sigur Rós
Sleeping at Last
Slowdive
Sparklehorse
Spiritualized
The Sundays
The Verve
Velvet Cacoon


please naman. i am so willing to learn,

[ralphot]

dreampop is kinda like the US version of shoegaze. most of the prominent bands kasi ng shoeqaze came from the UK.

when the latter became somewhat popular during the early 90s, those american bands that had similar sounds were labeled/marketed as dreampop in the US.

both types of music are characterized by heavy use of delay and reverb effects for the guitars, coupled with dreamy (hence, dreampop), ethereal vocals.

i suggest you start with the more "mainstream" acts like:
- my bloody valentine
- slowdive
- ride
- cocteau twins
- bethany curve

[narcosis]

hMmm MAZZY Star is my fave dream pop.. hehe..

[Deadwing]

Dreampop is usually female-fronted.  Early Lush, with Miki Berenyi or even to an extent Mazzy Star doing operatic or whispered vocals are the norm.  One band carrying on this tradition are High Violets from Portland, OR.

Shoegaze seems to be getting a resurgence around the world.  The Japanese have Hartfield, the French have M83, Filipinos had Sonnet LVIII, the Americans have Dykehouse, Asobi Sexsu, The Turn-Ons, Yume Bitsu, and Longwave just to name a few.

Alan Moulder is the record producer to look up for what the sonic characteristics are of these bands, usually on the Creation label.  Billy Corgan eventually used him as a producer for Siamese Dream.  That's why the album sounded so much like a dreampop/shoegaze album in some parts.

The common weapon of choice for these bands in terms of guitars are Gibson semi-hollowbodies.  Feedback is the order of the day and the chorus pedal is an indispensable part of the standard sound to the genre.