Vibrato 03

Shoegazing on the Willamette

I am not a Portland native and do not pretend to know the history or full scope of the local Shoegazing scene, but in this compilation, I have included ten slices of what I have discovered since moving here.
I do know that Portland is home to several indie labels, one of which is particularly worth noting. Reverb Records currently has only four bands signed: Drakes Hotel, The High Violets, Lab Partners, and The Upsidedown, but all four are very good. Lab Partners are not present on this compilation only because they are neither from nor currently residing in Portland, but I do recommend checking them out. If you order from Reverb, be sure to pick up the three, free compilation CDs from the sadly defunct NW Shoegazers Ball: NW SHOEGAZERBLISS, IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, and THE FUZZY BALL.
Portland also has a music mail-order establishment of some renown. At CD Baby, one can find--among many others--CDs by Charmparticles, Nordic, The Prids, and Saturna.
Once again, I have, in most cases, deliberately avoided using the best songs from the sampled artists and CDs. So, if you find a song here that you like, chances are you will also like the CD from which it was taken.

-- NWshoegazer


1. Swoon 23 - Pussycat Fingertips (Tim Kerr) from the out of print 1995 release "Famous Swan Song"

2. Saturna - Just for Thrills (self-released) from the 2006 "...All Night" EP. The recently released "Some Delicious Enemy" is also available

3. The Upsidedown - Drag Race (Reverb) from the 2004 release "Trust Electricity". New CD coming soon

4. Nordic - Polare (self-released) from the 2004 "The Transatlantic" EP. Nordic release CDs at a rate only marginally faster than post-"Loveless" My Bloody Valentine

5. The Dandy Warhols - Best Friend (Tim Kerr) from the 1996 release "Dandy's Rule OK"

6. The Prids - Lienzencages (Death Tech) from the out of print 2000 "Duracraft" EP. Two full-lengths are available: "Love Zero" and "...Until the World is Beautiful"

7. Stars of Track and Field - Say Hello (Wind-up) from the 2007 release "Centuries Before Love and War"

8. The High Violets - Ballad (Comet Rock) from the 2000 "Dream Away" EP. This one is out of print, but, if you don't already own them, you can and should buy "44 Down" and "To Where You Are"

9. Charmparticles - Moving On (Chris Gragg) from the 2004 compilation "Deep Roots 7"--which is not about Shoegazing

10. Drakes Hotel - Here's to the Days (Reverb) from the 2007 release "Tell Me Everything"

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