Ulrich Schnauss / Airiel / International Jetsetters
The Cellar
Shoegazing was a term of description offered almost as a piss-take of bands the music press of the early-90s considered to be somewhat lacking in charisma, hiding their dearth of star quality behind vast walls of turbulent guitar drones as they studiously avoided eye-contact with their audience. The term has morphed since the days of Ride and their ilk to signify a particular strand of indie rock, one that had a major impact on the whole post-rock movement and where attention to sonic texture, either of the dreamy, ambient kind, or the more eviscerating variety still holds sway over performance or easy pop tunes. Sonic Cathedral is a regular club night, in Oxford, London and beyond that celebrates what, at its best, can sound like the music of the heavens.
As drummer with Ride Loz Colbert should know all about that and having joined his current Jesus & Mary Chain bandmate Mark Crozer's International Jetsetters, they're a welcome reminder of a time when indie really meant independence of mind and spirit. From the giddy, spiralling rush of 'Inside Out', they cut a dash through prime Wedding Present, while new singer Fi McFall provides an often strident counterbalance to the narcotic guitar squall. 'California Here I Come' is more 60s sunshine psychedlia with the guitar fuzz coating its lightness with a layer of sonic tar, while closing number, 'Inside You' finds Fi's voice at its peak as the band come close to matching Magoo's sublime 'Billion Dollar Brain'.
