We’re two weeks into the year and things have picked up significantly. We’ve got our first Big Release of the year (The Weather Station‘s Humanhood), plus new albums from Ex-Vöid (ex-Joanna Gruesome), Ela Minus (a major step up), and Melbourne mutant punks Delivery. And for this week’s Indie Basement Classic: an underrated album from Belgian trip-hop group Hooverphonic.

In Indie Basement related news this week: Portishead’s Beth Gibbons announced her first-ever North American solo tour which is with Bill Ryder-Jones (whose albums both made my Top 10 of 2024); Edwyn Collins announced his first album in seven years; The Mayfiles USA are back; and Porridge Radio are breaking up but not till after their tour.

Shoegaze fan alert: Swervedriver and Lush’s Miki Berenyi both announced new records.

And pour one out for David Lynch, a singular talent whose influence on pop culture over the last 50 years is hard to overstate. The world is a little duller without you, David. Many of his films and short films are available on The Criterion Channel.

Head below for this week’s reviews.

The Weather Station – Humanhood (Fat Possum)
Tamara Lindemann once again turns pain into pleasure on her latest elegant album as The Weather Station

“I’ve gotten used to feeling like I’m crazy.” Tamara Lindemann sings to open The Weather Station’s Humanhood. “Or just lazy. Why can’t I get off this floor? Think straight anymore?” It’s a familiar sentiment these days, depression, feeling stuck and it happens even to those with seemingly a lot going for them. Lindemann was coming off 2021’s wonderful, widely acclaimed Ignorance, and its 2022 companion album How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars, both of which looked at the climate crisis through a very personal lens. But she soon found herself spiralling and unable to get out. She worked her way through it all the only way she knew how — writing songs. With loose, half finished sketches she went into the studio with a band of highly skilled improvisers and came out the other side with Humanhood, another magical Weather Station album that is both heavy and joyous at the same time. Given the nature of its creation, this is a less classically structured album than Ignorance and at times it recalls Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden in its atmospheric swirl of piano, flute, saxophone and tom-filled drumming, but Lindemann’s masterful sense of melody is front and center on “Body Moves,” “Mirror” and “Window.” Humanhood explores what it is to be alive — the highs, lows and uh-ohs — in all it’s subtle, beautiful and messy ways.

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Ex-Vöid – In Love Again (Tapete)
it’s nonstop indie rock earworms on the second album from this band featuring former Joanna Gruesome members Owen “O” Williams and Lan McArdle

Joanna Gruesome split and splintered not long after releasing their second album in 2015, and it felt like things fell apart just as they were hitting their musical stride. More than anything it was sad to lose the unique partnership of bandleaders Owen “O” Williams and Lan McArdle whose melodic and harmony style instantly hit you right in the feels. It was good news, then, that Williams and McArdle started working together again as Ex-Vöid, a group that found their chemistry not only intact but stronger than ever. In Love Again is their second album and an indie rock earworm factory, with one instantly gratifying chorus after another, colored in with guitars that sparkle, shine and get fuzzy.  Nearly all their singing is in unison which brings an extra level of universality to lines like “Was I disappointing when we first kissed? / Taste of tar on my breath, slurring but not pissed,” and other singalong portraits of love and heartbreak.

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Ela Minus – DÍA (Domino)
The Brooklyn-based electronic artist comes into her own on her expansive second album

It’s telling that Ela Minus used lower-case lettering for her 2020 debut, acts of rebellion, which was full of dark, sinewy techno that was aimed straight at the club. Her second album, DÍA, is here, delivered in all-caps and it’s clear that she’s looking beyond the dancefloor with an expansive, cohesive work that wants to move all of you, not just your feet and hips. The scope is there right from the start — opening track “ABRIR MONTE” means “open the mountains” and sounds like dawn breaking over the desert as bellowing synths give way to melody. That leads directly into “BROKEN” which soars on arpeggiated keyboard lines and a four-on-the-floor beat as she sings “I’ll keep writing melodies to sing away the gloom.” The whole of DÍA flows seamlessly from gleaming bangers to atmospheric mood pieces and back. Not unlike The Knife, Ela designs her choruses as gang vocals, an army of “me” if you will, that gives tracks like “I WANT TO BE BETTER” and “ONWARDS” an all-embracing feel. With DÍA, Ela Minus has come into her own and is ready for the world.

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Delivery – Force Majeure (Heavenly)
Superior garage punk abounds on the second album from this Melbourne band

Melbourne’s Delivery make the kind of caustic, mutant garage punk that their city has become known for in the last 15 years, sounding like the sun-baked desert vistas that populate George Miller’s Mad Max films. This band rip, mixing full-throttle propulsive drumming with slashing guitars and shout-along choruses. If you like the entire Mikey Young diaspora of snarling “dolewave” (Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Total Control, Dick Diver, etc), Delivery do it better than almost anyone else at the moment. Young actually mastered Force Majeure, their second album and first for UK indie label Heavenly, which is especially well-titled. Delivery sound like an unstoppable force on bashers like “Digging a Hole,” “Operating at a Loss,” “What For,” and “Exacto” which don’t skimp on the hooks, either. So you’re not totally battered by the end, they throw in a few Pavement-y numbers (“Focus, Right,” “The New Alphabet”) that hint at a poppy, brighter future for the band.

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INDIE BASEMENT CLASSIC: Hooverphonic – Blue Wonder Power Milk (1998, Music on Vinyl reissue)
Belgian trip-hop group’s underrated first two albums are getting vinyl reissues for the band’s 30th anniversary

Belgian group Hooverphonic arrived in the mid-’90s, absorbing all sorts downtempo and chillout styles that they would eventually shape into their own sound. On their first album, though, 1996’s A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular, that sound was not quite there yet. Singles “Inhaler” and “2wicky,” owed a lot to Massive Attack and Portishead, respectively, and other tracks tipped their hats to groups like Lamb and Laika. It’s still a very good record, especially the deep cuts (“Plus Profond,” “No. 9”) but Hooverphonic hadn’t quite escaped their influences yet. (That said, derivative as it may be, “2wicky” still sounds awesome. What a bass drop.) They would do so with their next, however. With a talented new singer, 18-year-old Geike Arnaert, Hooverphonic took their sound into the symphonic stratosphere, with an orchestra full of real strings and the occasional harp that flew atop jungle breakbeats, chilled-out trip-hopisms, and rock without sounding like any of their predecessors. Blue Wonder Power Milk does sound very late-’90s but in a good way:  “Battersea” is a stunning opener, “One Way Ride” predicts what Goldfrapp would do a decade later, and “Club Montepulciano” is lounge with just a little Bond-theme in there. Although Hooverphonic were soundtrack mainstays at the time (Stealing Beauty, I Know What You Did Last Summer), they didn’t make that big of a dent in the US. If you have an interest in this type of thing, these two albums are worth seeking out.

This year marks Hooverphonic’s 30th anniversary and to celebrate they’ve reissuing both A Stereophonic Sound Spectacular and Blue Wonder Power Milk on vinyl on February 28. You can preorder them  — on yellow and white vinyl respectively — in the BV shop.

Looking for more? Browse the Indie Basement archives.

And check out what’s new in our shop.

Top 20 Shoegaze EPs of the Early-’90s

20. Bleach – Snag (1991, Way Cool Records)

Formed by brothers Neil and Nick Singleton, Ipswich, UK's Bleach unfortunately ran out of songwriting steam before they released their first album. (Hey, it happens, just ask Elastica.) The band managed to deliver one terrific EP that showcased their moody style, with guitarist Neil providing the haze and bassist Nick providing the mood. Like a lot of shoegaze groups of this era, singer Salli Carson's ethereal vocals seemed more like an equal element of Bleached's sound, as opposed to a focal point. "Bethesda," with its tom-heavy drumming is especially good, as is "Dipping." Extended listening: the cover art is the most distinctive thing about Bleach's 1992 album Killing Time, but it's the only one of their releases on streaming services.

19. Medicine – 5ive (1993, Creation)

Led by Brad Laner, who spent time in the '80s in L.A. cult post-punk band Savage Republic, Medicine were arguably the U.S.'s best shoegaze band, with a firm grip on melody, noise and dynamics, and they weren't afraid of sampling or dance culture. They also had rare bonafides for an American band; they were signed to Creation in the UK. (Rick Rubin's American Recordings put out their records at home.) The 5ive EP, also known as Come Here to Drink Milk, takes the tremolo-heavy title track (originally on their debut album) and pairs it with the ragged version of "Time Baby" (not the version with Liz Fraser & Robin Guthrie), searing slow jam "Lime 6," and the quasi-industrial "Wrought." Extended listening: The Sounds of Medicine EP has the Cocteau-ized version of "Time Baby" from The Crow soundtrack, plus "stripped and reformed" versions of other songs, but the 1993 sophomore album The Buried Life is Medicine at their best.

18. The Telescopes – Flying (1991, Creation)

Having got their start in the mid-'80s, The Telescopes predate shoegaze but were part of the dark neo-psych scene that included Spacemen 3 and Loop (who they shared a split 7" with in 1988). By their fourth EP for Creation, 1990's Flying, The Telescopes had blasted off most of the white noise in favor of groovy psychedelia that put them somewhere between The Stone Roses and Ride, but frontman Stephen Lawrie was always on his own sonic plane. With layers of 12-string guitars -- acoustic and electric -- Flying's title track is one of their best pop songs, while "High on Fire" heads deep into outer space and "The Sleepwalk" showed they could confidently compete with their Creation labelmates that were getting much more ink in NME. Extended listening: 1990's Celeste EP features an amazing 10-minute version of the title track that's worth the price of admission.

17. Blind Mr. Jones – Eyes Wide (1992, Cherry Red)

Their fondness of flute gave Blind Mr. Jones the reputation of being the shoegaze Jethro Tull, but this band from Marlow, UK were one of the more underrated groups of the era, with a distinctively British sound, a decided goth streak, and consistently memorable, melodic (New Order-esque) bass lines. There are no wind instruments on the Eyes Wide EP but it does feature Slowdive's Neil Halstead who gifts the record with some of his transcendent guitar cloud cover. All four songs are terrific. Is your favorite Ride song "Decay" from Nowhere? You should definitely investigate Blind Mr. Jones further. Extended listening: Compilation Over My Head collects everything Blind Mr. Jones recorded, including the Crazy Jazz EP that featured Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood.

16. Adorable – Sunshine Smile (1992, Creation)

While they owed more to Echo & the Bunnymen or House of Love than My Bloody Valentine or Ride, Adorable were signed to Creation Records, peppered their very catchy songs with guitar noise and got not entirely unfairly lumped in with the shoegaze scene...even if frontman Peter Fijalkowski bristled at the word in interviews. One thing's for sure: "Sunshine Smile" was a hell of an introduction that sounds like its title, a wonderful guitar-drenched pop song with a slinky slowburn intro that gives way to a massive guitar riff chorus. The two b-sides -- melancholy-drenched ballad "A to Fade In" and the Madchester-leaning "Sunburnt" -- are great, too, as is the cover art which uses imagery from The Passion of Joan of Arc. Extended listening: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling EP takes its title track from Adorable's debut album, Against Perfection, and adds three good b-sides, especially "Everything's Fine."

15. Catherine Wheel – 30th Century Man (1992, Fontana)

Released in the last week of 1992, this limited edition EP was a step up, sonically, for Catherine Wheel who had never sounded so confident and powerful, giving fans a taste of what they might get with 1993's Chrome. This is probably a controversial pick, given that three of the four songs here are covers, but Catherine Wheel seriously deliver the goods with these killer takes on Scott Walker's "30th Century Man," Husker Du's "Don't Wanna Know if You Are Lonely" and Mission of Burma's "That's When I Reach for My Revolver." Their cover of "30th Century Man" is particularly inspired, while the other two merely rip (while they make them their own). The EP's original, "Free of Mind," is great too. Extended listening: If you just want great Catherine Wheel songs, the Black Metallic EP has four of them, including the title track which was a Modern Rock Radio hit in the U.S.

14. Kitchens of Distinction – Drive That Fast (1990, One Little Indian)

Kitchens of Distinction would probably be classified as dreampop these days; Julian Swales was up there with Robin Guthrie and Neil Halstead for being able to coax out gorgeous waterfalls of sound from his guitar, but bassist/frontman Patrick Fitzgerald was a confident frontman who had a lot to say. (They were probably closer to The Sound or The Chameleons than to Ride or Lush.) Released as a precursor to their second album, Strange Free World, "Drive That Fast" is one of KoD's best-ever singles and the EP's other tracks are all good, with the dark, boozy "These Drinkers" and a piano rendition of single "Elephantine" being standouts. Runner up: The Elephantine EP has the full-on swirling version of the title track, plus three worthy other tracks.

13. Lilys – A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns (1993, spinART)

Kurt Heasley has reinvented Lilys a few times over the last 30 years, but the group began as noisy indie rockers who pulled equally from late-'80s Creation Records and Dinosaur Jr's freak scene. This wonderfully titled EP has some of Lilys' catchiest songs, including "Ginger" (which inexplicably ended up getting used in a 2007 Cadillac commercial), "Any Place I've Lived" and "Jenny, Andrew and Me." It's one of their best releases and, sadly, also one of the rarest...out of print, not on streaming services, and used copies are hard to come by. Extended listening: Lilys' debut single, "February Fourteenth," is a real ripper.

12. Verve – All in the Mind (1992, Hut)

Before they became Britpop stars with “Bittersweet Symphony” and “Sonnet,” The Verve were just Verve (they had to add the "The" after legal threats from Verve Records), a band from Wigan, England who made out-there, super-groovy psych rock. The group pretty much disowned the title track of their debut EP moments after releasing it, but what do they know? “All in the Mind” is a propulsive space-hopper jam that really shows off Nick McCabe’s incendiary fretwork, Simon Jones’ deeply melodic bass, and the indispensable, jazzy style of drummer Peter Salisbury. The other two tracks -- the beautiful “One Way to Go” (featuring a great vocal from Richard Ashcroft) and dreamy “A Man Called Sun” -- are more indicative of where The Verve would go on their debut album, A Storm in Heaven. Extended listening: The Verve E.P. was the band's introduction to the U.S., taking tracks from their first three singles/EPs, including "A Man Called Sun," and edits of their tripped-out A-sides "Gravity Grave" and "She's a Superstar."

11. Swervedriver – Duel (1993, Creation)

Another band who got better when they burned off some of that haze, Swervedriver made a massive leap between their first album, Raise, and their second, Mezcal Head. A big part of that was a new lineup of the band -- which included a much-improved rhythm section of drummer Jez Hindmarsh and bassist Steve George -- that could really rip. But it was also better songs and more muscular production courtesy producer Alan Moulder who was very busy in the early '90s. (He probably worked on half the records in this list.) The soaring, roaring "Duel," arguably the album's finest moment, is backed with two killer B's: the majestic "Planes Over the Skyline," and starry eyed "Year of the Girl," both of which have Jez going full Keith Moon. Extended listening: Standalone single "Never Lose That Feeling," which would be tacked-on the U.S. edition of Mezcal Head, was actually the last record the original lineup of the band made. The EP version melts into the dubby "Never Learn," making for a very worthy 11 minutes.

10. Chapterhouse – Mesmerise (1991, Dedicated)

In the UK, there was a lot of cross-pollination between shoegaze, acid house and the Manchester scene, and few groups pulled all those together as successfully as Chapterhouse. Coming just a few months after releasing their debut album, Whirlpool, the four-song Mesmerise EP -- which is is sometimes listed as a single -- features two great examples of their blissed-out style: the title track, which blasts out thick waves of synthesizers against a piano hook, was as much a Madchester anthem as anything else; while “Precious One” rides a bongo-fueled groove. There’s also the swirling, ambient “Summer Chill” and the windswept guitar haze of “Then We’ll Rise.” Extended listening: 1990’s Freefall EP falls a little more into space rock territory, but “Falling Down” -- which uses The Soul Searchers’ "Ashley’s Roachclip" drum break sample heard in Eric B & Rakim’s “Paid in Full,” Milli Vanilli's “Girl You Know it’s True” (and on many, many, many other records) -- pointed to the direction they would soon be heading.

9. Curve – Blindfold (1991, Anxious)

Curve were an interesting group, as both Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia had been around for a while in the industry; Dean was a live member of The Eurythmics in the early-’80s, and they were both in short-lived ‘80s band State of Play, who made one record and then broke up. Dean played on Toni’s 1989 solo album, and then they decided to take another whack at a group, perhaps taking My Bloody Valentine’s “Soon” as an influence, mixing hazy guitars with dance music. With Halliday’s powerful pipes it was an alluring combination. Alan Moulder, who they’d worked with in State of Play and on Halliday’s solo album -- and who was THE shoegaze engineer -- was the de facto third member of the group. Curve released three EPs in 1991, all of which are great but the first, Blindfold, is the best with the seductive single "Ten Little Girls"  featuring something no other record on this list has: rapping. Extended listening: Curve’s second EP, Frozen, is also killer, featuring “Coast is Clear” -- one of their best-ever tracks. All three of their 1991 EPs were collected onto the Public Fruit album.

8. Velocity Girl – Velocity Girl (1993, Slumberland)

While mainly known for its influential punk scene, Washington DC also had a thriving indie rock scene in the late '80s and early-'90s that was heavily influenced by the UK's C-86 scene and labels like Creation, Cherry Red and 4AD. Velocity Girl, in fact, were named for Primal Scream's song on C-86, and played a similar style of very fuzzy janglepop. The group included former Black Tambourine member Archie Moore and, originally, Bridget Cross who, when she left to focus on Unrest, would be replaced by vocalist Sarah Shannon. The band's gift for melody, and love of shambolic, noisy guitars, is evident on this EP that collects songs from three early 7"s. "My Forgotten Favorite," which would turn up a few years later on the Clueless soundtrack, is the obvious standout (and arguably VG's best song), but the other five songs are equally stellar. Extended listening: Velocity Girl were more fond of 7"s than EPs, but their 1993 debut Copacetic (released, like all their albums, on Sub Pop) has held up well, and gotten better with age.

7. Ride – Today Forever (1991, Creation)

Released just a few months after their debut album Nowhere, the Today Forever EP takes Ride out of the hazy murk and into cleaner production without sacrificing their signature swirl. The EP also shows a growing confidence in songwriting and arrangements, like with the powerful, deliberate “Sennen.” Today Forever was never released in the U.S., and is unknown still to a lot of fans, though three of its four tracks found their way onto the American "Vapour Trail" CD maxi-single...but it leaves off one of Ride’s prettiest songs ever, “Today.” Extended listening: Ride’s 1989 debut EP contains classics “Chelsea Girl” and “Drive Blind.”

6. The Boo Radleys – Lazarus (1992, Creation)

Like a number of shoegaze bands, The Boo Radleys spent a couple years hiding their musical skill and good songwriting behind a wall of MBV-inspired noise. This resulted in some great music but when they came out of their shell, they got even better. Released not long after their wilfully dissonant Everything’s Alright Forever LP, the Lazarus EP felt a bit like seeing the band with a new pair of glasses. The signs had been there all along for The Boo Radleys, but all four songs here are a step up in every way. “Lazarus” would show up on 1993’s Giant Steps, but without the long, dubby EP intro that pays off so well when the song roars into focus. It's also amazing they'd delegate songs as good as "Petroleum" and "At the Sound of Speed" to b-side material. Extended listening: 1991’s Every Heaven EP is pretty fantastic with a nice balance of melody and roar, and has one of the Boos’ best-ever songs, “The Finest Kiss.”

5. Slowdive – Holding Our Breath (1991, Creation)

While clearly influenced by the Cocteau Twins' shimmering style, Slowdive didn’t really sound like any other group from the original shoegaze era, with an oceanic guitar swell that remains unique and mysterious. “Catch the Breeze,” which would also show up on their 1991 debut album, Just for a Day, is an all-time classic but the rest of this EP is just as captivating. Rachel Goswell’s ethereal harmonies on “Shine” will never not send shivers down your spine, and their cover of Syd Barrett's "Golden Hair" is rather titanic. Extended listening: Slowdive’s debut EP, Morningrise, nods to the band’s ‘80s goth youth while pointing toward the direction they’d soon head.

4. Moose – Jack (1991, Hut)

If it wasn't for Moose, this list might have to be called something slightly different, as the word "shoegaze" was first used in a Sounds review of one of their early gigs. That is probably enough to warrant an inclusion here, but luckily Moose were a great band who carved out a distinct corner in The Scene That Celebrates Itself. Their first of three 1991 EPs, Jack, was as dissonant as they got, but underneath the bandsaw guitars were melodies rooted in a classic songwriting style that owed as much to Burt Bacharach as the Velvet Underground. That would bubble up to the surface more as the band progressed, but you can hear it on both "Ballad Of Adam & Eve" and "Boy." The EP kicks off with the awesomely drony title track, and wraps with moody ballad "I'll Take Tomorrow." Extended listening: By the release of their third 1991 EP, Reprise, they were already halfway to the breezier style they'd adopt for XYZ and subsequent albums, and it features the gorgeous, country-ish ballad "This River Never Will Run Dry." Songs from Moose's early EPs were cherry-picked for the Sonny and Sam EP, the only record Moose ever got released in America. Criminally underrated, I

3. Pale Saints – Flesh Balloon (1991, 4AD)

In between their first and second albums, Pale Saints added singer-songwriter-guitarist Meriel Barham to their lineup, changing the dynamic of the group for the better. She made her debut on this EP, singing lead on a playful, dreamy cover of Nancy Sinatra's "Kinky Love." The whole EP is fab, though, with the sprawling, dramatic "Hunted" -- which would show up on second album In Ribbons -- and is one of the best examples of the group's unique mix of beauty and noise. There's also a demo of "Hair Shoes," which shows up in full studio version on In Ribbons, but the real standout here is spectacular instrumental "Porpoise." Extended listening: 1990's Half-Life Remembered is pretty great too, especially "Half Life" which toys with Madchester beats. The title track is great.

2. Lush – Mad Love (1990, 4AD)

Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie was behind the boards for this four song 12” that remains the perfect distillation of everything Lush did so well. Quintessential Lush song “De-Luxe” leads the EP that also includes the equally wonderful dreampop track "Thoughtforms" both of which feature Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson's signature guitar and vocal interplay. plus great minor chord slashers “Leaves Me Cold” and “Downer.” Lush made many great records during their brief run, but if you can only have one, make it this. Extended listening: Lush’s debut, the six-song Scar mini-LP is excellent too, if a little rough around the edges. You don’t have to choose, either: Gala compiles Mad Love and Scar, plus a couple other tracks, on one album. It's also hard to argue with picking up Ciao! Best Of Lush which includes their dabblings in Britpop (like the title track which was a duet between Miki and Jarvis Cocker).

1. My Bloody Valentine – Tremolo (1991, Creation)

While My Bloody Valentine’s 1990 Glider EP features their danceable classic “Soon,” the 1991 Tremolo EP has an overall higher hit-count, and sees Kevin Shields and the rest of the band continuing to break new ground. Tremolo features the swirling, transportive “To Here Knows When,” the beautiful “Swallow,” glide guitar ripper “Honey Power” and the churning, Brian Wilson-esque “Moon Song.” Nearly 30 years later, listening to this dazzling EP's four songs will have you wondering "How did they make this?" and "are my stereo speakers functioning properly?" A must-own companion to Loveless. Extended listening: Then again, Glider does have “Soon.” Get them both!