Ok, time for the very first Waves mixtape in series I’d like to continue with a few of my favourite genres to give you a bit of an introduction; the rest of the hunting is up to you. Not all of these would be considered totally shoegaze, but delve a bit into Dream-pop and noise rock too.

MP3: 1. Ride – Seagull
First track of their first album, and is always a great starter for any mixtape. Full of pounding, feedback laden guitars along with the signature poppy, breathy shoegaze vocals had me hooked from the very first listen. Love.

MP3: 2. Love Of Diagrams – Forever
After seeing these girls (and guy) last weekend it is cemented; LOD are my favorite Melbourne band. Their new album ‘Nowhere Forever’ completely smashed me in the face. I fell for the poppy Sonic Youth-esque vibe hard.

MP3: 3. Popolice – Action
Another Melbourne act, Popolice deserves praise due to the fact that it is just the one man show; Mark. Pretty sure he’s out working on his debut album at the moment after years of slogging it out in pubs and support slots.

MP3: 4. My Bloody Valentine – Soon (Andrew Weatherall Mix)
It was going to be an obvious choice whatever MBV song I chose. Probably the best know and most loved shoegaze act to come off Creation Records due to their seminal album ‘Loveless’. This mix is great for the home D-floor.

MP3: 5. Swervedriver – Duel
Labelmates with MBV and Ride (on Creation), Swervedriver never quite hit the same highs. Probably because they had a bit more of a pop melody base, and never produced anything as good as this track.

MP3: 6. Chapterhouse – Pearl
Oh man, when those drums first kick and shuffle in with the bass I just melt; and that chorus just swims and flows like nothing else. Dream pop at its best.

MP3: 7. Lush – Sweetness & Light
Here again, when the drums kick in with that bouncy twang riff it just makes me feel so happy.

MP3: 8. Slowdive – Souvlaki Space Station
Ive posted this before but if you still havnt listened to this album you have to do yourself a favour and find it. This song, though its got a shite title, its THE single most dense, epic, gorgeous shoegaze track ever laid down. I almost had to delete this song so I wouldnt listen to it every day. Unbeatable on headphones.

MP3: 9. Aspen Woods – The Life I Didnt Choose
Last up is a sweet track from a much newer band that I know nothing about; picked there album up on a whim and about half of it is amazing, the other half passable. This comes off the former side.

PACKAGE: Download all tracks in a prepared compilation courtesy of Mister Gruzdev

Right, I find myself waiting here at the computer with 20 minutes to go til I can buy MGMT tickets online, so I thought Id share with you the songs that have really been rotating with me lately. First up is an absolutely gorgeous, euphoric dream pop track from an equally as fantastic album. They just have very unfortunate titles. The track, ‘Souvlaki Space Station’ comes from the classic 1993 album ‘Souvlaki’ by British band Slowdive. Dont be put off by thoughts of greasy garlic sauce, because it couldnt sound any further from that. Label mates with My Bloody Valentine, these guys impressed the fuck out of me the first time I heard them.

MP3: Slowdive – Souvlaki Space Station

Second is a great 1982 New Romantic track by another British band, Visage. I hear so much of Cut Copy in this its not funny. The same little bleepy synth sequences, and Steve Strange sounds so similar to Dan.

MP3: Visage – The Damned Dont Cry