Speaking of favorite albums, and favorite bands--I am obligated to mention A Place to Bury Strangers. Affectionately (or maybe not) known as "NYC's loudest band," APTBS takes the best of shoegaze and makes it louder and grainier--effectively bringing it out of the 1990's and into the 21st century.
Their self titled album, (released in 2007) has garnered countless comparisons to The Jesus & Mary Chain's Psychocandy (1985.) APTBS is a little less sentimental than the traditional British shoegazers, and a little more gritty. The frontman, Oliver Ackermann, runs the Brooklyn venue/recording studio Death By Audio and designs custom pedals. So yeah, APTBS isn't just a couple hipsters with equipment. Ackermann formed APTBS after his shoegaze band Skywave broke up (the remaining members of Skywave went on to form Ceremony, also on the Killer Pimp label.)
APTBS takes the tender, sentimental notes of traditional shoegaze (think Slowdive or Fleeting Joys) and drowns it in an overwhelming mass of feedback (think Ringo Deathstarr, with balls.) The result is a sound both harsh and soft, a smothering, atmospheric din. The breakout track on the album, "Ocean" is a tenacious six minutes reminiscent of the early Joy Division recordings---the sound is moody, echoing, funereal.
APTBS should also be commended for consistently putting out material and being involved in the music community instead of holing up and resting on their laurels (yes, I'm looking at you Kevin Shields.) They've done some fantastic remixes lately, notably of School of Seven Bells' "Windstorm."
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