Shoegaze City

Day dreamy: The band is an intoxicating blend of catchy, lo-fi rock and pure aural assault.

The first thing you should know about Ringo Deathstarr?

They are f—-ing loud.

“I honestly can’t tell how loud we are,” founder and frontman Elliott Frazier says, laughing. “They’re always telling me to turn down the guitar, so I guess that’s pretty loud.”

As they should be. Twenty years after shoegaze’s heyday, the Texas trio have stolen the noisy, noisy reigns from late ‘80s/early ‘90s UK pop bands like My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus & Mary Chain. Now they’re leading the charge in a new wave of shoegaze revivalists.

Walls of warbly, shimmering noise? Check. Effects-pedal boards as big as their amps? Check. Dreamy girl/guy vocal harmonies buried beneath waves of fuzzed-out distortion and guitar feedback? Looks like you’ve been reading their mail.

But unlike revivalist peers such as Brooklyn’s The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, who lean toward the softer side of shoegaze, Ringo Deathstarr cuts its pop with a sharp, metal edge. Just take its critically acclaimed debut LP, 2010’s Colour Trip. An intoxicating blend of catchy, lo-fi rock and pure aural assault, Frazier and Co. come off as one part songwriters, one part noise sculpture artists. Sure, it’s giddily, often thunderously chaotic.

But man, what a gorgeously controlled chaos it is.

“When people hear the term noise, they only think of that [he mimics the sound of drone-y static], those kind of sounds,” says Frazier, who started the band in 2005. “But you can make noise out of so many different instruments and samples. We’re just trying to find new ways to use noise.”

For years, the term “shoegaze” was a much-maligned one by both musicians and rock critics. (The name itself sprung from a snarky description of the way early shoegaze bands stared down at their feet, i.e., pedal boards, during live shows.) But for the new crop of shoegaze bands, it’s a term — and an influence — they openly embrace.     

“It was kind of the thing that tied all the music I liked together,” Frazier says about hearing My Bloody Valentine for the first time. “That’s why I started this band, to sound like that. Just to do it for fun. The only other way to satisfy my needs would be to see My Bloody Valentine everyday of my life, which obviously wasn’t going to happen.”

Of course, the members of Ringo Deathstarr don’t embrace everything about their idols. 

“We don’t just stand around on stage,” Frazier says, laughing. “And we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We like to have a good time and party.”

Not surprisingly, Asheville has got its own local shoegaze scene brewing. For years there have been bands around town dipping into the sound, and recently it’s really started to ferment. Take the new “Straight Gaze” show (Thursdays from 8 to 10 p.m.) on Asheville FM, which plays “music for people who wear big striped shirts.”

Then there’s Asheville Shoegaze, the Facebook page created a few months back by local promoter Ashe Ruppe. He started it to help band together a local shoegaze scene, as well as bring in out-of-town noise-gazers like Ringo Deathstarr. 

“I think the scene is slowly growing,” says Ruppe, whose band, Glass Arcana, will be opening the Ringo Deathstarr show alongside local shoegazers Wages and Wyla. “I love the fact that there are so many things starting to happen in Asheville around this type of music. This is a great art city, and it needs a more diverse music scene. That is most certainly happening as we speak.”

Ruppe says his main focus is to make Asheville a “destination for this type of music.” Which might not be as crazy as it sounds. We’ve already got “Beer City USA” under our belt. So why not Shoegaze City?

Bring on the noise.

— Miles Britton is an Asheville-based freelance writer.

who: Ringo Deathstarr, with Wages, Glass Arcana and Wyla
what: The Emerald Lounge, 112 N. Lexington Ave.
when: Wednesday, July 6 (9 p.m., $8. emeraldlounge.com)

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Shoegaze City

  1. boatrocker

    I though West Asheville had “Shoegaze City” wrapped up tight- what gives? Is Portland giving us trouble again?

    If loud music=quality music, I’m going to the upcoming “Jet Airplane Takeoff” event at the Asheville Regional Airport. No earplugs. Just rebellious volume.

Leave a Reply to boatrocker ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.