10 Shoegazing Epics You May Not Have Heard

5. Henry's Dress €“ 1620

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Onz_NJ-Uyw Henry's Dress are the mysterious legends of the alternatively loud and jangly Slumberland Records roster. They were active between 1993 and 1996, releasing but one album and a handful of EPs, splits and singles. 1620 was their debut release, and even without the shaky lo-fi recording quality it would still sound like a localised apocalypse. A compulsive distorted bass riff provides a slurry underbelly over which a guitar squalls like it's being strangled. Yet despite the racket, the vocals remain calm and impassive throughout €“ classic shoegaze. It would be a long-shot indeed to suggest that, like with the Velvet Underground, few people heard Henry's Dress - but those who did would go on to form their own bands. But that said, doesn't listening to 1620 just instil an almost overwhelming desire to get drunk, get some friends together and start a riot? Further Listening €“ Hey Allison (Bust 'em Green, 1995)