Image from the Flaming Lips NYE Freakout of 2011, via the Nathan Poppe Collection
UMAmi #31 January 2026
a FREE monthly zine via the OK Underground Music Archive
A beginner’s Guide to shoegaze by Granny Anarchy One of my favorite varieties of music is shoegaze. For some reason, a lot of people have trouble understanding and defining the genre. It seems that many shoegazers spend as much or more time defending their music as they do enjoying it! I also suspect that no two shoegaze fans will have the exact same explanation of just what shoegaze is - or isn't.
origins Shoegaze arose as a movement in the 1980s when bands from the UK and US began using layers of specific effects – notably reverb and delay - to create a wall of distorted sound. Most shoegaze songs are identifiable for their emphasis on fuzzy guitars often modulated by chorus, flanger or phazer pedals in unconventional order and combined with alternative tuning in a dense, dreamy blend. Vocals are often breathy, obscure and mixed down. The result is often described as abstract, diffuse, droning, lush, noisy, shimmering, surreal, swirling or textured. Shoegaze bands were known for their artistic, introspective attitudes and stoic stage presences. Unfortunately, they were also sometimes seen as geeky, melancholy, preoccupied, pretentious or self-indulgent. Etymological legend has it that the term “shoegaze” comes from the description of bands staring down at their effects pedals instead of making eye contact with the audience. This appellation was actually meant as a joke. Shoegaze was also sarcastically called “The Scene That Celebrates Itself” by British music journalists who were used to covering grandiose, gossip-rich rock and pop antics - and who seemed to resent acts supporting one another by sharing stage time, going to each other's shows, and generally being rivalry-free.
Fade-Out & Revival Due to perceived standoffishness and the mainstream unmarketability of the music, what Pitchfork called “music for dreaming” was always a little more demanding of its audience to engage with it. Rather than pulling in listeners with easy-to-grasp lyrics or over-the-top antics, instead, shoegaze created reveries with deeply saturated sound that took fans on immersive trips of introspection. As a scene and viable artform, shoegaze was over by the end of the 1990s. Unable to compete with the angry in-yourface wail of grunge and catchy, charismatic britpop, shoegaze was too cerebral and cryptic - too aloof - to be commercially successful. Some of its tenets lived on in dream pop, noise rock, and psych rock until it began to experience a revival around 2010.
essential albums Proto-shoegaze band The Cocteau Twins were inspired by The Birthday Party, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Kate Bush. They released their first album, “Garland,” in 1982, with its follow-up, “Head over Heels,” in 1983. Singer Elizabeth Fraser's unintelligible vocals were described as ethereal, and Robin Guthrie's guitar - at first aggressive - developed into something more dreamy. The cumulative sound was always atmospheric, and their earliest postpunk work and later dream pop albums deeply affected many shoegaze artists to come. The Jesus and Mary Chain released their debut, “Psychocandy,” in 1985. Brothers Jim and William Reid were influenced by Phil Spector's “Wall of Sound” recording technique and Brian Wilson's musicianship and use of the studio - as well as abrasive, aggressive acts such as The Stooges and The Velvet Underground. The JAMC was full of buzzy guitar noise, darkly ambiguous lyrics, and saturated sixties-influenced melodies. Psychocandy is often defined as, if not the birth of, the inspiration for the sonic style of shoegaze.
My Bloody Valentine, who released the “You Made Me Realize” EP and the album “Isn't Anything” in 1988, released their second, seminal album “Loveless” in 1991. Drawing on the bands before them as well as referring to Dinosaur Jr., Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth and the Ramones, MBV's Kevin Shields pioneered the “glide guitar” technique utilizing his Jazzmaster's whammy bar to help bend pitch - and eventually putting him on Rolling Stone's and Spin's lists of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. The story behind the recording of “Loveless” is legendary, involving 19 studios, at least 18 different engineers, and a disputed amount of money that may or may not have aided in the downfall of Creation Records over approximately two years. All of this arduousness resulted in a critical success which has been called one of the best albums ever - and the quintessential shoegaze album. Lush came onto the scene in 1991 with the release of the six-track “Scar”. Miki Berenyi, Emma Anderson and their bandmates released “Spooky” in 1992. One of the more commercially successful shoegaze acts of the time, Lush penned poppy melodies and blended them with textured guitars. Spooky reached #7 in the UK Albums chart and Perry Farrell invited the band to play the 1992 Lollapalooza main stage. Slowdive, impacted by The Cure and Pink Floyd, released “Just for a Day” in 1991. The band's 1993 “Souvlaki” is a shoegaze staple. Slowdive was known for ambient, dreamy soundscapes and even collaborated with Brian Eno on the tracks “Sing” and “Here She Comes”. Souvlaki only achieved #51 on the UK charts but has been retroactively acclaimed as one of the best releases of the 1990s and one of the greatest shoegaze albums of all time.
read the rest here:
The mythical Blue Monday by la pêche punkette Blue Monday: allegedly the most depressing day of the year, hovering near the end of January and marking the start of the long post-holiday lull. At least, according to a British psychologist, who attempted to quantify the mid-winter melancholy with a complex equation including variables such as “time since Christmas,” “failed New Years resolutions,” and “debt minus ability to pay.” On top of being wildly Eurocentric (focused on Christian holidays and the Northern Hemisphere), the concept of the “most depressing day of the year” has been touted by airline companies to keep sales high after the holidays. Still, there’s some truth to the notion, like how less sun can trigger depressive episodes for those with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Or how Monday, as the harbinger of the common work week, brings the blues. But it’s not all drudgery. There’s beauty in the gloom, and odd joy in the darkness: there’s “Blue Monday” by New Order, the synth pop classic.
Scan the link on the right to see the library’s New Order materials (just about the entirety of their discography is on Hoopla)
After the passing of frontman Ian Curtis, Joy Division’s surviving members clustered into a “new order.” The raw, achy misery of Joy Division became the pulsing, neon-lit dissociation of New Order. Danceable, catchy, with mournful lyrics and a pervading sense of grief—this is New Order, and “Blue Monday” is their poster child. This January, if you’re feeling the weight of the mythical Blue Monday—whether it’s winter or work or something personal—put on the song it shares a name with. Dance it out a little bit. Not cool girl club style, but messy and intuitive, Ian-style. “Blue Monday” won’t cure your blues, but it will show you how to dance through them, and maybe even how to channel them into something creative.
♦
blue b-sides mini list
“Blue Monday” by New Order (duh) “Cold Souls” by Drab Majesty “Toska” by Molchat Doma “Miserabilism” by Pet Shop Boys “Chase” by Giorgio Moroder “Ship of Fools” by Erasure “The Model” by Kraftwerk
featuring Larrissa, levi Jack Taylor, and adele marie-alix
VENUES 89th Street 8911 N Western Ave (OKC) 89thstreetokc.com Beer City Music Hall 1141 NW 2nd (OKC) beercitymusichall.com Blue Door 2805 N McKinley Ave (OKC) bluedoorokc.com Blue Note 2408 N Robinson Ave (OKC) okcbluenote.com Bookish 1005 NW 36th St (OKC) thebookishshop.com
OK Cider 705 W. Sheridan Ave (OKC) okciderco.com Opolis 113 N Crawford Ave (Norman) opolis.org The Pet Shop 1529 Linwood Blvd (OKC) thepetshopokc.com Ponyboy 423 NW 23rd St (OKC) ponyboyokc.com Resonant Head 400 SW 25th St, Suite A (OKC) resonanthead.com
Criterion 500 East Sheridan Ave (OKC) criterionokc.com
Resonator 325 E Main St (Norman) resonator.space
Core4 Brewing 7 N Lee Ave (OKC) core4brewing.com
The Sanctuary 1012 N Indiana Ave (OKC) facebook.com/thesanctuaryok
Diamond Ballroom 8001 S Eastern Ave (OKC) diamondballroom.com
51st Street Speakeasy 1114 NW 51st Street (OKC) 51stspeakeasy.com
Factory Obscura 25 NW 9th St (OKC) factoryobscura.com
Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St (OKC) towertheatreokc.com
Grand Royale 1749 NW 16th St (OKC) instagram.com/grandroyaleokc
The Venue 1103 North Villa (OKC) thevenueokc.com
Jones Assembly 901 W Sheridan Ave (OKC) thejonesassembly.com
Zoo Amp 2101 NE 50th St (OKC) okczooamp.com
January calendar $ = $1-20 $$= $21-39 $$$= $40+
= All Ages
= Oklahoman band/artist
= Benefit Show
= Roadie Recs
Newkirk w/Warren Jackson Hearne, Brad Fielder @ 02 Patrick Grand Royale $ FRI
Bassline @ The Pet Shop $
Lolly Bombs, Labadie House, and Channel Changer 03 The @ 51 St. Speakeasy $ SAT
st
Electric Sunrise EP Release, LETR, The Ugly Cowboys, Coat @ Resonant Head $ Factory Follies @ Factory Obscura $ Linus, Lulled, Douglas, berzica @ Resonant 04 Photocopy, Head SUN
$
05 Frost Bite Showcase w/Hellhound, Grey Areas, Pried Apart, MON
Barrel of Bodie, Failure to Cope @ 89th St. $
07 Sapphire’s Garden @ Grand Royale WED
08 Old Time Cider Jam @ OK Cider $ THU
Open Mic Night (hosted by Jarvix) @ Factory Obscura $ 14 +
Grimm With Sergio Webb @ Blue Door $$ 09 Tim Open Mic Night @ bookish $ FRI
Wade Bowen @ Tower Theatre $$ Leroy Cravett w/Sunliner and Tasty Bang @ Grand Royale $
09 Ross Clayton Album Release Show w/Hunter Thomas @ FRI CONT’D
Resonant Head
10
Beau Jennings / Cheyenne @ Blue Door $$ William Beckmann @ Beer City Music Hall $$
SAT
$
Skylily, Kennedy Fine, Keathley, Larrissa @ Resonant Head $
13 TUE
Morrissey @ Criterion *Sold Out*
Lucius Coldstone and Chris Allen Cox @ Grand
14 Royale WED
MC Davo, Sabin @ Beer City Music Hall $$ Hush Now, Sweet Halo w/Rolling Eyes., Pearly Red, Failure to Cope @ Resonant Head $
Halverson @ Beer City Music Hall $$ 15 Tyler The Steppers, The Pearl Snap @ Resonant Head $ THU
Brothers Comatose, Goodnight, Texas @ Beer City 16 The Music Hall $$ FRI
Girls Gone Rad Show - Labadie House, Honduh Daze, The Burn Notice, Diva @ Resonant Head $ GZA, Phunky Nomads, Jabee @ Tower Theatre $$$
17 Money, Palefade, and Bliss @ The Sanctuary $ SAT
Yung Hood @ 89th St. $ Broke String Burnett w/Goldbook Revelry @ Grand Royale $ Now That’s What I Call Uncovered ft. Branjae, Emma Goldman Sachs, Liquid Girlfriend, Lee Hernan, Late Night Messages @ Factory Obscura $
The Founder, ADAM Music Project @ Beer City Music 18 Aranda, Hall $$ SUN
Your Arms are My Cocoon, Speak, Memory, It All Happened in July, Waning @ The Sanctuary $
The Rumours & The Oxys @ Blue Note $ 19 MON
20 Wayne Hancock @ Blue Note $ TUE
21 Austin Duplantis @ Grand Royale WED
Too, Thanks w/Channelchanger and OAF @ Resonant 22 Me Head $ THU
Eric Hagen @ Blue Door $$ Ian Moore @ Tower Theatre $$$
23 Logan Ryan Ban @ Beer City Music Hall $$ FRI
Red Sun “At Their Very Best” Release Show w/Limp Wizurdz, Garden Ants, Losing Connection, Morris Village, Fighting Sleep, In My Defense @ Resonant Head $
Mutem, Sifr, VÆN COIN @ Bookish $$ 24 UtBUGNOG, Ectospire, MyWitchMyBlood, Respair @ Resonant SAT
Head
$
Stone Machine Electric W/Good Spirits, Psychotic Reaction @ Grand Royale $
Fire from the Gods w/For The Fallen Dreams, VRSTY, Divide The Fall @ 89th St. $
Meso, Subsonix, Disco Presents, Xenotype, Jalaya @ Beer City Music Hall $$
C Finder, The God Awful Truth, Vantartax @ The 28 Euclid Sanctuary $ WED
@ Beer City Music Hall $$ 29 shame David Ramirez, Sharon Silva @ Resonant Head $$ THU
Niko Moon @ Jones Assembly $$
LIBRARY OUT LOUD AT 300 PARK AVE. Ward @ Diamond Ballroom $$ 30 Josh Chris Knight, Beau Jennings @ Resonant Head $$ FRI
Situation, Disco Presents, Subsonix, Brondo @ 31 Hostage Beer City Music Hall $$ SAT
ing Ev urr e c e
s nt
Celtic Jam at the Patriarch Funk at the Blue Note Open Mic at Fair Weather Friend
MONDAY
Blues at the Speakeasy
TUESDAY
Bluegrass at the Patriarch WEDNESDAY Jazz at the Speakeasy Experimental Night at Opolis - every 4th Wednesday Open Mic night at Factory Obscura - 1st THURSDAY Bluegrass at the Speakeasy Song Swap at the Blue Note (usually 1st Thursdays) Live Music at Johnnies on Britton Open Mic Night at Core4 Brewing DJ nights at Ponyboy FRIDAY Live Music at Johnnie’s on Britton
Celtic Jam at the Banjo Museum - 4th SATURDAY DJ nights at Ponyboy Live Music at Johnnie’s on Britton Celtic music at Full Circle Bookstore Songwriter Sessions - 3rd Sundays at SUNDAY Core4 Brewing
R
What is this OK UMA thing, anyway? OK UMA stands for the Oklahoma Underground Music Archive. But of course the answer involves a bit more than that. Tucked away in the walls of one of the library branches of the Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County there’s a magical place called the Special Collections and Research Department, lovingly described as a very big closet run by a handful of nerds. The mastermind, Buddy, is a walking encyclopedia of local history and lore, and each of the librarians who works with him have their own set of strengths and projects. The items under their care are mostly centered around Oklahoma history. And yes, there’s lots of history books – although the Reading Room once stood in as a math library in an indie movie – but history isn’t just the stuff that makes it into lectures and textbooks. It’s also things like meeting minutes, VHS tapes, hair dye and zines. When special collections librarian Meg started at Metro a little over three years ago, they picked up a project started a few years before dubbed The History of Punk. But it wasn’t a narrative or timeline of the Punk genre, more like a time capsule of local music history. So Meg kind of immediately renamed it the Punk Project while they got to know what exactly this bunch of stuff was, and what they wanted to do with it. (Buddy is the kind of cool boss that lets you figure out stuff like that, who will check in on your progress and mental health but also lets you work independently). And after a few months of talking with other awesome Metro staffers and staring at the analog stuff on the shelves and digital stuff on hard drives, Meg renamed the project again to the Oklahoma Underground Music Archive.
The OK UMA is now completely inventoried, partially cataloged and always interested in your contributions to documenting and sharing the history and life of the local music scene. You can see the portion that’s been uploaded at tinyurl.com/OK-UMA/, but know that it’s currently about a third of the collection (Meg’s working on that, promise) and that your perspective is always welcome if you have anything you want to add. Got zines, photographs, anecdotes, recordings or something else? Join the party – email us at Oklahoma.UMA@gmail.com and we’ll talk logistics and details. We have several DIY’d alt-style sweaters, posters, hair dye bottles, photographs, CDs, LPs, zines and more. Eventually they will all be available for your perusal online, but you can also let us know if you want to come look in person. And every month we take your contributions and our own to put together this gorgeous little zine you’re looking at now, talking about the ongoing pulse of local music and creativity. Stay salty, everyone!
Monthly Collaborative Playlist This month’s prompt: Hold On
Listen Here:
Next month’s prompt: Saddle Up (It’s going to be the Year of the Horse!) Ask for a collaborator link, send us your picks for either playlist or drop us a line via IG (@MetroSpecialCollections), FB (the OK UMA group & Metro SCR page), or email at Oklahoma.UMA@gmail.com
AMA Roadies Edition What is one event or piece of media you're looking forward to this year?
I’m looking forward to Yet Another Silly Goose’s Puppet Slam on Feb. 7! — la pêche punkette Gogol Bordello album "We Mean it Man" Feb. 13 Release of "Even the Good Girls Will Cry" bio by Melissa Auf der Maur on Mar. 17 Silversun Pickups @ Tower Theatre, Sat. Apr 25 (new album due early 2026) Re-release/updated edition of "Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD" on May 12 -Granny Anarchy I currently have so many random works-in-progress – mostly zines, but a handful of cross-stitch designs and various writing projects too. What I’m looking forward to most this year is finishing any of them. -Jackalope Seeing Vana in Dallas in the spring and going VIP at the show!! - primal opossum
Got a question? >>> Oklahoma.UMA@gmail.com
send us your: favorite albums show reviews hot takes scribbles shower thoughts playlists feedback ideas / suggestions requests and more! email us at oklahoma.uma@gmail.com UMAmi is a monthly zine by Metropolitan Library Staff and you! Copies are distributed around the first weekend of each month and can be found at Metropolitan Library branches and music or alt-lifestyle locales around the metro, such as: 89th St / Bad Granny's / Beer City / Bookish / Core Board / Elemental Coffee / Empire / Factory Obscura / Floating Bookshop / Flora Bodega / Orange Peel / Opolis / Ponyboy / Red Cup / The Sanctuary / Zero Tolerance
tinyurl.com/OK-UMA/