We’ve been celebrating Minnesota Music Month here at The Current, and in the Minnesota Music Month Scouting Report, the band She’s Green (typically stylized in all lower case: she’s green) were named the Local Artists of the Month.

she’s green are described as a “shoegaze quintet,” shoegaze being a genre of music that first emerged in the U.K. in the late 1980s, and it employs a lot of guitar effects like distortion, delay and compression. Those effects are typically activated by pedal switches; because guitar players often look at their shoes to turn the effects on and off, the name “shoegaze” was coined.

In an interview with Diane, host of the Local Show, two members of she’s green described their fascination with shoegaze music:

Liam Armstrong: What originally really drew me to shoegaze is the textural aspect of it, and the ambiance of a lot of the bands that are prominent in that genre.
Zofia Smith: Cocteau Twins and Beach House. I was extremely inspired by them. That's what drove me into that part of music.
Liam Armstrong: It was fun to just try to obscure the natural sound of a guitar as much as possible, and then use that as an emotional expression.
Zofia Smith: … It was really fun to play with those sounds in order to enhance the emotion.

In honor of she’s green and the music they make, let’s celebrate the practitioners of shoegaze past and present.

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what shoegaze songs would you like to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played
she's green – bleed
My Bloody Valentine – When You Sleep
Asobi Seksu – Strawberries
Cocteau Twins – Carolyn's Fingers
Lush – For Love
Catherine Wheel – I Want to Touch You
The Jesus and Mary Chain – The Hardest Walk