I'm a little embarrassed that I went so long without knowing what shoegaze meant.  I understood the general qualities of bands that were described with this word, but I never actually got to the bottom of the term's humorous origins.  Like most genre descriptions, "shoegaze" is condescending, pseudo journalistic nonsense (kind of like linking to Wikipedia, deal with it).  Identifying the broad spectrum of introspective, atmospheric music with a reference to a visual cliché is a bit reductive.  Also, you can't see your shoes when you're playing keyboards, dummy.

Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck, a.k.a. I Break Horses, have been accused of making shoegaze music, which I feel undersells the Swedish duo.  Their debut album Hearts opens with a triumphantly non-timid arpeggiator line, with Maria's ethereal vocals cascading through the center as the song's layered synths and distorted drums explode toward the heavens.  If the heavens existed, I'd imagine this would be the perfect soundtrack to take you there, with just enough roughness around the edges to remind you that fluffy white clouds are fucking boring.  The album is remarkably well produced, with little touches, like the chaotic dissonance towards the end of "Wired", to keep things fresh and unpredictable.  This isn't the first synth drenched album with dreamy female vocals and they know it, which make unexpected moments like the organ stabs at the beginning of "Cancer" all the more delightful. 

Tonight, M83 rolls into town, which is an exciting prospect for the Buffalo music scene.  The show has been sold out for a while, so if you're looking for a ticket, tough shit.  However, if you're one of those jerks that likes to throw away money by showing up 5 minutes before the headliner goes on, I'd like you to consider finishing those pre-game bong loads a bit earlier this time.  I Break Horses is a cherry on top of an already terrific bill, and who doesn't like a little dessert before dinner?

Doors at 7.