Two Saras and a Mara. Now in Portland (natch), but once from Minneapolis. Which makes sense. I think if they rebooted the old Mary Tyler Moore Show (yes, I know, but work with me) it would be set in Portland. But enough of all that.

Candace New Ruins (self-released)

Back in the day, I remember when bands like Galaxie 500 established the whole shoegazer ethic. There were a few things a band needed to remember. First, use as few chords as possible. Second, always have a pretty melody. And third, never move too fast. That's it. Follow those rules, and you could shoegaze.

Bands today make this sound more complicated than necessary. A lot of what gets called "shoegazer" is really mid-tempo power pop. Wait, if it's not 120 BPM, it's shoegazer, right? Geez. Anyway, Candace is old school shoegazer. Lush arrangements of dreamy melodies sung in raspy whispers. A few of these songs don't go anywhere at all, but the ride is so spectacular there's no room for complaint.

Boy, are these songs pretty. A lot like My Bloody Valentine (the first of the shoegazer moderizers, I suppose), except for a complete absence of distortion. Plenty of reverb--you can't shoegaze without a copious quantity of reverb--but no rough edges. Everything is blunt, soft and cushy.

These ringing songs echo through my brain with alarming intensity. I'm usually immune to the charms of this sort of thing, but Candace's songs are so pretty and so full of sound that I'm smitten. Death by languor has never been my thought of a good time, but New Ruins is making me reevaluate my position.

Jon Worley