Dream Pop has been one of the most appreciated yet underrated genres since the 1980s: Everyone likes it, but not many people can admit listening to it daily. And this is perfectly understandable: Dream Pop isn’t made for dancing or getting wild to, it only fits a few situations, and the mellowness of its standard melodies don’t often get you packed with energy.

However, it remains one of the nicest genres to listen to, when you’re in the mood of course. Unfortunately, Dream Pop has hit an all time low in terms of popularity since the beginning of the 2000s (that is, of course, comparing to its popularity rate during the 80s and 90s, which was insanely high). Its fan base isn’t the most restrained, sure, but it remains nonetheless a more underground genre.

Taking its roots in the 1980s, Dream Pop has moved Generation X like few other movements. Between Shoegazing, Space Rock and Neo-Psychedelia, and thanks to bands like Slowdive, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Lush and Catherine Wheel, Dream Pop has reached a peak during the end of the last millennium. A peak, which may never be reached again…

Fortunately, some artists are striving to keep the Dream Pop legacy going, and their compositions are part of the best there are today.

1) Youth Lagoon

This Idaho-based duo have stunned so many with their first album, The Year of Hibernation, then came back and did it again with their sophomore efforts, Wondrous Bughouse, and will probably pull a threepeat as they are working on a third record which is set to come out this year. Trevor Powers’ experimental/neo-psychedelia project has been one of the references in terms of underground-ish Dream Pop trippy music.

2) Beach House

Beach House are probably among the greatest Dream Pop bands of all time. It sounds exaggerated when you put it this way, but once you listen to their music, you’ll understand. It is simply out of this world. The Baltimore duo have made the playlists of millions of people around the world, and played major events like Coachella, SXSW, Glastonbury and more.

3) Tycho

Tycho is a pioneer of one of Dream Pop’s newest branches: electrogaze. His use of synthesizers and his ambient creations have been some of the most appreciated in recent years. The San Francisco producer’s 2011 third LP, Dive, has marked many Dream Pop amateurs thanks to its creative drum machine loops and guitar melodies.

4) Wild Nothing

Blacksburg, Virginia’s Wild Nothing have been one of the most productive bands of the last five years. They released two studio albums in 2010 and 2012, as well as three EPs, two in 2010 and one in 2013, and are currently recording their third studio album. The band’s fan base has been growing quite quickly during the last two years, and they have been critically acclaimed. Jack Tatum’s project is on the rise, and have been since 2013, as they have featured at one of the world’s biggest music festivals: NYC’s Governors Ball.

 

5) Still Corners

A project conceived by vocalist Tessa Murray and producer Greg Hughes, London-based Still Corners have made their debut in 2011 with Sub Pop records by releasing a first full length LP entitled Creatures of an Hour. Their music has since been used in major shows and advertisements like Gossip Girl and Nokia ads, and they seem more than capable to hold the torch of Dream Pop and transmit its surreal vibe to future generations.