The future of small, undiscovered indie-dream pop bands in the 90s and early 2000s was very dim. Many groups would write, produce, and record a self-titled album on their own, hoping to eventually be signed to a label, only to immediately disband after walking away from a record deal empty-handed.
Those who were lucky enough to be signed on to a label still couldn’t be guaranteed that they would be one of the lucky few to witness their big break. Thus, many bands disappeared into obscurity, with their only proof of existence being an EP.
With the creation of mainstream social networks and media like Reddit and TikTok, some of these groups are finally getting their chance to shine 20 and even 30 years after they first formed. However, there are still so many talented bands of the dream pop genre that haven’t yet reached mainstream, some of which I have decided to include in this list of my top ten favorite underground dream pop bands.
- Helen Stellar (3,978 Monthly Listeners)
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Helen Stellar got their start in Chicago in the early 2000s, but is now based in Los Angeles, still making music. Their latest release, Moonlight Amnesia, came out in 2023 and is their fifth EP; their only album, If Stars Could Speak, They Would Have Your Voice, was released in 2012.
According to Helen Stellar, their music is made up of “dreamy, reverb-washed sound fused with shoegaze textures with soaring, melancholic pop.” Their most famous song, “IO (This Time Around)” from their first EP, Below Radar EP, perfectly captures this sound. And not only is this track their most famous, with a million streams, but it was also featured in the Cameron Crowe film Elizabethtown.
But of course, I’m for all things underrated, so I would have to argue that their 2006 EP I’m Naut What I Seem is some of their best work yet. A close second would definitely be their full-length album, with the song “Show Me The Good” serving as a testament to their diverse sound.
@helenstellarmusic via Instagram - Trembling Blue Stars (12.5k Monthly Listeners)
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Trembling Blue Stars, the indie dream pop band from London, was formed in 1995 by singer-songwriter Robert Wratten, who had already been through two previous disbandments, and his then-girlfriend Annemari Davies, who was replaced in 2000.
The band made their official debut in 1996 with the release of their first album, Her Handwriting, in 1996, which explores the couple’s breakup. Following close behind is the 1998 album, Lips That Taste of Tears, which features the song “Never Loved You More”—a personal favorite of mine.
Six albums and several EPs later, Trembling Blue Stars disbanded in 2010 for undisclosed reasons. Yet fifteen years later, I’m still stuck on Wratten’s heartfelt lyrics and ethereal vocals, often paired with soft drumbeats and melancholic guitar strums in the background.
@barnonerecords via Instagram - Wheat (15.9k Monthly Listeners)
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Formed in 1996 in Taunton, Massachusetts, Wheat struck gold when, according to their Spotify, a fan sent one of their tapes to Sugar Free Records, a Chicago-based label, which immediately signed them. Wheat made their debut only two years later and, following that, evolved from their original dreamy, autumnal sound on their first two albums, Medeiros and Hope and Adams, into a more alternative, indie-rock sound.
Of all their songs, “This Wheat,” “Roll the Road,” “Courting Ed Templeton,” and “Heaven Has” are my favorites and, in my opinion, deserve more recognition. As for their albums, their latest release, Wishing Good Things for the World (2015), is at the top of my list.
@SteveLatham via YouTube - Color Filter (32k Monthly Listeners)
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Color Filter, a Japanese band that includes composer Ryuji Tsuneyoshi and vocalist Yuki Nishimura, made their United States debut in 1998 with the release of their first album, Sleep In A Synchrotron. Their last official album, blueberry, was released in 2007. My favorite songs off those two albums have to be “Sad Grey Sky,” “Fruit～果実が落ちる午後～,” and “Orbit.”
According to Color Filter’s website, their sound, described as “mellow psychedelia encompassing ambient, shoegazer, breakbeats, and techno elements,” has been praised in Tokyo for being ahead of its time but is still awaiting rediscovery.
@colorfilter_ryuji via Instagram - Rumskib (38.3k Monthly Listeners)
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Rumskib’s started as a duo in 2001 with guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer Keith Canisius and vocalist, lyricist, and visualist Tine Louise. In 2006, they began looking for additional band members, which led to the expansion of Rumskib to include bassist Boe Katharina, guitarist Rune Risager, and drummer Kristian Siqueira.
There have been no updates made to their website since, which makes Rumskib a current mystery.
As for their Spotify, the band released a self-titled album and an expanded version in 2007, featuring a blend of dream pop and shoegaze. In 2023, Rumskib finally put out a second album titled Previously Unreleased, which consists of some original Danish and English songs by the band as well as some demos and remixes of previously released songs from their first album.
Rumskib via YouTube - Violet Indiana (55.2k Monthly Listeners)
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A short while after vocalist Siobhan de Mare was relieved from the band Mono, she received a phone call from one of the masterminds behind Cocteau Twins, Robin Guthrie, who asked Mare if she would like to work with him. This led to the creation of Violet Indiana, with their first EP release in 2000, shortly following.
Violet Indiana’s body of work — which consists of two albums, two EPs, and two singles spanning over four years — aligned them with the hazy, smooth, and ambient sound of dream pop, yet kept them far from the distinct sound of Cocteau Twins.
Personally, I find that “Sundance” and “Feline or Famine” are two of the best songs from their first official album, Roulette (2001).
@robinguthrieofficial via Instagram - Sugar Plant (80.7k Monthly Listeners)
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Sugar Plant was formed in 1993 by vocalist and guitarist Chinatsu Shoyama and guitarist Shin’ichi Ogawa. Two years later, the duo released their first album, Hiding Place, in both the U.S. and Japan and quickly drew a following.
Sugar Plant cites bands like Yo La Tengo, who they once opened for on a Japan tour, and Galaxie 500 as influences for their dream pop sound, which can be clearly heard in their 1998 album, Happy. Though I can’t help but also notice a slight resemblance to the late-90s band 800 Cherries in it as well.
To this day, Sugar Plant is still making music and has released various singles over the last two years, with “blue submarine” being my favorite.
@ufoguogu via YouTube - Flat7 (94.6K Monthly Listeners)
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After touring as Cocteau Twins’ guitarist from 1989-1996, Mitsuo Tate put out two albums, Lost in Blue (2005) and スウィート・グロウ・オブ・サイレンス [Sweet Glow of Silence] (2012) under the artist name, FLat7.
However, I highly doubt that Tate was acting alone, considering the inclusion of female vocals in his songs and the many lyric and composing credits given to an assortment of artists on both albums, so that is why I’ve decided to include FLat7 on this list (and also because his music is too good to gatekeep).
Truthfully, I can’t say that I’ve had a more surreal experience listening to a song than I did when I heard “much water flows under the bridge” for the first time. Tate’s stunning guitar work, mixed with the dreamy sound of the lead vocals, is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before.
@art.pop.daily via Instagram - Love Spirals Downwards (139.4k Monthly Listeners)
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The California-based band Love Spirals Downwards got its start in the late 80s, with Ryan Lum acting as its instrumentalist, composer, engineer, and producer for the past three decades. Joined by Lum was vocalist Suzanne Perry, who was later replaced by vocalist, lyricist, and co-producer Anji Lum (née Anji Bee).
According to their Spotify bio, the duo has created a sound that moves between “instrumentals and vocal pieces, with the voice often functioning as texture, blurring the line between atmosphere and narrative.”
This approach was clearly taken towards the making of the band’s singles released this year, “Gray” and “Secrets,” which pair ethereal guitar strums with hazy vocals. In my opinion, these tracks feel slightly reminiscent of Cocteau Twins.
Love Spirals Downwards via YouTube. - Autumn’s Grey Solace (221.7k Monthly Listeners)
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Autumn’s Grey Solace consists of vocalist Erin Welton and guitarist Scott Ferrell, who, together as a duo, have released a total of sixteen albums since 2002, with their latest having been put out at the start of this March.
However, their first one, Within the Depths of a Darkened Forest (2002), remains my absolute favorite album of all time. There is just something incredibly beautiful, yet haunting, about Ferrell’s vocals that I can’t get enough of, especially in the song “Forgotten, Fossilized, Archaic.”
@autumnsgreysolaceband via Instagram
As much as I’ve loved keeping these talented artists as my little secret, I can only hope that soon they’ll get the love they deserve.