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Mission Creek Preview: Peel Dream Magazine dreamily lands in Iowa City

Combine 80s shoegaze with indie dream pop and you’ll have NYC-based group Peel Dream Magazine. As much sonic landscape as it is meditative vocal harmonies, the band’s sound is all about creating a haunting atmosphere for the listener, blasting them to an otherworldly dimension. 

Two albums deep, the band began as the solo project of Joe Stevens, self-released and recorded in his apartment. Once Stevens signed with a label off of the success of his debut Modern Meta Physic, Stevens brought in a fuller band lineup for the 2020 release Agitprop Alterna. Instrumentalist Kelly Winrich, vocalist Jo-Anne Hyun, and drummer Brian Alvarez fill out the lineup. 

2021 release Moral Panics

The recent release 2021 Moral Panics continues the additions of Agitprop Alterna—the dual male and female vocals call to mind The Pixies or The Magnetic Fields, fused with the soundscapes of Ultravox and The Cocteau Twins. Peel Dream Magazine’s music invites the listener to take a trip through sunny synth and intimate drum machine beats. Currently touring with fellow Mission Creek artist, Soccer Mommy, Peel Dream Machine offers retro sounds that fit in well with the heyday of 90s college rock—fitting with the band name’s homage to BBC Radio DJ and indie music promoter John Peel.

Peel Dream Magazine will perform April 9th at Trumpet Blossom Cafe as a part of Mission Creek Festival.