Alcian Blue was an American shoegaze and new wave-influenced band operating out of the Washington, D.C. suburb of Takoma Park from 1998 to 2006. They were known for their extremely loud wall of sound live aesthetic, coupled with the use of disorienting video projections.
The band initially consisted of guitarists Sam Chintha and Jake Reid, drummer Clark Stacy, and bassist Matt Welch. Recording and self-releasing the full-length album "Slow Colorless Stare" (2001) and several EPs, they honed their characteristic sound by relentlessly experimenting with DIY recording techniques and effect boxes. They toured extensively with fellow East Coast shoegaze bands such as A Place to Bury Strangers, Skywave and the Emerald Down.
In April 2004, Stacy left the band to join the Air Force. The band decided to continue, using drum machines and adding Reid's future wife Kim Dodd on synthesizers and extra guitar. This sudden change in the group dynamic resulted in a new sound featuring synths and drum machine more prominently, as heard on their eponymous second album, released in July 2006 by Elephant Stone Records. The band toured extensively with the new lineup prior to the release of the record and developed a cult regional and worldwide fanbase.
The band decided to part ways in September 2006 to pursue new projects and new sounds. In 2007, they posthumously released an EP, "Years Too Late", consisting of songs culled from older recordings.