Entertainment For Lively Minds
Lesser Britpop
Posted by milkybarnick on 10 October 2010 - 10:49pm.
In response to Backwards7's post below, any of the Massive got any slightly less popular/well known records from the Britpop era that, while not necessarily critically acclaimed at the time, he;d a special place in their hearts?
Here's my first exhibit - from My Life Story
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Hillman Minx - I've Had Enough
http://vimeo.com/7029399
Mark and Lard's record of the week one week. Surfed the Britpop wave rather late but I always liked it.
Salad dressing
Always liked this:
You can never have enough Salad
I disagree.
That's waaaay too much Salad for my liking. Sub-Peej, stylised warbling, I reckon. Why, indeed, d'ya have to be so cheesey?!
Octopus - Adrenalina
From A to B
I have this album on CD, and it's the most elaborate packaging of any CD I have. There are double fold-outs on either side, and one of them open out almost like a book pop-out into a game; there are even playing pieces to be cut out from a piece of card. It must have cost a bloody fortune, possibly even replicating Factory's unfortunate loss-making sleeve for Blue Monday. Haven't played the album for yonks.
Alan McSeveny used to do the sound at the Kashmir Klub, when Dave Dix wasn't; and Marc Shearer was a regular there. Ah, happy times.
Kind of like this?
I know Marc
He used to come and see us at our house in Tooting from the time of From A to B onwards. One of the guys I lived with is a close pal of his.
He's a lovely man. Beyond lovely. He helped make my stag do a night to remember. We went to Walthamstow Dogs and then all trooped back to his warehouse rehearsal space in Stoke Newington and jammed on guitars, bass and drums till 6am.
Lovely.
Can't claim to have known them
but the Octopus album was wonderful. Hope this helps.
From a very under-rated
From a very under-rated album too..
Gotta Be That Way
Off of one of this fine organ's CDs was a belter.
SIlver Sun
The first (eponymous) album still sounds great in the car on a summer's day.
Ooh, I was listening to this earlier today...
Silversun
Great band. The first album I still listen to. It's not on Spotify or Napster, though.
Geneva - No One Speaks
Always loved this as well
Is this Britpop?
Who knows? It is excellent though...
McAlmont & Butler - What's The Excuse This Time?
Speedy - Boy Wonder
Can't find audio anywhere online, but just look at the cover art:
Someone Else Remembers!
One of the great lost albums of the last decade. Start the campaign now. Saw them twice live, loved them to bits, then they disappeared. For me it was the track 'Heard Seen Done Been'. And I can't find any audio either...
Ah, Boy Wonder is the only Speedy song I know.
And only because it is on Shine 7. The Shine compilations soundtracked my teens, and are still very listenable today.
Kenickie!
I love Kenickie!
The first album is on heavy rotation on my iPod, and I'm still word-perfect on this song.
At The Club
Yes! Came out at THAT time with choppy guitars and a girl singer but infinitely superior to any of their contemporaries. One of the great "lost" records with such sharp lyrics.
This is my fve from the second album:
Yep, loved Kenickie too
At The Club got played to death chez Milky at the time.
ITV made a documentary about their last tour - it's only half an hour long (if that) but it's both interesting and quite sad too. It's a shame to see how things can all go so wrong...
I loved Kenickie
Was very sad when they split up - no chance of a reunion now I would have thought
Good God I love Kenickie.
Sadly, this doesn't have the power of the fabulous album version.
At The Club is just one of my favourite albums, full stop.
(No subject)
Kula Shaker - Tattva
Amusing as the Neil Kulkarni review linked to in the other thread is, I loved this album almost more than I loved life in 1996. Imagine my excitement when they played in my town... It doesn't all hold up today, but this song remains amazing.
I bought K for £2 from a
I bought K for £2 from a discount book shop last week.
Hey Dude still sounds amazing.
You're right, it does!
Rialto - Monday Morning 5.19
A wonderful piece of John Barry inspired pop by a clever and stylish band who should've been much bigger
A fantastic single
Louis was previously in Kinky Machine who were doing britpop before the term was coined. I think this was from 93.
This, surely...
...was the monster Rialto hit-that-never-was:-
I liked Menswe@r, and I don't care if you judge me.
(What can I say, I was a teenage girl who liked skinny indie boys with guitars... Did I know they were being shamelessly marketed at me? Probably. Did I care? No.)
The Brilliant Subcircus
The Rather Wonderful Jack
Cast played at my first Glastonbury.
A mate of mine remarked upon hearing them "I had no idea one band did all these songs that I hate."
But I do like History
Good choice
"The change is cast" as Lee Mavers sang on Looking Glass, the final song on The La's eponymous album.
Whiteout
Chugtastic Faces riffing from 94. Double header tour companions of Oasis. Now in Lesser Britpop Word blog.
Early '90s Merseybeat
Pre-Britpop. Fishmonkeyman, Rain and The Stairs. Still sound fab to me.
The Stairs - wonderful!
Scouse Nuggets
Dodgy?
...maybe not.
Dodgy: The britpop band that...
...Phil Collins liked.
What does that actualy mean?
He also liked/likes Tamla Motown so Dodgy clearly rubbing shoulders with the right company.
What a great, great band.
I so nearly got to see them live on a number of occasions, always frustrated by one thing or another.
Tiny Monroe...
...VHF 855V.
Pre Brit Pop
Spare a thought for those groups that just missed out on the whole 'scene' who were my teenage heroes:
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Kingmaker
Thousand Yard Stare
530
Senseless Things
Cud
and The Wonder Stuff.
Let us never forget them. *blows bosun's whistle*
Are you me, writing from a parallel dimension?
I've met very few people who ever heard of 5.30 - I should have known someone on this blog would know them. Unsung heroes of the (very) early '90s.
Can I add Power of Dreams to your list?
5.30. Mod band from 1985/86
that had a resurgence in the early 90's. Tara on vocals. Air Conditioned Nightmare seems to be a song I recall.
Reawakened the memories
I don't remember Air Conditioned Nightmare.
I used to listen constantly to Bed which I though was their debut (and only?) album.
Even have it on my iPod still.
Power of Dreams I never got into, but I hear from somewhere they have reformed and are touring. Although that may have been a dream.
Also honourable mention to Family Cat's Steamroller. About 9 minutes of joyous indie bollocks.
But...
Tara was active during the Britpop years with his outfit The Nubiles who I quite enjoyed
Re: 5.30 Supernova was a great tune
The 5.30
Bed is one of my favourite albums ever, a great burst of Mod (well Baggy and Britpop after it were only Mod revivals after all).
I owned the single the very young 5.30 put out back in about 1985, with an American singer who was from another band called The Numbers (I think it was but I'm not sure, they did a dodgy version of The Jam's See Saw anyway..). The single was Catcher In The Rye which turned up as an extra track on the Bed CD.
They should have been huge...
And as for the Midlands lot
My sister's other half used to work for the Neds; I think my sis sold t-shirts for a time.
Her other half also worked for should have been bigger Mega City Four.
not a single...
It was a track on a compilation - Cutting Edge a Razor records compilation...with The Purple Hearts and a grand little tune called Train To London Town by Solid State.
Ah the failing memories of an aging Mod...
Ooh, I remember Power of Dreams!
My first ever gig was Ned's supported by P.O.D. Understand was a top tune, at least to my 17-year-old ears.
My formative gig-going years were in that post-baggy pre-Britpop interlude, so I saw plenty of PWEI, Eat, Pele, Carter, Back to the Planet... (but was gutted to miss out on Kingmaker when they passed by the Wedgewood Rooms in Southsea. The review in the Portsmouth News described them as the new Jam.)
Afterwards I felt bitter to have hit that age during indie's fallow years. Oh to have hit 17 just a couple of years later! In fact it only would've meant swapping the above bands for the likes of Northern Uproar and Symposium. No loss, probably.
Kingmaker
I was there...
I saw Kingmaker so many times as headliners and support act.
After one gig where they supported my beloved Stuffies my brother and I sat in the back of a van with Miles Hunt's brother Russ drinking Red Stripe, then we were joined by Jon from Kingmaker. Then we all ran into the sea.
I was about 14 and thought life could not get any better.
I was right.
Not really.
Well, maybe.
No that's silly.
Forgot about Mega City Four too. Sebastapol Road is one of THE great pop albums.
Kiss Tribute Act
For the Dead
One of my all time favourites. Though I don't really know anything else they did.
Are Ride too big for this category?
So many of my favourites here already...
How I loved Britpop. Actually, how I still love Britpop.
Seeing as no-one's mentioned Marion, I may as well chuck this one in...
I liked Marion!
Saw them round about Manchester a few times. Never got hold of their second album though...worth having anyone know?
Marion!
I really liked this band. This song's still a belter.
(It's called Late Gate Show)
Belter
Marion were fantastic - think seeing this on that "Britpop Now" documentary sealed it. Another tape well worn out.
Someone mentioned cud
Their last ditch, hard rockin'/Mott the Hopple phase from the Britpop years. Raises a smile
S*M*A*S*H
I remember this lot at the Highbury Garage in 1994, supported by the aforementioned Nubiles. Underrated.
I Want To Kill Somebody was better but I can't find that on the Tube. It contained the line 'Gill Shepherd's got an apalling unemployment record.'
Self Abused!
Is one of my favourite albums on the quiet. I listen to it more than I do some of the classic punk albums. It is however more than slightly ridiculous lyrically. Oh Ovary being the worst offender, although a great tune..
Not sure if they are lesser...
Sleeping In by Menswear.
Where Do I Go Now by Sleeper.
Dodgy's first album... what numbnut dropped them from the label after that?
Rollercoaster by Northern Uproar
Smiler by Heavy Stereo
And this belter...
Ah, Clive...
...got to disagree with you on "Great Things". At that point, Sonya and co were sharing a single waterski and heading fast towards a large shark named "Fail", IMO.
Their first record has some pwopa choons on it, though.
Nah, you're wrong.
Great Things is a great thing.
Great Thing
I loved it. I liked her voice, and Great Things has an absolutely stonking riff.
Thrice great
After seeing them on Britpop Now, I think it's popped into my head at least once every day since.
Never heard anything else they did, but Great Things is a fantastic pop song.
NWONW
also featuring These Animal Men, a bit more cartoon then S*M*A*S*H. (I still have the Speed King wrap).
They then got a singer and became Mo Solid Gold releasing a sterling album I still listen to.
Seconded, thirded, fourthed
These Animal Men were brilliant and Mo Solid Gold were one of the best live acts I've seen. Really under-rated. I'll never understand why they weren't bigger
Have you heard The Orphans, their new venture? Quite, quite mad.
Prince Of The New Wave
Mo Solid Gold should have been huge, and that song is one of my favourite songs of the last 20 years.
Especially the live version
...the limited edition of the first single with the excellent breakdown in the middle
Let me know if you've got it, if not I will find a way to get it to you
NWONW
As above, so below.
Longpigs
For my money one of the better bands around at the time. Richard Hawley on guitar, of course.
And this from the Boo Radleys. No, not that one:
Bless the Boos. They were a good band, but the curse of Wake Up! lies heavy on them.
Another Longpigs song.
Great song, but posted just for the amusement value of Richard Hawley having changed not one iota since 1996.
Also, here...
...they seem to have Doctor Who on vocals and Simon Pegg on bass. Bit rum.
Speccy on guitar
bet he looks back on that from his accounting job in Sheffield and thinks what could have been, what could have been....
Congratulations on catching me out
if you are just being humorously deadpan here, but you do realise "speccy on guitar" is Richard Hawley, right? You know, Richard Hawley.
Alas,
Idiotbear's original post highlights what a shameless carpetbagger I am.
Grr!
Pesky kids making a fool of me!
*shakes fist*
When you say "not that one"
you must be referring to this,
and the rest of Giant Steps.
Longpigs were tops as well.
Bastard Lazarus.
Couldn't avoid it! In shops, all over the radio, at parties - sodding Lazarus, just EVERYWHERE.
Major League
Thought this thread was for lesser lights. IMHO The Boos were a major band. No-one seems to agree with me that "KIngsize" was a great record. And Martin Carr's solo Lp from last year was mighty fine too.
Another useful band from that period:
Major league?
Nah. The Boos had one major single: I don't think that qualifies them. They're great, but compared to Blur, Oasis and Pulp, they were minnows.
No Way Sis
Well yes I'd Have them tucked in a way behind Blur and Pulp certainly...
But Oasis?
If you and I are going to remain friends Mr Bear I think it's best I say nothing.
I'm not talking quality.
I'm talking sales and impact.
Claro
Oops!
BTW just read your comment on "There Will Be Blood" in another thread. Couldn't agree more! And I thought I was alone in holding that opinion as well...
Delighted to hear it!
Oasis are gash, by the way. ;-)
C'mon kids
That was a decent album, but way too weird for their audience. Career suicide, but I think they knew their time in the sun was not going to last anyway. So they went for it.
A up-arrow for Dubstar from me -
much more to them than many of the guitar-bashers of the time, and nothing at all "lesser" about them.
Aah.. Dubstar..
Fronted by the very lovely Sarah Blackwood. It was a relief that she was easy on the eye because her singing would have reduced a desk running Melodyne to a heap of molten plastic.
They also had one of the rudest album covers ever.
Crikey
Until you made me think about it, I'd always quietly wondered why there was an inside out fluffy pencil case on that cover. I'm an idiot.
You're a bad influence Mr Law.
*goes back to being prim and innocent*
My CV has been updated.
"Corruptor Of Decent Young Ladies"
Hehehe. *Twirls moustache in raffish fashion*
And what do you do with the indecent ones?
*she wondered idly*
All young ladies are considered decent.
Until they have proved conclusively otherwise..
It's a pity it's already
It's a pity it's already been used as it would have made an apt cover for Mr Pencilsqueezer's eponymous debut Lp.
The Bluetones
Just looked at Wikipedia and they were more successful than I thought.
Bluetones
I thought this was fabulous.
Not considered 'lesser' round our house
Possibly the best Britpop tune of them all... and Marblehead Johnson weren't too shabby either.
Ah yes...
another one I'd forgotten.
I was trying to analyse what it was that got me listening to music again in the 90s - apart from living in the GLR broadcast area. There appear to be several musical reasons when I look at it...
GLR...
...were you a fan of Gary Crowley?
His Sunday afternoon show at the time was excellent
He'd hate
being labelled Britpop but even a movement's nemesis is part of the movement viewed through the prism of hindsight, so I give you
The Auteurs - Showgirl (God, I love this track)
Actually looking for the first time for years at the album cover to New Wave doesn't Luke Haines look a bit like Becks? Blimey, that's possibly likely to piss him off even more than categorisation as Britpop.
Also, Lawrence was there to provide a blueprint before it all took off a couple of years later:
Awful copy
but contains Glitter Band & yer actual Middle Of The Road.
Hang on...
where are we drawing the line? What is greater Britpop, and what is lesser?
Well, I loved them, anyway
Tiger. Residing in the 'Where Are They Now?' file since... well, shortly after this (their debut 7", from '96, I think)
Tiger - Race
I preferred this one. Yes that's Danni:
More Tiger
I have two of their albums
British but prob not Britpop
Late-Madchester really, but hey-ho, a top notcher.
Alice in Vain by Sleeper
A rifftastic monster of a song. Plenty of other good stuff on Smart, their debut album.
Lush
They weren't Britpop, but any excuse is a good one:
Most definitely arrow-worthy
Desire Lines is absolutely bloody gorgeous. One of my favourite songs of that decade, from an album I still maintain is a Lost Masterpiece, Split. Let's have another highlight, Light From A Dead Star. A string arrangement that's actually worth a damn; a lyric that's thoughtful and reflective; some lovely guitar lines.
A post that is
100% correct in every respect.
But they "went Britpop"
didn't they?
(Single Girl)
The Wonder Stuff ???
Shurely shume mistake...........?
Major label deal
4 (count 'em) studio albums all selling in excess of 100k units in the UK alone (granted, I suspect their global appeal was somewhat niche)
Headlining their own stadium show
Headline appearances at Phoenix, Reading and elsewhere.
Posthumous platinum greatest hits album
Sold out "re-union" tour.
I don't think Miles Hunt will be living on the breadline anytime soon.
Here's The Bass Thing's (RIP) last stand....
edit - now how the deuce did that end up there....I'm sure I replied to one further up...must be the rioja. Carry on....
Whipping Boy
One EP and one album released. Barely made a dent in Britpop, too odd, too old-school-Creation-sounding, too ugly, too bleak, too intense, but damn they made a beautifully poetic noise:
(We Don't Need Nobody Else)
Loved Whipping Boy
Heartworm still gets listened to regularly.
They did make a second album....
Not as good as Heartworm admittedly, but then not many albums are.
Saw them at the long lamented Essential Festival at Stanmer Park in Brighton 1996 on 'Indie Day'. They were awesome - really pumped up. Used to have loads of great bands there.
* Actually looks like they made a third album that I knew nothing about, must go and investigate....
http://www.irishmusiccentral.com/whippingboy/discography_albums.html
That's news to me!
I shall have to investigate too. Cheers for the tip!
More (pre-?) Britpop Ghosts
I think all three of these played at the first Glasto I ever attended - '92, with Carter headlining.
The Dylans - Planet Love
I only ever knew this song, but it was fantastic
The Frank And Walters - After All
Currently touring with Power of Dreams and Sultans of Ping apparently. Only in Ireland - but I would LOVE to see that gig in England too...
Catherine Wheel - Black Metallic
I hated most of their stuff, but this was fantastic
Several thumbs up for Black Metallic
An excellent record from a period most now hate (being post good Roses and pre Nirvana). An easy time to slag off Carter, Wonder Stuff, etc. I say: it wasn't Britpop, but it was British Pop.
Black Metallic was a remarkably good tune.
Curve were decent an' all:
General Thumbs Up
I liked "Mary Quant in Blue: by the Dylans.
I was lucky enough to see The Frank and Walters at The Junction in Cambridge, supporting, I believe, The Divine Comedy, on the same day I got fired in, ooh, 1996.
I think I remember that they were great.
How could I forget....
....
Justine may have been Britpop royalty, but her band were only ever second division, bless her. Great first record, though.
EDIT. Blimey. Mind playing tricks. I note from Wikipedia that Elastica were briefly much bigger than I'd thought and not second division at all. Must be the billion-year wait for that nonpareil of forgettability that is their second album that made me underestimate them. Still, this is a great tune, so I'm leaving it up.
Geneva
I see they've already been namechecked by Gauntlet but Geneva really seemed to have a precious commodity in lead singer Andrew Montgomery.
Their last album Weather Underground included some great tracks, like this one Dollars In The Heavens
Geneva were lovely.
It's Tranquilizer for me...
Just thinking..
Were Shed 7 considered to be Britpop?
Oh yes
Sultans Of Ping F.C.
I actually had quite a soft spot for this lot - cheap and tacky, but they sure knew it.
Spot the celebrities and footballers in this one!
Great tune
And if the story is believed Britpop would not have existed if not for Ed Ball who allegedly saved McGees life after an overdose.
Stephen Duffy's Britpop period
I remember an interview with Stephen Duffy in about 1995 in the Melody Maker when he was talking about moving to Camden and enjoying the music scence there. Here's his Britpop single - Sugar High. Good tune this.
And he teamed up with Alex James and the drummer from Elastica for this one:
Remebered this today
From the arse-end of Britpop, unfortunately
I've been tormented by this song for absolutely years.
I remember watching some god-awful late-Friday-night variety show on ITV featuring this lot: the songs (I recall another one called something like Dive In) seemed accomplished enough, but the singer came across as an absolute utter wanker.
I might be wrong
but I seem to remember that the singer was the son of Lynsey de Paul.
Space
Avenging Angels' b-sides
Were brilliant.
Bastard Me, Bastard You and I'm Unlike A Lifeform You've Ever Met.
The Supernaturals
Reputation forever tarred by the dull, shouty, advert-bothering Smile but they did some really good stuff. Like this take on huge 80's power ballads ("My love for you is bigger than an elephant...it's bigger than Birmingham!")
Also, to follow up on milkybarnick's original suggestion...
My Life Story were fantastic. I played Mornington Crescent to death, and The Golden Mile had some great tunes - such as Ten Reasons Why below. Strange to think now that they were often lumped in with the Divine Comedy as a smart lyrics/strings n horns/fop collective. I saw them play a one-off gig earlier in the year and they were great, but I don't think the music industry has been as kind to them as it has for Mr Hannon.
Also lost in the mists of time
Ooberman, and their only near-hit "Blossoms Falling". Top tune!
What? No Mansun?
From their prog-pop epic Six
Agreed
This is great, too:
Good call
I bought Attack of the Grey Lantern on a whim when it came out as it was only £4.99 on cassette, and they seemed interesting. Good decision.
I later spent many months investigating Six, but they never seemed to know what to do after that, did they? "I can only..." is a good tune, and there's a few decent others on "Little Kixx" but I wasn't surprised when they split up.
Pop Fact: My ex-girlfriend is friends with Paul Draper on Facebook.
I can't think of many Britpop-era albums I still listen to.
Attack Of The Grey Lantern is one of them.
In It For The Money by Supergrass is the other. (Five Stars in Q. Why should I argue?)
Supergrass haven't been mentioned yet, have they? Do they not count because they kept going for much longer than all the others?
Any more for any more?
Catatonia - Dead From The Waist Down
and a proper lost gem from a band that deserved adoration:
Ultrasound - I'll Show You Mine
I was obsessed this this lot
..for about 3 weeks