indie rewind
Classic Compilation: The Lightning Seeds – Like You Do… The Best of The Lightning Seeds
For some the phrase pop-music is an instant turn off, but in truth they are missing the point a little. The whole point of music is for an audience to be entertained, be it the moody teen listening to their favourite epic maths-rock opus, my jazz playing friend getting into the swing with his Count …
Classic Compilation: James – The Best of James
James are one of those bands that I return to every now and again. It’s not as if I am a massive fan, but they have slowly crept into my album collection over the years and The Best of James ably demonstrates what a great band they were when it came to the pop song. …
Not Forgotten: Edwyn Collins – I’m Not Following You
Pity poor old Edwyn Collins. If the world were a just and fair place, we would be hailing Orange Juice as the crown princes of 80s indie, but instead it’s The Smiths that everyone remembers. Understandably peeved, Collins went off in a huff to record a string of micro-budget solo albums which failed to sell, …
Classic Album: R.E.M. – Document
Like many R.E.M. fans here in the UK, it wasn’t until the early 90s that I first became aware of them through hit singles like “Shiny Happy People”, “Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts”. As a result of this, I am most familiar with the albums from their period signed to Warner Brothers Records. Sure, …
Not Forgotten: Stereophonics – Word Gets Around
It is the late 90s, the Britpop bubble has just burst, New Labour has started to settle in to governing the UK and I find myself studying in Wigan, birth place of Stuart Maconie, Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls and George Formby. In terms of popular music, girl groups, boy bands and annoying dance-pop have started …
Not Forgotten: The Levellers – Mouth to Mouth
Mouth to Mouth was an almost totally unexpected return to form for the usually argumentative and finger-pointing Levellers, mainly due to the fact that they dialled down their argumentative nature and finger-pointing. Mouth To Mouth is also something of an oddity for the band, as on the whole protest songs are kept to a minimum …
Not Forgotten: Super Furry Animals – Radiator
Sometimes a band just gets it right. Prior to Radiator’s release in August 1997, only Super Furry Animals’ most optimistic and fervent fans would have put good money on the band’s second album transcending the stylistic restrictions of the failing Britpop scene that they were only tangentially associated with. Yet Radiator proved without a doubt …
Classic Compilation: Ed Harcourt – Until Tomorrow Then
Ed Harcourt was one of those artists that came tantalisingly close to mainstream success, but for whatever reason feel short and has spent the majority of his career being feted by a small and enthusiastic crowd of followers as one of the great ender-appreciated talents of his generation, while the vast majority of the record …
Classic Compilation: The Eels – Meet The Eels: Essential Eels, Vol. 1 (1996–2006)
To my ongoing shame, prior to hearing Meet the Eels, I had dismissed Eels as little more than a post-grunge novelty act after seeing them miming along with toy instruments to “Susan’s House” on Top of the Pops in the mid 90s. A few years later I picked up a copy of Beautiful Freak as …
Not Forgotten: Half Man Half Biscuit – Voyage to the Bottom of the Road
There are times when the lowly court jester is the wisest man in the kingdom. Released just weeks before the lingering-fart that was Be Here Now confirmed that the Britpop bubble had burst, at a time when every record label, regardless of how much major label backing they received, tried to convince you that any …