indie rewind
Not Forgotten: James – Laid
One of the pleasing things about James is that they never really seemed to be a smaller part of a larger scene. Sure, every now and then they would release a single that would chime with the times, and sometimes that would equate to a big hit, such as when “Sit Down” briefly made them …
Not Forgotten: The Wonder Stuff – Construction for the Modern Idiot
For some guitar acts ‘pop’ is a dirty word. Not so The Wonder Stuff. Over the course of their three previous albums they had demonstrated that they could be as snarky, difficult and aggressive as any dyed in the wool indie rock act, but still retain a pure pop heart. Sure, by the time of …
Not Forgotten: They Might Be Giants – Lincoln
They Might Be Giants debut album is one of those releases where the act seems to have emerged fully formed almost out of nowhere. I say almost, in reality the Two Johns had formed TMBG in 1982, having simultaneously moved to Brooklyn from Lincoln, Massachusetts without realising the other was moving too. A few years …
Not Forgotten: Eels – Electro-Shock Blues
Electro-Shock Blues might very well be one of the bravest albums ever released. Although Mark Oliver Everett (a.k.a E) had released a couple of solo albums prior to Eels’ debut, 1996’s Beautiful Freak had the tastemakers throwing about wildly optimistic missives about Eels being the great hope for the future of American rock music. After …
Not Forgotten: Mansun – Six
Twenty years later and the shock of hearing Six for the first time still stays with me. I’d already heard the single “Legacy”, which was one of the best things I’d heard in years, and I’d also stumbled across “Television” on a front-of-music-magazine CD and that was a bit weird. Regardless of this, and as …
Not Forgotten: XTC – Mummer
1982s English Settlement had achieved a lot for XTC. Their first top ten album was also home to their first top ten single, and they seemed poised to be one of the key acts for the rest of the 80s. Then, with the worst possible timing, Andy Partridge’s long latent fear of live performance came …
Not Forgotten: They Might Be Giants – Severe Tire Damage
It’s probably fair to say that there are mixed opinions when it comes to Severe Tire Damage. An album of largely live performances, of the two studio tracks, one is one of They Might Be Giants’ undisputable classics, “Dr Worm”, the other is a short and sweet instrumental acting as a bridge between “Dr Worm” …
Not Forgotten: The Supernaturals – A Tune a Day
Released in 1998, The Supernaturals’ A Tune a Day followed the same trajectory as a large number of sophomore Britpop efforts did, in that it failed to match the commercial impact of the act’s debut, leaving their record label wondering if they had a future with them. What made it stand out from the pack …
Not Forgotten: The Wonder Stuff – The Eight Legged Groove Machine
Those guitars you hear chugging into hearing range at the start of “Red Berry Joy Town” heralded the arrival of an act that would point the direction for British guitar music for the next decade. The Wonder Stuff, with their smart-arse guitar pop, bitter lyrics of jilted love and avarice, huge choruses and confrontational relationship …
A Buyers Guide to Matt Berry on Acid Jazz
Although primarily known as an actor, comedy performer, and voice over artist, in recent years Matt Berry has received an increasing amount of attention for his music. Since 2005 Berry has released five albums, which although utterly charming, can also verge on the uncategorisable. Late 60s psychedelic folk seems to have been a significant influence, …