indie rewind
Not Forgotten: Smog – A River Ain’t Too Much to Love
For the first minute or so there’s nothing but melancholic acoustic guitar and a far away harmonica. It’s moving, deeply moving. Then comes Bill Callahan’s voice, and you’re utterly invested. By the time he released A River Ain’t Too Much to Love in 2005, Callahan has been recording under the identity of Smog since the …
Not Forgotten: The Replacements – Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash
The Replacements, scruffy quartet that they were, may very well be the definitive American rock and roll band. From the garages of the suburbs of Minneapolis, possessing a youthful energy rather than any technical proficiency, and a collective ambition which seemingly stretched no further than avoiding the dead-end jobs that the majority of their classmates …
Classic Compilation: XTC – Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-1992
It is the mid-90s, you are the Virgin record label, you have been in dispute with one of your best acts for years and there seems to be no end in the deadlock. The act in question has never sold that many albums, but they have a small and incredibly loyal fanbase, and contemporary pop …
Classic Compilation: The Wonder Stuff – If the Beatles Had Read Hunter… The Singles
It can’t have been easy to have been a former member of The Wonder Stuff in the mid to late 90s, witnessing much watered down variations of their patented guitar-pop sound take an iron-grip on the album and singles charts. If only they could have hung for twelve more months, one more album, one interview …
Classic Compilation: Violent Femmes – Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes, for all their lengthy career, are primarily known for their self titled debut, a consistently selling, yet never charting, collection of hymns to teenage male angst. With its unique sonic landscape, universal themes for awkward teenage boys the world over, and high tune count, it is a hell of an album, and continues …
Classic Compilation: Uncle Tupelo – 89/93: An Anthology
Not being a huge fan of country music, or even the more recent alt-country movement, I originally approached 89/93: An Anthology with a little trepidation. I didn’t actually know much about Uncle Tupelo previous to purchasing this compilation, other than the two main players would later go their separate ways and go on to form …
Classic Compilation: They Might Be Giants – A Users Guide to They Might Be Giants
One of the beauties of a compilation, is that if it is your first foray into that particular act’s work, you can leave it at that if you find that you don’t connect with their music in the way that you had hoped to. They can be the perfect ‘one and done’ solution for those …
Classic Compilation: Orange Juice – The Glasgow School
So, who are the most influential British Indie band of all time? Okay, so I’m going to assume that almost all of you said The Smiths. It is after, all the, predictable and obvious choice. However such cultural myopia is also doing great disservice to Orange Juice, the Edwyn Collins fronted band of indie pioneers …
Classic Album: R.E.M. – Automatic for the People
R.E.M. may have taken the scenic route to international fame, but if the only thing they ever released had been Automatic For The People, that lengthy trip would have still been worth it. After years of hip college-rock credibility, a springboard into stadiums and a huge international success with Out of Time, R.E.M. were on …
Classic Compilation: Kirsty MacColl – Galore: The Best of Kirsty MacColl
There’s a parallel universe somewhere where Kirsty MacColl receives all the respect she deserves. A universe where the wider public knows her for more than a decent, but overplayed, festive tune, or the wonderful, but ultimately kitsch “There’s a Guy Works Down the Chipshop Swears He’s Elvis”. A universe where her late career highlight “In …