My brother gave me this years ago and he said it was Punk Britpop. Or did he say Psychedelic Britpop? Either way he didn't know what he was talking about. It's asolutely horrendous. Has anyone ever heard of this before?
🤣 Not heard that. I did buy the ep before that though, along with the s.m.a.s.h. one. The new wave of new wave is what the music press called it. These animal men are definately one of the bands that came just before that hinted at what would come. Especially what they looked like, from what I remember.
This New Wave of the New Wave seems an almost forgotten part of the Britpop story. Presumably Elastica were at the forefront of this? Not sure, but maybe Echobelly could be considered part of this as well? I feel very uninformed about this wave of bands :oops:
Yeah I think so. Stutter by elastica for sure (easily their best track). I've just looked up the genre and my memory isn't too hot regardingair as I had it in my mind as being early 93 but those two EPs were 94. Best avoided I think. Who would have guessed these animal men were known in the USA?
My brother gave me this years ago and he said it was Punk Britpop. Or did he say Psychedelic Britpop? Either way he didn't know what he was talking about. It's asolutely horrendous. Has anyone ever heard of this before?
🤣 Not heard that. I did buy the ep before that though, along with the s.m.a.s.h. one. The new wave of new wave is what the music press called it. These animal men are definately one of the bands that came just before that hinted at what would come. Especially what they looked like, from what I remember.
This New Wave of the New Wave seems an almost forgotten part of the Britpop story. Presumably Elastica were at the forefront of this? Not sure, but maybe Echobelly could be considered part of this as well? I feel very uninformed about this wave of bands :oops:
Yeah I think so. Stutter by elastica for sure (easily their best track). I've just looked up the genre and my memory isn't too hot regardingair as I had it in my mind as being early 93 but those two EPs were 94. Best avoided I think. Who would have guessed these animal men were known in the USA?
Thanks. If it was 94 then I guess it was a matter on months (if that) before the term Britpop became commonplace and I guess those bands were set adrift. I'll just stick with Elastica from that crop for now 😄
I'd not heard of that. Ive heard of mu-zig but not heard his music. Looks like those remixes are based on the Auteurs second album, which I don't know really well. I guess it's another good example of dance/Britpop crossover again.
I'd put the Auteurs debut in the great category, but I guess it's down to personal taste. It took me several listens but I find the songwriting quite unique and very rewarding.
I particularly like the song Underground Movies on the Auteurs second or third album. It's really cool with cool cellos and shit. And there's a couple others that are really unique and very nice. It really doesn't sound like any other Britpop album.
It's on the second one- Now I'm a Cowboy. Just listening now. Sounding really good so far.
Edit: just finished listening. Sounds as good as the debut. Underground Movies, Daughter of a Child, New French Girlfriend...great songs. Even the titles are great!
Got this on now and it's fantastic. First ever time I've heard it. I'm sounding like a broken (britpop) record but I had two singles off this. I've just played this after echobelly. Sounds worlds apart. Why would I have bought the echobelly album (didnt recognise any of it apart from insomniac which is a good one) instead of something like Now I'm a Cowboy? This auteurs record is rare in britpop because the rest of the record is as good, if not better than the singles.
I'm not sure, but I think this is a band that was criticized really heavily. Maybe because they sounded so similar to Happy Mondays. But the songs It's On and Weekender are so spectacular that I don't see how anyone can argue with them. Even though the singer sounds like Shaun Ryder to an amazing degree, the music actually goes way beyond Happy Mondays. Although it's kind of in the same vein. But with some deeper sounds and even a kind of psychedelic atmosphere to it. It's actually more British sounding than any Britpop I've ever heard. At least it sounds that way to me. I think it was a year too early to be Britpop though. In any case, those two songs are spectacular. Most of their other songs are at least okay. And unlike a lot of britpop, the singing isn't a turn-off, but actually a real turn-on. I find the whole thing kind of sexy.
I don't know their music. Presumably they were more Madchester than Britpop from your description. Sounds good -I might give them a try at some point.
I just realized something listening to the Edwyn Collins you got there, and to Flowered Up. I realized how little sex appeal britpop had. Not that I think all music should be sexy, or that I even care if music is sexy or not. It just became very noticeable to me all of a sudden. Almost all music is more sexy than it. I suppose there's people who thought some of the girl singers in britpop bands give it some sex appeal. And I assume that a lot of girls probably thought Oasis were kind of like sex symbols. But generally it's not very sexy music, considering how good looking a lot of them were.
When "A Girl Like You" was released in the summer of 94 it was a great hit single. But no doubt most people, like me, presumed it was a novelty hit and dismissed Edwyn as a one hit wonder. How wrong could we be! I like to think that the Orange Juice man sensed the prevailing mood, and saw the time to strike with this, his most britpop song by far. In truth, it probably sounds like Berlin era Iggy Pop more than anything else, but its close enough to Bowie to count.
The rest of the album is largely more understated, with Edwyn alternating between being charmingly self-effacing and witheringly cynical: "Yes, yes, yes its the summer festival/ the truly detestable summer festival" he memorably sneers on the opener. It's all strong stuff-taking in soul, jangle pop and folk-and is infused with Collins' trademark ease with melody and wit. Another strong showing in this man's exceptional career.
I remember how astounded everybody was at how much this sounded like Bowie. There wasn't a person who didn't think so. It was such a great record on top of it. Is there anybody who doesn't like it? Probably impossible not to like it.
Even punk rock had a lot of sex appeal. I always thought part of the attraction of punk and even heavy metal was that it sounded kind of sexually aggressive in a certain way. I think this really turned people on in a weird way. Maybe it's just me I don't know.
It's on the second one- Now I'm a Cowboy. Just listening now. Sounding really good so far.
Edit: just finished listening. Sounds as good as the debut. Underground Movies, Daughter of a Child, New French Girlfriend...great songs. Even the titles are great!
Got this on now and it's fantastic. First ever time I've heard it. I'm sounding like a broken (britpop) record but I had two singles off this. I've just played this after echobelly. Sounds worlds apart. Why would I have bought the echobelly album (didnt recognise any of it apart from insomniac which is a good one) instead of something like Now I'm a Cowboy? This auteurs record is rare in britpop because the rest of the record is as good, if not better than the singles.
Totally agree, Luke Haines is a talented bloke. I like some of his stuff with Black Box Recorder as well as the Auteurs stuff. In fact, Black Box Recorder might offer a clearer impression of Haines' artistic intentions for those that don't really 'get' his work with the Auteurs. That idea of commercial sounding music with dark undertones and making fun of British culture.
I just realized something listening to the Edwyn Collins you got there, and to Flowered Up. I realized how little sex appeal britpop had. Not that I think all music should be sexy, or that I even care if music is sexy or not. It just became very noticeable to me all of a sudden. Almost all music is more sexy than it. I suppose there's people who thought some of the girl singers in britpop bands give it some sex appeal. And I assume that a lot of girls probably thought Oasis were kind of like sex symbols. But generally it's not very sexy music, considering how good looking a lot of them were.
I think that's true. Britpop wasn't sexy even with some of the supposed pin-ups in the bands, like Louise Wenner in Sleeper. It was all done in a clever or ironic way. Sex was completely kept at a distance or treated with irony by these bands (The Divine Comedy for example). Its funny as a lot of their influences had sex appeal, but these bands took the sex out of the music somehow. They weren't really romantic either. There were definitely some boy meets girl type of songs. But I don't think they were sincere-there was usually an emotional distance in the music.
Pulp were an exception-but I feel their songs are more about teenage hormones and unfulfilled sexuality. Kind of the opposite of the typical sex appeal in music-but interesting for this.
Suede's debut is the other exception, where they played with androgynous imagery and I think there is a clear sexual energy to the music. But again its not typical of sex in pop/ rock. I think it has a darker, more animal and kind of undiscriminating sexuality to it than is typical.
I think the Gallagher brothers were more pin-ups for men than women in the UK. They epitomised a kind of masculinity that some men identified with and this coinncided with a 'laddish' mentally that took off in the UK in the 90s. I think part of the appeal of Oasis and reaction against them is because of this overtly masculine and working class identity they embodied at that time. But not in a sexual way really-more as an imposing and down-to-earth 'real bloke' sort of identity.
Damn. That turned into some serious A level essay type shit for a second. Obviously I may just be talking bollocks 🤣
I remember how astounded everybody was at how much this sounded like Bowie. There wasn't a person who didn't think so. It was such a great record on top of it. Is there anybody who doesn't like it? Probably impossible not to like it.
Oh right. Though I got Iggy doing Passenger a bit more than Bowie. Maybe that's because Iggy sounded so much like Bowie at that point though 🤣
In fact to take you off on a slight tangent, you should start to cover bands that Britpop fucked over. Ride, anyone? (as well as the Doo Badleys and Swede, but you've already mentioned them).
Ok, good idea. How about we do posts of bands before and after britpop-i.e. here's a video of them before britpop and here's what they sounded like after britpop and then comment on this transition.
I'm thinking we've got the shoegazers already metioned (Lush, Boo Radleys, Ride), the baggy bands (Charlatans, Blur,The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays/Black Grape). Suede as well. Maybe this would work with some other bands who are more a bit tangential to britpop or somehow britpop related (James, Inspiral Carpets) There must be others who I'm not thinking of?
I'll start with James as I've been wondering how to get them into this thread anyway 😄 Feel free to post your own.
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