NME C86: Side A Casey Dorrell

I've talked about C86 (and I suggest you search around google for more C86 information, as there's no agreement to what the term means), and put up four songs considered to be the biggest C86 songs. Now it's time to explore the album itself. Haven't heard of many of these bands? Well, indie kids 20 years from now will be wondering who the hell LCD Soundsystem was. Side A is of note for the intro track in particular which is, if there is such a thing, the definitive C86 song. 1. Primal Scream - Velocity Girl [MP3] Bobby Gillespie founded the Scottish band, sometimes referred to as a "Supergroup", in 1984 yet the band he drummed for at the time, The Jesus and Mary Chain, remains far better known. As does original touring guitarist Kevin Shield's band, My Bloody Valentine, and bassist Gary Mounfield's band, Stone Roses. Still, Primal Scream were undoubtedly the biggest band attached to the C86 moniker and proved to be one of the few long-lasting C86 groups. While Primal Scream continues to make music today, their only really successful album came in 1991, by which point they'd already abandoned the C86 sound. And their last album? Well, I'd stick to 1991's Screamadelica. 2. The Mighty Lemon Drops - Happy Head [MP3] The Sherbert Monsters was really such a silly name, so in late 1985, less than a year after their inception, the band chose the remarkably more serious title of The Mighty Lemon Drops. Indeed. This band lasted just under a decade, breaking up in 1992, but they were popular on the college charts while they were around. There's one thing that simply can't go unsaid when discussing Mighty Lemon Drops, but I won't stoop to that level. No sir. On an unrelated note, have you heard the latest Echo and the Bunnymen album? 3. The Soup Dragons - Pleasantly Surprised [MP3] Like most bands under the C86 banner, The Soup Dragons formed in late 1985, early 1986, and disbanded in the first half of the 90's. If you like your rock infused with funk and reggae and you can stifle the ethnocentric giggles at the notion of nerdy white guys delivering it, this is your music. Or at least, at times it will be. The Soup Dragons were a lot of things, but one thing they weren't was sonically consistent. 4. The Wolfhounds - Feeling So Strange Again [MP3] Ah, the Wolfhounds. A nicely named band, but about 20 years too early to really cash in on the indie wolf craze. Even on this compilation, they were out of place. Wolfhounds were one of the bands on the C86 tape that really weren't C86 - meaning they were neither jangly nor twee. 5. The Bodines - Therese [MP3] The Bodines were short-lived, releasing only one album; It broke 100 in the charts (#94) in 1987. Oh, and they were on some C86 compilation that I've been told is pretty influential. They probably meant a lot to many people when they were around, but like most of the indie bands we love right now, no one's going to care about them, much less know who they are, in twenty years. I should know. I work in music retail, and most people still don't even know indie posterboy Sufjan Stevens in the real world. Arctic who? 6. Mighty Mighty - Law [MP3] This band was often referred to as being "less lemon, more mighty" in reference to C86-mates, The Mighty Lemon Drops. Although a play on the literal differences in the bands' names, it was more a commentary on the stylistic differences. Where The Mighty Lemon Drops were "twee as fuck", The Mighty Mighty were simply hard as hell. What they were doing on the C86 compilation is anyone's guess. Actually, I made that whole thing up, but most of you were going for it, weren't you? Mighty Mighty were mighty jangly, and broke up shortly after forming in 1986. Despite this, they somehow had a resurgence in popularity at the turn of the century, in Japan of all places. A B-Side collection was released there in 2001. 7. Stump - Buffalo [MP3] Forming in late 1983 (no doubt in celebration of my birth), this band was one of the more established groups of the C86 lot. Founding member, Kev Hopper, has since declared that this track "was the worst recorded track on the tape at the time". They broke up in 1988, but not before becoming one of the best received bands on compilation. 8. Bogshed - Run to the Temple [MP3] Forget the fans, forget the fact that John Peel was hugely enamoured with them, remember only that Bogshed singer Phil Hartley's stated aim was to "sing like Doris Day". Afterall, that's all any of us have ever wanted, isn't it? 9. A Witness - Sharps And Sticks [MP3] This band, like most of the original C86s, disbanded shortly after the release of the seminal compilation (and I made it so far without saying seminal). In their case, though, the impetus for disbanding was the untimely death of one of the three band members, guitarist Rick Aitken, in an accidental climbing death in 1989. They recorded a cover of the Doors' classic "Break on Through" shortly before breaking up for which they received some attention. 10. The Pastels - Breaking Lines [MP3] This band may be one of the few bands you recognize on the compilation if you're not already familiar with it. That might be due to the fact that they're is actually still around. But more likely it's because you've heard Kurt Cobain reference them as an influence (not to be confused with the Vaselines who grew out of the C86 scene and garnered far more Cobain-love). The Pastels continue to record infrequent but critically enjoyed albums featuring former members of C86-mates, The Shop Assistants (Answering the oft asked question, "What the hell happened to The Shop Assistants?") 11. The Age of Chance - From Now On This Will Be Your God [MP3] What was I saying about forgotten bands? This band is deserving of that fate. For their sophomore album, they actually opted to bow to their label's demands, and replace their lead singer for someone less "distinct", more mainstream friendly. How punk rock. Download: 1. Primal Scream - Velocity Girl 2. The Mighty Lemon Drops - Happy Head 3. The Soup Dragons - Pleasantly Surprised 4. The Wolfhounds - Feeling So Strange Again 5. The Bodines - Therese 6. Mighty Mighty - Law 7. Stump - Buffalo 8. Bogshed - Run to the Temple 9. A Witness - Sharps And Sticks 10. The Pastels - Breaking Lines 11. The Age of Chance - From Now On This Will Be Your God Related: C86: Genre, Movement, or Nonsense? Buy: Sealed NME C86 Tape NME C86 Vinyl (DJ)