NME C86: Side B Casey Dorrell

The second side of C86 is finally up. The first half is here, and a C86 summary can be found here. It seems it was bad luck for most of the Side B group, as all the bands who made it were on the other side. Still, there's some great songs here, both in their own right and for the massive influence they had. 1. Shop Assistants - It's Up To You [MP3] Somewhere deep in NME's website it once said, "you should get out more if you remember The Shop Assistants." I'm sure there's some joke I'm missing here. Either way, this song is one of the better ones on Side B. Like most other C86 bands, these guys formed early (in 1983) but disbanded by 1990. Their only album was re-released in 2001, but apparently is already out of print again. 2. Close Lobsters - Firestation Towers [MP3] I like the Close Lobsters, so you should too. This band may not have a lot of fans, but those they did pick up seem the fanatical type. And deservedly so. They add a psychedelic twist to the usual twee affair and, if that doesn't interest you, they also covered pseudo-Canadians Neil Young and Leonard Cohen. Also, there name makes no sense, and that's kind of fun too. 3. Miaow - Sport Most Royal [MP3] Not to be confused with similarly twee indie band, The Cat's Miaow. Like several other of the C86 bands, Miaow saw a brief resurgence of their cult status in the last few years when, in 2003, their work was reissued. 4. Half Man Half Buiscuit - I Hate Nerys Hughes [MP3] Although you probably haven't heard of this band, or have and thought they'd disbanded, they're still going today. This song, about actress Merys Hughs, is apt to represent HMHB who are known for their pop-culture referencing lyrics. Apparently, they've lost touch with the real world a bit along the way though, as they now frequently reference, in both song and liner notes, fictional bands. Right . . . 5. The Servants - Transparent [MP3] This band has been largely forgotten. Judging by this song, I'd say with good reason. 6. The MacKenzies - Big Jim (There's No Pubs In Heaven) [MP3] This band ditched the twee sound for a more electronic based sound not long after C86 came out and that, I'm afraid, is about all I know about them. 7. bIG fLAME - New Way (Quick Wash And Brush Upon Liberation Theology) [MP3] Shesbitter describes bIG fLAME as "Gang of Four on coke". Anyone who forces stupid punctuation upon others lose points in my book, but I'll forgive them because of their amusing back story: two of the members of the band were previously members of 80's band, Wham!, but were dropped because they weren't cute enough. On an unrelated note, having a BA in Political Studies means I once knew what Liberation Theology was. Having no memory means I don't anymore. 8. We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use it - Console Me [MP3] Not only do Fuzzbox, as they were later renamed, bring the best band name to C86, they also brought some female representation for the cassette, being an all female group. Heard here, Fuzzbox sound very rough, but they left the DIY aesthetic behind for their sophomore album, channeling their inner dance-pop divas. Then they promptly disbanded. Good. 9. McCarthy - Celestial City [MP3] This band was the most political of any of the C86 bands, releasing several good songs, but never anything exceptional. But that's not why they're still well-known today. No, what's interesting about them is that their drummer turned guitarist formed a band with his girlfriend after the band broke up in 1990. What's more interesting is that his name is Tim Gane, his girlfriend, Laetitia Sadier, and the band, Stereolab. 10. The Shrubs - Bullfighter Blues [MP3] Who? 11. The Wedding Present - This Boy Can Wait [MP3] Another band that's worked its way from the top down to relative obscurity today. Their longevity makes it a bit more difficult to summarize them fairly in a few sentences but we've had a guest who's done just that. Keith explains, " [The Wedding Present] are unquestionably the C86 comp's most successful band: over fifteen top 40 hits in Britain, years on major labels, Hit Parade success, [and] Gedge's other band Cinerama's impact on indie music. The crap they put out today doesn't do the bulk of the band's work justice." Download: 1. The Shop Assistants - It's Up To You 2. Close Lobsters - Firestation Towers 3. Miaow - Sport Most Royal 4. Half Man Half Biscuit - I Hate Nerys Hughes (From The Heart) 5. The Servants - Transparent 6. The MacKenzies - Big Jim (There's no pubs in Heaven) 7. bIG fLAME - New Way (Quick Wash And Brush Up With Liberation Theology) 8. Fuzzbox - Console Me 9. McCarthy - Celestial City 10. The Shrubs - Bullfighter's Bones 11. The Wedding Present - This Boy Can Wait Related: NME C86: Side A NME C86: Genre, Movement, or Nonsense?