For followers of music the world over, finding the right tribe is as important as choosing the right shoe size. One such tribe is indie, an alternative strain of music, which these days sits with more than just bands signed to an independent label. Most of these artists can be identified as those using guitars at the front of their sound, but it must not be forgotten that ‘indie’ started before the heady days of the 1990s. Cut Me Deep is a 4 CD set which celebrates this scene and as the title goes on to explain is A Story Of Indie Pop 1985-1989 and, as well as featuring those acts you may feel are a sure fit, also represents those lesser-known artists who have perhaps been forgotten.
The first band to feature are just one of those many would consider a ‘sure fit’, but might not necessarily have been considered ‘indie’, having signed with major label Polydor in early 1984. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions have their second single, from their second album featured. ‘Lost Weekend’ displays Lloyd’s wry wit: “It took a lost weekend in a hotel in Amsterdam. And double pneumonia in a single room. And the sickest joke was the price of the medicine. Are you laughing at me now, may I please laugh along with you?”. With no National Health Service, you can feel for our protagonist, but this displays impressive songwriting ability and is a common theme that runs throughout this set. Following this, the sounds go from great to sublime, with “jangle pop” band Hurrah!. The Newcastle-upon-Tyne group’s ‘This Boy’ is a ride, as it says on the tin of jangly pop, and has a joyous melody to boot, that leaves me smiling as I write. A tremendous strum on electric guitar introduces the tune, displaying a wide-eyed approach and awesome musical backing. I just love it and could kick myself, as I remember seeing adverts for both the band’s live shows and record releases at the time. Ignoring both, sadly I moved on to another band performing much the same instead.
A track that once heard, is not forgotten, comes from Grab Grab The Haddock. Formerly The Marine Girls, they changed this to perhaps one of the most beguiling names in indie pop, but I’ll leave any grabbing of haddock to my chip shop. Vocalist Alice Fox is up next, with ‘Wan But Smiling’, presenting her vocals in a teenage fashion, while a sliding bass, played over and over, in a hypnotic fashion, makes this number just adorable. Other notable bands featured on this first disc are the likes of Woodentops, early Del Amitri, and Happy Mondays, along with ‘Taste The Floor’ from The Jesus & Mary Chain and the psychedelic We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It, with their ‘Rules & Regulations‘, a band that nobody following music at the time could have ignored. But it’s those less-known bands that are the real gems among these 99 tunes. Leave it to play and you will find the likes of Leicester’s Yeah Yeah Noh, with ‘The Short-Cut Way To Saturday’. A band described as an “unpop group”, they were a product of the “DIY post-punk” era, recording a session for John Peel and featuring on several compilations associated with his show. Their brand of indie features a cut-back sound, with vocalist Derek Hammond a definite mainstay of the group. Joyously Jamie Wednesday is featured, with their ‘I Think I’ll Throw A Party For Myself’, featuring the familiar sounds of James Morrison (aka Jim Bob) and Leslie Carter (aka Fruitbat), who would later become known as Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.
The Beloved are also included, in a fashion completely unlike the pumping dance anthems they would later become known for. Here we find a bass/drum-heavy number, with a rhythm section not dissimilar to The Cure, all this underwritten by the vocals of founding member Jon Marsh. A very different side to a group we first become familiar with on the release of ‘The Sun Rising’ and, although these sounds differ greatly, are somehow the same, albeit in a different suit.
Commencing the second CD is a band I always associate with a track that featured on the legendary NME compilation C86 – ‘William Shatner’ had a sweet melody with a driving bass line, by The Bodines. However, here it is ‘Heard It All’ that makes the cut, possessing great rhythm and a bassline which eloquently drives this fine song along. Next is a timeless tale, which Band Of Holy Joy’s vocalist, and songwriter Johny Brown presents. This begins with an introduction played on piano before a brass section is introduced. A group that, it is said, experimented with “cheap junk shop instrumentation and rudimentary electronics“, which, it has to be said, illustrates the mood extremely well, during a song which tells a story of poverty and mental illness. This might seem bleak, but the band’s use of unorthodox instrumentation brightens things a little, even when Ryan recounts his tale “…I don’t understand this town anymore and the future of our child looks very poor…” and I was left swaying in time with the rhythm.
Wise Acres follow, with thier ‘So Finally Sweet‘, which has echos of Patti Smith in both vocal and rhythm, but is this punk or a forerunner to grunge? Either way, these sounds are sweet. Weather Prophets are up next, with ‘Naked As The Day You Were Born’. Formed in 1986, the band hail from London and perform what I hear as a forerunner to the shoegazing brand of Indie. A sound with wall-to-wall instrumentation, albeit not in-your-face, and Peter Astor’s vocal. This was a band that had a close allegiance with Creation Records Alan McGee, playing bass guitar early in their career. In fact, McGee is to feature here, with another band Biff Bang Pow!, which he fronted between the years 1983 and 1991, with the single ‘Someone Stole My Wheels’. Released in 1986, this single has the feel of sixties beatnik bands and is complete with psychedelic interludes along the way.
Another swathe of familiar names is provided on this second disc, with The Soup Dragons 7” version of their single ‘Head Gone Astray’ which was the first charting single for the Motherwell band. Instead of the ‘baggy’ feel the later version of ‘I’m Free‘ would conjure, this comprises a more urgent approach, Sean Dickson’s vocals at the heart of the sound. It’s bound together by a West Coast introduction, all jangly guitar and drum combo, with an occasional lead guitar riff included to keep audiences from straying too far. Then it’s Pop Will Eat Itself, this time far from the fast food homage of ’88s ‘Def Con One‘, here an almost speed-metal version of indie with glorious chord changes. A band who were at the heart of the creation of indie, early PWEI comprised members Malcolm Treece and Miles Hunt who would go on to form the band The Wonder Stuff, which, put together, were an important facet of music from the Black Country. From 1987 The Primitives‘ ’Stop Killing Me’ has been included, with platinum blonde vocalist Tracy Tracy at the heart of their sound. A drone of guitar backing the vocals, this record reached number 2 in the indie charts of the same year. Royalty follows in the form of The King Of Luxembourg’s philosophical number, ‘A Picture Of Dorian Gray’. It’s a sweet track, stereotypically indie with acoustic guitar at the front of the sound and a lyric that deserves further investigation. A jolly interlude is now offered by The Brilliant Corners, with ‘Brian Rix’, which includes the lyrics “…It’s just you remind me of Brian Rix, when you pull down your trousers, it sends me in fits…”. A track with a brass section, maybe trumpet, or keyboard, I’m unclear, but certainly another that formed the foundations of indie. Very early House Of Love has been included with their ‘Flow’ which was a B-side to their debut single ’Shine On’. This marks the beginning of Guy Chadwick’s songwriting career and features HoL’s dream-pop indie, with the centrepiece lyric “…love flows out of our house…”. I cannot leave this side without mentioning the final track, that of Dublin’s, A House. ‘Snowball Down’, a band I’m sure many will remember for 1992’s ‘Endless Art’, in which vocalist Dave Couse, provides his audience with an art (in all its forms) lesson.
It’s The Sugarcubes that begin disc three, with ‘Birthday’, a single that saw its release in 1987 and one that has stood the test of time, complete with Björk‘s growl and the band’s ingenious rhythm, providing another facet on this indie journey. As 80s post-punk band Orange Juice’s frontman Edwyn Collins went solo, his path, albeit similar, went decidedly indie, releasing ‘Don’t Shilly Shally’ in 1987. During this second single, I can hear a full-bodied Gibson, producing a deep rich sound with Collins’s distinct vocals.
Barking, Greater London band, McCarthy are next with ‘The Well Of Loneliness’ taken from their 1987 debut album I Am A Wallet. This is a song of broken promises and what I hear as a workplace dynamic. One band who became far bigger than the scene they started on, were The Wonder Stuff, with their debut single ‘Unbearable’. This is an unveiled journey into a dysfunctional relationship, all cast with vocalist Miles Hunt’s sardonic charm, remembering that “…I didn’t like you very much when I met you…”, this is glorious.
Travelling on the M6, from Stourbridge to Manchester might only be a two hour drive, but Miaow’s general tone couldn’t be any different to that of The Stuffies, having more in common with the industry borne out of this part of the North, complete with awkward beats and the feel of a Friday night at Manchester’s Factory nightclub. NME writer Cath Carroll led the group, with her sweet tones accompanied by synthesiser, and much of what made the music that Factory Records produced so distinct.
I can’t not mention another act that made music that was bleeding from the North at the time. From Liverpool, in this case, it was The La’s formed in 1983 and ‘Endless’ which would feature on the expanded reissue of the band’s self-tilted album. This is an almost psychedelic tune, full of guitars representing the sitars The Beatles would use during their late sixties phase. Brighton band Blow Up, are then included with the single ‘Pool Valley’. Solid drum acts as the canvas for this number, as vocalist Nick Roughley navigates us through it. ‘England’s Leading Light’ is provided by King Of The Slums, another band hailing from Manchester who produced hard-driven music, fronted by the late Charlie Keigher on vocals. These are rhythmically strong, with disjointed guitar, distorted to heck and, unusually, featuring electric violin. 1987 would hear a release by Lilac Time and the single ‘Return To Yesterday’. I remember this extremely well, from a group formed by vocalist/songwriter Stephen Duffy, of ‘Kiss Me’ fame in the mid-80s. On the runout of this third side can be heard the sounds of The Senseless Things, none more different to those of the previous number, with the track ‘(All You’ve Got To Do Is) Stay Together’ and is a post-punk epic. Scottish band The Vaselines‘ ‘Molly’s Lips’ is included – a track Nirvana would memorably cover – Frances McKee singing the sweetest song, with what sounds like a bicycle horn playing occasional accompaniment. Before we leave this disc, I must mention Leed’s band Cud and ‘Under My Hat’. Their sound is usually full of joy and this is no different. Vocalist Carl Puttnam’s cheerful vocal range is enough to brighten any day!
Inspiral Carpets can be found on disc 4, with ’Butterfly’. A band that became part of the Madchester movement in the later 80s with original frontman Graham Lambert on vocal duties, the familiar sound of Clint Boon’s keyboard can just be heard underneath the musical chaos. Blackburn band Bradford follows with ‘Dodging Around In Cars’. Featuring a glorious riff played using a wah-wah pedal, this number is quite beautiful, a common vein when it comes to their songwriting, which begs the question, why didn’t achieve greater success? The Sundays follow with ‘I Kicked A Boy’, the B-side to their debut single ‘Can’t Be Sure’, and this is a track that is a lesson in songwriting. Of course, what would a Sundays tune be without the vocals of Harriet Wheeler’s clean presentation, especially when it comes to the passage “…I kicked a boy ’til he cried. Oh, I could’ve been wrong, but I don’t think I was. He’s such a child…”, or it could’ve been that it really, really hurt. Another band I’m very happy have been included are The Times, with their ‘Heaven Sent Me An Angel’. The brainchild of founding member Ed Ball is very much a group with a foot in the past, yet with an eye on the future. Playing indie in both the conventional form, while at times full of beats, sounding every bit a dance band, this track features the most infectious bass-line and is very much in the indie camp.
Treebound Story, Richard Hawley’s first venture into music, whilst still at school, make an appearance with ‘Rain, Rain, Rain’ , followed by The Popguns ‘Down On Your Knees‘ fronted by the voice of Wendy Morgan. ‘Pure’ by The Lightning Seeds makes an appearance and I don’t think I need to say much here, as surely these sounds will be recognised by even your mum! Next up, it’s ‘Mersey Paradise’ by The Stone Roses, not exactly the most recognised number, but with Ian Brown’s vocal and general pace, it speaks volumes for the band. The Telescopes rise with their ‘Sadness Pale’. This is a band that always leaves me in the mind of labelmates, My Bloody Valentine, categorised by their Space Rock/Psychedelic sound and fronted by composer and musician Stephen Lawrie. Fittingly The Mock Turtles feature, with ‘The Willow Song’, which originally featured – with Rachel Verney’s vocal being dubbed to give the appearance of being performed by Britt Ekland – in the 1973 film The Wicker Man. This doesn’t necessarily speak of the sound of the band. Singer Martin Coogan is the elder brother of comedian Steve Coogan, and they were an engaging band, who blossomed on the release of the debut album Turtle Soup, although their light burned brightly, and sadly was extinguished all too fast.
We’re on the ride out now, and a band I first encountered when writing about the reissue of the album Hotrod Hotel were East Village, from Buckinghamshire, who like many here never quite achieved all that was expected of them. Although in the case of vocalist/bassist Martin Kelly, he is now the MD of music publishing company Heavenly Songs and its sister company Heavenly Films. His brother vocalist/guitarist Paul Kelly is now a graphic designer, photographer and film maker, so their talents were not entirely wasted. Closing this set of songs is Lush with ‘Baby Talk’. Quite unlike the band’s usual ethereal sounds, this in some ways is very punk-rock and certainly noise led with Miki Berenyi on vocals and guitar, resolves very aptly, almost as if they were ending a set.
What surprises me about this compilation, for someone who lived through the times, is just how diverse the acts appear, from those bands picked up by the majors, to others who had perhaps found their calling from within the sounds of the John Peel show. These tunes truly shine, having taken their place here as founders of the scene. Although what I have reported is massive, it barely scratches the surface. A set of songs that sparkle, bringing into the spotlight music which might otherwise have been forgotten. Most of us, including myself, can find other bands who have not featured, but in what is over 5 hours of music, it has to be said this set of tunes is as comprehensive as 4 CDs will allow.
