Tag Archive for Britpop

Blur – Girls and Boys


Posting The Stone Roses last week got me to thinking again about Britpop and inspired me to post some more.

For me, this is one of the finest examples of the genre. Catchy and energetic, it is typical of Blur who served as a lighter contrast to the more moody and energetic music coming out of the north at the same time. The opening line is an all time great.

Streets like a jungle so call the police…

I was reminded of how awesome the video is when I saw it on TV recently, it works with the song perfectly. Also, Damon Albarn looks impossible young and impish in it.  

RjK

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The Stone Roses – I wanna be adored

I had to post these guys today after hearing the exciting news they are to reform for a world tour 15 years after an acrimonious split.

I am a bit too young to have appreciated them fully the first time around, but the era of Britpop that they ushered in was really when I first fell in love with music.

This particular track still sounds so fresh 20 years on.

RjK

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Pulp – Mis-Shapes

This is classic Britpop, and really reminds me of school days listening to Different Class on my walkman. It is a very clever and enjoyable album. I thought of it after reading about Pulp (now back together) ripping it up at Reading festival over the weekend. I was tempted to post one of their other, bigger hits from the album – Common People or Disco 2000, but this was always my favourite.

This is a typically cool video, with Jarvis looking impossibly young.

30th July

Elbow – Lippy Kids

I usually gravitate away from recordings of live versions of songs but this is one of the rare exceptions to that general rule. It think the stripped down quality here makes it even more striking than the studio version.

Van Morrison is another notable deviation to this general phenomenon. He is the only artist to have produced a live album that didn’t disappoint me. In fact he has released 3 that all blow my mind in It’s too late to stop now (which has also maybe my favourite album cover of all time), Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast and A night in San Francisco.

I would be happy to hear any suggestions as to live tracks or albums that may change my mind about the concept.

This song is double apt as I had my own bad experience recently with a certain Lippy Kid.

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Supergrass – Alright

I spent the afternoon at a work BBQ. It was a very quaint affair, reminding me of similar such afternoons from my formative years. It even rained which made it even more authentic!

This put me in nostalgic mood and as such I wanted to post something memorable from said teenage years and this came to mind. I owned I should coco on cassette! Can I get any more authentic than that? This particular track is full of youthful vigour and has the perfect video to match.

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Primal Scream – Loaded

Another Glastonbury post. These guys TORE IT UP last night on the other stage.  I wish I had been there (maybe without the mud).

Taken from the seminal Screamadelica album. Emerging from the Acid House scene of the late 80’s these guys were one of the bands that paved the way for Britpop bands that were to follow. This, however, is much richer than much of the music that produced era produced.

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Suede – Beautiful ones

I have recently been a little fixated by Britpop and warmly reminiscing about the mid-90’s. As such, I have wanted to post this for a while. It features one of my all time favourite intros. Taken from the excellent Coming Up, which was released at Britpop’s zenith in 1996.

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Owiny Sigoma Band – Wires

This track fits with my recent world music motif. They have an interesting back story and I kind of think the London meets Nairobi sound works quite well. The vocal has a hushed quality that serves as a nice contrast with it’s energetic and hypnotic backing.

Dodgy – Good Enough


A couple of days ago I posted an REM track from the first album I remember purchasing. It got me to thinking about the music I liked when I was younger than I can now imagine, before De La Soul blew my mind and opened my eyes to the world of music beyond the limited horizons offered in Northern Ireland in those days. It was a very rich seam of music to mine and expected plenty of music from that era in the coming weeks and months. Britpop may seem a little naff now but you can’t fight nostalgia.

Also there has been some remarkably good weather in London over the past few weeks. I thought it would be good to post 4 minutes of pure sunshine to mark this rare phenomenon.

/RjK