Posts
A week ago, Lisa of SuperfectaBlog posted a shout out to Magnet Magazine's look at the best of BritPop on her Facebook page. 'Best of' lists are destined to start arguments and as a music lover who spent the better part of the BritPop years exploring this genre of music, I just had to have my own say on the subject. The more I thought about BritPop, the more I realized that the era was a competition to find the next, big thing. This same drive permeates throughout the racing world from yearling sales to the Triple Crown races.
Oasis V Blur was as big a rivalry as Alydar and Affirmed
Wikipedia defines the first wave of Britop as, "Notable British bands and artists with an identifiably "Britpop" sound who were active during the "first wave" of 1993-1997." Wikipedia goes on to define the second wave of BritPop as newly signed bands launched between 1995-1999.
During the 1990s, I could not have been convinced that anything other than British music mattered. My arguments on the subject always included a step further back to include elder Madchester stalwarts such as Ride, Charlatans and the Stone Roses. Though I didn't realize it at the time, I was essentially debating the musical bloodline from which Britpop emerged.
In the late 1990s, I wrote sporadically (and poorly) as a CD/Concert reviewer for Spill Magazine. The highlight from this era of my "media life" was a sit-down interview with Colin and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead during the Kid A tour. Kid A was released in 2000 as BritPop was dying a slow, painful death. My resulting article was so horrible, I am embarrassed to post it here. The band provided me free tickets to their sold-out show at the Air Canada Centre later that night and watching Thom Yorke perform Idiotheque was as exhilarating as seeing Rachel Alexandra storming through the slop at Monmouth.
The whirling dervish that is Thom Yorke performing Idiotheque
Over the years, I abused my credentials to sneak into several gigs a week. A truly memorable event was a chance to see, then unknown, The Shins open for Modest Mouse at the Opera House in Toronto. More than a little buzzed, I somehow arranged an opportunity to interview James Mercer, lead singer of The Shins, after the performance and barraged him with non-questions such as, "You remind me a lot of The Cure." No article was ever published. During this time frame, I was on a constant quest to find new and exciting bands in much the same way that the racing public chases after two-year-olds seeking the next Kentucky Derby contender.
I managed to interview The Orb, Travis and Elliott Smith at various stages of my music critic life though I regrettably did very little with the resulting material. The interview tapes are left twisted and curled at the bottom of a box in my basement tossed aside like old programs to races I once watched.
***
Although I had a job throughout high school and college, I completed my education with next to nothing in the bank - and with good reason. I spent every penny I earned on concert tickets (when I couldn't sneak in) and import CDs. There was Oasis at Lee's Palace. Blur at the Palais Royale. The Cure at Varsity Arena. Travis opening for Charlatans UK.
However, the best gig of them all was Pulp at an oversold Opera House with Marilyn Manson in attendance on the balcony. Jarvis Cocker led the band through all the hits from Common People and then delved into the back catalogue to play "Lip Gloss" and "Babies" and countless others. At the end of the night, the spindly Cocker came back on stage for a third and final encore and announced, "This is the last song. There are no other songs we can play. Thank You."
Pulp and the playful lyrics of Babies
It was a blurry decade of music. It's easy to forget that along with the "big names" listed above, I also had opportunity to watch dozens of less successful bands such as Echobelly, Ash, Marion and The LongPigs. Eventually, I grew out of the scene as I could no longer feign interest in watered down musical derivatives (Embrace, Kula Shaker) of bands I truly loved. In due course, what was once thousands of dollars worth of CDs were filed away as worthless paperweights along with ticket stubs to gigs long forgotten. The funds I spent did not quite add up to enough money to purchase The Green Monkey, but I often share a similar tinge of buyer's remorse upon seeing a Shed Seven disk amongst my hidden gems.
My despair at this flood of desperate new BritPop bands was not at all unlike a handicapper who could no longer wager on horses from the Storm Cat line as there were too many unsuccessful offspring about. I'm not knocking the greatness of Storm Cat, or the importance of BritPop, it's just that after a while, too many of the progeny don't live up to expectations and the trend dies.
Is Alex Turner the new Jarvis Cocker?
Fortunately music and horse racing both have an unfailing ability to generate new heroes. Medaglia D'Oro, Milwaukee Brew and Smarty Jones step forward where other stallions have left off to create their own new trends. Musically speaking, bands such as Vampire Weekend and the Arctic Monkeys have stepped up to continue a sound descended from the Britpop line. I can't help but a draw a direct line from the sharp first-person lyrics of Arctic Monkeys lead singer Alex Turner to those of Jarvis Cocker. Turner's turn of phrase is familiar, yet inspiring. New hit songs by the Arctic Monkeys are as refreshing as the latest Smarty Jones Stakes winner.
Smarty Jones is another in a long line of racing greatness
***
Will Smarty Jones become as great a producer as Mr. Prospector?One can guess, but it's nearly impossible to predict the future for music and horse racing. I don't mind really. Not knowing what will happen next is part of the thrill that keeps me coming back for more. The opening band I see tonight just might become bigger than the Arctic Monkeys. Perhaps the upcoming MSW at Saratoga will provide racing with the next Big Brown. BritPop was hardly the pinnacle of music in Britain, it was simply a continuation of a long line of great bands that came before them. I can't wait to see and hear what happens next.
MY TOP FIVE BRITPOP BANDS
1. Blur
2. Pulp
3. Radiohead
4. The Verve (Arguably not really BritPop.)
5. Lush
10 comments:
Great article. I was never a fan of Blur (I was an Oasis man). I suppose at that time you couldn't love one without hating the other. I have never heard of Lush, but will check them out.
You could probably make an argument that Radiohead aren't really Britpop either (after Pablo Honey and the Bends anyway).
The Stone Roses are still the best for me.
Best extended metaphor ever!
I used to see Micki from Lush and the guys from Saint Etienne (although rarely Sarah Cracknell) on the Tube all the time; we must have been neighbors.
I spent a lot of time in Manchester as well during that period; at the height of the Blur/Oasis thing, there was an Oasis Cafe in the basement of Affleck's Palace offering, yes, Oasis-themed cuisine. If you ordered soup, you 'got a roll with it' according to the menu.
I was Pulp woman during the whole Blur/Oasis thing, although I was really more of a chamber pop/art rock girl; I've seen My Life Story and David Devant and his Spirit Wife more times than I care to count.
Odd that I've only seen my favorite band, The Divine Comedy, once in the UK; I've seen them a fair few times here, but not so much there.
One minor quibble - Ride were from Oxford. Bust speaking of Madchester also-rans, my iPod was all about Man from Delmonte this morning.
I am wearing purple Doc Martens today as I was feeling all nostalgic - this hit the spot!
Even though I hate most of the music you discussed (especially Vampire Weekend), it's a good metaphor.
I always equate my involvement with floors of a building. The goal, of course, is to be in on the ground floor.
If you like something after it's already jumped the shark, then you swan dive off the roof.
I was in on the ground floor on Dreaming of Anna. I jumped off the roof on Charitable Man in the Belmont.
Cheers for the comments!
Anon - The Stone Roses were brilliant. I likely would argue they pre-date BritPop but regardless a great band.
Lisa - A cringeworthy error on my part misidentifying Ride. Almost as cringeworthy as my damon albarn mushrooom cut or the fake jarvis cocker glasses i sported once up a time. i too was feeling more than a bit nostalgic this morning!
Eddie D - Love your "metafloor" and expect to see a post on the subject soon!
Enjoyed the post, though I'd have to say that Ride was by far and away my favorite of the bands that you mentioned. Swervedriver was another Brit band of that ilk and from that time whose music still holds up well to me.
Been reading a lot of Britpop nostalgia lately, and as I'm reading this, got news that Noel and Liam parted ways.
I don't know where to classify Radiohead as their fans would not dare attach Britpop next to their band name, as if Britpop is considered a "dirty" tag like emo or hipster. They hold a special genre to Radiohead called "groundbreaking". If the timeline on which the era rose was the basis then yes, technically they are/were Britpop, never mind if they gained success during the comedown of the movement, like Verve (though Bittersweet Symphony is so Britpoppy in every way).
Is Alex Turner the new Jarvis Cocker? Seems like it. Jarvis is more than willing to pass the poet laureate baton to Turner. Jarvis always comes to Turner's defense each time the Monkeys' success are questioned by critics as opposed to Morrissey belittling Jarvis/Pulp. It helps that Turner is also from Sheffield. I just hope that along with pop-bard duties, Turner will also inherit the Pulp's frontman charisma.
Now I know I’m too old! Never got into BritPop, but was a huge punk fan, especially The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and (I’m a bit ashamed to say) Adam and the Ants. Hypnotized by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and, of course, the best damn drinkin’ music ever is The Pogues!
I'm so un-musical it's not funny, but I do like cranking up the volume when a good song comes on the radio.
Just spent/wasted an entire evening searching for Saint Etienne and The Divine Comedy on Youtube - thanks for that Superfecta. Living near Overstrand, Neil Hannon was ever so slightly a hero of mine.
Some great memories of uni brought back there, pretty much all of those came - including Shed Seven. Keith, what do you have against Shed Seven?
I love that the two most commented posts I've ever written have been focused on, in order:
1. BritPop
2. the Hartford Whalers
Alan - My Nowhere cassete was so worn out from Walkman use I had to purchase a new one.
Ken - It's funny how so many bands that cashed in during britpop were quick to shed the tag once the pool was sullied with newcomers.
Val - I would hope there's a punk post in your future.
G - For me Shed Seven are the epitome one hit wonder britpop band. I wasted so much money on the import album and was left unsated. Speakeasy was a great track, but no other winners after that for me.
Post a Comment