Originally "Colours," "the Supersonic Bangs" and "the Bangs", the all singing/all performing four-woman the Bangles formed in 1981 and sprung from the L.A. paisley underground scene. Later they traded their garage band roots for a slick, heavily-produced pop sound that turned them into one of the most successful chart groups of either gender... [+] Read More

Originally "Colours," "the Supersonic Bangs" and "the Bangs", the all singing/all performing four-woman the Bangles formed in 1981 and sprung from the L.A. paisley underground scene. Later they traded their garage band roots for a slick, heavily-produced pop sound that turned them into one of the most successful chart groups of either gender during the '80s.

In the beginning, the group played original, '60s-based guitar rock, and were fond of covering Big Star, the Merry Go Round and Love. Sisters Debbi and Vicki Peterson on drums and bass respectively, and singer/guitarist Susanna Hoffs started the group when the sisters responded to a want-ad placed by Hoffs; later they added Annette Zilinskas on bass.

The scruffy girl group self-released the single "Getting Out of Hand," which sounded like a lost song by the Mamas and the Papas and followed it with a loose, four-song pop EP on IRS before getting signed to Columbia. All Over the Place was produced by David Kahne and released in 1984, once the band had been given an all-over clean-up. By that time, Zilinskas had left the fold to join Blood on the Saddle and former Runaway Michael Steele was added to the lineup.

For the second album, 1985's Different Light, the band were aided by Prince (or "Christopher," as he was known during that phase) with his song "Manic Monday," which charted at number two and paved the way for the follow-up smash, "Walk Like an Egyptian," which went to number one and sent the album to the top of the charts. There was a sexist assumption among some critics that the successful female group couldn't really play and needed studio and live assistance, but as with any slick chart band, sessionmen were in fact credited, beginning on the second album. Future Black Crowes' producer George Drakoulias was enlisted to play the guitar lead for their next single, a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Hazy Shade of Winter," from the Less Than Zero soundtrack which reached number one in 1987. At the same time, Hoffs appeared in a b-movie, The Allnighter, and it garnered the band some undesirable attention, but the follow-up album, Everything, spawned another number one, "Eternal Flame," in 1988.

The band packed it in due to the usual artistic differences in 1989 -- the Peterson's sibling harmonies were what gave the group their unique sound, but singer Susanna Hoffs was often considered the focal point and it contributed to the tension. Vicki Peterson sang with the Continental Drifters and filled in for Charlotte Caffey during 1994's Go-Go's reunion tour; Hoffs recorded two solo albums since the band's breakup, When You're a Boy in 1991 and a self-titled record in 1996, while Debbie Peterson and Steele continued to work with various alternative pop groups. The Bangles officially re-formed in the summer of 2000, announcing tour dates and plans for a new studio album. ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Game Theory formed on the fringe of the Paisley Underground movement of the early-'80s and though they certainly had a retro-'60 sound with psychedelic leanings, the band owed its greatest debt to the proto-power pop of Big Star.

Leader Scott Miller's song craft, distinctive voice (self-described as a "miserable whine") and... [+] Read More

Game Theory formed on the fringe of the Paisley Underground movement of the early-'80s and though they certainly had a retro-'60 sound with psychedelic leanings, the band owed its greatest debt to the proto-power pop of Big Star.

Leader Scott Miller's song craft, distinctive voice (self-described as a "miserable whine") and intelligent lyrics (often obscure but rarely pretentious) carved a sound that, while firmly rooted in traditional pop, was truly original and defined an era of college rock.

Formed in Sacramento in 1982, the first incarnation included ex-Alternative Learning member Scott Miller (singer/songwriter, guitarist), Fred Juhos (bass), Nancy Becker (keyboards), and Michael Erwin (drums). Within four months of forming and before ever playing a live gig, the band recorded their first album, Blaze of Glory, in Miller's bedroom. Only 500 copies were pressed and sent out to college radio (according to the legend, wrapped in trash bags). The album, while a pleasant amalgam of '60s pure pop and the quirkier elements of new wave, only hinted at the band's potential. They began playing live in the same circles with Dream Syndicate and Thin White Rope -- rumblings of the Paisley Underground scene were just beginning. The Pointed Accounts of People You Know EP in 1983 and the Distortion EP (produced by Michael Quercio of paisley-peers the Three O'Clock) the following year quickly earned the band a following and drew favorable comparisons to Big Star.

In 1985, with the help of producer Mitch Easter, they recorded their first proper album -- Real Nighttime -- for Enigma Records. Internal tensions broke the band up before its release, leaving Miller to carry on with a new lineup consisting of Shelley LaFrenier (keyboard), Gil Ray (drums), and Suzie Ziegler (bass) -- Easter would continue as the band's producer and essentially a fifth member in the studio throughout the rest of their career. The new group immediately began recording Big Shot Chronicles by late 1985 -- the album once again showing great leaps in quality. By this time, they had become staples of college radio, though mainstream recognition eluded them. Miller seemed to accept the destiny of the band (obscurity) when he created his most excessive, and ultimately most enjoyable, album -- 1987's Lolita Nation -- a sprawling double album packed with obscure pop-culture references, and riddled with experimental sounds and song fragments. Lolita Nation also marked the addition of guitarist/vocalist Donnete Thayer.

They took one more stab at the mainstream with the more accessible Two Steps From the Middle Ages in 1988, but its commercial failure took its toll on the band, leading to several more personnel changes -- which included the temporary exit of Miller himself. Miller finally dissolved the band in 1990 to form the similar-sounding, though more ecclectic, Loud Family. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Of the countless bands to emerge from the New York City underground during the post-punk era, few if any were as unique and influential as the Feelies; nerdy, nervous, and noisy, even decades later their droning, skittering avant-garde pop remains a key touchstone of the American indie music scene. Named in reference to Aldous Huxley's paranoid... [+] Read More

Of the countless bands to emerge from the New York City underground during the post-punk era, few if any were as unique and influential as the Feelies; nerdy, nervous, and noisy, even decades later their droning, skittering avant-garde pop remains a key touchstone of the American indie music scene. Named in reference to Aldous Huxley's paranoid classic Brave New World, the Feelies formed in 1976 in suburban Haledon, NJ, where singers/guitarists Bill Million and Glenn Mercer first met while in high school; bassist John J. and drummer Dave Weckerman rounded out the original lineup, although they were replaced in 1977 by bassist Keith Clayton and drummer Vinny Denunzio. The revamped group soon made its N.Y.C. debut, quickly creating a buzz throughout the city's new wave circuit -- a Village Voice headline even dubbed them "The Best Underground Band in New York."

Drummer Anton Fier replaced Denunzio in 1978, and a year later the Feelies cut their debut single, "Fa Ce-La," for the British indie Rough Trade. Their refusal to work with outside producers jeopardized their immediate hopes for a major-label deal, however, and so their brilliant 1980 LP, Crazy Rhythms, instead appeared on another U.K. indie, Stiff; the record's manic melodies, jittery rhythms, and opaque lyrics made it a huge critical favorite, and although it made little impact outside of underground circles, many latter-day acts -- R.E.M. chief among them -- cited the album as a major influence. Still, Crazy Rhythms' commercial failure sat badly with Stiff, which began pressuring the Feelies to produce a hit single; the pressure ultimately forced the group into a kind of suspended animation, with Fier soon exiting to join the Lounge Lizards and later mounting the Golden Palominos.

With the Feelies out of action for the better part of the early '80s, the remaining members turned their focus to a variety of side projects -- in 1982, Million and Mercer reunited to compose the score to Susan Seidelman's film Smithereens, concurrently playing in a series of Jersey-area bands including Weckerman's new outfit Yung Wu, the Trypes (which issued the 1984 EP The Explorers Hold), and the instrumental Willies. Finally, Million and Mercer reactivated the Feelies banner in 1983, reuniting with Weckerman as well as two of their Willies bandmates, percussionist Stanley Demeski and bassist Brenda Sauter; still, the revitalized group's performance schedule was sporadic at best, limited primarily to holiday appearances. Finally, they entered the studio with producer Peter Buck of R.E.M., releasing the folky The Good Earth on Coyote in 1986.

That same year, the Feelies appeared in director Jonathan Demme's film hit Something Wild; combined with critical praise for The Good Earth, the group's raised media visibility caught the attention of A&M, which released the follow-up, Only Life, in 1988. Time for a Witness followed in 1991, but on July 5 of that year the Feelies played their final show at the Hoboken club Maxwell's -- soon after Million unexpectedly moved to Florida without telling any of his bandmates, not even leaving a forwarding address. In the months to follow Demeski began playing in Luna, Sauter worked with Speed the Plough and Wild Carnation, and Mercer and Weckerman re-teamed in Wake Ooloo; when that band fell apart in 1998 after three LPs for the Pravda label, the duo again joined forces to form another new unit, Sunburst. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Robyn Hitchcock is one of England's most enduring contemporary singer/songwriters and live performers, although he's been branded eccentric and quirky during the course of his long career. Hitchcock started his recording career with the Soft Boys, a punk-era band specializing in melodic pop merged with comedic lyrics. His voice veers between... [+] Read More

Robyn Hitchcock is one of England's most enduring contemporary singer/songwriters and live performers, although he's been branded eccentric and quirky during the course of his long career. Hitchcock started his recording career with the Soft Boys, a punk-era band specializing in melodic pop merged with comedic lyrics. His voice veers between John Lennon and Syd Barrett, helping to nurture his madman reputation, but his true influences lie more in English folk-rock; his guitar and vocal style and lyrical inanities recall the Incredible String Band or Roy Harper. Hitchcock's solo debut, 1981's Black Snake Diamond Role, helped consolidate his reputation as an oddball and was followed by the psychedelia of Groovy Decay in 1982 and the all-acoustic I Often Dream of Trains in 1984. By 1985, his penchant for zaniness and songsmithing coalesced with Fegmania! Three years later, Hitchcock landed his first major U.S. label contract with A&M Records and released Globe of Frogs in 1988 and Queen Elvis in 1989. He sustained and probably even grew his career; however, by this time, critical approval had fallen off for his work. It wasn't until the 1996 release of Moss Elixir that Hitchcock returned to form and fully embraced his folk roots. Storefront Hitchcock, the soundtrack to the Jonathan Demme-directed concert film, followed in 1998.

Upon release from his contract with Warner Bros., Hitchcock self-released A Star for Bram (Editions PAF!, 2000), a collection of outtakes and leftover recordings from the Jewels for Sophia sessions. In 2002 he released Robyn Sings, a double-disc collection of Bob Dylan songs culled from various venues in America and abroad during 1999-2000. The stripped-down Luxor followed in 2003. The following year saw the prolific artist taking a bit role in Jonathan Demme's remake of The Manchurian Candidate, as well as releasing Spooked, a collaboration with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings recorded over a period of six days in Nashville. A Japanese compilation featuring new, live, and rare recordings called Obliteration Pie arrived at the beginning of 2006, followed by This Is the BBC, a Hux Records collection of tunes recorded for the network during the mid-'90s. ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

At the time of their 1985 debut, Camper Van Beethoven's merging of punk, folk, ska, and world musics was truly a revelation. Self-described as "surrealist absurdist folk," the band formed in Santa Cruz, CA, after singer/songwriter David Lowery of Redlands, CA, with his dry humor and valley-boy voice (sometimes confused for a faux English... [+] Read More

At the time of their 1985 debut, Camper Van Beethoven's merging of punk, folk, ska, and world musics was truly a revelation. Self-described as "surrealist absurdist folk," the band formed in Santa Cruz, CA, after singer/songwriter David Lowery of Redlands, CA, with his dry humor and valley-boy voice (sometimes confused for a faux English accent), and boyhood friends Chris Molla and Chris Pedersen disbanded Box o' Laffs. Victor Krummenacher was added on bass and soon they were joined by Greg Lisher (guitar) and Jonathan Segel (violins, keyboards, mandolin). It was Segel's violin that would prove to be the band's hallmark at a time when alternative rock had yet to be invented, and indie rock was still shy of roots music or traditional elements.

The 1985 re-release of their debut, Telephone Free Landslide Victory, made the Top Ten in the 1986 Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, as did their second album, II & III, and Camper Van Beethoven, both released in 1986. On II & III, they went for a purer indie rock sound with touches of country, as evidenced in their "Sad Lovers Waltz" and their cover of Sonic Youth's "I Love Her All the Time." The band deftly switched modes from punk to ska to rock on alternate takes, but by this time Molla had left the fold. The third album, confusingly titled Camper Van Beethoven, continued the thread, but outstanding tracks like "Joe Stalin's Cadillac" were in the more straight-ahead indie rock vein. However, the band would consistently blow people's minds by tossing around things like a reverent version of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive." For its Virgin Records debut, coinciding with the label's U.S. re-launch in 1988, the band took a more serious tack on Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart, and the group that had once been confined to low budgets and small studio facilities stretched out perhaps a little too aggressively.

For Key Lime Pie, Camper Van Beethoven's final release in 1989, the band took it as far as it could go. Morgan Fichter had replaced Segel by this time. Krummenacher, Pedersen, and Lisher continued to play together in what began as a side project in 1985, Monks of Doom, which turned into a full-time job for them, with four albums and an EP to their credit. Though no longer working as the Monks, the trio, along with Segel and Camper touring guitarist David Immergluck, continue to play together in various formations. Jonathan Segel released three albums as Hieronymous Firebrain from 1990-1994 and two with Jack & Jill for the Magnetic label. Krummenacher released a solo record, Out in the Heat, also for Magnetic, and continues to work with members of Tarnation in Lava. Immergluck and Fichter continue to tour and play sessions with bands of considerable renown (Counting Crows and Natalie Merchant respectively, among others); Lowery took some time off before forming Cracker, but didn't commingle with his former bandmates until reuniting with Krummenacher and Segel in late 1999 to assemble the bizarre rarities collection Camper Van Beethoven Is Dead: Long Live Camper Van Beethoven.

In 2002, the band released a CD that had been recorded on a lark back in 1987: a song-for-song cover version of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk album. Meanwhile, the original members had quietly reunited and begun work on a new batch of songs. They surfaced in 2004 with New Roman Times, a rock opera that told the story of a Texas teen who joined the military and then left to join an anti-government militia. ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Though difficult to find (it was seemingly in print for about 15 minutes), this CD combining Let's Active's first two releases, plus a pair of rarities, is essential for all fans of the Southern pop underground of the '80s. Mitch Easter, Sarah Romweber, and Faye Hunter blended psychedelia, bubblegum, and jangly guitars in a way that sounded... [+] Read More

Though difficult to find (it was seemingly in print for about 15 minutes), this CD combining Let's Active's first two releases, plus a pair of rarities, is essential for all fans of the Southern pop underground of the '80s. Mitch Easter, Sarah Romweber, and Faye Hunter blended psychedelia, bubblegum, and jangly guitars in a way that sounded alternately mysteriously dark and joyously giddy. The 1983 EP is more the latter. Even the lost-love songs like "Every Word Means No" and "Make Up With Me" are too adorable to resist. Easter gets extra coolness points for deliberately mispronouncing the word "anathema" to make it fit the meter in the former song, one of the year's finest singles. All six songs are brilliantly catchy, with more ear-grabbing hooks and production tricks per song than most entire albums, and the entire EP is simply flawless, particularly the ghostly, atmospheric "Edge of the World" and "Leader of Men." Cypress, from 1984, is the darker of the two records, with a thicker and even more psychedelic haze obscuring even the handful of relatively upbeat tracks. Even the catchiest songs here, like the single "Waters Part," have a draggy, druggy feel, and a sort of dispirited ennui hangs over the album as a whole. (It's not surprising that Romweber and Hunter left the band not very long after the album's release.) Still, it's an amazingly engaging record, almost like a Southern new wave version of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures. On this disc, combined with the sunnier pop pleasures of Afoot, Cypress is that much more powerful and disquieting. This disc adds the previously unreleased "Two Yous" and "Grey Scale," previously only available on the U.K. vinyl pressing of Cypress. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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The Long Ryders were one of the greatest bands to come out of L.A. during the 1980s. The band combined rootsy influences such as Gram Parsons and Buffalo Springfield with an unlikely punk sensibility. They were refreshing, they cared about the songwriting, and they could rock. Coming from the long-lamented paisley underground scene, which... [+] Read More

The Long Ryders were one of the greatest bands to come out of L.A. during the 1980s. The band combined rootsy influences such as Gram Parsons and Buffalo Springfield with an unlikely punk sensibility. They were refreshing, they cared about the songwriting, and they could rock. Coming from the long-lamented paisley underground scene, which included such bands as the Dream Syndicate, the Bangles, and Rain Parade, the Ryders were easily the tightest, and well-deserving of their major-label deal with Island Records, following their brilliant debut for Frontier in 1984. Polygram Chronicles has neatly compiled all the above material, plus the early 10-5-60 EP and loads of rare and unreleased tracks, on the Long Ryders' Anthology. It's an excellent collection from one of the most honest and genuinely gifted bands of the period. Tracks such as Ryders founder Sid Griffin's "Final Wild Son" and bassist Tom Stephens' "Years Long Ago" capture the essence of the band, which can almost be compared to a meeting of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Neil Young, and the Sex Pistols. Lead guitarist Stephen McCarthy's material has probably aged the best, with such polished tracks as "I Had a Dream" (one of the band's finest) and "Mason-Dixon Line" leaving you to wonder why listeners haven't heard a solo album from him. Individual praise, however, is not what the Long Ryders were about. They were a great band, and should be remembered as such. The Long Ryders' Anthology accomplishes just that. ~ Matthew Greenwald, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Disappointingly, the 1980s failed to recognize the genius of Robyn Hitchcock. As a member of the Soft Boys until they broke up in 1981, Hitchcock went on to write some extremely witty, off-the-wall, and peculiarly clever music. With a sound reminiscent of Lloyd Cole and even Elvis Costello at times, Hitchcock's jangly Brit-pop is made up of... [+] Read More

Disappointingly, the 1980s failed to recognize the genius of Robyn Hitchcock. As a member of the Soft Boys until they broke up in 1981, Hitchcock went on to write some extremely witty, off-the-wall, and peculiarly clever music. With a sound reminiscent of Lloyd Cole and even Elvis Costello at times, Hitchcock's jangly Brit-pop is made up of sharp lyrical craftsmanship and a frolicsome weightlessness that gives his music a distinct charisma. This hits collection is a fine example of his work with the Egyptians dating back to their formation in 1987, made up of album selections, rarities, B-sides, and promotional singles, most of which failed to surface on any of their albums. Riding on the strength of college radio, tunes like "A Globe of Frogs" and "Balloon Man" eventually gained popular admiration, even if it was for a short while. The tongue-in-cheek subtlety of "Legalized Murder" is typical of Hitchcock's humor, and the bizarre effusiveness of "Madonna of the Wasps" is fittingly left of center. The band's cover of Roxy Music's "More Than This" holds up a little better than their attempt at the Byrds' "Eight Miles High," but is a valiant effort nonetheless. Intriguing pieces like "The Yip Song," "Dark Green Energy," and "She Doesn't Exist" confirm that Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians possess a unique imagination as well as an adept spiritedness, which should have led to wider attention. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Bangles' major-label debut is an essential album in the band's catalog. Guitarist and vocalist Vicki Peterson penned most of the '60s and early-'70s guitar rock songs, like the mini-hit "Hero Takes a Fall" (it was rumored the hero in the title was Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn). The record also includes covers of the obscure Merry-Go-Round... [+] Read More

The Bangles' major-label debut is an essential album in the band's catalog. Guitarist and vocalist Vicki Peterson penned most of the '60s and early-'70s guitar rock songs, like the mini-hit "Hero Takes a Fall" (it was rumored the hero in the title was Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn). The record also includes covers of the obscure Merry-Go-Round hit "Live" and ex-Soft Boy Kimberley Rew's "Going Down to Liverpool." The band was polished a bit by producer David Kahne and the release capitalized on the pretty, all-girl group angle rather than the band's actual raw talent, which might otherwise have been too rough and retro for radio at the time. Nonetheless, the band retained enough of the original spunk that made them appealing in the first place. ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide [-] Hide