Revolver - Crimson (Hut, 1991)

Swirly Shoegaze Indie Pop

Poor old Revolver seemed to bear the brunt of the Shoegaze backlash. Whilst the likes of 'Crimson' are yearning and a little fey, it's really just classy indie pop. It's a rush of hormones edged with a couple of effects pedals.

Download Revolver 'Crimson' (Hut, 1991) (Box.net)

New Fast Automatic Daffodils - Get Better (Extended) (Playtime, 1991)

Corking, groovy indie funk juggernaut.

Long version of the opening track from New Fast Automatic Daffodils' debut album. It's a rhythm-heavy monster with a tight, bass-led groove. It's 'baggy' alright but more intense and taut and aggressive.

Download New Fast Automatic Daffodils 'Get Better (Extended)' (Playtime, Baggy, Indie Funk, mp3) (Divshare)

Afghan Whigs - My World Is Empty Without You (Sub Pop, 1991)

Jaw-dropping Motown cover.

Before turning their attention to 'Come See About Me', Afghan Whigs had dropped this frazzled, broken and pleading soul/grunge bomb.

The beat is a threatening rumble, the bass a low-slung metallic clang and Greg Dulli's vocal is one of tears and desolation. Periods of restraint and introversion are followed by the guitars cutting loose, creating a storm of emotional interference.

Splendid.

Download Afghan Whigs - My World Is Empty Without You (Motown, Sub Pop, mp3) (Divshare)

Spirea X - Speed Reaction (4AD, 1991)

Pristine, buzzing, melodic indie pop with a West Coast tang.

Formed by former Primal Scream guitarist and songwriter, Jim Beattie, Spirea X dropped a couple of singles and an album on 4AD in 1991 and were gone.

It's the Primal Scream of 'Velocity Girl' mixed with a more widescreen sound and 'Speed Reaction' is bolstered by waves of harmony vocals, some subtle horns and a blast of energy.

Divine.


Download Spirea X - Speed Reaction (4AD mp3) (Divshare)

Cath Carroll - Moves Like You (Factory, 1991)

Sinuous, low-riding Ibiza-dappled groove.

A classic in the mould of One Dove's awesome 'Morning Dove White' album or the Saint Etienne of 'Kiss And Make Up'. Echoes in the sugary pop refractions of Korallreven.

Languid. Delicious.

Download Cath Carroll - Moves Like You (Factory mp3)

Orbital - Belfast (Original Version) (FFRR, 1991)

Simply beautiful.

To me, this record is an utterly beguiling glide through late night, sodium lit streets, the remnants of the previous evening's tunes ghosting through your brain.

You drift along in a semi-conscious state. Jimmy Saville appears in one of those foil blankets they give out at the end of marathons. He proceeds to give you a lecture about the history of dance music and the fact that he was the first DJ to use twin turntables. And about how the US Army used to use MDMA, back in the day. Not the "back in the day" you're thinking, son, the 1950s.

Then you wake up.

Download Orbital - Belfast (Original Version) (FFRR, 1991)

Mercury Rev - Carwash Hair (Mint Films, 1991)

Expansive, lethargic, heavy-lidded spaced out indie rock masterpiece.

At their inception, Mercury Rev were more about the opiated, space rock symphonies than the backwoods euphorica of later albums like 'All Is Dream'.

With waves of guitar, flute and casual, dazed repetition, 'Carwash Hair' is like scruffier version of Spiritualized, building to the same peaks of intensity but creating a soundfield cluttered by random noises and dirty socks.

Download Mercury Rev 'Carwash Hair' (Space Rock mp3) (Box.net)

British Electric Foundation ft Green Gartside - I Don't Know Why I Love You (10 Records, 1991)

Crystalline pop cover featuring Green Gartside.

The man can do no wrong.

This cover of what is a pretty amazing Stevie Wonder song makes the song levitate. Where the Stevie Wonder original is gritty and simple, based around a broken clavichord sound, British Electric Foundation (BEF) and Green manufacture a synthetic symphony.

A whole different, but equally beautiful, kind of soul music.

Download British Electric Foundation & Green Gartside 'I Don't Know Why I Love You (But I Love You)' (pop mp3) (Divshare)

Chapterhouse - Breather (Dedicated, 1991)

Euphoric, rushing, swooning, indistinct.

'Pearl' is, perhaps, the more obvious choice when it comes to Chapterhouse, but I love how this track bowls along in a rush of hormones and floppy fringe.

It was the opening track from their debut album and, whilst it does feature waves of swooning guitar and vocals in a Shoegaze style, it also has a delicious headlong energy and purpose to it. More 'Like A Daydream' than 'Catch The Breeze'.

Sweet.

Download Chapterhouse 'Breather' (Shoegaze Chapterhouse mp3) (Rapidshare)

Th' Faith Healers Peel Session (1991)

Classic Peel Session by Th Faith Healers - frantic, groovy, clanging, lurching Krautrocking genius.

Headfuck Disco fodder of the highest order from a band that emerged during Too Pure's golden period. Moonshake, PJ Harvey, Stereolab, Seefeel and Pram - all on the same label? What the hell was in the water at Too Pure Towers?

'Coffee Commercial Couple' is a driving beast of a tune, seemingly improvised vocal snippets adding to the intrigue. A juggernaut.

'Bobby Kopper' begins spartan and sinister before a snarling vocal is matched by a rolling, almost Stray Cats guitar. The rhythm section keeps it all grooving along nicely.

'Jesus Freak' is a trashy, messy scrawl of guitar with frenzied vocals and strung-out interludes.

Great stuff.

Download Th' Faith Healers 'Coffee Commercial Couple' (Peel Session, 1991)
Download Th' Faith Healers 'Bobby Kopper' (Peel Session, 1991)
Download Th' Faith Healers 'Jesus Freak' (Peel Session, 1991) 

#indiechristmas - Brighter 'Christmas' (Sarah, 1991)

Dappled, sadcore classic from one of the great Sarah albums.

Surprisingly, not a Christmas number one in 1991 when it was released.

Beautiful pealing guitars and oh-so-fey vocals, gentle meandering melodies and just a hint of Christmas in its classic Sarah stye.

Download Brighter 'Christmas' (indie, twee mp3) (Mediafire)

The Lilac Time 'Grey Skies And Work Things' (Creation Records, 1991)

Gorgeously melancholic, wistful tune from a forgotten masterpiece.

By 1991, Stephen Duffy pretty much was The Lilac Time, another major label deal down and with a new home on Creation Records. Adversity suits him though, because Astronauts is a beautiful, brittle, fairly austere record.

'Dreaming' had seen 'In Iverna Gardens' from the album turned into a post-Acid House, indie dance bliss out. Elsewhere on the album lurked more reflective treats like 'Madresfield' which is a beautiful song about a Malvern village in Winter. A metaphor maybe.

And so to 'Grey Skies And Work Things'. It counts down the working hours till you can be with a lover, forming a companion piece with 'Work For The Weekend' from the 'Paradise Circus' album. A slow, acoustic number until some lovely jazzy, tremelo electric guitar, piano, bass and brushed drums come in towards the end.

Beautiful.

Download The Lilac Time 'Grey Skies And Work Things' (indie folk mp3) (Mediafire)

Cocteau Twins 'Dials' (4AD, 1991)

Gentle rarity from the 1991 singles box set.

'Dials' was one of the tracks on the bonus disc in the 1991 singles box set (along with 'The High Monkey Monk' post herebefore). It was released as they were about to leave 4AD for Phonogram's major label headaches.

It's an outtake from the 'Heaven Or Las Vegas' sessions and is a beat-less piece of beauty. It bridges the ambient gorgeousness of the 'Victorialand' album to the richness of the later 4AD period, thereby teaching a generation of Shoegazers what singing should sound like.

Beautiful.

Download Cocteau Twins 'Dials' (indie, Dreampop, Shoegaze mp3 download) (Mediafire)

The Lilac Time 'Dreaming (Hypnowah Mix)' (Creation, 1991)

Blissed-out, bleepy instrumental from the glory days of indie dance.

Stephen Duffy had a few near-misses with fame between 'Kiss Me' hitting the charts in 1985 and co-writing a slew of massive-selling songs with Robbie Williams in 2004 and 2005.

The Lilac Time should have been massive. They gave you melody, lush arrangement, genius songwriting - what's not to like. However, as the 80s turned into the 90s, they found themselves out of their major label deal and on Creation Records. Stephen Duffy was creating the bleak but beautiful masterpiece that was the 'Astronauts' album pretty much as a solo artist.

However, with 'Screamadelica' wind in Creation Records' sails, they thought they could turn the track 'Dreaming' into an indie dance hit. With that goal in mind, bleep masters Hypnotone were tasked with the job. The result was a chunky, indie dancefloor shuffler that got, I believe, to number 41 in the charts. Success narrowly averted once again.

Download The Lilac Time 'Dreaming (Hypnowah Mix)' (CRE104X, indie dance mp3 download) (Box)

Teenage Fanclub 'Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd Cover)' (Creation Records, 1991)

Wild and free cover of the Pink Floyd classic from 1991's rare album, 'The King'.

Classic, psychedelic riff-ology from Pink Floyd rendered by Teenage Fanclub in heads-down, metal mode. 'Interstellar Overdrive' was included on 'The King' limited edition release that marked Teenage Fanclub's album debut for Creation Records.

More akin to the My Bloody Valentine of 'Feed Me With Your Kiss' or Swervedriver than The Byrds and Big Star moves they would become famous for on 'Bandwagonesque' and beyond.

Download Teenage Fanclub 'Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd Cover)' (indie alternative mp3 download, Creation Records mp3) (Mediafire)

Download the whole of Teenage Fanclub 'The King' (indie mp3 download, Creation Records mp3 download) over on archive:live+rare mp3s

Cranes 'Tomorrow's Tears' (Dedicated, 1991)

Gorgeous, piano-led, gently gothic track with spiralling melody and aching melancholy.

The only tricky thing about Cranes was getting past Alison Shaw's little-girl-ghost-stuck-down-a-well vocal style. It's an acquired taste but - especially on this track - offsets the music's delightfully rococo melodies really nicely.

'Tomorrow's Tears' was a single from their 'Wings Of Joy' album and balanced echoes of Shoegaze with 'Pearly Dewdrops Drops'-era Cocteau Twins. There's also some deep, brown piano work that wouldn't out of place on David Sylvian's 'Secrets Of The Beehive' album.

Beautiful.

Download Cranes 'Tomorrow's Tears' (gothic, indie alternative mp3) (Mediafire)

Curve 'Ten Little Girls' (Anxious, 1991)

Thrilling head-on crash of pummeling beats, sheets of noise, angelic vocals - dark indie originators.

Curve emerged fully-formed with a blend of shoegaze disorientation, driving bass and beats and sheets of furious noise.

Produced by the go-to producer/mixer/engineer of the shoegaze generation, Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Swervedriver, The Boo Radleys, Smashing Pumpkins) its sound is flint-hard, leavened only by the sweetness of Toni Halliday's vocals.

'Ten Little Girls' was their debut single and I have to confess that I haven't listened to it for ages. I was pleasantly surprised to find it has aged elegantly. Even the rap which works surprisingly well, evoking only the tiniest thought of 2 Unlimited.

Check out the awesome beast that is 'Coast Is Clear' too.

Download Curve 'Ten Little Girls' (indie, dance mp3) (Mediafire)

Pale Saints 'Kinky Love' (4AD, 1991)

Mesmerising cover of quirky Nancy Sinatra tune.

Shimmering, velvety Shoegaze delights from Pale Saints, covering an obscure Nancy Sinatra single from 1975. Soaring guitars and washes of guitar are applied to the already bendy guitar sounds of the Nancy Sinatra original.

Perhaps inevitably - given that I heard this version first, long before I heard the original - I think this is a better version. More prominence is given to Ian Masters' delicious, springy bass and the guitars have carte blanche to soar and swoon. Meriel Barham's vocal is less soaked in suggestion, but it's perfect nonetheless.

Beautiful stuff.

Download Pale Saints 'Kinky Love' (Shoegaze, Alternative, Indie, Cover Version mp3) (Mediafire)

Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine 'Rent (Live at Wembley)' (1991)

Usual hatred of constant punning overcome by strangely appropriate Pet Shop Boys cover.

I was usually immune to Carter USM's brand of pun-crazy beatbox and bawling indie rocking. However, I stumbled upon this in a box of old tapes and remembered how their urgent, desperate take on the Pet Shop Boys' 'Rent' was their best moment.

The other thing I grudgingly admired was how they seemed obsessed with squeezing London placenames into their songs. 'The Only Living Boy In New Cross' and '24 Minutes From Tulse Hill' were worthy bits of wordplay. The rest of the obsessive punning just annoyed.

'Rent' itself is host to their absolute pinnacle of London placename wordplay, replacing "You took me to a restaurant, off-Broadway" with "You took me to a restaurant, Fulham Broadway". It always makes me smile and somehow seems a more appropriate venue for the lower-status partner in the relationship...

Download Carter USM 'Rent (Live at Wembley)' (indie cover pet shop boys mp3) (Box.net)

The Impossibles 'The Drum' (Fontana, 1991)

Deceptively lackadaisical singalong pop from short-lived, under-exposed early 90s duo.

'The Drum' is a loping, circular, singalonga slice of festival pop. The Impossibles were a female duo who released a couple of corking singles in the early 90s before promptly disappearing.

After the more straightforward, sweeter 'How Do You Do It?' single they unleashed 'The Drum' which is more elaborate in its arrangement and came backed with an Andrew Weatherall remix for good measure.

The song lopes along like a jalloppy leaking illicit booze down a dusty, country track, stoned locals hanging out of the windows. The stream of consciousness lyrics, wrapped up into neatly entwined female harmonies, making them squint, perplexed into the blazing sun, trying inadequately to keep up with the meaning.

Download it now while the sun still shines.

Download The Impossibles 'The Drum' (indie alternative, mp3) (Mediafire)