The Indie Anthology 56: essential songs

After last week's riot grrrl incursion we go back to jangle pop in this new chapter of our Anthology, with another very dear one, criminally underrated imo, guitar pop band of the 80s.

Song: My Favorite Wet Wednesday Afternoon
Artist: The Siddeleys
Year: 1987

For an incurable music addict, there are few pleasures that can compare with what I call "the completist hunt". For that I mean the time, sometimes never-ending, you start digging into "a scene", a genre-style, and/or a specific period of time, looking out name after name, creating connections (agreed, in many occasions its just you making the links), building up a music "family tree" and, every little while, finding that long, forgotten gem (remember I'm Spanish and born in the 80s so much harder to have heard about many of these bands) that keeps you smiling for the whole month you discovered them. In my case, as you probably guess, it's all about jangle pop. One of these lovely discoveries were the short-lived The Siddeleys, sort of a pop cult group formed in London in the spring of 1986 after singer/guitarist Johnny Johnson gave a tape of her home-recorded songs to guitarist Allan Kingdom. The combination of irresistible, tuneful and chiming guitar-pop with sweet yet powerful and somewhat incisive girl vocals and terribly dark lyrics were a shock for me, leaded by the perfect 'My Favorite Wet Wednesday Afternoon', frenzy and evocative, nostalgic but rebellious. If that chorus ("there's no earthly reason...") and the eternal lead guitar doesn't get you, there's something wrong with you, I'm afraid.

The Indie Anthology 40: essential songs

Next chapter in our Anthology is another Sarah Records classic, a gem of a song on an album full of jangle-pop delicious pieces... chosen because of its lyric... One of these days when you want to shout out loud the world to go fuck up itself (sorry for the expletive language). Dedicated to all the scum out there.. Yours truly... with indiepop love.

Song: You Should All Be Murdered
Artist: Another Sunny Day
Year: 1992

"London Weekend"... what a great record! "I'm In Love With A Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist", "Anorak City", "Can't You Tell It's True?", "The Centre of My Little World"... Harvey Williams... what a truly underrated genius. But if I have to choose only one tune (at least today) it has to be "You Should All Be Murdered". Guitars full of sonic gentleness and an upbeat melody hiding (for all non-English speakers) a lyric full of bite and frustration with a world so full of people eager to let you down. Verses like "The people who have left me down without reserve / The people who talk too much/ The people who don't care", or my painfully favourite "The people who broke my heart so bad it never mends / The people who wrecked my life & all my so-called friends", before Williams let the guitars (one of the most beautiful ends I ever heard) do the rest of the talking. Unfortunately, now the lines ring so true. So does this amazing song.

The Indie Anthology 24: essential songs

I'm on a roll, listening to hundreds of songs, from this year (preparing the best-of-the-year lists) and from my past (recent and not so recent). I guess change is around the corner (I know, cryptic mood I'm in). So here's another chapter of this personal music anthology. Jangle pop's perfection.

Song: Cabin Fever
Artist: The Liberty Ship
Year: 2004

Guitar pop, jangle pop, or just classic indie pop. It really doesn't matter how do you try to define that sort of style. Get perfect tunes like this wonderful "Cabin Fever" from this Nottingham's quartet ("Tide" the record on which this gem was included shouldn't be missed by any indie pop lover) instead, also a perfect example of the "Matinée Recordings' style" and the reason why we love that label so much. Is the melody revealing itself through every chord. Is that pulsing beat coming from the drums, a pulse awaiting for the chorus to emerge, looking for its latest assault when the tempo will push (just a little bit) in order to provide the climax to the tune. Is the clear and echoing voice of Marc Elston waving among the Rickenbackers (of course) cascades of sound. Is the passion. Put it simply, an instant classic tune.