Formed in Brooklyn in 2003, The Consultants were Marisha Chinsky, Brett Whitmoyer, and Mike Hollitscher. Their music is beautifully layered and cinematic, while the lyrics are a neurotic cocktail of hope and discontent. Chinsky sings and writes most of the words, and they are often windows into a compelling world where self-confidence and self-doubt are perpetually vying for the upper hand. In The Mark, for example, she sings
In early 2008, a musical experiment was put in motion between friends and acquaintances. The idea was to put together four musicians from diverse musical backgrounds and see what could happen. Within a few months, Jurojin was born. Featuring a rock singer, a classical Indian tabla player, a jazz bassist, and a metal guitar player, this unlikely combination has been gathering attention and critical acclaim since their live debut in June of 2008 at London’s Borderline club.
Up and coming avant-garde and melodic London-based 3-piece. Regularly playing in London They have had recent airplay on BBC6 music (Tom Robinson) and XFM (Jon Hillcock) including a recent live session for the latter. Bob Constant sings, Samuel Wicker plays acoustic guitar and Gabriel Bash plays drums and percussion. Diverse influences include Tom Waits, Animal Collective, Captain Beefheart, Why? and Nina Simone.
A Witness were an alternative rock band formed in 1982 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, by Rick Aitken, Vince Hunt and a drum machine, in 1986 replaced by Alan Brown (ex Big Flame). Keith Curtis and Noel Kilbride joined the group in 1983. Initially signing to the Ron Johnson label, debut EP Loudhailer Songs put them at the forefront of a wave of Beefheart-influenced bands that emerged in the mid-1980's. They gained further attention due to the inclusion of the track "Sharpened Sticks" on the NME's C86 cassette in the following year.
The Jasmine Minks were a British indie band, whose early singles were amongst the first releases by Creation Records. Formed in early-‘80s London, the band were initially a trio centred around singer Jim Shepherd. After sending a demo tape to Melody Maker, the band were recruited by Alan McGee to record for the fledgling Creation label. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1985, and in 1986 the band recorded their only Peel session. Further albums Another Age (1988) and Scratch the Surface (1989) drew critical acclaim before the band split.
Seattle Washington's Seapony, comprised of Jen Weidl (Vocals, Guitar), Danny Rowland (guitar) & Ian Brewer (Bass). Their first release was the 3-song single Dreaming followed by their debut album, Go With Me (released by Hardly Art) which puts Jen Weidl's youthful melancholia and yearning on display and wraps it in a blanket of twee/surf/jangle pop.
The Jaywalkers were a Greek c86-era band formed by Paschalis Plissis and Giorgos Mouchtarides. The two were previously in a punk band called Migraine. Their only ever release was their “mini LP” a four-track 12” on Virgin Hellas in 1987. Although the 12” was a commercial failure then, it has now become highly sought after, due to the relative success of the track (You Can’t Be) Happy All the Time which featured on Pop Art’s Try A Little Sunshine compilation.
Mighty Mighty were formed in the early 80's by Mick Geoghegan and Hugh Harkin out of their shared love of soul music, Postcard Records, The Velvet Underground and Socialist Worker Party politics. By 1985 the band had settled with the line-up of Mick (guitar and lyrics), Hugh (vocals), Russell Burton (bass & b.vox), David "H" Hennessy (drums) and Pete Geoghegan (Vox organ and guitar).
They built up a small following on the Birmingham circuit playing venues including The Mermaid, Hare & Hounds, Peacocks and various halls of residence.
Part of the mid-1980s British indie pop boom, The Flatmates were part of the Subway Organization, a Bristol record label formed by Martin Whitehead, who was also guitarist and main songwriter for the band. Following the band's formation in 1985, singles such as I Could be in Heaven, Happy All the Time and Shimmer established the band as potentially one of the most successful indie bands of the time, but the Flatmates disbanded in early 1989 before releasing a proper studio album.
Read more about The Flatmates on Last.fm.
The June Brides were an English pop music group, formed in London in 1983, by Phil Wilson and Simon Beesley of International Rescue. Influenced by Postcard-label bands such as Josef K and punk-era bands such as The Desperate Bicycles and The Television Personalities, their mix of guitar pop with viola and trumpet formed a blueprint for many of the c86 bands that would follow. First playing live as a band in August 1983...