After revisiting 2001's musical highlights last week, we get back on our time machine and go back to the future. Destination: 1986. Location: England. Reason: A brand new crop of bands with an obvious adoration for the sound that flourished in the second half of the '80s in the UK. Among the responsible parties for today's flashback we find: Crystal Stilts, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Manhattan Love Suicides, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Glasvegas, Love Is All.
To catch up with the plot of the '80s UK indie scene story, let me remind you that 1985 was the year that saw the release of one of the most influential albums of the decade, "Psychocandy" by the Jesus And Mary Chain. Creation Records, Alan McGee's company that was responsible for unleashing J.A.M.C. to the unsuspecting pop world, was releasing some of the singles that wrote the '80s indie-pop history book, songs like "Up the hill and down the slope" by The Loft, "I'm alright with you" by The Pastels or Primal Scream's debut 7" "All fall down", while in Leeds a new band going by the name of Wedding Present was making its presence felt with first single "Go out and get 'em boy!". All this was happening while the limelight was on The Smiths who were at the pinnacle of their career.
As you can understand, this burgeoning underground scene was the joy of the British music press, and 1986 was the year that NME decided to compile a cassette (ask your uncle to explain what does this mean!) featuring some of the most promising new groups of the era. The compilation was entitled C86 and it was basically a mixtape of the best music that the UK independent guitar 
scene had to offer in '86. Next to Primal Scream and Wedding Present who quickly found fame (coincidentally the bands opening and closing this compilation) we find names such as The Pastels, The Shop Assistants, The Mighty Lemon Drops, The Soup Dragons, Age Of Chance, Half Man Half Biscuit, McCarthy (where Tim Gane got his start before forming Stereolab) or Close Lobsters that although they never enjoyed the same level of success, their value is evident by the influence they had on both the groups that started making waves shortly after (the scene known by the comical nickname "shoegazing" which is also making a come back lately - more on this subject shortly) as well as on those of the current generation.
scene had to offer in '86. Next to Primal Scream and Wedding Present who quickly found fame (coincidentally the bands opening and closing this compilation) we find names such as The Pastels, The Shop Assistants, The Mighty Lemon Drops, The Soup Dragons, Age Of Chance, Half Man Half Biscuit, McCarthy (where Tim Gane got his start before forming Stereolab) or Close Lobsters that although they never enjoyed the same level of success, their value is evident by the influence they had on both the groups that started making waves shortly after (the scene known by the comical nickname "shoegazing" which is also making a come back lately - more on this subject shortly) as well as on those of the current generation. Add to all this the fact that My Bloody Valentine were taking their first steps between '85 and '86 and you can understand why 1986 is the new 1966 or 1976, namely the new cool year from the past ripe for plundering (as you can also read in this Guardian article about Crystal Stilts).
Songs of the week : One from 1987 and one from 2009 - The Pastels from '80s Scotland in "Crawl Babies" (in '86 they released the just as excellent "Truck Train Tractor" single but there's no video for that) and New Yorkers Crystal Stilts with new single "Departure" from their 2008 debut album "Alight Of Night", representing the new breed:
Songs of the week : One from 1987 and one from 2009 - The Pastels from '80s Scotland in "Crawl Babies" (in '86 they released the just as excellent "Truck Train Tractor" single but there's no video for that) and New Yorkers Crystal Stilts with new single "Departure" from their 2008 debut album "Alight Of Night", representing the new breed:
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