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Boards Of Canada |
Music Has The Right To Children |
1998 |
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An album like a faded dream, like clouds that roll by on a sunny day, like memories
of a past that never was. Nostalgia never felt so good, so intense, so colourful. |
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Camper Van Beethoven |
Our Beloved Revo- lutionary Sweetheart |
1988 |
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Save for the Pixies American indie music of the 80s was rather melodically sparse and postpunkishly
abstract. But if you look beyond the well-known bands you can find joyful and tuneful records like this.
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The Knife |
Silent Shout |
2006 |
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One of the few electronic albums of this
decade that offered something really new. In this case the key point
was how a dense, dark and mystic atmosphere was built from a rather
simple set of sounds. And all that conceived by equally mysterious
Scandinavian siblings.
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Depeche Mode |
Music For The Masses |
1987 |
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By finally shaking off their synthpop origins completely and by broadening their range of styles to
incorporate classical and rock influences (guitars at last!) they laid the foundation for their subsequent
massive world-wide career.
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The Specials |
More Specials |
1980 |
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A record that might be easily dismissed as easy listening party music. But
if the party still aint over after two and a half decades there must be
something more to it.
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London Grammar |
If You Wait |
2013 |
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One of the few modern pop acts which will still be favoured in decades to come. Hey, they even could
afford to blur the face of their immaculately pretty singer on the album cover.
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Contrary to the other landmark guitar albums released in the same year ( Loveless, Nevermind )
this album remained more or less unnoticed for nearly a decade. Unbelievable.
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Alphaville |
Forever Young |
1984 |
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Despite being the birthplace of electronic pop music in the 70s, the synthpop wave a few years
later left Germany more or less untouched. Until this band appeared in 1984. From Münster,
of all places.
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Courtney Barnett |
Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit |
2015 |
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Laconically narrated very witty tales of everyday life built on a grunge influenced
guitar foundation. Extra points for that funny "money/origami/honey" rhyme scheme.
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Brutal electronic soundscapes meeting fragile vocals. This was light years away from the
cocktail party background music Portishead made in the 90s. And "The Rip" is certainly a
contender for song of the decade.
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The Boo Radleys |
Giant Steps |
1993 Review |
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When around 1993 the bands on the legendary Creation label simultaneously turned to the 60s for
inspiration, it was The Boo Radleys who gained the most profit from it. Sadly their next
album was a step too far.
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Belle & Sebastian |
Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant |
2000 |
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Although by far not as good as their first three immaculate albums this still has its fair share of
magic moments which their subsequent efforts sadly lacked. The decade had barely begun but the last
truly legendary band was already leaving the building.
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The Byrds |
Mr. Tambourine Man |
1965 |
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Some may prefer their later more daring and inventive albums but this, their first one, has the best
combination of well written songs and that trademark guitar sound.
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The Heart Throbs |
Cleopatra Grip |
1990 |
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A long forgotten female fronted band best known for their allusive album titles. So
when they sang "I am not an angel" you could be sure they were not kidding.
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Lemonheads |
It's A Shame About Ray |
1992 Review |
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From a European point of view this sounds like the quintessential American
indie album. Sitting on a porch, watching the trucks pass by, strumming some
songs on the acoustic guitar ...
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Violent Femmes |
Violent Femmes |
1983 |
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A string of short, hectic and jerky songs pave the way for the final relaxed and slow-paced
"Good Feeling". Lo-fi indie in its purest sense, often copied, seldom bettered.
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Aphex Twin |
Selected Ambient Works 85-92 |
1992 Review |
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One of the most mystical and enigmatic solo artist ever delivers a cornerstone of electronic music
with a selection of tracks which sound dead simple and terribly complex at the same time.
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So there were probably a few art students too many in this band. This might be the reason why this
album sounds so hopelessly contrived. But in spite of (or maybe rather because of) this it
still fascinates to this day.
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The Human League |
Travelogue |
1980 |
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This marks the exact point in time when the torch was passed from Kraftwerk to this lot.
And "Dreams Of Leaving" is without doubt the best electronic track ever.
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The Vines |
Highly Evolved |
2002 |
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One half energetic, grungy fast songs, the other half lazy, sun drenched slow ones. They
lost it completely after this, but for one season they were unbeatable.
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