DARK_SCORE's discography

I wanted to start a thread where music fans could come and celebrate their favourite, little-known bands. It?s a fact of life that some people cherish groups ? some never wanting them to hit the big time and others selflessly pushing albums on unsuspecting friends in their efforts to convert people.
I've called this thread Discography and I want you to share your fandom and knowledge and post in here. Don?t start posting lengthy discographies of people like U2, or the Chili Peppers. Keep it small and keep it personal.



I?ll get the ball rolling. I?m going to tell you all about one of my favourite bands and, by natural default, one of the greatest bands in the world: Scotland?s Teenage Fanclub.

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The four piece first broke out of Glasgow in the early ?90s playing harmony-filled, fuzzed-up pop rock. Norman Blake (vocals/guitars), Gerry Love (bass/vocals) and Raymond McGinley (guitar/vocals) all shared songwriting and singing duties and produced some of the best anthemic rock songs of that decade. A favourite of Kurt Cobain ? think Nirvana without the anger and angular approach. The Fanclub are all about love and laughter. Just ask anyone who?s heard one of their records ? or seen them live.

Right, let?s get started with their very first album:
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A Catholic Education (1990)
This came out in the beautiful, hot summer of 1990 when I was listening to other great stuff like One Love by the Stone Roses, What Time is Love by KLF, Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite, World in Motion by New Order and Come Together by Primal Scream. It was a great year for music. Anyway, I heard Everything Flows by the Fanclub and that was soon added to my list. By far the heaviest and least refined of the band?s albums, A Catholic Education borrows heavily from Cortez the Killer-era Neil Young, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Dinosaur Jr. It?s heavy and grungey but it?s also melodic and sweet. Vocals are often buried in the mix but the tuneful chord progressions and 12-bar fuzzed-out boogie is heart-warming and funny.
DARK_SCORE?s SCORE = 7


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Bandwagonesque (1991)
Greatly-anticipated and highly-lauded on its arrival, this album rocketed into my consciousness at about the same time Nirvana released Nevermind and Primal Scream unveiled Screamadelica. Another great era for music. The band has developed its sound although they haven?t really ?matured?. Song-writing is greatly improved and the use of harmonies and falsettos really add to the range. It?s all inimitably backed by buzzing, chiming guitars that simmer and fuzz. You can really begin to hear the influences of Big Star, a bit of the Beatles and the folk-chord progressions of The Byrds. But they?re still singing about rockin? out, drinking booze and finding the right girl.
DARK_SCORE?s SCORE = 9


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Thirteen (1993)
After its release this was panned by the critics and I?m still mysified why. I bought this the day I started university. It was also the day I bought Gentlemen by the Afghan Whigs. A good day. I never made it into uni? Another progression ? although this time things got sublty cleaner. The simmering, fuzzy guitars were put aside and the boys started playing with 12-strings, piano, banjos and steel slide guitar. Some beautiful descending chord pop songs and some aching acoustic ballads are the highlights ? as is closer Gene Clark ? which is Cortez the Killer?
DARK_SCORE?s SCORE = 8


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Grand Prix (1995)
By this time, the band had been on the scene for five years and this release wasn?t really heralded by the media at the time

 

Wow!

Now this is a thread that deserves some more posts...

Does anyone else have any smaller bands they'd like to discuss in the aforementioned manner?

This is surely the chance to RANT about that little group who have never had the change to make it big..?

UKS

NOTE: I would, but I think "Peter Andre" and "Ace of Base" would not quite fit into the scheme of things in here...

 

Up. Because I say so...

 

There's a little band here in town named "Sckapegoat". They're not bad, although they draw their influences from mainly bands such as the Deftones and Korn. Their singer is alright at his job; their guitarist is mediocre. Their bassist is awesome. The guy reminds me of Jaco Pastorious on a way, the way he composes his melodies on the instrument. They have a flow to them and a nice, smooth feel to them.

Bands that are smaller deserve more credit, but unfortunately, they don't get it (at least here in the States) because of lack of money to fund for media coverage, etc..