Here goes..... you have already clicked on the thread in anticipation of rolling your eyes at my predictable selection...... well you will be disappointed I'm glad to say ;)
I decided to go with 5 songs all with female vocalists. The majority (by far) of my fave bands are male dominated punk / new wave / indie guitar bands - yet prior to The Smiths expolding on the scene (and on my life) Siouxsie & The Banshees was my number 1 band - hence my user name - (Generation X a close 2nd). I followed The Banshees around the country in the early 80's - one day City played Southampton away in the League Cup and the Banshees played Southampton Gaumont Theatre the same night.... I went on The Special to the game and left The Dell with 20 mins to go.... legged it to the Gaumont and blagged my way in to see the last 30 mins of the gig..... slept at Southampton train station overnight and hitched back to Manchester the next day......
So...... here we go with my selection.........
1. The Adult Net - Waking Up In The Sun.
Brix E Smith's debut single away from The Fall in the late 80's.
Just loved the sound of this - and the video (below). A real California sound (not surprising seeing as Brix was LA born / raised) and a song I still play today each time I am driving to the beach in my Jeep with the roof and sides off. I read Brix's autobiography and it was the best music autobiography I've read.... I messaged Brix on Facebook to let her know that (plus more) and she replied so positively..... I was so made up.......
2.Belle & Sebastian - The Family Tree
Not so much an underated band, but an underground band that should be huge. A Glaswegian band that refuse to conform to the "record industry way" and just continue to do things their way and sell out gig after gig after gig both in the UK and USA.
A band that sing about so many issues about long lost love, rejected love, unwanted attention, same sex love, growing up with doubts in your mind, growing up alongside the pressures of family expectations, songs about dreams, hope and much, much more......
The majority of B&S songs are sung by Stuart Murdoch but a few are sung by other band membes including this one by Isobel Cambell
3. My Favourite - Burning Hearts
My wife has a way more eclectic taste in music than I do..... she listens to music beyond the 80's - the decade I am well and truly (and proudly) stuck in. She frequently played this and after a first few times of hearing it, I asked her ''who sings this?'' and she said ''my favourite'' and I was like ''OK, but who sings it......"
This song is for Alida.... xx
4. Altered Images - Dead Pop Stars
Before the bubble gum pop of "Happy Birthday" and "I Could Be Happy", Altered Images were a post punk band honing their sound coming out from Glasgow. They sent a demo to Siouxsie & The Banshees - the Banshees were so impressed that they offered the band the support slot on their up and coming tour - and Banshees bassist Steve Severin offered to produce them - whch he did on this, their debut single.... I had already fallen in love with Clare Grogan via the Gregory's Girl film and then I fell in love with her over this song too...... However, later in her TV career, she slept with Ian Beale in Eastenders, which seriously but a downer on my relationship with her....
The one gig I saw Altered Images - at Warwick University (with A Flock Of Seagulls in suport) - remains one of my fave gigs, with this song as the explosive encore.
5. God Bless The Girl - Monday Night
A kind of Belle & Sebastion off shot..... Glaswegian Stuart Murdoch (founder of Belle & Sebastian) and Irish singer Catherine Ireton collaborated to produce an album, this being my favourite tune from God Bless The Girl - again, introduced to me by my wife. And thankfuly so. It's just a tune that is so easy going on the ear and great on the ending, harmonical vocals that you just want to continue..... Love it - thanks Alida, again. She is the bees kness....
