Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993) revealed depth beneath the iceberg of Albarn’s pretty face. With the release of infectious electro single ‘Boys And Girls’ and the cockney swagger of ‘Parklife’ Blur found themselves the leaders of the Britpop movement. Albums Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995) cemented their reputation. Rivalry with Oasis was ill timed, although taking a more ...
or Jimi Hendrix, no Led Zeppelin or Nirvana, Louis Armstrong or Miles Davis, James Brown or Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd or Frank Zappa, Oasis or Blur … the list is endless. The blues emerged out of the hardships endured by generations of African American slaves during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By 1900, ...
single ‘Run-Around’. Although Shehean died in 1999 – at 31 – the band continue to record and tour with great success. Styles & Forms | Nineties | Rock Personalities | Blur | Nineties | Rock ...
(‘Brothers And Sisters’). After their responsibilities at university were fulfilled, the band signed a then massive five-album deal with UK label Parlophone, also home to Britpop bands like Blur and Supergrass that many claim Coldplay were influenced by. After initial internal squabbles that were soon resolved, the band decided to act as a democracy with main songwriter Martin ...
(Animated vocal group, 1998–present) Gorillaz, a virtual band created as an antidote to the bland pop its creators (Blur’s Damon Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett) saw dominating the charts, have, through stunning choice of guest vocalists and Albarn’s gift for melody, made some of the most memorable pop music of recent years. Their self-titled debut (2001) ...
at Goldsmiths College, London, where he met bassist Alex James, and which singer Albarn also attended. Together with drummer Dave Rowntree, they formed Seymour, renamed Blur on signing to indie label Food in 1990. Their first album Leisure (1990) was derivative of both the Madchester and shoegazing scenes. Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993) reacted against grunge ...
pop down the shops for a packet of biscuits. He also had the last laugh; despite the many sightings and occasional door-stepping photographer a multitude of bands from XTC to Blur could refer to a concise body of work and – lest we forget – classic photos and images of his Sixties’ prime. What is astounding is that without Barrett Floyd ...
, Leeds’ Kaiser Chiefs – Ricky Wilson (vocals), Andrew White (guitar), Simon Rix (bass), Nick Hodgson (drums) and Nick Baines (keyboards) – plough the same indie furrow that fellow Britpoppers Blur did during their Parklife era. Wilson, something of an everyman, elicits playful singalong choruses from the most unexpected places, while his band behind him churn out the ...
ska-punkers of the 1990s. 1979’s One Step Beyond was a cornerstone of the ska revival, but Madness soon developed a broader pop-oriented sensibility. An influence on the likes of Blur and Supergrass, their use of videos was trailblazing. Highlights include ‘Embarrassment’ (1979), ‘House Of Fun’ (1982) and ‘The Sun And The Rain’ (1983). Styles & Forms | Eighties | ...
an impressive comeback, beginning with his self-titled solo debut in 1992 and culminating in the million-selling Stanley Road (1995). Weller’s influence was a rare point of unity between rivals Blur and Oasis. Weller’s 2005 album As Is Now was a critical hit, and in 2006, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BRIT Awards. His Wake Up ...
For Love’ (with Bryan Adams and Sting, 1994). Whenever he deviated from the formula – as on When We Were The New Boys (1998) featuring covers of Britpop stars Blur and Oasis – the results were disappointing. In 2002, after a successful operation for thyroid cancer, Stewart embarked on a series of albums called The Great American Songbook ...
One of the more popular bands of the ‘British Invasion’ and a considerable influence on both 1970s heavy metal outfits and 1990s groups such as Blur and Oasis, The Kinks went through numerous line-up changes but were always led by singer-songwriter Ray Davies (born 21 June 1944), while his brother Dave (born 3 February 1947) supplied the band’s signature rock ...
(drums) – are the next in a long line of British acts that can be traced as far back as The Kinks, taking in the likes of Supergrass, Blur and even The Coral on their list of influences. Formed and signed by Virgin on the same night at a gig at a pub in their hometown, they had ...
styles such as the shoegazers, My Bloody Valentine being the leaders of this movement, Madchester, as celebrated by The Happy Mondays, Britpop, as exemplified by Blur and Oasis, and goth rock, represented by The Sisters Of Mercy. The longest-lasting and most prolific indie rock band is probably The Fall, led by Mark E. ...
glam rock. The Britpop Wars With Suede establishing a market for homegrown guitar pop, the three acts that define the Britpop era made their move. The superb London four-piece Blur summed up the mod-reviving, 1960s- and 1970s-quoting, anti-American mood on 1993’s Modern Life Is Rubbish album and became a national obsession with 1994’s Parklife – an irresistible blend ...
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David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
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sweep of incredible photographs.