As I recall, THESE ANIMAL MEN and S*M*A*S*H were utter rubbish.
A follow-up question - right after the NWONW, the British Music Press launched the next big thing as some kind of Spandau Ballet "New Romantic" revival (this is circa 1995). Does anyone remember those bands? For the life of me, I can't.
― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 19:53 (eighteen years ago) link
what was 'romo'??
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 19:56 (eighteen years ago) link
S*M*A*S*H were just awful.
― Dogfight Giggle (noodle vague), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 20:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― dr lulu (dr lulu), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 20:08 (eighteen years ago) link
"useless desperate journos" is absolutely OTM.
S*M*A*S*H were supposedly the forerunners of the scene and were being heralded as the new Clash - which they very clearly weren't, although they did have a couple of good tunes. There was an EP which featured both their landmark songs ("Real Surreal" and "Lady Love Your Cunt") which is worth tracking down.
These Animal Men were great live but never quite managed to capture it in the studio, although the EP Taxi For These Animal Men and the albums Come On Join The High Society, and especially Accident & Emergency are all worth a listen. Unfortunately they started believing their own hype, apparently developed some hugely debilitating drug problems, and disappeared up their own arses.
"wildly underachieving" is also OTM.
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 21:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 21:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 21:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 21:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 21:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 13 April 2006 09:03 (eighteen years ago) link
let us not forget Grebo - a journo initiated scence/genre if ever there was one
― grapple (grapple), Thursday, 13 April 2006 09:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Thursday, 13 April 2006 09:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― enrique, pseudonym, Thursday, 13 April 2006 09:18 (eighteen years ago) link
I thought both the nwonw "big" bands - s.m.a.s.h. and t.a.m. were absolutely dreadful at the time, and I'm sure they still sound shit now.
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 13 April 2006 09:19 (eighteen years ago) link
Haha nwonw now seems like such a non-starter that it feels kinda strange to realise that the records actually still exist!
― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 13 April 2006 09:30 (eighteen years ago) link
Romo = electroclash v1.0, but with all the wrong technology. I actually own a Plastic Fantastic 7" that I remember as being rather good. I think I only played ot the once, though.
― Jamie T Smith (Jamie T Smith), Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:23 (eighteen years ago) link
mod revival drawing blank, but i do recall some acid jazz-type act getting drawn into that one.
― enrique's pseudonym, Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:30 (eighteen years ago) link
Oh wait, yes, lets please forget it.
― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:31 (eighteen years ago) link
I think they nicked the idea from the acronym from the NWOBHM, which Maiden fans will know all about.
― Jamie T Smith (Jamie T Smith), Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:46 (eighteen years ago) link
Sorry.
It's funny how shoegazing has stuck as a descriptor of what records actually sound like, long after Chapterhouse hung up their stripy sweatshirts.
― Jamie T Smith (Jamie T Smith), Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:55 (eighteen years ago) link
actually weren't supergrass lumped in with the mod revival?
― enrique's pseudonym, Thursday, 13 April 2006 12:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 13 April 2006 13:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 13 April 2006 13:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pandas At War (pandas at war), Thursday, 13 April 2006 13:08 (eighteen years ago) link
Real Surreal was up there too.
― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 13 April 2006 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― enrique's pseudonym, Thursday, 13 April 2006 13:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Thursday, 13 April 2006 14:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 13 April 2006 23:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Thursday, 13 April 2006 23:12 (eighteen years ago) link
cunto?
― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Friday, 14 April 2006 02:27 (eighteen years ago) link
There were many, many micro, one-issue-of-NME/MM-lasting invented genres in late 80s early 90s: remember Camden Lurch, invented by Steve Lamacq which consisted of about three bands that were of no consequence whatsoever? It was always just a journalistic in-joke/hobby I thought.
― David Orton (scarlet), Friday, 14 April 2006 08:42 (eighteen years ago) link
fuck the hate.i listen to all these bands way more than anything from the so called britpop era.
― mark e, Friday, 12 July 2013 16:17 (ten years ago) link
and so the inevitable happens :
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jul/28/cult-heroes-smash-and-these-animal-men-should-have-changed-peoples-lives
looking forward to seeing this film.
totally agree re the comment that the S*M*A*S*H album needed at least a level entry degree of production, but hey, i guess thats what the band wanted.
― mark e, Tuesday, 28 July 2015 19:10 (eight years ago) link
i saw S*M*A*S*H play in nyc! my friend talked to the lead guy after.
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 19:40 (eight years ago) link
Oh, how I wish Romo had grown wings.
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 19:45 (eight years ago) link
it became electroclash
― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, 28 July 2015 19:49 (eight years ago) link
just listened to the S*M*A*S*H album for first time in years.
yes its seriously lo-fi, but fuck, i still find it a lot more enjoyable than any of the guitar based bands from the britpop era.
― mark e, Tuesday, 28 July 2015 19:50 (eight years ago) link
wouldnt be hard
― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, 28 July 2015 19:51 (eight years ago) link
it became electroclash― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, July 28, 2015 7:49 PM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, July 28, 2015 7:49 PM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Not good enough!
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 20:26 (eight years ago) link
can't really think of any significant shared personnel between the two scenes so 'became' seems inaccurate. also Romo had nothing to do with actual dance culture
― Hector Ringtone (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 21:22 (eight years ago) link
that S*M*A*S*H song about the Tory cabinet is honestly one of the worst things I've ever heard
weren't Elastica called NWONW at first?
― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, 28 July 2015 21:25 (eight years ago) link
S*M*A*S*H were from my hometown. I know their drummer quite well.
― (no offence to people) (dog latin), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 23:10 (eight years ago) link
dog latin : bring him to bristol with you !
cosmic : yes
dj mencap : which song ?
― mark e, Tuesday, 28 July 2015 23:14 (eight years ago) link
I just watched the first 35 mins of the documentary, it's on Amazon Prime in the UK. Yikes, talk about paper-thin.
All the band members and peripheral folks are seen propping up the sentiments of every boring indie band interview you ever read in the Maker/NME circa 1994, it is quite magnificently dull and lord, for music that was supposed to be kinetic and exciting it's completely threadbare.
― Maresn3st, Tuesday, 9 June 2020 21:06 (four years ago) link