British people please discuss: NWONW, the (old) New Wave of New Wave

Some did. Nicole's legendary sister to thread.

For your edification -- Taylor Parkes interviews S*M*A*S*H, _Melody Maker_, 1994

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.

what was 'romo'??

S*M*A*S*H were just awful.

"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.

let us not forget Grebo - a journo initiated scence/genre if ever there was one

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.

Haha nwonw now seems like such a non-starter that it feels kinda strange to realise that the records actually still exist!

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.

mod revival drawing blank, but i do recall some acid jazz-type act getting drawn into that one.

Oh wait, yes, lets please forget it.

I think they nicked the idea from the acronym from the NWOBHM, which Maiden fans will know all about.

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.

actually weren't supergrass lumped in with the mod revival?

Real Surreal was up there too.

cunto?

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.

fuck the hate.
i listen to all these bands way more than anything from the so called britpop era.

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.

i saw S*M*A*S*H play in nyc! my friend talked to the lead guy after.

Oh, how I wish Romo had grown wings.

it became electroclash

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.

wouldnt be hard

it became electroclash

― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, July 28, 2015 7:49 PM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Not good enough!

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

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?

S*M*A*S*H were from my hometown. I know their drummer quite well.

dog latin : bring him to bristol with you !

cosmic : yes

dj mencap : which song ?

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.