That early to mid 80s jangly sophisticated pop sound (think Aztec Camera, Postcard Records, The Lotus Eaters, etc)

Now I see that April Showers have been mentioned on this thread a couple of times already. Glad to see some other fans here. Just catching up with the thread and checking out the songs I don't know. That Hey! Elastica single is fantastic.

kp- that passions song is a f'kn jam! i keep a "radio station" playlist on my spotify and that's been on it for the past month or so. they're one of my favorites for sure.

Nice! I love the whole album, but that track in particular is so good. I feel like if that had been put out as a single after German Film Star they might have not been a one hit wonder.

This post-Josef K Paul Haig single is one of my faves, especially 'Soon':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkVCojnvHnc\

My friend made a couple of compilations called The Lost 80s which were full of this kind of thing.

Coincidentally was just going to say I feel like there’s a lot of this sort of thing on the Gary Crowley’s Lost ‘80s comps that came out a few years ago.

the siddleys - my wet wednesday afternoon (1987)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXPD1S1BXPA

YES. That song threatens to make me weep for reasons I can't explain. I feel like the Siddeleys might be even more conspicuously related to the 'tradition' in question when the guitars are wispy and they add horns lol.

Fairground Attraction - "Perfect" (1988)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txapREGWHp0

Speaking of Scots, how about Danny Wilson?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hqgC3W9GUI

Danny Wilson are great, some brilliant hidden gems on the first album

I think it's funny that the band members ended up mad that people thought they were a guy named Danny Wilson rather than a band. Like, what did you think would happen? But yeah, both albums are good.

I gave my tape copy of Bebop Moptop, which I had purchased for 99¢, as a farewell gift to a guy I knew whose actual name was Danny Wilson; he was unusually grateful.