Almost went with Prix, but couldn't not vote for "Stay In Time." It was on the radio seemingly constantly in 1979, and yet I never got sick of it. Also has one of the coolest song endings ever.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 21 November 2022 18:23 (one year ago) link
I don't know ANY of these songs except for What I Like About You, which I absolutely DESPISED when it was in MTV regular rotation when I was a kid. It really annoyed me. I get it now, but back then I really hated it.
I don't even know that Chris Stamey/dbs song although I'm a big fan of some of the following singles and early albums so I'm going with that.
― dan selzer, Monday, 21 November 2022 18:36 (one year ago) link
I heard Off Broadway for the first time last year or so, and was shocked to learn they formed down the street from me (same near-suburb that begat Fiery Furnaces, fwiw). The song I heard wasn't this one, it was this awesome one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD73DMI5FBQ
Which means this mostly forgotten band has at least two great songs to its name, which is more than most bands.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 21 November 2022 20:55 (one year ago) link
I have the other volume, not this one. I was all ready to complain: "How you can have a second volume and still no Shoes?!" I love both songs, even though there are two or three on Black Vinyl Shoes I love even more. "Too Late," I guess.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 03:37 (one year ago) link
"Tell that Girl to Shut Up"'s good...I have a few of these on LPs, no recollection at all; couldn't tell a Beat from a Pop from a Plimsoul now.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 03:40 (one year ago) link
I always thought it was kinda odd that the 2 UK DIY pop comps have plenty of familiar songs (if you grew up in a town with a New Wave station maybe), but the US DIY comps were mostly unfamiliar unless you were a dedicated Trouser Press reader.
But I can't think of too many comparably familiar US tracks that would have fit. So I guess US radio is to blame for not playing the stuff in the first place.
― Hideous Lump, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 05:02 (one year ago) link
I imagine there were significant licensing issues which resulted in these tracks as opposed to more familiar material.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 22 November 2022 15:11 (one year ago) link
"What I Like About You" was a big favorite of mine as a kid and it's still a bop but "Tell That Girl To Shut Up" is the one I find myself singing all the time. I might have actually first encountered the Transvision Vamp version!
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 23 November 2022 03:16 (one year ago) link
Boring choice but there's no denying it's brilliance of "What I Like About You."
― Bee OK, Thursday, 24 November 2022 03:32 (one year ago) link
Have to go with The Plimsouls here
― Elvis Telecom, Friday, 25 November 2022 01:16 (one year ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Saturday, 26 November 2022 00:01 (one year ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Sunday, 27 November 2022 00:01 (one year ago) link
D.I.Y.: Mass Ave. - The Boston Scene (1975-83)
― Les hommes de bonbons (cryptosicko), Monday, 28 November 2022 19:10 (one year ago) link
I was sure that someone would have thrown a vote to "Yellow Pills." 20/20 was such a big deal to late-90s power pop fans.
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 29 November 2022 05:42 (one year ago) link
I forgot to vote in this one or I might've gone with Yellow Pills because I do love that song. Could equally have gone for Holly & The Italians or Chris Stamey though. I have both of those 7"s. Tomorrow Night by the Shoes is another favourite of mine that got 0 votes.
― even the birds in the trees seemed to whisper "get fucked" (bovarism), Tuesday, 29 November 2022 12:05 (one year ago) link
20/20 was such a big deal to late-90s power pop fans.
Was it? I had no idea, that's cool. I worked in a record store when that first album came out and we played it to death. Friends' band plays "Cheri" and "Remember the Lightning" now.
― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 29 November 2022 18:56 (one year ago) link
I know there was a power pop zine called "Yellow Pills" that was around all through the 90s and for a couple of years it seemed like everyone who was in a revival surf/garage band then would only talk about 20/20 or The Shoes once exotica was played out.
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 30 November 2022 04:30 (one year ago) link
Yeah, Yellow Pills had a label for a few years: https://www.discogs.com/label/474574-Yellow-Pills
But the best Yellow Pills related release is this one from Numero: https://www.discogs.com/master/459183-Various-Yellow-Pills-Prefill
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 30 November 2022 15:59 (one year ago) link