Netherlands-based Xymox had been kicking around in goth circles for most of the ’80s as Clan of Xymox, but when they signed to major label Wing in 1989, they shortened their name and expanded their appeal. Their major label debut, Twist of Shadows, was filled with more of the band’s Cure-inspired danceable goth, but this time the hooks were front and center.

The album’s first single, “Obsession” (download) set the tone, as the thunder that begins the track segues into an industrial-tinged dance beat as vocalist/guitarist Ronny Moorings (there’s a gothic name for you) sings in a Robert Smith style. The combination was irresistible to alternative dance clubs and video got a fair amount of play on MTV’s 120 Minutes (God, I miss that show):

But it was the album’s third single (after “Blind Hearts”), “Imagination (Edit),” (download) that brought the band the most mainstream attention. This time around bassist Anke Wolbert took the vocal lead over a New Order beat that was certainly more in vogue in 1990 than during the band’s mid-80’s efforts. They were rewarded with some sporadic Top 40 radio airplay and the single even charted in the lower reaches of the Hot 100, an unimaginable feat for a former 4AD band.

Did Xymox sell their souls for commercial appeal? If so, it certainly worked – Twist of Shadows spent some time on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and sold more than 300,000 copies. The group would really reach for the brass ring with 1992’s Phoenix and its Madchester-inspired and certainly of-its-moment single “Phoenix Of My Heart,” but neither the album nor single would match Twist Of Shadows‘ success.  Now back to being called Clan of Xymox, the group continues to record and tour with another album scheduled for release this year.

“Obssession” peaked at #16 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart and at #12 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles Chart in 1989.
“Imagination” peaked at #85 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1990.

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Elastica frontperson Justine Frischmann could certainly be called a central figure in the ’90s Britpop movement.  After all, this was the former guitarist from Suede who gave that band its name, as well as dating its singer, Brett Anderson.  Then, she split with Anderson and took up with Blur vocalist Damon Albarn in a storm of tabloid fury.  But all that paled in comparison to the mark she made when her band, Elastica, became the first Britpop band to really break America.

Buoyed by the instantly catchy single “Connection” (so instantly familiar that Wire sued the group for nicking “Three Girl Rhumba”), Elastica’s self-titled debut stormed the charts on both ends of the Atlantic in 1995.  “Connection” was all over MTV, even during the day – Oasis and Blur were still resigned to the 120 Minutes/Alternative Nation ghetto at the time.  The single even peaked at #40 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, something other Britpop bands could only dream of in a sea of Candleboxes and Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Elastica even went Gold.

Elastica’s second single in the US, “Stutter,” (download) was actually their first ever single overseas.  A truly nasty tune (in the best way) about a boyfriend who’s having trouble getting it up for his girlfriend (oh, Brett!  Or Damon!), “Stutter” was a punky blast of Blondie mixed with the Pretenders and a dash of Ramones for good measure.

It may have been a bit too retro for American radio, however, since “Stutter” stalled out without even making it halfway up the Hot 100.  I expected bigger things from the album’s third single in the US, “Car Song,” (download) yet another hook-filled tune from an album filled with them.  Love the lyrics on this one – shocker!  another Elastica song about getting laid! – “In every little Honda / There may lurk a Peter Fonda / OOOOoooo!”  Also love the Spike Jonze-directed video, chock-full of Ghostbusting shenanigans:

Elastica pretty much fell apart after the success of their debut.  The protracted, re-recorded and re-recorded follow-up, The Menace, finally emerged in 2000 with a nearly all-new band lineup and is not half as bad as its reputation.  But it didn’t do nearly the business of the first album and the band splintered for good.  Then the truly strange stuff started.  Frischmann left the UK for Boulder, Colorado, where she studied at a Buddhist liberal arts school, and eventually married a professor.  Lead guitarist Donna Matthews became a Christian and is studying music Dartington College in the UK.

Mojo magazine recently put out a superlative ’90s Britpop special edition where they attempted to get interviews with Frischmann and Matthews but failed, so don’t look for that Elastica reunion any time soon.  Too bad.

“Stutter” peaked at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #10 on the Modern Rock Tracks Chart in 1995.
“Car Song” peaked at #33 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart in 1995.

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Punk legends in Los Angeles before they could legally drink, Jeff and Steve McDonald spent most of the ’80s as a cult sensation, loved as much for their pop culture references (name-checking everyone from Linda Blair to the Brady Bunch to Charles Manson) as they were for their thrashy brand of bubblegum-laced power-pop.  As the ’90s dawned, the band entered a new phase, signing to Atlantic Records for their major-label debut, Third Eye.  You may recognize the title, since, despite being a killer album, it filled cutout bins nationwide almost immediately after its release, and Atlantic dumped the boys.  It was a matter of bad timing, since two short years later, a little trio from Seattle named Nirvana would take that same Knack-goes-to-a-Black-Flag-show concept and change alternative music forever.

After Nevermind opened commercial radio and MTV up to what we old people called “college rock,” the time was ripe for Redd Kross to finally get its due.  With a new line-up, the McDonalds scored a new deal with Mercury Records which released Phaseshifter, Redd Kross’s most accessible set yet.  While the video for “Jimmy’s Fantasy” got a few spins on MTV’s “120 Minutes,” Modern Rock radio wasn’t biting and despite being the best-reviewed album of their career, Phaseshifter failed to shift any units.

Give Mercury credit for sticking with the band, though, giving them a another shot with the truly stellar Show World in 1997.  With the recent crop of power-pop heroes like Matthew Sweet scoring radio hits and gold records, it really did seem like Redd Kross’s time had finally arrived – the rest of the world just may have finally caught up.  Now when Jeff sang lines like, “I don’t wanna make decisions anymore / Because I’m lazy” in his best John Lennon growl, it belong firmly in the zeitgeist.  “Stoned” (download) was worked as Show World’s first track, and I remember WENZ The End, Cleveland’s alternative rock station of the moment, embracing the single for about a week or so.  Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to create much of a buzz.

Mercury stuck in there, though, and released an ode to a newly found love of monogamy, “Mess Around” (download) as the album’s second single, this time with a video to match.  I remember the McDonalds on MTV talking about this video – they claimed to intentionally pick the absolute worst treatment for the clip that was submitted, just so they could see how awful and cliched the end product would be.

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In 1988, Leslie Phillips turned her back on a successful career as a Christian Contemporary artist, changed her performing moniker to “Sam,” and recorded her first mainstream pop album, The Indescribable Wow, with producer and soon-to-be husband T Bone Burnett.  It was a bold move that paid off critically, if not commercially.  The album sold a fraction of Phillips’ Christian work, but her inventive songwriting and unique voice won her a new cult of fans.

But it was her third secular album that saw Phillips come closest to breaking through to the pop charts.  1994’s Martinis & Bikinis was packed with Beatles-esque hooks, clever wordplay, and sterling production by Burnett and XTC’s Colin Moulding on key tracks.  Lead single “I Need Love” got some Modern Rock radio love, but it was the second single, “Baby I Can’t Please You” (download) (one of the Moulding tracks, a fact that becomes quite obvious upon listening), that got the most attention.  Besides a video that made regular rotation on MTV’s 120 Minutes and Alternative Nation, it was also featured on the Melrose Place soundtrack compilation that sold quite a few copies.

If I recall correctly, it was actually used in the show in the scene where Sydney was almost raped at Shooters by Jane’s evil boyfriend.  Poor Syd.  But hey, at least she’s come back to life for the revival of the show this fall (Yes, I know the big spoiler in the premiere, but don’t ruin it for everyone if you do, too)!

But back to Sam – Martinis is a fantastic album, truly stellar from front to back.  One of my favorite tracks is the understated “Fighting With Fire,” (download) with its chugging, synthesized percussion and hyperactive bass line.  And those harmonies when Sam’s voice is double-tracked – le swoon.

Loving that album like I did, I was incredibly excited two long years later when the follow-up, Ominpop (It’s Only A Flesh Wound Lambchop was released, and as equally disappointed after hearing it.  If the title wasn’t warning enough, Omnipop was a huge step away from the accessible pop of its predecessors,  as Phillips went a little crazy on us, experimenting with  lounge-y numbers, dark, synth-driven meditations with few hooks, and downright bizarre tracks like “Zero Zero Zero” (download) which barely featured her voice, the primary product a Sam Phillips fan is plunking down their money to hear.

Omnipop was all the more frustrating since it featured one truly blazing pop moment, “Power World,” (download) a classic Phillips song in true Martinis fashion.  It was a cruel tease of what could have been, but one more great Sam Phillips song was worth the price of admission.

Phillips recovered from Omnipop’s commercial failure to return to a more acoustic, folk-driven sound that has served her well for the three albums since.  She also spent a good portion of the ’00s providing the strummy, acoustic “la la” bridging music for the Gilmore Girls TV show – she probably made more coin writing those 15-second numbers than she did off of her entire music catalog.  Such is the biz.

“Baby I Can’t Please You” did not chart.

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The Sundays began the ’90s by combining the best of the previous decade’s indie rock – The Smiths and the Cocteau Twins – with a wall of guitars courtesy of David Gavurin topped with the exquisite vocals of Harriet Wheeler.  Tasting near-immediate success with their debut, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, and its single, “Here’s Where The Story Ends,” the group traded in atmospheric, jangly guitar pop heavy on the reverb.  A similarly flavored follow-up, Blind, followed in 1992, best known on these shores for featuring a dream-pop reading of the Stones “Wild Horses.”  Budweiser commercials beckoned, both albums went Gold, then the Sundays – vanished.

Five years later, the Sundays suddenly reemerged.  During their hiatus, Gavurin and Wheeler built their own home studio and recorded 1997’s Static & Silence.  Gone was the wall of reverb production, replaced by a cleaner sound that firmly placed Wheeler’s voice front and center.  A lot of the atmosphere from the first two albums was gone, but thankfully, the songs were still there, just brighter.  No tune on the set showcased this new direction more than the single, “Summertime,” which became a Top 10 Modern Rock hit and even hit #13 on the Adult Top 40 Chart (whatever that is).  Static & Silence became the band’s highest charting album and it looked like mainstream crossover success was next.

The second single chosen from the set, “Cry,” (download) was the song probably most like the Sundays of old.  A total 180 from the sunniness of “Summertime,” “Cry” dealt with loss and regret set to a downbeat guitar riff.  A huge fan of the Sundays’ first two discs, I, of course, loved it.

Unfortunately, radio programmers didn’t embrace “Cry” the way they did “Summertime.”  The two CD singles released to promote the track featured some great Sundays rarities, however.  CD1 had the demo versions of “Can’t Be Sure” and “You’re Not The Only One I Know” from Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, but the real treasures are on CD2, which featured two new b-sides.  “Through The Dark” (download) and “Life Goes On” (download) were classic old-school Sundays tracks, albeit with the brighter home studio production finish.

The b-sides may have been a taste of the band’s next direction, but once again they vanished, this time seemingly for good.  Gavurin and Wheeler reportedly walked away from the music industry to raise their children, but heck, those kids must be at least 12 years old by now.  I can understand not touring anymore or doing promo, but to never even record again? With a home studio? You guys are killing me. KILLING.  ME.

“Cry” did not chart.

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Yes, we’ve just gone and declared this week Kon Kan Week here at Popdose.  Seeing as the duo nicked their name from the Canadian Content requirement for broadcast media up north, it’s only fair you get your dose of Kontent this week.  Since the illustrious Mr. Steed featured Kon Kan’s failed follow-up to their only hit, “I Beg Your Pardon” yesterday, let’s look at the group’s last gasp in the U.S. as the ’90s dawned.

“Liberty!” (download) was the first single from Kon Kan’s second album, 1990’s Syntonic, which saw the project reduced to founder Barry Harris and a rotating cast of supporting characters, seeing as vocalist Kevin Wynne split the year prior.  “Liberty!” was “I Beg Your Pardon” redux, only with an original chorus as opposed to the “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” sample which made that song a Top 15 hit.  Usually xeroxing your biggest hit is a sure-fire way to sneak back into the Top 40, but it didn’t work this time, as “Liberty!” failed to chart.

While it was a fun synthpop song, “Liberty!” was woefully out of step with what was hot in 1990, as synthpop started taking a backseat to glam metal, straight-ahead dance music and the beginning of the grunge movement.  Harris would release one more album as Kon Kan in 1993 before changing his professional nom de plume to “Thunderpuss” (or “Thunderpuss 2000,” if you prefer), becoming one of the most sought-after remixers, scoring Number One hit after hit on the dance charts throughout the ’90s.

“Liberty!” did not chart.

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No, no, dear reader, I didn’t lose track while writing at 11pm once again and accidentally throw up a Lost in the ’80s post.  By 1990, Adam Ant was pretty much considered washed-up.  His last album, 1985’s, Vive Le Rock, sank without a ripple (despite being a fun, Tony Visconti-produced, glammy blast), and Ant was spending most of his days playing minor parts in b-movies in an attempt to cross over to Hollywood.  That’s why it was such a shock to suddenly see a new Adam Ant album on the racks as the ’90s dawned, much less one produced by Prince bassist Andre Cymone.

“Antmusic meets the Minneapolis sound!” promised the promotional sticker slapped on the longboxes of Manners & Physique, and while the contents within were a little more towards the Minneapolis/crossover funk sound that Cymone and Jody Watley made popular, Adam’s vocals and lyrics provided a little bit of Antmusic flavor.  Longtime Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni was part of the mix too, albeit so buried and watered down, one has to wonder why he bothered to show up.

Lead single “Room At The Top” (download) was a surprise hit, catching the attention of Top 40 radio programmers who sent the song into the Top 20, becoming Adam’s second Top 40 hit.  This was even more unusual since MTV pretty much shunned the video, figuring Adam to be a has-been too representative of their early days.  They gave it a few perfunctory plays here and there – I think I recall seeing it exactly once:

Adam’s new label, MCA, sought to further push Ant’s super-glossy new sound with a second single, “Rough Stuff (Single Remix).” (download) Not quite as catchy as “Room At The Top” and bordering on annoying, the single failed to chart, despite its lame attempt at ripping off the nonsense lyrical hook from Was (Not Was)’s “Walk The Dinosaur.”  And boy, did that video not age well:

You can’t say MCA didn’t do their best to promote Manners & Physique.  Despite the effort, the album failed to go gold, and no other singles charted.  Three years later Adam recorded another album for the label, Persuasion, that MCA declined to release.  It has, however, leaked to the bootleg circuit (*cough*torrent*cough*), but trust me, it’s nothing memorable.  Adam would have to wait until 1995 and a new deal with Capitol to score his next (and final) Top 40 hit with “Wonderful.”

“Room At The Top” peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #3 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart in 1990.
“Rough Stuff” did not chart.

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Most bands would be happy to have one or two songs on their debut album considered strong enough to be singles.  But what happens when your record label is so pleased by the number of potential hits, they’re afraid to release too many too soon?

A strange question that faced alt-pop quartet Garbage when their self-titled debut was ready for release in 1995 – their UK label, Mushroom, wanted to build on the buzz that greeted the band’s first single, “Vow,” without dipping too soon into the hit single well that was Garbage the album.  Their solution?  Release one of “Vow’s” b-sides as a limited-edition single.

“Subhuman” (download) was released in a strictly limited run of 3,000 copies. It’s somewhat of a collector’s item these days, since the song has never resurfaced – besides the limited-pressing single, it’s only been featured on Asian versions of the band’s debut. That’s a shame, since “Subhuman” is one of my favorite Garbage songs, an almost industrial rocker that would fit nicely on a greatest hits or singles compilation.  Hey, now you can make your own!

The “Subhuman” CD single featured, surprise, “Vow” as one of its b-sides, while the other, “#1 Crush,” (download) was remixed a year or so later by Nellee Hooper for the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack.  That version went on to spend four weeks at the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Chart, no mean feat for a tossed-off b-side.  The original version featured here is a rawer take on the song, and I actually prefer it to the more famous remixed version, indie-rock snob that I am.

So, back to that Make Your Own Garbage Compilation I mentioned … if you’re going to do that, you’ve got to include the obvious;  “Queer,” “Special,” “The World Is Not Enough,” etc.  But don’t forget a few strong album tracks, since there are so many to choose from.  One that’s a must-have, also from Garbage, is “Not My Idea,” (download) the great sixth (!) single that never was.  What’s on your Garbage mix CD?

And can you believe Shirley Manson is currently without a record deal and instead is running around as a Terminator on The Sarah Connor Chronicles?  These days, I tell ya.

“Subhuman” was not released as a single in the U.S.
A remixed version of “#1 Crush” peaked at #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Chart and at #39 on the Top 40 Mainstream Chart in 1996.

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When Marcy Playground’s borderline-annoying novelty hit “Sex And Candy” was all over alternative radio in the late ’90s, spending an astounding 15 weeks at #1 on the Modern Rock Chart, I couldn’t think of a song I could possibly like less.  So imagine my shock when I not only liked a song from their second album, but that second album became one of my favorites from the ’90s.

Shapeshifter was the trio’s second album, coming two years after their self-titled debut.  While there wasn’t an out of the box smash like “Sex And Candy” to be found, the first single, “It’s Saturday,” (download) (an infectious ode to catching a venereal disease) got plenty of airplay on 91X, my then-local alt-rock station in San Diego.  In fact, I had no clue this excellent power-pop song was from what I considered an awful one-hit wonder from two years prior.  Once I found out, it still didn’t prevent me from picking up Shapeshifter, a decision I didn’t regret.

Shapeshifter is packed with hooks from top to bottom.  Highlights include the second, less successful single, “Bye Bye,” (download) a smash that should have been.  In a different world, “Bye Bye” would have erased “Sex And Candy” from everyone’s consciousness.  In reality, only 91X gave it a few perfunctory spins while the rest of the alternative nation sighed and shrugged.

The rest of the album sports an impressive range, from the power-pop singles to folkier numbers, to psychedelic ballads like the stellar “All The Lights Went Out.” (download) I highly recommend Shapeshifter if you happen to see it lying about your favorite used CD shop.  It’s been unfairly forgotten thanks to the band’s one-hit wonder status, and I think you’d be pleasantly surprised by its depth.  It’s currently out of print, but Amazon and iTunes have the whole shebang available as MP3s.

Hey, if I could get past “Sex And Candy” to give it a shot, you can, too.

“It’s Saturday” peaked at #25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Chart in 1999.

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On Tuesday, we talked about Jules Shear’s “Whispering Your Name,” a failed single from his solo debut, Watch Dog. While the single and album flopped, it stayed in the hearts of many musicians and fans.  In 1984, Cyndi Lauper had a Top Five hit with a cover of “All Through The Night,” the second song off Watch Dog.  And ten years later, Alison Moyet would finally make a hit out of “Whispering Your Name.”

While Shear sang “Whispering Your Name” (download) from the point of view of a guy in love with a girl who still pines for her ex, Moyet kept the pronouns the same on her version.  As a result, Moyet’s take adds a sexual twist, as she sings to another woman.  While Moyet is happily married to husband number two, she obviously wasn’t afraid to tweak sexual mores a bit and make the cover all the more intriguing.

Even more intriguing was the single version of the track (download) which was miles away from the stripped down acoustic take featured on Moyet’s album, Essex.  The single mix makes “Whispering” a dance floor pleaser, complete with disco strings and a Chicago House beat.  The video version goes yet another step further, as Moyet’s Yaz mate, Vince Clarke remixed the single, making it a New Wave synth throwback.  And hey, look!  Dawn French!

A 12″ mix  (download) was worked to the clubs, and while I did hear the song quite a bit while clubbing in 1994, none of my sources show it charting anywhere on the Dance Charts.  Can anyone confirm it charted here?  As far as the UK goes, “Whispering Your Name” became Moyet’s biggest hit in quite some time, peaking at #12.  But sadly, as far as the States go, Moyet’s cover suffered the same non-charting fate as Jules Shear’s original.  Too bad, since I love all four versions.   The CD single is well worth the penny you can snag it for on Amazon.

“Whispering Your Name” did not chart.

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