BRITPOP WEEK!: Timeless Melody (live BBC Session) by THE LA'S [1989]

Timeless Melody (live BBC Session) (.mp3)
by The La's [video - wiki - iTunes]

Hailing from Liverpool, The La's only released one studio album and are best known for one song - There She Goes. That's unfortunate. As Pitchfork once described, "The La's are a band surrounded by myth and critical reverence. Their story is a frustrating tale of thwarted perfectionism and unfulfilled potential that still doesn't have a proper ending." Sometimes great bands are short-lived, but luckily their music lasts forever. Timeless Melody is another one of their fantastic tunes, and this version was recorded live for a BBC session. It's arguably better than the studio album version.

Timeless Melody - I can't think of two more appropriate words to describe Britpop. We only scratched the surface with Britpop Week. Special thanks to super music friends Annmarie, Ariel, and Jeff for their contributions. We had fun, and we'll have to do it again soon.

BRITPOP WEEK!: Jaggerbog by NEW FAST AUTOMATIC DAFFODILS [1989]

Jaggerbog (.mp3)
by New Fast Automatic Daffodils [myspace - wiki - iTunes]

"One show that left a lasting impression on me was the widely underrated New Fast Automatic Daffodils at Bogart's in Long Beach, CA in the early 90's. At first listen to their cd, the percussion and groove was like nothing I had ever heard. Seeing them live was a whole other experience that was never really quite captured in their studio recordings. The lyrics are not nearly as important as the percussion, bass, and the overall groove of the songs, but it was a great show, at a great time for music, and in a great venue that is sorely missed. This is a tune called 'Jaggerbog' and it's from a compilation entitled 'Home' released in 1989, which also featured Paris Angels, Revenge, and What? Noise." - Ariel

BRITPOP WEEK!: King of the Kerb by ECHOBELLY [1995]

King of the Kerb (.mp3)
by Echobelly [video - wiki - iTunes]

Britpop wasn't just about the lads. A slew of female-fronted Britpop bands like Elastica, Sleeper, Catatonia, Lush, and Kenickie more than held their own. And then there was Echobelly. Led by the gorgeous pixie, Sonya Aurora Madan, her voice was not commensurate to her stature. This was the first song I ever heard by them, and I was instantly hooked. I'll never forget standing in the front row as they rocked the Roxy in 1996 (I still have one of their guitar picks from that show), and then standing in a muddy field at the Glastonbury Festival in England a year later watching them do it again. Ahhh the memories.

BRITPOP WEEK: Step on by HAPPY MONDAYS [1990]

Step on

by Happy Mondays [official - myspace - iTunes]

The Happy Mondays (and the album Pills n Thrills in particular) will always remind me of the days in Junior High when I really started getting into music.  I'm fairly certain I bought this on cassette in 8th grade and I would listen to it in my sister's Hyundai Excel.  Yes, not even the Excel's LoFi sound system could put a damper on the danceable BritPop tunes of Shaun Ryder and his Happy Mondays.

BRITPOP WEEK!: My Insatiable One by SUEDE [1992]

My Insatiable One (.mp3)
by Suede [official - video - iTunes]

"Suede - without them there wouldn't have been Britpop as we know it. Hailed by the press as the 'inventors of Britpop', this song has always held sentimental value. Though there are so many amazing singles, from their first three albums especially, the B-sides from Sci-Fi Lullabies will always hold a warm place in my heart. Wish I was one of the lucky few who will be catching their reunion show March 24th at London's Royal Albert Hall. Fingers crossed they make a state side appearance!" - Annmarie

Suede tunes if you're in the mood to dance:

Beautiful Ones, Trash, She's In Fashion, Film Star, Saturday Night

Suede tunes if you're in the mood to brood:

The Drowners, Where The Pigs Don't Fly, My Insatiable One, Stay Together, My Dark Star

BRITPOP WEEK!: Common People by PULP [1995]

Common People (.mp3)
by Pulp [video - wiki - iTunes]

Britpop - it meant so much to me and many of my friends. High on catchy hooks, melody, and witty lyrics, Britpop defined our 1990's...and our lives. I can go on for days about the music, the bands, the style...but words wouldn't do it justice. So to celebrate the brilliance of the music, we're dedicating this week to Britpop, and we're having some of our super music friends help us. Relive some classics or discover some new ones. Remember an era that for some of us, lives forever.

And to kick off Britpop Week, super music friend Jeff has chosen a song that defined the Britpop era. I can't think of a better way to kick it off than with this 90's British anthem:

"There are so many great Brit-Pop bands, but right away I thought of Pulp. Pulp is one of those defining bands in my music-loving history that I could never get enough of. This song & this album for sure, holds loads of memories for me. Jarvis Cocker is such an unlikely rock star, but somehow he pulls off being a complete badass. His stage presence is like no other. Love his lyrics & their music stylings." - Jeff