Perceived One Hit Wonders That Aren't One Hit Wonders

EMF

I'm currently trying to persuade the "management" that it will be a good idea to see them
at the 100 club in December .

I'll now hand the floor over .....

 

Not one hit wonders. Their song ‘Children’ was also quite jolly.

There was a moment when ravey indie rock was a big thing with Jesus Jones, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, the Wonder Stuff etc being quite big and then suddenly gawn. I did see the Wonder Stuff a few years back and they were good. But I was into other bands in the 90s.

But we were getting on a bit by then anyway Davy?

Have you followed EMF since? Did they evolve?

 

Apologies for late response Moose.
Always followed them, their version of "Search and destroy" is astounding
However my fave band from that time were the Milltown Brothers.

As an aside one of our eldest boys tutors at Uni was the bass player from The Farm

 

I watched them at Pennfest a few years ago. Good energy and connected with the crowd.

 

Americans always think The Verve are OHWs because Bittersweet Symphony was their only hit there, I believe. It was on the soundtrack to Cruel Intentions.

 

Yanks forming an exclusively USA-centric view of the world. Who'd have thought it?

 

Not to be confused with the Mills Brothers

 

Spooky coincidence. Yesterday my son asked about a very catchy song that came up on a youtube video of classic fails (sic.) he was watching (to look up the chords). I told him who it was and mentioned that they were very unfairly labelled as a OHW band - but they had toured for years (I think the first time I saw them was in '87 at some benefit in the 'Pool - they were really shyte). Youtube was left on autoplay and went to this documentary about the band which we both watched - it had a great line from Jude/Alice when she pointed out that she didn't mind the OHW label as "...we thought we were going to be no hit wonders". Incidently the band's lead has been crowd-funding a film about the band - would be interesting to see as I would like to know more about the claim that they used the funds from their monster hit to fund 'the' climate change/anti-capitalist movement.

 

Didn't they cause controversy by changing their lyrics when signing live at one of the end of year music award events ??

 

Yep. As well as 'assaulting' an MP and changing that lyrics of 'that song' on a primetime US TV appearance (calling for the release of death row inmate) as well as advocating people steal their record out of shops.

 

Just some high spirited jinx, I'm sure. These anarchists....what are they like ?

 

TBF to them they've always "...walked the walk as well as talked the talk...". Much like the other anarchist bands of that time: The Levellers (perceived OHW for that dirge that seemed like it was played by every middle-class student crusty everywhere during my finals year in '92) and New Model Army (whose followers must be the biggest bunch of self-entitled opinionated wkaners I've come across, before joining these fora obviously).

 

Love both of those bands. Both have written great music about England and it’s corruption.

 

The Levellers are brilliant. Proper crowds too that get stuck in rather than chatting/recording.

Combining a didgeridoo, a fiddle and a Lambeg drum is pure genius.

 

A pretty fine moment this and not a smartphone to be seen. Well it was 2006.

 

So's Billy Bragg but his fans don't view not bathing and wearing clogs (FFS!) as political acts against the 'system'.

I loved Chumbawamba's 'performances' (and their music when they became more polished) - the other two bands less so. But I have always admired their principled political stances that none of them have ever compromised on.

 

I think you are a bit stuck in a moment, that moment being in the early nineties, when a few were considering alternate lifestyles. Saying the fans of those bands don’t wash is like saying it about the French in 2021. Er no.

I was never a big Chumbawumba fan. They were fun, but light years behind Billy Bragg, the Levellers or Justin Sullivan of NMA. Those are three of the best songwriters of the last few decades, miles ahead of most in their lyricism and originality.

It’s a shame the straightlaced world judges them on a few over zealous or boring hippy fans, but that’s the Norm, always preferring ball-less, soulless musak and inventing a reason for ignoring the earnest, complex or true.

 

The then girlfriend (1989-92) was part of the 'Militia' and I went to quite a few gigs with her (I think I've still got the, unworn, clogs she bought me). I did find the 'Tarquin the Leveller' types they attracted pathetic/amusing (NMA video parties by mummy and daddy's pool?) that at that time they were a big part of it. You would have thought that being a massive Bragg fan I would 'get' their music but I never did. Although I was very impressed by Joolz (Justin's girlfriend) who frequently did her stuff before concerts (and released some of it with NMA):

 

Don't see why. Completely different music. I have loved Bragg since 1984 and have been to see him live more than any otehr artist but have always thought the Levellers and NMA were ****.

 

Both Bragg and those bands were oppositional folk tinged rockers. Billy soon went more Country and NMA more hard rock, but without question they have lots of crossover fans.

I’d invite you to address your prejudices and actually listen to some of their music, especially the Levellers more recent albums and NMA’s from their undoubtedly classic period of 84-mid nineties.

Much as I admire you for pulling a proper punky bird, I was certainly never part of their tribe. But I like a vigourous mosh and the NMA mosh was always good. I don’t get your middle class jibing though. NMA’s hardcore fans were not posh. Posh people have tattoos (if they have them) that can easily be covered up, hairstyles that easily reconvert. NMAs mixed bag have always been genuinely quite rough, (aside from you and I poshing the average up ).

Joolz is very active on Twitter and appears to have gone full angry cis fem. I fully expect the Mail to give her a column soon.

Next week Crass?

 

The Levellers always seemed a bit - studenty.

Crass: now they were proper anarchists.

 

I’m guessing that’s an opinion you formed 25 years ago or more when you were a student and most people you knew were students. Well, that’s long ago.

Bob Dylan was ‘studenty’. So was Dark Side of the Moon. What counts is what lasts.

 

I think it was more they were all big on 'English Identity' (something really odd in the 80' and 90's): NMA and The Levellers looked back into past for their references whereas Bragg seemed more 'contemporary'.

 

TBF they had been around for at least a decade before Jemima and all her chums from Art History latched onto them.

All the three bands mentioned still haven't 'sold out' (although I did see a ccoking show where the Levellers aren't vegan/vegetarian any more due to smelling the band's chef making roast lamb for the roadies) - all make collective decisions, use their profits for community action projects, refuse 'projects' etc.

 

Dylan is **** too. Never got Pink Floyd.

 

Good Lord. The mind boggles as to what a middle aged man such as yourself must be in to. Do name some.

 

Cohen is much superior to Dylan, who can’t sing.

Talking Heads, New Order, Bragg, the Smiths, Kraftwerk, Roxy Music - that enough?

Plus classical (esp. Baroque) and jazz (esp. Bebop), these days.

 

If you mean ex-HAGS medical student (Manchester) who never fully grasped my contention that punk was a state of mind and not a state of dress, then you're bang on the money.

 

I see, so when you were accusing others of being ‘studenty’ this was pure irony from a Talking Heads, Smiths and New Order fan.

 

Which prestigious organisation is she currently Chair or CEO of?

 

I would assume that she's a consultant paediatric psychiatrist (?) by now. I'm not into google-stalking.

 

While I don’t agree all NMAs fans were middle class I’m sure a few will have reverted to type.

 

Well, it’s clearly a matter of opinion then, because I wouldn’t use that word to describe any of those bands.

By “studenty” I didn’t mean that students liked them (although they did). I meant they sounded like a group of students playing music. I wouldn’t say that of Dylan or PF either fwiw.

Still, each to their own.

 

It is clearly a matter of opinion and I can confidently say yours is wrong.

There isn’t even one type of student. Students can be bolshie and they can be pretentious, posh, fey and arty like Roxy Music. Or self indulgent miserabilists like Morrissey.

The Levs have nearly 30 years of great music and growing as artists. They don’t describe your view of the World, fine, but there’s no need to be so dismissive.