Alternative Weekend - NOT Rick Astley!

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A few days ago I happened to walk into an HMV. Unlike decades past, the company is now a shell of what it used to be; a giant in the audio and video retail sector.

Now we get a piddly shop, still with two floors but the overwhelming aura of what it used to be is lost. Welcome to the internet and the systematic destruction of retail.

What's that song playing? - 'Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley'. How embarrassing, I couldn't hack it being there, turned around, and exited quickly. Someone might assume I am a Rick Astley fan which just would not do. The shame of it...

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...'Fuck off Rick, it's a no..., even then it was NO!...

Besides being several decades out of date, I don't figure it cool to like manufactured shite like this. It had its place once and should be left there.

Where are the strange-looking people behind the counter, with dyed red hair, Mohicans, leather jackets, and more importantly… where's the weird music that was a signature product of walking around their stores?

No matter, as once again I delve into the past and its mad, crazy, weird alternative music.

Coast is Clear – Curve (Frozen EP – 1991)

The more I listen to Curve, the more I like what I hear. After listening to the next song in this list from Chapterhouse around five times to let it settle, YouTube figured to give me a blast of Curve based on my preferences.

The one settled into my head amazingly quickly. Maybe the Curve vibe is digging into my psyche and their tunes don’t half have a drive about them.

‘doo doo doo do’.., love this one and it will be heading for the car which is where I can listen to it extra loud and destroy some more of my mammalian inner ear hair cells.

Autosleeper – Chapterhouse (Whirlpool – 1991)

It's no coincidence this is from the same era as the last song as my poking into the history of Shoegaze continues. Chapterhouse was another of those so-called defining frontrunners of the genre, so surely they had a standout song that would hook me?

It took some finding but this dark gem eventually found its way into me. Maybe it's the early Cocteau Twins dark sound mixed in with guitar madness in the chorus that never seems to progress that pulled me in.

Do you have to learn to like this genre, and listen more deeply than usual to all those textures that are whirling around your head? Some might say that's too much and that you either like it or you don't.

I long since acknowledged that I’m quite different from most music lovers and have to learn to like something, generally after a dozen plays or so. This one is getting there.

Scarlet – Lush (Scar – 1989)

I was hoping for a trio from 1991 but it wasn't to be. 'Ride' is another one of those Shoegaze bands but for the life of me, I can't hear anything good in their music, besides one live track that seems more grungy than usual.

With Lush I don’t need to try, their early material before the Brit-Pop sell-out is great, and this one is very early. Scarlet is ethereal and very airy with Miki's angelic voice, and it’s impossible to pick the vocals out of the song. Mix in some jangly guitars and it hits the button.

Give me a female vocalist, some guitars, preferably a little heavy, and many layers of effects and you've won me over. Who said I was tough to please?

Nowhere (Live) – Ride (Nowhere 1990)

I may as well add this one, though it still gelling with me. These guys are loud, and maybe were trying to get some inspiration from the grunge scene which was emerging at this time.

The vocalist seems a little ropey but their music, although quite monochrome sounding is kind of captivating. I was always open to a little industrial, though I'm not sure I could do much more besides listening to this din near the end!

I think it might be time to use Spotify more and start listening to @dismayedworld's track list that she sent me some weeks ago. While her tastes are a little different than my strange ones, she has some of my DNA and has admitted to liking the odd Porcupine Tree track that's drifted into her bedroom. There is some hope.

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