The Driscolls - PC Roberts

Late '80s jangle-pop band from Bristol whose entire recorded output seems to consist of a handful of 7"s and compilation tracks. Most of which are worth tracking down, if not exactly essential.

This is from a 1987 cassette comp which mostly features bands of equal obscurity, though there are tracks from the McTells, Mayfields and Haywains - as well as a familiar one credited to "The Palesaints".

Secret Shine - After Years

In their early years, before they went all shoegazey on us, Secret Shine were that rare Sarah band that sometimes dipped into "too twee even for me" territory. Listen to the song "Secret Shine" (on the Ephemeral 7") if you don't believe me.

Most of the time, though, they walked the fine line without quite stepping over it - and made some lovely music as a result. This was their first single on Sarah, from 1991.

The Haywains - Kill Karaoke

Songs that string together other songs' titles are usually shit, but this one has the benefit of both being cleverer than most, and doing it in the context of an under-two-minute burst of fabulous C86-style indiepop which probably couldn't be ruined by even the stupidest lyrics. A really good antidote to all the depressing stuff I've been posting lately.

From their 1991 debut album, Never Mind Manchester, Here's the Haywains.

Brilliant Corners - Meet Me On Tuesdays

A nice little Creation-y '80s band from Bristol. They weren't actually on Creation, though you could be forgiven for confusing them with someone like Blow Up.

This one was from 1986. As if you couldn't tell.

The Hi-Life Companion - The Girl in the Gorilla Suit

Many thanks to Mark for this one. The Hi-Life Companion are from Bristol - which is, of course, the home of Sarah Records - and feature ex-members of Airport Girl and the Mayfields so when their 2009 debut album Say Yes! arrived I was fully expecting a collection of basically straightforward indiepop/twee tunes. To my surprise it's a lot more elaborate than that. The twee element is there, of course, but the band's influences are drawn from a number of sources including folk, baroque pop and there's a hint of shoegaze here and there too, in the fuzzy guitars. Irish listeners may be reminded of Ham Sandwich, although I suspect Ham Sandwich are eventually going to turn into the Cranberries and it's pretty safe to assume the Hi-Life Companion won't.

This particular track, believe it or not, manages to simultaneously make me think of Ham Sandwich, the Dandy Warhols' "Bohemian Like You", "Kundalini Express" by Love & Rockets, and ELO! Clearly, a band able to pick up the best bits from everywhere.

Portishead - Wandering Star

Not much to say about this one since I imagine most people will know it. But it's always a good sign when a band can take a genre I'm somewhat indifferent about and make it sound this good.

Vice Squad - Last Rockers

I posted previously (here) about 1980s punk and how paranoid we all were about nuclear war. Some of it sounds a bit overblown now! Here's another track in the same vein, from an English band who I don't really know anything else by. This was on the first Punk and Disorderly compilation which I still get a bit of a kick out of.

Strangelove - Crofters

Strangelove were a stunningly beautiful and underrated band (led by Patrick Duff, who was also stunningly beautiful as it happens), a band with the misfortune to be somber and reflective at a time when English pop music was supposed to be all brash and Cool Britannia. Although they toured with a lot of those bands, they could never really fit into that scene and they didn't seem to have a lot of support from their record label, either. So their three gorgeous albums sank more or less without trace. There is no justice in this world.

Their final single, "The Greatest Show On Earth", wasn't their best but the b-sides were typically wonderful. This is my favourite.