Show notes
As one of the first Britpop bands, these college blokes from Colchester started out making shoegaze and baggy jams in the Scene that Celebrates Itself before writing a genre-defining album that romanticized British life and paved the way for an indie explosion. They were the UK’s favorite band, that is, until they weren’t. They may have lost the Britpop war, but their third act was brilliant nonetheless. The Ringer’s Chris Ryan joins us to talk about the band who turned toward Britain and solidified a scene, and the ways they ultimately broke out of their own (Brit) box. Follow along as we trace the band’s breakups and makeups, while exploring their sonic evolution from shoegaze to Britpop to alt-rock. SKIP AHEAD:7:22 – Band formation45:51 – Sign to Food Records; ‘She’s So High’ single1:03:59 – Leisure1:31:04 – Modern Life is Rubbish1:45:19 – ‘Girls & Boys’ single1:54:27 – Parklife2:25:40 – Chart Battle2:36:25 – The Great Escape2:51:14 – Blur (self-titled album)3:04:01 – Britpop dies3:05:40 – 13 3:15:49 – Think Tank3:24:19 – The Magic Whip3:28:03 – The Ballad of Darren EPISODE PLAYLIST:Listen to songs we detail in the episode HERECREDITS:Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalekGuests: Chris Ryan @crashactivated Producer: Liz Sánchez @lizbetsanch Audio Editor: Adrian BridgesAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
