Indie British

10 years and five albums in, Australian indie rock royalty British India recently came to a crossroads. After a decade, the Melbourne quartet faced every band’s worst nightmare: how to avoid seeming complacent and a tad predictable. So, rather than coasting on the success of their acclaimed catalogue (most recently their 2015 LP Nothing Touches Me), British India experimented with new sounds and, for the first time, sought an external producer, recruiting the talents of Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson for the task. The final product of this revelation is their sixth and latest album Forgetting The Future.

Brighton-based indie rockers British Sea Power follow-up 2009's 'Man Of Aran' with 'Valhalla Dancehall', which sonically follows in the footsteps of 2008's 'Do You Like Rock Music's grand, anthemic style. Opener 'Who's In Control' sets thetone for the record, with the band sounding like they are having just a touch more fun than on previous efforts. British Sea Power show no signs of slowing down on a record that also includes the single 'Living Is So Easy'.

Incredible four CD box set filled with influential and diverse U.K.-based Indie Pop and Rock acts that emerged from Great Britain in the broad wake of '80s Post-Punk. The Brit Box features all of the styles that wormed their way into the hearts of the music lovers during the late '80s, all through the '90s and beyond including Indie, Shoegaze, Baggy and Brit-Pop. While many artists featured here enjoyed superstar status in Mother England, their impact on U.S. charts was more peripheral but their stylistic imprint and collective uber-hip peer-pressure on late 20th century popular music overall is undeniable. With the respect given the '60s-era British Invasion in countless other compilations, Rhino's new trans-Atlantic ocean liner-sized box shaped to resemble a vintage UK phone booth with real flickering lights champions close to 80 independent acts that didn't so much reject mainstream musical sensibilities as spin it in their own fashion for hits that defined cool. Lovingly compiled with true oh to be in England spirit, Rhino hails Britannia with over five hours of tastemaker tracks.

After scoring a documentary on the role of the ocean in English culture and consciousness (2013's From the Sea to the Land Beyond) and collaborating with a traditional U.K. brass band (2015's Sea of Brass), one could have been excused for thinking Sea Power had gotten out of the business of playing rock & roll. But as part of their formula of periodic stylistic change, they've circled back around to their trademark variety of U.K.

‘The Sun Shines Here’ captures perfectly the moment indie pop emerged from the ashes of the post-punk years, bringing a brighter, more ambitious sound, and an enthused cross-section of British youth culture, into the spotlight. A must for lovers and collectors of independent music and admirers of the independent spirit that enabled it.
Eight years later, Cherry Red presents the sequel, ‘The Sun Shines Here’. Once again referencing a Hurrah! song, this 3CD set revisits and explores the birth of Indie Pop, a period when, in the early 1980s, as London centred around more angular, aggressive music, bands emerged from Scotland, Liverpool and Manchester drawing on the cooler end of ‘60s and ‘70s music to create something fresh and new.

This Greatest Ever compilation speaks to anyone who's ever frequented the other side of clubbing; the much loved Indie Disco. Fans of alternative music can groove to their heart's content with this fantastic collection which brings together funky, punky, heavy, beatsy, shouty, joyous gems from the indie music canon, both classic and contemporary. It grew out of the indie and Madchester scenes of the previously decade and was heavily influenced by the British rock bands, in particular The Beatles, The Kinks and The Small Faces. It was seen as a backlash against American styles, most particularly Grunge. Heavily melodic, with a traditional bass guitar drumskeyboard lineuup, Oasis and Blur took the style around the world with much success.

Formed in 1987 by Fruitbat and Jim Bob, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine burst onto the scene with their signature style of indie punk-rock pop infused with samples, drum machines, and social commentary. Recorded on tour in 1993 in support of their UK Top 5 album ‘Post Historic Monsters’, this new live album captures the band at the height of their powers. The 19-song setlist includes blistering performances of recent singles ‘Lenny And Terence’ and ‘Lean On Me I Won’t Fall Over’ along with Carter classics ‘The Only Living Boy In New Cross’ and ‘Bloodsport For All’ (also listen out for James Atkin from EMF on some guest guitar spots). Recently discovered in the archives, the show has been newly mixed from the original tapes by Les ‘Fruitbat’ Carter and Dave Draper.