Great 80s DIY and Pop – 27: The Roches

The first video is live footage drawn from the 2006 Philadelphia Folk Festival. Damn, but those ladies still got it. Tip of the ET glasses to this gent for reminding me of the fact.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 26: The Birthday Party

I’ve said too much about this band already.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 25: ESG

Ah yes. We meet again, and we dance. Oh yes, we dance. Indeed, we dance.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 24: Girls At Our Best!

Well, I can’t NOT put this up, one of the absolute primary influences on the Talulah Gosh side of C86. Apologies for the video, but… well, does anyone know if Girls At Our Best! ever made one?

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 23: Rainy Day

I once got my words reprinted in Private Eye’s Pseuds Corner, trying to come to grips with my love for this 1984 Dylan cover. (I made it twice: once talking about The Beatles’ version of “Help”, live at Shea Stadium.) I’ve heard this version hundreds of times. It never fails to get me. (If you’re counting, 2:55 is the exact moment where Hoffs transcends all reality.)

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 22: Chin Chin

Man, I’ve been looking for a video from this lot for the longest time! This isn’t their strongest song by any means but yay! It’s Chin Chin! Yay!

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 21: The Freshies

This one might have been turn of the 70s, but bugger it all. It’s so great and I so loved this band and their homemade ramshackle power-pop! I owned tons of their singles. Tons. Still have, I believe. (It’s the mournful “boing, boing” in the refrain that really makes the first song.)

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 20: Clive Pig And The Hopeful Chinamen

Thanks to Mr Stretchhead for this tip-off. Only ever knew about two songs by this fellow, but I loved ‘em both. And before anyone says anything, yes doesn’t it recall The Freshies?

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 19: The Go-Go’s

Sweet as. (Nice cover line on that Rolling Stone cover also. Wonder if they’ve ever run a similar tag on any male cover stars?)

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 18: Altered Images

I’m not ashamed to admit I sat glued to the computer for the duration of this song, dreaming of The Girl. Goes without saying one of my favourite-ever films is Gregory’s Girl, right? Anyway, this is awesome. Never understood those who laid the accusations of ’selling out’ at their feet. Before they became popular, they were a third-rate Siouxsie And The Banshees. Can’t believe I never met Claire Grogan.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 17: June Brides

An utterly charming Super-8 video to accompany what was surely one of – what – 1985’s finest pop songs. The “ba-ba-ba” refrain stuck in my head and didn’t let go for years. Killer sound quality too.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 16: Stretchheads

Well. I think I unearthed one on Twitter today, and wanted to celebrate. Why not? This is what Blast First were releasing, when not dealing with Sonic Youth, Big Black and the rest. What an ace label!

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 15: Five Go Down To The Sea

I wanted to put up a Tronics video to tie-in with a recent blog entry over here, but couldn’t find one. I couldn’t find one for this genius demented band either, but fuck it. Have a listen to this. It’s demented genius!

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 14: Beat Happening

There’s an embarrassment of riches to choose from here.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 13: Marine Girls

Almost feels too obvious… but what the hell. Let’s do it!

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 12: The Wolfhounds

I would unmercifully heckle this lot down the front of Camden pubs. And they’d unmercifully heckle me back. Released a great split flexi featuring them and Razorcuts with – what, the fifth issue of my fanzine, The Legend!?

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 11: Dog-Faced Hermans

Started a label for this incredible Scots band, Calculus Records (logo by Hunt Emerson) – them, and The Cannanes (who we never released) and The Fizzbombs, before our distributor went bust, owing us MONEY, me and Jamie Sellers. Man, the fucking Dog-Faced Hermans rocked so hard live, it weren’t funny. Well, actually, it could be that as well.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 10: Big Flame

There’s a reason I’ve reposted this particular video.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 9: Look Blue Go Purple

Bugger it. I can’t ignore this one. I knew it was opening up Pandora’s Box, including a Flying Nun band.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 8: The Verlaines

Um, I was just going to stick to the UK in this series, but…

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 7: The Pastels

I once wrote that “the day I stop loving The Pastels is the day I stop loving music”. Stephen hasn’t let me down yet.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 6: The Nightingales

Well, of course. Saw them a couple of years back, and they were still eviscerating.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 5: The Membranes

Just about the only band I followed round the UK (me and Geoff the Postman, in his car).

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 4: Talulah Gosh

The quintessential.

Great 80s DIY and Pop – 3: Strawberry Switchblade

There wasn’t a single indie boy (or girl) from the early 80s who didn’t have a crush on these ladies.