80's underground jangle-pop fans take note!

[Eric]

But with more distance, I think the first three albums hold up best, particularly the remarkable FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION album, where they reached a kind of a darkish jangly pop Zenith.

Funny thing is that for a long time some band members allegedly looked down on FABLES (with Bill Berry, no "allegedly" about it--he once bluntly stated that "FABLES sucked"). I don't think they had a very good time recording the album, which may have influenced their earlier opinions about it. I really like it and enjoy Joe Boyd's production work, which I think is perfect for darker-atmosphere songs like "Feeling Gravitys Pull" and "Auctioneer."

Fables has become my favorite end-to-end REM lp.

[ghost of miles]

Video of Let's Active doing "Waters Part" in 1984:

Waters Part

Video itself nothing to write home about, but I still love that song (and all of CYPRESS).

[ghost of miles]

Rain Parade doing "No Easy Way Down" in 1984 or '85 (performance starts about 2:35 in):

No Easy Way Down

Also a recent story about the Plimsouls on NPR:

Plimsouls

[WorldB3]

Just (finally, after meaning to buy it for a long time) picked up the CD reissue of Rain Parade's EMERGENCY THIRD RAIL POWER TRIP, which includes the EXPLOSIONS IN THE GLASS PALACE ep. While the influences are as overt as ever ("What She's Done to Your Mind" is straight out of the Byrds' 1965-66 catalogue), the songs hold up pretty well... glad I've got this one around the house again.

I think they were one of the best unknown bands to come out of SF. I tend to dismiss the 80's fairly often (and sometimes I admit unfairly) but I loved the paisley underground but that first Rain Parade record and ep were my favorites of the era.

As for REM Fables always was and will always be my favorite.

Edited April 19, 2010 by WorldB3

[clifford_thornton]

Trying to think of other underground American pop bands I listened to in that era, besides the obvious Replacements/Husker Du/Sonic Youth axis:

Rain Parade

Guadacanal Diary

Minutemen

Dream Syndicate

the db's

Feelies

...God, I know there were others, but I've forgotten some of them.

With the exception of Guadalcanal Diary, whom I'm not familiar with, I never thought of any of the other ones mentioned as "pop music." Great rock bands, sure, but pop? Naahh.

I highly recommend the True West Hollywood Holiday Revisited CD that Atavistic put out a couple years ago. I have and enjoy the self-titled EP and Drifters, but this adds some nice stuff to the mix.

[randyhersom]

Pere Ubu worth a mention, they emerged a bit earlier but still had indie cred at that time.

Lone Justice too, I've followed Maria McKee's work since the breakup.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Lone Justice too, I've followed Maria McKee's work since the breakup.

I still have one of her guitar picks that she tossed my way - '83? maybe

[BFrank]

Video of Let's Active doing "Waters Part" in 1984:

Waters Part

Video itself nothing to write home about, but I still love that song (and all of CYPRESS).

Thanks, Ghost, that IS a great tune.

Someone commented on the video: "One of the best songs no one's ever heard of."

Definitely a group deserving wider recognition.

This Mitch Easter album "Dynamico" from 2007 is excellent, too.