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(Wondermints - Quintessential Power Pop with a liberal dose of Sunshine)

Some So-Cal Power Pop tonight, by way of Wondermints from 1996. Their first album and the track Tracy Hide. I always liked this band, but wasn't really sure why for a long time. Sometimes music doesn't have to be heavy and complex to be enjoyable - sometimes it's just a good piece of music and good production with nothing more than a nice tune you can listen to over and over again.

Sometimes simplest is best.

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(Massive Attack - giving hip-hop its ear)

Something a little different tonight. From the short-lived Phoenix Festival in England from 1996, a set by the legendary Massive Attack.

Very tasty stuff from a pioneering and adventuresome group. What music should be all about - adventure.

Check it out.

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(The Bluetones - done rather well for themselves)

A slight departure tonight from the criminally neglected, abandoned at the starting gate and might've beens. The Bluetones have actually achieved a goodly amount of popularity and sales since they got together in 1995. Initially hailed as part of the Britpop movement, they've managed to shed the image while still maintaining a pretty good fan base. Although they've never managed to surpass their initial success, from which this track, A Slight Return was their first single went to number 1, leading off a string of successful singles during the last 13 years. Still, as is often the case, they are much more popular and recognized in the UK than they are over here, despite a number of tours of the U.S. - of their five album releases, their first album and their last album (S/T) were the only two to be issued simultaneously in the States as well as Britain.

So maybe you've heard them and maybe you haven't.

Flip a coin.

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(Dodgy - after a brief respite of seven years, back together)

Actually, a reasonably well established band in the UK and ironically issued on an American label (A&M UK), Dodgy have been considered part of the Britpop wave of the 90s (i.e. Blur, Oasis) and having a number of charting singles they appear to be totally unknown here in the States. After an initial burst of success in the 90s, the band dissolved around 2001 and got back together in their original lineup in 2007 and are now touring and recording.

This track, Ain't No Longer Askin' is off their album Free Peace Sweet released in 1996 and climbed to #7 on the UK charts.

If you aren't familiar, here is a taste.

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(Strangelove - Could never be mistaken for Sunshine Pop)

Strangelove were a band who achieved cult status well before their demise in 1998. They were known for a particular brand of intensity when they played, fueled by Patrick Duff, Stranglove's lead singer. They were critically acclaimed by the Music Press in the UK and were considered a sort of "musicians band" with mutual admiration from such circles as Radiohead and Suede.

The intensity though, had its price and Duff was committed to rehab shortly before their second album was released. Through a series of bad turns and bad timing, the group never really caught on outside the hardcore fan base and they eventually split up in 1998.

Still, their music hasn't lost any of its intensity, as is evidenced by this track off Love and Other Demons, their second album released in 1996, She's Everywhere.

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(Ride - obscure for absolutely no reason)

I think we're going to shelve the "theme weeks" for a while. I'm starting to realize a little goes a long way. So we're back to basics tonight.

Ride were an amazing band that broke up all too soon. They somehow got pigeonholed as "shoegaze", even though they did come about at the time when Indie was pretty much exploding on the music scene. There was very little of the mellowed out somnambulant they got saddled with to justify that. But . . what do you do?

Their first few albums were walls of guitar and vaguely ethereal vocals. But by the time of their last album Tarantula in 1996, they gave up the ethereal and went for the jugular, which was perfectly fine - and they could get away with it.

But Tarantula wound up being the last out of them and the band dissolved shortly after. Which was a shame as they evolved musically into one of the more consistently rewarding listening experiences I had in years.

But nothing ever stays the same and "Black Nite Crash" will have to do until a Ride reunion of some sort happens (they did do a one-off reunion of sorts in 2001 for the BBC). An official reunion was rumored to be this year, but was quickly denied.

Maybe someday.