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(The Stone Roses - Suddenly, music got jettisoned out of the doldrums)

I can't believe it's been 20 years since The Stone Roses released their first album. Up until that time music was going through a period of ennui. The 80s were coming to a close and things were getting a little complacent, musically. The Reagan Years could have something to do with it. MTV was busy converting the taste of most mainstream music into who was pretty and who was not - and that determined who would get a video made and who would languish in musical limbo. Radio saw the writing on the wall and playlists became tightly regimented, as corporate takeovers and mergers made freeform a thing of the past.

But then things took a brisk change. Seattle started pumping out Grunge and the UK started pumping out Madchester. And music suddenly took a turn for the better and The Stone Roses appeared.

As movements go, this one didn't last all that long. But it's presence and influence have been felt even to this day. And the first Stone Roses album, from which this cut This Is The One, is featured tonight, has become a classic, and is still fresh twenty years later.

You know you're on to something when you can make it sound timeless without much effort. And The Stone Roses are timeless.

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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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(Trashcan Sinatras - They're working on it)

Another band you can file under "criminally neglected" (at least here in the States). Trashcan Sinatras have been around since the mid-90s and are still turning out great tracks. They have a new album out "In The Music", which is getting good reviews and they have been doing a lot of touring this year, both in the U.S. and Australia and all points between. Perhaps because they are from Glasgow they have escaped being pigeonholed as Britpop, but they've also escaped being recognized as one of the more influential voices in the alternative/indie genre.

This track, Welcome Back is off their 2004 album Weightlifting and it's typical of the kind of wordplay they are so good at.

I suspect it's only a matter of time before they stop being overlooked and start being enjoyed and respected for just how great they are.

One hopes.

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(Jarvis Cocker of Pulp - transformed taking the piss into high art)

I was reminded by a reader last night that, while I was mentioning Blur and Oasis, I neglected to mention one of the most influential bands of the mid-90s Britpop explosion, Pulp. Fronted by Jarvis Cocker, whose razor-sharp lyrics were/are a perfect companion to his stage persona, Pulp became one of the most enduring bands from the 90s. Probably something more of cult following here in the States than overseas, even though they've sold over 10 million copies of their albums worldwide. But nonetheless, one of the great bands to come out of that period. Sadly, they split in 2002.

This track, Common People, might be familiar - but I'm afraid it may be more familiar as the version done by William Shatner a couple of years back. I've gotta be honest, I hated that version - it was sacrilegious to me, because Shatner did it as a goof and the song is anything but - just my opinion. At any rate, it's off the 1995 album Different Class and it's one of a lot of great songs off that album.

If you're not familiar with them, I would really urge you to check them out. But if you are familiar - I'm just preaching to the choir.

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(Blur - put Britpop on the map - and we're glad they did)

Blur tonight. From the Popscene ep from 1992 - Mace. I always loved this band. I could never quite figure out the whole Blur vs. Oasis thing - I suspect it was more a publicity device than anything else. It was a bit like the Beatles vs. Rolling Stones supposed rivalry in the 60s. It was and is still possible to like both bands and their music and not play favorites. Especially on a Friday night.

Life is too short anyway.

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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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(The Charlatans (UK) - still very much alive and kicking)

Since I mentioned them last night during my Catherine Wheel entry, I thought I should include the headliners from that 1995 gig, The Charlatans (UK) - or just The Charlatans if you're overseas.

As much as everyone talked nonstop at the time about Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets and the rest of the Madchester scene in the early 1990s, The Charlatans have to be mentioned in the same breath. It's something of a misnomer to consider them Britpop, because they have many more layers than just one you could identify. Testimony to that fact, they are still recording and gigging around, and are just as popular as ever. Even though the band have gone through a number of personnel changes over the years, they are still fronted by Tim Burgess whose distinctive vocals are fresh as ever.

I thought I would refresh your memory with a cut off their second album, actually two cuts since they fade into one another. Weirdo and Chewing Gum Weekend.

And if you've never heard of them before . . . . . where have you been?