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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 8h

The ringing, folksy electric and acoustic guitar mix offer comparisons to R.E.M. and The Commotions, but 10,000 Maniacs also has some similarities in feel I think, to bands like The Reivers, Cowboy Junkies and The Innocence Mission. Natalie Merchant’s distinctive voice is an obvious highlight.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 8h

10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe (1987 Elektra). “What’s The Matter Here” and “Like The Weather” are considered classics to me. In My Tribe though has a lot of other stellar tracks blending alternative and folk: “Cherry Tree”, “Hey Jack Kerouac”, “City Of Angels”.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 1d

Their debut loveBUZZ was produced by Mitch Easter but they still were criminally overlooked. There’s some Primitives comparisons, a little bit of R.E.M. jangle but there’s so much more. loveBUZZ is chockfull of ultra melodic pop hooks, fuzzy power pop guitars, and lovely girl/boy harmonies.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 1d

The Hummingbirds - loveBUZZ (1989 rooArt). Speaking of The Lemonheads. So “Into Your Arms” was a cover originally done by Love Positions whose members were then-future-Lemonheads bassist Nic Dalton and Robyn St. Claire, who also was a member of this amazing band called The Hummingbirds.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 2d

So many great songs here: “Cesspool”, “Take Your Head Off My Shoulder”, “Look Away”, and my absolute favorite “Rain”. They only issued a couple albums/ mini-albums but I think this is their best. Post-Babies, I liked John Strohm’s and Frida Love’s Antenna but Julianna’s solo stuff was top grade.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 2d

Blake Babies - Earwig (1989 Mammoth). God I had such a huge crush on Julianna Hatfield. As peers of The Lemonheads (Evan Dando in fact played bass on a few tracks here), Pixies and Throwing Muses, Blake Babies were like the darlings of the bunch, thanks to Julianna’s girlish, sweet voice.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 3d

Glad I was able to get a copy of their first album as well, the also drum-less, Drum. This still gives me goosebumps or should I say Goese-bumps. It was only recently I learned how to pronounce Goese as “gazy”.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 3d

Hugo Largo - Mettle (1989 Opal). This was one of those haunting art rock records. More art than rock actually. Hailing from New York, with minimalist instrumentation of two bass guitars, a violin, and the ethereal voice of Mimi Goese, Hugo Largo were likely precursors to slowcore and dream pop.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 4d

There’s quite a jazzy breeze on select songs here, like “Where In The World” but majority here is just pure pop perfection. My ultra favorite here remains to be the gorgeous “Forever Blue”, with orchestral arrangements by Jimmy Webb.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 4d

Swing Out Sister - Kaleidoscope World (1989 Fontana). Corrine Drewery and Andy Connell both loved the likes of Burt Bacharach, Ennio Morricone, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield and Nina Simone. With influences like that, it will surely strike a chord, or two with me.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 5d

Reading about it, it was supposed to be for Cameron Crowe’s Say Anything but it didn’t materialize. Listening to this again now, “Blue Period” is still my favorite on this record.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 5d

The Smithereens - 11 (1989 Enigma). There were some bands I discovered from the early days of NU 107. The Smithereens were one of them. This was released in the PH too so it was accessible. I did like this then, and I kinda like it still. “A Girl Like You” was quite a hit too.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 6d

It was difficult to find a copy of How Green Is Your Valley then and he found some tracks on my page. He was very curious to see the PH-issued cassette so I sent him a photo. The album became somewhat of a cult classic and definitely for someone like me who loves The Style Council.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 6d

16 Tambourines - How Green Is Your Valley (1989 Arista). I remember meeting Steve Roberts on Multiply because he was trying to find mp3s of his band’s only album at the time. He was making music as a solo act and was about to release a new one when we ended in a chat.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 7d

The Innocence Mission - The Innocence Mission (1989 A&M). The Ocean Blue was likely the culprit on how I got into The Innocence Mission. Besides both being from Pennsylvania, they were friends iirc. Anyway, this is a beautiful record, with Karen Peris’ heartbreaking voice front and center.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 8d

The Wedding Present - Bizarro (1989 RCA). This was my first Weddoes album. I think I may have encountered them prior to C86 but I don’t recall much. I’ve asked my mom in the US to send me any of their albums she can find. Glad I received this one because it’s a total pop frenzy type of a record.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 9d

The Ocean Blue - The Ocean Blue (1989 Sire). This was a very significant album to me. The Ocean Blue’s first album was part of that fading-out/ fading-in between decades. Like it’s kind of new wave, but there’s alternative and college radio elements to it too. It’s a really good mixture.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 10d

Pale Saints - Barging Into The Presence Of God (1989 4AD). Those Indie Top 20 cds were a godsend. One of the volumes included “Sight Of You” and I fell in love with it. I in fact fell in love with the band, Pale Saints with each of their releases.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 11d

It was an album with a sound in between Friends Again’s Trapped And Unwrapped and Aztec Camera’s Love. Smooth, quite glossy, a little Prefab Sprout-y too. It was one of those that flew under the radar for most people, perhaps because it was too “pop” for them, or whatever. It’s pop sublime to me!

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 11d

The Painted Word - Lovelife (1989 RCA). Heard this one from the radio, likely on BM 105 but a friend of mine, whom I will call Ethereal John had a copy. The tape was released in the PH and I was able to borrow it from him. We didn’t have any kind of information about the band but we both loved it.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 12d

Expanding the sound from The Lilac Time’s self-titled debut, Paradise Circus was all glowing with a set of well-arranged gentle folk pop littered with chamber pop strings, horns, oboes, mixed with accordions, banjos, bazoukis and harmonica.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 12d

The Lilac Time - Paradise Circus (1989 Fontana). “She Loves Me” from Some Kind Of Wonderful was quite unforgettable. Disregarding his Duranie roots (heh heh), I warmed up to him due to Because We Love You. But I fell head over heels hard when I heard Paradise Circus.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 13d

Listening to it today, each song is unforgettable, deliciously melodic with often funny and sometimes dark and cynical lyrics. And the cover design was somehow representative of the band’s music.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 13d

The Beautiful South - Welcome To The Beautiful South (1989 Go! Discs). I was overjoyed when ex-Housemartins Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway came together to present this record to the world. Welcome To The Beautiful South was indeed beautiful from start to finish.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 14d

Combining the mini-album Ecstasy and the Strawberry Wine single, this record has echoes of 60’s jangle buried in hazy, fuzzy guitars. By subtracting Dave Conway and adding Bilinda Butcher, you can surely FEEL the shift in direction. And darnit, these songs are magical.