Aaron Matthews prefers Suede to White Denim.  Fusing the catchy leer and guitar heroics of 70s glam rock with the grim crooning of Scott Walker, and the melodic melodrama of the Smiths, Suede was the first Britpop band. They formed in London in 1989, comprising singer Brett Anderson, bassist Matt Osman and Anderson’s then-girlfriend Justine […]

 Aaron Matthews is a thief with taste.  Appropriation has always been a touchy subject in the world of pop music. The biggest bands to emerge from Britain in the last half-century largely built their careers on rewriting other people’s songs. Led Zeppelin, Oasis, and the Stones are all offenders, sure, but these acts all added […]

Once I saw the video for “Do You Realize,” I was hooked. I copped The Soft Bulletin. I listened compulsively, obsessed with its sparkling, widescreen pop. From there, I ran through the Flaming Lips’ discography:  Transmissions From The Satellite Heart and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (the Lips were always a covert pop band), Transmissions […]

Aaron Matthews blogs for the money and the super grass.  Supergrass formed during Britpop’s ’93 apex. Only in their early 20s, the Oxford-based trio of singer/guitarist Gaz Coombes, drummer Danny Goffey, and bassist Mick Quinn  saw instant success with their Backbeat Records-released first single, “Caught By The Fuzz,” earning raves from the NME and Melody […]

The Next Spot is a recurring series dedicated to the albums that could’ve, would’ve, should’ve made the Decade Top 50.  Michael Render first attracted attention with his guest appearances on Outkast’s “Snappin’ And Trappin’” and “The Whole World”, but he never sounded completely at ease over Dungeon Family space-funk. I Pledge Allegiance II is backed […]

 Aaron Matthews uses “lifts” not “elevators.” Leading up to their 1997 self-titled triumph, pundits harped that Blur had won the battle of Britpop but lost the war to Oasis. After all, What’s the Story, Morning Glory was a critical and commercial success, going quadruple platinum in America when Blur could barely crack the Billboard 200. More […]

  The Next Spot is a recurring series dedicated to the albums that could’ve, would’ve, should’ve made the Decade Top 50.  Devin Copeland started rapping with Jugg Mugg and Rob Quest in the Odd Squad, whose Fadanuf Fa Erybody!!, was famously called Rap-A-Lot’s best album by no less than Scarface. In ’96, he joined the […]

Aaron Matthews prefers this “lipgloss” to Lil Mama’s. Pulp’s career trajectory seems distinctly quaint in the blog-bombarded, Hype Machined era. While modern times mean a disappointing sophomore effort is enough to make people forget you faster than you can say Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, Pulp lingered in near total obscurity for 12 years before […]

Aaron Matthews wrote this beat de-construction while wearing a suit made of talking Teddy Ruxpin’s. Top that, Gaga. The evolution of Pete Rock’s production from Mecca & The Soul Brother in ‘92 to The Main Ingredient two years later, is akin to the evolution of Dr. Dre’s production from The Chronic to Doggystyle. Like Andre Young, […]

  Despite being decades removed from any significant commercial success, Michael Jackson was omnipresent at my elementary school. See, I went to a Jewish private school and thus attended a staggering number of Bar and Bat-Mitzvah’s (many of them catered by Pickle Barrel, ‘natch). If you had a bar or bat mitzvah party, there were […]