The Lost On Purpose track has me thinking of something from times gone by. Ah yes Cass McCombs, a more sombre Wil Holland but no less talented for that. 'Not The Way' EP was his first foray and what a dishevelled piece of mastery it was. Lo-fi was never meant to be this melancholy but behind the shuffling arrangements lies a happy soul. Stacked end to end a Cass McCombs record can be too much to take for the casual listener. But separate songs like 'Your Mother and Father' from the others and what your left with is a staggering effort (in every sense of the word). McCombs barely intentions that he is interested while a sparse piano, scattershot percussion and thudding bass create a piece that could be viewed as slovenly. But, to be this good at playing the slacker takes talent and the more you take in the more you feel that there is something devastating being produced. This is, in the words of Cass, sheer prefection. KD

Cass McCombs - Your Mother And Father

More Info: Cass McCombs
Buy Album: [UK] Not the Way [US] Not the Way
Year: 2002

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Wil Holland from Cleveland is trying to earn enough money so he can give up his nine-to-five existence. His plan is to write music that people like enough to buy and thus save him from the dreaded wait 'til he turns 65. So far the plan is working pretty well because his solo project Lost On Purpose has built up a big enough repertoire of gilded gems to base a whole alternate career on. All that needs to happen now if for the people to tune in so here's a heads up in Wil's direction. His website is a good starting point because it allows you to sample plenty of what he has thus far conjured. Try and imagine Bright Eyes crouched inside your head armed with the minimum number of instruments (to save on space) working his way through his best songs ever and you'll have a good idea what Lost On Purpose are about. 'Thank You Music Guru' is perhaps as simplistic as Holland gets, his pinpoints the creative and executes it in the sweetest way possible. Acoustics shimmer like a ghost in the night and the vocals timidly make like the coolest sound since the theremin was invented. Building gently like a female construction worker it could yet be used by unstable governments to soothe angry mobs. Mr Holland, you'll soon need a dam to hold back the waves of delight from a legion of fans. KD

Lost On Purpose - Thank You Music Guru

More Info: Lost On Purpose
Buy EP: Anniversary EP
Year: 2005

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Despite only being a teenager when Supergrass hit the big time with 'Caught By The Fuzz' Gaz Coombes had already been a minor success with his previous band the Jennifers. Written when he was only 14 years old 'Just Got Back Today' was the bands only release on Suede's label Nude Records but is typical of the early Supergrass sound. If anything it appropriates the genius of their second album 'In It For The Money' rather than the bubblegum of their debut. 'Just Got Back Today' is awash with such keen harmonies and dispatched with such charm that you'll hardly take heed of the perfunctory music. That said, the fleeting harmonica bolsters the atmosphere of the piece while Coombes catches his breath before delivering another luscious vocal spectacle. KD

The Jennifers - Just Got Back Today

More Info: The Jennifers Pt. 2
Vinyl Single: Just Got Back Today
Year: 1992

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Time to whip out those extra long short pants and start throwing things cause it's Ned's Atomic Dustbin time. While the Ned's might only occupy a tiny footnote in the history of rock music they nonetheless left an impression. The band were part a scene of sorts that also included such luminaries as Carter USM, EMF, Thousand Yard Stare and the Wonderstuff. Fronted by the fabulously hirsute Jonn Penney what the band lacked in talent they more than made up for with joyous energy. They also found it necessary to have 2 bass players which meant that most early nineties speakers didn't stand a chance. 'Happy' is a choice cut from their debut and is a rampant example of their loose and thunderous style. Instruments are excitedly thrown into disarray by the galloping momentum. A bass riff is particularly ear catching being expertly delivered a la Jah Wobble spinning at 78 rpm. Remarkably Ned's Atomic Dustbin are at this moment recording their first new material since the mid 1990's and a single is due out in May. Perhaps you should start thinking about killing your television all over again. KD

Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Happy

More Info: Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Buy Album: [UK] God Fodder [US] God Fodder
Year: 1991

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Paradise Motel had their moment when they covered the Cars 'Drive' for the soundtrack to a movie about a dead guy and some pastries. This is sad because the world has been denied Merida Sussex's haunting vocals, which are so passionately in evidence on 'Ashes'. I spotted this song on a Melody Maker compilation CD from 1997 called 'Independent & Still Taking Liberties' and it blew away the competition. Most of the band were originally from Tasmania and asked Merida to be their singer after a chance meeting in a library in Melbourne. The band soon decamped to London to make their fortune but it wasn’t to be. 'Ashes' is so delightfully different; its showy strings means it could easily find an audience far beyond the stereotypical indie set yet its appeal is there for all. No surprise then that they were at some point signed to infectious records, because this is highly contagious. KD

Paradise Motel - Ashes

More Info: Paradise Motel
Buy Paradise Motel's: [UK] Flight Paths [US] Flight Paths
Year: 1998

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The future looked bright for 4 young Cork lads when their band Emperor Of Ice Cream was signed to Sony's cool offshoot Blow Disc's. Despite releasing a succession of great singles it seemed that the lack of public appetite finally took its toll. They also left a brilliant Fanning session, which even surpassed what was produced in the studio. The 'William' EP was released in 1993 and displayed lead man Haggis' gift for melody and his appreciation of the merits of all things Ride. Ok, the chords are a tad telegraphed but given time the collective could have mastered what the likes of My Vitriol were grappling with years later. The bands guitarist is currently in ramshackle noise makers Sylvia's Saint, the others are probably at this moment ironing their shirts for work tomorrow. KD

Emperor of Ice Cream - Puerile

EP: William
Year: 1993

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Continuing our Spaceman 3 centric day are Spectrum led by the appropriately monikered Sonic Boom. Boom has the audacious reputation of out-sunglassing the mighty Bono and considering his bands outputs you'd imagine he must have had matching earbuds too. 'How You Satisfy Me' is a thunderous proposition with an all consuming burst of guitars built around a gregariously sequenced bank of organs. Boom adds the requisite euphoric repost that threatens to send giant cracks spiralling down the walls in your neighbourhood. The EP that the song is taken from is uniformly strong with the 3 other tracks conjuring that lay back in the sun quality that only Jason Pierce could replicate. KD

Spectrum - How You Satisfy Me

More Info: Spectrum
Buy Album: [UK] Soul Kiss (Glide Divine) [US] Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)
Year: 1992

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BMX Bandits (named after the 1983 Nicole Kidman movie of the same name) was the breeding ground for the consummate delights that was to become Teenage Fanclub, Superstar and er the Soup Dragons. The band underwent so many changes throughout their career that you'd need a genealogist to map the line-up from day to day. While Duglas T. Stewart's name may not have the resonance of, say, Norman Blake he was main creative force behind the Bandits and their distinctive C86 template. Dishy guitars meets twee lyrics are a constant and to some such a concoction is pure Heavenly. 'Little Hands' lovingly describes the scene where boy in band falls in love with cute girl fan. Simple and cherishable it boasts Fanclubesque chords a la 'The Concept' while Stewart's vocals are just mildly nasaled by those heavy double-rimmed spectacles of his (probably). The EP's cover playfully dramatises the effect of the union on what looks frighteningly like Courtney Love's twin sister. KD

BMX Bandits - Little Hands

More Info: BMX Bandits
Buy the EP: [UK] Little Hands [US] Life Goes On
Year: 1993

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The Darkside was yet another offshoot from the Spaceman 3 dynasty (see also Spiritualized and Spectrum). Consisting of main man Pete Baines (like Jason Pierce’s Spaceman tag Baines chose to be also called Pete Bassman), guitarist Kevin Cowan and drummer Steward Roswell the band recorded 2 studio albums before splitting after numerous line-up changes. 'Waiting For The Angels' is taken from their debut and is marked by Cowan's lavish guitar strokes as well as Baines thoroughly monotone vocals. Somehow the juxtaposition works and the piece has an epic feel even if it does sound of its time. Not quite a sonic boom then, more a tasty auditory snack. KD

The Darkside - Waiting For The Angels

More Info: The Darkside
Buy Album: [UK] All That Noise [US] All That Noise
Year: 1990

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The thing about 'You're A Wolf' is the peculiar ease with which it snags you're attention. There is nothing radical going on but the persistent honeyed chords, Alex Church's smooth vocals and the building momentum suggest there's something special just around the corner. At the moment the only constant in Sea Wolf is Church (and his Wolf fixation, he even calls himself Mr Brown on the bands myspace page!) yet he has wide cast of cohorts to choose from including members from his other band Irving. With an album already recorded all that needs to happen now is for a savvy label to sign up the little guy before he burrows up in the countryside before the hot summer months. On this sort of form we could be bowing at this fella's altar before too long.KD

Sea Wolf - You're A Wolf

More Info: Sea Wolf
Album: Leaves In The River
Year: 2006

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Love Is All may be the new kids on the block but you can trace their sound back to another chaotic Swedish band called Whale. Whale burst onto the scene in 1993 largely due to a remarkable promo which saw Cia Berg prance about in her hob nails, braces and white undergarments in a quarry. Filmed with the shaking intensity of a drug addict it provided a visual feast yet the music was no less dramatic. Sporting Beastie Boy like trump cards including a bounding bass line, hollering vocalists and ripcords to perforate eardrums there was a definite hip-hop feel to the piece with Berg's confused schoolgirl vocal theatrics spoiling the opportunity to classify. The trio recorded the song as a joke but its success led to the 1995 full length 'We Care'. Berg also acted in several films yet her best performance was saved for this rollercoaster trip. KD

Whale - Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe

Buy Album: [UK] We Care [US] We Care
Year: 1995

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Wanna take a holiday from planet indie-rock? Find a space to unwind, throw off those tired riffs and kick those pouting egos into touch. Just smear on some ear protection and load up Love Is All who could yet be this year’s most enticing object of your affections. The Swedish band just don’t play by the rules, the singer could have been fronting Whale a decade ago such is the venom in her, probably, train-tracked mouth. The music is as frantic as the singer’s aggression providing a disruptive audio descriptive of the average teenage week. There are thumping electro stylings, crashing tirades involving guitars and trumpets and the general feeling that life is just one long traumatic upheaval when you are sixteen. Enjoy the break. KD

Love Is All - Make Out Fall Out Make Up

More Info: Love Is All
Buy Album: Nine Times That Same Song
Year: 2005

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Power of Dreams are one of great lost bands. Playing in venues like the Underground in Dublin's Dame Street before they were legal only inflamed the anticipation of what was about to be achieved. One of their early demo tapes ended up in London and got them a major deal with Polydor. Their debut 'Immigrants, Emigrants and Me' was released soon afterwards in 1990. Highlighting Craig Walker's innate self-belief and talent it was a remarkable debut, fresh and arresting it spawned several great singles. 'Had You Listened' is flush with shimmering guitars that could burst into violence anytime and Walker's youthful delivery carefully rounds off the sound. Beneath the jangle, however, was a melancholy that was translated beautifully in the music. Sadly 'Immigrants, Emigrants and Me' was to be as good as it got for the band despite a huge following in Japan. Their demise eventually came in 1995 after 3 other less successful albums. Undaunted Walker went on to form the potentially great Pharmacy who imploded in the face of record label trauma. After several years in the wilderness he eventually settled with Archive who released an album called 'Lights' this year. KD

Power Of Dreams - Had You Listened

Buy Power of Dreams: [UK] Immigrants, Emigrants & Me [US] Immigrants, Emigrants & Me
Year: 1990

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