CUSTOM SCENES

CUSTOM SCENES AND THE BANDS THAT MADE THEM THE LOST ART OF SILLY BAND NAMES

BY BEN COOPER

The late 2000’s and 2010’s are o�en regarded as a dark age for Bri�sh independent rock. Though an intensely profitable �me for the handful of bands that managed to acquire success within the mainstream – with many of these aging bands s�ll headlining fes�vals as I write this – contemporary opinion seems to point towards a stagna�on in the scene at this �me. A dissa�sfac�on amongst cri�cs and consumers alike is evident, with such musical authori�es as the NME coining a damning sobriquet for the scene: “landfill indie.”

And are they really to be blamed? Though there are certainly some diamonds sca�ered about the landfill, it seems indisputable that most of the guitar pop from the myspace epoch was bland, contrived, and just plain forge�able - recycling the same formula relentlessly, each band no more than a copy of a copy of a copy (of a copy). It’s a woefully depressing prospect, especially considering these bands are s�ll headlining today…

There was a scene, however, that challenged this – and though all the bands I am about to men�on may have long succumbed to the icy peril of label debauchery and corporate greed, reckless expenditure and forgo�en second albums, I believe each and every one of them could have truly made it had they been graced with the a�en�on their music deserved. While the landfill bands filled stadiums with pointy shoes and pea coats, these groups gave urgency to the grassroots, and carved hidden legacies into city streets and skylines. A decade of indie music could not be less than a landfill…

The answer lies in Birmingham, with a band called “Johnny Foreigner.”

JOHNNY FOREIGNER

Johnny Foreigner are one of the few bands here who are s�ll together, playing a celebratory “we’re-s�ll-a-band” show following their 4-year hiatus last month. I discovered them around 3 years ago and was immediately smi�en; it didn’t take long before I was beginning to insert the incredibly poe�c lyricism of frontman Alexei Berrow into everyday conversa�on (much to the confusion of my friends), all the while being completely mesmerised by the sheer elegance of his guitar technique; drummer Junior Washington Laidley’s idiosyncra�c drumming style, swapping out toms for a Casio to play keys instead of mindless filling genuinely blew my mind, and lends the band a brilliantly unique ear for melody; vocalist and bassist Kelly Parker provides the rhythmic backbone of the trio, and the band’s characteris�c interplay between her and Alexei’s co-ed vocals make for some of the most anthemic musical moments I have ever experienced. Not to men�on the brilliant art direc�on of second guitarist Lewes Herriot – thanks to him everything I own is now covered in ghost doodles.

I would confidently call JoFo my favourite band ever, full stop, but the brilliance of the scene extends far beyond their grace. They toured relentlessly with the equally amazing “Los Campesinos!”, a band that boasted a total of seven band members upon forma�on in 2006 and wrote some of the na�on’s defining pop songs. The lyricism of Gareth Campesinos! is incredibly wi�y, and unmistakably poe�c, punctuated by wonderfully angular guitar lines and a glockenspiel hammered at with breakneck intensity.

Also found in cahoots with JoFo were Glaswegian fight-pop masters, “Dananananaykroyd,” who easily contend for the greatest band name in all of history. Not only did they bear a brilliant namesake, but they also wrote some of the most kine�c, complex, and blissfully fun music I’ve ever heard – although the screamed vocals might not be to everyone’s taste, I would wager that if I locked my dad in a room with Infinity Milk playing, he’d find it impossible not to dance. And my dad doesn’t dance. That’s just the power of the scene.

LOS CAMPESINOS

DANANANANAYKROYD

The underground scene of the mid-2000s was a microcosm of pop experimenta�on that hasn’t been surpassed since, and doub�ully ever will. These are bands that deserve exhibits in museums, but you’d never find them in the Bri�sh Music Experience or “1000 albums to hear before you die.” And that should change! There are so many other bands that I could have talked about here, but for sake of brevity, I’ll have to find �me another day. However, if you are at all intrigued by the bands I have men�oned, I have an extensive Spo�fy playlist documen�ng the most noteworthy addi�onal groups – of which there are around 60! Do yourself a favour and follow “Custom scenes and the par�es that made them” on bencoopercoys. I’m sure you won’t regret it.