An Indie Retrospective

 

At the end of every year since 1999 I have compiled 2 CDs of my favourite songs for the year. On each CD I restrict the compilation to 1 song per artist and ultimately come up with a CD that is a highly enjoyable reminder of all the exciting music that came out in that year. It’s not a “Top 20” as such, because the order of the tracks is designed to be as listenable as possible with relatively smooth transitions between the songs. For the most part, these CDs represent my favourite songs for each of the years, however, it’s often the case that I only hear a particular song in a year after that which it was released. Unfortunately this means some of my favourite songs may be missing, it does give me incentive to keep my finger on the pulse of the independent music scene.

 

In 2004 I also looked back further to the years 1990 – 1998 and retrospective collated these CDs as well and in March 2005, did compilations spanning 1986-89.  I Eventually I plan to go back to 1977 eventually, the year I was born.

 

The following is the track listing from each Indie Retrospective (CD1 only) from 1986 to the present.

 

 

2008

1.       HOT CHIP – Ready  For The Floor

2.       THE WHIP - Frustration

3.       CUT COPY – Out There On The Ice

4.       LADYTRON – I’m Not Scared

5.       SPRAY – Overdramatic

6.       MOBY – Disco Lies

7.       PNAU – Embrace

8.       MGMT – Kids

9.       PET SHOP BOYS – My Girl

10.    THE PRESETS – This Boy’s In Love

11.    UNDERWORLD – Beautiful Burnout

12.    BLANK & JONES & SUMNER – Miracle Cure

13.    (WE ARE) PERFORMANCE – Let’s Start

14.    BRAVERY – Bad Sun (Moon Version)

15.    INFADELS – Universe In Reverse

16.    ATTERY SQUASH – Santa’s Laughter Mocks The Poor

17.    TYPE O NEGATIVE – September Sun

 

2007

1.       IKKI – Goodbye Cruel World

2.       ABDOUJAPAROV – Revenge Of The School Bullied

3.       OOBERON – Ooh (All I Wanted)

4.       (WE ARE) PERFORMANCE – (In Your Own Words) Chernobyl

5.       LORRAINE – Saved

6.       EXILE INSIDE – Pearl

7.       JIM BOB – Every Day When I Come Home I Expect To Find You Gone

8.       SHOUT OUT LOUDS – Tonight I Have To Leave It

9.       MAGIC THEATRE – You’re Too Beautiful

10.    KATE HAVNEVIK – Unlike Me

11.    MAPS – You Don’t Know Her Name

12.    KLAXONS – Golden Skans

13.    BLOC PARTY – The Prayer

14.    SUPER FURRY ANIMALS – Run-Away

15.    DYKEENIES – Stitches

16.    WE START FIRES – Play You

17.    DIGITALISM – Pogo

18.    C.S.S. – Alcohol

19.    GARLAND CULT – Monomania

20.    SPRAY – I Am Gothic III (The Harrowing)

21.    PET SHOP BOYS – Integral (PSB Perfect Immaculate 12”)

 

2006

1.       SPRAY – The Dangerous Sports Club

2.       RICARDO AUTOBAHN – Beep Beep

3.       LORRAINE – I Feel It

4.       DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE – Crooked Teeth

5.       SPEARMINT – Psycho Magnet

6.       EMBRACE – Nature’s Law

7.       OOBERMAN – Carried Away

8.       MY LIFE STORY – The Dice Man

9.       SYMPHONIKA – Fast Sledge Past Blurred Robin

10.    SPARKS – Dick Around

11.    PET SHOP BOYS – Minimal

12.    GARLAND CULT – Impossible

13.    SCISSOR SISTERS – I Don’t Feel Like Dancing

14.    MATINEE CLUB – Tokyo Girls

15.    MUSE – Map Of The Problematique

16.    PERFORMANCE – Surrender

17.    iDOU – Small And Cute

18.    ROBOTS IN DISGUISE – Turn It Up

19.    DAZ SAMPSON – Teenage Life

20.    JIM BOB – The Mufty Day Riots

21.    DARREN HAYMAN – Table For One

 

2005

1.       CUBAN BOYS – Strictly Cuban

2.       SPRAY – Anthem (For The Modern Artist)

3.       LADYTRON – Destroy Everything You Touch

4.       NEW ORDER – Guilt Is A Useless Emotion

5.       FISCHERSPOONER – Cloud

6.       DEPECHE MODE – Precious

7.       EXILE INSIDE – Breathe In / Breathe Out

8.       ANDY BELL feat. CLAUDIA BRάCKEN – Delicious

9.       CHEMICAL BROTHERS feat. Q TIP – Galvanize

10.    KAISER CHIEFS – I Predict A Riot

11.    CARTER USM – Hounded

12.    ABDOUJAPAROV – Ultra Cool

13.    PRESETS – Are You The One?

14.    APOPTYGMA BERZERK – Cambodia

15.    JIM BOB – Dumb And Dumber

16.    BLUE RIBBON – Icicle

17.    BRIGHT EYES – Take It Easy (Love Nothing)

18.    ERASURE – Breathe

19.    SPEARMINT – Your New Gay Friend

20.    TEARS – Apollo 13

 

2004

1.       DONOVAN - Love Floats

2.       CARTER USM - Junk Male

3.       EXILE INSIDE - Xerox

4.       BAXENDALE - Your Body Needs My Sugar

5.       CUT COPY - Future

6.       <BIT PIXEL> - Summer Tide

7.       MACONDO - Local Boy’z

8.       EMPIRE STATE HUMAN - Little Alfie (Deep In The Dirt Mix)

9.       BASEMENT JAXX - Good Luck

10.    FELIX DA HOUSECAT - Rocket Ride

11.    MISS KITTIN - Professional Distortion

12.    PET SHOP BOYS - Flamboyant

13.    GANYMEDE - It’s Not Enough

14.    SPRAY - Child Of The 80’s (2004 Spacekats Remix)

15.    FR/ACTION - Partners In Crime

16.    KILLERS - Somebody Told Me

17.    JIM BOB - Come On Smart Bomb

18.    SPEARMINT - A Leopard

19.    MORRISSEY - I Like You

20.    UNCLE FRUITY – Old And Fat

 

2003

1.       OOBERMAN – Open The Hatch

2.       PET SHOP BOYS – Miracles

3.       ERASURE – Solsbury Hill

4.       DAVID BOWIE – Everyone Says “Hi” (Metro Mix)

5.       DANDY WARHOLS – We Used To Be Friends

6.       FELIX DA HOUSECAT – Silver Screen Shower Scene (Thin White Duke Mix)

7.       FPU – Waiting For Snow

8.       LADYTRON – Evil

9.       ADULT. – Glue Your Eyelids Together

10.    ONO – Walking On Thin Ice (Pet Shop Boys Radio Mix)

11.    APHROHEAD – Liquid Kitty

12.    TYPE O NEGATIVE – I Don’t Wanna Be Me

13.    ABDOUJAPAROV – Beer Scooter

14.    INSPIRAL CARPETS – Come Back Tomorrow

15.    NEW ORDER – Vietnam

16.    BALLBOY – Stronger Hearts Than Mine Lie Empty

17.    SPEARMINT – Left Alone Among The Living

18.    JIM BOB – You Can’t Take It With You

 

2002

1.       FISCHERSPOONER – Emerge

2.       FAINT – Agenda Suicide

3.       ALPINESTARS – Snow Patrol

4.       EXILE INSIDE – Anaesthesia

5.       LADYTRON – Seventeen

6.       FELIX DA HOUSECAT – Silver Screen Shower Scene (Static Revenger Mix)

7.       DEATH IN VEGAS – Hands Around My Throat (Adult. Remx)

8.       MISS KITTIN & THE HACKER – Frank Sinatra 2001

9.       GOLDEN BOY / MISS KITTIN – Rippin Kittin

10.    OOBERMAN – Beany Bean

11.    BAXENDALE – Ghetto Fabulous

12.    DEADBEAT RADICALS – Little Yellow Mini

13.    FOSCA – Secret Crush On Third Trombone

14.    JIM’S SUPER STEREOWORLD – Mission Control

15.    NEW ORDER – 60 Miles An Hour

16.    ABDOUJAPAROV – You Turned Me Over

17.    BALLBOY – All The Records On The Radio Are Shite

18.    MOBY – We Are All Made Of Stars

19.    PET SHOP BOYS – I Get Along

2001

1.       ASH – Shining Light

2.       ABDOUJAPAROV – Emergency Medical Hologram

3.       SPEARMINT – Julie Christie!

4.       EMF – Incredible

5.       NEW ORDER – Close Range

6.       MANIC STREET PREACHERS – Miss Europa Disco Dancer

7.       ARLING & CAMERON – 5th Dimension

8.       ZOOT WOMAN – You And I

9.       BARCELONA – Beautiful

10.    LADYTRON – Paco!

11.    COLLABORATION – Break 4 Love

12.    OOBERMAN – Running Girl

13.    HEFNER – When The Angels Play Their Drum Machines

14.    BALLBOY – A Day In Space

15.    TAHITI 80 – A Love From Outer Space

16.    BASEMENT JAXX – Where’s Your Head At?

17.    BIS – The End Starts Today

18.    BRANSBY – The Easy Life

19.    WHO’S THE DADDY NOW? – Daddy Christmas

 

2000

1.       EELS – Mr E’s Beautiful Blues

2.       BADLY DRAWN BOY – Once Around The Block

3.       BELLE & SEBASTIAN – Legal Man

4.       LOOPER – Money Hair

5.       SPEARMINT – Oklahoma!

6.       SPACE – Diary Of A Wimp

7.       ERASURE – Freedom (Motiv8 Remix)

8.       ALPINESTARS – 77 Sunset Strip

9.       FIGURINE – S.O.S.

10.    LADYTRON – Play Girl

11.    MORGAN – Miss Parker

12.    SPILLER – Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)

13.    MINT ROYALE – Don’t Falter

14.    BAXENDALE – Summer Of Hate

15.    MY LIFE STORY - If You Can’t Live Without Me Then Why Aren’t You Dead Yet?

16.    ABDOUJAPAROV – Just Shut Up

17.    NEW ORDER – Brutal

18.    JJ72 – Long Way South

19.    CLINT BOON EXPERIENCE! – Do What You Do (The Earworm Song)

20.    OOBERMAN – Shorley Wall

1999

1.       OTHER TWO – Superhighways

2.       LIGHTNING SEEDS – Life’s Too Short

3.       BRIAN – Turn Your Lights On

4.       TECHNIQUE – Sun Is Shining

5.       OOBERMAN – Blossoms Falling

6.       CLINT BOON EXPERIENCE – White No Sugar

7.       SOUND 5 – Ala Kaboo

8.       LOOPER – Who’s Afraid Of Y2K?

9.       BAXENDALE – Hanging Out With Her

10.    LAPTOP – Nothing To Declare

11.    MY LIFE STORY – It’s A Girl Thing

12.    SPEARMINT – Best Ballroom

13.    MARINE RESEARCH – Parallel Horizontal

14.    ELASTICA – How He Wrote Elastica Man (with Mark E. Smith)

15.    ABDOUJAPAROV – Murder (On Dalberg Road)

16.    DIVINE COMEDY – The Pop Singer’s Fear Of The Pollen Count

17.    SUPERGRASS - Moving

18.    CHEMICAL BROTHERS – Out Of Control (with Bernard Sumner)

19.    TERRORVISION – Tequila (Mint Royale Shot)

20.    SHED SEVEN – Disco Down

1998

1.       CARTER USM – Girls Can Keep A Secret

2.       MANIC STREET PREACHERS – If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

3.       RIALTO – Untouchable

4.       STRAW – Weird Superman

5.       SHED SEVEN – She Left Me On Friday

6.       BLUETONES – Solomon Bites The Worm

7.       BOO RADLEYS – Heaven’s At The Bottom Of This Glass

8.       ABDOUJAPAROV – Punk Confetti

9.       JAMES – Destiny Calling

10.    SPACE – Avenging Angels

11.    KENICKIE – I Would Fix You

12.    SPEARMINT – A Trip Into Space

13.    SAINT ETIENNE – Sylvie

14.    LES RHYTHMES DIGITALES – (Hey You) What’s That Sound?

15.    FATBOY SLIM – Praise You

16.    WISEGUYS – Ooh La La

17.    BELLE & SEBASTIAN – The Boy With The Arab Strap

18.    CLINT BOON – Only One Way I Can Go

19.    PULP – Cocaine Socialism

 

1997

1.       SPEARMINT – Sweeping The Nation

2.       JAMES – She’s A Star

3.       SUPERGRASS – Cheapskate

4.       MANBREAK – Ready Or Not

5.       MOVER – Move Over

6.       SUEDE – Filmstar

7.       SYMPOSIUM – Farewell To Twilight

8.       SLEEPER – Romeo Me

9.       SPEEDY – Time For You

10.    KENICKIE – Nightlife

11.    DUBSTAR – Cathedral Park

12.    PET SHOP BOYS – A Red Letter Day

13.    MONACO – What Do You Want From Me?

14.    MY LIFE STORY – The King Of Kissingdom

15.    BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE – Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out!

16.    PRIMAL SCREAM – Kowalski

17.    GENEVA – Into The Blue

18.    ERASURE – Don’t Say Your Love Is Killing Me

19.    DEPECHE MODE – Home

20.    CARTER USM – And God Created Brixton

 

1996

1.       DIVINE COMEDY – Something For The Weekend

2.       MANIC STREET PREACHERS – A Design For Life

3.       MANSUN – Stripper Vicar

4.       SUEDE – Trash

5.       KULA SHAKER – Tattva

6.       TIGER – Race

7.       MY LIFE STORY – Sparkle

8.       ELECTRONIC – For You

9.       BLUETONES – Slight Return

10.    DODGY – Good Enough

11.    PET SHOP BOYS – Se A Vida E (That’s The Way Life Is)

12.    LIGHTNING SEEDS – What If…

13.    BLUR – Charmless Man

14.    SLEEPER – Nice Guy Eddie

15.    KENICKIE – Punka

16.    ME ME ME – Hanging Around

17.    ELASTICA – Car Song

18.    NANCY BOY – Johnny Chrome And Silver

19.    DAVID BOWIE – Hallo Spaceboy

20.    DUBSTAR – Stars (Motiv 8 Mix)

21.    ASH – Oh Yeah

 

1995

1.       BOO RADLEYS – Wake Up Boo!

2.       ASH – Girl From Mars

3.       SUPERGRASS – Alright

4.       CAST – Alright

5.       MENSWEAR – Daydreamer

6.       ELASTICA – Connection

7.       LICK – Stand Up!

8.       SLEEPER – Inbetweener

9.       BLUETONES – Bluetonic

10.    EMF – Perfect Day

11.    NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN – All I Ask Of Myself Is That I Hold Together

12.    CARTER USM – The Young Offender’s Mum

13.    SHAMEN – Destination Eschaton

14.    PET SHOP BOYS – Paninaro ’95

15.    DUBSTAR – Not So Manic Now

16.    TEENAGE FANCLUB – Sparky’s Dream

17.    PULP – Common People

18.    LIGHTNING SEEDS – Change

19.    ERASURE – Fingers And Thumbs

20.    MY LIFE STORY – Penthouse In The Basement

21.    BLUR – The Universal

22.    SAINT ETIENNE – He’s On The Phone

 

1994

1.       POP WILL EAT ITSELF – Everything’s Cool?

2.       TERRORIVISION – Oblivion

3.       S*M*A*S*H – Real Surreal

4.       CARTER USM – Let’s Get Tattoos

5.       SUPERGRASS – Caught By The Fuzz

6.       ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS – Absolutely Fabulous

7.       SPARKS – When Do I Get To Sing “My Way”?

8.       DEPECHE MODE – In Your Room (Zephyr Mix)

9.       SAINT ETIENNE – Like A Motorway

10.    INSPIRAL CARPETS – Saturn 5

11.    STEREOLAB – Ping Pong

12.    DODGY – Staying Out For The Summer

13.    BLUR – Girls And Boys

14.    PULP – Pink Glove

15.    ERASURE – Always

16.    MY LIFE STORY – Funny Ha Ha

17.    ECHOBELLY – Insomniac

18.    WONDERSTUFF – Hot Love Now!

19.    MORRISSEY – The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get

20.    PET SHOP BOYS – Liberation

21.    SUEDE – Stay Together

 

1993

1.       JESUS JONES – The Devil You Know

2.       DEPECHE MODE – Walking In My Shoes

3.       CHAPTERHOUSE – She’s A Vision

4.       BOO RADLEYS – Barney (…And Me)

5.       SUEDE – Animal Nitrate

6.       SAINT ETIENNE – You’re In A Bad Way

7.       OTHER TWO – Selfish

8.       JAMES – Laid

9.       INSPIRAL CARPETS – How It Should Be

10.    NEW ORDER – Regret

11.    PULP – Razzmatazz

12.    MY LIFE STORY – Girl A Girl B Boy C

13.    BLUR – Sunday Sunday

14.    POP WILL EAT ITSELF – RSVP

15.    CARTER USM – Lean On Me I Won’t Fall Over

16.    PET SHOP BOYS – Can You Forgive Her?

17.    SUNSCREEM – Pressure Us

18.    LEFTFIELD LYDON – Open Up

19.    ELASTICA – Stutter

20.    NIRVANA – Rape Me

21.    WONDERSTUFF – On The Ropes

22.    KINGMAKER – Ten Years Asleep

 

1992

1.       CARTER USM – The Only Living Boy In New Cross

2.       EAST 17 – House Of Love

3.       ELECTRONIC – Disappointed

4.       NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN – Who Goes First?

5.       WONDERSTUFF – Welcome To The Cheap Seats

6.       SULTANS OF PING FC – Where’s Me Jumper?

7.       POP WILL EAT ITSELF – Karmadrome

8.       INSPIRAL CARPETS – Smoking Her Clothes

9.       POPINJAYS – Monster Mouth

10.    SUNSCREEM – Love U More

11.    KLF – 3AM Eternal

12.    SHAMEN – Ebeneezer Goode

13.    UTAH SAINTS – Something Good

14.    EMF – Search And Destroy

15.    NIRVANA – Lithium

16.    JESUS & MARY CHAIN – Far Gone And Out

17.    SUEDE – Metal Mickey

18.    MORRISSEY – We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful

19.    ERASURE – S.O.S.

20.    LIGHTNING SEEDS – The Life Of Riley

21.    PET SHOP BOYS – Was It Worth It?

 

1991

1.       EMF – Children

2.       CARTER USM – After The Watershed (Early Learning The Hard Way)

3.       NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN – Grey Cell Green

4.       NIRVANA – Smells Like Teen Spirit

5.       WONDERSTUFF – The Size Of A Cow

6.       JESUS JONES – International Bright Young Thing

7.       BLUR – There’s No Other Way

8.       MOCK TURTLES – Can You Dig It?

9.       NORTHSIDE – Take 5

10.    MORRISSEY – Pregnant For The Last Time

11.    ELECTRONIC – Get The Message

12.    JAMES – Sound

13.    OTHER TWO – Tasty Fish

14.    SHAMEN – Move Any Mountain

15.    ERASURE – Chorus

16.    GARY CLAIL – Human Nature (12”)

17.    CICERO – Love Is Everywhere

18.    PET SHOP BOYS – Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You)

19.    RATCAT – Don’t Go Now

 

1990

1.       ELECTRONIC – Getting Away With It

2.       DEPECHE MODE – Enjoy The Silence

3.       PET SHOP BOYS – So Hard

4.       CARTER USM – Anytime Anyplace Anywhere

5.       NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN – Kill Your Television

6.       EMF – Unbelievable

7.       SOUP DRAGONS – Mother Universe

8.       JESUS JONES – Right Here Right Now

9.       WONDERSTUFF – Circlesquare

10.    ERASURE – Blue Savannah

11.    DARLING BUDS – It Makes No Difference

12.    HAPPY MONDAYS – Kinky Afro

13.    NORTHSIDE – Shall We Take A Trip

14.    LA’S – There She Goes

15.    SAINT ETIENNE – Only Love Can Break Your Heart

16.    NEW ORDER – World In Motion

17.    JAMES – Come Home

18.    RIDE – Vapour Trail

19.    INSPIRAL CARPETS – This Is How It Feels

20.    CURE – Pictures Of You

 

1989

1.       CARTER USM – Sheriff Fatman

2.       STONE ROSES – She Bangs The Drums

3.       WONDER STUFF – Who Wants To Be The Disco King?

4.       NEW ORDER – Run

5.       THE THE – The Beat(en) Generation

6.       REVENGE – Seven Reasons

7.       XTC – Mayor Of Simpleton

8.       LIGHTNING SEEDS – Pure

9.       CURE – Lullaby

10.    KIRSTY MacCOLL – Days

11.    DUSTY SPRINGFIELD – Nothing Has Been Proved

12.    MORRISSEY – The Last Of The Famous International Playboys

13.    DEPECHE MODE – Personal Jesus

14.    JESUS JONES – Info Freako

15.    POP WILL EAT ITSELF – Preaching To The Perverted

16.    808 STATE – Pacific State

17.    ERASURE – Drama!

18.    SHAKESPEARE’S SISTER – You’re History

19.    LIZA MINNELLI – Losing My Mind

20.    PET SHOP BOYS – It’s Alright

 

1988

1.       PET SHOP BOYS – Left To My Own Devices

2.       UNDERWORLD – Underneath The Radar

3.       TIMELORDS – Doctorin’ The Tardis

4.       YAZZ & THE PLASTIC POPULAION – The Only Way Is Up

5.       NEW ORDER – Fine Time

6.       POP WILL EAT ITSELF – Def Con One

7.       S-EXPRESS – Theme From S-Express

8.       HAPPY MONDAYS – W.F.L.

9.       OMD – Dreaming

10.    BROS – When Will I Be Famous?

11.    TRANSVISION VAMP – Tell That Girl To Shut Up

12.    NIRVANA – Love Buzz

13.    STONE ROSES – Elephant Stone

14.    HOUSE OF LOVE – Christine

15.    ERASURE – A Little Respect

16.    WONDER STUFF – A Wish Away

17.    REM – Orange Crush

18.    1927 – That’s When I Think Of You

19.    MORRISSEY – Every Day Is Like Sunday

20.    CARTER USM – Granny Farming In The U.K.

 

1987

1.       SMITHS – Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

2.       ERASURE – The Circus

3.       BLACK – Wonderful Life

4.       U2 – Where The Streets Have No Name

5.       NEW ORDER – True Faith

6.       PET SHOP BOYS – Always On My Mind

7.       POP WILL EAT ITSELF – Hit The Hi-Tech Groove

8.       DEPECHE MODE – Never Let Me Down Again

9.       FISCHER-Z – The Perfect Day

10.    PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. – Seattle

11.    BELINDA CARLISLE – Heaven Is A Place On Earth

12.    BANANARAMA – Love In The First Degree

13.    CURE – Catch

14.    XTC – Dear God

15.    SOUP DRAGONS – Hang-Ten!

16.    SHAMEN – Something About You

17.    WONDER STUFF – Unbearable

18.    PAUL KELLY – To Her Door

19.    REM – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

20.    JAMIE WEDNESDAY – Till The Cows Come Home

 

1986

1.       OMD – If You Leave

2.       ERASURE – Oh L’amour

3.       NEW ORDER – Bizarre Love Triangle (12” Version)

4.       SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK – Love Missile

5.       PET SHOP BOYS – Opportunities (Version Latina)

6.       DEPECHE MODE – A Question Of Lust

7.       CURE – A Night Like This

8.       THE THE – Angels Of Deception

9.       REM – Fall On Me

10.    XTC – Grass

11.    PULP – Dogs Are Everywhere

12.    JAMIE WEDNESDAY – We Three Kings Of Orient Aren’t

13.    TALULAH GOSH – Beatnik Boy

14.    HUNTERS AND COLLECTORS – Throw Your Arms Around Me

15.    CROWDED HOUSE – Something So Strong

16.    PAUL KELLY – Before Too Long

17.    MOODY BLUES – Your Wildest Dreams

18.    MADNESS –The Ghost Train

19.    PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. – Rise

20.    SMITHS – Panic

 

 

 

 

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