The Covers of NME: Fad or For Real

It has been a running joke for sometime now that NME will put just about anyone on the cover of their magazine.  It wasn't always like that, but as the years went by they have become increasingly dependant on gossip and exploitation. (We can't wait for the Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton issue!)  When the onset of Britpop hit the country in the early 90s the magazine completely lost it and would herald a different band as "The Greatest Band in the World" on an almost weekly basis.  So we here at LiquidGeneration thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the bands that have graced the cover of NME over the last twenty or so years and see just how great they actually ended up being.  Whether or not you agree, we are right. Why? Because we said so.


Gay Dad - 1999: In quite possibly one of the biggest scams perpetrated upon the music world since the "Grunge movement", NME featured journalist turned "Rock Star" Cliff Jones and his band Gay Dad on the cover in 1999. Their debut record, Leisure Noise, followed later that year and featured the UK hit "To Earth With Love." NME should be ashamed of themselves. Verdict: FAD

Gay Dad - To Earth With Love.mp3





Birdland - 1990: These floppy haired blokes were in the spotlight for maybe 6 months and then (thankfully) disappeared.  Infamous for the photo of the band wrapped in an American Flag, the group scored a hit in 1990 with "Sleep With Me."  If only for their awful sense of style they should have never been on the cover of anything. Verdict: FAD

Birdland - Shoot You Down (YouTube Video)





Boo Radleys - 1993: They've been labeled wannabes in both the Shoegazer and Britpop movements, but for all of their failings the Boo Radleys did produce at least two good records (1993's Giant Steps and 1995's Wake Up!).  Their success should be held in high regard as next to Ned's Atomic Dustbin they might just be the ugliest band ever. Verdict: FOR REAL

The Boo Radleys - Barney (...and me).mp3

The Boo Radleys - Wake Up Boo! (YouTube Video)





Lo-Fidelity Allstars - 1998: Lo-Fidelity Allstars were lumped into the Big Beat scene that was sweeping the UK in the late 90s, and were characterized by big bass-lines, lots of breakdowns and hooky organ licks.  They had all of this, but no songs.  What's even worse is that they made it into some commercials in the States and received a bit of a push here as well.  This is what frat guys would listen to and call "electronic music." Verdict: FAD

Lo-Fidelity Allstars - Battle Flag.mp3

Lo-Fidelity Allstars - Blisters On My Brain (YouTube Video)





Tricky - 1995: This is a tough one. Tricky was one of the pioneers of the trip-hop movement, but if you've tried to listen to trip-hop in the last ten or so years you'll find it sounds almost as dated as the Postal Service.  However Pre-Millennium Tension was a pretty important album at the time AND Tricky was hilariously awesome in the 5th Element so I guess the Verdict is: FOR REAL (-ISH)

Tricky - Christiansands.mp3

Tricky - Tricky Kid (YouTube Video)





The Seahorses - 1997: The Seahorses are best known as the post-Stone Roses project of guitarist and songwriter John Squire.  Wait. Scratch that. That is the ONLY thing the Seahorses are known for.  In classic NME style the magazine probably gave the band a cover before they even heard the record just because Squire was in it.  This is some bad, bad stuff. VERDICT: FADDY FAD FAD

The Seahorses - I Want You To Know.mp3

The Seahorses - Love is the Law (YouTube Video)



Badly Drawn Boy - 2000: I know that this one might piss some of you off a great deal, but I have to say that Badly Drawn Boy is a hoax.  He had one semi-decent record with a couple of admittedly great tracks.  Since then he has made record after soundtrack after record of incredibly tepid singer-songwriter fare.  Let it go. He's not good, looks funny and insists on wearing a knit cap even in the summer. VERDICT: FAD

Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining.mp3

Badly Drawn Boy - Born In The u.K. (YouTube Video)




Gene - 1995: A lot of people wrote Gene off as nothing more than a poor Smiths cover band.  In hindsight that's really not fair. While their sound was very much influenced by that of the Smiths so was (is) the sound of a lot of bands from 1990- until forever.  They actually had a couple of good records and one REALLY good record in Olympian. VERDICT: FOR REAL

Gene - Your Love, It Lies.mp3

Gene - Haunted By You (YouTube Video)





Reef - 1997: Reef are a mystery to me.  Their Black Crowes meets bad-fake-blues-jam-rock sound had no business ever leaving their bedroom rehearsal space.  Especially in the midst of the Britpop fervor of 1997.  I guess you can thank Sony for using one of their tracks in a commercial for the then new mini-disc player.  VERDICT: FAD (Both Reef and the mini-disc player!)

Reef - Place your Hands Video (YouTube)







Mike Skinner and Pete Doherty - 2006: Skinner and Doherty have been two of the most prominent stars in the British Media for the last couple of years. I guess the verdict is still out and we'll have to wait to see what the future brings, but if The Streets latest record (The Hardest Way To Make an Easy Living) and Babyshambles are any indication then it's not looking too good for either one of them! VERDICT: AWAITING JUDGEMENT

The Streets - Fit But You Know It (Remix witht he Futureheads).mp3

Babyshambles - Love You But You're Green.mp3