Send "Coldplay, Hundred Reasons, Various, Keane " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Drownedinsound |
 As fans of Steve Lamacq and snakebite will attest, the last decade has seen indie imprint Fierce Panda Records become a symbol of 'alternative' music's persistence in society and willingness to permeate the mainstream with something a bit more, like, un-mainstream. Thing is, the Panda roster has included artists whose careers have blossomed like gladioli in a lake, and even if only releasing a seven-inch or two the label has been part of the path to critical and sometimes commercial acclaim for bands barely out of their bedrooms. This success is what intends to be reflected in ’Decade: Ten Years Of Fierce Panda’. Given their love of wordplay it might have been more fitting to name the compilation something like ‘Decade Reaction’ or ‘No Pun In Ten Did’ (or not). But as for the tracks, depending on who’s listening they could be a mix of nostalgia, revelation and confusion. You’ll remember the first time you heard ’Caught By The Fuzz’ by Supergrass (even though it still sounds like they only wrote it yesterday) and how that trip to the barbers seemed immediately less appealing. You’ll discover that Ash once covered sugar-pumped scuzz-poppers Helen Love and therefore did exist before ‘1977’ (that’s the album, not the year). You’ll wonder why Kenicke’s appeal didn’t extend far beyond fanziners, *John Peel * and kids dressed like Manga cartoons....full text |
| Nme |
| 1994 was an odd year. Grown men bought Riot Grrrl records, hoping no one could see the boner they were getting for the cute one out of Heavens To Betsy. Meanwhile grunge, which had seemed so transcendently exciting just a year or two earlier, turned into a bunch of grimacing twats in beanie hats and work-boots cocking on about heroin. Whatever anyone tells you, Nirvana really were on the slide before Kurt Cobain succumbed to the sadness that had threatened to engulf him for so long and blew his brains out in a lonely room above a garage. England, meanwhile, was crying out for something fun, something it could get drunk to that didn't involve inane sexual-politics or ugly plaid. Cue Britpop. And cue Fierce Panda. As a chronicler of the scene, FP was peerless. It was they who put Supergrass, Ash, Bluetones, Embrace right under the tastefully powdered noses of the UK's A&R departments. It was they who were canny enough to chart with a spoken-word Oasis record. It was, to be fair, they who wasted perfectly good vinyl on losers like Bellatrix, Llama Farmers and Copperpot Journals too, but, hey, you can't win 'em all....full text |
| Musicomh |
| Before they were famous - it's a concept that makes very dull, repetitive-as-chewing-gum reality TV fodder, but on this CD it's anything but uninteresting. Simon Williams obviously honed his talent for seeing future indie superstars in unsigned acts when he worked as a journalist with NME. Later, he put this eye to better use by setting up his own record label, Fierce Panda. Ten years later, and Williams' spotting skills cannot be challenged. This collection, simply titled Decade, brings together original recordings of 20 of the most famous rock acts to come under the panda's patronage since its birth. The track listing reads more like a compilation of indie hits (like those Shine albums that seem to have disappeared from the record shelves after years of riding the crest of the Britpop wave) than a roundup of the most worthy on a single record label....full text |
Coldplay, Hundred Reasons, Various, Keane lyrics
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