CD86: 48 Tracks From The Birth of Indie Pop

Great compilations like this one remind me how easy it is to be jaded about rock 'n' roll in the very mediocre thus far 21st Century. Some twenty years ago there was a thriving indie pop scene in the UK and CD86 captures it as perfectly as the Nuggets comps did for 60s garage rock. Before becoming the name of an entire movement, C86 was just the name of a free cassette tape, featuring up and coming UK indie pop bands, that came with a Spring 1986 issue of NME. Soon after, however, the name C86 would define a certain genre, namely lo-fi melodic bands who were inspired to various degrees by the likes of ‘60s garage rock, classic girl groups like the Shangri La’s, and ‘70s punk/pop. Some twenty years later, St. Etienne member and renowned UK scribe Bob Stanley has compiled an extensive two-CD 48-track compilation of that era with excellent liner notes that perfectly capture the times for those of us old enough to remember it first hand. For British music fans, this collection is as much of a godsend as the Nuggets compilations are to garage rock aficionados. Pretty much everything on here is breathtaking. Not surprisingly the early Creation Records bands play a prominent role, with contributions from the likes of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, The Pastels, The June Brides, Bodines, The Loft, Revolving Paint Dream, Jasmine Minks, and the all-too-obscure Meat Whiplash, who’s “Don’t Slip Up” nearly beat the JAMC at their own game. This is only the tip of the iceberg though with other high points including The Servants’ “The Sun A Small Star,” the earliest and most invigorating material by The Wedding Present, Mighty Lemon Drops, The Primitves, and The Soup Dragons (back when they wanted to be The Buzzcocks), and other long forgotten but amazing bands like 14 Iced Bears, Shop Assistants, Sea Urchins and The Wolfhounds.

(www.sanctuaryrecords.co.uk)

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Training Report: March 12 - 25

Another two weeks, another bunch of miles. Two weeks ago I ran 63 miles with three key workouts: a 16 miler, a 12 miler, and a session of 16 x 400 with brisk 200 meter jogs in less than one minute between each rep. Last week I cut back to 48 (partly because I worked 47 hours that week) and did two key quality workouts: 7 x 800 in 2:46 with 90 seconds rest between reps, and this past Saturday I did a 10 mile progression run in 66:35 with the first 5 miles in 35:00 and the last five miles in 31:35 (last two in 6:12, 6:01). Feeling really good. A bit sore for sure, but looking forward to my next races, a 5K on March 31 and a 10 miler on April 28.

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Training Report: February 26 - March 11

Long time, no update so I'll start off by saying that I ran a masters PR for 5 miles in my first race of the year on Saturday, March 10 at the St. Malachi 5 miler. My time was 29:36, which was 39 seconds faster than I ran last year in the same race on the same course in similar weather conditions (upper 40s and somewhat windy). The training has been going really well. I reduced my mileage a bit over the last two weeks to sharpen up a little and that seemed to get me into race mode. On the week of February 26-March 4 I ran 52 miles with two quality workouts. 3 x 1.5 miles in 9:00 with 45 seconds rest between reps on the Wednesday and a 16 miler on Saturday.

The week of the race I ran 40 miles with one day off (only my second missed day of 2007) with 5 x 800 in 2:50 three days before the race with 60 seconds rest between reps. It was 22 and windy outside that day so I did the workout in sweats and training flats. The weather magically got better by the weekend and the race couldn't have gone better. I ran my usual Alan Culpepper style conservative race at the beginning and blasted the last two miles. My splits were 6:05, 5:53, 6:04 (big hill), 5:52, 5:42 (up hill finish).

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