Elastica : Releases >>
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Elastica >>
Elastica were accused of many things in the wake of this debut album, not least that many of their songs bear a striking resemblance to stuff from New Wave punks Wire ("Connection" is said to have the same riff as their "Three Girl Rhumba"). But that's all missing the point. Here we have 15 spiky songs crammed into less than 40 minutes, a hit-and-run of an album in which Justine's detached, bored rich-girl vocals complement the addictively energetic "Stutter" and "Waking Up". There's a satisfying smattering of filth throughout, too, as "Car Song" has Justine cooing, "Every shiny bonnet / makes me think of my back on it," and it doesn't take a genius to work out what she's on about on "Vaseline". This stunning debut is bloody good fun. It's frantic, sexy and makes you want to leap about like an idiot, and, really, nothing else matters. --Emma Johnston
Elastica >>
Elastica were accused of many things in the wake of this debut album, not least that many of their songs bear a striking resemblance to stuff from New Wave punks Wire ("Connection" is said to have the same riff as their "Three Girl Rhumba"). But that's all missing the point. Here we have 15 spiky songs crammed into less than 40 minutes, a hit-and-run of an album in which Justine's detached, bored rich-girl vocals complement the addictively energetic "Stutter" and "Waking Up". There's a satisfying smattering of filth throughout, too, as "Car Song" has Justine cooing, "Every shiny bonnet / makes me think of my back on it," and it doesn't take a genius to work out what she's on about on "Vaseline". This stunning debut is bloody good fun. It's frantic, sexy and makes you want to leap about like an idiot, and, really, nothing else matters. --Emma Johnston
The Radio One Sessions >>
Elastica's fortunes may have been on the wane since they released the five-years-in-the-making The Menace, but the release of The Radio 1 Sessions, is an assured, spiky and immensely enjoyable parting shot that more than justifies the furore that initially greeted their arrival. Culled from the sessions that took place between 1994 and 1999, the album is inevitably heavily weighted towards songs from their eponymous debut and the ensuing singles and B-sides, given the prolonged period of inactivity between the two albums. Despite the band's--namely interminably cool singer Justine Frischmann's--indie celebrity status, it's worth noting that their debut sold half a million copies on account of their distinctive pop-fuelled take on new wave, rather than any notoriety that continually surrounded them. Opening with the brittle, sparky "Annie" and carousing through such gems as "Spastica", the eerie "Hold Me Now" and the synth-led "Human", the album is a prescient reminder of the sheer immediacy and pop thrill of Elastica's songs. By its very nature, this is a fan-only purchase, as songs rarely detract from their original versions, (there're also two unreleased tracks), but as an indication of how zeitgeist-grabbing Elastica truly were, the album is a blast. --Suzannah Brown
Elastica Ep >>
The Menace >>
Elastica's second album, The Menace, comes a full five years after their million selling, self-titled debut. A long wait, to say the least, but The Menace doesn't find Elastica making a radical change from the angular pop of their first album. The departure of guitarist Donna Matthews (who still plays on two tracks, "How He Wrote Elastica Man"--which also features the Fall's Mark E Smith--and "Image Change") steered the band away from their punkier leanings and allowed them to fully explore the New Wave path that they started down way back in 1995. Keyboards and synths now blend more completely with their spiky guitars, as do cheesy Casio tone beats and retro-futuristic samples, resulting in such hyper-energetic numbers as "MadDog God Dam" and "Your Arse My Place". Elastica still wear their influences on their sleeves--yep, they sure do like Wire--and they even manage to fit a legitimate cover onto the album (Trio's 1982 hit "Da Da Da").Five years on, The Menace sees Elastica on the same ground as their debut, but rather than simply re-treading it, they just dig deeper and unearth more treasures. --Robert Burrow
Elastica Ep [12" VINYL] >>
The Radio 1 Sessions >>
Elastica's fortunes may have been on the wane since they released the five-years-in-the-making The Menace, but the release of The Radio 1 Sessions, is an assured, spiky and immensely enjoyable parting shot that more than justifies the furore that initially greeted their arrival. Culled from the sessions that took place between 1994 and 1999, the album is inevitably heavily weighted towards songs from their eponymous debut and the ensuing singles and B-sides, given the prolonged period of inactivity between the two albums. Despite the band's--namely interminably cool singer Justine Frischmann's--indie celebrity status, it's worth noting that their debut sold half a million copies on account of their distinctive pop-fuelled take on new wave, rather than any notoriety that continually surrounded them. Opening with the brittle, sparky "Annie" and carousing through such gems as "Spastica", the eerie "Hold Me Now" and the synth-led "Human", the album is a prescient reminder of the sheer immediacy and pop thrill of Elastica's songs. By its very nature, this is a fan-only purchase, as songs rarely detract from their original versions, (there're also two unreleased tracks), but as an indication of how zeitgeist-grabbing Elastica truly were, the album is a blast. --Suzannah Brown
Elastica [CASSETTE] >>
Radio One Sessions >>
Connection >>