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Elastica  >>

It all began with the perfect pop moment of "Stutter," and then everyone wondered if Elastica had it in them to produce more sublime songs. Elastica showed that they did. Never quite as much Britpop as Birdpop, Justine Frischmann parlayed a Bryan Ferry hairstyle into an individual take on the world with material like "Car Song" and "2:1," while the rest of the band showed that they were along for more than just the ride. And if they owed a debt to Wire, well, it was all paid in the end (out of the royalties). The question was, could they ever follow it up? Chris Nickson

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 hyperenergetic numbers as "Mad Dog" 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 retreading it, they just dig deeper and unearth more treasures. --Robert Burrow

The Radio One Sessions  >>

Radio 1 Sessions is an assured, spiky, and immensely enjoyable parting shot that more than justifies the furor that initially greeted Elastica's arrival on the '90s alt-rock scene. Culled from the sessions that took place between 1994 and 1999, it's heavily weighted toward songs from their eponymous debut and the ensuing singles and B-sides. Despite the band's indie celebrity status, it's worth noting that their debut sold half a million copies due to their distinctive pop-fuelled take on new wave, rather than the notoriety that surrounded them. Opening with the brittle "Annie" and careening through such gems as "Spastica," the eerie "Hold Me Now" and the synth-led "Human," the album provides a reminder of the immediacy and thrill of Elastica's songs. --Suzannah Brown

6 Track EP (How He Wrote Elastica Man)  >>

Six song EP featuring the first new material in four years from the hit English indie pop group. All tracks are previously unreleased. Contains 'How He Wrote Elastica Man', 'Miami Nice' (Home Recording), 'Generator', 'Operate' (Live Version), 'KB' (with The Fall's Mark E. Smith as guest vocalist) and a home demo version of 'Nothing Stays The Same' by former band member Donna Matthews. Digipak. 1999 release.

Elastica  >>

It all began with the perfect pop moment of "Stutter," and then everyone wondered if Elastica had it in them to produce more sublime songs. Elastica showed that they did. Never quite as much Britpop as Birdpop, Justine Frischmann parlayed a Bryan Ferry hairstyle into an individual take on the world with material like "Car Song" and "2:1," while the rest of the band showed that they were along for more than just the ride. And if they owed a debt to Wire, well, it was all paid in the end (out of the royalties). The question was, could they ever follow it up? Chris Nickson

Car Song  >>

Stutter/Pussycat  >>