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(The Lilac Time - still together, still recording, still gigging, still great)

In the late 1980s/early 90s, Fontana Records issued a lot of albums by interesting, out of the way, alternative bands. Which, as a subsidiary of a major label (Phonogram now Universal) was a pretty bold thing to do (well . .not since the early 70s anyway). Most of the acts didn't last more than one or two albums before being dropped, but the material most of them recorded was top-notch. A lot of the bands went off to other labels and other degrees of success and some are still together today. One of those acts was The Lilac Time, a band fronted by Stephen Duffy and largely considered an influential part of the early 90s wave of alternative bands coming out of the UK.

This track All For Love & Love For All comes from the album of the same name and was produced by XTC bandmates Andy Partridge and John Leckie. It has the XTC stamp on it and the track did pretty well on the charts at the time, further establishing The Lilac Time as no one-hit wonders. Luckily, they are still together and recording. Their last album came out about a year ago.

In case you missed them the first time around . . .

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(The Capsules - dispelling the stereotype Kansas is a flyover state)

Something domestic tonight - The Capsules, from Lawrence Kansas. A three piece band fronted by Julie Shields, whose vocals are mesmerizing (don't take my word for it). Together since 2002, with three albums and an ep to their credit, they aren't what you'd assume something from the midwest would be all about. But then, never judge books by their covers.

Don't Be So Sad is off their new album, Long Distance Dedication and it's available either as a download or (for those of you, like me who like those chunks of plastic) on CD. It is a haunting testimony to sadness and optimism - good stuff for these times.

Aside from their band website, they're also on MySpace (as most bands are these days . . which is a good thing) and their albums are available via CD Baby (the indie album online store that's been doing wonders for new talent).

I don't know what their touring/appearances thing is like. I would assume they are gigging around.

They are definitely worth a look-see and at least a listen.

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(29 Luces - New faces of Mexican Indie . .si se puede!)

Further evidence that music is the universal language, 29 Luces comes from Mexico. They've been together since 2005, have one album out and I would bet you anything you've never heard of them, right?

Well, neither had I until a few years ago when I went exploring on MySpace and hit the browse icon and became a fan less than a minute later.

Aside from their album Sentado En Una Estrella (which isn't available in the States as far as I know, but is available via Amazon.com) they've been putting out some new material of which this track, El Dia es Hoy is one.

As always, check this band out. Their MySpace page is the best bet at the moment, as some of their other links don't go anywhere. I'll put some of their other material up in the coming weeks.

But for now . . .

(Sentado En Una Estrella - if you see it, grab it)

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(The Cheek - new single out as we speak)

Something brand new tonight - in fact, it came out just a few hours ago. The Cheek are a new discovery, via MySpace and my friend Mig Schillace who is an endless source of what's new and interesting in the UK since he does run The Louisiana, one of the more popular clubs in the Bristol area.

As far as I know, The Cheek haven't been together all that long - maybe a little over a year. They've issued several singles and ep's and are in the process of finishing their debut album which is slated to come out next year, via A&M in the UK.

This track, Hung Up just came out and the 7" is available via their website.

I'm sensing a future here.

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(The Hollow Men - footnotes to history or at least a lot of questions)

I would imagine the people (at least in the U.S.) who have heard of The Hollow Men might fit on the fingers of one, maybe two hands.

Together from 1985-1991, they were actually part of the Manchester, or Madchester scene that gave birth to bands like The Charlatans, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and many others. They released several singles, but only one official album, Cresta which was issued in the U.S. on Arista, but you'd never really know it. This track This Dark City, comes from the posthumous album "Twisted" issued in 1994 on the indie label November Records and only released in the states, after the band had been broken up for three years. It consisted mostly of unissued tracks, left off the first album, demos and some live material. But even with that hodgepodge of material, there are some undisputed gems and IMHO, this is one of them.

As is so often the case, some bands make it and some don't - you can never really put your finger on the reasons. And some things are just a mystery.

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(Strangelove - Could never be mistaken for Sunshine Pop)

Strangelove were a band who achieved cult status well before their demise in 1998. They were known for a particular brand of intensity when they played, fueled by Patrick Duff, Stranglove's lead singer. They were critically acclaimed by the Music Press in the UK and were considered a sort of "musicians band" with mutual admiration from such circles as Radiohead and Suede.

The intensity though, had its price and Duff was committed to rehab shortly before their second album was released. Through a series of bad turns and bad timing, the group never really caught on outside the hardcore fan base and they eventually split up in 1998.

Still, their music hasn't lost any of its intensity, as is evidenced by this track off Love and Other Demons, their second album released in 1996, She's Everywhere.

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(The Furze - Indie and Catchy, all at the same time)

An up-and-comer, by way of the vast musical gene pool known as MySpace. I admit to not knowing very much about The Furze, other than they're from the UK, have been together since 1997. In a previous incarnation as Kid Galahad and are on the indie label Three-Sixty Records and they have three albums and several eps out. This track Stolen Cars is one of their more recent endeavors.

I've listened to it a few dozen times so far and it seems to be holding up to the extended play test.

So far so good.

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(The Telescopes - Psych, Shoe-gazing, Space-rock, Noise-rock - just about covers all the bases)

One of the frustrating things about the Indie movement in the 90s was how quickly things were released and vanished. It was worse if you were a UK band and your discs were imported into the States. Unless you saw something and bought it right away, chances were you'd never see it again in your lifetime.

That was my experience with The Telescopes. Forming in the late 80s and disbanding, morphing, re-grouping, changing labels -it was hard, not only to pin them down style-wise, it was hard to pin down their releases. What little I heard of them I liked - they were, for me an extension of the Psychedelic stuff I'd been listening to since I was a teenager and they hit a distinctive chord with me from the get-go. The problem was, getting their stuff before they sold out.

Throughout their careers they've released a lot of material on a lot of different labels. A very small percentage of it I managed to get.

But I did get an ep that has been a favorite ever since. "Celeste" came out in 1991 during their stay with Creation Records and the track "All A Dreams" (not a typo) was glued to my headphones for several years after first hearing it.

Come to think of it, it still is.