“Well done boys”

Nowadays the term 'indie' is so broad that it can mean anybody from Keane, Snow Patrol and The Killers or indeed Dizzee Rascal, right through to the more representative of its genre, such as The Delgados or Low. It tends to be the mother of all pigeon holes for any kind of music that purports to be slightly intelligent and not r'nb, metal or country. Or funk-rock.

But back in the 80's when the whole ethos of Indie was kicking off, to be part of the clan you had to adhere to two hard and fast rules:

1) Your records had to be distributed by an independent (there's a clue there) distributor.
2) You had to be a white, male student with a fringe and spots who hadn't had much experience sexually.

Well, The Young Playthings from Kent take you back to the glory days of Indie Proper. They jangle, they've got sharp, funny lyrics, they've got infectious hooks, and they met at University. Bingo. First tune is a cracker - have a listen. Well done boys.

3/5

© Rhythm and Drummer 2005