Home to The Pixies and electro upstarts The Big Pink, Maxim delves into the art-minded, trend-setting archive of 4AD Records
By Stephen Daultrey
January 2010
Founded: 1979
One of Blighty's most successful independents, 4AD was formed under the mighty umbrella of the Beggars Banquet group, and went onto release countless indie pioneers and their quirky, moody idiosyncracies from THE PIXIES, BAUHAUS and COCTEAU TWINS to THE BREEDERS, TINDERSTICKS and THE NATIONAL.
From its inception to modern times, it's a label where creativity, individuality, SOPHISTICATION and wry lyrics sung STRAIGHT FROM THE SOUL pour out like a beer tap of musical greatness.
Still part of the Beggars Group, current musical hotpots include the genre-bending TV On The Radio and The Big Pink, who sing about girls falling like dominoes for a telly advert. You'll have heard it and probably quite liked it. Trust us.
ESSENTIAL FIVE 4AD ARTISTS/VIDEOS
BREEDERS 'Cannonball' (from the album 'Last Splash' 1993)
Legendary indie anthem from the all-chick 'supergroup', consisting of The Pixies' Kim Deal and Throwing Muses' Tanya Donnelly, this track was more ubiquitous in the mid-'90s than Anthea Turner upskirt trades on VHS.
M A R R S 'Pump Up The Volume' (from 1987)
4AD's only number one single to date, this sample-ridden rave legend is the sound of vintage involuntary pupil dilation.
MODERN ENGLISH 'I Melt With You' (from the album 'After The Show' 1982)
Jangly '80s guitars a-go-go! This doesn't so much 'melt' hearts as instantly vaporise them into lipstick-smattered, gothy mush. As our 4AD man rightly says, VH1 rank this as one of the Top 50 Songs of the '80s. At number 39, to be precise.
THE PIXIES 'Here Comes Your Man' (from the album 'Doolittle', 1989)
A eardrum-shagging slice of '80s US indie from arguably 4AD's most popular act. What else can we add?
THIS MORTAL TO COIL 'Song To The Siren' (from the album 'It'll End In Tears', 1984)
A chilling cover of a Tim Buckley track, sung by Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Frazer, and used by David Lynch in his surreal mindfuck The Lost Highway. "This probably sums up the 4AD sound the most," says our chap from 4AD. The 'sound' of 4AD is a good one...
AND THREE CURRENT 4AD ARTISTS TO CHECK OUT:
THE BIG PINK 'Dominos'
This'll be the one from the advert then...
BON IVER 'Skinny Love' (live)
A big 'success story'. With a beard.
CAMERA OBSCURA 'French Navy'
A Glaswegian mix of Spector and Motown. Some beards also involved.
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