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Teenage Fanclub

Band formed in 1989 in Glasgow, Scotland

Teenage Fanclub's Genre:

Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Pop

Biography

After first gaining acclaim for a dense, melodic sound that anticipated the coming emergence of grunge, Scotland's Teenage Fanclub spent the remainder of their career as torch-bearers for the power pop revival, unparalleled among their generation for both their unwavering adherence to and brilliant reinvention of the classic guitar pop of vintage acts like Big Star and Badfinger. Blessed with the talents of three formidable singers and songwriters (Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley, all sharing an unerring knack for crafting immediately infectious melodies), Teenage Fanclub's radiant brand of pop classicism enjoyed only a brief moment of commercial and critical vogue, and over time, the band's devotion to its unapologetically old-fashioned sensibility yielded a dwindling fan base and virtually non-existent record sales. Nevertheless, almost none of their contemporaries can claim either Teenage Fanclub's consistency or longevity -- though never groundbreaking or hip, their music possesses a timelessness and accessibility matched by few.

Singers/guitarists Blake and McGinley first teamed up with singer/bassist Love in 1987 as members of Glasgow's short-lived Boy Hairdressers. The group issued a single, "Golden Shower," on the famed Scottish indie label 53rd and 3rd before disbanding. After a brief stint with the BMX Bandits, Blake reunited with Love and McGinley to form Teenage Fanclub in 1989; drummer Francis McDonald, a fellow BMX Bandit, completed the original lineup, although McDonald was replaced by fan Brendan O'Hare during sessions for the group's debut album, 1990's A Catholic Education. Released on the Creation label overseas and on the fledgling Matador imprint in the U.S., the album's thick, murky squall staked out sonic territory subsequently occupied by the nascent grunge movement. It also made Teenage Fanclub an instant critical favorite.

The God Knows Its True EP soon followed, but although American major labels came courting, the band still owed Matador one more record. They submitted The King, a ramshackle collection of instrumentals capped off by a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Madonna's "Like a Virgin." Instead, the record was summarily rejected by Matador honcho Gerard Cosloy, and after paying Cosloy what they felt the remainder of their contract was worth, Teenage Fanclub signed to Geffen.

Never shy about celebrating their inspirations -- covers of the Beatles' "The Ballad of John and Yoko," the Flying Burrito Brothers' "Older Guys," and Phil Ochs' "Chords of Fame" are scattered across various singles and EPs -- Teenage Fanclub's 1991 Geffen debut, Bandwagonesque, gloriously evoked the raggedly radiant pop manna of Big Star, the famed 1970s cult band led by ex-Box Tops frontman Alex Chilton and his singing/songwriting partner Chris Bell. With its newfound melodic ingenuity, brash guitar sound, and gorgeous harmonies, the record became a massive critical success, and although mainstream pop radio failed to bite, the group found a warm welcome on collegiate airwaves. Although somewhat hard to believe in retrospect, Bandwagonesque topped Spin magazine's best-of-1991 year-end list in the face of staggering competition including Nirvana's Nevermind, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, and R.E.M.'s Out of Time. A few months later, they were tapped as Rolling Stone's Hot Band for 1992, and at the peak of their success, the Fannies even performed on Saturday Night Live, that same year also opening for Nirvana.

Although the title of the 1993 follow-up Thirteen served immediate notice that Teenage Fanclub's Big Star fetish continued unabated, the album's bitter lyrical outlook and heavier guitar sound owed much to Neil Young, while the epic closer, "Gene Clark," honored the pioneering Byrds co-founder. Critical reception was decidedly icy, however, and in 1994, O'Hare was dismissed from the lineup, briefly resurfacing in Mogwai before mounting his own project, the Telstar Ponies. Ex-Soup Dragon Paul Quinn assumed drumming duties for the 1995 follow-up, the shimmering Grand Prix; by now, however, whatever critical cachet the Fannies had amassed was long gone, and after the disc sold poorly on both sides of the Atlantic, Geffen dropped the group from its roster. Sony picked up their contract just long enough for a U.S. release of 1997's Songs From Northern Britain, which again made few waves outside of the power pop faithful. Quinn left Teenage Fanclub in the midst of completing 2000's Howdy! More setbacks were to follow as Sony refused to release Howdy in the United States. The album eventually recieved distribution via Thirsty Ear in 2001, a year after its original release.

A year later, the band brought a relationship they'd developed with spoken word artist Jad Fair to fruition by backing him on the album Words of Wisdom and Hope. They also began assembling the retrospective anthology Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds: A Short Cut to Teenage Fanclub, which appeared in 2006. It took three more years for Teenage Fanclub to return to the studio, which they eventually did by working with post-rock icon John McEntire at his Soma recording studio. After forming their own label, Pema, the Fanclub released Man-Made in 2005 and Shadows in 2010. ~ Jason Ankeny

AOL Radio Stations Teenage Fanclub is Featured on (9)

I Am The DJ: Counting Crows

Slacker sat down with Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz and mapped out a grand plan to build an entire radio station comprised of his favorite songs. Adam got to work and put together a complete audio journey through his influences and the emerging acts that he so passionately embraces on his Outlaw Roadshow project (plus some gems from the Counting Crows catalogue). The result? Just as Adam and the Crows head out on a summer tour with the Wallflowers…this is "I Am the DJ: Counting Crows!"

The Cribs Showcase

This is The Cribs Artist Showcase on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by The Cribs including music hand-picked by Gary, Ryan and Ross as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Indie Sleepover

This station features love songs for hipsters. Awkward glances, relationships founded over a shared love of the same band, and nights spent making out to Neutral Milk Hotel. If you think Valentine’s Day’s earlier records are better- this is the station for you. Featuring tracks from The Magnetic Fields, The Postal Service, Little Dragon, The Smiths, and more.

Silversun Pickups Showcase

Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups recently played a private showcase for Slacker Radio listeners. Afterwards, they sat down with us to create and host their own Slacker Radio station. Every song you hear on this station was picked by Silversun Pickups, collectively. Brian and Nikki are your hosts- join them as they give you a look at the musical DNA of the band.

The Current

The Current brings you the best authentic new music alongside the music that inspired it, from unique to universal, indie to influential, new to nostalgic. Broadcasting from the musical hotbed that is Minnesota, listen to The Current and you’ll see why we say, “Great Music Lives Here.” Find playlist, interviews and more at thecurrent.org.

'90s Alternative

90's Alternative on Slacker Radio highlights one of the most profound decades of Alternative Music. You'll hear the powerhouse artists of the Seattle grunge movement including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and the Screaming Trees. You'll also get a heaping helping of non-Northwest classics like Stone Temple Pilots, The Smashing Pumpkins and Sublime as well as recalling the Punk resurgence with classics like Green Day's "Dookie" or the Offspring's "Smash" and the offbeat sounds of The Flaming Lips, Beck and Cake.

Alternative Chill

Alternative Chill on Slacker Radio is the ultimate "Easy Listening for Hipsters." The station is a hybrid of Electronic Chill artists, singer/songwriters and Indie rock songs that dip into the ethereal. You can expect to hear Jeff Buckley, Thievery Corporation, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Nada Surf, Massive Attack, Air, Nick Drake, Portishead, Everything But the Girl and even some surprises like Billie Holiday or Pink Floyd! It's the perfect station to kick back and unwind, so, open a bottle of wine, light some candles and relax.

Indie

Indie on Slacker Radio is actually a showcase of many different genres, all unified by a common spirit and ethos. Call it College Rock, Post-Punk, Pre-Emo, Indie Rock, Twee Pop, Riot Grrl; call it whatever you like. Just know that all the music on the Indie station is created with the same independent spirit. Hear indie music spanning from the late 70's up until now.

Teenage Fanclub

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like Matthew Sweet, The Replacements, The Posies, The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr., Pixies, The Stone Roses, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Big Star, Sugar and more.

All Stations

Teenage Fanclub's Selected Discography (20)

Shadows

2010 Merge Records201012 Songs

All Albums

Artists Related to Teenage Fanclub (50)

	Matthew Sweet	After spending the '80s as an unappreciated jangle pop guitarist with Oh-OK and Lloyd Cole, as well as a solo artist, Matthew Sweet emerged in 1991 as the leading figure of the American power pop revival.
	The Replacements	The Replacements initially formed in 1979, when Paul Westerberg joined a garage punk band formed by brothers Bob (guitar) and Tommy Stinson (bass) and drummer Chris Mars.
	The Posies	The Posies were one of the most popular power pop bands of the '90s; along with other revivalists like Matthew Sweet and Teenage Fanclub, they helped update the classic power pop sound for the alternative age, marrying bright, British Invasion-style melodies and harmonies to loud, grungy guitars and quirky lyrics.
	The Lemonheads	The Lemonheads' evolution from post-Hüsker Dü hardcore punk rockers to teenage heartthrobs is one of the strangest sagas in alternative music.
	Dinosaur Jr.	Dinosaur Jr. were largely responsible for returning lead guitar to indie rock and, along with their peers the Pixies, they injected late-'80s alternative rock with monumental levels of pure guitar noise.
	Pixies	Combining jagged, roaring guitars and stop-start dynamics with melodic pop hooks, intertwining male-female harmonies and evocative, cryptic lyrics, the Pixies were one of the most influential American alternative rock bands of the late '80s.
	The Stone Roses	Meshing '60s-styled guitar pop with an understated '80s dance beat, the Stone Roses defined the British guitar pop scene of the late '80s and early '90s.
	The Jesus and Mary Chain	Like the Velvet Underground, their most obvious influence, the chart success of the Jesus and Mary Chain was virtually nonexistent, but their artistic impact was incalculable; quite simply, the British group made the world safe for white noise, orchestrating a sound dense in squalling feedback which served as an inspiration to everyone from My Bloody Valentine to Dinosaur Jr.
	Big Star	The quintessential American power pop band, Big Star remains one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll.
	Sugar	After two solo albums, ex-Hüsker Dü guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould formed Sugar in 1992, with bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis; the band signed with Rykodisc in the U.
	The La's	When the La's released their debut album in 1990, it made immediate waves in the British pop scene, as well as American college radio.
	Fountains of Wayne	Although Fountains of Wayne didn't enjoy mainstream attention until the release of "Stacy's Mom" in 2003, the band had already established itself as one of America's strongest power pop acts.
	Pavement	With their fractured songs, unexpected blasts of feedback, laconic vocals, cryptic literate lyrics, and defiant low-fidelity, Pavement were one of the most influential and distinctive bands to emerge from the American underground in the '90s.
	XTC	XTC was one of the smartest -- and catchiest -- British pop bands to emerge from the punk and new wave explosion of the late '70s.
	Sonic Youth	Sonic Youth were one of the most unlikely success stories of underground American rock in the '80s. Where contemporaries R.
	Hüsker Dü	Hüsker Dü and R.E.M. were the two American post-punk bands of the '80s that changed the direction of rock & roll.
	Jellyfish	San Francisco-based power pop outfit Jellyfish only released two full-length albums during their early-'90s heydays, but the group's immaculately crafted pop/rock songs and unapologetic penchant for all things retro helped throw some much needed light on what was becoming at the time a very crowded pop underground.
	Bob Mould	Guitarist/singer/songwriter Bob Mould was initially a member of Hüsker Dü, one of the most influential American bands of the '80s.
	Blur	Initially, Blur were one of the multitude of British bands that appeared in the wake of the Stone Roses, mining the same swirling, pseudo-psychedelic guitar pop, only with louder guitars.
	The Smiths	The Smiths were the definitive British indie rock band of the '80s, marking the end of synth-driven new wave and the beginning of the guitar rock that dominated English rock into the '90s.
	The Breeders	One of alternative rock's most promising -- and frustrating -- bands, the Breeders were conceived initially as a way for Pixies bassist Kim Deal and Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donelly to let out some suppressed creative energy and to take a break from being the second bananas in each of their main bands.
	Guided by Voices	Inspired equally by jangle pop and arty post-punk, Guided by Voices created a series of trebly, hissy indie rock records filled with infectiously brief pop songs that fell somewhere between the British Invasion and prog rock.
	My Bloody Valentine	Like the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, and the Jesus and Mary Chain before them, My Bloody Valentine redefined what noise meant within the context of pop songwriting.
	Sloan	Sloan was one of the most successful Canadian bands of the '90s, which was both a blessing and a curse.
	Catherine Wheel	By using their influences as a mere launching pad and consistently developing their many strengths, Catherine Wheel was able to outlast all of their early peers.
	Elvis Costello	When Elvis Costello's first record was released in 1977, his bristling cynicism and anger linked him with the punk and new wave explosion.
	R.E.M.	R.E.M. marked the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe," was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground.
	The Smithereens	Dressed in leather, brandishing heavy guitars, and exhibiting an unabashed fetish for British Invasion pop, the Smithereens were an anomaly in the American college rock scene of the late '80s.
	The Charlatans UK	For many years, the Charlatans UK were perceived as the also-rans of Madchester, the group that didn't capture the zeitgeist like the Stone Roses or the band that failed to match the mad genre-bending of the Happy Mondays.
	The Cure	Out of all the bands that emerged in the immediate aftermath of punk rock in the late '70s, few were as enduring and popular as the Cure.
	Supergrass	Like many other British bands of the '90s, Supergrass' musical roots lie in the infectiously catchy punk-pop of the Buzzcocks and the Jam, as well as the post-punk pop of Madness and the traditional Brit-pop of the Kinks and Small Faces.
	Morrissey	As the lead singer of the Smiths, arguably the most important indie band in Britain during the '80s, Morrissey's theatrical crooning and literate, poetic lyrics -- filled with romantic angst, social alienation, and cutting wit -- connected powerfully with a legion of similarly sensitive, disaffected youth.
	The dB's	Playing sharp, tuneful songs with a hint of psychedelia and some challenging melodic angles, the dB's were the band that bridged the gap between classic '70s power pop (defined by bands such as Big Star, Badfinger, and the Scruffs) and the jangly new wave of smart pop, personified by R.
	Buffalo Tom	When they released their first album in 1989, the Boston-based trio Buffalo Tom were written off as Dinosaur Jr.
	Ride	With their first records, Ride created a unique wall of sound that relied on massive, trembling distortion in the vein of My Bloody Valentine but with a simpler, more direct melodic approach.
	The Jam	The Jam were the most popular band to emerge from the initial wave of British punk rock in 1977; along with the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Buzzcocks, the Jam had the most impact on pop music.
	Yo La Tengo	Yo La Tengo are in many respects the quintessential critics' band: in addition to their adventurous eclecticism, defiant independence, and restless creative ambition -- three qualities that virtually guarantee music press acclaim -- the group's frontman, Ira Kaplan, even tenured as a rock scribe prior to finding success as a performer.
	James	As one of the first groups to be dubbed "the next Smiths," James became an institution on the British alternative music scene during the '80s and '90s with their pleasant folk-pop.
	Velvet Crush	A classic power-pop band in the tradition of the Raspberries and Big Star, Velvet Crush formed in Rhode Island in 1989, although their roots actually extended west to Champaign, Illinois, where vocalist/bassist Paul Chastain and drummer Ric Menck first met and began performing together.
	The Flaming Lips	Even within the eclectic world of alternative rock, few bands were so brave, so frequently brilliant, and so deliciously weird as the Flaming Lips.
	The Sundays	Building on the jangly guitar pop of the Smiths and the trance-like dream pop of bands like the Cocteau Twins, the Sundays cultivated a dedicated following in indie rock circles, both in their native England and in America, in the early '90s.
	Camper Van Beethoven	Back in the day, before alternative rock was invented and indie rock was still shy of roots music and other folk elements, Camper Van Beethoven's merging of punk, folk, ska, and world music was truly a revelation.
	Let's Active	Mitch Easter carved his place in music history as a hip producer in the '80s, most notably for the early R.
	They Might Be Giants	Combining a knack for infectious melodies with a quirky, bizarre sense of humor and a vaguely avant-garde aesthetic borrowed from the New York post-punk underground, They Might Be Giants became one of the most unlikely alternative success stories of the late '80s and early '90s.
	Robyn Hitchcock	Robyn Hitchcock is one of England's most enduring contemporary singer/songwriters and live performers.
	Echo & The Bunnymen	Echo & the Bunnymen's dark, swirling fusion of gloomy post-punk and Doors-inspired psychedelia brought the group a handful of British hits in the early '80s, while attracting a cult following in the United States.
	Hoodoo Gurus	Like most bands, Australia's Hoodoo Gurus were largely the product of their influences; unlike most bands, however, the Hoodoos channeled their inspiration from the vast entirety of the American pop cultural landscape, drawing on such disparate sources as B-movies, bad sitcoms, and junk food -- in tandem with the usual suspects like garage rock, power pop, and surf -- to create a distinctly kitschy and catchy sound.
	The Feelies	Of the countless bands to emerge from the New York City underground during the post-punk era, few if any were as unique and influential as the Feelies; nerdy, nervous, and noisy, even decades later their droning, skittering avant-garde pop remains a key touchstone of the American indie music scene.
	Squeeze	As one of the most traditional pop bands of the new wave, Squeeze provided one of the links between classic British guitar pop and post-punk.
	Radiohead	Radiohead were one of the few alternative bands of the early '90s to draw heavily from the grandiose arena rock that characterized U2's early albums.