Make the Music Go Pop

The Pop Group: post-punkers who took the Gang of Four's angular funk, abrasive textures, and radical politics even farther out. I'm not saying they were better (they weren't), but The Pop Group's extremist approach created some jaw-dropping music. Their willingness to let On-U Sound dub guru Adrian Sherwood fuck with their songs made for a fascinating debut, but alienated many of their punk fans. If they had played it straight, they coulda been contenders but instead the band (and related side projects) stubbornly followed their nose wherever it led and left a messy-but-provocative body of work. Not a bad way to go. They've been ripped off by countless DFA-style bands in recent years, but the group's albums remain sadly out of print. In fact, their second release has never even made it to CD! So visit this fine homage site and check out the MP3 blog while you're at it. New selections are added frequently but don't stay up very long. Start now and in few weeks you'll have your own killer Pop Comp. You'll be the envy of Bedford Ave (circa 2003).