Well it's been going on for years. I was 13 years old in 1986 and the same battle was being fought between Indie Rock and Rap music (when the term Indie actually meant something). Rap was a totally new phenomenon as far as most British kids were concerned and it was just starting to push rock music aside. The opposing camps within the NME (Melody Maker, Record Mirror & Sounds too) dug in, and war was waged.
At the time I lost interest in all things Rock, bought a black Public Enemy style bomber jacket, white Kangol hat, and would only ever buy the latest New York 12"s.
It was only 3 or 4 years on that I went back to my roots as it were (when I heard the Pixies and Ride for the first time), but I'd already missed so much. At least now I can blame the NME for making me take sides.
These days I'm trying to rediscover any gems from this lost era, and I'm doing ok.While listening to Half Man Half Biscuit's 'Back in the DHSS' I noticed that someone had tagged the genre as 'C86' on Last FM. I had heard of C86 before, but didn't know where, so after a quick google I suddenly remembered a tape that had been given away with the NME. It was an Indie Pop, Rock, Post-Punky kind of affair that seemed to have been lumped together because of what it wasn't. It wasn't Rap music.
Some people have since, lazily, decided to label all these various styles 'C86' but I suppose it doesn't really matter. If it wasn't for this little NME time capsule I might never have heard the beautifully haunting Jangle Pop (is that a genre, a style or what?) of McCarthy's 'Celestial City'. (one minute clip Here.)
Thanks NME, you're nearly forgiven.
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