Boyracer
Slumberland Records
Boyracer hailed from the fertile musical ground of Leeds, England, the same scene that spawned Hood, The Wedding Present, Sisters of Mercy, and, yes, Scary Spice. Of those bands, The Wedding Present made music most akin to Boyracer's frenzied, joyous noise pop.
Part of Boyracer's greatness was that they were not afraid to experiment with musical styles outside of the pop realm. Many of their songs include layers of reverb, feedback, and effects that cloak the still-poppy melodies in washes of fuzz. At times, Boyracer ventured with reckless abandon into drum machine dance music and post-rock territory, to interesting results.
"Michael," from Boyracer's the 1996 Slumberland EP We Are Made of the Same Wood, is reminiscent of early Wedding Present, but it also includes touches of Polvo's powerful bending guitar, punk rock's energy and brevity (the song is only two minutes long!), and even some harmonica flair. Even the noisiest no-fi pop has to have melody, and Boyracer's got it in spades. From bare-bones voice-guitar-percussion songs ("Doorframe," from their 1996 Jigsaw Records seven-inch, Rhythm of the Chicken Shake) to flat-out rockers ("Your Dark Secrets," from Made of the Same Wood), all of Boyracer's songs are urgent, infectious, and irresistible.
The band released one more full-length in 1996 -- In Full Color, on Zero Hour -- before splitting up later that year. However, Boyracer's members continue to make music in various other guises. Stewart Anderson has recorded several records as Steward, as well as a four-song seven-inch with The Aislers Set's Amy Linton, entitled "The Lights Are Out." Most recently, Stewart teamed with former Henry's Dress member Matt Hartman in The How. He also records with fellow ex-Boyracers Nicola and Matty as Empress.
In late 2000, Anderson triumphantly revived Boyracer with a brand new lineup and a new album, Boyfuckingracer, a collection of singles, EP tracks, and old faves from 1991 through 1997.
Jeanne Acceturo
last updated:
08/21/01
Similar Artists:
Pavement, Henry's Dress, Rocketship, The Wedding Present, Steward, Tullycraft, Heavenly, Charms, Leslies, Embellish, The Ocean Blue, The Fairways, Pillowcase, Suretoss, Marine Research, Polvo, Huon, 14 Iced Bears, Tse Tse Fly
Other Suggestions:
Bunnygrunt,
Cub,
Tuscadero,
The Softies,
The Vaselines,
Tiger Trap,
Lois,
Sleepyhead,
Eggstone,
The Aislers Set,
Holiday Flyer,
Archers of Loaf,
Superchunk,
Track Star,
Unwound,
The Ex,
Blonde Redhead,
Sonic Youth,
Rectangle,
Rose of Sharon,
The Clientele,
The Smiths,
Echo and The Bunnymen,
Belle and Sebastian,
Yo La Tengo,
Galaxie 500,
The Go-Betweens,
The Pastels,
Beat Happening,
Hood,
Guided by Voices,
Sebadoh,
Built To Spill,
Dinosaur Jr.,
Lou Barlow,
Tyro,
Trembling Blue Stars,
Black Tambourine,
The Rondelles,
PeeChees,
The No-No's,
Little Champions,
Lefty's Deceiver,
Automaton Adventure Series,
The Wild Stares,
Pilot To Gunner,
The Marinernine,
Spatula,
Lenola,
Lo Magnifica,
The White Octave,
Helium,
Three Berry Icecream,
Cessna,
Dear Nora,
The Busy Signals,
All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors,
hollAnd,
Sean Na Na,
American Analog Set,
The Sinking Ships,
Ashley Park,
Calibos,
Josef K,
The Mendoza Line,
Hefner,
Buffalo Tom,
Joaquina,
Evelyn,
The Reports,
Silkworm,
Burnside Project,
Ashley Stove,
Duochrome,
Caterpillar,
Haywood,
Gift Horse VA,
Quasi,
The And/Ors,
Further,
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks,
Preston School Of Industry,
Metropolitan,
Furtips
