GET LUCKY


Powerpop didn’t die in the mid-70s.


As soon as


succesful first wave acts like The Raspberries and Badfinger were winding down the chiming guitars and vocal harmonies of the mid-60s enjoyed a less heralded renaissance via a multitude of bands untouched by the first throes of punk. BRIAN GREENE speaks with JEFF MURPHY of seminal Chicago DIY pop heroes SHOES.


S


HOES’ 1979 ALBUM Present Tense is a powerpop masterpiece – a consistently pleasing record that puts the


band from the Chicago suburb of Zion, Illinois on a par with the likes of Big Star, The Raspberries, Badfinger, The Dwight Twilley Band and their state-mates Cheap Trick. ‘81’s Tongue Twister isn’t far behind.


Shoes were lo-fi indie rockers before those terms became part of the common language among left-of-centre music enthusiasts. They recorded their first (proper) album at a time when they barely knew how to play their instruments, and they did it via home recordings that they released on their own label. But when a do-it-yourself promotional campaign created a word-of-mouth buzz that eventually led to an offer from a major label, they embraced the big league opportunity and released the afore- mentioned twin jewels, as well as a third record that had its moments, too.


On Shoes’ best material they juxtapose heavenly pop with a pleasantly abrasive edge. Their honey-coated vocals and irresistible melodic hooks ensnare the listener in a pleasurable web of sweetness; but just when you start to think it’s all good clean fun, some crunching guitar makes its way into the proceedings, or one of the vocalists offset their angelic crooning with a


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