| GROUP | GENRE | DATES | COUNTRY | DESCRIPTION | BEST RELEASE |
| #Poundsign# | Synth | USA | San Francisco band led by Alicia van den Heuvel (also the bassist in Aislers Set) and Stephen Visecky (though SV has just moved to New York). New Order influenced indie-pop sound. | Wavelength | |
| 1000 Violins | Jangle | 1986-88 | England | Croony Smithsy pop. | Like One Thousand Violins. |
| 14 Iced Bears | Jangle | 1988-90 | England | Psychedelic shambling and tuneful. | Let the Breeze Open Our Hearts. |
| 18 Wheeler | Jangle | 1995-97 | Scotland | Marvelous, highly overlooked band from Glasgow. On Creation. | Twin Action. |
| 20/20 | roots | 1979-85 | USA | Power-pop from Los Angeles. | 20/20. |
| 3Ds | Aggro | 1990- | New Zealand | A darker side of pop, verges on indierock. Released on Merge in the US. | Swarthy Songs for Swabs |
| 800 Cherries | Synth | 1998- | Japan | Super fine fuzzy keyboards and Japanese girl vocals. Dan loves. | Romantico |
| A Palace in the Sun | Comp | England | Mid-period Creation. Telescopes, Something Pretty Beautiful, MBV, Jazz Butcher. | ||
| Able Tasmans | Folk | 1985-96 | NZ | Dreamy guitar-pop with boy/girl vocals | Songs From the Departure Lounge |
| Acid House Kings | Twee | 1991- | Sweden | Twee boys. Ex-Red Sleeping Beauty. On Shelflife. | Advantage Acid House Kings. |
| Action Painting | Aggro | England | Their first singles were "wimpier" but what stands out are their noisier, modish ones. On Sarah. | ||
| Aden | Slow | 1995- | USA | Senator Phil Gramm's son, Jeff Gramm, leads this sleepy pop group from Washington DC./Chicago. | Black Cow |
| Adventures in Stereo | 60s | 1995- | Scotland | Delightful band with girl singer. Ex-Primal Scream. | S/T (blue?) |
| Aerialist | Synth | 1997- | USA | Stereolabish organ drones. | Secret Stash. |
| Aikagi | Twee | 1996- | Japan | Guitar-and-synth girlie twee. Some punker songs. | Waterproof Leaf. |
| Air Balloon Road | Comp | England | Sarah | ||
| Airport Girl | Jangle | 2000- | England | Leicester sextet going from folk to drone to fuzz. | Honey I'm an Artist. |
| Aislers Set | 60s | 1998- | USA | Amy Linton (from Henry's Dress) writes and records most of the parts herself. This San Francisco quintet stuns audiences with their mod-pop meets Spector "wall of sound." On Slumberland. | The Last Match |
| All Girl Summer Fun Band | Twee | 2000- | USA | Portland quartet, of you guessed it: all girls! Though principally led by youngster Kim, Jen Sbagia also sings. | |
| Allen, Rodney | Folk | 1986-89 | England | A 16-year-old version of Billy Bragg on Subway. | Circle Line. |
| Altered Images >> Texas | roots | 1981-83 | England | Claire Grogan's high-pitched voice | Happy Birthday. |
| Always | Polished | England | El label honcho Mike Always' and Kevin (Mr.) Wright's band. | Thames Valley Leather Club. | |
| American Analog Set | Synth | 1994- | USA | Slow, dreamy synthpop with occasional guitar jangle and tambourine. Takes the Velvets and 'Lab and floats off into space. Very cool. | From Our Living Room to Yours. |
| American Pensioners on Ecstasy | Comp | England | Creation: TV Personalities, Jazz Butcher, Times, House of Love. Rarities. | ||
| Ampersands | Folk | Australia | Song ode to Anabel Bleach. | ||
| Ana D. | Polished | Spain | Sultry Spanish singer, Ana D, sounds like electro version of Nico or Marianne Faithfull. On Elefant in Spain; Grimsey in the US. | Satelite 99 | |
| Another Sunny Day >> Harvey Williams |
Twee | England | ASD, an early Sarah band. Harvey is doing solo stuff today. | ||
| Anthony Adverse | Polished | England | Wispy Brit. On El. | Spin. | |
| Apples in Stereo | 60s | 1993- | USA | Had to add "In Stereo" cuz there was already an American Apples. Robert and Hilary from Denver head up Elephant 6 records. Early stuff is more poppy, less rocky. Majorly influenced by Brian Wilson (Beach Boys). | Fun Trick Noisemaker |
| Aquadays | Synth | 1993- | Sweden | Female fronted new wave/80's pop. | Electric Songs. |
| Arabesque | Polished | England | Former members of Blueboy. On Siesta. | ||
| Archies | Roots | 1969-71 | USA | Don Kirschner's rock cartoon. | Sugar Sugar: Best of the Archies. |
| Association | roots | 1965-73 | USA | Hit-making soft-poppers from Los Angeles. | And then…Along Comes the Association. |
| Au Coeur de Tricatel | Comp | France | On Tricatel (B.Burgalat). Katerine, April March, Etienne Cherry. | ||
| Autocollants >> Monterey, Casino Ashtrays |
Polished | 1996-97 | USA | Ed and Jill from Shelflife Records, New York. Laura from CA. | Why Couldn’t Things Just Stay the Same. |
| Autumn Leaves | 60s | 1997- | USA | 60sish melodies. | Treats and Treasures. |
| Aztec Camera | New Opt | 1981- | Scotland | Boy genius Roddy Frame with his collectible 50s guitars | High Land, Hard Rain. |
| B-52s | Roots | 1979- | USA | If the 'twos aren't "pop" - what is?! Kitschy new wave from Athens, GA | B-52s. |
| Bacharach, Burt | Roots | 1965- | USA | Symphonic genius. | Greatest Hits. |
| Bachelor Pad | 60s | 1987-91 | England | Psychedelic pop-punk madness, like Jesus and Mary Chain on speed. | Tales of Hoffman. |
| Bad Dream Fancy Dress | Polished | 1986-87 | England | Quirky girl-group meets Blondie. | Choirboys Gas. |
| Badfinger | Roots | 1966-74 | England | If the Beatles existed in the mid 70's… | Straight Up. |
| Bangles | Jangle | 1982-88 | USA | LA's 80s gal group led by Susannah Hoffs | All Over the Place. |
| Barcelona | Synth | 1998- | USA | Nerdy Synth fun. From Washington DC | Zero One Infinity. |
| Barnabys >> Joey Sweeney |
Jangle | 1992-94 | USA | Similar to Small Factory/Bats. Some nice lyrics. From Philly. | Augustus Loop. |
| Barrett, Syd | roots | 1965-70 | England | Pink Floyd's first singer/writer went nuts and hasn't been back since his 2 70s LPs. Influenced everyone from Robyn Hitchcock to TV Personalities. | Madcap Laughs. |
| Bartlebees | Twee | 1991- | Germany | Garagey, lo-fi upbeat fun. | What Is It All About? |
| Bats >> Magick Heads |
Folk | 1983-95 | New Zealand | Robert Scott (ex-Clean) and friends deliver heady NZ pop - half moody, half jangly. Great! | Daddy's Highway or Compiletly Bats. |
| Baxendale | Synth | 1997- | England | Very cheesy 80's synth-pop in a Pet Shop Boys vein. Great snotty lyrics; big fun. | You Will Have Your Revenge. |
| Beach Boys | Roots | 1961- | USA | Early surf stuff led to well orchestrated psych sounds. | Pet Sounds. |
| Beachwood Sparks | 60s | 1998- | USA | Byrdsy countryish. From LA. Ex-Further. | Beachwood Sparks. |
| Beat Happening >> Go Team, Dub Narcotic Sound System, D+ |
Love | 1980 - 84 | USA | Olympia trio were scene's Sex Pistols. Proved you didn't have to be able to sing or play to sing and play. Timeless. | Jamboree or Dreamy. |
| Beatles | Roots | 1957-70 | England | Highly overrated band from Liverpool. | Um, you pick one… |
| Beatnik Filmstars | Aggro | 1991- | England | Fluctuating between poppy hooks and exp. Noise, these boys from Bristol were quite prolific. | Astronaut House. |
| Beau Brummels | Roots | 1964-68 | USA | Fragile folk pop from Bay Area legends. | Introducing… |
| Beautiful Skin | Synth | 1998- | USA | Very 80s duo from New York. Dark synth and slashing guitars like Joy Division and their ilk. | Revolve. |
| Bedhead >> New Year |
Slow | 1995 - 00 | USA | This Texas band defined American "slo-core"-- quiet Galaxie 500/Feelies strums leading to controled chaos. Brilliant. New Year is midtempo but still nice. | Transaction de Novo. |
| Bee Gees | Roots | 1965- | Australia | Beatlesy pop before they went disco. | |
| Belle & Sebastian >> Looper, Gentle Waves |
Folk | 1996- | Scotland | This Glasgow-based ensemble led by Stuart Murcoch is the band "to copy" as we move into the 21st Century. See Nick Drake, Smiths, Felt, Field Mice. Genius songwriting and nice orchestration. | Tigermilk, If You're Feeling Sinister. |
| Bellissima Vol. 1 and 2 | Comp | England | El folks. | ||
| Belreve | Lo-fi | 1993-94 | USA | Overlooked American pop band from Columbus, Ohio. Singles comp on Slumberland. | Belreve. |
| Bennett | 60s | 1998- | USA | Former Charles Brown Superstar player put out a solo album that is full of great songs--girl group/garage/electro. Avoid live. | |
| Beulah | 60s | 1996- | USA | Contemporary San Francisco's answer to the 60s sound. On Elephant 6. | Handsome Western States |
| Biff Bang Pow! | C86 | 1984-91 | England | Creation Records boss Alan McGee's jangle-folk project. | Oblivian. |
| Big Flame | Aggro | 1985 - 89 | England | The skronky side of C86. Like Gang of Four on speed. | Rigour. |
| Big Star | Roots | 1972-75 | USA | First 2 albums are pure miserable pop. Last 2 are just miserable. All are hugely influential. | No.1 Record. Unless you're suicidal, then Third. |
| Bikeride | 60s | USA | SoCal with Beach Boys/Paul Weller fixation. | Thirty-seven Secrets. | |
| Birdie | Polished | 1999- | England | Martin from East Village and girlfriend Debsy from Dolly Mixture create some mature folkish/70sish songs. Pretty. | Some Dusty. |
| Birth of the True | Comp | Japan/UK | Sugarfrost. International twee. Comp title taken from an Aztec Camera song. | ||
| Bitter Springs | Jangle | England | Great songs, no matter what the genre. Fallish, Squeezeish, Costello, Smiths. | Five Die Filming This Lazy Lark. | |
| Black Tambourine | 60s | 1989-92 | USA | Washington DC-based group was Slumberland's founding fathers. Quintessential indiepop! Not a "Velocity Girl" spin-off as popularly assumed, but a contempory of VG. Singer Pam Berry also sang for Shapiros, glo-worm, Belmondo, Veronica Lake, Castaway Ston | Complete Recordings. |
| Blairmailer | Lo-fi | Australia | Clever lyrics and rockish melodies. | ||
| Blast Off Country Style | Twee | 1994-95 | USA | Cute lyrics and girlie vox. Teenbeat. | Come On and … |
| Blondie | Roots | 1974-82 | USA | Influential girl-group meets punk/new wave/reggae/rap. NYC. | Blondie. |
| Bluebells | New Opt | 1981-85 | England | Aztec Camera proteges. Kinda folky. | Sisters. |
| Blueboy >> Arabesque |
Polished | 1981-98 | England | Sarah | Unisex. |
| Blur | Britpop | 1991- | England | OK, so they were never indie, but what mod-pop craftsmanship! And so cute! | Parklife. |
| BMX Bandits | C86 | 1986- | Scotland | Fun galore, never serious (drugs). Sorry bad pun, great song. | C86 (an LP, not a genre). |
| Bomb Pops | Jangle | 1992-94 | USA | Lovely, shambly stuff from Minneapolis. Girl vox. | Recommended for Diversion Seekers. |
| Boo Radleys >> Brave Captain |
Britpop | 1990-97 | England | Liverpool's lads. Early stuff is really more like the Mary Chain; later stuff exercised some dub and indie rock elements. Very versatile band with Sice on vocals. | Wake Up! |
| Boyish Charms | Twee | 1995-00 | USA | Twee boy/girl duo from Riverside, CA who sound sorta like the Softies. | The Extended-Play Paradox. |
| Boyracer >> Steward, Empress, Hulaboy, Stewart Anderson and Amy Linton |
Aggro | 1990 - 94 | England | This Leeds 4some made such a racket on vinyl and live, not your typical "Sarah" band! Aggro, but so much strum! Empress is Nicola's MUCH quieter project; Steward is Stewart doing 1-man guitar & loops noisy-pop nonsense! On Sarah, Slumberland, Zero Hour | |
| Bragg, Billy | Folk | 1983- | England | Singer/songwriter does amazing, political tunes. | Talking with the Taxman About Poetry. |
| Bridge | Polished | Japan | Wild loungey/syntky/noisey. | ||
| Bright Colored Lights | Jangle | USA | Black Tambourine and Lorelei folks. Similar to previous bands -- 60s girl group meets lovely noise. | ||
| Brighter | Twee | 1989-92 | England | Quintessentially Sarah. Drippy boy sadness, but so beautifully done! | Laurel. |
| Brilliant Corners >> Experimental Pop Group | Jangle | 1984-93 | England | Clever, spiteful lyrics and hooky, angular post-punk guitars. EPG is synthier and political. | Somebody Up There Likes Me. |
| Brilliantine | Jangle | 1996- | USA | Guy from Dam,builders makes sweet jangly pop like Lloyd Cole. | My Life and the Beautiful Game |
| Broadcast | Synth | 1995- | England | Hints of Stereolab and Pram but uniquely sntky/spacey organ stuff. | Work and Non-work or Extended Play 2. |
| Bubblegum Classics Vol. 1-3 | Comp | USA | Varese Sarabande.. great for the influences of indiepop! | ||
| Bubblegum Splash | C86 | England | Pretty lo-fi for C86. Amazing noise with girl vocals. On Subway comps. | ||
| Buddah on the Moon | Synth | USA | Spacey. From Houston. | ||
| Buffalo Springfield | Roots | 1966-68 | USA | Folk-rock with Young, Stills, Furay. | Buffalo Springfield. |
| Bulldozer Crash | Twee | 1991-95 | England | Noisy. | |
| Bunnygrunt | Twee | 1995 - 00 | USA | Cutesy "kiddiecore" from St. Louis. | Jen-Fi. |
| Burgalat, Bertrand | Polished | France | Producer of April March/V.Lemercier. Groovy space-lounge sound. | The Sssound of Music. | |
| Butterflies of Love | Slow | 1996- | USA | New Haven, CT Yalies swipe liberally from VU, Galaxie 500, and Go-Betweens. Good influences all. | How to Know the Butterflies of Love. |
| Butterfly Child | Polished | 1991- | Ireland | Jazzy abstract orchestrated pop from Belfast's Joe Cassidy. | Onomonotpeia. |
| Butterglory | Lo-fi | 1992-97 | USA | Girl and boy duo from. Visalia/Kansas. Early Pavementish fuzz. | Scramble. |
| Buzzcocks | Roots | 1977-81 | USA | Jagged punk. | Singles Going Steady. |
| Byrds | Roots | 1964-73 | USA | Jangle kingpins. | Mr. Tambourine Man. |
| Call and Response | Polished | 1998- | USA | SF-based band mixes synth, funk, and soul with Elephant 6 feel. Vocals are the key - very 60s folk diva-ish. Catchy as hell. | Call and Response. |
| Cannanes >> Nice, Ashtray Boy |
Lo-fi | 1986- | Australia | Wonderful shambly/noisy/sad band that has been around forever. Boy/girl vocals and some great whistling. | Caveat Emptor. |
| Caramel | 60s | 1994-98 | France | Jangle, fuzz city. | Ole Zamora |
| Cardigans | Polished | 1994- | Sweden | Hugely popular group with girl vocals. | The First Band on the Moon. |
| Casiotone for the Painfully Alone | Synth | 1998- | USA | Owen Ashworth's one-man lo-fi casio project. Cute, sad, funny lyrics and rough beats. Great. | Answering Machine Music. |
| Casswells | Jangle | England | Choppy, bouncy guitar. On Vinyl Japan. | ||
| Cat's Miaow >> Bart & Friends, Huon, Pencil Tin | Twee | 1994-99 | Australia | Twee stuff from Melbourne. Pretty girl vocals and rushing guitars. Some spacey keyboards too. | Songs for Girls to Sing. |
| Cessna | Jangle | 1997- | Finland | Rushing jangle! On Oakland-based label, Radio Khartoum. | Bordeaux. |
| Chapter 13 | Synth | 1999- | USA | New Order! Pet Shop Boys! Magnetic Fields! Nothing new! | The World From Heaven. |
| Chapterhouse | Shoe | 1991-93 | England | Shoegaze quintet. Live, they made one of the loudest feedback squalls ever. | Whirlpool. |
| Charlottes | Shoe | 1989-92 | England | Terrific Lush/MBV-esque noisepop. | Lovehappy. |
| Cherry Orchard | Polished | 1996- | France | Slick, loungey girl/boy pop with 60s and Latin feel. | The Start of Our Affair. |
| Chesterfields | C86 | 1985-87 | England | Upbeat Orange Juice style pop on Subway/Vinyl Japan. | Kettle. |
| Chicklet | Shoe | 1999- | Canada | Toronto female-led band with noisy guitars and some of the dream-pop feel of Lush and Popguns. | Wanderlust. |
| Chills | Jangle | 1985-96 | New Zealand | Martin Phillips' melodic and classic pop band. | Kaleidescope World. |
| Chin Chin | C86 | 1985 - 89 | Switzerland | Drum machine punk-pop. Marvelous girls sing in charming accents. | Stop! Your Crying. |
| Chocolat | Lo-fi | Japan | Slick twee. | ||
| Chocolate Barry | Synth | Sweden | Sntky loungey goodness. | Cucumber Trees and Ice Cold Lemonade. | |
| Church | Folk | 1980- | Australia | Ethereal guitar pop. Stick to early stuff. | The Church. |
| Church Steps | Lounge | USA | One ex-Roper and another guy blend singer/songwriter folk with quiet electronics. Mike runs ()Dial Records. Berkeley based. | Jewelry. | |
| Ciao Bella >> From Bubblegum to Sky |
Jangle | 1997- | USA | Alameda boys Mario and Jamie are Ciao Bella, and Mario solo is From Bubblegum. Power-pop, Big Star, Beatles mixed together. | One or Me and Amy… |
| Cinnamon | Polished | 1997- | Sweden | Reminiscent of Saint Etienne and the Cardigans. On March in US. | Vertigo. |
| Citrus | Lo-fi | Japan | Explosive but sweet. | ||
| Class | Synth | 1997- | USA | Electro/wispy with girl vox. From NY. | First Class. |
| Clean >> Stephen | Jangle | 1981- | New Zealand | David and Hamish KilgourandRobert Scott made some of the best early 80's NZ keyboard/guitar pop. Essential. They occasionally get back together. | Compilation. |
| Clientele | Folk | 1997- | England | The new school. With only a handful of UK 7"s out, this band has a major buzz about them. Charming Nick Drakesy pop with reverbed boy vocals and strummy guitar. | Pointy Light. |
| Clock Strikes Thirteen | Jangle | 1996- | USA | New Philly band combines Troggsy jangle, VU organ drone, British style boy vox, and drifty girl vox. On Drive-In. | Ever Decreasing Circles. |
| Close Lobsters | C86 | 1987-90 | Scotland | Like a late Josef K. | Headache Rhetoric. |
| Cloudberry Jam | Polished | 1996- | Sweden | Loungey. | Providing the Atmosphere. |
| Club 8 | Polished | 1995- | Sweden | A twee St. Etienne? On March. | Missing You. |
| Cocteau Twins | Slow | 1982- | Scotland | Elizabeth Fraser's ethereal, ungraspable vocals lead this 4AD band (Robin Guthrie's guitars help the moody lullabies). | Heaven or Las Vegas. |
| Cole, Lloyd >> and the Commotions |
Folk | 1983- | Scotland | Far too influential "intellectual" pop, pretentious and/or profound. | Rattlesnakes. |
| Comet Gain >> Velocette |
Lo-fi | 1993- | England | London-based girl-boy group do spunky low-fi pop-punk. | Say yes. |
| Confetti | Twee | 1991-95 | England | Twee girl pop. Very pretty. On Vinyl Japan. | Retrospective EP. |
| Cornershop | Britpop | 1993- | England | Where English pop and Indian sitars meet. The early stuff is best though a bit punkier. | Hold On It Hurts. |
| Crabs | Love | 1995- | USA | Portland's finest savant-pop band! Wonderful group on K.Brother was in Beat Happening. It shows. | Brainwashed. |
| Crash | Jangle | 1986-87 | USA | NYC-branch of Creation/Pink style pop with Kurt Ralske (pre-Ultra Vivid Scene). | |
| Crayon | Twee | 1994-95 | USA | Pre-Tullycraft. Punky with fun lyrics. | Brick Factory. |
| Creation | Roots | 1966-68 | England | Big inspiration for Alan McGee's label as well as many of the English bands of early 80s: Times, Biff Bang Pow!, etc. Huge Who-ish buzz power-pop. | Our Music Is Red with Purple Flashes. |
| Critters | Roots | 1965-69 | USA | Wonderful, Association-styled soft pop. | Younger Girl. |
| Crooner | Synth | 1997- | Greece | Gauzy bossa nova-inspired synth songs. | |
| Cub>>I Am Spoonbender/Buck | Twee | 1992-96 | USA | Cub was a "Cuddlecore" girl trio from Vancouver. They spawned IAS' synth-rock and Buck's pop-punk. | Come Out Come Out. |
| Cure | Roots | 1979- | England | Robert Smith's band did amazing gothy pop early on. | Staring at the Sea. |
| Cyrkle | Roots | 1966-67 | USA | Pennslyvania lite-garage pop act. | Red Rubber Ball. |
| Darling Buds | Jangle | 1988-92 | England | Super amazing perky punky girl pop. | Pop Said… |
| DB's | Jangle | 1981-87 | USA | Power-pop ala Big Star. With Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple. From NC originally. | Stands for Decibels. |
| Dead Famous People | Folk | 1987-91 | New Zealand | Perfect strummy folk-pop. | Arriving Late in Torn Filthy Jeans. |
| Dear Nora | 60s | 2000- | USA | Portland group led by Katy Davidson. First LP produced by Aislers Set's AmyLinton - pretty, melancholy songs with some chugging guitar. | We'll Have a Time. |
| Delaney | Aggro | 1997-98 | France | Angsty guitar. Sebadohish. | Delaney. |
| Delightful Little Nothings | Twee | USA | Cute very lovely 7" on the now defunct SF label, Candy Floss records | ||
| Delta 5 | Roots | 1979-81 | England | Arty punk gals (and guy) who inspired many of the grrl bands today. | See the Whirl. |
| Dentists >> Coax | Jangle | 1985-96 | England | Jangly/psychy. From Kent. | Dressed. |
| Des Garcon Ordinaire | Jangle | France | Upbeat Orange Juice style jangle. Very cute. | ||
| Devine and Statton | Polished | 1989-90 | England | Brazilian influenced jazzy pop from Alison Statton (Young Marble Giants). | Prince of Wales. |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | Roots | 1980-86 | England | Began as a nouveau-American-soul band and became an ethnic Irish folk group. | Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. |
| Die Moulinettes | Polished | 1997- | Germany | Girl vocals, 'Labby synth, lovely soft pop. | 20 Blumen. |
| Dislocation Dance | Polished | 1984 - 89 | England | Mixed girl-groups with ESG skronk and Morodoer synth. Included Andy from Spaceheads. | BBC Sessions |
| DIY: Power Pop Vol 1-2 | Comp | 1970s | USA | Rhino | |
| Doktor Kosmos | Synth | 1996- | Sweden | Komeda keyboardist makes silly casio ditties. | Cocktail. |
| Dolly Mixture | Twee | 1979-83 | England | Gal trio do low-fi sweet pop tunes. Debsy's in Birdie now. | A Sides. |
| Donovan | Roots | 1965- | England | Folky psychedelic manchild who desperately wanted to be Dylan. | Best of… |
| Downy Mildew | Folk | 1986-94 | USA | Drowsy chamber-pop from Los Angeles. | Browntree. |
| Dragsters | Jangle | Scotland | Contemporaries of Fizzbombs -- crafted garagey power-pop fun. | ||
| Drake, Nick | Roots | 1969-72 | England | Depressed folkie with a gorgeous voice and a rather mystical lyrical stance. | Five Leaves Left. |
| Dream Syndicate | Roots | 1981-89 | USA | Paisley Underground faves. Dark psychy guitar influenced by the Velvets/Television. Steve Wynn and Kendra Smith went on to solo albums. | Days of Wine and Roses. |
| Dressy Bessy | 60s | 1997- | USA | Tammy is the singer for this Denver-based band that really rock (and pop)! Her boyfriend John is also in the Apples. | Pink Hearts Yellow Moons. |
| Earthmen >> Pencil Tin | Jangle | 1993-94 | Australia | Overlooked pop boy geniuses from Melbourne. Summershine, Slumberland, and Seed (Atlantic). | Teen Sensations. |
| East River Pipe | Synth | 1990- | USA | Super melancholy one-man synth band from Queens. Some really great moping and self-hatred. | Poor Fricky. |
| East Village >> Episode Four | Polished | 1988-94 | England | Greatly overlooked band on the Heavenly label. Began as the garagier E4. | Drop Out. |
| Easy | Jangle | Sweden | Swirly power-pop. Though they preceed them, Easy sounds like the Ropers. | ||
| Echo & the Bunnymen | Roots | 1978-89 | England | Ian McCullough and Liverpool lads made highly emotive, jangly music. | Crocodiles. |
| Ecstasy of St. Theresa | Shoegazer | 1993- | Czechoslovokia | Big noisy and experimental soundscapes. | Susurrate. |
| Eggstone | Jangle | 1986- | Sweden | Power-pop in a Boo Radleys vein, with horns and synth. LP is very 80's. | Somersault. |
| Ego | Polished | 1997- | France | Lush orchestration and some female vocals. | La Main Devant La Bouche |
| El Joven Bryan Superstar | Polished | 1993-97 | Spain | On Siesta. | Internal. |
| Electro Group | Shoegazer | 1998- | USA | Sacramento band with a big MBV guitar racket. | A New Pacifica. |
| Elvis Costello | Roots | 1978- | England | Decent songwriter. | Jeez, This Year's Model, I guess. |
| Empress | Slow | England | Quiet subdued project of Nicola Hodgkinson (ex-Boyracer). Naïve and pretty. | Empress. | |
| Espresso | Comp | Spain | 1st Siesta collection. La Buena Vida, Tomorrow's World, Holiday, Club 8. | ||
| Essex Green >> Sixth Great Lake |
60s | 1997- | USA | Elephant 6 band with members of Ladybug Transistor, Silver Jews and Saturnine. Very 60's. | Everything Is Green. |
| Essiar | Polished | 1999- | France | On Oakland-based label, Radio Khartoum. Experimental lounge. | Summer in Minsk. |
| Etienne Charry | Lounge | 1999- | France | So amazing! A mix of garage, synth, lounge, and electro. | 36 Erreurs. |
| Eva Luna | Jangle | England | Punchy power-pop. | ||
| Even as We Speak | Twee | 1986-93 | England | Ambitious and fun synths. Catchy tunes on Sarah. | Feral Pop Frenzy. |
| Fairground Attraction | Polished | 1988-89 | England | Light as a souffle jazzy pop with female vox. | The First of a Million Kisses. |
| Fairways | Jangle | 1999- | USA | San Francisco band with full-length about to come out on Oakland label, Paris Caramel. Brent's soft vocals compliment this delightful pop quintet's sound! | Is Everything All Right? |
| Fall | Roots | 1977- | England | Mark E. Smith is still at it, mumbling gibberish and playing with off-kilter guitars, synths, and lyrics. Highly influential. | This Nation's Saving Grace. |
| Family Cat | Jangle | 1988-94 | England | Pixie-ish loud pop. Stick to earlier stuff. | "Tom Verlaine" single. |
| Fantastic Plastic Machine | Club | 1998- | Japan | Indietronica beats and happy tuneage from Kyoto's Tomo Tanaka. | Fantastic Plastic Machine. |
| Fat Tulips >> Slumber | Twee | 1987-94 | England | Fast and fuzzy guitars and great girl vocals. Clever lyrics. Super! | Starfish. |
| Feelies | Roots | 1977-91 | USA | First record is jittery, stripped down post-punk, second is folkier, rest are somewhere in between. Like no one else. From Hoboken, New Jersey. | Crazy Rhythms. |
| Feelings | Jangle | 1996-2000 | USA | Portland guys (including one Halo Bender) play super fun noisy, acoustic, and rappy tunes. | Dear Darling. |
| Felt >> Denim, Go-Kart Mozart, Maurice Deebank | Jangle | 1980-90 | England | Felt's ever evolving synth/guitar soundscapes influenced many. Denim were more rock. GKM is cheeky synth-pop. S'all good. | Bubblegum Perfume. |
| Field Mice >> Northern Picture Library, Trembling Blue Stars | Slow | 1988-91 | England | The Field Mice are one of the most influential and favoured bands from the Sarah stable that guide indie pop today: soft male vocals, quiet guitar, and Casio drum machine | Where'd You Learn to Kiss That Way? |
| Fint Tilsammens | Synth | Sweden | Inst LP is exp noise/acoustic. CD is synth fun. | ||
| Fire Engines >> Nectarine No. 9 |
Aggro | 1988-91 | Scotland | Clattering atonal post-punk. Big influence on early Creation artists. | Fond. |
| Fizzbombs | C86 | 1987-88 | Scotland | Surf music meets jangle/squall! | The Surfin' Winter. |
| Flatmates | C86 | 1985-89 | England | Pure girl group meets the Ramones sound. Amazing Bristol band. Subway. | Love & Death. |
| Flight of Everson K | Comp | USA | On Oakland label, Radio Khartoum; a theme comp of spyish intl lounge. | ||
| Flowchart | Synth | 1995- | USA | Low rent Stereolab electro-lounge with abstract nature. From New Jersey . | Multi-Personality Table Top Vacation. |
| Flying Saucer Attack | Shoegazer | 1993- | England | Gauzy noise-pop filtered thru 4-track. Lo-fi and overdriven at same time. From Bristol, and rather revolutionary. | Mirror. |
| Frank & Walters | Jangle | 1990- | Ireland | Power-pop from Cork. | Trains, Boats, and Planes. |
| Free Design | Roots | 1966-72 | USA | Soft rock/easy listening. Reissued by Siesta in early 90s. Influential. | Kites Are Fun… |
| Frenesi | Synth | Japan | Bossa nova-inspired synth sounds. | ||
| Freshies >> Frank Sidebottom | Roots | 1978-86 | England | Cheeky record-obsessed power-pop. Big hit: "I'm in Love with the Checkout Girl at the Virgin Megastore" | The Very Very Best of… |
| Fudge | Love | 1990-94 | USA | This Virginian band's first 7"s are sublime indiepop; fast and perfect. They got a bit too rockin' later on. | |
| Fugu | Jangle | France | Brilliant soft-rock stylings. Some vox. | ||
| Fun While It Lasted | Comp | Scotland | 53rd & 3rd. Classic! Vaselines, Talulah Gosh, Shop Assistants, Boy Hairdressers, BMX Bandits. | ||
| Galactic Heroes | 60s | 1999- | USA | South Carolina duo makes catchy, short, scattered songs inspired by Of Montreal and Beach Boys. | How About San Francisco? |
| Galaxie 500 >> Damon and Naomi, Luna | Roots | 1986-91 | USA | Classic American pop from this trio | On Fire. |
| Gaze | Twee | 1997- | USA | Vancouver band of 3 girls doing lo-fi songs. Rose Melberg is the drummer and only sings a little. | Mitsumeru. |
| Gerbils | 60s | 1997- | USA | Elephant 6 led by NMH trumpeter. Catchy! | Are You Sleepy? |
| Girl Groups | Roots | 1960s | USA | Shangri-Las, Cookies, Ronettes, Crystals, Chiffons, Shirelles, Dixie-Cups, Brill Building. | Best of the Girl Groups. |
| Girlfrendo>>Cat Skills | Synth | 1997- | Sweden | Excellent synthy stuff in a El vein. | Surprise Surprise It's Girlfrendo. |
| Girls at Our Best | Twee | 1979-82 | England | Leads punk band the Butterflies evolved into this synthy/punky group. Great high girly vox and political lyrics. |