The Candyskins
This Oxford, England-based indie band's melodic power pop has found greater favour in the USA than in their home country. Named after a Fire Engines song, the band was formed in 1989 by Nick Cope (vocals), his brother Mark (guitar), Nick Burton (guitar), and John Halliday (drums). Their ear for pleasing pop melodies caught the attention of Geffen Records who distributed their debut album, Space I'm In. "Submarine Song" was a minor UK hit, but the band enjoyed more success in the USA, where the album sold more than 40,000 copies. Fun?, recorded with new member Karl Shale (bass; ex-Colour Field), was a strong follow-up, buoyed by the radio success of the fiery opening track "Wembley". However, Geffen dropped the band when the album failed to generate the sales of their debut. Freed from major label constraints, the band elected to concentrate on the previously neglected home market. They released the single, "Mrs Hoover", on the Rotator label in 1995, and began to make a name for themselves on the same Oxford scene that played host to Supergrass and Radiohead, featuring on the influential OXCD compilation. They were signed by UK independent Ultimate Records in 1996, and broke into the UK Top 40 the following February with the lush "Monday Morning". The attendant Sunday Morning Fever received encouraging reviews, but following its release Shale left the band owing to musical differences. "Feed It", inspired by the Heaven's Gate mass suicide, became a US hit single due to its inclusion on the soundtrack of the Adam Sandler hit movie, The Waterboy. The single was featured on Death Of A Minor TV Celebrity, a slice of highly enjoyable but anachronistic power pop which was recorded with new bass player Brett Gordon.
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- Feed It
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