The Liminal Wave #53 | Jangle Pop
A subtle shift in direction.
I made a decision in the last month to change the direction of my bi-monthly radio show, The Liminal Wave, and during my last October show, I took the first steps down this path.
I've been wanting to create a music history podcast, similar to No Dogs in Space, for over two years but wasn’t sure about doing it alone. Now, I’m ready to move forward, with or without a partner. However, dealing with music means navigating tricky legal issues if I want to use even small clips. To truly explore a genre’s history and defining sound, audio is essential. I’ve decided to modify my current show on KPSQ-LP to encompass more of this history aspect, while still having the freedom to play music without worry.
The first genre I ended up covering fell right into my lap while compiling the playlist for the previous show. It included the song “I Can’t Sing” by The La’s and I read somewhere that they are associated with the genre “jangle pop.” The name tickled my brain just right and that was it, that was going to be the first genre I officially covered.
It doesn’t take much to catch my attention some times
I love categorizing and organizing things—not because everything fits neatly into black-and-white boxes, but because it helps me make sense of the world. It’s like creating a rough draft to work from. With music, it helps me uncover bands, genres, and styles hidden in the chaos, like nesting dolls. Maybe it’s also my ADHD…?
Jangle Pop is a subgenre of rock and closely related to pop and college rock. It has an emphasis on jangly guitars and pop melodies that can often have an essence of the 60s. (This will be important when I cover the Paisley Undgerground in November).
The term 'jangle pop' gained popularity in the '80s, building on the foundation of post-punk and inspired by The Byrds’ rendition of Bob Dylan’s 'Mr. Tambourine Man'—with its iconic line, 'In the jingle jangle morning, I’ll come following you.' Many consider The Byrds to be pioneers of the genre.
When it took off in the 80s, R.E.M. rose to the top of the jangle pop heap, though would later become a defining sound in the 90s alt-rock scene. Another band emerging around the same time was The Smiths, whose guitarist, Johnny Marr, has been dubbed the 'Jangle Pop Shakespeare.1
The genre is defined by three main characteristics:2
Bright, jangly guitars
Minial distortion or other effects
Pop hooks
This directional shift has breathed new life into the show, I think. I’ve got a nice running list in my journal of all the future genres I want to cover. There will be a few wildcard/palette cleanser shows in between, too.
Up next, I’m covering The Paisley Underground! If you want to catch my show live, it airs on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday on KPSQ-LP at 7p. I’m tentatively planning to do a small write up for each show and I’ll include the playlist link at the very bottom so you can have some juicy jams to satisfy your hunger.
Until next time, dear reader….au revoir
Cassandra
https://playalonerecords.com/blogs/news/jangle-pop
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/jangle-pop-music-guide