14 Iced Bears
Encyclopedia
14 Iced Bears were a British
indie pop
band associated with the C86
music scene. Formed in Brighton in 1985, by Rob Sekula and Nick Emery the band featured a shifting line-up of musicians across their seven-year existence, centred around songwriter and vocalist Rob Sekula and guitarist Kevin Canham. Their jangly indie pop
was characterised by a fuzzy protopunk
-influenced guitar sound, and saw them receive modest critical acclaim in Britain's music press as well as prompting disc jockey John Peel
to recruit them to record a couple of sessions for his programme on BBC radio. The group released a handful of singles, including "Come Get Me" on the influential Sarah
label, and two full-length albums: the eponymous 14 Iced Bears (1988), and Wonder (1991).
, and "The Balloon Song" was recorded by The Aislers Set
for their 2001 album, The Last Match.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band associated with the C86
C86 (music)
C86 is a cassette compilation released by the British music magazine NME in 1986, featuring new bands licensed from independent labels of the time. As a phrase, C86 quickly evolved into shorthand for a guitar-based musical genre characterised by "jangly" guitars and fey melodies, although other...
music scene. Formed in Brighton in 1985, by Rob Sekula and Nick Emery the band featured a shifting line-up of musicians across their seven-year existence, centred around songwriter and vocalist Rob Sekula and guitarist Kevin Canham. Their jangly indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
was characterised by a fuzzy protopunk
Protopunk
Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential...
-influenced guitar sound, and saw them receive modest critical acclaim in Britain's music press as well as prompting disc jockey John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
to recruit them to record a couple of sessions for his programme on BBC radio. The group released a handful of singles, including "Come Get Me" on the influential Sarah
Sarah Records
Sarah Records was a UK independent record label active between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop.The label was formed in Bristol in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes, and grew out of the fanzine scene at the time, Haynes having previously edited Are You Scared To Get...
label, and two full-length albums: the eponymous 14 Iced Bears (1988), and Wonder (1991).
Influence
In 2003, 14 Iced Bears were name checked in the song "Twee" by TullycraftTullycraft
Tullycraft is an indie pop band from Seattle, Washington who formed in 1995. They have been associated with the genre of twee, in fact, they are considered to be one of the forefathers of the American twee pop movement alongside Black Tambourine, Tiger Trap, Lois, Honeybunch, and Beat Happening...
, and "The Balloon Song" was recorded by The Aislers Set
The Aislers Set
The Aislers Set is an indie pop band that formed in San Francisco in 1997 after the breakup of chief songwriter Amy Linton’s former band Henry's Dress...
for their 2001 album, The Last Match.
Albums and EPs
- 14 Iced Bears (Thunderball Records, 1988)
- Precision (Thunderball Records, 1990) – a compilation of singles
- Wonder (Borderline RecordsBorderline RecordsBorderline Records was formed in 1989 by an underground artist named Bryant Clover. He was signed to Atlantic Records in 1992, but was released due to no improvement, he didn't release one album under them. He is now with Borderline...
, 1991) - In the Beginning (Slumberland RecordsSlumberland RecordsSlumberland Records is an American independent record label formed in 1989 in Washington, D.C. area and currently based in Oakland, CA. The label has released recordings from artists including Velocity Girl, Honeybunch, Lilys, Stereolab, St...
, 2001) – a compilation of previously released material and live recordings
Singles
- "Inside" / "Bluesuit" / "Cut" (Frank Records, 1986)
- "Balloon Song" / "Like a Dolphin" (Frank Records, 1987)
- "Balloon Song (live) (7" flexi, split with the Hermit Crabs)
- "Lie To Choose" (Penetration, 1987) (7" flexi, split with Splendour In The Grass)
- "Come Get Me" (Sarah RecordsSarah RecordsSarah Records was a UK independent record label active between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop.The label was formed in Bristol in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes, and grew out of the fanzine scene at the time, Haynes having previously edited Are You Scared To Get...
, 1988) - "World I Love" (Thunderball Records, 1989)
- "Mother Sleep" (Thunderball Records, 1989)
- "Falling Backwards"/"World I Love" (Surfacer, 199?) (split EP with Crocodile Ride)
- "Hold On" (Borderline Records, 1991)
- "Inside" / "Balloon Song" (Slumberland Records, 2001)