Denim (band)

Denim was a British indie rock band, the brainchild of Lawrence (formerly of Felt), and was based in Birmingham, England.

History

Following the end of his former group, 1980s post-punk outfit Felt, Lawrence moved into different territory with Denim, a band whose brash teaming of glam rock with cutting and highly satirical lyrics was very much the opposite of his previous work.

Back in Denim

Denim debuted in 1992 with the album, Back in Denim, a record which was both a revival (particularly with its glam rock influences and its mix of synth and guitar) and critique (in its satirical lyrics) of the 1970s music scene. A single, "Middle Of The Road", was released from the album in January 1993 on Boy's Own Records.^[1]

Denim on Ice

Denim followed Back in Denim with the 1996 release of Denim on Ice, which was preceded by a single "It Fell Off The Back Of A Lorry". Following the same musical path as its predecessor, whilst added notable reference to bands such as Devo and Ultravox. Denim on Ice featured even more cutting lyrics with comment on the current state of music in England (The Great Pub Rock Revival, which was a stinging attack on Britpop and the realities of England's social malaise (on the tracks "Glue & Smack" and "Council Houses"). The album earned Denim a support slot with Pulp who were fans of Lawrence and his work.

Novelty Rock

Denim's final release was Novelty Rock, a compilation of B-sides and some new material, which was released early 1997.

Denim Take Over

Denim Take Over was to be Denim's fourth album. It was shelved due to a lack of commercial success for the band, and when its lead single "Summer Smash", due to be issued in September 1997, was cancelled due to the death of Princess Diana,^[2] with EMI feeling any release would be in poor taste. However, some of the album's tracks were released on a subsequent Lawrence project, the 2005 Go Kart Mozart album Tearing Up The Album Charts, as well as a complete reworking for the next album On the Hot Dog Streets.

Discography

• Back in Denim (1992) - LP
• Denim on Ice (1996) - LP
• Novelty Rock (1997) - Compilation

References

External links

• Lawrence Picture