Taken literally, C86 was simply a cassette given away with the (British) New Musical Express in 1986 (hence (C)assette 86). However, over time it came to represent a movement within the British indie scene, sometimes derided for its tweeness (a defining characteristic), but very much of its era. Many of the bands often referred to as being 'C86' weren't even on the compilation, such as The Poohsticks, Talulah Gosh, The June Brides or the BMX Bandits who in 1989 released an album called C86. Furthermore, many of the bands who were on the compilation had a much harder punkier sound that was completely at odds with the jangly guitars and strong melodies of the 'C86' bands. For the meaning of cassette in genetics, see cassette (genetics). ... The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a weekly magazine about popular music published in the UK. It is unlike many other popular music magazines due to its intended focus on guitar-based music and indie rock bands, instead of mainstream pop acts. ... See also: 1985 in music, other events of 1986, 1987 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 23 - The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee... The term indie is short for independent and refers to artistic creations outside the commercial mainstream, without the support of a major record label, major movie studio, or other source of a large budget. ... Twee (or Twee pop) is a type of indie rock that is known for simple, sweet melodies and lyrics, often with jangling guitars. ... Talulah Gosh were a guitar-pop group from Oxford, England and one of the leading bands of the twee pop movement. ... BMX Bandits is the name of a Scottish 1960s influenced guitar pop band who have been making music from 1986 to the present day. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...

In his book Time Travel, respected pop historian Jon Savage traced the origins of C86 and Twee pop to the Velvet Underground's eponymous third album. Perhaps a more relevant influence was the tweer side of punk rock: bands such as The Television Personalities and the Swell Maps. However, C86 was also rooted in the post-punk scene of the early 1980s especially jangly guitar bands on the Postcard label such as Orange Juice and Josef K. Other influences were maverick singers like Virginia Astley, and movies such as Gregory's Girl. The movement segued into the indie guitar bands of the early 1990s, with bands like The Wedding Present continuing to record until the late 1990s. Its influence was somewhat discreet among the bands who came to the fore during the Britpop era and the less melodic bands that emerged as part of the 'New Rock Revolution' that came after the post-Britpop hiatus of the new century. Depending on context, pop music is either an abbreviation of popular music or, more recently, a term for a sub-genre of it. ... Jon Savage (born 1953) is a self-styled cultural commentator and music journalist, best known for his award winning history of the Sex Pistols and punk music, Englands Dreaming (1991). ... Twee (or Twee pop) is a type of indie rock that is known for simple, sweet melodies and lyrics, often with jangling guitars. ... The Velvet Underground and Nico (from left to right: John Cale, Nico, Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker) The Velvet Underground (Affectionately known as The Velvets, or V.U. for short) was an American rock and roll band of the late 1960s. ... The Velvet Undergrounds third, eponymous album, and the first with Doug Yule, John Cales replacement. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Television Personalities is an English rock group with a varying line up. ... The Swell Maps were a British punk band. ... Independent record label founded by Alan Horne in Glasgow, 1979. ... This article is about the music band; For alternative articles, see Orange juice (disambiguation). ... Josef K was a Scottish post punk band active in the early 1980s who released singles on legendary record label Postcard Records. ... Virginia Astley (born 1959) is an English singer-songwriter, active during the 1980s and 1990s. ... Gregorys Girl is a 1981 movie written and directed by Bill Forsyth. ... The Wedding Present is a rock group from Leeds, the United Kingdom, that was formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. ... // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ... Britpop is a British alternative rock movement from the mid 1990s, characterised with the appearance of bands who borrowed many influences from 1960s and 1970s while creating big and catchy hooks, as well as the glamour of earlier pop stardom and the sense that they were creating the soundtrack to...

The Pastels remain influential on many bands that avoid the glare of the mainstream music press, while Primal Scream plough an altogether different furrow these days. The Soup Dragons subsequently took a more indie-dance direction (scoring the biggest hits of their career in 1990) and McCarthy went on to form the nucleus of the critically lauded Stereolab. The Pastels are a band from Scotland, UK, who have been playing since early 1980. ... Primal Scream is a rock band from Scotland, headed by former Jesus & Mary Chain drummer Bobby Gillespie. ... The Soup Dragons were a Scottish indie rock band of the late 80s and early 90s. ... See also: 1989 in music, other events of 1990, 1991 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 21 - MTVs Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze February 6 - Billy Idol is involved in a serious motorcycle accident, resulting in several... Stereolabs core members Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier with Dominic Jeffrey and Simon Johns. ...

The full tracklisting was:

1. The Age of Chance - From Now On, This Will Be Your God
2. A Witness - Sharpened Sticks
3. Big Flame - New Way
4. The Bodines - Therese
5. Bogshed - Run To The Temple
6. Close Lobsters - Firestation Towers
7. Fuzzbox - Console Me
8. Half Man Half Biscuit - I Hate Nerys Hughes ( From The Heart )
9. The MacKenzies - Big Jim
10. McCarthy - Celestial City
11. Miaow - Sport Most Royal
12. The Mighty Lemon Drops - Happy Head
13. Mighty Mighty - Law
14. The Pastels - Breaking Lines
15. Primal Scream - Velocity Girl
16. The Servants - Transparent
17. Shop Assistants - It's Up To You
18. The Shrubs - Bullfighter's Bones
19. The Soup Dragons - Pleasantly Surprised
20. Stump - Buffalo
21. The Wedding Present - This Boy Can Wait
22. The Wolfhounds - Feeling So Strange Again