Po! was an indie band formed in Leicester, UK in 1987, with releases dating up to 1997 on Rutland Records. Leicester city centre, looking towards clock tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the English East Midlands. ... See also: 1986 in music, other events of 1987, 1988 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 3 - Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... See also: 1996 in music, other events of 1997, 1998 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic...

History

Po! was originally formed by Ruth Miller (vocals and guitar), with Julian Glover (bass) and Mark Fuccio (drums). Usually subsumed under the C86 or twee pop headings - which is not essentially to misrepresent them - they were nevertheless possessed of considerable originality. In particular, the themes of misogyny, disappointment, and nostalgia act as a counterpoint to the vocals, melodies, and jangly guitars which are so characteristic of the C86 genre. Taken literally, C86 was simply a cassette given away with the (British) New Musical Express in 1986 (hence (C)assette 86). ... Twee pop is a type of indie pop that is known for simple, sweet melodies and lyrics, often with jangling guitars and a noted emphasis on childlike naivete. ...

Very much part of the fanzine scene, Po!'s first release was the flexidisc Hopscotch in the Snow, which a Leicestershire fanzine Samantha produced from locally recorded demos in 1987. This was picked up by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and provoked some interest. There followed an LP, released on the band's own Rutland Records label, entitled Little Stones, 1000 copies of which were pressed. It cost just £20 to record; Ruth folded and glued all of the sleeves by hand. Bob Dylan, an obvious influence, is represented in the form of a cover version of "All I Really Wanna Do". This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... BBC Radio 1 is a British radio station, specialising in popular music aimed at the 16-24 age bracket. ... Autobiography John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was a British disc jockey, radio presenter, and journalist. ... Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and poet whose enduring contributions to American song are often compared, in fame and influence, to those of Stephen Foster, Irving Berlin, Woody Guthrie, and Hank Williams. ...

Ruth spent two years playing with Ruth's Refrigerator, before reconstituting Po! with Terri Lowe (guitar), Paul Knight (drums), and Gary Gilchrist (bass), in which configuration they produced their highlight album Ducks and Drakes, and several EPs which many count as amongst the C86 genre's highest achievements.

In 1994 the band recorded a John Peel session, and two years later there followed an LP Not Marked on the Ordnance Map, by which time Gilchrist had left and Lowe taken on bass and guitar duties. In 1997 The Alphabet EP was released, which the NME journalist Steven Wells, surprisingly given his well-known scorn for all things fey, made Single of the Week. Its presence on the ensuing album Horse Blanket Weather could not prevent the record seeming a disappointment in the light of what had come before. See also: 1993 in music, other events of 1994, 1995 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music. // Events January 29 - The Supremes Mary Wilson is injured when her jeep hits a freeway median and flips over just outside of Los Angeles, California. ... See also: 1996 in music, other events of 1997, 1998 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic... The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a music magazine in the UK which has been published weekly since March 1952. ... Steven Wells is a journalist and author. ...

Miller, who played the character of Bridget in the comedy soap opera "Chez Lester", broadcast on the Cable 7 community TV channel, and Lowe are now married with two children. Ruth works as a deputy headmistress.

Discography

Albums

• Little Stones (1989)
• Bedroom Tapes Vol.1 (1989)
• Bedroom Tapes Vol.2 (1990)
• Ducks And Drakes (1993)
• Not Marked On The Ordance Map (1996)
• Past Perfect Tense (1997)
• Horse Blanket Weather (1998)
• Bedroom Tapes Vol.3 (19??)
• Bedroom Tapes Vol.4 (19??)
• Live In Leicester (19??)
• Fragile Debris (19??)

Singles

• Hopscotch In The Snow (1988)
• Grains Of Sand (1991)
• Things That Might / When (1992)
• Fay (1992)
• Northern Wonder (1994)
• A Page A Day (1996)

EPs

• Treasure (1992)
• The Alphabet (1997)

External Links

• PO! on TweeNet
• Po! at MusicBrainz.org