the flatmates 86-89

I don’t have my usual energy for a big ol’ long-winded post tonight, and, because I’m still battling a mild temperature which drifts in and out between doses of Dayquil, I’d like to get to bed at a semi-decent hour. So I’m taking it easy. Please forgive this half-assed post—the Flatmates certainly deserve more than I can give ‘em tonight.



Long story short, the Flatmates were around for the latter part of the eighties and were a part of what later came to be known as the C86 scene in Britain. They recorded a number of killer singles and the usual number of comp tracks before going bust in ’89. A posthumous LP, Love and Death, followed, collecting the best of the singles and comp tracks alongside new recordings from the band. After being out-of-print for years, someone (Thank you, Clairecords) finally had the sense to reissue this band’s finest moments.

Something that's really bemused me in the intervening years is how The Flatmates picked up a twee tag. Our early demos were cover versions of songs by The Ramones, Stooges and Velvet Underground. Whilst I'll never deny the debt owed to Blondie, The Ronettes and Shangri Las we always tried to combine that with gutsy guitar thrash.
—guitarist Martin Whitehead on TweeNet

The Flatmates – I Could Be in Heaven
The Flatmates – So In Love With You
The Flatmates – Shimmer

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