C86

C86 is/was a cassette compilation released by the British music magazine New Musical Express (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, and is now often used synonymously with “indie pop” or “twee”, although other musical styles were represented on the tape. Edit this Artist photo: The Wolfhounds

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RussellChap

C81 good C86 not so good

September 2011
staywaivy

geezus

December 2010
POTDL

nme sux, so is this term sucking to?

October 2010
THee-BeAtNiK

Dig-it

September 2010
natalieshaw

Pocketbooks play Pic 'n' Mixx at London's Buffalo Bar on Saturday May 29, with Cola Jet Set, Foxes! and The Cavalcade. Come! http://www.last.fm/event/1447607+Pic+%27n%27+Mixx /// http://www.wegottickets.com/event/75482

May 2010
flookster

The NME also pressed a promo run of 500 copies of this compilation on 12in vinyl. I know this because my brother bought me a copy from 2nd hand record store in Manchester circa 1988. I still have it somewhere.

November 2009
blossomtoe

The NME used to do occasional cassettes of the hot new bands of the day. The two most infamous are probably C81 and C86 (C as in Cassette plus the year of release). C86 happened to have many of the stalwarts of the janglepop/twee movement on it and thus the name became synonymous with the movement. To my eternal shame, I actually had that original C86 cassette and lost it at some point :-(

April 2009
redrag2abull

...does anyone know if a band called The Singing Ringing Tree recorded anything for C86.

March 2009