Need to get your shamrock shaking? May I suggest the "hey, whaddya mean they're not Irish" Milltown Brothers and their delicious A&M debut single, "Apple Green". Sounding like the world's best garage band, if the garage had enough room for a swinging horn section, and sporting some excellent Jesus and Mary fringe, the Milltown Brothers held indie pop in place while the 80's became the 90's and everyone tried to sort out what that transition meant. All these years later I still have no idea what the kid is on about on "Apple Green" but he sounds young and snotty and sure that everything that awaits him will be handled with aplomb and, with the way everything around him sounds as though it shivers in anticipation, you can't help but believe that he is right.
Momentary poster children of the UK music rags, their debut album, "Slinky" received greatly deserved high praise but the follow up, "Valve", released in 1993, could not withstand the pressure in the wake of Nirvana and the band were quietly dropped from A&M and then went their separate ways. They re-grouped in 2004 for the self-released "Rubberband" and, once again, received the praise of the press but little commercial interest. Over the years, the reputation of "Slinky" has only grown, as has the misconception that the band was from Ireland. In fact, led by brothers Mike and Simon Nelson, the Milltown Brothers hailed from the Colne, Lancashire, which was, of course, a mill town.
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