Welcome to Audiofemme’s new monthly record review column, Musique Boutique<\/strong>, written by music journo vet Gillian G. Gaar<\/a>. Every fourth Monday, Musique Boutique offers a cross-section of noteworthy reissues and new releases guaranteed to perk up your ears.<\/em><\/p>\n

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It was the summer of 1995, and the cool kids were dancing to delicious pop treats by the likes of Elizabeth Bunny, Powder, and Velocette. Wait a minute \u2014 who? Don\u2019t be surprised if those names don\u2019t ring a bell. These artists didn\u2019t really make much of a splash outside their native UK, where their record releases were mostly confined to singles. Which is what makes Super Sonics: 40 Junkshop Britpop Greats<\/em><\/a> (RPM) such an enticing collection of undiscovered treats.<\/p>\n

Britpop was the UK\u2019s answer to grunge, trading in the melancholy wash of the latter for something that was bright, sparkly, and above all, British. It had the catchiness of British Invasion pop, the stylishness of glam, and the sarcasm of punk. \u201cJunkshop\u201d refers to another source of musical inspiration: thrift stores, where those in search of recordings off the beaten track could find all manner of oddities awaiting discovery in the record bins.<\/p>\n

Mix it all together and who knows what\u2019s going to come out? It\u2019s how you got numbers like the swaggering \u201cRough Lover\u201d by Posh, which has Pippa Brooks ticking off said lover\u2019s attributes with caustic relish, set against a jagged, heavy rock beat. Or the giddy good fun of \u201cCome out 2 Nite<\/a>\u201d by Kenickie, which has singer Lauren Laverne reaching out to encourage you to join in: \u201cWe don\u2019t have time to be sad\/Come out tonight, you\u2019ve got to grab it\/If you want to have it.\u201d Or the power pop\/new wave drive of Heavenly\u2019s sweetly sarcastic \u201cTrophy Girlfriend<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n