Easterhouse

Emerging amid the mid-'80s as a fiercely political outfit that never fulfilled its early promise, Easterhouse built an opening sound around roaring, reverb-soaked guitars that recalled the Chameleons meeting the Smiths. Morrissey of the Smiths voiced strong admiration for the group, drawn to its leftist politics and thunderous attack, yet internal fractures soon surfaced. By the second album the original lineup had all but dissolved, with only one founding member left.

Andy Perry on vocals and his brother Ivor on guitar launched Easterhouse in Stretford, Manchester, during the mid-'80s; Mike Murray on rhythm guitar, Gary Rostock on drums, and Peter Vanden on bass completed the initial roster. Songwriter Andy Perry, whose communist convictions shaped the lyrics, joined reluctantly as frontman after being asked to strengthen the words. Rough Trade released the 1985 single "Whistling in the Dark" and the 1986 single "Inspiration," both of which reached the U.K. independent-chart Top Ten, before the full-length debut Contenders appeared in 1986. The album achieved modest domestic notice but made virtually no impact stateside.

Ivor Perry, whose differing views had clashed with his brother's, exited after Contenders and teamed with guitarist Craig Gannon, previously of Aztec Camera and the Smiths, in the Cradle. Murray, Rostock, and Vanden departed soon afterward, leaving Andy Perry to rebuild with drummer Dave Verner plus guitarists Steve Lovell, Lance Sabin, and Neil Taylor. The personnel shifts postponed the follow-up, so Waiting for the Redbird did not surface until 1989. Its reliance on programmed, contemporary textures felt awkward and has dated badly. Still, "Come Out Fighting" outperformed every Smiths single in the U.S., reaching number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and a Top Ten placement on the modern-rock chart. The band dissolved shortly after the album's release.