14 Iced Bears - Hold on Inside: Complete Recordings 1991-1986 [2CD Remastered] (2013)

Brighton s 14 ICED BEARS emerged in 1986 as part of the C86 generation of Indie-Pop bands. Early singles Inside (1986) and Balloon Song (1987) were quintessential jangly guitar nuggets, issued on ex-TVPs bassist Mark Flunder s Frank label. After an EP Come Get Me for the impeccably cool Sarah Records, they signed to Thunderball in 1988 for more psychedelic World I Love and Mother Sleep and eponymous debut album. 1991 s second LP Wonder was a more sprawling, adventurous creation (close to shoegazer territory) but 14 Iced Bears split soon after. They reunited in 2010 and have since played Indietracks and some shows in the USA. The band are performing at the Scared To Get Happy Indie festival at London s 229 Club on June 22nd to pre-empt this welcome anthology. John Peel s enthusiasm was clearly evident: I like these Iced Bears, all fourteen of them!