Nick Laird-Clowes' claim to fame came in the form of the monstrous 1985 hit "Life In A Northern Town." His group, the Dream Academy, were poster children for a kind of neo-psychedelic, anti-punk backlash among arty British types that helped found the English school of alternative music that still exists today (Curve, Blur, Verve, Travis, et al.). "Life in A Northern Town" (a paean to Nick Drake) became a touchstone for a generation of starry-eyed college girls and earnest young men, but the Dream Academy proved to be a one-hit wonder, commercially at least. The group never repeated the success of their debut single, and the group broke up after three albums. Their debut or a good best-of can usually be purchased as an import. Member Kate St. John has led a fairly distinguished solo career, while Laird-Clowes has remained active both in music (Pink Floyd, Trashmonk) and film.

Before Dream Academy, Laird-Clowes cut one record with Alfalfa (1977), but in my view, he made his greatest mark with The Act, a smart, pop-oriented new wave band that cut but one record, Too Late At Twenty, in 1981. The group included Mark Gilmour (brother of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, who later coproduced Dream Academy's debut), and Too Late at Twenty is littered with pithy songs, many showing a vague Springsteen influence. Unfortunately, it flopped, has never been issued on CD, and is insanely hard to find. Searching down records like this one is the stuff record collecting is made of... try eBay. Good luck! [top of page]