Idolator
Welcome to another edition of the Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files, in which we try to win your hearts and minds with a forgotten song that deserved a better life.
Artist: The Shivvers
Song: "Teenline," 1980
What happened: Milwaukee teen Jill Kossoris hooked up with some fellow powerpop devotees in the late '70s, and the group they formed—the Shivvers—started off by practicing cover songs in her parents' basement. Kossoris penned the ode to phone-chat love "Teenline" in 1980, and it was the A-side of their lone single; the band gigged around Wisconsin, opening for the Shoes and the Stooges, before breaking up a few years later.
Why it should have been a hit: We've played "Teenline" for many friends of ours, and they all have the same reaction: "Where did you find this?!" It's about as bright a pop gem as you can find, from its instantly hummable guitar opening to the piano-fueled coda that closes it out. Thankfully, the band's hooky songs haven't been lost to the used-vinyl dustbins—the tireless pop archivers at Hyped2Death have collected their entire output, including performance videos from local TV shows.
The Shivvers - Teenline [MP3, link expired]
SHIVVERS - TEENLINE [YouTube]
The SHIVVERS -(lost hits...) [hyped2death.com]
Comments
there was a great version of this by swedish indie-pop darling hello saferide a while ago. well worth tracking down
The hits continue with this little series... and this is one I'd never heard of. Kudos.
Can any other band in history count "opening for the Shoes and the Stooges" as part of their career? Talk about broad appeal.
there was a wonderful version of this by swedish indiepop princess Hello Saferide floating around the interweb recently. well worth hunting down.
Comment on this post
Reply by EmailLogin with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?