Elastica

History

In mid-1992, ex-Suede band members Justine Frischmann and Justin Welch decided to form a group. By autumn of that year, bassist Annie Holland and guitarist Donna Matthews were added. After initially gigging under names such as "Onk", they settled on the name "Elastica" in October 1992. They released their first single, "Stutter", in October 1993, which benefited from the promotional efforts of BBC Radio 1 DJ and Deceptive Records label boss Steve Lamacq, who discovered the band earlier that year. In 1994, they released two UK Top 20 singles, "Line Up" and "Connection", and performed on numerous radio shows. Frischmann's relationship with Blur frontman Damon Albarn made tabloid headlines.

Connection

"Connection" is a song by Britpop group Elastica. It was originally released on 10 October 1994 as a single and included on their self-titled debut album in 1995.

The song debuted and peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart and became one of the few Britpop songs to gain popularity in North America, reaching number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number nine on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. In an interview with Zane Lowe, Damon Albarn mentions playing the synthesizer intro on a Yamaha QY10 handheld sequencer.

Reception

Pitchfork said, "Elastica crafted one of the marvels of the Britpop era: art-rock reconfigured as a carnal rallying cry. All leftward hooks and innuendo, "Connection" never hits its target squarely. The single sounds simple, even primal, as Elastica bashes their dive-bomb riff with enthusiasm." AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine observes that on its release, "Connection" was criticized "for taking the keyboard riff from Wire's "Three Girl Rhumba," though he also notes that "Elastica can make the rigid artiness of Wire into a rocking, sexy single with more hooks than anything on Pink Flag."

Stutter

"Stutter" is the debut single by the Britpop group Elastica and was written by lead singer Justine Frischmann. It was originally released as a single in the UK in November 1993 and in the US in September 1994.

The song was later included on the band's 1995 self-titled debut album. The single, which received positive reviews from critics, charted in the US and Canada.

Background

"Stutter" was written by Elastica's lead singer, Justine Frischmann. The song is a little over two minutes long and contains just two verses and two choruses because Frischmann thought that any more would be unnecessary. The lyrics are about "the occasional problem of drunken male impotence."

Release

"Stutter" was first released in November 1993 for the independent Deceptive label. It was released initially as a 7" only and sold out within one day. Although it was a limited edition of only 1,500 pressings, the single generated enormous media exposure for the band: based solely on the strength of it, Elastica was voted Best New Band in the year's-end Readers Poll in Melody Maker. To avoid overexposure, the song was deliberately not worked into North American radio until later in 1995, after which it charted in both the US and Canada.

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics. Spin wrote that "[The single] Stutter delivers four brilliant pop songs". In a review of the band’s self-titled album, Douglas Wolk of CMJ New Music Monthly wrote: "Elastica's best moments are all on its own, especially the astonishing single 'Stutter'".

Music video

The song's music video, which was directed by David Mould, was filmed in San Francisco, California and aired regularly on MTV in 1995. It features the band members playfully meandering from Grant Avenue in Chinatown to the Broadway stretch of strip clubs and other adult businesses.