Blow Monkeys, The

An often underrated group, known for their political lyrics as well as their way with a groove. Initially oriented toward live instrumentation, their singles "Diggin' Your Scene" and "It Doesn't Have To Be This Way" were classics in their field, as well as sizeable hits in the UK and elsewhere. They were one of the first mainstream acts to jump aboard the house bandwagon in the mid-80s and by the end of the decade were pushing a heavily club-oriented, synth-based sound. Though this version of the Blow Monkeys never quite matched their earlier mainstream success, its records are well worth checking out. Their 1989 singles collection "Choices" is biased toward the later electronic sound, but also contains the earlier hits and represents a good starting-point for new listeners.