1000 Mexicans - The Last Pop Song 12”

1000 Mexicans were a British indie band between 1983 and 1986, combining pop song writing and rhythmic and harmonic style with their unique touches of experimentalism and eccentricity. Despite success in Europe and consistent critical acclaim, they never found favour with the UK record industry who appeared confused by their singular brand of humour and sometimes anarchic live shows. Described by one journalist as "the musical equivalent of the 70s Dutch team with their total football", the trio of Julian Griffin, Michael Harding and Andrew Hobday exchanged vocal and instrumental duties at the drop of a sombrero, "mixing melody and mayhem in equal measure". The Mexicans swim closer to Gang of Four or even the poppier songs by The Pop Group than anything with the tag "new romanticism"...and yet it is not new-wave but more arty post-punk, with a clear dissonant touch and a minimalist funk groove (mainly because the sax). If you really wanted to pigeon hole this EP you could say it was the missing link between dancing no-wave US post-punk and the arty English post-punk. "Statistics" would be The Pop Group with minimal synths...