Truck Train Tractor Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Pastels

The Pastels formed in Glasgow in 1981 and, although their somewhat raw and shambolic indie pop sound seemed out of kilter with much of the music being made at the time, it gained them a cult following amongst those involved in the emerging fanzine culture and also amongst some music critics.

The Pastels were featured on the highly influential 'C86' compilation which was issued by the NME and which featured a number of artists who are considered to have had a significant influence on the development of the twee and indiepop genres.

However, The Pastels have attempted to distance themselves from the term twee, feeling it does not truly apply to their music. In 2003 'The Scotsman' newspaper ranked The Pastels' debut 1987 album, 'Up for a Bit With The Pastels', as the thirty-seventh greatest Scottish album of all time. One of The Pastels' best-loved songs, 'Nothing to be Done', was featured on the soundtrack to the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's short story collection 'The Acid House'.

Answer: Manic Street Preachers

'Motorcycle Emptiness' was the fifth single to be taken from MSP's hit debut album 'Generation Terrorists' and managed to reach number seventeen in the singles chart. As with many of the band's songs, the lyrics feature a mixture of literary and cultural references as well as commentary on capitalism and social alienation.

The band have cited S.E. Hinton's book about biker gang culture, 'Rumble Fish', as a major influence on the song's lyrics. The Manics formed in Blackwood in Wales in 1986 and had claimed in early interviews that they would record the 'greatest rock album of all time' and then split up in a blaze of glory. Neither of these things came to pass. 'Generation Terrorists', although a very successful release, did not reach the sixteen million copies in worldwide sales that the band had predicted and the band have stayed together ever since, recording a string of commercially and critically successful albums and singles. Tragedy struck the band in 1995 when guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards mysteriously disappeared.

Answer: Kenickie

Kenickie formed in Sunderland in 1994 when the band members were all in their mid-teens and named themselves after their favourite character from the movie 'Grease'. The band's debut album, 'At the Club', reached number nine in the UK albums chart and produced the top forty singles 'In Your Car', 'Punka' and 'Nightlife'.

Their second album, 1998's 'Get In', was less critically and commercially successful and the band split shortly afterwards, in October 1998. Despite their relatively short career, Kenickie produced an amazing body of work, their early singles and EPs, released through DIY record label Slampt, are filled with forgotten gems and I consider 'At the Club' to be one of the finest British albums of the 1990s.

Answer: Petula Clark

'Don't Sleep in the Subway' was written by prolific song-writing team Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch. The song was to afford Clark her last US top ten single, peaking at number five. In the UK it reached number twelve, a relatively modest showing since her previous single, 'This Is My Song', had topped the chart. Unfortunately for Petula, this trend was to continue as her subsequent releases were to meet with diminishing chart success.

Although Petula Clark had been working in the music industry since the 1940s, it was her string of pop hits in the 1960s that brought her to international attention. Due to the timing of her first global hits she was dubbed the 'first lady of the British invasion'.

Answer: Jens Lekman

Jens Lekman began self-releasing limited edition CDs of his songs in the early 2000s which earned him considerable attention in his native Sweden. When 'Maple Leaves' was released in 2003, both 'Black Cab' and the EP's title track received extensive national airplay and would become firm fan favourites. All of the wit, charm and melancholy that characterises Lekman's music was already present on 'Maple Leaves' and, while it would not enjoy significant commercial success outside of his native Sweden, it did begin to attract an international cult following. Jens released his debut album 'When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog' in 2004 and has released numerous singles, EPs, compilations and even DVDs since then.

He has played all over the world, sometimes as a solo artist with only his guitar, ukulele and backing CD and sometimes with a full band and choir. Due to a mix-up, Jens found himself referred to as Rocky Dennis by some radio stations at the beginning of his career because it was a name mentioned in the title of one of his songs.

Answer: Tracy Chapman

'Fast Car' first came to prominence when Chapman performed the song at the 'Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute'. The song has remained consistently popular since its release, being covered by numerous artists from a range of musical genres. Tracy Chapman was born in Ohio in 1964 and, during her long and successful career, she has released a number of acclaimed albums and has won several Grammy Awards.

Answer: Go Sailor

Even though Go Sailor only performed together for a short time, they gathered a loyal fanbase amongst fans of twee pop who continue to enjoy their music and they still ocasionally reform to play at indiepop festivals. Two of the band's songs were featured on the soundtrack of the fantastic 1999 teen movie 'But I'm A Cheerleader'. Rose Melberg has also been a member of popular twee pop bands Tiger Trap and The Softies while Amy Linton, who has since undergone gender reassignment and is now known simply as Linton, was a member of acclaimed indiepop band The Aislers Set.

Answer: The Shangri-Las

Though it was tucked away on the b-side of a single which barely scraped into the American top one hundred singles chart, 'The Train from Kansas City' is often considered to be one of the group's finest musical achievements. It was written by legendary hit-writing team Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry who had written several other songs for The Shangri-Las.

The band was comprised of two sets of sisters and formed in New York City in 1963 when the group were all in their mid teens. Compared to many of the other groups of the time, The Shangri-Las were known for their tougher and more streetwise sound and image.

Many of their records dealt with serious and often melancholy subject matter. The Shangri-Las are probably best known now for their hit single 'Leader of the Pack', still instantly recognisable for its motorbike sound effects, trademark Shangri-Las 'call and response' delivery and for its grim denouement.

Answer: Guided by Voices

Guided by Voices formed in 1983 and had numerous line-up changes during their initial twenty year career. However, principal singer and songwriter Robert Pollard remained the one constant member of the band and instigated its reformation in 2010. Guided by Voices are known for their lo-fi sound and for rarely recording any song that lasts longer than two minutes.

They are also known for their prolific musical output, having released countless singles, EPs and albums over the years.

Answer: M.I.A.

'Paper Planes' is an extraordinary record, infectious, compelling and both political and witty. It was taken from M.I.A.'s second album, 'Kala', and has become a top ten hit in a number of countries including the UK and USA. The backing track to 'Paper Planes' samples The Clash's 1982 song 'Straight to Hell'. M.I.A. was born in London in 1975 to Sri Lankan parents and moved back to Sri Lanka with her parents when she was a baby before returning to the UK when she was around eleven. M.I.A.'s father is a renowned political activist in Sri Lanka and M.I.A. appears to have inherited much of his political fervour, regularly discussing her political concerns in her music and artwork.