Formed in the early 1980s from the ashes of notable Bristol post-punk poetic pranksters the Art Objects, the Blue Aeroplanes (or The Blue Aeroplanes) have ignored the dictates of fashion (or common sense) ever since with their unique blend of rock/pop/folk/poetry/dance/art/mayhem. First album Bop Art appeared on their own label in 1984 (the same year as first releases by Yo La Tengo, Flaming Lips and Red Hot Chili Peppers!) and was rapidly picked up by Abstract (US) and Fire (UK). Tolerance and Spitting Out Miracles followed and the band acquired a huge UK and Europe following leading to their 1990 signing to Ensign Records (Chrysalis in the US). Tours with REM (UK) and the Church (US) and the release of UK chart albums Swagger and Beatsongs followed, before the sale of Chrysalis to EMI in 1991 forced the cancellation of the first Aeroplanes headline tour of America just as their trans-Atlantic pop cross-over single Yr Own World was receiving rotation airplay across the country. Out of step with both Brit-pop and grunge, the band signed to Beggars Banquet and released Life Model (Warner Bros in the US) and Rough Music in 1994 and 1995. At this point, things became slightly murky and confused as a succession of incidents including death, madness, divorce and family problems (the Aeroplanes membership has involved more than a dozen siblings, almost certainly a record) resulted in leader Gerard Langley retreating to Bristol, England to write his definitive (though still unfinished) History Of Rock Music. A solo album, Record Player (kick-started by an Aeroplanes line-up refusing to play Status Quos Paper Plane) followed in 1999 before the Blue Aeroplanes (or The Blue Aeroplanes) re-convened on record with a folk-punk setting of a 12-part poem Gerard had written about the effects of the English Civil War on contemporary life. The resulting Cavaliers album was successful enough for the band to sign (ironically enough) to EMI to release the critically-acclaimed Swagger Deluxe and Altitude albums (2006) [REVIEWS BELOW]. Released in the UK only, the absence of a US release led to a parting of the ways with EMI. (With the band retaining all rights to the Altitdue album outside the UK). With the new album When Things Are Good sounding like a collision between the Hold Steady, Lou Reed with a British accent and Bright Eyes, the Aeroplanes are heading for South By South West with their greatest statement of intent yet, including the monstrous punk-pop classic 25 Kinds Of Love the funky yet somehow Lynyrd Skynyrd groove of One World Passport and deceptively jaunty Hollywood critique Great Movie Cliches. Plus songs about novelists, cancer, 22 year-old Scarlett Johanssen lookalikes, birthday suits, LA hotel love, Paul Klee and the Devil. What more could a jaded world possibly want? www.theblueaeroplanes.com for farther bits of info, downloadable photos, unreleased tracks, videos and reviews.