Children of anti-rockist post-punk bands like the Pop Group, Fire Engines, and Gang of Four, Manchester, England’s bIG fLAME was a self-proclaimed “tense and quirky three-piece pop group,” combining the restless talents of bassist/vocalist Alan Brown, guitarist Greg O’Keefe, and drummer David “Dil” Green (the one who looked like Harry Connick Jr. with a squirrel on his head). They carried on the traditions set by the U.K. ’s vibrant post-punk scene of 1978-1981: they favored three-song 7” singles over 12” releases and LPs; their encore-free gigs lasted less than half an hour; the longest song they recorded is well under three minutes; there weren’t any songs with “baby” in the title; there weren’t any guitar solos, just lots of atonal screeching, off-kilter rhythms, and vocals that were jaggedly crooned and yelped. During their four-year existence, they issued six singles and appeared on a handful of compilations, including the famed C86 cassette released by the NME.