My college radio career was filled with bands that were staples at the time only to fade into the mist in the years after. I suspect that’s fairly common. Even putting aside the artists that took their turn at the top of the CMJ charts and faced eternal indifference outside of the blissful bubble of noncommercial radio, each college radio station always seemed to have their own set of favorites with each new record by the performers in question treated with the same adoration usually reserved for the likes of R.E.M. and Sonic Youth. Often these were local (or at least nearby) bands, but not exclusively. The consensus of the greater music community may or may not have been reflected in the enthusiasm of the individuals station programmers and DJs. That didn’t matter, really. Something about the band and those records spoke to the members of the station in just the right way at just the right time.

That’s how I remember The Darling Buds. I have no recollection as to how well they fared on national charts or how much airplay they got on MTV’s 120 Minutes. I just know they were one of those bands that everyone around my radio station seemed to like, and each one of their three albums got respectable attention, at least while they were in the new music rotation. It helped that the band made perfect records for radio. They were packed with tight, potent songs that grabbed attention from the opening beats. The longest song on their debut, Pop Said…, was comfortably under four minutes, perfect for DJs who were always keeping one eye on the clock, figuring out how to fit in as many songs as possible and still hit the AP Network News break at the top of the hour with pinpoint precision.

For me, the Darling Buds had the added appeal of living out the entirety of their career while I was in college. Their debut album came out in 1988 at right around the time I started, and their final release, 1992’s Erotica (which is much better than the other album entitled Erotica that year), showed up near the end of my tenure. It’s like they made records just for me, making sure I always had some poppy greatness to reach for while I was sitting in the 90FM air chair. Their sensibility got a little darker and more cynical as they moved along, which was also in accordance with the collegiate experience for me and most of my peers. It helped complete the circle, and make it feel like the band was one of ours, like playing their record wasn’t just about sharing a song make a little statement about the nature of ourselves and our station. This is who we are, and we sound damn good.

The Darling Buds, “If”

(Disclaimer: Happily, the first two albums by The Darling Buds seem to be in print, a status that has not been afforded to their third and final release. So the song that can be found by clicking the hyperlink above comes from that record. If anyone with due authority to do so requests its removal from the Interweb, I will gladly and promptly comply. Also, it’s worth noting that Amazon thinks that anyone who likes The Darling Buds may also like The Primitives. Got that right.)