Fountains Of Wayne

Power-pop heroes Fountains Of Wayne released six smart albums full of wry lyrics and sticky hooks. Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood met at university and formed Fountains Of Wayne, named after a New Jersey outdoor-furniture shop, in 1995. After the duo recorded a demo that got them signed, drummer Brian Young and guitarist Jody Porter joined the group, and their self-titled debut came out in 1996. Schlesinger and Collingwood’s songwriting partnership produced gems like the shaggy “Radiation Vibe” and the giddily fuzzed-out “Denise”, causing critics and diehards to hail them as pop geniuses; the band hit the mainstream with the faithful Cars homage “Stacy’s Mom”, which was accompanied by a video starring supermodel Rachel Hunter. Fountains Of Wayne split in 2013, and Schlesinger went on to write and produce songs for stage, TV and The Monkees; he passed away from Covid in 2020, and the three remaining band members honoured him with a reunion show.