...they must have wool in their ears...

The Housemartins formed back in the mid-80's and were known for their pop-sensibility coupled with a bit a soul and gospel. You'll hear bits of the Smiths in here...but I feel they kind of carved a little musical niche of their own. Their first album "London0, Hull 4", is by far my favorite, although "Now That's What I Call Quite Good," a collection of b-sides and rarities, is just that. They're one of those bands that did better in the UK than here in the US, which, when I was listening, made me feel that much better about being a fan. I'm so much smarter than other American teens, aren't I? :)

That being said, the success of their bass player, Norman Cook, as Fatboy Slim, has kept them in and out of the edges of the spotlight. Their singer, Paul Heaton, also went on to form The Beautiful South, who I'm not overly familiar with, although I've liked what I've heard in the past (an ex-girlfriend was a huge fan).

It's easy to find information out there about them: All Music, Trouser Press, The Housemartins Site and lots of others are out there.

It's also quite easy to purchase their music, and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy these two songs. Here's an Amazon link, although you can find their stuff just about anywhere. Although not in the US itunes store, they are in the UK version, which there's a link for here:

And here's are the tunes: Sheep is from "London 0, Hull 4" and I'll Be Your Shelter is from "Now That's What I Call Quite Good."

The Housemartins - Sheep REMOVED
The Housemartins - I'll Be Your Shelter REMOVED