Yeah, the JAMC started it in 1984 inspired by the pop melodies of the '60s girl groups, The Beach Boys and bubblegum pop, but surrounding the tunes in feedback and buzzsaw guitars. It was Ramones -ish, but owed more to moodiness of The Velvet Underground than the upbeat power of The Who. Anyway, whatever the MO, it produced a number of great guitar bands with melodic songs, which sound just as good today.
Never got to see JAMC, even though they toured recently. Seen Primal Scream several times, though they rarely play any stuff that is pre-Screamadilica. David Gedge has such a great voice for Wedding Present which is what made him stand out for me. The whole shoe-gazing scene is making a revival now, with some good bands about - I'll post some later