Chris mapped every #1 hit since 1958... but that means he missed the counterculture. On the final New Music DNA, I make him a mix that pairs '90s classics he missed with new artists they inspired.
The nineties were my era. I turned 18 the week Nevermind was released. Last year I read Mark Yarm's oral history of Grunge 'Everybody Loves Our Town', which opens with members of the U-Men grappling with the logistics of setting fire to a moat. After the U-Men imploded, a couple of them went on to play in Cat Butt, whose tour with L7 is legendary in a 'I can't believe nobody died' kind of way. I recommend Cat Butt's first and only album - the unpolished gem 'Journey to the Centre of...'
Reading the Yarm's book made me realise what a stranglehold the weekly music press in the UK held over who got publicity. There are bands mentioned in the book who played a key role in Grunge who I had never heard of.
One of the biggest what ifs in popular music, as far as I am concerned, is 'What if Andrew Wood hadn't OD'd? Mother Love Bone were geared up to be the first breakout band from Seattle, but their album 'Apple' and the Shine EP are stadium rock records. 'Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns' rules but it's nothing that you wouldn't have heard growing up in LA in the late 1980s. It makes me wonder, had Mother Love Bone not come to an abrupt end, would the other Seattle bands have changed their sound to fit their template, in the same way that a load of UK bands in the early 90s dramatically changed their image to fit in with Britpop?
The albums from the 90s that I still listen to regularly are surprising to me: Sharkboy's debut 'Matinee' still gets a lot of love, as does Delicatessen's second album 'Hustle Into Bed' (I still listen to 'Buy a Chance to Breathe' a lot). Gene's first album 'Olympian', Suede's debut and its successor 'Dog Man Star', and the first two Saint Etienne LPs - 'Fox Base Alpha' and 'So Tough' - all get regular airings. Then there are outliers like 'New Wave' and 'After Murder Park' by The Auteurs, the first two Tindersticks albums (both titled 'Tindersticks'), 'Pastoral Hide & Seek by The Gun Club, 'Mexican Moon' by Concrete Blonde, and 'Setting the Woods on Fire' by The Walkabouts.
The most obscure 90s release I still play is 'Firebombs' by Chicane who seemed poised for greater things but imploded before they could record their debut LP. The album compiles their EPs in one place. A few years later another artist began using Chicane as a moniker which effectively erased them from history.
The nineties were great decade for music - the last great decade in my opinion, though I am certain that we won't see eye to eye on that.
a ton of other stuff could use a mention! this article could go on for miles and miles! I left out some of my absolute favorite bands like sleater kinney. in other words keep em coming
Hey @Gabbie, any chance you could include Qobuz in the future? This is admittedly a selfish request, but it also has some community value since they pay artists much better than Spotify and place a lot more value on curation and community to help people find music.
Incredible! Cant wait to give this a deep listen.
I feel only marginally guilty for basically ignoring everything else you told me and focusing on just this one little thing but it had to be done!!
The nineties were my era. I turned 18 the week Nevermind was released. Last year I read Mark Yarm's oral history of Grunge 'Everybody Loves Our Town', which opens with members of the U-Men grappling with the logistics of setting fire to a moat. After the U-Men imploded, a couple of them went on to play in Cat Butt, whose tour with L7 is legendary in a 'I can't believe nobody died' kind of way. I recommend Cat Butt's first and only album - the unpolished gem 'Journey to the Centre of...'
Reading the Yarm's book made me realise what a stranglehold the weekly music press in the UK held over who got publicity. There are bands mentioned in the book who played a key role in Grunge who I had never heard of.
One of the biggest what ifs in popular music, as far as I am concerned, is 'What if Andrew Wood hadn't OD'd? Mother Love Bone were geared up to be the first breakout band from Seattle, but their album 'Apple' and the Shine EP are stadium rock records. 'Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns' rules but it's nothing that you wouldn't have heard growing up in LA in the late 1980s. It makes me wonder, had Mother Love Bone not come to an abrupt end, would the other Seattle bands have changed their sound to fit their template, in the same way that a load of UK bands in the early 90s dramatically changed their image to fit in with Britpop?
The albums from the 90s that I still listen to regularly are surprising to me: Sharkboy's debut 'Matinee' still gets a lot of love, as does Delicatessen's second album 'Hustle Into Bed' (I still listen to 'Buy a Chance to Breathe' a lot). Gene's first album 'Olympian', Suede's debut and its successor 'Dog Man Star', and the first two Saint Etienne LPs - 'Fox Base Alpha' and 'So Tough' - all get regular airings. Then there are outliers like 'New Wave' and 'After Murder Park' by The Auteurs, the first two Tindersticks albums (both titled 'Tindersticks'), 'Pastoral Hide & Seek by The Gun Club, 'Mexican Moon' by Concrete Blonde, and 'Setting the Woods on Fire' by The Walkabouts.
The most obscure 90s release I still play is 'Firebombs' by Chicane who seemed poised for greater things but imploded before they could record their debut LP. The album compiles their EPs in one place. A few years later another artist began using Chicane as a moniker which effectively erased them from history.
The nineties were great decade for music - the last great decade in my opinion, though I am certain that we won't see eye to eye on that.
we don't see eye to eye on that, but of course I think it's one of the greatest
Neutral Milk Hotel (and Elephant 6 bands, Olivia tremor control), and Bikini Kill/le Tigre could use a mention
a ton of other stuff could use a mention! this article could go on for miles and miles! I left out some of my absolute favorite bands like sleater kinney. in other words keep em coming
Oh all the no depression bands - alt country of the 90’s was so good
So many sub genres inside electric music - like Detroit techno or squarepusher or aphex twin or Autechre
Faith No More! Their post-Real Thing albums' avante garde metal-and-more style has a number of imitators these days.
Also post-rock, which started in the 90s and sees a lot of releases these days, although how many of those new releases are good is debatable.
Two other very 90s genres that come to mind are ska and acid jazz.
let me know what 90s artist or genres you would have wanted to share with Chris in this weird little time capsule!
I didn't focus on 90s hip hop only because Chris told me he was already very familiar. there's always something obvious I forget to mention!
Hey @Gabbie, any chance you could include Qobuz in the future? This is admittedly a selfish request, but it also has some community value since they pay artists much better than Spotify and place a lot more value on curation and community to help people find music.
I would love to but I can't afford to maintain accounts on that many platforms.
Fun list. Was glad to see Feeble Little Horse.
I thought it was crazy I hadn't actually formally recommended them in the newsletter before
Good timing then! Their music sounds like a machine that's going to break apart any second.