Anything from Cracker or Camper Van Beethoven is awesome. Both are vehicles for the mighty songwriting prowess and general jadedness of David Lowery, one of my minor deities.
Anything from Cracker or Camper Van Beethoven is awesome. Both are vehicles for the mighty songwriting prowess and general jadedness of David Lowery, one of my minor deities.
New Order (Bernard Sumner) reminded me of 808 State and Electronic (Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr).
Was Love and Rockets mentioned yet?
The Happy Mondays, Pet Shop Boys.
Nitzer Ebb.
*Edit*- The Smithereens. It took me all day to remember their name...
Later 90's...
Fiona Apple
AngryCorvair said:
Any love for Big Head Todd and The Monsters?
Oh yeah. Of course my name is Todd and I have a big head. Not like freakishly huge but big.
Dishwalla Pet Your Friends was on a lot when we lived in Akron in the mid 90’s
Live’s Throwing Copper was on a lot a few years earlier when we lived in Indianapolis.
Bush Glycerine
Tonic’s Lemon Parade disc was a favorite too
I can't believe the thread had made it this long without mention of The Offspring. Their first 4 albums are all extremely solid. Green Day 'Dookie' album is great. First two Weezer albums. No Doubt 'Tragic Kingdom'. I'm conflicted in recommending Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan is such a douche.
In reply to vwcorvette :
WEQX was my favorite radio station when I lived up that way. They had some of the best original programming.
It takes me back. Imagine you're driving down Route 7 in NY, right around Tibbits Forest, and the sun starts peeking up above the mountains and you hear The Cranes - Beautiful Friend for the first time.
The Cranes seem to be the absolute minimal music you need to be Goth.
Fugazi - waiting room
Rocket from the crypt - ditch digger
Beck - looser
Everclear - heroin girl
Jeff Buckley - grace
Portishead - glory box
R.A T.M. - bullet in the head
Radiohead - creep
For an Aussie perspective of 80's and (moreso) 90's alternative check out any of the following artists.
Nick cave and the bad seeds (also boys next door and the birthday party), spiderbait, tism, powderfinger, you am i, silverchair, ratcat, grinspoon, magic dirt, regurgitator, the triffids, gerling, frenzal rhomb.
In reply to clutchsmoke :
You’re not wrong, but Appleseed was specifically asking for smaller, lesser-known stuff. Offspring and the Pumpkins were huge.
Brett_Murphy said:In reply to vwcorvette :
WEQX was my favorite radio station when I lived up that way. They had some of the best original programming.
It takes me back. Imagine you're driving down Route 7 in NY, right around Tibbits Forest, and the sun starts peeking up above the mountains and you hear The Cranes - Beautiful Friend for the first time.
The Cranes seem to be the absolute minimal music you need to be Goth.
I'm just outside their range where I live in Vermont. I use their app a lot. I like Sunday morning toast and jam.
I don't see much 90s emo in here yet, so here goes nothing
z31maniac said:I posit that Tyler is the better Toadies song off Rubberneck. Even though the lyrics are creepy as hell.
And Possum Kingdom's lyrics aren't?
This thread is making me feel ooooooold. Early Alternative is 90s music?!?!?! My first thoughts were bands like Siouxie and the Banshees, The Church and Echo and the Bunnymen.
I still LOVE "Under the Milky Way" by The Church.
I only started appreciating this actually early alternative music maybe 5yrs ago. I'm learning there's great music in every decade in amongst the E36 M3ty stuff.
Most of the music I stole from Columbia House and Napster has already been covered but no mention yet of The Presidents of the United States of America:
Back on page 1, the first reply includes
Harvey Danger - Flag pole sitta
I am reminded that I once heard an interview with the lead singer of the hugely popular, one hit wonder where he stated something like...
He wished he had not been so damn "artistic" and named the song Pole Sitta. If he had just named it, "I'm not sick but I'm not well" he would have sold more copies because people could actually find it...and he'd be rich.
Some Googling bring up this interview and this quote..
I wish I had had the berkeleying sense to change the name of the song. “I’m Not Sick But I’m Not Well” is what everybody calls it. And if I had done that instead of thinking it was somehow less artistic, less honest, or whatever, to change the name of the song after we had already played it in front of the 87 people we were playing to in those days, we’d be having this conversation on my yacht.
akamcfly said:My first thoughts were bands like Siouxie and the Banshees,
I think the bands you mentioned are considered post-punk.
Siouxsie does the best version of Dear Prudence Yes, even better than the Beatles.
The Cowboy Junkies do the best version of Sweet Jane
Brett_Murphy said
The Cowboy Junkies do the best version of Sweet Jane
Lou Reed was often quoted as saying that the Cowboy Junkies' version was his favourite.
It's a damn good version even though it is nearly a completely different song from the Velvet Underground original
John Welsh said:Brett_Murphy said
The Cowboy Junkies do the best version of Sweet JaneIt's a damn good version even though it is nearly a completely different song from the Velvet Underground original
That album was recorded in an old church and it's all echo-y and airy. They also covered "I'm so lonesome I could cry" on that album.
Brett_Murphy said:
Siouxsie does the best version of Dear Prudence Yes, even better than the Beatles.
Perhaps, but their version of The Passenger isn't as good as Iggy's original. :)
akamcfly said:John Welsh said:Brett_Murphy said
The Cowboy Junkies do the best version of Sweet JaneIt's a damn good version even though it is nearly a completely different song from the Velvet Underground original
That album was recorded in an old church and it's all echo-y and airy. They also covered "I'm so lonesome I could cry" on that album.
It was also recorded on a single omnidirectional mic. That’s one of my favorite albums, not the least for the engineering.
John Welsh said:Back on page 1, the first reply includes
Harvey Danger - Flag pole sitta
I am reminded that I once heard an interview with the lead singer of the hugely popular, one hit wonder where he stated something like...
He wished he had not been so damn "artistic" and named the song Pole Sitta. If he had just named it, "I'm not sick but I'm not well" he would have sold more copies because people could actually find it...and he'd be rich.
Some Googling bring up this interview and this quote..
I wish I had had the berkeleying sense to change the name of the song. “I’m Not Sick But I’m Not Well” is what everybody calls it. And if I had done that instead of thinking it was somehow less artistic, less honest, or whatever, to change the name of the song after we had already played it in front of the 87 people we were playing to in those days, we’d be having this conversation on my yacht.
I hate that song. And I also hate that it’s called “Sitta”.
Wall of Voodoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyCEexG9xjw
When I lived in San Diego in the 90s, the location alternative station was 91X. They were a "border blaster" station broadcasting out of Tijuana at higher power than the FCC would have allowed, and they had a particular fondness for this song. :)
Earlier today, I was in the car with XM's '90s Classic Alternative station named Lithium. The song was Joe Jackson's "I'm the Man."
I was reminded of how well the song has stood up over the years. It should be noted that this is a 1979 song. The album in general would be considered New Wave but this song teatered on the edge of Punk. Its a song best caught live like this version. Or, this version.
I think you have a garage band, learning "I'm the Man" and making it sort of yours could be a path to a hit. A song obscure enough that it might look to your own.
For other humor, look at this TV, lip sync version that also has a little "punk-ish" rebellion to it. I get the sense that the band did this TV show because that what the promoters forced them to do.
Joe Jackson Album #1, Look Sharp is here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEvr99j7ruPwRDYdBgzfakOMrwr6n5kYS
Then, after (and I mean right after) two commercially successful albums of rock/pop/punk/new wave, what does Joe Jackson put out...
Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive an album of 1940's style Swing and Jive. Like mentioned in the Wiki listing, if you thought '90s swing revival like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was cool, then Joe Jackson was even cooler 15 years earlier.
What's the use of getting sober (when you gotta get drunk again)
His following albums were slower and adult contemporary which gave him his most popular song, Stepping out
A crazy career from what I think is a versatile musical who is greatly under appreciated. To circle back, a song still played today on a '90's "Classic Alternative" station (and rightfully so) is from a guy who in a span of less than 5 years put out everything from Pop/Punk to Swing to Adult Easy Listening Contemporary and all of it "legit" for each genre.
codrus said:Perhaps, but their version of The Passenger isn't as good as Iggy's original. :)
You're right, which is why I didn't say it was. 
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