Six Underrated Bands of the Nineties

Sure, there were plenty of great, influential bands in the nineties such as: Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc. No one ever stops talking about them and I'm grateful for that.  But what about the lesser-known bands who had just as much creative merit and talent, who were not recognized on a grand scale?  Here is my list of six underrated bands of the nineties:

Daisy Chainsaw: Daisy Chainsaw was a one-hit wonder, which is a shame because almost all of their songs are pretty great...well, to me (sadly, I don't think I've ever met any other Daisy Chainsaw fans).  KatieJane Garside's vocals are really distinctive (aggressively sexual, breathy, infantile, and sometimes giggly and maniacal) and the band has this amazing, chaotic/beautiful sound.  KatieJane is gorgeous--she looks like a woman who bakes mud pies and just doesn't give a damn.  The music video for "Love Your Money" on Beavis and Butthead was my introduction to Daisy Chainsaw, and since then I have listened to their Eleventeen album pretty regularly, like probably at least once every few months, and it never gets tiresome.  My favorite Daisy Chainsaw song is "Pink Flower", especially at the end of the song. Too bad I can't embed the video for that one.








Jawbox: I first heard Jawbox on a Dischord music sampler...or maybe on a mix tape, I think;  it was the song "FF=66".  I was pretty blown away by it and bought the album, For Your Own Special Sweetheart, which really impressed me; every song on it was so self-contained and complete.  Normally when I buy an album based on liking one song, all the other songs on the album seem disappointing in comparison.  But Jawbox are pretty solid.  Jawbox sounds like the nineties on steroids, with awesome bass lines and vocal harmonization.   They never wrote anything boring.








Unwound: I discovered Unwound from a Kill Rock Stars compilation that had the song "MKultra" on it.  I admire their disregard for conventional song structure and ability to alternate quietness and LOUDNESS.  My god, they are soooo loud in the best possible way.  I can feel their music vibrating around in my rib cage, and it's so intense it makes me feel like I could explode living room furniture using only the powers of my mind.




Unwound: "Here Come the Dogs"


Refused:  I discovered Refused while watching Headbanger's Ball.  The music video for "New Noise" came on, and when Dennis Lyxzen took the microphone while wearing that adorable little outfit, and shrieked that introductory line of "Can I screeeeeeeaaaaam?!", it felt like he just stole my virginity.  That song and video made my heart palpitate and gave me the urge to jump on my couch and scream "YESSSS!!!!" (in other words, it made me feel like I was in a Mountain Dew commercial), so I bought their albums.  Refused: The Shape of Punk to Come is a masterpiece.  It is a mini-epic.  It even has cellos and stuff.  It's metal--but different.








Shudder to Think:  If you've been reading this blog, you probably already know I am a fan of Shudder to Think, and of the singer, Craig Wedren, in general.  Shudder to Think is an acquired taste, for sure.  They definitely have their own sound, which seems kind of dissonant and unstructured at first but is actually very mathy and deliberate.  The first time I listened to the Pony Express Record, I felt kind of confused, but in a good way... like when a college professor says something profound and you replay it in your head until it makes sense.  Shudder to Think's music is composed of a whole bunch of elements that don't really seem to be cohesive at first, but then halfway through an album you realize it's probably the best thing you've ever heard.

I remember being in high school and seeing a picture of Craig Wedren--I think it was in a magazine, and I stared at it, transfixed.  It was a semi-blurry photo of him standing in front of a microphone leaning forward like he was caught in motion, and I think it was accompanied by an article that said he liked to perform naked sometimes (or maybe I made that up?).  Anyway, I would take this clipping out of my pocket and stare at it a few minutes every day for a few months, and then put it back in my pocket.  I mean, it wasn't even a clear picture, and I would literally just take it out and almost meditate to it.  Yeah, Craig is handsome and all, but seriously, my portable pocket shrine to him went way beyond that.  It was more about inspiration than teenage lust.







Quicksand:  I don't remember where I heard of Quicksand, I can only say that I am a big fan of their music, and I feel disappointed that they weren't given more recognition.  When it comes to inventiveness and musical complexity they completely surpass a lot of the more well-known nineties bands/artists.  I was heavily influenced by them back in high school when I was developing more "grown up" musical tastes.  I think Quicksand's genius is how they managed to embody the '90s zeitgeist (they had that basic nineties sound), but they also incorporated a lot of dissonant solos and instrumental break-downs that really set them apart.  They were both of their time and before their time.  Quicksand is often compared to a lot of other bands, and yes, they do kind of remind me of a mixture between Filter, Tool, and Sonic Youth.  But overall, Quicksand is Quicksand and I like sinking into them (bad pun intended). 

Ifs, Ands, and BUTT SONGS

I just realized something: there are so many songs about butts.  It's pretty unbelievable and also somewhat hilarious.  Here is a virtual mix tape of butt-related tunes.

Virtual Mix Tape: Dark "Love" Songs

I have a goal: to write an incredibly dark, borderline-stalkerish, intense love song that will make people feel both uncomfortable and turned on.  I want it to sound sexy or beautiful, but for people to actually be shocked once they pay attention to the lyrics.  I want it to make people initially be like "Oh wow, that's really intense and passionate--it feels almost personal", but then to read the lyrics and be like "Oh no, that's actually kind of twisted/sad...or is it?"

I wonder what instruments would best compliment such a song.  Maybe a ukelele and the sound of duct tape?  Writing the lyrics should be no problem.

Here are some examples of the kind of song I'm shooting for:

The Toadies: "Possum Kingdom"
Echo and the Bunnymen: "The Killing Moon"
Big Black: "Precious Thing"
Bruce Springsteen: "I'm on Fire"
Black Tambourine: "Throw Aggi Off the Bridge"
Ani Di Franco: "Untouchable Face"
MC5: "I Want You Right Now"
Richard Hell & the Voidoids: "Another World"
PJ Harvey: "To Bring You My Love"
Smog: "Cold Discovery"
The Sisters of Mercy: "Some Kind of Stranger"

Songs I Couldn't Stop Listening To: 2011

As this year comes to an end, it's time to get all reflect-y. One of the major things that I punctuate my life with is music. I can listen to certain albums or songs and they remind me specifically of certain times in my life, or even of particular life events. There were times when I'd listen to alt country for a while, hard core punk, folk for maybe a week, industrial, and towards to end of the year my musical cravings have gotten kind of metal-ish. Here are the songs I couldn't stop listening to in 2011:

Smooth Tutors

I was talking to my ex-boyfriend/best male friend, Zack, today.  He mentioned that the band he plays guitar and handsomely wears glasses for, Smooth Tutors, has some live videos on youtube.com. 

Smooth Tutors are from Pittsburgh.  Check them out, or go to one of their shows if you are in the area! 

Any info to add, Zack? Just let me know and I'll edit this entry and repost.

*These vids are really short.

Songs for a Rainy Day

So... it's been raining all weekend, and now supposedly it's going to be raining this whole week until Sunday (according to weather.com).  I like rain, but this is a bit much. I feel like going home and watching Goonies and eating kettle corn instead of doing anything else, really.  Anyhow, on rainy days a person needs songs that suit the mood.  So here are some.


Eyes without a face? More like head without a body! And a flame for a crotch (for the first few seconds of the video)...BWAH HA HAAA . Sorry, I haven't been out much lately.



"Fade Into You" is one of my favorite songs of all time, regardless of weather.



This song reminds me of summer, or rather the end of summer as a teenager when the guys from school who I had a crushes on always had crushes on the party girls instead of the responsible, "straight" girls like me.



Every time I hear this song it reminds me of Pittsburgh's college radio stations and rainy sidewalks.



I love the Elephant Man/Joseph Merrick, so naturally, I would like a song by one of my favorite bands that was about him. In the movie when he says "Sometimes I think my head is so big because it is so full of dreams" it makes me tear up.



I guess the keyboards kind of sound like how I imagine raindrops would sound if they could sing.



I very often "sit in my little room working on something good" when it rains. In fact, this could be my rainy day, sitting in my room theme song.

Super-Happy Song Day

...and because yesterday was super-angsty song day, today I'm gathering songs that instantly lift the spirits.



This song reminds me of studying for humanities courses in college and of smoking clove cigarettes with my best friends.




When this song first came out, I was only ten years old and didn't really understand what "touching yourself" meant. I thought the singer just liked some guy so much it made her touch her own face and mess up her hair when she thought about him. Now that I'm older I understand exactly what she is singing about.




This song is strange. It's a beautiful song that gives me goosebumps. It's really sweet and makes me smile, but I also feel some kind of lingering sadness or desperation behind the lyrics.




Lyrically, this is probably one of the funniest songs ever.




This song has amazing sound and transports me to another place. I think it makes a perfect song for a long drive. And besides, the lead singer's vampire-as-pirate get-up is awesome enough to warrant some kind of recognition.




I used to want to live inside that ice cream truck.




This song is perfect. It makes me wish someone would write a song like this about me someday. And the video with the clouds and her sitting at the bar in that beautiful blue dress is romantic as well.




See, goths can be happy too. This was one of my favorite songs in high school.




I don't care what anyone says--I love this song, and will sing it non-sarcastically and non-ironically in mixed company.