Alternative Rock Nostalgia Buzz

Forgotten Songs of the ‘80s: Miracle Legion-“The Backyard” Connecticut isn’t really known as a hybrid for good modern rock but when the ‘80s came around, that all seemed to change. Miracle Legion came out of nowhere with one of the most haunting and gorgeous alt-rock songs of the whole decade. “The Backyard” speaks to memories of time past and harkens back to a time when life was simpler and people took pleasure in their work, including cutting down apple trees and watching them burn. The simple melody carried all throughout the song is handled excellently and Mark Mulcahy’s somewhat nasally vocal keeps bringing the memories further into the listener’s mind. The easy as pie riff courtesy of Mr. Ray Neal is one of the most recognizable and forgotten of the eighties. Just being able to listen and here the ease with which everything comes together is phenomenal. Thankfully, this wasn’t their only good song, but unfortunately their entire catalog is out of print. Maybe it was because of th...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: fulflej-“Microwave” Ask people about fulflej now and you won’t even get a shrug of the shoulders and that’s a fucked-up shame. Coming out of Richmond, VA in the mid-‘90s, the band were one of the first signed to Scratchie Records, formed by D’Arcy and James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins, ultimately known as one of the biggest label failures of the decade. Part pop, punk, shoegaze and even rap, fulflej were one of a kind and their masterpiece of econo living, “Microwave” speaks volumes to this. Jason Gretchke talks in a kid’s voice about not having, among other things, CD’s, microwaves, VCR’s and other luxuries. But about halfway through is when the music kicks into full gear and starts going all over the place. With Iha flailing away on an e-bow, the band careens faster and faster down the hill until the denouement where Gretchke screams, “I OWN ALL YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!” After that, the band just excels in everything else going on and the music and the message...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Jawbreaker-“Fireman ” Signed in the major-label feeding frenzy in the wake of Green Day and the Offspring, San Francisco’s Jawbreaker released one album on a major label before breaking up but that album contained one of the catchiest alterna-rock songs of the late ‘90s: “Fireman.” Before the release of their lone shot at the big-time, 1995’s Dear You on DGC/Geffen, Jawbreaker had released four albums on an indie, each with more success than the last. The surrounding hype led to a deal with Geffen and a shot at working with Green Day producer Rob Cavallo. The result, Dear You was critically ignored and initiated a huge backlash from their fanbase which didn’t seem to understand the direction the band was heading in. “Fireman” starts off like other songs of the era but instantly sets itself apart from the rest as soon as Blake Schwartzenbach begins singing. His raspy style, the result of recent surgery to remove nodes on his vocal chords, gives the song an a...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘80s: Masters of Reality-“The Candy Song” When the first notes of “The Candy Song” came blaring out of some speakers, one couldn’t anticipate much. But that’s where Chris Goss, Googe and the others get you. As soon as the main groove hits you, you realize “holy shit, is this different!” Chris’ smooth, almost soulful vocals come in and you are alerted to the fact that you’re listening to one of the smoothest alterna-rock songs of the ‘80s. The groove and melody flow together in a way that seems to predict the onslaught of stoner rock. But unfortunately, many people wouldn’t get to hear it. The self-titled debut album the track came off if was first released by Rick Rubin’s Def American label in 1988. About a year later, the Dust Brothers purchased the album and re-released it on their Delicious Vinyl label in 1990. Consequently, the album managed to sink without a trace twice. Despite an interesting video, which is how I was first exposed to the song (thank you VH...

Forgotten Songs of the 90’s: For Squirrels-“8:02 PM” When most people think about For Squirrels, they mostly think of “Mighty K.C.,” their tribute to Kurt Cobain. If anything else, they think about the unspeakable tragedy that befell the band before the release of their major-label debut Example. On September 8, 1995, the band was traveling back to their hometown of Gainesville, Florida from playing a triumphant set at the CMJ Music Festival. Frontman Jack Vigilitura was driving the van carrying him, guitarist Travis Tooke, bassist Bill White, drummer Jack Griego and tour manager Tim Bender through Georgia when a tire popped. Vigilitura lost control and the van flipped. Vigilitura and Bender were dead at the scene and White died later. The accident happened a month before the record was released but Griego and Tooke opted on to carry out the release as is, with no changes to the liner notes or anything. “8:02 PM” was the first single released from the record and immediately catches the...

What can you say about Dramarama and their dynamic leader/songwriter John Easdale that hasn't already been said. The band was one of the first modern rock bands before the format even existed. While time was not kind to the band in the beginning, their legacy has begun to grow exponentially over the years and looks to grow even more with time. So with that, take it away Mr. Easdale. What was it like when you guys got started? We were just having fun, playing in the basement of a record store we ran in Wayne, NJ, called Looney Tunez. No thoughts of making a career out of music, just enjoying ourselves! > What happened when you signed with a French label, were there problems with an American label? Our first two releases were D.I.Y., and the French label, New Rose, was kind enough to offer to put out an album in France. It came back to America as an import, and that's how it ended up on the radio. > When did you guys sign with Chameleon and how did you feel about it? We sig...