Alternative Rock Nostalgia Buzz

Forgotten Songs of the 21st Century: Safetysuit Some songs are bound for greatness but others, while great are destined to slip through the cracks. Such is the case of Safetysuit and their debut single “Someone Like You.” Released in the summer of 2008, the song is pure pop-rock from the ‘90s in the same vein as Gin Blossoms or even early this century with Vertical Horizon. Starting off with a great riff and an excellent hook, the song rises and falls with the vocals of Doug Brown but man does it work well. When the chorus comes crashing down on you, it rings around your head like only a perfect pop song can and for days on end, you will have the hook and the refrain and everything lobbed in your memory unable to jam it out. The song came out but was almost unheard at mainstream rock radio. I can recall in the summer of 2008, they played the 96XFest in Norfolk, VA and were at the bottom of the bill; playing above them: Carolina Liar, whose music is tailor-made for the Gap and Kohl’s an...

Forgotten Songs of the 21st Century: Snow Patrol While everyone thinks about “Chasing Cars,” one of Snow Patrol’s best songs was one released before they became super famous because of “Grey’s Anatomy.” “Run” was released in 2003 on what was expected to be their last album, Final Straw . While of course the band didn’t break up afterwards, the marginal success of “Run” was one of the things that kept them going. The first single off the record, “Spitting Games” wasn’t very interesting but it served to pique the interest of American listeners. When “Run” was released in late ’03, the band didn’t really expect much but once one hears the song, they can’t help but be swept away by its majestic beauty. The song starts off kind of slow but then when Gary’s voice comes in in a sweeping, hushed tone, everything becomes clear that this is a song to remember. By the time the chorus comes in, you’re so swept up in the whole thing that you realize that the song is never going to leave your memory...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: 311 When 311 released Transistor in 1997, it was not as warmly received as its predecessor, 1995’s self-titled disc, but contained on the disc was one of the best songs 311 had ever written: “Prisoner.” Once the song starts, it immediately sweeps you in with a loop that swirls around and piques your interest. Then Nick Hexum begins singing and you can tell that it’s going to be one of the most mellow songs of their entire career and that’s exactly what you get. But that doesn’t mean the song isn’t as good as other 311 songs, rather it’s better because it allows the band to explore a different aspect of their sound that isn’t heard that often. The song has a swirling effect that lasts long after the song’s over and the lyrics, particularly in the coda will stick with you forever. It’s hard to understand why the song didn’t become a massive hit along the lines of “Amber” or “Down,” maybe it’s because the song was a bit slower than what people were used to fr...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Soul Asylum Everybody knows Soul Asylum now but back in 1988, they were just another struggling punk band out of the Midwest who had just stepped into the big time by signing with A&M. When they released their major-label debut and their fourth record overall, Hang Time , there were big hopes for the record and for the band and unfortunately, those hopes were dashed as the record fell into the deepest obscurity any rock record of the ‘80s could. Fortunately though, the record has been rediscovered over the years and people have realized how great they were before “Runaway Train.” The record starts off with “Down on Up to Me” and one of the best opening riffs in recent rock history, with crunch and power behind it, the album begins and immediately one is taken with how catchy it is while being almost devoured by a wall of noise. One of the best songs the band has ever written, “Cartoon” almost stops the record cold with the power and feeling and emotion...