Alternative Rock Nostalgia Buzz

The Best of 2010! By: Pete Crigler Well another year has circled the drain and the world of music has gotten worse and worse. In 2010, there just wasn’t a lot of kickass music like there’s been in previous years but it not the musicians’ fault, it’s everything else, just because there haven’t been a lot of good things to listen to. But these bands have stood out by rebelling against the bullshit and doing what they best. On the personal side, 2010 has been one of the best fuckin’ years in recent memory with the runaway success of my first book “Keeping It Tight In The Old Dominion: A History of Virginia Rock Music” and work with Redefine Online. As you read this list, go and download some shit you wouldn’t listened to earlier. With 2011 comes some excellent music so take a chance DAMMIT! Records of The Year: 1. Stone Temple Pilots- S/T With a long-awaited new record, Stone Temple Pilots combined the best of their past with their future and turned in a great pop alternative record that ...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Unsane Unsane were always one of the loudest, heaviest bands of the Noise Rock scene of the early ‘90s coming up alongside bands like Helmet, Cop Shoot Cop and Surgery but Unsane were able to keep coming out with strong records their entire career. 1996’s Scattered Smothered and Covered was no exception and with the record, they also released one of the coolest songs of their career: “Scrape.” Starting out with the thrashing guitar of frontman Chris Spencer, the trio come at you with full tilt and never let up. The effect on Spencer’s screaming is one that it tends to blend in greatly with the music and it doesn’t sound forced. With the rhythm section of drummer Vinnie Signorelli and bassist Dave Curran constantly gaining ground as the song moves on, it’s only a matter of time before they all collide and in the crescendo they come together perfectly and Chris just screams his head off but it all made a great song and a great combination of sounds. Now in a...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Jawbox This is going to be a bit different for two reasons; 1. The song is a cover and 2. It’s a hidden track. When Jawbox released their self-titled final album in 1996, they chose to close it with a cover of Tori Amos’ “Cornflake Girl” from 1994. Now knowing that the media would jump all over the song, they buried it at the very end of the song “Absenter.” But because the song was so strong, it became one of the few hidden tracks to ever be made into a single/video, but listening to the song, it’s easy to understand why. Starting up with their signature wall of feedback, the band kicks into the familiar melody of the song about three minutes after the end of “Absenter” and once you hear the melody, you know you’re gonna hear something different. Instead of Amos’ lilting voice, J. Robbins’ tuff snarl comes in and adds a whole new dimension to the song. With the band delivering a heavier backbeat, the song really becomes harder and meatier and with a new le...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘80s: Icicle Works It’s only just been recently that the Icicle Works have started to get recognition for being so diverse in the face of eighties new wave. The best place to start for anyone who is interested in getting to know the band is “Whisper to A Scream (Birds Fly).” Kicking off with a memorable guitar riff courtesy of Ian McNabb, the band tread the ground a bit lightly at first before the tight rhythm section of bassist Chris Layhe and drummer Chris Sharrock come in with a bit of African rhythm that sets up the rest of the track. When McNabb’s light and heavy at the same time voice comes in, listeners know that they’re in for a different song than previously used to. The chorus is absolutely barnstormingly brilliant and remains one of the most recognizable choruses of the eighties. By the time the breakdown comes in utilizing three part harmonies from the trio, one should know that this band is quite different than everything else around them. Just when ...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Tripping Daisy This is an article that is long overdue but that’s because the record is so damn hard to find. Upon obtaining a cassette copy of Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb by Tripping Daisy in 2000, I was immediately taken with how weird and bizarre the record was. But that was one of the things that made me so excited by it. As the years moved on and I tried to replace the cassette with CD, I realized it was going to be a lot more difficult than I had thought. Cut to ten years later and I finally found a good copy and upon relistening to it, I was again struck by its bizarreness but I grew to love it all over again. First off, this album will erase any memory of “I Got A Girl” forever. Songs like the six minute single “Waited a Light Year” and the absolute joyful, euphoric “Your Socks Have No Name” are just swirling epics of power and joy and punch, thanks to the addition of rhythm guitarist Philip Karnats, now of The Secret Machines and teenaged drumm...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Fighting Gravity This is going to be more of a personal preference but that’s alright because I’m the one updating this blog. Fighting Gravity are probably one of the best known, least known bands to break out of Virginia in the late ‘90s. The band were one of the biggest concert attractions in the city of Richmond and grew a devoted fan base that got so big they had a seven page article in Rolling Stone before they’d even signed with a major label. Once that happened with Mercury Records in 1997, the band released You and Everybody Else in 1998 and launched the album with “Wait for You.” The song, produced by Cracker’s David Lowery, is a great pop song that deserved to be bigger but wasn’t. Led by frontman Schiavone McGee, the band immediately launch into a perfect blend of harmony and melody that explodes into an instantly memorable chorus. This method was always one of the band’s biggest trademarks and while always capable of writing great pop songs, th...

Forgotten Songs of the 21st Century: Sparta When at-the-drive-in disbanded suddenly in 2000, people were left scratching their heads and asking questions like, “What the hell are these guys going to do now?” The first ones out of the gate with new projects were Tony Hajjar, Paul Hinojos and Jim Ward with the powerful Sparta. Just over a year later, Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez came out with the Mars Volta, which everybody who was anybody jumped on and proclaimed one of the greatest bands of the 21st century. After that happened, Sparta were left behind and had to struggle for every bit of attention they received which is more than unfair because in my opinion, The Mars Volta are one of the most overrated bands of all time. But anyways, Sparta came out first in 2002 with The Wiretap Scars and one of the greatest debut singles of all time, “Cut Your Ribbon.” Beginning with a great drum intro courtesy of Tony Hajjar, frontman Jim Ward launches into a diatribe against a nameless perso...

Forgotten Album of the Month: They Might Be Giants Nowadays, everyone knows that They Might Be Giants are legends and geniuses but back in the mid nineties, their stock was declining and album sales were slowing down. But that has never mattered to the band and in some cases, they will still be able to make some really excellent music. One of those cases was 1994, as their record label, Elektra’s interest in them was falling, they emerged with what I feel is one of their best records, John Henry . Their first record with a full-fledged band, in this case, the kickass rhythm section of drummer Brian Doherty (The Silos) and bassist Tony Maimone (Pere Ubu), Johns Flanburgh and Linnell came back after the relatively disappointing Apollo 18 with a strong collection of bathed in fuzz rock songs. Kicking off with the experimental “Subliminal,” which contains at the end, the song in reverse, the band came out with undoubtedly their funkiest single ever, “Snail Shell,” which contains a great b...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘80s: The Clash The Clash were one of the best punk bands of all time, everyone knows this. But around 1980, the band began taking several detours, sound wise, some were successful and some were not. One of their best detours was dub/reggae, which peaked with the single release of “Bankrobber.” The song begins with a slower than usual Clash intro with the band playing as one and getting a groove going right off the bat. Then Joe Strummer comes in with incredibly melodic lyrics about his daddy being a bankrobber. The song is without a doubt, one of the best Clash songs ever. But as always, it’s the combination of Strummer’s vocals and lyrics and the power and strength of Paul Simonon, Mick Jones and Topper Headon. By keeping locked in the groove and not swaying in any way, the band were able to make the song more memorable. The song’s direct message and almost swaying, reggae beat set it apart from other Clash songs but again, that’s what made the band so damn spe...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘70s: Heatwave I know it has been quite a while since I’ve done anything about the seventies but recently, I had a revelation. Listening to some old Heatwave recently, I came across a powerhouse song called “Mind Blowing Decisions,” a song from their 1977 sophomore record, Central Heating . Unlike other Heatwave songs, this one was written by band leader Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and while he never wrote many songs in the band’s catalog, this is one to treasure. What on the surface sounds a relatively simple love song quickly becomes a look into the mind of someone who’s being torn apart by love. The main question being raised whether the man wants to stay with the woman as boyfriend or husband. Wilder’s voice keeps the song up at all times and the power of his words will make the hair stand up on your arms all the way through. With very light, almost orchestral accompaniment from the rest of the band, “Mind Blowing Decisions” is quite unlike any other R&B ballad f...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Crowded House This may strike some people as rather odd because Crowded House are more on the pop side of things as opposed to other bands on this blog but that’s at least one thing that makes them so special, that even a diehard alternative rock fan can dig some good Australian pop. In 1988, when they released their sophomore effort, Temple of Low Men , they were cast aside because many people found the record too dark and hard to swallow in light of their hits “Something So Strong” and “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” But on this record, frontman Neil Finn began to really find his voice and the result was a collection of some of the best written songs of the late ‘80s. While some songs like “Kill Eye” may strike the listener as incredibly dark, it’s merely an appetizer for what else the record holds. Without a doubt, one of Crowded House’s best ever songs, “Into Temptation” is a ballad about what lies on the other side of marriage. The way the acoustic melody an...

Forgotten Songs of the 21st Century: Apex Theory This is going to be a bit different than previous posts because for one thing, I’ll be writing more about the music than the lyrics here. You will find out why shortly enough. The band was Apex Theory, the year, 2002, the song “Shh… (hope diggy).” The band came out in the wake of bands like Linkin Park and System of A Down and like SOAD, the band was Armenian and their frontman was once System’s drummer. Being produced by Linkin Park’s producer certainly didn’t hurt and the band enjoyed some brief radio success with this out of the world song. First off, the music is extraordinary, particularly the drumming which seems to almost be superhuman during the verses and normal during the choruses. The guitar bounces off everything else and does whatever it wants. What really makes the song stand out, however are the lyrics, courtesy of short-lived frontman Andy Khachaturian who changed his name to Ontronik. Sample some of these lyrics and try ...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Rocket from the Crypt Rocket from the Crypt were one of the most unique bands to come out during the ‘90s alt-rock explosion; a punk rock band with horns! Believe it or not, this combination created some enduring memories and some kickass songs, most notably “On A Rope” from 1995’s Scream, Dracula, Scream! Kicking off with some excellent guitar work, the band works their way into a mid-level groove when frontman John Reis comes in with lyrics about holding out hope for love that is pushing him to the end of the proverbial rope. He continues in this fashion for about a minute and a half; at that point, the band begins speeding things up until they revert back to their old ways until the climax just gets in your face to the point where you want to punch someone or kick their ass. The one thing that could’ve hurt the song’s chances of becoming a hit was the video which showed them playing with kittens and generally being cheesy. But overlooking that, the song ...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: This Picture This is probably one of the greatest songs that no one has ever heard but thanks to the good people at VH1 Classic, the video has been rediscovered and a new generation of people can hear what marvelous sounds like. This Picture, a short-lived British rock band broke onto the scene in late 1991 with the driving “Naked Rain,” off of their debut album, A Violent Impression . The song begins with a sleight string-laden intro until the vocals of Symon Bye come in in the best way imaginable, slow and quiet. Then drummer Duncan Forrester counts off and the band comes in at full speed. From there, the song takes off in extremely interesting ways. While it is another song about love lost and trying to regain, it stands out because the music is so dynamic. When the chorus comes in, the band are at the peak of their power and they know it and they keep driving the song until it reaches its powerful crescendo. I’m basically saying that once this song hits...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are best known for their self-titled debut which contains classics like “Add It Up” and “Blister in the Sun” but without a doubt their best album is the follow-up, 1984’s Hallowed Ground . The story goes that drummer Victor DeLorenzo and bassist Brian Ritchie didn’t want to record frontman Gordon Gano’s religious songs on the first album but afterwards, they warmed up to them and the band ended up recording what could essentially be called a religious folk record but it’s so damn good. Kicking off with the immortal “Country Death Song,” the band come across loud and clear with their intentions. The songs all come across a bit long except the less than two minute “I Hear the Rain” but everything sounds so good. By the time “Never Tell” comes around, the listener should be enthralled with what they’re hearing because while the songs are religious, they don’t sound very preachy, just dark and foreboding. Then there’s songs like “...

A Guide to The Toadies When talking about 90’s alternative rock, there are many bands that were swept under the rug by more popular bands, some (The Nixons, The Urge) deservedly so, others like the Toadies got swept away because they were away for so long; after coming back in 2001 after seven years, it was like they were obsolete. But after looking over their catalogue, it was clear that they were one of the best bands to emerge during the alternative era. In the 90’s, Texas had a strange scene going on, bringing us Rev. Horton Heat, Brutal Juice, Tripping Daisy, Course of Empire, Baboon, Deep Blue Something and others; Toadies, hailing from Dallas were one of the few bands from the area to break national and one of the only ones to still get radio play. By going through their discography, it should become clear to more than most that the band is still relevant and even the old stuff still sounds as good as it did in 1994. Rubberneck (1994) After releasing an EP, Pleather in 1993, t...

Forgotten Songs of the 21st Century: Interpol Once Interpol came out in 2002, they were heralded as one of the best indie bands of the decade, right up there with The Arcade Fire and The Strokes. But unlike the other bands, Interpol tends to be overlooked in terms of songwriting ability. Why this has happened is unknown but some songs need to be rediscovered because they’re so enchanting, they tend to pull the listener in no matter what mood they’re in. The biggest example of this is 2004’s “Evil.” The second single from Antics , the song kicks off with Carlos D.’s hypnotically cryptic bass line that leads to Paul Banks’ almost Ian Curtis-like voice that gives the song such a rich power. The song’s lyrics at first may have seemed a bit difficult to crack but that was usually the case with most Interpol songs but looking back the song is easy to crack. The song’s meaning is about a guy who’s been left behind by a girl and is looking back at what happened. The song had a really strong an...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Urban Dance Squad When this motley crew of rappers and rockers came out of Amsterdam, of all places, in 1990, no one really expected much. But then all of a sudden, they broke through on American radio with the cheery, very poppy “Deeper Shade of Soul,” one of the greatest ‘rap-rock’ songs of all time, even though it doesn’t fit with the rest of the genre. Built around a sample of a song by sixties Latin bandleader Ray Baretto, the band constructed a really bright song tailor made for the summer. Excellent musicianship from the whole band start the song off with a bang and a killer groove. Rapper/frontman Rudeboy doesn’t really rap so much as sing here but that’s exactly what the song needs. Pretty much unheard at the time, the combination of pop guitar, sampled horns, DJ scratches, light drumming and a euphoric chorus melded together to create one of the most ubitiquous songs of the pre-grunge era. While the band are known in the U.S. as a ‘one hit wonder,...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘80s: OMD OMD, short for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are probably best known for their light pop anthem “If You Leave,” which was featured in “Pretty in Pink” or one of those eighties teen films. But before that song became a top ten hit in America, they were a gritty post-punk English new wave band and released one of the greatest songs of that era, “Enola Gay.” Starting off with an instantly recognizable keyboard intro, the song then goes into high gear when frontman Andy McCluskey’s deep tenor starts floating all over the melody in a brilliant blending of music and vocals. Named after the WWII bomb, the song talks about the bomb in a very chilling and damning way. The song’s bouncy rhythm helps keep the mood up while bringing it down at the same time but again, that’s what most new wave songs of the era did. What makes this one so unique is how fresh and cool the song still sounds, almost thirty years after it was recorded. Try finding another ten songs ...

These lists have been in the works for some time and now is the time to unveil them to the world. I was going to post this as a note on Facebook, but the site is a piece of shit so that didn't happen. Anyways, to those who have never seen or heard of these films, after reading this list, I suggest you go online and read and then start watching and afterwards, go download some music. I doubt you will be disappointed. TOP 20 FAVORITE FILMS 20. Lifeboat 19. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 18. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story 17. White Heat 16. Dumb & Dumber 15. Hype! 14. Groundhog Day 13. Hot Shots! 12. Laura 11. Toy Story 10. That Thing You Do! 09. Back to the Future Part II 08. Blazing Saddles 07. Grosse Pointe Blank 06. Tropic Thunder 05. Fear of a Black Hat 04. It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World 03. Quiz Show 02. Coming to America 01. A Face in the Crowd TOP 10 FAVORITE BANDS 10. Suicidal Tendencies 09. Red Hot Chili Peppers 08. Nirvana 07. ...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Wax Wax were one of the most underrated punk bands of the nineties. Even though they really only became known after signing to Interscope in the wake of Green Day’s success and had one hit that still lingers to this day in “California,” they ended up releasing one of the best post-punk records of the decade: 13 Unlucky Numbers . Kicking off with the fiery blast of “Who is Next,” frontman Joe Sib, guitarist Soda, bassist Birdie Cutlass and drummer Loomis play no-frills, fast as shit punk with tons of attitude, really catchy choruses and hook-ridden music. Songs like “In Spite of Me” and “Stop Sign” are pretty much one in the same except for the use of horns, which are buried in the mix, but it doesn’t matter because they’re still great songs. The hit, “California,” which is best known for the video which features slow-motion footage of a man running down the street on fire, is still good but is one of the more lackluster tracks on the record, just because i...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘70s: Judee Sill Now I know it’s been quite a while since I’ve written Forgotten Songs of the ‘70s but that’s because there haven’t been many songs from that decade that I’ve discovered that have hit me where I live. But a few months ago, I finally tracked down a copy of long-lost folk singer Judee Sill’s self-titled debut and heard “Jesus was a Cross Maker.” When I did, it instantly became one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. The song begins just like most folk songs of the era with a piano and a voice but this voice is much more different and extraordinary than all the rest. Judee Sill had an angelic voice that suited the song’s subject so perfectly. The melding of her voice and the piano makes for an excellent combination. As the song continues to build, more instruments come into the mix including a layer of subtle percussion that gives the song more of pop radio sheen, which does nothing to dampen the song whatsoever. As Sill continues to sing, the song be...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Helmet Helmet will be remembered as one of the loudest rock bands of the nineties but not all their songs have gone down in history. Probably their most overlooked record is 1994’s Betty , which saw the band take a detour from the noise route and turn things down a notch while still keeping the intensity level high. Probably the best song on the record, besides “Milquetoast,” which was featured on “The Crow” soundtrack is “Wilma’s Rainbow.” Kicking off with a detuned intro, one probably doesn’t expect much from the track until the band comes together in one tight spot and then leads bassist Henry Bogdan and drummer extraordinaire John Stanier to carry the groove. Then frontman Page Hamilton comes in with one of the most distinctive voices in hardcore. The lyrics to the song almost come across as lines of a poem and with the heavy, but low rhythm of the song, it all fits together perfectly. The song was released as the second single off of Betty and failed ...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Subrosa About a year ago, I wrote about For Squirrels and “8:02 PM.” Before the album came out, half the band was killed in a van accident. The other half recovered from their injuries, found a new bassist, Andy Lord and toured as For Squirrels for a time and then began work on a new record. Reuniting with For Squirrels producer Nick Launay, the band rechristened themselves Subrosa, Latin for “under the rose” and set about to make an extremely angry record. When the album, Never Bet the Devil Your Head , was released in the summer of 1997, it was a complete turnaround from the pop sensibilities of Example and was almost completely written in response to the tragedy. Kicking off with “World’s Greatest Lover,” a swirling, loud monster of a song that paves the way for the rest of the record. Guitarist/vocalist Travis Tooke’s throaty, almost Tom Waits-y vocals give the songs a much harsher edge and more of a ‘fuck you’ attitude. As the album progresses, the m...

Forgotten Songs of the ’80s: Husker Du Husker Du were one of the greatest post-punk/hardcore bands of all time but it’s only been in the last ten years or so that their legacy has begun to grow. It doesn’t help at this point that most of their output is out of print except for iTunes but for those who prefer to own an actual disc, you’re out of luck for a while. But in the meantime, everyone needs to listen to “Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely.” Kicking off with drummer Grant Hart’s traditional rolling intro, the band gets things going quickly before the listener has a chance to gauge what’s going on. Grant takes the lead here leaving guitarist Bob Mould in the dust. But that’s not a deterrent at all; in fact it makes the song all the much stronger. Grant sings his lyrics about telling a girlfriend (or boyfriend) off while yet feeling a bit miserable at the same point. In the end, the protagonist is trying to get over her and is optimistic about his future. While the song garnered ...

Forgotten Songs of the 21st Century: Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan have burst onto the scene in the last few years as one of the most devastatingly fierce hardcore rock/metal bands around. With every release, they seem to get thicker and louder. In some ways, everything came together on 2007’s Ire Works and one of their best songs ever, “Black Bubblegum.” Starting off with a drum machine intro, it almost sounds like you’re gonna hear a new wave song or electro or some other shit; but then the real drums come in and suddenly, the bands bursts out of the speakers and vocalist Greg Puciato begins singing in a voice that can only be described as Mike Patton taken down a notch. The song is like grinding metal matched with sixties pop and that is the best way to accurately describe the song. By the time the chorus comes around, the song basically explodes into full-on metal with the band syncopating perfectly behind Greg. Then all of a sudden, everything breaks down into j...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Cracker Cracker have always been, at least in my opinion, one of the most underrated rock bands of all time. Even though they’re still played on the radio to this day, it’s only one song: “Low” and that’s not even their very best. To do that, you’ve got to go back to their 1992 self-titled debut and listen to track 1, “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now).” Kicking off with one of the best guitar riffs of the decade, the band get into high gear right away as the rhythm section starts to blend together with the guitar and then David Lowery’s voice comes in and the listener is fully aware they’re going to be getting something fantastic. The song, without a doubt, is one of the best slacker anthems of alternative rock and while basically being a pun on “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Teen Angst” is like an old-timer speaking like a hipster, desperately trying to be cool. Where else could a reference like “Frank Sinatra” be heard? By the time the song ends, the wh...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Local H While everyone should remember Local H, it seems to be the only song you hear on the radio is “Bound for the Floor;” while it’s a great song, it not the best song the band ever had. To hear that, one will have to pick up the band’s 1996 masterpiece As Good As Dead . Although it came out in the midst of the Bush/Silverchair overseas grunge explosion, the band were able to break through the airwaves with infectious and sometimes ironic songs that still stand the test of time. Starting off with a little experiment, “Manifest Density Pt. 1,” the album really kicks off with the amazingly fierce “High Fiving MF,” which is probably one of the biggest diss tracks ever heard on a rock record. The amazing thing about this track is that it actually made it to the radio in some areas but because it was so heavily edited, it lost a lot of its meaning but it was still a great song. After “Bound for the Floor,” the record lags a bit with an okay song and a hard r...

Hello everybody, My book "Keeping It Tight In The Old Dominion: A History of Virginia Rock Music" is now available. Please check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Tight-Old-Dominion-Virginia/dp/1608444147/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274892849&sr=8-1 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Keeping-It-Tight-in-the-Old-Dominion/Pete-Crigler/e/9781608444144/?itm=1&USRI=keeping+it+tight+in+the+old+dominion

Okay, here we go, I know I have uploaded this list quite a few times but this time it's for real! 1. Gin Blossoms-Found Out About You 2. Boston-More Than A Feeling 3. Anthrax-Belly of the Beast 4. Nilsson-The Moonbeam Song 5. 311-Prisoner 6. Sly & the Family Stone-Thank You (Fallintme Be Mice Elf Agin) 7. Love-Always See Your Face 8. Faith No More-Ashes To Ashes 9. Counting Crows-Colorblind 10. The Judybats-Saturday 11. Monster Magnet-Powertrip 12. Creedence Clearwater Revival-Who'll Stop the Rain 13. The Ocean Blue-Breezing Up 14. Snow Patrol-Run 15. Miracle Legion-The Backyard 16. The B-52’s-Private Idaho 17. The Drifters-Under the Boardwalk 18. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins-I Put a Spell On You 19. The Rutles-I Must Be In Love 20. Morphine-In Spite of Me 21. The Flys-Got You (Where I Want You) 22. Otis Redding-You Left the Water Running 23. Faith No More-King For A Day 24. Metallic...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘80s: XTC When it comes to XTC, mostly everyone talks about “Dear God” and that seems to be about it and it’s absolutely unreal that a song like “The Mayor of Simpleton” is rarely mentioned. It is without a doubt one of the best pop songs of the eighties and it is undoubtedly a high watermark in a career littered with them. The song starts out like a typical XTC song, folky but with an edge and then Andy Partridge’s voice comes in and right away, one gets the feeling that this will be a different type of XTC song and that’s exactly what happens. With a mixture of folk, pop and Motown-like backing vocals, the song becomes otherworldly. As you continue to get into the song, you quickly realize the lyrics are typical Partridge but that doesn’t matter. Speaking as one of the world’s dumbest and most perplexed men, Partridge sings about a girl who’s in love with him despite his total lack of knowledge about how the world works. But that’s the thing about XTC that’s so...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Thelonious Monster Thelonious Monster were without a doubt, one of the most fucked up bands of all time but in their time, they released some excellent singles. In 1992, they released one of their absolute best, “Blood Is Thicker Than Water.” Starting off with a slow, acoustic intro, frontman Bob Forrest talks about his family; first he reminisces about his sister and the bond they once had and then he moves onto how he fears he’s turning into his father. But then the whole band kicks in and the song moves into high-gear punk. By the time they get to the chorus, the band becomes a cohesive whole they seem to be having a blast just being on the same page. Just having the song end wasn’t enough so instead, the song just fades out to quiet, which is the best way and really the only way it could end. Despite the song being absolutely kickass, the album it came from, Beautiful Mess was more scattershot. Also, despite major-label backing, the band wasn’t able to...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Therapy? While I have already spoken about Therapy? a while ago with “If It Kills Me,” the band is just so underrated that one of their best records deserves a spot here. In 2000, the band released Suicide Pact: You First on the very tiny Ark 21 label and the record was almost immediately forgotten about in America. Elsewhere, critics decried the record as being too dense and heavy but that’s one of the record’s great strengths. The record kicks off with “He’s Not That Kind of Girl,” a hard-rocking track that kicked the shit out of all the crap-rock of the era and still does. By playing as hard and throttling as they can, the band were playing through all the bullshit they’d gone through with their previous label, A&M. The record’s rocking intensity continues through to what’s probably the best song on the record, “Wall of Mouths;” not only is it the best song on the record, it’s probably one of the best songs of the band’s career, which is quite a fe...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘80s: Sons of Freedom Of the many alt-rock bands that came out of Canada in the ‘80s, probably the most underrated and forgotten has to be Sons of Freedom. Hailing from Toronto, the band managed to ride a wave of notoriety to small success bolstered by one of the best tracks of the era, “The Criminal.” Kicking off with a powerful, chugging riff, the band comes in droning, until frontman James Newton begins singing in a hypnotic tenor that you can’t escape. Singing about an ex and how’s he basically following her around, the lyrics are straight to the point and as a result, the song becomes all the more powerfully hypnotic. By the time the solo comes around, everything comes together and the band collides together at once and the begins coming to a kickass end. Unfortunately, despite the song’s power, the band ended up getting bogged down in label politics. By the time of their next record, 1991’s Gump , they had essentially fallen off the proverbial pop culture ...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Stabbing Westward Stabbing Westward are now looked at as basically another band to jump on the industrial bandwagon that was so huge in the mid-‘90s but for a time they were one of the most popular bands in the country. In 1996, they hit it big with “What Do I Have to Do?” a kind of industrial ballad that was their calling card. But it was the second single off of Wither Blister Burn + Peel that was their best song: “Shame.” Kicking off with a slow burning intro, the band soon kicks in with a kind of mid-tempo approach that really gives the song its kicks. Vocalist Christopher Hall then begins singing in his normal soulful croon that really fits in with the song’s vibe. While most of Stabbing Westward’s songs deal with life and love, the haunting creepiness of “Shame” sticks out in their catalog. As the song continues, the breakdown allows Christopher the chance to explore his vocals and to give the song heightened atmospherics. Then as the band comes back...

Back in the late 80s, goof-pop was everywhere, thanks to the likes of the Dead Milkmen, early Ween and New York's own Too Much Joy. Songs like "If I Was a Mekon," "Making Fun of Bums," "Take a Lot of Drugs" and the immortal "Clowns." Bands like this did not come around that often and when they did, they usually didn't stick around long. Fortunately for TMJ, their songs and legacy have endured because of their website, http://www.toomuchjoy.com/ and through the work of frontman Tim Quirk, who now works for Rhapsody. The following are two interviews conducted in about 2008 with Mr. Quirk as well as drummer/former NYC cop Tommy Vinton. Tim's Interview: What was it like when you guys got started? Depends what you mean by “it.” The business was radically different – it was a lot more difficult (and expensive) to record quality-sounding material, but since that meant there were fewer other releases to compete with, it was much easier than ...