Alternative Rock Nostalgia Buzz

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: Sparklehorse Recently, the leader of Richmond, Virginia’s own Sparklehorse, Mark Linkous, took his own life in Knoxville, Tennessee after a long battle with depression. He left behind family and an unfinished fifth album but it’s a song off his second album that demands reevaluation. Off of 1999’s Good Morning Spider , “Saint Mary” is a harrowing song inspired by Linkous’ stay in a London hospital in late 1996 after overdosing on painkillers and Vicodin. While recovering from his dance with death, he began working on what became his sophomore effort. When released, the album was helped along by the first single “Sick of Goodbyes,” which had been written with David Lowery of Cracker and performed on their smash second album, Kerosene Hat . The song got some play on radio and MTV but when “Saint Mary” came out it all but disappeared immediately. The song has a bit of sparse piano, cello and light acoustic guitar but besides from Linkous’ squeaking vocals, the...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘80s: Killing Joke Killing Joke are one of the most legendary post-punk bands of all time. Starting out in the early eighties, they evolved with time and with trends, occasionally adding bits of dance or pop music into the mix but they were always a good loud, alternative-punk band. While their legacy has grown significantly over the years, it’s about time that one track gets singled out: “Eighties.” When the song came out in 1985, everyone was quick to point that the song was an indoctrination against the shallowness of the decade and how almost everyone around them was becoming more obsessed with consumerism and themselves than other less-fortunate people. It didn’t hurt one bit that Geordie’s amazing guitar work brings the song to life and allows Jaz Coleman the freedom to say what he feels is necessary over one of the best drum beats ever conceived courtesy of Paul Ferguson. As the song gets darker, the tempo picks up as Paul Raven and Geordie lead everything...

Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: that dog. that dog. were one of the most overlooked bands of the ‘90s and it was because they came out around the same time as Beck and Weezer that they got overlooked. But by the time 1997 came, the band was experiencing new levels of success on radio with “Never Say Never.” Carried by the vocals of Anna Waronker, the band definitely stood out by having sisters Petra and Tonya Haden on violin and bass respectively and Tony Maxwell on drums. “Never Say Never” had a difficult beginning before its birth; Anna was working on a solo record in 1996 and “Never Say Never” was one of the songs she’d created. However, when her record label, DGC/Geffen heard the record, they decided it would be better if that dog. rerecorded the record. Anna reluctantly agreed and the band set about revamping the song. By adding in a Moog synthesizer and violin breakdown and excellent three-part harmonies throughout, the band made the song that much stronger and I guess you could say...

Forgotten Album of the Month: Burden Brothers Now this might seem a bit premature considering it was released in 2002, but it fell so far below the radar that it deserves a second chance. Formed from the ashes of the Toadies, the Burden Brothers came together rather quickly beginning in September of 2001 until the fall of 2003, when their debut, Buried in Your Black Heart was released. Despite the band’s relative newness, the album kicked to life with a sound and fury that honestly had not been heard since the Toadies’ Rubberneck in 1994. Kicking off with the title track, Vaden Todd Lewis and company start slamming around within the first few seconds. The rhythmic fury and quickness is so intense it might take some a few minutes to begin to comprehend it all. By the time “Shadow” comes on, you’re expecting another bit of aggressive alternative rock but the band surprises a bit and slows things down a tad but not too much as the song is still fiery as hell. Then to top off the trifecta...