Alternative Rock Nostalgia Buzz

Discography: Libido Speedway (A&M, 1997) Tonedeaf (Lunch Records, 2000) XLr8r (Lunch Records, 2001) The Lost Album  (A&M, 2011) Vapor Trails  (Lunch Records, 2020) Orbit were a three piece out of Boston that burst onto the modern rock scene in 1997 with their instantly infectious song “Medicine.” The relative success of the song and its album, Libido Speedway allowed the band the chance to tour Lollapalooza ’97, among other opportunities. A second album was shelved when A&M Records was sold and chopped up but the band kept recording, with the help of their own Lunch Records. Subsequent to the band’s hiatus around the early 2000’s, Robbins began a new career as a web developer, something he still does successfully today. Orbit have just released a new-ish album, Vapor Trails , brought together with unearthed tracks from the sessions for their third album. Definitely a band worth checking out. Pete Crigler: How did you get interested in playing music? Jeff Robbi...

Discography: Bird Medicine (A&M, 1995) Back in 2013, I published my second book, essentially a long essay entitled Majorlabelland and Assorted Oddities . It was about alternative rock bands who got the shaft from major labels and saw their music and ultimately their careers ended prematurely by the boardroom of a record label. One of the most interesting bands I came across was Pretty Mary Sunshine, out of Seattle. Led by Mazzy Star guitarist Kurt Elzner and vocalist Patrice Tullai, the band were an eclectic combination of shoegaze and indie rock while coming from the grunge capital of the world. Some people might be familiar with them if they love the 1994 indie satire S.F.W. starring Stephen Dorff and a baby Reese Witherspoon. They had one track “Can I Stay?” on the soundtrack alongside Paw, Marilyn Manson, Hole and others. The band’s career was stalled by the powers that be at A&M as you will see as Kurt delighted in telling the band’s story. Pete Crigler: How did you beco...

Seed Discography: ling  (Mechanic/Giant, 1994) Color Discography: Are You With Me? (Melisma/Arista, 2001) Following-up with notable musicians I've chatted with previously has become a new favorite thing to do. Up next is Chadwick Salls, best known as the bassist/singer in two different bands, Seed and Color. While neither band lasted very long, caught in the wheels of major label indifference, they managed to carve out their path and establish notable fanbases. Salls has gone on to establish his own career on his own terms and was happy to take a fuller look back with me at both of his bands and where he is now. Pete Crigler: When did you first become interested in music? Chadwick Salls: As far back as I can remember! I was under 5-years-old and I remember reaching up as high as I could to hit the keys because I couldn't get up on the bench. The verse of "It's Only Love" by The Beatles was the first thing I picked out by ear and after teaching for so many years,...

Discography: The Ernies (BOB Records, 1995) Dropping Science (BOB Records, 1997) Meson Ray  (Mojo Records, 1999) Back in 2010, I wrote a book about various bands in the state of Virginia. It was called Keeping It Tight in the Old Dominion: A History of Virginia Rock Music,  pretty self-explanatory. It covered rock and roll in VA from the fifties until the beginning of the 2010’s. In the decade since, I decided to try and catch up with as many musicians as wanted to talk about their careers. Drummer Matt Goves of the Richmond based ska/punk/everything else band The Ernies sat down and talked about their career and their hopeful legacy. Pete Crigler: What got you into music? Matt Goves: I went to a Civil War reenactment when I was 7. We got to walk around the camps before it started and I was intrigued by the drummer boy. We got home and my grandmother turned a cardboard box, some string and a pair of wooden spoons into my own personal drum. I started playing in school band ...