LEGENDS OF ALTERNATIVE ROCK!
Let me state this upfront. I love alternative rock. I don’t think that’s a surprise to anyone who has read this blog. I also tend to consider alternative rock to be a pretty huge tent. Punk was alternative in it’s day, as was post-punk. New wave was mainstream for the most part, but I still love it. But the 80s brought us the great American underground and college rock. It brought us shoegaze and dream pop. All of it alternative in my mind. And while grunge exploded into the mainstream conscience of the early 90’s, it’s roots are definitely alternative. So to me, alternative is all that great stuff, and more. So today, I thought I would throw some great alternative from some of the great bands your way.
Just about all my favorite bands are here…Pavement, Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr. and Nirvana. Everything those guys made I can listen to, even the newer stuff. The Minutemen, who’s Double Nickel on the Dime album is so great, it’s sick. You want an experience, grab that album, a couple cold beverages and sit and chill, and let it wash over you. Then there’s the Pixies. There is nothing I can say that hasn’t been said about the Pixies a million times over. Listen to any of their albums…their weakest album is better than anything these moronic labels release now. I mean, honestly, when Mariah fucking Carey has the top album in the nation, you KNOW the labels are seriously screwed up. But again, I digress. There is some top notch stuff here…listen to it, and let that smile wash over your face!
And speaking of great, the video today is from Superchunk. Long before there was the Pixies, and the great bass lines of Kin Deal, there was the sublime greatness of Laura Ballance. She laid the foundation of one of the great bands of all time. So as a tribute to her, I bring you some Superchunk.
Download iPod Video:Superchunk – Hyper Enough
- The Cure – Fascination Street
- Dinosaur Jr. – Crumble
- Husker Du – Some Kind of Fun
- The Pixies – Vamos
- Minutemen – Take Our Test
- Pavement – No More Kings
- My Bloody Valentine – No Place To Go
- Nirvana – Stay Away
- REM – Orange Crush
- Bauhaus – Kick In The Eyes
- Sonic Youth – Youth Against Facism
- The Smashing Pumpkins – X.Y.U.
- Jane’s Adiction – Superhero
- Pearl Jam – Rearviewmirror
- Superchunk – Punch Me Harder
May 7th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Just to pick a nit a bit…New Wave here in the States, especially British New Wave, was not mainstream in the truest sense. Yes, there were a few tunes showcased ad nauseum on EmpTv – A-Ha, Duran Duran, Haircut 100, Flock of Seagulls…that made it seem that way. But since I’ve been doing some serious research into the genre some 20 years later (I never said I was up on current events!), I find there is so much that is considered New Wave, but back then was too cutting edge for the heavy-rotation files. And those are some of the greatest New Wave songs around – filed under “obscurity.”
/off soap box. You’ve done a great job once again, DJ Info. *Mariah Fucking Carey* – made me lol!
MissParker0106’s last blog post..80’s Music Rules ~ Moving Sucks…
May 7th, 2008 at 8:42 am
@MissParker0106:
I don’t think it’s a nit at all. That’s kind of why I singled out New Wave and “somewhat mainstream”. Your exactly right. There were big names in the mainstream, and lots more on the periphery of the mainstream. And then there were those great obscure bands that didn’t get much airplay.
I tend to think of the 80’s as filled with all this wonderful music, all this post punk, new wave and underground stuff. And it was, but only if you went out and looked for it. Take a look at the top 40 charts from the 80’s, and you’ll find just as much crap as there is on the charts today, maybe even more. Song’s like Say Say Say or Smooth Criminal or Dancing on the Ceiling. Who can seriously call those great songs?
And Mariah Carey…ah yes…a person I have disliked immensely since the first time I saw her talentless little diva-ass on MTV many years ago. There is nothing redeeming about that nut-jobs music. Sorry, that’s just how I feel.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:56 am
The video is you provide is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.