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I admit my favorite era of music was the 90s Alt-rock movement, whose creators were essentially some agitated 20-somethings in Seattle. I grew up with grunge and what eventually became pop-punk, and some of those same bands are still alive and well.
But Alternative music today is the same and yet different than what it sounded like 15-20 years ago. It’s to the point that Alternative is an open-ended genre. What necessarily qualifies as “Alternative,” when Mumford & Sons and Muse categorized the same. Those are different styles, different sounds, and seemingly not the same kind of music.
I love the style but I find it nearly impossible to feature a specific menu of music for the radio show. There are too many great songs from artists that are instantly recognized as being solely Alt-rock or Alternative that the 59 minutes of content gets taken up too quickly. You’ll note on the menu this week that I do not have a track from Grunge icons Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, or Stone Temple Pilots. How can I do a show that’s all about Alternative music, claiming to showcase unknown/lesser known flavors of music from mainstream artists of that era and not include these key players? I’m still pondering that question. The reason is there’s not enough time in a 59 minute show for me to give you my favorite picks from these acts.
So I will do that here.
I love Nirvana and history will continue to give Kurt Cobain credit for redefining progressive music. To this day, mainstream artists are trying to copy his style, his vocal/screaming abilities, songwriting technique, etc. It’s both a credit to his skills as well as annoying for me (the listener) to hear others try and no succeed at essentially ripping off that patented sound. As for the band, Dave Grohl has gone on to even greater success as frontman (and one-time all instruments) for Foo Fighters. Krist Novoselic has done a little work with some other bands, but nothing of notable mention.
Some non-Top 40 radio tracks that are personal favorites which illustrate the band’s excellence include Serve The Servants, Francis Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle, Sliver, Lounge Act, Anyeurism, Drain You, and Tourettes.
Soundgarden was one of my favorite bands in grade school. However, I have to admit that my favorite songs were the pop hits, namely Pretty Noose, Black Hole Sun, Burden In My Hand and The Day I Tried To Live. I have jumped into their greater songbook and found that most of the non-radio tracks were very experimental, at least from a vocal standpoint in what keys and octaves Chris Cornell would end his lines and bars on. Sometimes he would take a mid-range line and try to end the line on a higher or minor key. It just didn’t sound right to me. I think his work with Audioslave has matured this experimentation (as illustrated in the track featured on this week’s program-Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye). Some non-radio tracks from both Soundgarden and Audioslave (indicated with a *) are My Wave, Searching With My Good Eye Closed, New Damage, Be Yourself*, and Dandelion*.
Alice In Chains continues to write and tour as a band though their founding lead singer is deceased (Layne Staley). Like Soundgarden, most of my favorite tracks were what made them famous (meaning I really enjoyed the Top 40 hit stuff like The Rooster and Man In The Box and Would?). But other notable b-sides from them include Sunshine, Rain When I Die, and Shame In You.
As for STP, I’m really limited to saying that the songs that made them famous were the only ones worth listening to. I’ve had their albums and tried to get deeper into their songbooks and there’s really not much to prmote. With that though, they do have some really killer songs including Big Empty (my personal favorite), Lady Picture Show, Plush, Trippin On A Hole In A Paperheart, Down, Vasoline, Interstate Love Song, etc. Basically, if mainstream radio played it, it was a great song. This is not to say I’m not a fan of the band because I don’t have a b-side track favorite. But to me, I couldn’t find much else from their hits worth mentioning. If I’m wrong, tell me.
I’m sure there are bands from this era that I missed (both here and on the show). Tell me who you’d like me to feature and what non-radio tracks should I be listening to, talking about, and featuring?
Shirley Mansion from Garbage
Song / Length / Artist / Album / Label / Year
Hour 1
Mama’s Room / 3:55 / Under the Influence of Giants / Under The Influence Of Giants / The Island Def Jam Music / 2006
Been Better / 3:39 / Kyla La Grange / Bands Under the Radar, Vol. 4 / BUTR Records / 2011
Tethered / 3:37 / Sleeping At Last / Yearbook – April / Asteroid B-612 (BMI) / 2011
Money / 3:54 / The Drums / Portamento (Bonus Track Version) / The Island Def Jam Records / 2012
I’m A Loner Dottie, A Rebel / 2:55 / The Get Up Kids / Eudora / Vagrant Records / 2001
[(:19 break) Shalom/Saalam / 1:00 / Matisyahu / Youth / Sony BMG / 2006
Hit the Road / 4:33 / Landing on the Moon / We Make History Now / Young Love Records / 2009
Johnny / 3:20 / Madi Diaz / Far From Things That We Know EP / Small House Records / 2011
Serpents / 3:04 / Sharon Van Etten / Tramp / Jagjaguwar / 2012
Technicolor / 4:35 / Crushed Stars / Convalescing In Braille / Simulacra Records / 2010
[(and :39) Love Without Fear / 5:07 / Krief / Hundred Thousand Pieces / Krief / 2012
Why Do I Keep Counting? / 4:24 / The Killers / Sam’s Town / The Island Def Jam Music Group / 2006
Maybe Next Time / 3:52 / Face to Face / Ignorance Is Bliss / Unidisc Music Inc. / 1999
Fire Escape / 4:17 / Matthew Mayfield / Now You’re Free / Sweet Exchange Records / 2012
Their Lips Sink Ships / 0:59 / Silverstein / A Shipwreck In The Sand / Victory Records / 2009
This Lifeboat Is for Gold, Not People / 4:26 / This Old Ghost / Bands Under the Radar, Vol. 4 / BUTR Records / 2011
Hour 2
That Someone Is You / 1:44 / R.E.M. / Collapse Into Now / R.E.M.-Athens LLC / 2011
Every Day Is Yours To Win / 3:26 R.E.M. / Collapse Into Now / R.E.M.-Athens LLC / 2011
I Could Die For You / 3:15 / Red Hot Chili Peppers / By The Way / Warner Bros Records / 2002
All Eyes On Me / 3:56 / Goo Goo Dolls / Dizzy Up The Girl / Warner Bros Records / 1998
I Hope I Think I Know / 4:23 / Oasis / Be Here Now / Big Brother Recording Ltd / 1997
[(and :19 break) An Ode To Maybe / 2:36 / Third Eye Blind / Blue / Elektra Entertainment Group / 1999
Unthought Known / 4:09 / Pearl Jam / Backspacer / Pearl Jam / 2009
Smile / 2:39 / Weezer / Green Album / Interscope / Geffen / 2001
Luna / 3:21 / The Smashing Pumpkins / Siamese Dream / Virgin Records America / 1993
Run To The Water / 4:27 / Live / Awake: The Best Of Live / Radioactive Records J.V. / 1999
[(and :39) February Stars / 4:49 / Foo Fighters / The Colour And The Shape / Roswell Records Inc / 1997
Sunday Morning / 4:35 / No Doubt / Tragic Kingdom / UMG Recordings / 1995
Desensitized / 2:50 / Green Day / Shenanigans / Reprise Records / 2002
Run Baby Run / 3:58 / Garbage / Bleed Like Me / Geffen / 2005
In Limbo / 3:33 / Radiohead / Kid A / EMI Recordings / 2000
Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye / 3:33 / Audioslave / Revelations / Sony Music Entertainment / 2006
Check out any of our previous episodes in our Program Archive. We reference exclusive interviews and sessions with artists this week. You can hear those HERE.
Song / Length / Artist / Album / Label / Year
Hour 1
Bon Iver
What Of Me? / 5:14 / Trespassers William / Having / Nettwerk / 2006
[(and :19) Sinners By The Mouth / 5:10 / Stephanie Briggs / Birds Barely Know Us / Smith Entertainment / 2009
Bixby Canyon Bridge / 5:15 / Death Cab For Cutie / Narrow Stairs / Atlantic / 2008
Clavado En Un Bar / 5:13 / Maná / Sueños Líquidos / Warner Music Mexico / 1997
Reckoner / 5:30 / Radiohead / In Rainbows / _Xurbia _Xendless Limited / 2007
[and (:39) Coming Home / 3:39 / The 88 / Over & Over / EMK/Mootron / 2005
Blind Willie McTell / 5:16 / The Nightwatchman / Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International [Disc 1] / Amnesty International / 2012
Lights and Sounds / 5:16 / The Rocketboys / 20,000 Ghosts / None / 2009
Beauty Of Uncertainty / 5:02 / KT Tunstall / Drastic Fantastic / Jaydone / 2007
Intuition / 4:37 / Feist / The Reminder / Polydor / 2007
Hour 2
With Whom You Belong / 5:34 / Fistful Of Mercy / As I Call You Down / Hot Records Limited / 2010
Don’t You Worry None / 3:22 / Grace Pettis / Two Birds / Grace Pettis / 2012
Happily Ever After / 4:04 / He Is We / My Forever / Universal Motown Records / 2010
Farther Down (Bonus Track) / 5:16 / Neon Trees / Habits (Bonus Track Version) / The Island Def Jam Music Group / 2010
Hold That Thought / 4:15 / Ben Folds Five / The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind / Ben Folds / 2012
Few and Far Between / 3:26 Bigfoot Wallace / Malleable / unsigned / 2011
State Of The Art / 5:22 / Gotye / Making Mirrors / Samples ‘N Second Records / 2011
[mention]
Unfinished Sympathy / 5:14 / Massive Attack / Collected / Virgin Records / 2006
Favorite Show / 3:36 / Mu330 / Mailorder Is Fun / MIF / 1996
Andrea / 1:47 / MxPx / Life In General / Tooth & Nail Records / 1996
Molly’s Lips / 1:54 / Nirvana / Incesticide / Geffen Records / 1992
Fix / 2:09 / Pedro The Lion / Whole [EP] / Capitol Christian Music Group / 1997
Mr. Brightside (The Killers Cover) / 5:11 / PlayRadioPlay! / The Frequency – EP / The Island Def Jam Music / 2007
Lady In White / 4:00 / Rebelution / Peace Of Mind / Rebelution LLC / 2012
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