Aqua

If you're anywhere close to my age, you'll probably know all of the words to this song:

So why am I posting about a two-hit pop-music wonder from the 90s? Well, they're touring Australia. Not only that, they've already sold out two shows (one in Melbourne and one in Sydney). Amazing huh? Based off this news, I imagine there aren't many more tickets left for the Brisbane show a the HiFi on March 8, or at the Coolangatta Hotel on March 9. Both are 18+, because no one under the age of 18 will know who they are.

Brisbane Soundwave Sidewave #2

Marilyn Manson, supported by Coal Chamber and Wednesday 13.

Do I really need to explain this one to you guys? If I do, well then you weren't alive in the 90s and weren't interested in any of the more "heavier" or "controversial" music.

For me, this will be best for Coal Chamber. 13 year old me loved this band.

Eaton's Hill Hotel, February 24. All ages.

Guttermouth

It's been a little over a year since the crude and rude skate punks Guttermouth did a regional tour of Australia, but apparently we're a great market, because they're coming back to do it all over again, with even more dates!

And proving both their love of Australia and their old school punk-ness, here's them on Recovery in the 90s:

If you want to revisit your punk past, there's a handful of Queensland shows to see them: (all 18+):

January 27, Woodland (Brisbane)

January 28, Billy's Beach House (Gold Coast)

January 29, King's Beach Tavern (Caloundra)

February 2, Magnums (Airlie Beach)

February 3, The Venue (Townsville)

News news news!

The best of the 90's
Lenny Kravitz and the Cranberries, together at last! In what would get so many of our 14 year old selves excited (surprisingly not me though, I wasn't the biggest fan of these two, although the Cranberries had some crackin' tunes), they are coming out for a tour. And to make it even more radio friendly, they've got Wolfmother coming with them!

March 24, Riverstage.

Now relive the magic!

G3

I've had this video on my computer since I was about 12:

It's the Karate Kid guitar duelling Steve Vai. Amazing, right? Well Steve Vai is touring as part of the G3 tour next year, when 3 kick-ass guitarists go around showing us their chops. Next year it will be Steve, with Joe Satriani (who's casette I used to have lying around somewhere) and Steve Lukather. April 5th at the Convention Centre. For some reason it's also 18+.

Joy Divsion live (sort of)

Peter Hook, the bassist of Joy Division (and member of New Order) is set to cash in on the Joy Division legacy again this year, by once again touring a full band playing an entire Joy Division album. Last time it was Unknown Pleasures, but this time he will be playing all of Closer. To me, Closer was a dark and moody album, but the songs on it aren't really anything I remember when I think of Joy Division. The show is Black Friday, April 13 at the Tivoli. Maybe he'll do something extra special for it?

Ariel Pink

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti were out at the start of the year for the Laneway festival. I watched a few songs, but to be honest, it wasn't my thing. Their music is sort of a hipster psychedelia. Maybe it was just that he was playing on a bloody hot day under a tin shed, but I just didn't get into it. I'm willing to give it another shot though, as the recorded stuff isn't too bad. I can do that at the Zoo on the 8th of March!


Dan Deacon
Everyone's favourite electronic party animal is going on tour! He'll be partying it up in Woodland on January 12. Tickets are about $32. This will be a great party night.

Free Music Friday 23! (The "I-think-Blake-will-like-this-edition")

There's something to be said about slightly balding and aging musicians, with a bit of a gut that wear glasses. They make bloody good music, they don't wear much clothing and they're great performers. Case in point:

Pink Eyes from Fucked Up (okay, he doesn't wear glasses):

Dan Deacon:

Les Savy Fav:

And now, I'm going to introduce you to another contender, Clint Maul:


Now I don't know about his live show (hey, he could be an animal and not wear much clothing), but his music is sublime. My album reviews have been falling behind all week, mainly because I've been listening to his three EPs on repeat.

As far as I can tell, Clint Maul is stuck back in the hey-day of alternative rock: the early 90's. To me, it sounds like he channels Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr, writing some beautiful songs with a very distorted, noisy undertone. It's everything I loved about alternative rock of that time. I wish I could be more eloquent about it, but after reading this quote, I can't describe it any better:

“Taking the audience back to the halcyon days of alternative rock — when acts overtly indebted to the pure-pop genius of Westerberg’s Replacements signed to majors and dated Wynona Rider”
— The Washington Post

It's just amazing. It's everything I love.

You can "name-your-price" for his three EPs at his bandcamp right here.

I am going to chalk this up as my best find so far of 2011. I just hope he puts out a full album out soon that I can rank it high on my end of year list.

The Living End tour

Ever since I was yay-high (points to stomach) I've been a huge fan of the Living End. Going through my CD cabinet, you'd probably see they're the only band I own every release of. And what a collection of albums.

My earliest memory of them was on a school bus going somewhere, with all of us singing the lyrics of Prisoner of Society to our teacher's face, as he was getting mad at us. There's nothing better than "WE DON'T NEED NO ONE LIKE YOU! TO TELL US WHAT TO DO!"

Ahh, yes, the good old Living End days. The rockabilly punk days. The days when Recovery was still the best TV show in the world:

These days the Living End are more of the "alternative rock" end of the spectrum, but by no means does that mean they are crap. Or that Chris Cheney isn't one of the best guitarists ever. Hopefully they'll still turn out the hits though, especially on their new album to be released soon.

To support the album, they'll be heading out on tour. September 2, the Tivoli. Supporting them will be one of Ellery's favourite bands, King Cannons.

Regurgitator

Oh hey, it must be that time of year again. Regurgitator's going on tour.

It's becoming an annual event, kind of like that two weeks of freezing cold mornings we get in Queensland when our cars actually ice over. Well it's not that bad, as I actually like Regurgitator. And this Brisbane band is still putting out music, occassionally, and still rocking out.

Sure it's been a while since their heady days of the Unit album, when they'd play Recovery seemingly every few weeks with a new hit single (gosh, I miss that show). Trust my though, I go out and see them every year and they still put on a good show.

There's quite a few shows in our area for this tour:
18th August - Hotel Great Northern, Byron Bay
19th August - Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
20th August - The HiFi, Brisbane
21st August - King's Beach Tavern, Caloundra

Helmet

Helmet. One of the greatest hardcore bands to come out of the late 80's/early 90s scene. They're rather unknown still, which is sad, but it doesn't stop them being awesome. Evergreen Terrace even tip their hat to them on the track Chaney Can't Quite Riff Like Helmet's Page Hamilton.

(Googling for Helmet + music = Daft Punk pictures. So here's the music video I first saw as a 12 year old late one night on Rage before buying an electric guitar and learning it)



They'll be bringing their hardcore down under, and we get two south east Queensland shows!
June 22nd, Coolangatta Hotel
June 23rd, HiFi

Both 18+. But that's to be expected, most of their fans are in the mid to late 20's by now. Catch some more of their tunes here.

The Get Up Kids

Emo. You hear that term bandied around a lot (well, maybe less these days). And a lot of the old hipsters, like me, always refer to the better days of 90s emo. When the music was softer, yet still raw. Emotions bubbled through the lyrics (sometimes shouted). And bands like the Get Up Kids Were releasing amazing albums.

They broke up. They got back together a decade back and played Soundwave last year. This is them, on my phone:


Now if you know me, you know I'm a huge James Dewes fan boy. And he plays the keyboard in Get Up Kids. So you can probably guess that I squaled a little when I heard they were coming back for a headlining tour. No standing on the concrete in the afternoon sun with a bunch of kids not knowing the band they were listening to. No. Just me and the Get Up Kids. And a few hundred other fans.

Catch them August 5 at the HiFi. 18+

The Jebs

Remember the 90s? A great time for music. A great time for indie music. A great time for Australian indie music. And this was the pinnacle of it:

Ah, good times indeed. Flannel was still cool. And Triple J played good music still. Sometimes I wish I could go back.

Luckily, Jebediah are letting us, as Bob Evans has finished his solo stuff for a while, and the Perth group has gotten back together, recorded some new music and is now going out on a tour.

June 3, HiFi
June 4, Irish Club, Toowoomba

Pack it up, pack it in. Let me begin.

This is Everlast:

Soulful. Slightly depressing. Introspective. Laid back.

This was Everlast a long time ago:

Yes, he was an "Irish-American Rapper." And he had a massive one-hit wonder that most of us know when we're in the Mustang bar listening to 80s/90s music and still managing to remember all the words despite the quantity of cheap rum and vodka we've imbibed and the decades between last hearing the song.

House of Pain split up in 1996 which left Everlast writing some great folk-American-rock. But to celebrate a 20 year anniversary of being white rappers, House of Pain are coming out on a reunion tour. They'll be coming along as the Grooving the Moo festival, but we get to see them do a headline show in Brisbane.

May 2, HiFi
May 5, Coolangatta Hotel

I think I've just found an excellent reason to wear my 1991/92 replica Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen jersey. And maybe a backwards cap. But not fitted. I'm pretty sure they didn't exist then.

STP

A few years ago I was hanging out at Summerfest in Milwaukee. The headliners of that particular day were Stone Temple Pilots (on the main stage that you had to pay extra for) and the Roots. There were three of us there and someone gave us two free tickets to the STP show. It was quite the debate as to who should go in, but eventually I fell on my sword and went to the Roots instead, letting my boys go to STP.

I had some regrets about that decision, even though the Roots were amazing and put on one of the best festival sets I've seen. Everyone just kept telling me how awesome Stome Temple Pilots were, and I figured there'd be some sort of drug relapse and we'd never see them again.

In the end, it turns out I made the best choice for two reasons:

1. The Roots announced a few months later that they'd play no more live shows
2. Stone Temple Pilots are coming to Australia

23rd March. Riverstage.

You don't know Stone Temple Pilots?! Well, what did you listen to in the 90s? They were a post-grunge "alternative" rock band that scored a stream of number 1's in America. Until drugs had their way. Pay attention:

Hopefully Scott stays clean and out of trouble long enough to actually get down here.

One sentence album reviews (#3)

Here's the last few I put on Twitter:

Good Cean Fun - Between Christian Rock And A Hard Place (2006): Positive/straight edge/vegan/Christian hardcore punk; it's so much fun 4.5/5

Dear Landlord - Dream Homes (2009): Awesome & simple classic punk rock from Chicago (my favourite punk region) 4/5

Cower - Land Before Time (2010): Bluesy sludge metal has a baby with a hardcore band with a speech impediment; vocals are hard to hear 3/5

Departures - EP (2010): Excellent hardcore EP, with vocals that border on screamo/scramz (3.5/5)

Japandroids - Post-nothing (2009): simple yet noisy two piece garage rock with simple and fun lyrics and a beat that makes you move. 5/5

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue (2009): The bastard child of a folk album and an 8 bit electronic album; Bibio swings between the two. 3/5

Big Troubles - Worry (2010): Two of my favourite things: lots of fuzzy guitars and lots of fuzzy vocals; channeling My Bloody Valentine 4/5

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor (2010): It's as if Bruce Springsteen hit the drugs and formed an indie garage rock band tinged with country. 4.5/5

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest (2010): Lo-fi shoegaze that just spaces you out as you get lost in the music; could not stay awake at work. 3/5

Everything Everything - Man Alive (2010): Vocals and pop-stylings of Coldplay get a bit more indie with a splash of Radiohead. 3.5/5

Gin Blossoms - No Chocolate Cake (2010): The 90's called, they want this album and this band back. It's at least 15 years too late. 1.5/5

Jebediah Tour

I am scared by the fact that a lot of people may be too young to remember the awesome indie days of Australian music in the 90s, especially Jebediah.


This Perth band was the epitome of Australian 90's indie. Recently I linked to a new track of their's but now we are blessed with another track. You can get it here at TripleJ. Although it's not as good as their other track (in my opinion at least) it still transports me back to a day when Australia made great indie rock. And after a day spent listening to Gerling, that's not a bad thing.

And to top it all off, Jebediah are going on tour for the first time in over a half of a decade! December 10th, at the Zoo.

Jebediah new song

Jebediah were the staple of the Australian 90's music scene. Well one of them, but one of the most popular ones. Then they went AWOL for 5 or so years while the lead singer got his folk on as Bob Evans.


But watch out! They are back with a new album on the way. And they've released a free song from it right here. My thoughts? Hell yes! Kevin Mitchell appears to have lost his whiny voice from the 90s, and they've gotten faster, noiser and more distorted. Ticks a lot of boxes for me.

90's Mixtape #4: Bands that got big

As many one hit wonders as there were in the 90s, there were plenty of bands that became huge, from genres that would normally not have gotten big. Imagine in 1990 seeing Green Day and thinking how huge they would become? It just boggles the mind. This selection is of bands that have become huge since then, maybe not to the level of being played on Nova, but to the level of being considered gods of their genres.

1. Ben Folds Five - One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces (3:54)

Ben Folds was the sound of university students of the 90s. This track, one of his heavier ones, was the opening track to the album that made him huge, the one that had that sobby song Brick on it.

2. Alice In Chains - We Die Young (2:32)

Nirvana was the biggest band in grunge, Pearl Jam possibly the second. And the third, without a doubt, was Alice in Chains. I still remember when the lead singer Layne Staley died in high school, most of my friends had to go home to mourn. It was a huge moment for us, as Alice in Chains was the working class rock music of our area.

3. At the Drive-In - Metronome Arthritis (4:01)

Probably one of the best bands, ever. They had a massive hard working ethic, and apparently gave the most legendary on-stage performances. This was a track that was recorded just before the sessions that gave them their critically acclaimed, and unfortunately last, album Relationship of Command. Before this song they were scrappyish post-hardcore. After this track they defined a style. They then broke up to form the bands Sparta and the Mars Volta.

4. Deftones - Root (3:41)

This track is off of their first album, when they were a burgeoning hardcore band. Still one of my favourite albums, I play this on guitar almost every day. Eventually they calmed down into an electronic/ambient hardcore band that they are now. They’ve become their own genre.

5. Blur - M.O.R. (3:27)

Woohoo! These guys made Brit-rock famous. Unfortunately they wrote the bogan anthem Song 2, but the rest of the album was full of amazing British rock. The lead singer is now the Gorillaz, amongst other bands.

6. Bush - Bubbles (3:02)

Another British band, but more of a grunge one. They hit the time huge in America with a song called Glycerine, but this song is off of the Mallrats soundtrack. The lead singer ended up marrying Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, got happy, stopped writing good music and is now an actor.

7. Fugazi - Give Me The Cure (2:59)

Fugazi formed from the ashes of the short-lived hardcore band that invented straight edge (they even wrote the song that NOFX covers): Minor Threat. Although not the relentless hardcore of Minor Threat, they introduced indie and melody to create some quiet, yet still hard songs. They still kept the hardcore ethic though, every concert they play is all ages and cheap as chips. That’s the only way they’ll play. They are truly in it for the music, even after 30 odd years.

8. System Of A Down - Sugar (2:33)

You know System of a Down. Their first album though, especially this song, was at the forefront of my drug days in the 90s. The album, this song too, was basically about bad drug trips. This one is about mushroom men.

9. A.F.I. - Malleus Maleficarum (4:01)

I also hope you know A.F.I. Before they were glam-punk, they were a great west coast hardcore band. I wish I had known them during these days.

10. Nine Inch Nails - Big Man With A Gun (1:36)

Nine Inch Nails were so huge in the 90s (and so feared) that I remember my teenage books (Animorphs in particular) always had the loners, the losers, or the trouble makers listening to their music.

11. Modest Mouse - Doin' the Cockroach (4:18)

Modest Mouse in the 90’s were a balls to the wall noise-rock band with existential lyrics that either made you think or got you lost. But halfway through each song the lead singer Isaac would just lose it, and play as much noise while yelling as he wanted to, until he pulled it up slow. Not as good these days, but still an amazing indie band.

12. REFUSED - New Noise (5:09)

The single off their groundbreaking album, the Shape of Punk to Come. They actually showed us in this album the music scene 10 years on, and like any great band releasing an amazing album, they broke up immediately afterwards. Oh, and Swedish. You should listen to this whole album, it is just hardcore royalty.

13. Poison The Well - Artists Rendering of Me (3:20)

There was nothing like the hardcore of today before Poison the Well. And they are still going strong.

14. Beastie Boys - Sabotage (2:58)

Yeah, they mainly do hip-hop. And got huge off it. But this is a great little track with an awesome video clip.

15. Incubus - You Will Be A Hot Dancer (4:17)

Incubus are now a pretty boring indie band. But when they started, they mixed together funk and metal in a brand new way. Their bass player is one of the few reasons I ever bought a bass guitar.

16. Maxïmo Park - Graffiti (2:46)

Ask girls my age about this band. They love them and so do I. But for some reason, their cabaret style just gets the girls.

17. Spiderbait - Shazam! (2:03)

Australia’s favourite band, whenever the drummer was singing they produced much better and heavier songs like Shazam!

18. Beck - Sexx Laws (3:41)

Beck is just one of those artists that is around a lot, and has been for years. He’s put out weird electronic music, he’s put out acoustic music, he’s put out rock music. But the album I best remember him for is where this track came from, full on big-band trumpet style music. Probably not your taste, but it’s just fun with a bit of a risqué subject.

Download

90's Mixtape #3: Poppier crap

I know it’s not quite your scene, but wasn’t the whole idea of this to expose you to new music? Some of this you will hate, that I can guarantee. But whatever, I like these songs dammit.

1. Diana Ah Naid - I Go Off (3:09)

An Australian one-hit wonder. I still see her touring these days, but I have no idea why. Apart from this song I doubt anyone knows her. But that doesn’t detract from this pissed-off chick with an acoustic guitar song.

2. bis - Action And Drama (Album Version) (2:28)

Thank you. I had forgotten how much I loved Bis until I was going through my 90’s music. This song was on Triple J years ago (they even played Hey Hey It’s Saturday), but they are probably known more for a song no one would put together with them: they wrote the Powerpuff Girls theme song. Remember that cartoon? It’s what is known as twee, which is basically happy pop music.

3. Days Of The New - Touch, Peel And Stand (4:57)

A post-grunge band. This song was huge in the states when I lived there. Post-grunge basically means grunge, but softer. Lots of acoustic guitars.

4. Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta (3:38)

For years I thought this was a cover of a 1960’s pop song. But no, it’s a 90’s indie band with a one hit wonder that you just know without ever knowing. If you know what I mean.

5. The Black Heart Procession - A Light So Dim (7:52)

I didn’t know these guys in the 90s. I didn’t know these guys for most of the last decade. I’ve just recently stumbled across them and their moody post-punk style indie. It’s gloomy. I can imagine they wear a lot of leather jackets and play in a lot of dingy bars.

6. The Cardigans - My Favourite Game (3:39)

Sweden is my favourite country by far, they just make some of the best music. Ask one day, I could make you hours upon hours of awesome Swedish mix CDs. This band got popular on a song in the Leonardo Di Caprio Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack. But they also released a lot of better rock songs like this one.

7. Björk - Hyperballad (5:21)

It’s oh so quiettttttttttt. Shhhh. Shhh. This is a more electronic and kind of sweet lyrics song by the crazy Icelander.

8. Blind Melon - No Rain (3:39)

My first year college roommate was obsessed with this band. And to be honest, I’ve still only heard this one song. I think this mix CD is full of one-hit wonders. This was a number 1 for a long time I’m pretty sure.

9. The Bloodhound Gang - I Wish I Was Queer So I Could Get Chicks (3:44)

I actually have this as a CD single I bought when I was a kid. Pure hilariousness.

10. Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost Of Tom Joad (4:27)

Bruce is normally known for his stadium style rock anthems. But this song, is just so quiet and haunting (now that’s a bad pun, but true). It’s another side of the Boss that you just don’t see. That and it’s been covered a lot, so you know it’s a good song.

11. Catch 22 - Dear Sergio (2:33)

It’s ska, but I find it more punk than ska. I actually wish more ska was like this instead of that Reel Big Fish crud.

12. Crash Test Dummies - Afternoons And Coffeespoons (3:54)

Another post-grunge band, best known for their annoying as fuck MMMMM song. You’d know it if you heard it.

13. Cruel Sea - The Honeymoon is Over (3:05)

Australian rock band featuring the very talented Tex Perkins on vocals. He is the voice of rock and blues in Australia in the last 20 years.

14. Everlast - Ends (4:33)

A white boy rapper, he started in a band called House of Pain that had a hit called “Jump Around.” I guess he then learnt how to play a guitar and write some more introspective songs.

15. King Missile - Cheesecake Truck (1:11)

Not really “music” King Missile do comedic spoken word poetry.

16. Lavish - Homosapien (3:00)

Another Triple J 90’s one hit wonder. I think it was in some movie, but I can’t quite remember.

17. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Rascal King (2:46)

A bigger ska band from the 90’s, but once again, these guys tended to lean more towards playing punk than ska. This song is actually from the Clueless soundtrack, which is what I was considering burning you instead, because it’s just full of damn good music from the 90s. And is one of my favourite movies.

18. Monster Magnet - Powertrip (3:31)

I thought I had missed my chance seeing these guys live, but it turns out they are yet another band brought from the dead to play at Soundwave next year. They do acid/stoner rock: I guess that means it is slightly nonsensical lyrics with more interesting sounds in their guitars instead of just distortion and heaviness.

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90's Mixtape #2: Punk

A lot of the punk bands from the 90s are still going strong these days. For some reason, probably people from the 80s becoming adults, punk became quite a profitable and popular genre. Just look at some of the concerts we’ve been to: Pennywise, NOFX, Bad Religion, Frenzal Rhomb, Against Me!, etc... they all came to popularity in the 90s. It’s like the Rolling Stones were to our parent’s generation I guess.

This mix starts off with a Chicago punk scene tribute. I was on the outskirts of it too late for some of these bands, but it was strong in the 90s. Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Fallout Boy, the Tossers, Local H, Smoking Popes and even (not really so punk) the Smashing Pumpkins.

1. Mach Pelican - Dance In Chicago (1:59)

Not from Chicago, but actually from Japan but playing out of Perth. These guys just worship the Ramones and try to be the Japanese version of them.

2. Lucky Boys Confusion - Fred Astaire (3:33)

Chicago reggae/punk/ska band that was actually mainly all of Indian descent. They played my old university town every few months and were much loved by all. I was at one of their final shows before they broke up in early 2004.

3. 88 Fingers Louie - Drunk & Ugly (1:43)

Chicago melodic hardcore punk band and one of Clus’s favourites. After they broke up, 2 band members helped form Rise Against.

4. Hot Water Music - Rooftops (2:53)

I saw the lead singer Chuck Ragan play an acoustic show earlier this year in Perth. Not as punk as most punk bands, but almost a working class rock and roll. I thought they were from Chicago, turns out they formed in Florida. Woops.

5. Lawrence Arms - A Guided Tour of Chicago (1:45)

Chicago pop-punk. These guys just have a lot of fun and sing about the most random shit. They opened for Frenzal Rhomb at the Arena about 4 years ago. Although they got booed off stage by Frenzal’s dipshit fans, I think they are a much better band.

6. Ace Troubleshooter - Punk Rock Chicks (2:05)

Christian pop-punk. I saw them open a ska show years ago, and they are reasonably good fun.

7. Fenix TX - All My Fault (2:50)

Originally called RiverFenix, they were sued by the dead actor’s estate. I only really know this song, as it was a bit of a one hit wonder in the late 90s.

8. Against All Authority - Daddy's Little Girl (1:21)

Hardcore/skatepunk ska. They do the kind of ska that has no horns, but is more of skate punk. One of the heavier ska bands there is. In fact, most people don’t consider them ska at all.

9. Propagandhi - Ska Sucks (1:51)

Canadian skate punk, quite political in their songs. They are still putting out albums but are now almost a metal band.

10. Suicidal Tendencies - Cyco Vision (1:49)

A punk/thrash metal band from California, although these days half of the band is married to Australians and live on the Sunshine Coast. They’ve gone through a lot of different sounds, from punk to metal to thrash, but this song is off their skate-punk album Freedumb. It was so much skate punk that it was on the soundtrack to the first Tony Hawk game.

11. Descendents - I'm Not a Loser (1:29)

The originators of nerd punk and probably pop-punk, they were one of the first punk bands to not take themselves seriously and just sing about fun things. They are about to embark on their first Autralian tour in their 30+ year career, I’m stoked. Barely a day goes by when you don’t see someone wearing one of their shirts, which have a quite distinctive caricature of the lead singer Milo as their recurring logo.

12. The Bouncing Souls - Kate Is Great (2:53)

One of my favourite pop-punk bands, in the 90s they were more of a melodic hardcore style. Amazingly fun live band, they are touring here with Hot Water Music in December.

13. The Vandals - Euro-Barge (1:54)

A band very much in the style of the Descendents, most of their songs are just jokes. Very skilled musicians, but this is the most serious song on their best album “Hitler Bad. Vandals Good.” The rest of the album is about the government reading their mind, mullets, dead girlfriends, people going to hell and even movie ideas. I think you saw them with me opening for Sum 41 once.

14. Good Riddance - Hardest Part (1:44)

A very influential and political hardcore punk band. They were on the record label owned by NOFX, but were never overly famous outside of the punk scene. However, most modern hardcore punk bands owe a lot to their sound.

15. Dogbuoy - Mozzies (2:56)

This was a small one hit wonder on Triple J when I was in primary school. Came around about the same time as 28 Days, when we went through that rap/rock phase.

16. Guttermouth - What If? (2:25)

A very rude and crude American skate punk band. They are quite vulgar and every song is generally a joke or an innuendo. I really don’t like them too much, but this song is a great parody of the Doors and the B-52s and always makes me laugh.

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90's Mixtape #1: Heavy shit

A few months back I was at a party and I was more than inebriated. As happens a lot, I got ranting to my friend about music. My particular point of conversation this night was the 90s and how so much good music came from then. Apparently I told her I'd make her a mixtape of good stuff from the 90s that she may not have heard. Being that her background is mainly punk and hardcore from this millenium, there was lots to be put in! It's finished, but I thought I'd share.



I made my own liner notes too and it started like this:

Dear Lxxx,

With these CDs I tried to pick bands you may not have heard of, or listened to. So I avoided a lot of the stuff I’d figure you’d already know, hence no Pearl Jam or Nirvana. You probably won’t like half of the crap, but if you do, I can hook you up with more.

Also, was way too hard to make it a single CD, so I tried to group it into 4 categories.

Regards,

Chuck

#1 - 90's Heavy Shit

Ahh the nineties in heavy music, where it was just becoming a more popular genre. The hardcore punk of the 80’s got faster and heavier to start becoming hardcore like we know it now. The hair metal of the 80s was dying and the guitars were getting detuned while the vocalists started growling more. And how could we ever forget that wonderful thing that was nu-metal in its youth. As much as we hate it now, listening to bands like Korn and Limpbizkit got most people, including me, away from the radio and into less mainstream music.

1. Turbonegro - The Age Of Pamparius (5:59)

A Norwegian glam-punk band, these guys at times, especially in this song, are channelling bad 80’s glam rock. Every time I hear this song I imagine the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, where they have a similar song with midgets dancing around a fake miniature stone henge. This song was also the theme for Wildboyz, one of the sequels to the Jackass TV show.

2. Danzig - Five Finger Crawl (3:43)

Danzig was the original lead singer of the horror-punk legends the Misfits. He left, formed his own band and made gloomy songs like this that sounded like a less-punk version of the Misfits rather unsurprisingly.

3. Filter - Welcome To The Fold (7:41)

Filter was formed by the touring guitarist from Nine Inch Nails in the mid 90s. They had a stream of charting hits in the 90s and 00s, but this song was the first I ever heard of them. They do a more stylised industrial rock sound, with some electronic songs and acoustic songs (which are the ones that got famous, of course).

4. Coal Chamber - Loco (4:09)

These guys have been blamed as pioneering the Nu-Metal sound. They were novel as they were one of the heaviest ones, even more depressing subject matter, and had a reasonably attractive female. Apart from that... well it’s nu-metal.

5. Fear Factory - Edgecrusher (3:39)

This band is still kicking around today and is a staple of most metal fans. They do industrial metal and are one of those bands not afraid to add electronic to their songs. In fact, a lot of their songs are about technology.

6. Dope - Everything Sucks (3:01)

Stoner industrial metal. They actually used to be drug dealers to finance their records. They do a pretty awesome cover of You Spin Me Right Round as well.

7. Ministry - Bad Blood (5:00)

As far as I’m concerned, these guys are the fathers and the best of industrial metal. They’ve been kicking around since the 80s, when they were actually a synth-pop band. Weird to think about.

8. Atari Teenage Riot - Digital hardcore (4:10)

ATR invented the genre digital hardcore and I guess this song is one of the better examples of it. Its dance music meets hardcore/metal basically. They try to produce as much noise as possible over a dance track.

9. Boysetsfire - In the Wilderness... No One can Hear You Scream (3:23)

I don’t actually know much about these guys, but they were a hardcore band which I downloaded after hearing a Metallica cover. This is one of their earlier songs, they are a lot more mellow after this album.

10. Coalesce - Burn Everything That Bears Our Name (2:23)

A metalcore band that many consider one of the first mathcore bands. Drummer on this album is James Dewees, the keyboardist/backup vocalist of the emo band Get Up Kids and the touring and recording keyboardist for New Found Glory and My Chemical Romance. Complete turn around from the start of his career.

11. Walls of Jericho - Changing Times (1:05)

A very extreme hardcore band with a female lead singer.

12. Zao - Savannah (2:46)

Christian death metal. This was one of the first self-proclaimed Christian bands I had ever heard. And they are brutal. Also one of those bands that have changed lineup about 100 times and have none of the original members.

13. Helmet - In The Meantime (3:08)

An old-school hardcore style, this song was the opening track to their acclaimed album Meantime, which debuted at number 63 in the USA. This wasn’t their hit single from the album (that was Unsung) but I like this song better. Evergreen Terrace has a song named after the lead singer/guitarist of Helmet (Chaney Can’t Quite Riff Like Helmet’s Page Hamilton). Still touring, they come out here every year or so. Page also guest stars on a lot of great albums, including a few Norma Jean songs.

14. Sevendust - Black (4:08)

The only band I have ever seen live in this list. They open nearly every concert with this song (hopefully at Soundwave next year). Although they came about during the nu-metal days, they were more of a radio friendly rock and have been very successful in the USA for the last 12 years.

15. Blindside - Superman (2:42)

Swedish Christian band that actually started as a Deftones cover band. This is from their first album when they were channelling the Deftones’ first album. Eventually they found their own sound which is a lot more punk than this. Still a great band. My mates in the states are obsessed with them. They generally play shows in Toowoomba when they come here, but never Brisbane, because of the Christian scene up there.

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