living with letting go

After an epic 5 hour journey through my favorite 90's music videos on youtube (when i should be writing my sociolinguistics paper..hehe), I was compelled to reflect on a decade of music that is very near and dear to my heart. As much of a sucker for the 80's as I am, I really only started listening to music and going to shows compulsively in the 90's. These days, indie music satiates all my needs, but as a teenager I got to experience the explosion of grunge and 'alternative rock'. It's hard to put a finger right on it, and pinpoint exactly when it happened, but music has changed over the course of the last 8 years. Not to say for better or for worse, but just different. So, with that said, here I present to you a little bit of nostalgia; my five favorite albums of the 90's.

#5 - Perfect From Now On - Built to Spill



Best Tracks: I Would Hurt a Fly, Unstrustable pt 2, Carry the Zero

A highly, highly, influencial album whose echoes can be heard in so much of the indie rock coming out these days. The highlights of the album for me are all those surprise endings and changes of time signatures and keys. Obviously a big influence on Arcade Fire's Funeral, which is probably my favorite album of the 00's, so bonus points for that.

Best Lyric: "and God is whoever you're performing for.."


#4 - Aenima - Tool


Best Tracks: Stinkfist, 46&2, Jimmy

I must admit, it's awful tough to choose between this and Undertow. In the end though, Tool really take their music to another level on this album. With hints of the sprawling, progressive direction they would take on Lateralus, and the more straightforward aggression of their first two albums, Aenima really provides the best of both Tool worlds. The short interludes between the tracks gel the album and give it a real sense of flow (best showcased in the intermission / Jimmy transition). Bonus points for the cool holographic packaging and for naming a song Hooker With a Penis

Best lyric: "Cuz I'm praying for rain / And I'm praying for tidal waves / I wanna see the ground give way / I wanna watch it all go down"


#3 Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary


Best tracks: Seven, In Circles, 47

Some may say that this album pioneered the 'emo' sound; to which i reply: "Bullshit!". See, the difference between SDRE and today's emo and screamo bands can be summed up in one word: talent. Diary features some of the best drumming and vocals that i have ever heard, period. Not to mention one of the best opening tracks ever in Seven (we're talking The Cure opening track quality here! haha). Some people may find Jeremy's voice grating, but his delivery is what lends the vocals their appeal. Unfortunately for the band, they were never able to match the quality of this album on any of their subsequent releases. Well...Pillars was an awesome song...

Best lyric: "in the shadows i climbed mountains for chairs / don't look down"


#2 - The Pixies - Doolittle



Best Tracks: Gouge Away, Hey, Crackity Jones, Mr Grieves, Dead, Here Comes Your Man, you get the picture... ;)

This one was really tough - how could one possibly attempt to elevate the perfection that is Doolittle above, say, Bossanova or Trompe Le Monde? well, i've done just that. deal with it.
There's a reason that Kurt Cobain was heavily influenced by this album - it's just one dementedly perfect track after another. The Mr. Grieves/Crackity Jones combo has always been a favorite of mine. And it even managed to produce two of their biggest mainstream hits: Monkey Gone to Heaven and Here Comes Your Man.

Best Lyric: "must be a devil between us /or whores in my head / whores at my door /whores in my bed"


#1 - Garbage - Garbage




Best tracks: Supervixen, As Heaven is Wide, Vow, Fix me Now


this one was really just a personal choice for me. I have lots of memories bound up with the '95-'98 period, and Garbage was the soundtrack to that period. Shirley Manson was one of the first female rockstars who really gave me the urge to pick up a guitar a rock out. From the amazingly good opener Supervixen to the moody downtempo closer Milk, this album is just pure solid, through and through. I could listen to it on repeat forever without skipping a single track. Butch Vig did an incredible job producing it, and Shirley's vocals can sound both powerful and vulnerable at the same time. I'd imagine some people would scoff at the selection of this album as best of the 90's (what about Ok Computer?? screw Thom Yorke and his lazy eye, I've always said!) but its my list and i can do what i want! hahaha

Best Lyric: "A hit is hard to resist and I never miss / I can take you out with just a flick of my wrist"


(honnerable mentions: Elliot Smith - XO, Juliana Hatfield - Only Everything, The Tea Party - Transmission)