To think about the bands that were once considered "alternative."
It was an umbrella term. Encompassing college rock, indie rock, grunge, punk, Britpop and everything else. Everything else that wasn't traditional rock, hair metal or rap.
An umbrella term pushed by MTV. Pushed by the record labels. A meaningless genre. That everyone understands the meaning of.
Nirvana. Soundgarden. The Smashing Pumpkins. The Breeders. Liz Phair. My Bloody Valentine. They were the alternative.
But Toad the Wet Sprocket. Blind Melon. Gin Blossoms. The Lemonheads. They were lumped in as well. Listening to any of them today. They all sound so safe. So accessible. So mom-friendly.
The Coldplays for Generation X.
I find it interesting when listening to any of their albums. To think about how they were once part of the alternative in music. Edgy. Different.
Lemonheads - Lovey. AKA Music. Bargain bin.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
No Alternative
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4 comments:
I remember my sister Christa, who's 38, trying to explain the "alternative" genre to me in the late 80s/early 90s, and she responded by saying something like, "You know, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elvis Costello, Kate Bush, stuff like that that doesn't fall into what's on the radio now."
I think she was on target with Kate Bush, and then, the Red Hot Chili Peppers would have qualified. Elvis, though, I'm not as sure about, though I think I have more of his stuff than any other single artist in my catalog.
19 albums and counting.
Which reminds me, I sent a 3 shot request to Andre Gardner at 102.9 a few years ago, feeling that Elvis Costello had broken through to classic rock status. His reply was a lamenting that "the suits" wouldn't let him play Elvis, as it wasn't on the playlist currently, though he thought EC was classic.
Longwinded way of saying that maybe, my sister was right.
I think things like Elvis Costello, U2, R.E.M. would get lumped in on occasion.
I think if you were an artist out of the mainstream, even if you pre-dated "alternative" you were welcomed into the fold.
R.E.M. and U2 had radio hits in the eighties. But I feel they only got massive when "alternative" broke through to the mainstream. Meaning my mom got stoked on them.
I would say while the the lemonheads weren't as angsty and "dark" as the Mudhoney's and the Soundgarden's of the "alternative, they definitely have a lot more in common with those bands than the ones in the second category. The Lemonheads started off as a loud, messy punk band and transitioned into writing really catchy pop songs. That happened with the Smashing Pumpkins as well, to a lesser extent. I can see mothers liking a lot of the "It's a Shame about Ray" era stuff and beyond, but "Hate Your Friends" and the Taang! Records Lemonheads stuff is definitely more for weirdos and punks. Definitely one of my favorite bands ever.
Also, I would say that REM had a HUGE part in paving the way for college/alt bands to tour on an underground level and bringing that aesthetic into the mainstream. It's referenced several times in "Our Band Could Be Your Life" actually.
Good point on The Lemonheads. My comments are more about "Ray" forward.
But I didn't really clarify.
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