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Lambchops' Top 100 Alternative Albums Since 1990: # 60 - # 51May 28 '07 (Updated Jun 13 '07) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Stay tuned for the 100 best alternative albums since 1990. This is the fifth entry and five more will follow. Here is another group of ten--numbers 60-51.
This being the fifth installment of Lambchops' Top 100 Alternative Albums Since 1990, it should be obvious that purpose of this series is to help listeners to discover the best albums from the best artists regardless of where the release charted. Alternative is much more than a handful of examples and adjectives. Alternative music extends into the farthest reaches of rock and roll and goes places that may or may not be comfortable or familiar to you. If something sounds interesting, don't be afraid because I've used a word you're unfamiliar or uncomfortable. This is alternative music--anything goes. Sometimes it's soft, sometimes it is loud. Sometimes there are guitars and sometimes there may be a harmonica. Heck--there are sometimes when there are no guitars or traditional percussion. Prepare yourself for the unexpected. Join me for the 100 most entertaining albums in alternative music from 1990 through today. Your favorite artist may not be listed, but there is something here for all fans of every level of familiarity. Like it or not, these are artists and recordings that are not willing to go away. The rules to qualify were simple--I must actually "like" the album, it must have had some effect on the industry, and it must have been released no earlier than 1990. Additionally, to narrow down bands I chose to not include industrial acts (though they do in many ways qualify as "alternative") and did not include bands that were mostly rock and roll (though "grunge" does appear). Finally, there are no greatest hits or best of compilations included despite my desire to include a few titles (Violent Femmes and James). Last but not least, these are all mainstream titles. You won't find indie titles--these are all widely available from whatever shopping outlet you choose. This isn't to say that there aren't excellent independent alternative albums from this era, it is just to say that I don't believe the ones I am familiar with to be as great as those listed. Sit back and enjoy and don't forget to comment. I would love to read comments about this topic especially considering that nobody should agree with me on every level. And without further ado, here are the # 60 - # 51 top alternative albums. 60. Veruca Salt - American Thighs (1994) http://www.epinions.com/content_32368266884 Nina Gordon and Louise Post made for a diverse duo. Gordon's voice is sweet and coy while Post excels at the good ol' rock and roll howl. The Chicago area band effortlessly blended punk with pop for a sound that resonated with audiences in the 1990s. However, because of this creative work and hard-hitting guitars the music is just as rousing today as it was a decade ago. On their debut, American Thighs, Seether is an obvious standout and the biggest hit. With that said, don't miss out on Get Back, All Hail Me, Celebrate You, Twinstar, and Sleeping Where I Want. This is a fun rock album with enough twists to make it "alternative" but not too many to make audiences dislike the music. 59. First Band on the Moon - The Cardigans (1996) http://www.epinions.com/content_64073207428 Few Swedish bands have crossed over to American audiences as successfully as The Cardigans. After toiling on an indie label, Nina Persson and company were signed to Mercury and released their third studio album. First Band on the Moon wasn't their actual breakthrough (that honor goes to Life) but it was where most people discovered them. Lovefool was incredibly popular, almost to the point of annoyance. But these years later it quaintly sparkles with joy. Great Divide, Happy Meal II, Losers, Been It, and even a strangely compelling cover of the Black Sabbath tune Iron Man are brilliant. If you ever doubted the staying power of The Cardigans, I challenge you to First Band on the Moon. 58. Music For the Jilted Generation - The Prodigy (1995) Appearing in the 1990s, The Prodigy walked the line between bombastic electronica and mainstream rock. Their songs are memorable and despite their theatrics they were able to craft melodies with unabashed pop hooks. I was immediately drawn to The Prodigy. I never could get enough of their booming, brash, and vaguely menacing sound. They broke through worldwide with 1997s The Fat of the Land but it was 1995s Music for the Jilted Generation is their launching pad. With techno as their base, The Prodigy wove aggressive tapestries on Voodoo People, Poison, One Love, No Good (Start the Dance), Speedway, and Their Law. Few bands have been able to equal the pure kinetic power of this one. 57. Ruby Vroom - Soul Coughing (1994) http://www.epinions.com/content_43073244804 I've always struggled with the proper words to describe Soul Coughing. They are certainly alternative in every amorphous sense of the word, but they are also electronica, rock, pop, and jazz. Mere words can't do justice to the New York band or M. Doughty's work. Ruby Vroom (1994) was Soul Coughing's debut and while it didn't score the hits of some of the later releases it is definitely the most influential. Infectiously groovy, Sugar Free Jazz is at the same time immediately gripping as it is free flowing. I'm also drawn to Casiotone Nation, Blue-Eyed Devil, Bus to Beelzebub, Uh, Zoom Zip, and True Dreams of Wichita. This is definitely a disc that is unexpected and original, evocative and energetic. Don't miss out on Doughty's genius. 56. Dig Me Out - Sleater-Kinney (1997) While they began during the riot grrrl "movement," Sleater-Kinney's star has far outshone the contemporaries. Their passionate performances paired with politically charged lyrics made for a particularly rousing style befitting of both the grrrls and alternative rock. Sleater-Kinney has since disbanded, but during their twelve year run they gave the world seven impressively well received releases. Arguably the best of these is 1997's Dig Me Out. The trio put together a confident and complex, empowering and exceptional indie rock album. Dig Me Out, Words and Guitar, Little Babies, One More Hour, and Heart Factory are only just a sampling. This is one disc that needs to be heard to be believed. 55. Elastica - Elastica (1995) http://www.epinions.com/content_62559063684 Female vocalists in alternative rock are best when their gender really is incidental. Justine Frischmann has a rebellious, bold air about her that works well for the songs she made with Elastica. They are loud, they are tense, and they are concise. The songs on this 1995 debut are certainly impossible to ignore. Pretty much everybody who was breathing in the 1990s should be familiar with Connection and possibly even Stutter and Line Up. This eponymous disc has much more than three hits to check out. Heck, 2:1, Hold Me Now, Car Song, Waking Up and Vaseline are just as notable but haven't earned the same level of popularity. Elastica does electro-pop and punk-rock like nobody else. 54. Sea Change - Beck (2002) http://www.epinions.com/content_76974624388 Over the years Beck has proven he is more than just a Loser. He's a wildly creative, fantastically funky, and bizarrely bawdy guy with a fluid sense of music. He seems to revel in the idea that music doesn't have to be just one thing--it can be many things and mean different things to different people. On Sea Change, Beck has turned to his inner singer-songwriter. He's dropped the funky Odelay personal and the cool slacker bit from Mellow Gold for something much more "normal." Of course there is nothing normal about this CD. It is wickedly risky and is very successful. The Golden Age, Paper Tiger, Side of the Road, Lost Cause, Almost Dead and Nothing I Haven't Seen are most interesting to my ears but there is something here for all levels of Beck fans--and all fans of "alternative." 53. Gorillaz - Gorillaz (2001) When the Gorillaz broke, it was honestly a musical miracle. They were unlike anybody else to come before or after. Fronted by Damon Albarn (Blur) and rounded out by Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl creator) and mixman Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, the idea seems really ridiculous. This is a "virtual" band with "virtual" musicians. However what is really crazy is just how well the songs work. This is alternative rock/rap/pop and everything else all mixed together. It is also playful and quirky. Jump on in to this one with both feet. You'll definitely adore offerings including Clint Eastwood, 19-2000, 5/4, Tomorrow Never Comes, Rock the House, and New Genius. There are few albums that try so hard to do something different that come together so perfectly. 52. Rid of Me - PJ Harvey (1993) http://www.epinions.com/content_210276355716 Loud. Wild. Rowdy. Obscene. Cool. Brooding. There are thousands of adjectives I could come up with to describe PJ Harvey's moving first album. There is an air of nihilism throughout Rid of Me in addition to edgy, hard, and tortured bits. Man-Size, 50ft Queen, Rid of Me, Rub 'Til It Bleeds, Yuri-G, and Man-Size Sextet all do it for me but there are eight other songs that might do it for you. This is the kind of CD that should be in every rock collection. Harvey proves she has the ability to be honest with the audience and with herself. She's not afraid of anything including her own emotions. Rid of Me is a masterpiece. 51. (What's the Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis (1995) http://www.epinions.com/content_59211484804 You don't have to be a fan of British Pop to enjoy (What's the Story) Morning Glory? In fact, you merely have to enjoy music to understand why Oasis continues to be so notable even if their more recent albums have been less than remarkable. Drawing upon an obvious love for The Beatles, the Manchester band crafted songs so beautiful and so well thought out they seem magical. My favorite song from Oasis to date, Don't Look Back in Anger, is at home among a sea of brilliant gems. Roll With It, Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, Some Might Say, and Hey Now! are great. And by "great" I mean so perfect, so outstanding, and so creatively rich that they transcend genre and time. ___________________________________ Stay tuned for all the upcoming installments of Lambchops' Top 100 Alternative Albums Since 1990. # 100 - # 91: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 90 - # 81: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 80 - # 71: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 70 - # 61: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 60 - # 51: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 50 - # 41: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 40 - # 31: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 30 - # 21: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 20 - # 11: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 10 - # 1: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990  |
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