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Lambchops' Top 100 Alternative Albums Since 1990: # 50 - # 41May 29 '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 sixth entry and four more will follow. Here are numbers 50-41. We're nearing the finale...
This being the sixth installment of Lambchops' Top 100 Alternative Albums Since 1990, you should now have come to understand the purpose of this series. I want to educate, enlighten, and share the best music alternative music from an overall confusing era. It should be clear that alternative is much more than a handful of examples and adjectives. It 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 listeners and every level of familiarity. Like it or not, these are 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 after 1990. 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 please feel free 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 # 50 - # 41 top alternative albums. 50. The Creek Drank the Cradle - Iron and Wine (2002) http://www.epinions.com/content_114485399172 Lo-fi only begins to describe the aural quality of this album. Created by a college professor in Florida and released by Sub Pop, this is truly a remarkable music experience. It's not hip and upbeat like some of the other titles on this list but it does smack of songwriting genius in the stratosphere with the likes of Bob Dylan and Elliott Smith. I don't think this low, soft sound will necessarily appeal to everybody but in the case of art that is not the goal. The Creek Drank the Cradle is pure minimalist lo-fi, indie folk rock. This special album is best listened to from start to finish, but I can identify tracks like Muddy Hymnal, Bird Stealing Bread, The Rooster Moans, and Upward Over the Mountain as my favorites. 49. Bossanova - Pixies (1990) http://www.epinions.com/content_184394616452 The Pixies were most musically productive in the late 1980s. By the time the 1990s rolled around Frank Black (errr...Black Francis) wanted to strike out on his own. Prior to doing so, the band did manage to have one last hurrah. And while Bossanova didn't meet the high standards of Doolittle or Surfer Rosa it still remains one of the best examples of alternative rock since 1990s and the only CD I could include from the talented trend setting band. A mixed bag, I'm mostly disappointed because Bossanova couldn't equal the presence of its predecessors. I can't fault that band for that. It's awfully hard to toy with perfection. The fact remains that this music is what helped pave the way for mainstream acceptance of the "alternative" sound(s) in the nineties and beyond. Songs Veloura, Is She Weird, Allison, The Happening and Hang Wire are most notable. 48. Last Splash - The Breeders (1993) http://www.epinions.com/content_77640208004 The Breeders lasted for just two albums before disbanding. Their first, Pod (1990), was strong but their second was what really put the band on the map. Last Splash (1993) was the result of talented sisters Kim Deal (formerly of The Pixies) and Kelley Deal in addition to drummer Jim MacPherson. The alternative rock album yielded the major hit Cannonball and earned the trio a spot on this list. More than just one hit song, the release also gave the world Divine Hammer, Saints, Drivin' on 9, New Year and Invisible Man. This is rock music done right with just enough angst and just enough quirkiness to qualify it as "alternative"...whatever "alternative" is... 47. Purple - Stone Temple Pilots (1994) http://www.epinions.com/content_29096644228 While it pains me to put Purple this far down the list, it is the only place that fits. Stone Temple Pilots knew how to put together an excellent album. Their works were completely thought out and incredibly rousing. However it should come as no shock that the music wasn't ever that innovative--just really well done. Scott Weiland wields one of the best voices of the era and Purple is the best example of his talent at its most perfect. Purple is best characterized as "grunge" and walks the line between mainstream hard rock and alternative. Regardless of tags, it is an impressive offering. Meat Plow, Vasoline, Lounge Fly, Unglued and Big Empty are my favorites. Interstate Love Song was a hit for STP and is well liked among many audiences too (just not me). 46. I Should Coco - Supergrass (1995) As one of the brightest bands alternative rock/Britpop, Supergrass has proven through the years that great music doesn't have to be all serious or melancholy. In fact, the Oxford band's celebratory stance on music is refreshing. They've been around for almost fifteen years and they continue to impress. Supergrass debuted in 1995 with I Should Coco. I question whether it is their best album, but it is definitely their most influential. The first time I heard Alright I knew I was experiencing something special. Similarly Caught By the Fuzz, Mansize Rooster, Lenny, I'd Like to Know, and We're Not Supposed To are irresistible examples of alt-pop-rock gone very, very right. Pick this often forgotten gem up for a good time. 45. The Moon and Antarctica - Modest Mouse (2000) http://www.epinions.com/content_165266755204 Like most of the rest of the world, I was introduced to Modest Mouse just a few years ago thanks to the kicky hit single Float On. After more investigation, I turned up a number of albums released prior to that hit and was shocked to find that The Moon & Antarctica is easily the most appealing CD Isaac Brock and company have released to date. While it was not a mainstream breakthrough, the 2000 title is pleasing with catchy choruses and funky arrangements. 3rd Planet, Perfect Disguise, Gravity Rides Everything, Dark Center of the Universe, and Tiny Cities Made of Ashes are definitely my favorites but the consistently excellent quality of the overall effort is what really makes it special. 44. Dig Your Own Hole - Chemical Brothers (1997) http://www.epinions.com/content_213070745220 Mere geography would seem to dictate that the Chemical Brothers are a "baggy" band. Despite hailing from Manchester their beat-heavy, electronic style actually has little to do with British pop of any kind. Piecing together immediately enjoyable melodies and sounds with genre bending arrangements Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands have created many songs that are perfect for parties, clubs, and radio alike. Dig Your Own Hole is an impressive release as evidenced by Block Rockin' Beats, Setting Sun, Elektrobank, Piku, Lost In the K-Hole, and the title track. This is one disc you should own regardless of where your musical tastes usually drift. 43. Mobilize - Grant-Lee Phillips (2001) http://www.epinions.com/content_112170274436 What? You don't know who Grant-Lee Phillips is? I'm almost (but not quite) embarrassed for you. Take it upon yourself to follow my advice. Run, don't walk, to your local music outlet and buy Mobilize immediately. No further reading is required. Of course I can flesh this statement out a little by saying that Phillips is a fabulously talented singer-songwriter with a penchant for sparkling pop arrangements. He's just strange enough to qualify his music as "alternative" but just normal enough to share with your parents. Mobilize is Phillips' second solo disc (he has more to his credit from band Grant Lee Buffalo). Listening to this perfect, emotional album sends chills down my spine. See America starts the party off and Humankind, Love's A Mystery, Spring Released, Beautiful Dreamers and so much more resonate permanently. Even if Phillips is brand new to you, Mobilize will quickly become a favorite CD. 42. Tidal - Fiona Apple (1996) http://www.epinions.com/content_30088531588 There are no genre-specific labels that apply to everything Fiona Apple has done. Her songs are brilliant and poetic and the arrangements are creatively free. Her moody style and low voice echo with an unusually powerful level of hurt. Her debut, Tidal, was shocking at the time. Diminutive and gorgeous, Apple wailed woefully alongside her piano. I remember not just liking but feeling her on Never is a Promise. While that is definitely my most preferred Apple track I can't continue without also mentioning the hits Sleep to Dream, Shadowboxer, and Criminal. Tidal is much more than a collection of singles--it is a whole vision and tracks Sullen Girl, Slow Like Honey, and Carrion are also lovely. If you have missed this CD for the past eleven years it's time to pick it up. 41. Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins (1993) http://www.epinions.com/content_104739999364 Gish was the first album from Smashing Pumpkins, but Siamese Dream is the first perfect album from the Chicago area band. While it is disguised as a group effort, the CD actually is wholly the product of Billy Corgan who performed almost every single instrument in addition to singing and writing. James Iha, D'Arcy Wretzky, and Jimmy Chamberlain were little more than tour musicians. Regardless of what you think of that revelation, there is no denying the power of Siamese Dream even if it isn't the best release from Smashing Pumpkins. Everybody knows Today, Disarm and Cherub Rock but others including Rocket, Soma, Hummer, and Luna flesh things out. This is an album that helped define a generation and for that reason alone deserves this slot. The high quality of the music is a bonus. ___________________________________ 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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