Except for the marvelous things happening in the grunge/alternative rock scene, 1991 (and indeed, that whole front half of the decade) was a pretty lame year for music. I don't care to expound on that, but here are some great songs that didn't appear on Pearl Jam's Ten.
Drive Like Jehu - "Caress"
Interestingly this song can be downloaded from several different websites, which is probably why I'm so familiar with this song but so UNfamiliar with any other Jehu tunes. I do know that this is the first track on their debut album -- an album I should probably buy. Anyway, squeeling guitars, frantic screaming, post-hardcore awesomeness... give this one a listen.
Moving from the first song from a debut album to the final song of a final album...
The Psychedelic Furs - "All About You" (.wma file)
This song has a bleak Joy Division feel to it, as does most of World Outside, The Furs' final studio release. It's an interesting departure from the commercial direction they seemed to be going in the mid-to-late 80s, and harkens back to their darker punk-minded releases of the late 70s and early 80s.
My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep" (.wma file)
Loveless is so dense (yet mostly recorded in mono) and so instrumentally creative (yet soothingly consistent) that it's very difficult to try and briefly summerize any particular song from the album. "When You Sleep" stands out because it's the most accessible song on the record, though that shouldn't take away from the etheral beauty of the other tracks. In fact, regardless of whether or not you like this song, you should listen to Loveless in its entirety. It's like swimming through crimson clouds during that peculiar moment between wakefulness and sleep.
Believer - "Sanity Obscure"
The album Sanity Obscure was originally released on REX Records in 1990, but was given wider distribution when it was re-released by Roadrunner Records in 1991. So though technically a 1990 release, I'm giving this one to 1991. Also for some reason I'm chompin' on the bit to feature some thrash metal. The title track sounds as fresh today as it did sixteen years ago, and you can hear the influence in modern bands like Extol.
Sebadoh - "Violet Execution"
What's better than indie lo-fi? Re-issued indie lo-fi! Sebadoh's album III was re-issued last year by Domino Records and contains a second CD full of extras. As if the 23 songs on the original release wasn't enough...
Drive Like Jehu - "Caress"Interestingly this song can be downloaded from several different websites, which is probably why I'm so familiar with this song but so UNfamiliar with any other Jehu tunes. I do know that this is the first track on their debut album -- an album I should probably buy. Anyway, squeeling guitars, frantic screaming, post-hardcore awesomeness... give this one a listen.
Moving from the first song from a debut album to the final song of a final album...
The Psychedelic Furs - "All About You" (.wma file)
This song has a bleak Joy Division feel to it, as does most of World Outside, The Furs' final studio release. It's an interesting departure from the commercial direction they seemed to be going in the mid-to-late 80s, and harkens back to their darker punk-minded releases of the late 70s and early 80s.
My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep" (.wma file)
Loveless is so dense (yet mostly recorded in mono) and so instrumentally creative (yet soothingly consistent) that it's very difficult to try and briefly summerize any particular song from the album. "When You Sleep" stands out because it's the most accessible song on the record, though that shouldn't take away from the etheral beauty of the other tracks. In fact, regardless of whether or not you like this song, you should listen to Loveless in its entirety. It's like swimming through crimson clouds during that peculiar moment between wakefulness and sleep.
Believer - "Sanity Obscure"
The album Sanity Obscure was originally released on REX Records in 1990, but was given wider distribution when it was re-released by Roadrunner Records in 1991. So though technically a 1990 release, I'm giving this one to 1991. Also for some reason I'm chompin' on the bit to feature some thrash metal. The title track sounds as fresh today as it did sixteen years ago, and you can hear the influence in modern bands like Extol.
Sebadoh - "Violet Execution"
What's better than indie lo-fi? Re-issued indie lo-fi! Sebadoh's album III was re-issued last year by Domino Records and contains a second CD full of extras. As if the 23 songs on the original release wasn't enough...
