I think this is the first time Kim Deal has ever been called a waif…
And having said that, Peyton Bighorse of Skating Polly sounds a lot like Deal or one of the Throwing Muses sisters, IMO (She’s the first singer on Flyer, her sister Kelli is more Hole/Babes in Toyland). And they’re current.
I agree and I grew up in the 90s and listened to all those bands. I think just about none of them stand the test of time. The interesting thing is that you can easily tell you are listening to a alternative band from the 90s, I guess the same way I could tell when a song was from the 70s when I was growing up (90s alt rock is the new classic rock I guess). It really didn’t seem to influence things that much beyond the 90s.
Yeah, was gonna say, I’m not sure waify is the right word to describe most of those singers, but I get the overall point.
Pearl Jam just sounds like classic rock to me. They’re beyond just “alternative”. I think they’d fit in any rock era.
Sublime is my favorite 90’s band. I usually go to 2 “Badfish”, the Sublime tribute band, festivals a year. Looks like they’re not coming again this year, but I’m holding out hope for a late fall festival.
I thought Everclear was corny as a teen, but i like them a lot now. Just good rock music.
Waif voiced! Yeah, maybe it’s not the best adjective for a bunch of badass rockers but how else do you describe that particular niche?
I caught the “voiced” part. I’m not sure what adjective is right, but to me “waif voice” is a thin, delicate one, sometimes cutesily affected, usually breathy. Their voices often have this detached sneer to them and matter-of-fact delivery that doesn’t fit any of those characteristics to me, but perhaps my definition of “waify voiced” is different than yours. Kim Deal can be a bit “coquettish” in her delivery, but I’m not sure it hits “waif voiced” for me.
Yeah, they’re def not cutesy!
But there’s definitely something different about this group than, say, the hard rockers that came before them like Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar… they’re more… I’m trying not to say “girly,” but they’re softer more straight forward with an undercurrent of “underestimate me at your own peril!”
It’s a great sound, if you ask me. The proper rock and roll mix of normalness and insanity. But it’s definitely of an era.
Someone mentioned Nine Inch Nails earlier and they are still doing quite well.
And if we’re allowing alternative metal, Tool is definitely going strong.
I think the Dicks and the Big Boys have totally stood the test of time. Guessing you do not disagree?
Sorta, I tried to start a band but after an afternoon, gave up.
I did however sing part of Big Picture with Biscuit when the Big Boys played at Club Pitiful in Sacramento in 1984.
Agree with Concrete Blonde, suggesting Jane’s Addiction/ Porno For Pyros.
Neither of these were one hit wonders. Those weren’t even the bands’ biggest singles.
Fair enough…though I’m trying to remember another Sugar Ray single that was as big. “Every Morning” or “When it’s Over” maybe? I don’t remember those being as world-conquering as “Fly” was.
Smash Mouth definitely entered the zeitgeist in a much huger way with “All-Star” I’ll admit. Though if memory served it first hit the streets on the soundtrack to a movie that flopped (Mystery Men) and then got its placement in Shrek just as meme culture was on the rise, kind of a perfect storm of “oh god, this is never going away, is it?”
I’ll say this, though, both of those songs I cited felt like one-hit wonders to the core of their being as they blasted out of my car radio in the summer of 1997, and but for the chaos-theory butterfly flapping its wings they would have been. Sometimes the best pop arrives with disposability already written all over it.
System of a Down!
Just because a band has other songs that aren’t as popular as it’s most well known hit doesn’t make them a one hit wonder. Fly was their most popular, but Every Morning hit #3 in the US Billboard charts and Someday hit #7.
No Doubt. Gwen Stefani is a terrible singer. For some reason, I didn’t really notice that in the 90s.
Canadian entries but Tragically Hip, Econoline Crush and Our Lady peace have held up well IMO.
add in nofx offspring bad religion and rancid …and even tho there not strictly 90s the Ramones … and do new order and petshop boys count ?
What do you think of DOA?
Oh man, you’re taking me back to high school. I loved DOA, Black Flag, and Dead Kennedys.
Looking back on DOA’s catalogue has made me realize just how relevant a lot of their tunes are today. Not sure how real hardcore punk would hold up today but I love it!
Jane’s Addiction/Porno for Pyros.