Monthly Archives: September 2023

The Boston Years Continued: Slacker Central, Part XXIX

Posted on by
Reply

May was the month of Best Laid Plans, I suppose. With D moving back home for the summer, we agreed that it would be a great idea if I held onto her PC until she came back in autumn. That would give me the impetus to work on True Faith when I had time off from work. That wouldn’t happen until the end of the month, however. In the meantime, I’d moved my pallet bed from the window across the room and put my desk up next to it, just like I had in college, and made it a point to work there as much as possible. I think it was also about this time that Z had started making plans to move out at the end of the summer to San Francisco. This meant that I would either need to find a new roommate or make alternate plans once again, and it wasn’t something I wanted to think of right now.

In the meantime, life went on at the theater and at home. I’d started a collection of movie posters that I’d snag after the run was over and put up on my own wall. I also decided that maybe I should thin out my music collection a bit and see if I can get some extra money from it. Alas, that went about how you’d expect — far less cash than I’d hoped — but every little bit helped.

But damn it all, I did not want to move back home. I wanted to stay in Boston. I needed to stay in Boston, one way or another.

The Apples in Stereo, Fun Trick Noisemaker, released 2 May 1995. I think it was about this time I’d heard about the Elephant 6 Recording Company — a lose collective of several bands including this one with a love for 60 bubblegum pop — and they’d amassed a cult following with this album and others.

Soundtrack, Rob Roy, released 2 May 1995. One of many movies out this year focused on British history (real and otherwise) that were all quite enjoyable. I really liked the soundtrack for this one and would eventually get it on cassette.

Tracy Bonham, The Liverpool Sessions EP, released 7 May 1995. An Oregonian taking up residence in the Boston area thanks to Brett Milano from The Boston Phoenix, she had a sizeable following in the area and WFNX had her on constant rotation with “Dandelion” and an early version of “The One”. This EP would help her get signed to a major the following year.

Filter, Short Bus, released 8 May 1995. a Nine Inch Nails-adjacent band (singer-guitarist Richard Patrick was NIN’s touring guitarist for a few years), they may not have been as desperately dark as them but they certainly were just as loud and aggressive. The single “Hey Man, Nice Shot” was a huge hit despite its creepy inspiration, and continued to have a measure of success for years afterwards.

Supergrass, I Should Coco, released 15 May 1995. On a much lighter note, we had these three goofballs recording irresistibly fun and very British pop and had a major hit with their single “Alright”, which still gets a lot of play to this day. It’s a super fun album, and the rest of their discography is just as amazing.

Pulp, “Common People” single, released 22 May 1995. A teaser single for this band’s upcoming album, it became their most famous song and in my opinion one of the best “fuck rich people” songs ever written. The band has created a brilliant song with a super catchy and upbeat sound counterpointing Jarvis Cocker’s snide lyrics. One of the best songs of the 90s.

Soundtrack, Braveheart, released 23 May 1995. Another movie steeped in British history (real and otherwise), it gave Mel Gibson a much needed career boost, even if the story played fast and loose with actual facts. The soundtrack was highly acclaimed and still gets the occasional play on classical stations!

Low, Long Division, released 23 May 1995. One of their best early albums, although it took me a few years to catch up to that fact! This may not have gotten all that much airplay on stations like WFNX, but the college stations loved it.

Moonpools and Caterpillars, Lucky Dumpling, released 23 May 1995. I always got the song “Hear” mixed up with Letters to Cleo, and perhaps that’s why this band didn’t quite get the levels of success that LtC did, but it’s a fun album full of bubblegummy alternapop worth checking out.

Everclear, Sparkle and Fade, released 23 May 1995. This breakthrough for the band, their first on a major label, contained some of their best and well known songs like “Santa Monica” (which still gets radio play these days). Art Alexakis’ ‘therapy on public display’ lyric style might be a bit much for some, but it’s a great album despite that.

Soundtrack, Johnny Mnemonic, released 26 May 1995. Believe it or not, this movie was a huge influence on my writing True Faith. Sort of based on a William Gibson short story, directed by visual artist Robert Longo and cast with several unexpected names like Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren, Ice-T, Henry Rollins and Takeshi Kitano, it’s a glorious mess but it’s also a hell of a lot of fun and is surprisingly creative in its own way. It’s a really great soundtrack as well.

God Lives Underwater, God Lives Underwater EP, released 31 May 1995. This band’s single “No More Love” played at the end credits of the above movie, which definitely helped get their name out there. This band was a fascinating industrial/synth/alt-metal band that sounded more like KMFDM than Ministry and while they were only around for a few years, their discography is full of great and impressively creative sounds.

*

Next up: In which the Great Transcription Project begins, and Bridgetown gets a major upgrade.

The Boston Years Continued: Slacker Central, Part XXVIII

Posted on by
Reply

By this time I was spending a lot of down time at work — that is, staying after my shift to watch the new films coming out. D was finishing up her own semester as Emerson and making plans to head back home for the summer, so we hung out when and where we could, whether it was at her dorm room (the last time I’d visit Charlesgate at that) or at my apartment. We talked a lot about what we wanted True Faith to be — sometimes argued about it as well — and worked on it when and where we could. The clock was ticking down and once again I’d be on my own.

This time, I wasn’t about to spiral into yet another one of my moods if I could help it.

Guided By Voices, Alien Lanes, released 4 April 1995. This was a band I’d always hear about but rarely ever hear on the radio except for the occasional rare play of a single or a deep cut. “Motor Away” caught on here and there, however, and this album ended up on many critics’ best-of lists.

KMFDM, Nihil, released 4 April 1995. This was one of the first bands I’d heard that revived that industrial techno sound that did so well in Europe, turned up the volume and the speed, and made it the soundtrack to several movies based on video games. “Juke Joint Jezebel” was featured on the wonderfully terrible Mortal Kombat.

The Dandy Warhols, Dandys Rule OK, released 6 April 1995. The first Dandys album is definitely grittier than their follow-up albums that would get more attention and airplay. Their pop sensibilities are already to the fore here, however.

White Zombie, Astro Creep: 2000, released 11 April 1995. Whenever “More Human Than Human” came on WFNX, I’d turn it up loud because it demands it. It’s such a badass song and its constant play helped give singer Rob Zombie the attention to go solo soon after.

Hum, You’d Prefer an Astronaut, released 11 April 1995. Another track worth turning up loud, “Stars” was such a great tune for the summer. This band took the sound of grunge and turned it into something palatable to cross-genre radio, and the album ended up a cult favorite of many. Well worth checking out.

Oasis, “Some Might Say” single, released 24 April 1995. A teaser single for the new album, this one sounded heavier and less glam than their previous singles. There was a buzz going on that this next album would be one of their best, and I couldn’t wait.

*

Next up: Alone again and finding inspiration…and looking back

The Boston Years Continued: Slacker Central, Part XXVII

Posted on by
Reply

Life continued apace at the Brighton Ave apartment, though I’m pretty sure the connection between Z and I would get strained at times. Between him practicing his keyboard at all hours of the night (he was also an extremely loud foot-tapper when he played, so there was also that thunk thunk thunk when he really got into the groove), and my barely making enough money to pay for a lot of the bills and the occasional actual food cooked in the apartment, we’d irritate each other quite often. Not enough for any loud arguments, because I’d do my usual hide-in-the-bedroom when things got stressful.

I mean, at the time I’d like to think I wasn’t feeling depressed or desperate like I had at the Shoebox apartment, and I was in a slightly better mood with a steady job and a girlfriend, but to be honest things could have been a lot better. I knew they could, I was just too damn broke and in debt to achieve it.

Which is pretty much why around this time I started hyperfocusing on my writing. Not on the daily just yet, but getting there. The first thing I had to do was remain focused on whatever project I was working on instead of sliding all over the place at whim.

Plus, March provided me with one hell of a great soundtrack.

*

Annie Lennox, Medusa, released 6 March 1995. Annie’s second solo album is one of covers, and this too ended up a big hit for her, especially with the lovely version of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” which also ended up playing during the closing credits of the Sandra Bullock film The Net — one of many computer-themed movies that would come out that summer, many of which would partly inspire the AI subplot of True Faith.

Radiohead, The Bends, released 13 March 1995. The last thing this band wanted to do was record another “Creep” so they headed in an all new direction with this stellar record that really is worth all the accolades it’s received over the years. It’s full of tension, irritation, delicacy and tenderness, an album with equal parts anger and love. Highly recommended. I got this one via Columbia House at some point and played the hell out of it for several years afterwards, it becoming a major mainstay in the Belfry writing sessions.

Matthew Sweet, 100% Fun, released 14 March 1995. After the dense and odd Altered Beast, Sweet returned with a sunshiney pop album that’s full of fun and addictive melodies. “Sick of Myself” was the big radio hit at the time.

Goo Goo Dolls, A Boy Named Goo, released 14 March 1995. A few years before their major breakthrough “Iris”, this album gave them the ability to open that door and head on through. It’s a great album that carries a hint of their former punkish roots but also hints at the stellar songwriting they’d be known for in the future.

Mad Season, Above, released 14 March 1995. A sort-of supergroup with Layne Staley from Alice in Chains and Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, their one album could have been a by the numbers PNW grunge album but instead they took the tenderest and most introspective parts of their own bands and created a lovely record worth owning. Highly recommended.

Collective Soul, Collective Soul, released 14 March 1995. Hardly anyone expected this band’s second album to hit the heights that it did, considering their first album was good but not entirely memorable. This album, on the other hand, just kept on kicking out one hit single after the next, with “December”, “Gel”, “Smashing Young Man”, “Where the River Flows” and “The World I Know”. This too would end up getting major Belfry writing session play in the early years. It’s well worth checking out.

Moby, Everything Is Wrong, released 14 March 1995. Moby had been known in the electronic genre a bit of an oddball who made shockingly lush music that could easily be used as movie scores, and this was the record that captured many people’s attention.

Garbage, “Vow” single, released 20 March 1995. I of course knew who Butch Vig was due to his several high-status album productions like Nevermind, and I’d expected his own band to be just as great, and I was not let down. This single introduced many people to their unique sound — not quite grunge, not quite commercial alternative, but just as heavy and hella sexy.

Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, brainbloodvolume, released 21 March 1995. This band’s final album is often overlooked and forgotten as their previous album Are You Normal hadn’t done all that well either, but this became one of my favorite albums of that summer when I’d found a promo copy on cassette. It’s an album worth listening to at top volume, as it’s absolutely overflowing with energy and spirit. Every time I heard “All I Ask of Myself Is That I Hold Together” on WFNX I’d crank it up. Well worth a listen.

Our Lady Peace, Naveed, released 21 March 1995. This band, like fellow Canadians Moist, wouldn’t get that much attention around this time, but this one’s a great opening salvo for the group. Their own brand of alternative rock was twitchy yet introspective at the same time.

Joan Osborne, Relish, released 21 March 1995. Joan’s debut owes a lot to the Laurel Canyon folk and rock of the 70s, but she manages to update that sound into something fresh and fun, inserting an element of Bonnie Raitt-like blues into the mix. You’ll still hear “One of Us” on the radio, but the lovely “St. Theresa” and the sexy “Right Hand Man” is also worth checking out.

Morphine, Yes, released 21 March 1995. This band drops another album full of their unique sound of sparse and bassy blues rock, and it was a big hit on the Boston stations, especially with the single “Honey White”.

Elastica, Elastica, released 24 March 1995. Yes, I’m still annoyed all these years later that they shamelessly stole from Wire’s “Three Girl Rhumba” for their biggest hit. Primarily because “Connection” got so much airplay and the first several times I heard it my reaction was ‘wow, they’re playing an obscure Wire tra–oh, wait.” That said, this is a surprisingly catchy and fun album that actually was worth all the attention it got.

Silverchair, Frogstomp, released 27 March 1995. I believe this was first band that gave me the feeling that I’d waited far too long to start a music career, heh. For a teenage trio, this album is frighteningly intense and superbly crafted from start to finish. They of course ended up on my ‘will buy anything from them’ list.

Soundtrack, Tank Girl, released 28 March 1995. I was excited about this movie, considering I was quite aware of Jamie Hewlett’s bonkers comic book about a trigger-happy punk girl living in the outback and hanging with mutant kangaroos. It was ‘what if the apocalypse was bizarre and hilarious instead of all doom and gloom?’ Sadly the movie didn’t quite capture it, having been severely watered down to be palatable to the normies, but it was a lot of fun and I sat through it several times after work. The soundtrack is amazing, however, featuring fantastic tracks from Bjork, Bush, Portishead, Belly, and a goofy cover of “Let’s Do it (Let’s Fall in Love)” with Joan Jett and Paul Westerberg.

*

Coming up: Coming to a close, making some decisions.

The Boston Years Continued: Slacker Central, Part XXVI

Posted on by
Reply

In classic Gen Xer fashion, my life went into a comfortable if financially strapped stasis for the time being. In other words, this will do until something better comes along, which usually meant staying in that mode until further notice because a) employment choices weren’t all that great then, and b) being given that bit of a mental and emotional reprieve was better than being in constant desperation. When I wasn’t with D and I wasn’t working, I was at the apartment on Brighton Ave, listening to WFNX and WBCN and keeping myself entertained one way or another, renting videos from Tower Records now and again, and playing around with story ideas. Two Thousand would resurface now and again, and so would the Infamous War Novel, but they wouldn’t stay for long.

I also continued on my reading kick, something I hadn’t done in ages. It was about this time that I picked up a three-in-one reprint of the first three Robotech novels, which I enjoyed. I read a few more Stephen King novels, and maybe a few things that I’d take out of the Boston Public Library.

But mostly I remember staying after my shift to watch movies. Some of them were super enjoyable, some were absolutely terrible, but it kept me occupied and I got free food out of it!

*

PJ Harvey, “Down By the Water” single, released 6 February 1995. This teaser single was such a massive hit when it dropped that it still gets played on alt-rock radio to this day. I remember the theater I worked at — which had acquired the Sony brand at this point — played this a lot in between movies on its Sony-branded music feed.

Slowdive, Pygmalion, released 6 February 1995. This one came and went super quick, and it’s not your typical shoegaze record from this band. It’s more ambient electronica than anything else, but it’s a fascinating album on its own.

Extreme, Waiting for the Punchline, released 7 February 1995. Being that they were pretty much a local Boston band, I’d hear “Hip Today” on WBCN quite a bit, even though it’s not one of their big hits. This was their last album for a good number of years, while guitarist Nuno Bettencourt went solo and Gary Cherone hung out with Van Halen.

Fury in the Slaughterhouse, The Hearing and the Sense of Balance, released 13 February 1995. This German band may not have gotten a lot of notice aside from a few of their alt-rock radio hits like this track (which got a lot of WFNX play), but they’re still around and rocking strong. One of my favorite tracks of the year.

The Tragically Hip, Day for Night, released 14 February 1995. This is the one with one of their biggest hits, the simple yet gorgeous “Grace, Too”, which I remember MuchMusic playing quite a bit. It took a few years before I’d finally get this one during my HMV years, but it remains one of my favorite tracks of theirs.

The The, Hanky Panky, released 14 February 1995. Matt Johnson’s album of Hank Williams covers might have been a head-scratcher for many fans — including me — but it’s a surprisingly solid record, showing just how deep Johnson’s influences went.

Belly, King, released 14 February 1995. The second and then-last Belly album saw Tanya Donelly continuing her wave of shimmering and poppy alt-rock, though this one feels a bit darker, as if she’d chosen to include just a dash of her Throwing Muses chops in there for good measure. “Super-Connected’ was one of my favorite tracks of the year.

Tricky, Maxinquaye, released 20 February 1995. I wouldn’t hear this one all that much on the radio unless I was listening to one of WFNX’s specialty shows, but I’d hear “Overcome” soon on the Strange Days soundtrack, which would become one of my favorites later in the year. I remember it getting a lot of critical accolades at the time. Not bad for a debut!

Radiohead, “High and Dry” single, released 27 February 1995. After the oddness of their My Iron Lung EP from late 1994, this second teaser single for their upcoming album was a lot more radio friendly, and became a long-standing alt-rock staple. They made two videos for this one: a more straightforward one that I’d posted here, and a surprisingly MTV-friendly one full of saturated colors and a weird plot-line involving a car bomb.

PJ Harvey, To Bring You My Love, released 27 February 1995. This was essentially her breakthrough record after a few great but uncommercial records. She never got rid of or towned down the aura of weirdness that she’d been known for, but in writing more radio-ready tracks, her fanbase expanded considerably.

Mike Watt, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?, released 28 February 1995. After the breakup of fIREHOSE, Watt chose to continue working on several side projects, including this solo debut filled with cameos from Evan Dando, Eddie Vedder, Frank Blank, Mark Lanegan,Dave Pirner, and more. It’s a wild and often hilarious album worth checking out.

Better Than Ezra, Deluxe, released 28 February 1995. This was an amazing debut for this band, showcasing their stellar songwriting and ability to create catchy and hooky alt-rock tunes. “In the Blood” is a great driving track, and “Good” is the singalong that still gets played ot this day. Highly recommended.

Jewel, Pieces of You, released 28 February 1995. A busker from Alaska? Sure, why not? She came out of nowhere with the lovely and delicate “Who Will Save Your Soul” that first got play on alternative radio but soon spread everywhere, becoming one of the biggest selling albums of the 90s.

Del Amitri, Twisted, released 28 February 1995. Another breakthrough, albeit somewhat minor, was this band’s fourth album with the insanely catchy “Roll to Me” single that became one of their biggest hits, even with the ridiculously terrible video that the band themselves have always hated. It’s a great record and worth checking out.

*

Up next: Springtime comes and so do the classic albums

The Boston Years Continued: Slacker Central, Part XXV

Posted on by
Reply

A new year, a new focus: one way or another, I was going to get my shit together and make it work.

As it happened, those blurred months of job-hopping came to an end with not one but two offers: a part-time job working the media programming at the New England Aquarium, or a full-time job working at the Loew’s Theater in Somerville. Both were tempting, both paid about the same, and both had all but hired me by the middle of January…but out of financial desperation, I had to turn down the aquarium job and take the theater job instead. And the last thing I wanted was to hold down two different jobs to make ends meet, thus killing any writing time I might have.

It ended up being the best decision, actually. While I still remained relatively broke and in debt, there was a lot more job security, the commute wasn’t all that bad…and yeah, there was the fact that I could cop a free daily lunch or dinner out of it. I ate a hell of a lot of hot dogs, popcorn, soda and candy those months that I was there. Not exactly healthy…but it was better than skipping dinners and going hungry, right? And there was an added bonus: all the new release movies I could possibly watch, for free! I made it a point to see as many of the releases that I could on the pretense that I could tell our indecisive customers whether they’d like it or not, but primarily to get some heavy hands-on learning of visual and aural storytelling, the kind that I desperately needed if I was going to get my writing off the ground.

Meanwhile, I was still focusing on my writing True Faith. At this point I’d write some of it longhand and transcribe it later on when I had use of D’s computer whenever we got together. That gave me the impetus to not only write more, but to write consistently. Not just every once in a while, but as often as I possibly could. And I came up with a writing motto:

Just fucking DO it. Just shut the fuck up and WRITE.

If anyone could kick me in the arse and get me writing and get out of my habit of indecisiveness and distraction, it was going to have to be myself. I wrote this on two index cards, taped one of them above my desk, and taped the other one next to my bed. The two places I’d see them most.

Various Artists, This Is Fort Apache, released 3 January 1995. A compilation of bands that have recorded at the famed studio in Cambridge. This would include local favorites Cold Water Flat, The Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom, and Juliana Hatfield, as well as international favorites like Billy Bragg and Radiohead. You’ll still see this one floating around in the discount bins, but it really is a great mix worth owning.

Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Rapture, released 14 January 1995. The band’s last album before breaking up was even more poppy and cheerful than 1991’s Superstition, but it’s definitely a positive way to close out a long and incredible career.

Morrissey, “Boxers” single, released 16 January 1995. His standalone singles by this point were becoming more infrequent and a bit less exciting, and while this one was a fan favorite, it failed to capture the interest of the US fans.

Silverchair, “Pure Massacre” single, released 16 January 1995. After their shockingly catchy and spirited debut single “Tomorrow” released late in 1994, this band of teenagers (singer Daniel Johns was 16 when this single dropped) surprised everyone by following through with yet another strong single that could equal all the other heavy alternative bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains.

Throwing Muses, University, released 16 January 1995. The newest Muses album may have been their last on Sire/Reprise in the States, but it’s one of their strongest and most consistent albums to that date. Despite high placement in the alternative charts, however, it would be their last on a major label.

The Wolfgang Press, Funky Little Demons, released 23 January 1995. Sadly, this 4AD band was also seeing the end of a label signing, as well as the end of their run. Granted, they’d been a band for over a decade and felt the need to go their separate ways. This album doesn’t quite hit the high points that the excellent Queer did in 1992/93, but it does reflect the same kind of quirky grooviness they’d evolved towards.

The The, “I Saw the Light” single, released 23 January 1995. Matt Johnson’s newest record since 1993’s moody Dusk was quite unexpected: an album of Hank Williams covers…? Sure, why not? The teaser single was a great rocking cover of “I Saw the Light” with an equally great and vertiginous video.

Leftfield, Leftism, released 30 January 1995. I first heard “Original” on WFNX on the T Orange Line up to Sullivan Square while heading up to the theater at the start of my new job. I was fascinated by the techno aspect of it, but I was really drawn to Toni Halliday’s voice, who I hadn’t heard since her Curve days. An album worth checking out.

*

Coming Up: Slowly getting my act together

The Boston Years Continued: Slacker Central, Part XXIV

Posted on by
Reply

As I’d said earlier, these months tended to blur one into the other, between job hunting, floating from one temp position to another, saving money when and where I could yet still being deep in debt, avoiding JA at this point (Z had met him once by this time and thought he was a bit of an a**hole), and thinking about my writing. I think I’d put Two Thousand on the back burner by this time while playing around with True Faith. D was just about finishing up her semester and would be spending the winter break back home with her family, leaving me up here in Boston. What did I do for New Year’s Eve? I probably went up to my sister’s place just to be out and about and not hiding away like a moody bastard.

Something had to change, and I was hoping it would happen soon.

The Stone Roses, Second Coming, released 5 December 1994. It took five incredibly long years for this band to follow up on their insanely popular debut album, and by all means everyone expected far too much from them. They wanted something as brilliant and as exciting and joyful, but this one was different. It was moody, intense, bluesy, and incredibly loose. Any hints of 60s jangle was well hidden. That said, however, it was in fact a good album on its own, and the blistering single “Beggin’ You” remains one of my favorites of the band.

Bush, Sixteen Stone, released 6 December 1994. This could have been one of those bands you love to hate, what with its pretty-boy lead singer Gavin Rossdale doing the grunge growl over a much poppier hard rock that got way overplayed on alternative and rock stations, not to mention heavy rotation on MTV, but they just kept on proving everyone wrong by dropping one great single after another. It’s one of my favorite albums of this particular era and still holds up beautifully. They’re still on my ‘will buy anything they release’ list. Highly recommended.

Pearl Jam, Vitalogy, released 6 December 1994. This is a bit of a weird album for them, moving away from their previous two incredibly popular albums. They were still getting major airplay, even this one with “Corduroy”, the itchy “Not for You”, the lovely “Betterman” and the punky “Spin the Black Circle”. But it also had weird tracks like the wonky “Bugs” and goofball “Hey Foxymophandlemama, That’s Me” closer. I listened to this one a lot on my Walkman during my work commutes.

Throwing Muses, “Bright Yellow Gun” single, released 12 December 1994. A teaser single for the new album coming in the next month, this was a surprisingly catchy and punky single that got the attention of several radio stations. WFNX had this one on heavy rotation for a good couple of months.

Oasis, “Whatever” single, released 18 December 1994. A filler standalone single between the last album and the next one that was currently in the works, this might not be one of the band’s best songs but it had its fanbase. In retrospect it does kind of feel like a throwaway tune, considering what would come out later the following year.

*

Coming up: A new year, a new job, a new plan, and a new motto.