And a part of my 2025 guide, Different for the Plenty: The ’90s Alt-Rock Revolution – An Oral Historical past, definitely digs deep into this matter.
Under is an excerpt from early within the guide, during which such famend names as Ian MacKaye, Fred Armisen, and Matt Pinfield (amongst many others) recall what the indie music scene was like on the time, and the stepping stones that led us to late 1991 – when alt-rock seemingly exploded on a world scale.
MATT JOHNSON (Jeff Buckley drummer): Within the late ’80s, I had moved to New York from Houston. Finally, I turned a working drummer taking part in in native bands. I had a brief internship on the Wanting Glass, which is Phillip Glass’s studio on Decrease Broadway. I met some varied musicians, and I keep in mind this man, John Moran, walked by outdoors—I used to be in a bar on Avenue A and First Road. And he was with Rebecca Moore—I imagine Jeff Buckley’s girlfriend at that precise time.
So, I ran on the market to say hello to John, and that is the place I met Rebecca. After which John talked about to Rebecca that I used to be a drummer, and he or she mentioned, “Let me get your quantity.” And lo and behold, I acquired a telephone name from Jeff a day or two afterward my answering machine. I met Jeff at Context Studios [in Williamsburg, Brooklyn]. We performed collectively, and I imagine at the moment we began to create what ultimately turned “Dream Brother”—in all probability at that first rehearsal/audition.
CHAD TAYLOR (Stay guitarist): There have been a handful of worthy artists and bands [near York, Pennsylvania]—all featured performers on the Chameleon Membership. All of a sudden, Tammy! was amongst my favorites, together with Innocence Mission. The band Ocean Blue was additionally from our area and did nicely.
CRAIG WEDREN (Shudder to Assume singer/guitarist): The late ’80s and early ’90s had been fairly fascinating to me by way of what was occurring within the D.C. underground music scene. Dischord had began within the early ’80s. I used to be residing in Cleveland on the
…all people was rising up—it was a bunch of children who had been of their early teenagers within the early ’80s and had been now entering into their late teenagers within the mid-to-late ’80s. The older you bought, the extra omnivorous you get.
time . . . I used to be solely vaguely conscious of Minor Risk and Unhealthy Brains. I moved there in ’85, on the finish of what could be termed “revolution summer season,” which was Rites of Spring and the second wave of D.C. hardcore. And it was extra impressionistic and a little bit extra . . . not overtly psychedelic, however there was an experimentation to it. And all people was rising up—it was a bunch of children who had been of their early teenagers within the early ’80s and had been now entering into their late teenagers within the mid-to-late ’80s. The older you bought, the extra omnivorous you get. It was okay to confess you really liked the Beatles. Whereas that was verboten earlier than. So, this kind of expansive creativity or perspective towards experimentation within the D.C. underground actually kicked in within the Dischord world at that time.
In Cleveland, you took no matter you possibly can get. There weren’t sufficient weirdos to be strict about “Properly, I am into hardcore.” “Properly, I am into ska.” “Properly, I am into noise.” It was only one bunch of freaks. So, after I joined Shudder to Assume, it was throughout that section of D.C. music that was already beginning to open up. The minute we began taking part in collectively, it was very clear that there was one thing completely different taking place—the mixture of sensibilities, the sounds, my voice, and lyric type. And happily, all people within the band agreed that originality and inventiveness could be a premium. And I feel there was a number of that mentality taking place in younger bands in D.C. within the late ’80s. So, by 1990, there have been so many various kinds of bands in D.C. and within the Dischord steady between Shudder to Assume, Jawbox, and Fugazi. That is a fairly broad number of music proper there already.
IAN MacKAYE (Fugazi singer/guitarist, co-owner of Dischord Data): Dischord Data largely exists in our personal zone. Within the forty-plus years since we put out our first file, we have by no means used contracts and by no means had a lawyer. And Fugazi . . . I do not assume another bands operated like us. Consequently, I feel I’ve a very bizarre perspective on the music enterprise. Fugazi by no means had a supervisor or relied on a reserving agent; we by no means toured on a bus and by no means used setlists. We had been a bizarre fuckin’ band.
CRAIG WEDREN: We had been shut—and nonetheless are—with Dave Grohl as a result of he was a part of the D.C. scene. He performed within the band Scream; he had a band known as Dain Bramage. And we had been the identical age—he was relationship a lady in my class, and we went to the promenade collectively. We had been all buds. And I’d go see any band he was taking part in in simply to look at him play drums, as a result of it was so electrical.
JASON PETTIGREW (Different Press journal author and editor): Being in Cleveland [where Alternative Press was based], you were not business sufficient for L.A., you were not cool sufficient for New York. We usually wrote about stuff that was completely different. And hopefully, we may pull someone away from their mother and father’ traditional rock information lengthy sufficient to get them hooked on one thing else.
PAGE HAMILTON (Helmet singer/guitarist): Madison [Wisconsin] had—due to Good Studios—a cool a part of the world, too. There have been little pockets like Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle—the place there have been scenes.
BILL GOULD (Religion No Extra bassist): I grew up in Hollywood within the late ’70s/early ’80s. And it was like mods and rockers. There have been hair bands and there have been punks. And I used to be on the facet of the punks. So, on a really cultural degree, I at all times noticed the hair bands as “the opposite.” Sort of the enemy. These had been the blokes that drove the pickup vehicles and would kick our ass.
FAT MIKE (NOFX singer/bassist): Los Angeles was probably the most violent music scene of all time. There have been punk gangs: There was the Suicidal Tendencies gang; there was FFF, the L.A. Dying Squad, and Burbank Punk Group. The principle cause I left L.A. is as a result of I went to see the Dickies at a nightclub in Santa Monica, and I knew some Suicidals, and my pal acquired stabbed within the lung on the present. They did not know him—they only knew he wasn’t from Venice. My mates acquired beat up with golf golf equipment. Y’know, punk rockers beating different punk rockers.
And the cops would mace us. I acquired arrested—solely as soon as, in Hollywood—however for nothing. However that was each punk present. It wasn’t till the late ’80s when Fugazi and Unhealthy Faith got here out. Unhealthy Faith put out the best-selling file that 12 months in punk [No Control]. Are you aware what number of it bought? Ten thousand. And we could not imagine they bought ten thousand as a result of NOFX bought two thousand in ’89. So, what was the punk scene like in L.A.? It was probably the most horrific, violent scene. I moved to San Francisco after my pal acquired stabbed.
MATT PINFIELD (MTV VJ, host of MTV’s 120 Minutes): [Drummer] Matt Sorum discovered Tori Amos taking part in by the LAX Airport in a lodge. He heard her, and he was so blown away by her piano taking part in that he was like, “Hey, we have to begin a band collectively!” And principally, they began the band Y Kant Tori Learn. That file [1988’s self-titled] did not actually do something, however Jason Flom ended up signing her to Atlantic—by telling her that he did not need the entire band, he needed her to do her personal factor. After which, Little Earthquakes got here subsequent.
MOBY (Solo artist/DJ/remixer): After which in a single day, we realized there have been these nerdy different rockers in Seattle—who additionally had been listening to Black Sabbath.
KEVIN MARTIN (Candlebox singer): I moved to Seattle in 1984. My dad took a job up there. It was proper when all of the grunge music was beginning to occur. Chris Cornell was nonetheless taking part in drums after I noticed Soundgarden—they had been a three-piece.
BILL GOULD: After we performed in Seattle, I feel the primary time was 1985/1986 on the Central Tavern. It was us, Pores and skin Yard—Jack Endino’s band—and Soundgarden. There have been solely like thirty individuals there. We went with Soundgarden to play Ellensburg, Washington, and I feel that the blokes from Screaming Bushes got here to that present and began a band after that. It wasn’t like a motion—they had been simply mates of ours up there that we would play with. And issues gathered steam. I keep in mind the primary time I heard Nirvana; Nirvana appeared like children coming from that world, principally.
CHRIS HASKETT (Rollins Band guitarist): Soundgarden had been the primary of “us” to get signed. They acquired signed to a significant label [A&M] in, like, 1988. We had been all like, “Whoa! How did that occur?” That sort of put them in a distinct world.
COREY GLOVER (Dwelling Color singer): We did a present in Albany, New York, as soon as; and Soundgarden opened. And it was probably the most superb shit I’ve ever seen in my life. I assumed that Chris Cornell was superb. I assumed the band was overly proficient—too proficient for the room.
FRED ARMISEN (actor/comic [Portlandia, Documentary Now!, Saturday Night Live], Trenchmouth drummer): I feel after I noticed Mudhoney’s information—that regarded like a distinct motion was taking place. It did not appear to be the identical sort of “school rock/ different” bands that had been popping out. Even with out listening to them, I may inform there was one thing taking place. Then after all, there have been these different genres beginning to occur within the late ’80s.
I really feel like industrial had its personal look—the Wax Trax! scene and all that. That appeared like one thing completely different than school/different. What I imply by “school/different” is the Smithereens, 10,000 Maniacs, and perhaps even the Sugarcubes—someplace in there, that is what appeared like different. Except for the jangle of the sound, I’d say that the Smithereens additionally had a distorted sound. Which on the time, was not being performed on each radio station. I see them as much less jangly and a little bit tougher than that. I beloved all of it, however Mudhoney caught my eye as, “Oh . . . what’s taking place right here?”
EDDIE “KING” ROESER (Urge Overkill singer/bassist): We shaped in a microcosm, the place I sort of confirmed up on the campus of Northwestern from a small city in Minnesota. I used to be unaware of the scene in Minneapolis—on the time, the Replacements and Hüsker Dü had been thriving. And I lived far-off, and there was no place to even get a fanzine the place I grew up. So, I grew up virtually unaware of any underground punk rock factor. A pal of mine had issues that had been extra public—I used to be conscious of the Intercourse Pistols and issues like that.
The principle factor in my life that was taking place was that I turned conscious of Large Black, as there was this kind of raconteur on campus who wrote for The Each day Northwestern and was a identified determine as being an outspokenly public asshole. The primary person who I used to be conscious of being publicly in opposition to the grain. By the point I confirmed up there, Steve Albini was on his method out, and I ended up at this tiny on-campus place the place I noticed a model of Urge Overkill. It was their final present, principally. And Large Black performed one in every of their first exhibits—I feel it was Steve and a drum machine.
I am unable to even say what was taking place in Chicago, however by assembly [Urge Overkill bandmate] Nash [Kato] and Steve, I used to be conscious of stuff like Bare Raygun. And Ministry—I feel Al Jourgensen was a man that Steve truly performed music with
…we’re speaking mid-’80s. It was a really tiny world of misfits and dreamers. It is principally a bunch of Asperger’s sufferers who did not know the right way to have enjoyable and had very delinquent tendencies.
him a few instances. It was kind of a nascent scene in Chicago, and whereas I used to be there, I used to be in a position to see a number of issues that had been necessary to me—I noticed Bare Raygun open for the Replacements, and I feel there have been about twenty individuals there. Steve was the man who mentioned, “You’ll be able to truly hire a studio and make a file.” We recorded a file that Steve helped finance. It was recorded in 1984—it got here out on Steve’s label, Ruthless [1986’s Strange, I . . .]. He was an entrepreneur on the planet of punk rock. All people else was not succesful with the ability to listen and see a undertaking by. Steve was the man who did that.
Corey Rusk began the label Contact and Go in Detroit, and his presence on the scene was crucial. And one way or the other, Steve attached with them. I do not understand how they met the Butthole Surfers, however that was within the combine as nicely. So, we’re speaking mid-’80s. It was a really tiny world of misfits and dreamers. It is principally a bunch of Asperger’s sufferers who did not know the right way to have enjoyable and had very delinquent tendencies. I imply, Contact and Go events on the time, individuals would grill a bunch of meat and you possibly can in all probability depend the phrases mentioned amongst individuals within the lots of, as a result of nobody knew the right way to talk or have enjoyable.
After which these freaks from Texas confirmed up. Scratch Acid had been within the combine. These guys got here to Chicago, and Jesus Lizard was a later factor. However Steve left the campus space, purchased a home, and determined he needed to turn out to be an expert recordist and blaze his personal path. And since we had been within the combine early sufficient and we had been all buddies, one in every of our first excursions, Steve rented a van and performed in Kentucky and had Squirrel Bait play, and the primary model of Urge went together with them. This was our complete world: the nascent Contact and Go scene.
The largest band on earth to me on the time was Sonic Youth. And Steve had a relationship with them. After they got here to city, we went to the park and had a barbecue. However there was no intimation that something concerned with punk rock would turn out to be one thing that anyone was going to care about. It was the place to go when you had been a loser or a misfit. It was for its personal leisure.
We recorded a model of “Wichita Lineman” with Steve. And Steve acquired it to Corey, and he is like, “I want to put this single out.” We could not even imagine that we had a label that wasn’t Steve. Nash, his actual curiosity was arts and graphic design. He designed the Contact and Go brand.
TANYA DONELLY (Stomach, The Breeders, and Throwing Muses singer/guitarist): At that time, there have been so many bands [in Boston] from the late ’80s to the early ’90s— Pixies, Throwing Muses, Uzi, the Neats. Any given invoice on any given evening would have been wildly eclectic. And it was a joyful factor. It might be the Blake Infants and Dinosaur Jr., and Throwing Muses and Pixies performed collectively rather a lot. However then there have been the “Mission of Burma breakout bands” like Birdsongs of the Mesozoic.
On the time, I do know this sounds naïve, however we weren’t targeted on being feminine in music. However after I look again now, I am like, “There was a wholesome share of girls driving the scene on the time.” And that’s one thing additionally that I feel was distinctive to that period—and particularly to Boston and London on the time. There have been pockets all over the place, clearly; however Boston was so female-rich. I really feel that that was one thing that I kind of took without any consideration on the time. It was simply 50/50 at the moment.
PAUL Q. KOLDERIE (Producer [Dinosaur Jr., Radiohead, Hole, Morphine]): When Fort Apache Studios began, we had been only a native eight-track studio in Boston. It was beginning at floor zero from nothing. All of us had been musicians and individuals who performed in bands and knew lots of people on the town. Bu the factor that made individuals like going there’s that it was grungy. It was in an outdated warehouse that had been a business laundry. And it was like a metropolis block—it was an unlimited empty warehouse, with outdated industrial bogs and outdated beat-up wooden floors. So, our studio was carved out of the second flooring of that constructing. We did not have the entire flooring, however a number of instances at evening, we would use it—we would drag mics on the market. Lots of screaming vocals on the Pixies’ Come on Pilgrim had been recorded on the market.
And phrase of mouth was so necessary. Again then, there was a really achievable factor you possibly can do: You possibly can go right into a studio, guide time, file songs, and make a quarter-inch reel- to-reel tape that you possibly can take to varsity radio stations and some business different stations that will doubtlessly play that tape. Y’know, it was the native ghetto present on Sunday evening, but when it was actually profitable, you’d graduate over into truly being added to the rotation. And no person was paying payola both—it was very meritocracy- based mostly. It was by no means a query of getting to bribe somebody or slipping a hundred-dollar invoice in with a tape. They listened to it, and in the event that they favored it, they’d play it
The primary actual business success we had was Deal with Her Proper—Mark Sandman’s band earlier than Morphine. They scored a neighborhood hit that really turned a nationwide hit [“I Think She Likes Me”], and so they signed to RCA Data. Impulsively, that
We went up the ladder from 8-track to 16-track to 24-track to 2 24-track studios. After which ultimately we had our personal manufacturing take care of a label. We had been fairly proactive about going after bands that we needed to file, particularly within the early days.
Come on Pilgrim, and I engineered it. All of us sort of teamed up on it. Man, that was an actual Fort Apache early golden period. Individuals had been sleeping within the different room, and we had been mixing across the clock. That file actually blew a number of doorways open. And at one level, WFNX put out their “High 50 Native Songs of the Yr”; and we had like thirty-eight of them!
We went up the ladder from 8-track to 16-track to 24-track to 2 24-track studios. After which ultimately we had our personal manufacturing take care of a label. We had been fairly proactive about going after bands that we needed to file, particularly within the early days. Like, I went to the Rat [the Rathskeller club] with Gary, and we noticed the Pixies. We went backstage and talked to them and mentioned, “Let’s make a file.” That did not at all times work. However it did in that case.
After Come on Pilgrim got here out—which I engineered—I went to Las Vegas, and I used to be hanging out with some individuals. And so they mentioned, “You are an engineer? Properly . . . what did you do?” And I mentioned [Come on Pilgrim], and so they had been like, “Wow, actually? You probably did that?” They knew about it immediately—it had solely been out a number of weeks. It unfold like wildfire, the equal of going viral.
DAVID PAJO (Slint guitarist, Tortoise bassist): I keep in mind once we had been recording Tweez, [drummer] Britt [Walford] requested [Steve Albini], “Do you assume Slint will ever be well-liked?” And Steve—actually correctly—mentioned, “I do not assume Slint will ever be well-liked . . . however they will be influential.” After which he mentioned that we had been “the sound of the ’90s.” Which, in 1987, it sounded just like the far-off future. However he was so spot-on.
Different for the Plenty: The ’90s Alt-Rock Revolution – An Oral Historical past is offered on the market now, as Kindle, hardcover, and audio editions.
