On special request from Posephus, I thought I’d include the tunes I was obsessing over as of late.

This week is the single busiest week of my whole entire life (not exaggerating) and, even though all the things I’ve been up to are proactive and forward-moving and positive and glee-inducing, I’ve still been in need of some sort of outlet/distraction. And, since RuPauls’ Drag Race ended in such a disaster, I thought I’d take a brief moment to compile a list or two for the sake of taking my mind off the insanity going on around me.

So, recently I’ve just started putting up a daily musical greeting as a Facebook status update and the week has been a little brighter as I’ve been delving back into my personal memory archives and pulling out the tunes that embellished an era. At the moment, the theme is mid-90’s r&b and, frankly, I could go on forever but then I’d start looking like one of those white kids they make fun of on StuffWhitePeopleLike.com under the “Black People Music that Black People Don’t Even Like Anymore” category. So I’m sticking to a few that changed things for me and then leaving it at that. I know I’m being mainstream and just scratching the surface; this isn’t an art exhibition after years of in depth research - it’s just me, posting slightly-forgotten videos to the delight of a few friends. Nothing serious.

But then I started thinking about expounding on this practice and bringing out a new theme every week, starting with “Early-90’s Dance Tracks” in celebration of all my friends who will be graduating next week. (There will be Crystal Waters and Cece Peniston and the Real McCoy. Get Excited.) And now, because my mind has started this weird obsession with this miniature, completely unnecessary and barely relevant project, I have pages of notes in different genres of 90’s music that I could use for, like, forever.

But knowing me, I really should just get all of it out there without trying to attempt a long-term commitment on a sudden, temporary idea.

so without further rambling ado, I give you the
SHAMELESS OBSCURE 90′S MUSIC EXPLORATION BY RANDOM CATEGORY Project

This installment is “Decent but forgettable alt-rock songs you’ll never think of right off”

The first section is “Little-Known Chick Rock tracks that weren’t terrible/pretentious.”
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~ Letters to Cleo “Here and Now”
Love it. I just think it embodies the 1990’s as a girl. Completely

~ Anouk “Nobody’s Wife”
Say what you want about Alanis, Anouk was just perfect to scream along to and I sure did. I still do even though the lyrics don’t really apply anymore… but they did for a while. (Also, that video had to cost $10 at most. It’s TERRIBLE.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFuaFNQ8K5A

~ Holly McNarland “Elmo”
OhGoodLordinHeaven, after I saw McNarland on a side stage at Lilith Fair (just after K’s Choice!) I was hooked. I wailed along to this song every night for at least 6 months, like I was being paid for my performance. Even now I’ll crack her out and wail along, although I’m hardly able to conjure as much anger as I could when I was 15.

~ JoyDrop “Beautiful”
Oh God, I lived for this song (really more in 2000 but it counts) and all the symbolism it had in my deep, tortured adolescent existence. MAAAAUUGHH!
… anyway.
I liked it. I think it’s powerful and it speaks to every girl and it helped move me forward, even a little.

~Luscious Jackson “Naked Eye”
I don’t know any of the words except the chorus but she’s still magic. And I soooo wanted that haaaiir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIAAx2vAxic
(Embedding disabled)

~ Jill Sobule “I Kissed a Girl”
Everyone was wigging out about Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” and I was kinda appalled because that song was SO 15 years ago. Stupid kids thinking they’re all radical and original…

~ Bif Naked “Moment of Weakness”
It’s obvious she wanted to be Gwen but this song was still pretty great

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWuddKPLXSw
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~ And Marcheeba’s “Big Calm” album was the most important one in my late 90’s but “The Sea” got me the most.

(Not actual video but you muuuust liiiiisten. It’ll change you.)

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And then this section is “Pop-ish Dude Alt Rock Songs You’re Probably Going to go “AAwww!! I forgot this one!!” About Even if it’s Terrible”

~ Placebo “Pure Morning”
It’s beautiful. It’s poignant. The video will cover you in chills. I still listen to it when I need to conjure a powerful mood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbHkwrGgsoA
(Embedding disabled but you HHAAAVE to watch it. You really do. It’s beautiful.)

~ Reef “Place Your Hands”
Try not to sing and jump along the second time you listen to it. Try. Also, the jumping and splashy water effects are pretty rad, too.

~ Spacehog “In the Meantime”
Love. Lovelove. It’s part of the 90’s canon as far as I’m concerned. It moves my heart. It makes me want to dance and love people. I love it. Have I mentioned that?

~New Radicals “You Get What You Give”
I’m glad they made their money and got out of the game before it stunted them; that’s admirable. I saw them open for the Goo Goo Dolls and they were tons of fun. Highly recommended.

~ Local H “Down to the Floor”

It’s like they were allllmost sad enough to be Grunge but noooott quite. I think that’s what I liked about them, actually. Also, I’ll take any reason to scream “COPACETIC!!”

~White Town “Your Woman”
Nobody had any idea what the song was about and nobody really figured anything out from the video. But it’s still got an amazing sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVL-zZnD3VU
(Embedding disabled)

~ Tripping Daisy “I Gotta Girl”
I’ll be shocked if anyone can remember this one. Because it’s trippy.

~ Harvey Danger “Flagpole Sittah”
Remember when everyone thought they were going to be the new hot shit like Supersonic (”closing time”) or Eve 6 (ugh… that “heart in a blender” song killed me from the start) or Marcy Playground (why they had a hit was beyond me) and, instead they only got into a preview for some Katie Holmes movie and then they were out?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBgmC_USeoM
(Not the actual video but is the actual song)

~ Barenaked Ladies “Brian Wilson”
Before “stunt” came out, they were actually a fantastically genius college-y band (I normally don’t even like college-y) whose songs were amazing and whose concerts were the funniest damned things I’d ever been to. And LISTEN to that jam session/piano solo at the end. Daaaaaamn. (If you gt a chance, listen to their “Rock Spectacle” album. It’s pretty amazing.)

~ Dishwalla “Counting Blue Cars”
With sounds and lyrics like this I really thought we’d be watching them for a while. Ah well. Lines from this song are still among my favorite lyrics. (Also, this video might be THE MOST 90’s of the ones posted here.)

~Primitive Radio Gods “Standing Outside a Broken Phonebooth with Money in my Hand”
I just wanted to meet the soul brother wailing in the background; screw that wussy lead singer.

~Cowboy Mouth “Jenny Says”

NEVER a more energetic band to watch. Music = meh. Concerts - YYYYYYYYEAAAAAHHH!

~ Soul Coughing “Circles”
I laughed at every one of my friends who bought this terrible album. Because if this was the best song they could pick from the list, that’s bad. Bad bad.

(Not actual video. And not really worth your time.)

~ Whitest Kids You Know “Freak of the Week”

It never “spoke” to me or anything. In fact, I didn’t even really like it. But I thought about it and did the “Awww” thing anyway. So here we are.

~ The Verve Pipe “Freshmen”

Don’t act like you don’t remember. I actually saw them in concert the summer that that song was huge. They had a couple good ones but they all pretty much sounded the same. So it goes…

~ Shawn Mullins “Lullabye”
I’m not going to say I loved it and I always thought the singer was whoa pretentious, but my heart hurt for the girl in the song for some reason and I may just always remember that. Or equate it with that time of my life. Or something.

~ Fastball “The Way”
I’m not a fan but my hubs loved them, so this is for him.

~ Caroline’s Spine “Attention Please”
Anybody remember this? Anybody?
This is not the official vid ’cause I couldn’t find it. They might’ve been that small of a band

~ Sister Hazel “All For You”
This may belong in the “Mediocre 90’s music” category but, if Soul Coughing made this list, then so does this one:

And, finally,

~ The Verve “Bittersweet Symphony”
Because we all know we enjoyed it but it still comes up too much in pretention to be sincerely appreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3m4e45bTo&feature=related
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