And a part of my 2025 e book, Different for the Lots: The ’90s Alt-Rock Revolution – An Oral Historical past, definitely digs deep into this subject.
Beneath is an excerpt from early within the e book, 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 worldwide scale.
MATT JOHNSON (Jeff Buckley drummer): Within the late ’80s, I had moved to New York from Houston. Ultimately, 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 exterior—I used to be in a bar on Avenue A and First Avenue. And he was with Rebecca Moore—I consider 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 she or he stated, “Let me get your quantity.” And lo and behold, I received a cellphone 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 consider at the moment we began to create what ultimately turned “Dream Brother”—in all probability at that first rehearsal/audition.
CHAD TAYLOR (Dwell guitarist): There have been a handful of worthy artists and bands [near York, Pennsylvania]—all featured performers on the Chameleon Membership. Immediately, Tammy! was amongst my favorites, together with Innocence Mission. The band Ocean Blue was additionally from our area and did effectively.
CRAIG WEDREN (Shudder to Suppose singer/guitarist): The late ’80s and early ’90s have been fairly fascinating to me when it comes to 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
…everyone was rising up—it was a bunch of youngsters who have been of their early teenagers within the early ’80s and have been now stepping 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 time,” 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 everyone was rising up—it was a bunch of youngsters who have been of their early teenagers within the early ’80s and have been now stepping 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 liked the Beatles. Whereas that was verboten earlier than. So, this kind of expansive creativity or angle towards experimentation within the D.C. underground actually kicked in within the Dischord world at that time.
In Cleveland, you took no matter you could possibly 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 Suppose, it was throughout that part 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 totally different taking place—the mixture of sensibilities, the sounds, my voice, and lyric fashion. And happily, everyone within the band agreed that originality and inventiveness could be a premium. And I believe there was a variety of that mentality taking place in younger bands in D.C. within the late ’80s. So, by 1990, there have been so many several types of bands in D.C. and within the Dischord secure between Shudder to Suppose, Jawbox, and Fugazi. That is a reasonably large number of music proper there already.
IAN MacKAYE (Fugazi singer/guitarist, co-owner of Dischord Information): Dischord Information 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 suppose some other bands operated like us. In consequence, I believe I’ve a extremely 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 have been a bizarre fuckin’ band.
CRAIG WEDREN: We have 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 have been the identical age—he was courting a lady in my class, and we went to the promenade collectively. We have 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 totally different. And hopefully, we might pull any person away from their dad and mom’ basic 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 stage, I at all times noticed the hair bands as “the opposite.” Sort of the enemy. These have been the fellows that drove the pickup vehicles and would kick our ass.
FAT MIKE (NOFX singer/bassist): Los Angeles was essentially 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. Demise Squad, and Burbank Punk Group. The primary motive 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 received stabbed within the lung on the present. They did not know him—they simply knew he wasn’t from Venice. My mates received beat up with golf golf equipment. Y’know, punk rockers beating different punk rockers.
And the cops would mace us. I received 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]. Have you learnt what number of it bought? Ten thousand. And we could not consider 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 essentially the most horrific, violent scene. I moved to San Francisco after my pal received 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 mainly, 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 wished 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 various 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 have been a three-piece.
BILL GOULD: Once we performed in Seattle, I believe 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 folks there. We went with Soundgarden to play Ellensburg, Washington, and I believe that the fellows from Screaming Timber got here to that present and began a band after that. It wasn’t like a motion—they have 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 youngsters coming from that world, mainly.
CHRIS HASKETT (Rollins Band guitarist): Soundgarden have been the primary of “us” to get signed. They received signed to a serious label [A&M] in, like, 1988. We have been all like, “Whoa! How did that occur?” That form 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 essentially the most superb shit I’ve ever seen in my life. I believed that Chris Cornell was superb. I believed the band was overly gifted—too gifted for the room.
FRED ARMISEN (actor/comic [Portlandia, Documentary Now!, Saturday Night Live], Trenchmouth drummer): I believe after I noticed Mudhoney’s information—that seemed like a distinct motion was taking place. It did not look like the identical form of “school rock/ various” bands that have been popping out. Even with out listening to them, I might inform there was one thing taking place. Then in fact, 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 totally different than school/various. What I imply by “school/various” is the Smithereens, 10,000 Maniacs, and possibly even the Sugarcubes—someplace in there, that is what appeared like various. 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 fashioned in a microcosm, the place I form 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 have been thriving. And I lived distant, and there was no place to even get a fanzine the place I grew up. So, I grew up nearly unaware of any underground punk rock factor. A pal of mine had issues that have been extra public—I used to be conscious of the Intercourse Pistols and issues like that.
The primary 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 Every 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, mainly. And Large Black performed certainly one of their first reveals—I believe it was Steve and a drum machine.
I can not even say what was taking place in Chicago, however by means of assembly [Urge Overkill bandmate] Nash [Kato] and Steve, I used to be conscious of stuff like Bare Raygun. And Ministry—I believe Al Jourgensen was a man that Steve really performed music with
…we’re speaking mid-’80s. It was a really tiny world of misfits and dreamers. It is mainly a bunch of Asperger’s sufferers who did not know the best 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 capable of see just a few issues that have been essential to me—I noticed Bare Raygun open for the Replacements, and I believe there have been about twenty folks there. Steve was the man who stated, “You may really lease 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 this planet of punk rock. Everyone else was not succesful having the ability to concentrate and see a venture by means of. Steve was the man who did that.
Corey Rusk began the label Contact and Go in Detroit, and his presence on the scene was essential. And one way or the other, Steve connected with them. I do not understand how they met the Butthole Surfers, however that was within the combine as effectively. So, we’re speaking mid-’80s. It was a really tiny world of misfits and dreamers. It is mainly a bunch of Asperger’s sufferers who did not know the best way to have enjoyable and had very delinquent tendencies. I imply, Contact and Go events on the time, folks would grill a bunch of meat and you could possibly in all probability depend the phrases stated amongst folks within the lots of, as a result of nobody knew the best way to talk or have enjoyable.
After which these freaks from Texas confirmed up. Scratch Acid have 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 wished to change into an expert recordist and blaze his personal path. And since we have been within the combine early sufficient and we have been all friends, certainly one 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 whole world: the nascent Contact and Go scene.
The most important 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 change into one thing that anyone was going to care about. It was the place to go if you happen to have been a loser or a misfit. It was for its personal leisure.
We recorded a model of “Wichita Lineman” with Steve. And Steve received it to Corey, and he is like, “I want to put this single out.” We could not even consider 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 ladies driving the scene on the time.” And that’s one thing additionally that I believe 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 as a right 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 have been only a native eight-track studio in Boston. It was beginning at floor zero from nothing. All of us have been musicians and individuals who performed in bands and knew lots of people on the town. Bu the factor that made folks 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 loos and outdated beat-up wooden flooring. So, our studio was carved out of the second ground of that constructing. We did not have the entire ground, however a variety of instances at evening, we would use it—we would drag mics on the market. A variety of screaming vocals on the Pixies’ Come on Pilgrim have been recorded on the market.
And phrase of mouth was so essential. Again then, there was a really achievable factor you could possibly do: You can go right into a studio, e book time, file songs, and make a quarter-inch reel- to-reel tape that you could possibly take to school radio stations and some business various stations that will probably play that tape. Y’know, it was the native ghetto present on Sunday evening, but when it was actually profitable, you’ll graduate over into really 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 an area hit that truly turned a nationwide hit [“I Think She Likes Me”], and so they signed to RCA Information. Unexpectedly, 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 cope with a label. We have been fairly proactive about going after bands that we wished to file, particularly within the early days.
Come on Pilgrim, and I engineered it. All of us form of teamed up on it. Man, that was an actual Fort Apache early golden period. Individuals have been sleeping within the different room, and we have been mixing across the clock. That file actually blew a variety of doorways open. And at one level, WFNX put out their “High 50 Native Songs of the 12 months”; 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 cope with a label. We have been fairly proactive about going after bands that we wished 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 stated, “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 folks. They usually stated, “You are an engineer? Properly . . . what did you do?” And I stated [Come on Pilgrim], and so they have been like, “Wow, actually? You probably did that?” They knew about it immediately—it had solely been out just a few weeks. It unfold like wildfire, the equal of going viral.
DAVID PAJO (Slint guitarist, Tortoise bassist): I keep in mind after we have been recording Tweez, [drummer] Britt [Walford] requested [Steve Albini], “Do you suppose Slint will ever be standard?” And Steve—actually properly—stated, “I do not suppose Slint will ever be standard . . . however they will be influential.” After which he stated that we have 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 Lots: The ’90s Alt-Rock Revolution – An Oral Historical past is offered on the market now, as Kindle, hardcover, and audio editions.
