Alternative Mixtape

Episode 28 - The Year 2005, Part 1

So much good music came out in 2005, we’re dividing it across the next two episodes. In part 1, we’ll be covering mostly new bands. And in part 2, we’ll look at legacy bands – and those from the early 2000s that are now on their 2nd or third album. In 2005, things really started to take off in the new rock scene as the last decade was falling out of focus. The Smashing Pumpkins were gone, Zwan blew up, and Billy Corgan was onto his solo career. Other 90s supergroups broke up as quickly as they formed. Pearl Jam continued to build their reputation as a touring band, and the old alt rock fans of Generation X were coming to the slow realization that this NEW new rock was here to stay. The 90s were a distant memory. Putting these playlists together, it was fun to rediscover what came out in the period of 2005 to 2010, before internet streaming became commonplace and fractured the music world forever. For those that follow the music scene, this period if time is also considered to be the “ipod years” for Gen X and Millennials, as music was no longer thought of in terms of albums, or even singles. By the mid 2000s music fans had an ipod or portable mp3 player, and with piracy running rampant on the internet – everybody was listening to PLAYLISTS. In this episode, you'll hear from Hard-Fi, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Maximo Park, The Rakes, and editors. The angular post punk revival following in the footsteps of Interpol really had a moment this year. Enjoy!
Original airdate: April 19th, 2025
1. Hard-Fi - Cash Machine2. The Dead 60s - Riot Radio3. Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less And Less4. The Cribs - Mirror Kissers5. The Subways - Oh Yeah6. Bloc Party - Helicopter7. Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure8. The Rakes - We Are All Animals9. The Departure - Be My Enemy10. Editors - Blood11. The Bravery - An Honest Mistake12. We Are Scientists - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt13. OK Go - Here It Goes Again14. Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen15. Art Brut - Formed A Band16. Nine Black Alps - Southern Cross

Episode 27 - The Year 2004

Around 2003 and 2004, the New York rock revival scene was reaching its peak. Rock was back, and alongside legacy alternative rock acts from the 90s, there was a new, stripped down back to basics approach to rock that was taking hold all over North America, orbiting around scenes in New York, Austin and Montreal. While this scene was going on in the U.S. and Canada, the UK was seeing its share of similar revivalist acts. Some were copying what was going on in New York, to be sure – but other bands and artists took inspiration from their own local history of post punk and new wave like Joy Division, Wire, Gang of Four, The Cure, and Echo and the Bunnymen. The year 2004 could be considered a transitional year, setting the stage for the avalanche of new bands from North America and Western Europe, that would continue until 2008. In this episode you'll hear from The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, The Walkmen, Kasabian, The Von Bondies, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire…and yes, even GREEN DAY, who put out their ambitious political concept album AMERICAN IDIOT that year, letting everyone know about their opinion on the George W. Bush Presidency. In 2025, those times seem pretty tame by comparison. 
Also, new intro music this week, to signify getting into a multi-part series covering the mid 2000s. Enjoy!
Original airdate: March 22nd, 2025
1. The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now2. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out3. The Walkmen - The Rat4. Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights5. The Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon6. Interpol - C'mere7. Green Day - Holiday8. Ash - Orpheus9. The Cribs - You Were Always the One10. Autolux - Sugarless11. Ambulance LTD - Heavy Lifting12. Modest Mouse - Float On13. Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)14. Kasabian - Club Foot15. The Killers - Mr. Brightside

Episode 26 - Classic Grunge

This episode is a throwback to the early 90s and grunge. Maybe some long-time listeners are wondering, what are we going backwards? Since in Episode 24 we were covering the rock revival in 2003 and I kind of left it hanging. This episode's playlist is classic grunge and just something I had to get out of my system before getting back to the mid 2000s. It's full of the titans of American grunge: Soundgarden, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots. But you'll also hear from bands equally important to the grunge era that never seem to get the attention they deserve: Tad, Mudhoney, Quicksand, Helmet and Melvins. Enjoy!
Original airdate: February 22, 2025
1. Tad - Grease Box2. Mudhoney - No End in Sight3. The Smashing Pumpkins - Geek U.S.A.4. Local H - Cynic5. Helmet - I Know6. Nirvana - Scentless Apprentice7. Quicksand - Fazer8. Hole - Plump9. Paw - Jessie10. Alice In Chains - Dam That River11. Melvins - Revolve12. Stone Temple Pilots - Dead & Bloated13. Pure - Anna14. Soundgarden - 4th Of July

Episode 25 - One Hit Wonders of 90s Alt Rock

This episode looks at one-hit wonders from the 90s alt rock scene. There’s no shortage of opinions around what a “one hit wonder” actually means. For tonight’s playlist, the songs are not necessarily all "disposable", or forgettable. They're representative of the band’s best output, and certainly the song they will always be remembered for within the context of this decade. And most are simply great songs that hit at a particular time to serve their purpose - and deserve better than just being forgotten. So in this playlist you'll hear Blind Melon, The Refreshments, Sandbox, Seven Mary Three, Age of Electric, Tonic, Letters to Cleo, Deadeye Dick (from the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack!), Spacehog, Cornershop… and Toadies, because of course we are. They made one of my absolute favorite songs from the 90s, and this will mark the 3rd time I’ve used "Possum Kingdom" on this program. I crammed as much into this playlist as possible to fit into an hour, as I plan on doing the same for the 2000s at some point. Enjoy!
Original airdate: January 25, 2025
1. The Refreshments - Banditos2. Sandbox - Curious3. Toadies - Possum Kingdom4. Seven Mary Three - Cumbersome5. The Age Of Electric - Remote Control6. Dishwalla - Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me Your Thoughts On God)7. Tonic - If You Could Only See8. Letters To Cleo - Here and Now9. Nada Surf - Popular10. Superdrag - Sucked Out11. Deadeye Dick - New Age Girl12. Spacehog - In the Meantime13. Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha (Norman Cook Remix Single Version)14. Blind Melon - No Rain
 
 

Episode 24 - The Year 2003

This episode covers 2003, the start of the New York rock scene making its way into the mainstream and the avalanche of bands that would follow, both in North America and abroad. No longer were terms like “alternative rock”, “grunge” and “new metal” relevant. Instead, they were replaced with labels like “indie”, “garage”, “lo-fi”, “electroclash”, “dance punk”, and "post punk”. The millennial generation was coming of age, and starting to overtake Generation X in terms of cultural influence. The playlist tonight contains key bands from the New York scene like the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Rapture. But also The Dears and The Stills from Montreal, and some veteran bands like Radiohead, Muse and A Perfect Circle. And of course the rise and very quick fall of Zwan, the supergroup started by Billy Corgan after he dissolved the Smashing Pumpkins. If I had to pick a point in time where the tide shifted into the “NEW new rock”, this was the year. If you’re interested in learning more about this period of music, with a particular focus on the New York Scene, you can read all about it in Lizzie Goodman’s book “Meet me in the Bathroom”, which covers the new York scene (and adjacent bands) from 2001 to 2011. 
Original Airdate: January 4, 2025
1. Zwan - Honestly2. The Dears - Lost in the Plot3. A Perfect Circle - Weak And Powerless4. The Stills - Love and Death5. The Strokes - Reptilia6. Kings of Leon - Molly's Chambers7. The White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With The Night9. The Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers10. The Kills - Pull A U11. The Exploding Hearts - Sleeping Aides and Razor Blades12. Death Cab for Cutie - Title and Registration13. Radiohead - 2 + 2 = 514. Muse - Hysteria15. Calla - Televised

Episode 23 - The Year 2002

This episode looks back at 2002. It was the start of a tidal wave of new rock music that took inspirations from the 70s, 80s and 90s in equal measure. The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol and Yeah Yeah Yeahs would direct music fans’ attention to the fledgling New York music scene. And in the span of a decade, a new mania would take hold and this scene would flame out like so many before it, but until then we rock fans enjoyed while it lasted. And the United Kingdom was just was busy. There’s an argument to be made that the garage rock and post-punk revival was even better over there in the mid 00s. Outside of music, 2002 was also a year of many broad cultural changes. See, a certain event happened in New York City on September 11 2001 that changed the landscape of politics, culture, travel and the world in general. We were living in a “post 9/11 world”, and popular culture started to reflect that. This episode covers Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, And You will know us from the Trail of Dead, The Libertines, Interpol, The Vines doing their best Nirvana impression, Weezer, Broken Social Scene and Audioslave. All capped off by a "new" single from Nirvana released in October 2002, after Dave Grohl, Kris Novoselic, and Courtney Love were able to settle their legal differences and let the official recording of "You Know You're Right" be released into the wild. 
Original airdate: December 14, 2024. 
1. Foo Fighters - Times Like These2. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - How Near, How Far3. Queens of the Stone Age - Go With The Flow4. Weezer - Keep Fishin'5. Chevelle - Send the Pain Below6. Audioslave - Show Me How to Live7. Filter - Where Do We Go From Here8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way9. The Vines - Get Free10. The Libertines - Horror Show11. Hot Hot Heat - No, Not Now12. Interpol - PDA13. Broken Social Scene - Stars And Sons14. The Raveonettes - Beat City15. Nirvana - You Know You're Right

Episode 22 - The Year 2001

In this episode we enter 2001. The year 2001 had plenty of 90s carryovers, as Nu Metal was reaching its peak and alt rock was in a weird place, as it still managed to co-exist with radio friendly pop rock, hip hop, and boy bands on the radio. These latter genres of music were considered pop music by this point, taking over top 40 and mainstream music media discourse.  Alternative rock and the DIY aesthetic were dead and buried. And yet despite all that, something began to change in 2001. Rock was going back to basics with bands like The Strokes and The White Stripes, while bands like Muse, Feeder, and My Vitriol were making a legitimate attempt to pick up where the mid 90s alt rock scene left off and giving it one last try. And thanks to Green Day, Weezer and Blink 182, “power pop” was also as big as it would ever get. This episode explores music that can probably be classified into four groups: familiar alt rock bands entering a new phase of their career, alt rock leftovers, rock revivalists, and a sampling of the early indie scene. In 2001 many Gen Xers were breathing sighs of relief as alternative rock was on its way to a comeback.
Original airdate: November 23, 2024
1. Weezer - Don't Let Go2. Muse - Plug in Baby3. Sloan - If It Feels Good Do It4. Jimmy Eat World - The Middle5. Ash - Burn Baby Burn6. blink-182 - The Rock Show7. Sum 41 - In Too Deep8. Feeder - Buck Rogers9. My Vitriol - Losing Touch10. System Of A Down - Toxicity11. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Love Burns12. The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground13. The Strokes - Someday14. Spoon - Anything You Want15. The Shins - Caring Is Creepy16. Fugazi - Argument17. Radiohead - Pyramid Song

Episode 21 - The Year 2000

This episode finally goes INTO the 2000s. Napster and file sharing. The dot-com boom. The y2k bug. The World Trade Center was still standing. Boy bands and music that was more commercial than ever. The late 90s and transition to the new millennium for rock was a confusing mess of bands that were trying to change up their sound to compete with what was selling records and in music videos, while others desperately tried to hang on to whatever was left of the “old” alternative rock of the mid 90s. Alternative rock couldn’t have sounded more disparate heading into a new decade. Radiohead was going deeper into their art, rejecting fans that were gathered by OK Computer and releasing the obtuse and standoffish Kid A. With the release of Linkin Park’s debut, Nu Metal was hitting its peak but the scene would flame out early into the decade. Another debut, Coldplay’s “Parachutes” would give us the single “Yellow”, and we would witness the birth of the new “biggest rock band in the world”. 3 Doors Down still thought it was 1996. And underneath all that, the garage rock revival scene was getting underway in places like New York, and we would soon hear from The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. All the songs on this list were from 2000. Next stop: 2001!
Original airdate: November 2, 2024
1. The Smashing Pumpkins - The Everlasting Gaze2. Marilyn Manson - The Fight Song3. At the Drive-In - One Armed Scissor4. The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So5. A Perfect Circle - Judith6. Deftones - Knife Prty7. 3 Doors Down - Kryptonite8. Green Day - Warning9. Queens of the Stone Age - The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret10. Coldplay - Shiver11. Richard Ashcroft - C'mon People (We're Making It Now)12. Doves - Here It Comes13. No Doubt - Simple Kind Of Life14. Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place

Episode 20

This episode was a mix based on classic alternative rock from the British underground scene of the 80s, specifically britpop, post-punk, dream pop, gothic and new wave adjacent bands that were overshadowed by countless others during the decade. Wanted to focus on a few lesser known bands and songs from this era to capture a particular mood as we head into October. Dark? Downbeat? Spooky? You can decide. You'll hear songs by The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, Cocteau Twins, Killing Joke, Siouxie and The Banshees, the Jesus and Mary Chain, The Chameleons, Clan of Xymox and Joy Division. Not much talking this week.
Original airdate: October 12, 2024
1. The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored (Album version)2. The Smiths - That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore3. Echo & the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon4. The Sundays - A Certain Someone5. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Cities In Dust6. Killing Joke - Love Like Blood (from compilation Laugh, I nearly Bought One!)7. Cocteau Twins - In Our Angelhood8. The Cure - Fascination Street9. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Happy When It Rains10. The Chameleons - Swamp Thing11. Clan of Xymox - No Words12. The Church - Under the Milky Way13. Joy Division - New Dawn Fades

Episode 19 - Covers

This week's episode is about covers. Historically, cover songs have been received a lot like movie remakes – why bother? The original is good enough as it is, right? Only the truly great covers will respect the intent and spirit of the original song, while incorporating the personality of the current artist– and the time it was recorded. This episode's playlist includes songs from the 80s and 90s alternative rock era that are some of my personal favorites, but that also represent the greatest alternative rock covers this period had to offer. Bonus: I got to include the OTHER song from the Crow soundtrack I had to leave on the cutting room floor in Episode 18. 
Original Airdate: September 21, 2024
1. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Higher Ground2. R.E.M. - Strange3. The Lemonheads - Mrs. Robinson4. Stone Temple Pilots - Dancing Days5. Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World (Live)6. The Smashing Pumpkins - Landslide7. Pearl Jam - Last Kiss8. The Venus in Furs - 2HB9. Nine Inch Nails - Dead Souls10. Ministry - Lay Lady Lay11. Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)12. Cake - I Will Survive13. Rage Against The Machine - Renegades Of Funk