Alternative Mixtape

Episode 18 - 90s Alt Rock Movie Soundtracks!

This episode covers a subject that I’ve been wanting to do since I started this radio show: alternative rock movie soundtracks from the 90s. There’s always been an element of movies and trailers structured to sell music and vice versa, but never did it feel so overt than in the 80s and 90s. So while there were a lot of movies that came out in the 90s, the focus will be on the ones featuring popular alternative rock and underground artists that were targeting Gen X.  There are only a few that I would categorize as being inextricably linked to their movie – written exclusively for the soundtrack or not. And if I’m being honest, I could easily do an entire episode of The Crow soundtrack released in 1994 – the greatest year for alternative rock. I had to set some rules for myself to keep this playlist relatively short: only soundtracks from 1990 to 1999, and only songs that were written for the movie or came out in the same decade. After putting this playlist together I fully recognize that there had to be some pretty notable omissions (Trainspotting, Clueless, Nowhere, Velvet Goldmine, Strange Days, etc...), but this was all done in the interest of keeping to an hour. I have a feeling I'll be revisiting this subject another day. 
The playlist below is a little bit different this week; it includes the song and the movie that it came from. Enjoy!
Original Airdate: August 31, 2024
Playlist
1. Crash Test Dummies - The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead (feat. Ellen Reid), from Dumb and Dumber (1994)2. Pearl Jam - State of Love and Trust, From Singles (1992)3. Magnificent Bastards - Mockingbird Girl, from Tank Girl (1995)4. Soul Asylum - Can't Even Tell, from Clerks (1994)5. Gin Blossoms - Til I Hear It From You, from Empire Records (1995)6. Freedy Johnston - Bad Reputation, from Kingpin (1996)7. Lisa Loeb - Stay (I Missed You), from Reality Bites (1994)8. The Cure - Burn, from The Crow (1994)9. The Smashing Pumpkins - Eye, from Lost Highway (1996)10. Garbage - #1 Crush, from Romeo + Juliet (1996)11. Propellerheads - Spybreak! (Short One), from The Matrix (1999)12. U2 - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me, from Batman Forever (1995)13. Green Day - J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva), from Angus (1995)14. Weezer - Susanne, from Mallrats (1995)

Episode 17

After a two-part deep dive on Alternative Metal, I feel like a bit of a palate cleanser is required. Not much talking this week, just an hour of music. This mix includes songs by The Cure, The Lemonheads, Alice in Chains, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Grapes of Wrath, Matthew Sweet, the Killjoys, R.E.M, Soul Asylum and Stone Temple Pilots. Was really happy about how these songs fit together. You will be able to chill out to this, I promise. 
Original Airdate: August 10, 2024
Playlist
1. Toad The Wet Sprocket - Fall Down2. The Cure - In Between Days3. The Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray4. The Grapes Of Wrath - You May Be Right5. R.E.M. - Try Not To Breathe6. Alice In Chains - Got Me Wrong7. Radiohead - The Bends8. Weezer - Getchoo9. The Killjoys - Sick of You10. Foo Fighters - Learn to Fly11. Our Lady Peace - One Man Army12. Local H - Eddie Vedder13. Matthew Sweet - Get Older14. Soul Asylum - Misery15. Porno for Pyros - Pets16. Stone Temple Pilots - Sour Girl

Episode 16 - Alternative Metal, Part 2

The final part of a two part series exploring the sub-genre of “alternative metal” from the late 90s to the early 2000s, easily my least favorite period of rock music. This playlist was a tough one to get through. It was the height of NU METAL - the only genre of rock that can pass as either a proper label or an insult, depending on who you’re talking to. And at this point in the decade, instead of referencing bands “before” and “after” Kurt Cobain and grunge, you were talking about “before” or “after” Limp Bizkit and Woodstock 1999. Korn released "Follow the Leader", Limp Bizkit put out their first album, and the world was introduced to Linkin Park. This week's episode plays tunes from these bands and more: Deftones, Godsmack, Staind, Papa Roach and of course System of a Down.
Original Airdate: July 20th, 2024
Playlist
1. Korn - Got the Life2. Godsmack - Whatever3. Marilyn Manson - Rock Is Dead4. Sevendust - Denial5. Staind - Mudshovel6. Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff7. Powerman 5000 - When Worlds Collide8. Nine Inch Nails - We're In This Together (Radio Edit) 9. Papa Roach - Blood Brothers10. Deftones - Change (In the House of Flies)11. Disturbed - Down with the Sickness12. Drowning Pool - Bodies13. Linkin Park - One Step Closer14. System Of A Down - Chop Suey!

Episode 15 - Alternative Metal, Part 1

This episode is Part One of a two part series exploring the sub-genre of “alternative metal”, spanning the late 80s to the late 90s. Now if you thought the term “Alternative Rock” was useless record label marketing, “alternative metal” is even worse. What did it mean, when alt rock in the early 90s was mostly a carryover of underground rock integrating thrash and hair metal from the 80s to create grunge? Eventually some of these bands were funnelled into the “nu metal” scene of the late 90s, picking up rap and hip hop influences on the way, where the scene reached its peak in the late 90s and early 2000s. This week's episode focuses on early alternative metal, including Alice in Chains, Helmet, Melvins, Korn, White Zombie, Tool, Marilyn Manson, and of course DEFTONES. We even play Metallica, who in 1996 were desperate to play catch up with what was going on in alternative rock...to the point where they cut their hair (this was a big deal at the time!). We'll get into the peak of Nu Metal in Part 2.
Original airdate: June 29, 2024.
Playlist
1. Soundgarden - All Your Lies2. Alice In Chains - We Die Young3. Helmet - In The Meantime4. Melvins - Honey Bucket5. Prong - Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck6. Living Colour - Ignorance Is Bliss7. Korn - Blind8. White Zombie - Super Charger Heaven9. Filter - Under10. TOOL - Stinkfist11. Marilyn Manson - Tourniquet12. Metallica - Until It Sleeps13. Deftones - My Own Summer (Shove It)

Episode 14

Talk to any alternative rock fan, and the period of 1998-1999 was pretty rough. This week is another episode packed wall to wall with music, focusing on the stuff from late the 90s alternative rock scene that let us all hold on for a little bit longer.  This episode features Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, and Sloan, but also new rock from Big Wreck, Everclear, Collective Soul, Blink 182 and some midwest emo from The Promise Ring. You won't find any Marilyn Manson, Korn or Papa Roach in here yet; next episode is a deep dive on 90s Alternative Metal.
Original Air Date: June 8, 2024.
Playlist
1. Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench2. Big Wreck - That Song3. Stone Temple Pilots - Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart4. Sloan - Friendship5. Supergrass - Beautiful People6. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside7. Manic Street Preachers - Tsunami8. Radiohead - Subterranean Homesick Alien9. The Smashing Pumpkins - Appels + Oranjes10. Collective Soul - Heavy11. Everclear - Everything To Everyone12. Third Eye Blind - Losing a Whole Year13. Lit - My Own Worst Enemy14. blink-182 - What's My Age Again?15. The Promise Ring - The Deep South16. The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be

Episode 13

On this week's episode we're switching it up a bit while I work on some more themed episodes, and arrange for some potential guests spots from fellow alt rock music fans for some fun conversations around the best of the 90s. This episode is mostly music and not as much commentary, covering off bands I wish I had time for in previous episodes, but they unfortunately ended up on the cutting room floor.  The playlist includes a mix of old favorites like Beck, R.E.M, Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden plus songs that I really wished I could have included in the new British Invasion episodes like Elastica, Longpigs and some additional cuts from Suede, The Verve and Catherine Wheel.  These songs are from the mid 80s through 1997.
Original Air Date: May 18th, 2024
Playlist
1. Suede - Trash2. Longpigs - She Said3. Blur - Song 24. Elastica - Connection5. Veruca Salt - Seether6. Beck - Devils Haircut7. R.E.M. - Welcome To The Occupation8. Catherine Wheel - Crank9. The Verve - Weeping Willow10. Manic Street Preachers - Kevin Carter11. Soundgarden - Superunknown12. Cracker - Low13. Green Day - Brain Stew14. Bush - Little Things15. The Smashing Pumpkins - Muzzle16. The Replacements - Left of the Dial

Episode 12 - New British Invasion, Part 2

On this week's episode of ALTERNATIVE MIXTAPE we'll be picking up where our last episode left off, and complete PART 2 of The New British Invasion of Rock. We'll be covering some important follow up releases from the bands we talked about in PART 1, play some music that we weren't able to get to last time, and head towards the end of the decade. This is a jam packed playlist with more Stone Roses, Oasis, Blur, Supergrass, Charlatans, plus songs from Ash, Cast, Pulp and Mansun. And of course something from my personal favorite Manic Street Preachers, off their incredible 1996 release Everything Must Go. 
Original Air Date: April 20th, 2024
Playlist
1. Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go2. Oasis - Roll With It3. Supergrass - Sun Hits the Sky4. Cast - Alright5. Ash - Girl from Mars6. Suede - The Power7. Pulp - Common People8. Blur - Charmless Man9. Radiohead - Just10. Mansun - Wide Open Space11. The Verve - This Is Music12. The Stone Roses - Love Spreads13. The Charlatans - North Country Boy

Episode 11 - New British Invasion, Part 1

On this week’s episode of ALTERNATIVE MIXTAPE we’re going to check in on the “new British invasion” of rock that started in the early 1990s, while grunge was taking off in the US. There are few bands that probably come to mind: Oasis, Blur, Pulp, The Verve. Maybe the Stone Roses, The Charlatans and Supergrass. But what about Suede? Teenage Fanclub? Inspiral Carpets? Or Manic Street Preachers? There are so many great rock bands to come out of the UK in this era, and like the U.S., many of the early britpop bands fell by the wayside as the popular artists of this movement rose to stardom overnight, selling out arenas and going multi-platinum with their albums, leaving everyone else far, far behind. The mid and late 90s would be dominated by the battle between Blur and Oasis, and yet even they would eventually be overtaken by musical trends that most of us from Gen X would sooner forget like Robbie Williams, Spice Girls, Boy Bands and nu metal at the end of the decade. This is Part 1 of 2.
Original air date: April 6, 2024
Playlist
1. Suede - Animal Nitrate2. The Stone Roses - She Bangs the Drums3. The Charlatans - Can't Get Out of Bed4. Supergrass - She's So Loose5. The Auteurs - How Could I Be Wrong6. Teenage Fanclub - Star Sign7. Blur - For Tomorrow8. The Verve - Slide Away9. Inspiral Carpets - Smoking Her Clothes10. The Boo Radleys - I Hang Suspended11. The Lightning Seeds - Pure12. Oasis - Live Forever13. Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness

Episode 10 - Alternative 80s

On this week's episode of Alternative Mixtape, we are going back to the 1980s. But not the 80s you’re thinking of where Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Thompson Twins and Eurythmics were all over the radio and MTV. Today we’re going into the rock underground, where a new movement was getting started on the US east coast and in the UK. We’re going to hear the alternative rock BEFORE the alternative rock that you remember. The Replacements. Husker Du. Mission of Burma. Black Flag. Gang of Four. RITES OF SPRING. Without these bands, you wouldn’t have The Pixies, Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, or Green Day. And other bands that became the bedrock of the alt rock movement in the 90s were just getting started like Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Mudhoney and REM.
I also reference some important books in this one:
Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements, by Bob Mehr (2016)
Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991, by Michael Azerrad (2001)
Original air date: March 16, 2024
1. The Replacements - I Will Dare2. Mission Of Burma - Academy Fight Song3. Hüsker Dü - Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely4. Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene5. Sonic Youth - Catholic Block6. Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick7. Minor Threat - Minor Threat8. Rites of Spring - For Want Of9. Black Flag - Rise Above10. Dead Kennedys - Police Truck11. X - Your Phone's off the Hook, But You're Not12. Fugazi - Bad Mouth13. Wipers - Over the Edge14. Gang Of Four - Natural's Not in It15. R.E.M. - Moral Kiosk16. Meat Puppets - Up on the Sun17. Wire - Ex Lion Tamer

Episode 9

On this week's episode of Alternative Mixtape, we’ll be getting into more Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots, but also Toadies, L7, The Breeders and one of my favorite under the radar bands of the 90s, Failure. This episode is a classic grunge throwback covering 1990-1995. Lots of loud sludgy guitars and drummers that don’t know how to play quietly. Closing out with The Smashing Pumpkins because of course I am.
Original air date: February 24, 2024
Playlist
1. Nirvana - Dive2. Soundgarden - Outshined3. Helmet - Wilma's Rainbow4. Stone Temple Pilots - Vasoline5. I Mother Earth - Rain Will Fall6. Hum - The Pod7. Alice In Chains - God Am8. Toadies - Possum Kingdom9. L7 - Diet Pill10. The Breeders - Lime House11. Pearl Jam - Animal12. Failure - Undone13. The Smashing Pumpkins - Drown