The lesser-known 1990s bands

[interceptör]

I really liked this song by Hazel, but just out of curiosity, what guitar is the singer dude playing at around 0:55? Kinda looks like a guitar version of the Vista Musicmaster Bass (which totally should exist if it already doesn't.)

I had one (and it's coming back shortly)

Haha, I'm a bit drunk and only just realized it myself. But that's not what the guitarist is playing and the hb ruins the looks a bit.

[cestlamort]

Magnetic Fields are well known, right? or at least "NPR famous"? My favorite stuff he's done is the first The 6ths album (Wasps' Nest), which features basically a who's-who of indie rock: Mary Timony, Dean Wareham, Barbara Manning, Mac from Superchunk, Georgia Hubley, Mark Robinson, etc.
The second album (Hyacinths and Thistles) didn't resonate as much for whatever reason (even though it featured.... )

The Divine Comedy, who put out some great, witty orchestral pop records in the 90s. I was given their best of by German friends (we hadn't heard of them/Neil Hannon at all and he came up in Scott Walker conversation) and it's an amazing britpop + showtunes (or more kindly: lieber/stoller, Gershwin etc) thing in all the best ways. (his post-2000 albums have some of my favorite songs of his, and I'd love a second volume of his "secret history" best-of). I have no idea how well known he was in the UK.

Also, thanks to this thread, I started listening to Idaho for the first time in forever. I had never picked up their albums or explored them (probably for some arbitrary reason, such as I didn't know where to start, all my self-perceived mope allowance was already spent on Red House Painters, Bedhead, et al, and I didn't even have the Low albums after the first two for a while there), but I pulled out Hearts of Palm and it's really good. Will explore more. Thanks!

[countertext]

Here's some that popped into my head just now:

Ruins
Zeni Geva
Boredoms
Melt Banana

[Gavanti]

Here's some that popped into my head just now:

Ruins
Zeni Geva
Boredoms
Melt Banana

Camp Skin Graft was definitely in heavy rotation in '97. Also Bardo Pond.

[Soniqfreq]

I really liked this song by Hazel, but just out of curiosity, what guitar is the singer dude playing at around 0:55? Kinda looks like a guitar version of the Vista Musicmaster Bass (which totally should exist if it already doesn't.)

I had one (and it's coming back shortly)

Haha, I'm a bit drunk and only just realized it myself. But that's not what the guitarist is playing and the hb ruins the looks a bit.

At first I was thinking some kind of musicmaster too, but those are block inlays and I don’t think they used them on that model, even in the late 60’s. Maybe it’s some kind of Fender knock-off model, like a Teisco or other MIJ brand.

[sal paradise]

Just remembered another great album if you’re into Scottish indie of 80s/90s:

Trashcan Sinatras - I’ve Seen Everything (Spotify)

And London’s answer to madchester… (admittedly a terrible album but this song is fun)

A Life with Brian - …it’s on ((Spotify)

[marqueemoon]

Also, thanks to this thread, I started listening to Idaho for the first time in forever. I had never picked up their albums or explored them (probably for some arbitrary reason, such as I didn't know where to start, all my self-perceived mope allowance was already spent on Red House Painters, Bedhead, et al, and I didn't even have the Low albums after the first two for a while there), but I pulled out Hearts of Palm and it's really good. Will explore more. Thanks!

One of my all time favorite bands and a big influence.

Funny how that happens. The good thing is now there’s a big catalog to explore.

[whitewatersky]

HUM....I’d rather be an Astronaut
Jawbreaker...UNfun
Knapsack...all of their stuff.
KYUSS

hey did you get the RACQUET CLUB album ? Sergie & Blair of Knapsack

here's a couple videos I made of Knapsack and Racquet Club

Racquet Club
https://youtu.be/OmoqAVMk-hI?si=yUYvCxb_0G8YSWR4

Knapsack
https://youtu.be/wzZ9Ppa3ZKs?si=E91rE_0MosG5f78F
(sorry about the screen flashes in this - I had cameras on different FPS settings.... duh)

[interceptör]

Pollyanna from Australia were great (Fordgreensilverrocket was a banger)

This is exactly how I remember Silverchair sounding like. Good stuff nevertheless.

Scott 4 from somewhere in the US (East Winter, great song)

This one was really cool!

[ThePearDream]

I realized this is a good thread to mention one of my favorite unknown bands, Pell Mell. They have some '80s releases, but their '90s lineup and albums are insanely good instrumental rock from before the Post-Rock explosion. You've probably heard their songs used as incidental music in tv shows now and again. It's another band that I found thanks to a record label sampler - DGC Buy Product. Their '95 Album Interstate, is a desert island record for me.


There is also a 70s German Prog band with the same name, just so you're aware of that, if you go googling for Pell Mell.

[LVC]

There's a long running (and still active) blog dedicated to that...

I hate the 90s

Hundreds of bands to discover or rediscover, some great, some a bit less so, but that's the game.
Don't miss the compilations available for download... They have 27 volumes so far ― a pretty good way to expand your musical horizons.

[mr bungle]

Don’t think they’ve been mentioned. Love this album.

The God Machine - Boy By The Roadside

[mr bungle]

And these guys. Toured with Metallica and FNM on the back of this album. Produced by Jaz Coleman when he lived in NZ.

Shihad - Bone Orchard

[cestlamort]

And Numero just announced a 5 LP Tsunami box set. They’ve obviously been reading OSG again.

Also, has anyone mentioned Sunny Day Real Estate? (Are they lesser known?) Saw them for the first time in forever last week, and they were even better than back in the day (really). Melodic, intricate and compelling.

They gave a nod to Treepeople as inspiration for one of their songs, so I put on Guilt Regret Embarrassment this morning. I was going to highlight a song or two, but seemingly every other one would be a mixtape hit. Neil's down, I'm gonna miss you when you're dead, Every time I fall down and my head hits the floor hard, Pity, etc etc). Highly recommended if you're into Built to Spill (of course), SDRE, Archers of Loaf, Jawbox, Samiam, Jawbreaker, or any angular, squalling, interweaving guitar stuff with sing-a-long miserabilism (they later did an amazing cover of "Bigmouth strikes again"). I'm not sure how well known they were outside of the Northwest (from Idaho) but one of my absolute favorites of the 90s. (This is the 90s so there's always a side project: Halo Benders).

[andy_tchp]

Also, has anyone mentioned Sunny Day Real Estate?

Several times.

(Are they lesser known?)

No.

A lot of bands mentioned I'd consider very well known. No idea how the OP missed Spoon, they were basically inescapable throughout 2000-2010.