Dandelion - Dyslexicon (Sony, 1995)

Of all the Nirvana clones of the nineties, Dandelion really may have been the next best thing to Nirvana themselves. Unfortunately for them, "Dyslexicon" was coming out right around the time that grunge's popularity was on the decline.  After forming in Philadelphia in 1989, Dandelion received acclaim from CMJ for their demo, "Silver". This led to the band being signed to Ruffhouse records, an imprint of Sony/Columbia Records, then home to hip-hop acts like Cypress Hill. Ruffhouse released the band's debut "I Think I'm Gonna Be Sick" in 1993 and its followup, "Dyslexicon" in 1995. 

To be fair, Nirvana is not the only reference point for Dandelion's sound, as they had some slightly more psychedelic and sludgy tendencies.  Despite having their music featured on MTV shows like The Real World and Beavis & Butthead, Dandelion didn't achieve much more than constant comparisons to Nirvana.  They decided to disband in 1996, only a year after "Dyslexicon" was released.  Members went on to play in Laguardia (who released one Brad Wood produced record on Universal in 2003), as well as The Cobbs, The Hells, (and the similarly named) The Hell Yeahs. Today, Dandelion members Mike Morpurgo and Dante Cimino are passing along their experience at the Paul Green School of Rock, a rock music program for kids. 

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Slider - Sudden Fun (1997, A&M)

Slider was formed after the demise of Matt Winegar's previous band, The Spent Poets, in 1993. The Spent Poets released one Beatle-esque album on Geffen records in 1992, which failed to make an impression in the then burgeoning grunge era.  For Slider, Winegar made the switch from multi-instrumentalist to lead singer and principal songwriter. He enlisted drummer Josh Freese for the project, who at that point had served as drummer for The Vandals and Paul Westerberg, but would later go on to drum for Devo, Guns N' Roses, Nine Inch Nails, and countless others.  The band recorded an album, "Fremont", in 1995 for A&M records, who apparently shelved the record until 1997 when a slightly altered version was released, by then renamed "Sudden Fun". 

Whereas The Spent Poets' retro-pop was out of step with the alternative rock of the era, Slider fit right in - sounding something like The Replacements for the post-Nirvana set.  Perhaps they blended in a bit too much, as seemingly no one payed much attention.  The album was produced by David Bianco, who has also produced for Teenage Fanclub and Frank Black (among others), along with Winegar himself, who had assisted in the production of the first Primus album.  As far as I can tell, this would be the last the world would hear from Slider. These days Matthew Winegar is working primarily as a producer, you can check out some of his work (including old Spent Poets and Slider demos) at his MySpace.  As for Josh Freese, its no secret that he has since become one of the most in-demand studio and live drummers in music - and deservedly so.

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Certain Distant Suns - Happy on the Inside (1994, Giant)

Yet another Chicago band, Certain Distant Suns were kings of the Windy City scene for a brief moment in the early 90s. Formed in 1989 by Justin Mroz and Lance Stewart, they spent their first couple years as a band gigging around Chicago as a duo backed only by electronics. By 1992 they had added enough members to become a full band and self-released their first EP, "Huge", with the "Dogrocket" EP following in 1993. On the strength of these EP's college radio airplay and sizable following within Chicago, the band signed with Warner Music Group imprint label, Giant Records, who re-released the two EP's as a full length album, "Happy on the Inside", in 1994.

"Happy on the Inside" is an interesting blend of the swirling guitars of shoegaze bands like Ride or My Bloody Valentine with the sample-heavy, danceable elements of Jesus Jones or "Screamadelica"-era Primal Scream; the songs feature samples from techno, hip hop, and even a choir of chanting monks. Despite counting largely British influences, Mroz's vocals are a distinctly American semi-drawl. The band released one more record, "Boss Nova", in 1996 before disbanding.  Guitarist Kerry Finerty would later spend some time as a member of another Chicago band, electro-rock act Kill Hannah.

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Triple Fast Action - Broadcaster (1996, Capitol)

Triple Fast Action, also known as triplefastaction or tripl3fastaction, was formed in 1993 by Wes Kidd and Brian St. Clair out of the ashes of their former project, the hardcore punk band Rights of the Accused. For Triple Fast Action, the duo enlisted Kevin Tihista and Ronnie Schneider and ditched their hardcore stylings in favor of a more power-pop oriented sound, while retaining the energy of their punk roots. The band signed to Capitol records for their debut album, "Broadcaster", released in 1996.

TFA came from the same mid-90s Chicago scene previously discussed in the Fig Dish post, and share many sonic qualities with their Chicagoan peers like Local H, Hum, Loud Lucy, and of course, Fig Dish.  Frontman Wes Kidd even performed occasionally as a live guitarist with the mighty Local H. Kidd was also doubling as a producer around the time of Broadcaster's release, serving as the co-producer on Jimmy Eat World's "Static Prevails" with Mark Trombino. According to a Wikipedia entry, Dave Grohl listened repeatedly to "Broadcaster" during the recording of the second Foo Fighters record, "The Colour and the Shape", and apparently lists a Rights of the Accused show as his first concert experience. Since learning this I have formulated a theory that the Foo's "Everlong" may have been directly inspired by TFA's "Rest My Head", in terms of their similar drop-d tunings and chord progressions - I'd love to know if anyone agrees or maybe thinks I'm just crazy.  

After "Broadcaster", the band jumped the major label ship and made the switch to the indie Deep Elm records, perhaps best known for its "Emo Diaries" compilation series and releases from the likes of Planes Mistaken for Stars and The Appleseed Cast. After releasing their sophomore record "Cattlemen Don't" through Deep Elm in 1997, the band decided to throw in the towel. These days Wes Kidd is on the management side of things, acting as manager for Cheap Trick and The Damnwells, while Kevin Tihista is pursuing a solo career and Brian St. Clair has joined Local H. 

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Here is a short clip featuring Triplefastaction playing "Superstar" live, as well as interviews with the band and commentary from Metro-owner Joe Shanahan, Veruca Salt's Nina Gordon and others discussing the conflict between bands like Triple Fast Action or Fig Dish and their unsupportive major labels (essentially the very idea behind this blog):

Bicycle - s/t (1999, Capricorn)

Bicycle was founded by pop mastermind Kurt Liebert, who named the project after his mode of transportation for early tours, where he would ride his bike across the country to impromptu shows.  These tours attracted media attention from the likes of CNN, The New York Times, People Magazine, and even sponsorship from bike companies.  They also got the attention of major label Capricorn records, who signed the act to the label and released Bicycle's self titled debut in 1999.

Bicycle received frequent comparisons to Beck, which makes perfect sense as both play quirky sample-laden indie-pop that fuses elements of several genres, from psychedelia to folk to hip-hop.  The album also featured production from another noted quirky pop artist, Chris Ballew of The Presidents of the United States of America Despite the band's buzz and major label backing, the album failed to make much of an impact and the band seemingly disappeared.  In recent years, however, Bicycle has reunited and is currently playing shows in the Seattle area, which you can find more about at their Myspace.

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Shufflepuck - s/t (1996, Interscope)

Shufflepuck's one and only album never really had a chance to become a "forgotten treasure".... as it was never released.  The Shufflepuck story is perhaps best told by the frontman himself, Adam Orth, over at his website (where the album is also available for listening).  Though to make a short story even shorter, ill summarize here... The band formed in the early 90s by a few guys from L.A. who were friends with/had played in bands with members of Weezer (drummer Keith Fallis played in Carnival Art with Brian Bell, Adam Orth was involved in Weezer side project "Homie", Justin Fisher was in 80s heavy metal band Avante Garde with Rivers Cuomo and briefly toured with The Rentals, plus Matt Sharp apparently gave the band the moniker Shufflepuck). Interscope Records soon signed the band and they entered the studio in 1995 to record what was planned to make up their self-titled debut.  Everything was looking good until their A&R guy left and the band quickly became a non-priority at the label - causing several release dates to pass without the album seeing the light of day.  By '97 Shufflepuck had gotten out of their Interscope contract, but by that point few other labels were interested, and the band broke up on stage at a show not long after. 

This is all a truly tragic story, because the record is a collection of near-perfect Weezer-esque power pop songs, with all the crunch and energy of the best 90s pop-punk (not like the garbage that passes for pop-punk these days).  I'll be damned if "Mistreated" isn't the best possible candidate for a mid-late 90s rock radio hit.  After Shufflepuck, Adam Orth played in Neighborly with Tom Ackerman (Skiploader, Sunday's Best) and is now a successful video game designer. Justin Fisher went on to play in Nerf Herder (another band you could compare Shufflepuck's sound to) and later in Psoma.

Listen @ Adam Orth's Website

Crumb - Romance is a Slowdance (1996, Warner Bros.)

Though San Francisco's Crumb began as the acoustic project of duo Mark Weinberg and Robby Cronholm in 1993, it had evolved into a full electric quartet by the time they were gearing up for their 1994 self released debut "Happy Blah". However, this lineup would prove to be unstable at best, as the band had a revolving cast of bassists and drummers. I have to assume that the band was without a drummer when it came time to record their Qwest/Warner Brothers 1996 release "Romance is a Slow Dance", as the album's drum tracks were provided by noted session drummers Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Devo, The Vandals) and Joey Waronker (Beck, Elliott Smith, Walt Mink), respectively.

Lyrically, the songs on "Romance..." deal mostly with a specific break up of singer Robby Cronholm; one that just so happened to be with famed actress Chloe Sevigny, whom he dated briefly prior to her breakout role in the film Kids in 1995. The relationship may not have lasted long, but it apparently left quite a mark on Cronholm, inspiring the largely dark tone of the album. Musically, Crumb straddled the line between mainstream post-grunge ala Our Lady Peace and the 90s emo of early Jimmy Eat World (Jimmy Eat World's Jim Adkins would later contribute vocals to Crumb's next record). Perhaps the best comparison is to the similarly under appreciated band, Far, whom Crumb did some touring with.  Some years later, Crumb's Mark Weinberg would form the band Gratitude with Far singer Jonah Matranga (also of Onelinedrawing and New End Original), who released one record on Atlantic before going their separate ways.

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Elevate - Interior EP (1997, Hep-Cat)

Finding information about London's Elevate is no easy task. Aside from a brief All Music Guide entry, there seems to be barely any indication that Elevate's "Interior" EP ever happened. What I do know about the band is that they were formed in 1993 and released two full lengths on their native London's Flower Shop records before getting a US distribution deal through Hep-Cat/Mammoth records. The band's first release on Hep-Cat, and first to be available here in the states was this EP in 1997. 

"Interior" recalls the noise-rock of bands like Slint and Girls Against Boys (the band's previous album was produced by GVSB member Eli Janney). While Elevate's most obvious reference points may be American bands following in the Sonic Youth tradition, there is a prevalent British feel to the sound - perhaps channeled through a The Fall influence.

On a side note: This Elevate is not to be confused with a newer band of the same name from Canada who plays Christian worship music. 

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Dillon Fence - Outside In (1993, Mammoth)

Despite being a key player in the early 90s North Carolina indie rock scene, Dillon Fence had little in common with Chapel Hill bands like Polvo or Archers of Loaf. Instead of playing shows with such angular noise-makers, Dillon Fence could be found sharing the stage with a then struggling Hootie and the Blowfish. This is not to say that Dillon Fence sounds like Darius Rucker and co., though they were undeniably grounded in the classic pop tradition. The group's brand of powerful jangle-pop is more comparable to The Posies or Teenage Fanclub.

"Outside In" was the band's second full-length album, released in 1993 on Mammoth Records, right around the time Mammoth entered into a joint venture with major label Atlantic Records. In support of "Outside In" and its follow-up, 1994's "Living Room Scene" Dillon Fence toured extensively - the pressures of which soon caught up with the band and ultimately resulted in their breakup in 1995. Singer Greg Humphrey would go on to form the Hobex, who signed with Sire Records in the late 90s and showcased more prominently the soul influences that are only hinted at in Dillon Fence's songs. Other members would go on to play in Collapsis, who were named after the opening track of "Outside In", and released one record through Universal Records in 2000.

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Fig Dish - That's What Love Songs Often Do (1995, Polydor)

"Thats What Love Songs Often Do" is the 1995 full length release from Chicago group Fig Dish, released on Polydor Records. Attracted by the success of acts like Smashing Pumpkins, Veruca Salt, and Urge Overkill, major labels set their eyes upon the city of Chicago in the mid 90s, looking for "the next Seattle". Several bands, including Fig Dish and their similar-sounding peers Triple Fast Action, Local H, Menthol, and Loud Lucy were all snatched up during this period. While bands like Hum and Local H were able to score MTV and radio hits and achieve one-hit-wonder status, Fig Dish unfortunately weren't as lucky. This is a shame, too, because the band's brand of slacker-alterna-rock songs were as angst-ridden and well-written as any of their more successful contemporaries. The record, along with its followup, "When Shove Goes Back to Push", sold only a combined 16,000 copies; which led to Polydor/A&M dropping the band before they could release their fully recorded third album, which remains unreleased.

During the Fig Dish years frontman Blake Smith was romantically involved with Veruca Salt singer and solo artist Nina Gordon, prior to her relationship with Letters to Cleo/Veruca Salt/American Hi Fi member Stacy Jones. Smith and Gordon's relationship dissolved in 1999, right around the same time Fig Dish was dropped and ultimately decided to disband. Since the end of Fig Dish, members have continued to play music in the group Caviar, and more recently in The Prairie Cartel with Local H frontman Scott Lucas.

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Skycycle - Breathing Water EP (1998, MCA)

"Breathing Water" is the debut EP from Southern California's Skycycle, released in 1998 on MCA Records. Skycycle's sound was trademarked by what All Music Guide described as "totally bland and forgettable alt-rock". Skycycle may admittedly be on the bland side, but the band's hook-laden songwriting was certainly above average. The album was produced by Ken Andrews, the driving force behind the band Failure, On, Year of the Rabbit, and most recently a solo career. As a producer Ken has also lent his hand to the likes of B.M.R.C., Blinker the Star, Self, Creeper Lagoon, Tenacious D, Pete Yorn, among many others. Skycycle went on to record the full length "Ones and Zeroes" in 2000, but was dropped from MCA before the album hit the shelves (it remains unreleased). Singer Steve Isaacs, who had held a brief stint as an MTV VJ prior to his time in Skycycle, would turn up some years later as the frontman for the band The Panic Channel, the project of ex Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins.

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Catherine - Hot Saki & Bedtime Stories (1996, TVT)

Catherine is a band I came across as a result of my fanatic Smashing Pumpkins worship, as the band has several ties to the fellow Chicago rockers. Catherine's drummer, Kerry Brown, is none other than the husband of Pumpkins bassist D'arcy, who also lends a bit of vocals to this record. Perhaps as a result of this connection, Billy Corgan himself served as producer for many of Catherine's earlier releases. The band's sound also does not stray too far from the Pumpkin formula of psychedelic tinged alterna-guitar crunch. "Hot Saki and Bedtime Stories" was the band's second full length for TVT records.  The album's lead single and personal all-time favorite Catherine song, "Whisper", also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Scream; the music video for which can be viewed HERE. Before the release of the album, founding Catherine members Neil Jendon and Jerome Browne left the band, prompting the remaining members to retire the Catherine name not long after.

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Fossil - s/t (1995, Sire)

Fossil initially formed in the early 90's out of the ashes of a band called The Clowns, and quickly began playing the NYC circuit. After two performances at the legendary CBGBs, the venue's founder and owner, Hilly Kristal, took a liking to the band and became their manager, which led to an offer from Warner Brothers. The band's sound was heavy on the pop side of the alternative rock spectrum, and the album garnered comparisons to Cheap Trick and Jellyfish. To support the release of their major label debut, Fossil opened for the likes of The Goo Goo Dolls and appeared on the short-lived Jon Stewart Show on MTV. The band's video for their single "Moon" is included below, and comes highly recommended; it features the band playing amidst a wonderfully cheesy vintage sci-fi B-movie set. This was to be the first and last Fossil album, however, as the band seemingly dropped off the face of the planet not long after its release.

Self - Subliminal Plastic Motives (1995, Zoo/BMG)

"Subliminal Plastic Motives" is the debut record from Self, released in 1995 on Spongebath Records and rereleased soon after on Zoo/BMG. Self is largely the brainchild of Matt Mahaffey, a Tennessee native who began as a professional live/session drummer turned hip-hop producer. Mahaffey's eclectic background comes through on his first record under the Self moniker, where he takes quirky guitar pop and adds a heavy dose of samples, hip-hop, and even jazz. All Music Guide described the album as: "Nirvana's chord progressions overlaid with Jellyfish-type vocal harmonies, all processed through Beck's idiosyncratic sample-based production aesthetic", and I would say that description is dead on. The band toured in support of the record on bills with the likes of Cracker and Garbage, and received a bit of MTV airplay for the singles "Cannon" and "So Low" (which can be viewed HERE).Subsequent Self albums were released on Dreamworks records before the label folded in the early 00's, at which point Self began releasing free internet-only albums.

In addition to his work with Self, Matt Hahaffey has worked with many different artists as both musician and producer. He toured with Beck from 2005-2006, and contributed to the re-released new edition of Beck's Odelay album. He has written and performed several television jingles, including the very recognizable Expedia.com tagline. As a solo producer and as one half of the production duo/recording project "Wired All Wrong" (with Jeff Turzo of God Lives Underwater), he has worked with artists such as HelloGoodbye, Vitamin C, and Auf Der Maur.

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Pure - Generation Six-Pack (1996, Mammoth)

"Generation Six-Pack" is the second full-length album from Canadian band Pure, originally released in 1994 and re-released in 1996 on Mammoth Records (at which point Mammoth was part of a joint venture with Atlantic Records). The band formed in 1991 and was initially signed to Warner/Reprise on the strength of their early demos, who put out their first record, "Pureafunalia" in 1992. The songs on "Generation Six-Pack" could be compared to the psychedelic pop of early the Flaming Lips or the lo-fi indie rock of Pavement, albeit a more straight forward and radio-friendly version of such bands. The lo-fi aesthetic is certainly present on the album, as much of it was reportedly recorded in the members' bedrooms. Though the band never made much of an impact in the states, they were nominated for a Juno award in their native Canada, and later contributed a song to the 1998 film BASEketball before disbanding in 2000.

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Orbit - Libido Speedway (1997, A&M)

"Libido Speedway" is the debut full length from Boston, Massachusetts power-trio Orbit, released in 1997 on A&M records. The band formed in 1994 and issued an EP, "La Mano" the following year on Lunch Records, a label founded by Orbit drummer Paul Buckley. The band played dates in support of bands like Archers of Loaf and Weezer, quickly garnering the attention of major record labels and ultimately signing with A&M. Upon its release in 1997, "Libido Speedway", spawned the minor alternative-rock radio hit "Medicine" (video included below). By the time the band was finishing up their second record, A&M was dismantled under the 1999 Polygram/Universal merge, and Orbit was without a record deal. Orbit went on to release two EPs and 2001's "XLR8R" full length on Lunch records before going their separate ways. As of December 2007, however, the band has reunited and is playing shows in the Boston area. Bassist Wally Gagel, who left the group in the late 90s, went on to become a producer/engineer for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Muse, Eels, Old 97's, and even pop stars Jessica Simpson and Hannah Montanah.

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