3 More Underrated 90's Albums

We live in the first quarter of the 21st century and as a consumer of pop culture, it's a little overwhelming with all the choices that we face. There are simply too many great books, films and albums that you will be bound to miss given the sheer amount of stuff out there and the limits of a human being. 

So on this little blog, I've created a little series about some of my favorite alt/indie albums that were underrated, or little-known 90's albums. Maybe I can introduce you to a gem you will enjoy. 

Old 97's - Fight Songs (1999) 

I didn't discover this album until well after 1999.....more like in the summer of 2022. After an 8 week obsession this summer,  I can easily state this is a stone-cold indie classic from the 90s and I know I will be coming back to it in the future. 

2001's Satellite Rides was the first Old 97's album I listened to and it was probably my favorite album of 2001, so why I didn't check out the back half of the Old 97's discography is beyond me. I chalk it up to just being overwhelmed with so much music to listen to. I have been exploring and discovering 90's music for decades and there's always one more indie song or band I haven't heard of (or forgotten about) and it blows me away!   

The Old 97's are considered alt-country and I guess that's a good description but if you enjoy quality pop songwriting, this is for you. They have a unique sound that straddles power-pop and alt-country. Most songs are about being lovesick, heartbroken and a fatalistic acceptance of what has been and what will be. Despite the lyrics, the album will just make you feel happy and most songs on this album are ear-worms. Whatever song your listening session ended on in your head for the next hour. It's great song after great song.  

I could see a listener thinking this album is a little too "samey". But honestly, you could say that about 98.5% of albums in creation. This is a perfect album to wistfully sing along to in the car or happily sing along with as you run errands, fold the laundry, etc. This album would also be great background music to listen to as you talk with some friends at a picnic table with a few beers on a summer evening. I don't know, just listen to it and you decide what it's perfect for. 

Standout Tracks: "Jagged", "Lonely Holiday", "Indefinitely", "What We Talk About", "Murder (Or a Heart Attack)", "Busted Afternoon", "19". 

Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun (1995)

100% Fun is one of those albums I had read about in music magazines, saw in the discount bins but just never picked it up in the 90s...and for that,  I am sorry. I should have spread the Matthew Sweet gospel in the 90s. 100% Fun feels like the 90s distilled in a bottle of fizzy, sweet soda pop. 

Like Fight Songs,  I just discovered this album quite late, in fact this past fall and I fell in love with it. If you're looking for another stroll towards the goodness of power pop from the 90s, you'll find a lot to like here. You might want to check your pulse if you aren't bobbing your head up and down to this album. Of course this album features the alt-classic, "Sick of Myself", the Beach Boy harmonies at the end of "Not When I Need It" to the R.E.M.-like verses of "We're the Same".....and that's all in the first three tracks!! 

If you're looking for a rock and roll album that will make you want to forget about your problems and make you feel good about life, check this album out. 

Standout Tracks: "Sick of Myself", "Not When I Need It", "We're the Same", "Everything Changes", "Come to Love", "Walk Out" 

Travis - The Man Who (1999) 

Unlike the other two albums, I discovered this album, somewhat near it's original release date.  I had discovered 2001's Invisible Band in 2001, so I picked up The Man Who shortly thereafter. 

The Man Who is a Brit-pop album and you'll know what I mean as soon as you hear the first track. A lot of people think Travis is a lesser version of the 90s incarnations of Oasis & Radiohead and yeah, well....that pretty much nails it. They are less talented, less sophisticated and less ambitious but is that necessarily a bad thing? It's catchy Brit pop, so what, can't I just enjoy a simple cheese burger sometimes? 

This album is great for cloudy, cold days.  Sure, maybe the album cover is hinting at this but there's something definitely something sad and wistful on this album that makes you feel like staying inside all day, away from the cold. It's not the best album you'll ever hear, but these posts are all about under-rated albums, check it out if you need a dose of Brit-pop.  

Standout Tracks: "Writing to Reach You", "Driftwood", "Turn" "Why Does it Always Rain on Me?

Fragments of the Fall

I haven't posted since late June cause mainly I don't care and..... you guessed it....I'm busy. I have a job, I am a parent...blah, blah, blah. 

Here's some stuff that's been going on or happened: 

I painted a lot until August/early September and ran out of supplies and just recently started back up again.  I buying some more stuff and painting more during the holidays. Here is maybe one of my favorites from September. Cuz, why not?

Have a cool project at work that has happened and now I can't share much about it because I don't wanna dox myself. It has taken up a lot of my time and changed some of my duties at work. It's cool, trust me. 

Media Fragments

Read Kafka's The Trail at some point. Loved it, might be in my top ten books. Re-reading Catch-22 now first time since high school and it hasn't held up thus far. Also, just get tired at night, look at it and I am not inspired. 

Watched the new The Mole on Netflix with the fam back in October. I missed that show so much. The only reality show I ever loved and it's back in 2022. Cool, I recommend it. 

Watched The Rings of Power and I liked it. I need to re-watch to set in. Did it hit a home run? No, sometimes it was kinda boring in a Tolkien way. Sometimes the series could even be sublime, but in other ways it feel flat. However, overall I liked it. I am not a purist....so, I was okay with most of the changes but whatever floats you're boat. If you're a racist, I hope it made you infuriated, ya snowflake. 

The Fam

Our oldest C is now a high school junior, it's all sinking in. She's almost done with school and I don't know where all that time went. All the clichés are true. She switched schools, is still in the marching band and now she's doing fantastic in debate. She's grown quite a bit intellectually this year and that's been neat to see. She's making all A's and making me proud of her character as well. I can't believe we're months away from making college decisions. Yikes.

Our middle child E is doing well in 8th grade. She's been loving choir this year even more and I think really finding her niche in doing so. Some injuries have set her back in ballet and in some ways, it's made choir more of a focus....we'll see.... We've been watching Gilmore Girls when we're hanging out together and that's been fun, we also slowly working our way through Lord of the Rings as well. She can drive me little nuts as she is a true 8th grader but yah, know, that's expected. She's an amazing person. 

The youngest H is in 5th grade of course, doing exceedingly well. He scored in the top 10% of 5th graders in the nation on his math scores but he's a strong reader as well. This year has been weird as he is starting to act a little more like a middle schooler and....well, that's always cool. He has loved playing flag football with his buddies and if you give him all day to play outside with the neighborhood kids, you won't even see him all day. 

K is working more this year and that has led to less of me cooking. I gotta plan better in the weeks ahead. Overall, life is pretty good. We recently talked with an older couple who mentioned we are going to miss these busy days one day and I don't doubt it for a second. 

Other Stuff

I got some sweet old 80s comics a few months back. Love me the 80s Marvel....they are becoming more and more rare to find in "the wild". So when I do happen to find them, it makes me even more happy than it used to. It's the little things in life that make it that much sweeter.  

I find out if we get a huge grant in December for a cool project at work and I am on the edge of my seat. If this project happens, it will definitely be a highlight of my career. 

Bummed about Josh Primo and the Spurs. It's weird to feel so disappointed in the organization, but I was.....I was not impressed how it was initially handled but the case has been settled. Anyway, I hope they continue to lose and get in on the sweepstakes for Weby. That guy is an amazing prospect. 

One of our cats never came back, it's been a month and a half so, pretty much all hope is lost. I am so bummed. I never thought I would connect with another pet again...not in a real way and yet, Kirby loved me so much, he made me care about him. I am really sad about and it still hasn't sunk in. 

That's it, the semester is pretty much over and I'm glad. 

I should post again soon, as I have another post more than halfway done from October. That will tie me for the lowest total for a year, so maybe I will post twice just for the sake of feeling more productive...I dunno, that's the way my brain works. 

However you have stumbled upon this little tiny sector of the internet, I hope you are doing okay. Don't forget to write down you dreams and hum a little song as you walk.