04/09/2007
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Modern rock radio has undergone many transformations in the past decade. As a result, there are now multiple genres such as alternative, active rock and AAA (adult album alternative) that are all distant or not-so-distant cousins of modern rock. But sometimes it’s fun to look back on eras like the one in the mid- to late-nineties, when some great bands like Toad the Wet Sprocket and Better Than Ezra burst onto the scene. Here is a sampling of what modern rock once meant.
"At the Stars," Better than Ezra (How
Does Your Garden Grow?)
Better than Ezra has always had a knack for writing
ultra-catchy songs, but something about their third
album was downright magical. I remember hearing
this song for the first time on the radio and buying
the record that same day. Does that ever happen
anymore?
"Resignation Superman," Big Head Todd & the
Monsters (Beautiful World)
This track from Mr. Todd and his monsters has
a bouncing bass line, grooving guitars, and a B3
(that’s a Hammond organ, for all you non-musicians)
part in the chorus that will give you goose bumps.
"Another Horsedreamer’s Blues," Counting
Crows (Recovering the Satellites)
Many think the Crows’ first album runs rings around
anything else they’ve done, but I think their sophomore
effort is the best. There are intricate arrangements
on every single song, and every single song carries
a comfort like Mom’s lasagna.
"Give," Dishwalla (Pet Your Friends)
Everyone knows Dishwalla’s single, "Counting Blue
Cars," but this moody track is way better. Perhaps
J.R. Richards’ vocals had the kind of quality that
started the whiny emo movement, but he used dynamics
with his voice as well as anyone.
"Bad Reputation," Freedy Johnston (This
Perfect World)
Chances are, you have heard this song but don’t
know who sang it. I’m here to tell you that you
should know, because Freedy Johnston has written
plenty more good songs.
"Black Balloon," Goo Goo Dolls (Dizzy
Up the Girl)
Smooth yet soaring vocals and dark yet melodic
songs marked the coming of age of this Buffalo,
New York-bred rock band. And the bands’ sound in
the late ‘90s typified the modern rock genre.
"Sex and Candy," Marcy Playground (Marcy
Playground)
You all know what strippers smell like, right?
It’s not clear whether Marcy Playground’s John
Wozniak is singing about a chick that swings on
poles for a living, but we can all picture the
chick he is singing about.
"Hang," Matchbox Twenty (Yourself
or Someone Like You)
Yeah, most of you think Rob Thomas is a sellout.
But you can’t obscure the fact that he really knows
how to write a hit song. Even more, when he pulls
back the reins a bit, as he does on this acoustic
gem, he cements his place in pop history.
"Someday We’ll Know," New Radicals (Maybe
You’ve Been Brainwashed Too)
If you’ve ever been in love with someone so much
it hurt, only to find out it was never meant to
be, then this is your song.
"Singing in My Sleep," Semisonic (Feeling
Strangely Fine)
Most people think Semisonic was a one-hit wonder,
since "Closing Time" is likely the only song they
know by this pop trio. But this album is pretty
deep.
"Narcolepsy," Third Eye Blind (Third
Eye Blind)
Before lead singer Stephan Jenkins started dating
Vanessa Carlton and essentially lost his manhood,
he wrote some super-cool, guy-friendly songs about
boozing, banging chicks and having trouble sleeping.
"Whatever I Fear," Toad the Wet Sprocket
(Coil)
On this Toad album, the band graduated from the
breezy acoustic pop they were known for, and added
walls of guitars that gave the songs more balls
than a lottery machine.
"Open up Your Eyes," Tonic (Lemon
Parade)
This was actually Tonic’s first hit, and a staple
on modern rock radio back in the day. And it still
kicks ass.
"We Are," Vertical Horizon (Everything
You Want)
Vertical Horizon rocked themselves up with this
album after their first few releases bordered on
folk. And just like that, instant success. Yeah,
I know, they did kind of disappear after that,
but this album rocks.
"Shimmer," Fuel (Sunburn)
This is one of those songs that nearly made me
drive off the road when I first heard it. It also
took weeks to figure out the name of it, because
terrestrial radio stopped telling us the names
of songs so that they could get to the commercials
faster.