Every now and then, a song comes on the radio that takes you back to a different time and place. I got the idea to compile a list of songs from the '90s that have kind of been lost over the years. I hope some of these songs will take you back down memory lane.
Verve Pipe - “Photograph”
The Verve Pipe were formed in Lansing, Michigan in 1992 by Brian Vander Ark on vocals and guitar, Donny Brown on drums and backing vocals, Brad Vander Ark on bass and backing vocals, and Brian Stout on guitar and backing vocals. The Vander Arks had played previously in Johnny with an Eye, while Brown and Stout had played in Water 4 the Pool. Both bands had been local favorites throughout Michigan.
Porno For Pyros - “Pets”
Perry Farrell's post-Jane's Addiction band, Porno for Pyros, followed a similar path to his previous band, combining art rock, punk, heavy metal, and funk into one unusual whole. On their self-titled 1993 debut, Farrell's ambitious ideas sometimes sat alongside straightforward rockers and pop songs. The album initially sold well before slipping down the charts. While preparing new material in 1994, Farrell returned to organizing Lollapalooza, the traveling rock festival he conceived. The band released Good God's Urge in 1996.
Toad The Wet Sprocket - “Walk On The Ocean”
Named in honor of a sketch by the Monty Python comedy troupe, Toad the Wet Sprocket became one of the most successful alternative rock bands of the early '90s. Their contemporary folk-pop sound had enough melody and R.E.M.-styled jangle to reach both modern-rock and adult contemporary audiences. Singer Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss formed the group in 1986.
Sponge - “Molly (Sixteen Candles)”
Sponge was one of the more underrated groups in the post-grunge boom of the mid-'90s. When they were at the top of their game, as evidenced by the hits “Plowed” and “Molly (Sixteen Candles),” the band's songs had a knack for jangly riffs and catchy, anthemic hard-rock hooks. These qualities remained even when wrapped in the fuzzy guitars and brooding seriousness that typified grunge music. Sponge grew out of the Detroit-based hard-rock act Loudhouse, which released an album on Virgin Records in 1988 before losing its contract and disbanding.
Local H - “Bound For The Floor”
Born David Scott Lucas, Scott is the nucleus of Local H. Not only is he the vocalist, but he is also the guitarist and bassist for the band. Raised in Zion, Illinois, Scott started Local H in 1987 with high-school friends Joe Daniels on drums and Matt Garcia on bass. When Garcia left the band in the early 1990s, Scott developed a unique way to play bass and electric guitar at the same time through a special guitar pickup, eliminating the need for a bassist. After Daniels left the band in 1999, Scott remained as its sole original member.
Gandharvas - “Downtime”
In the early 1990s, five youths from London, Ontario, decided to form a rock band named after a Hindu term meaning “celestial musicians to the gods.” Paul Jago, guitarists Jud Ruhl and Brian Ward, bassist-keyboardist Beau Cook, and drummer Tim McDonald became the Gandharvas. After playing various live shows around the London area, Watch Music took an interest in the band. The Gandharvas signed with the label in 1994. That same year saw the release of their debut album, A Soap Bubble and Inertia.
Hum - “Stars”
Endless feedback, a heavenly drone, and an obsession with science and outer space are three elements that define the beautiful style that became Hum's trademark. Despite a career marked by only modest commercial success, including their 1996 radio hit “Stars,” Hum has never quite received the full attention and recognition the band deserves.
