1996 Time Capsule

April 16, 1996

This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About

Modest Mouse

As I established in my article about Built to Spill’s album There’s Nothing Wrong with Love, I am clearly a sucker for slacker rock. And with a gallon of gas at a little over a dollar in 1996, I’d be going on plenty of long drives, myself. Modest Mouse’s charmingly angsty debut captures feelings of isolation, uneasiness, and weakness. Their distinguishing feature, compared with other bands and albums at this time, is the cripplingly tender and sheepish quality of their music. The initial, most popular track on this album, Dramamine, is a telltale sign of what the rest of the record holds. It’s unaggressive, pacifistic, and woozy—the instrumental works in tandem with the lyricism to create something truly trancing.

Favorite track: Ohio

September 30, 1996

On Avery Island

Neutral Milk Hotel

The year 1996 saw the debut of another of my favorite bands, the now-disbanded Neutral Milk Hotel. I struggle to write a definitive description for this record because it wants to take on so many roles. One of the only consistent themes throughout is the invasive melancholy and dismissiveness that are present even in the instrumentals. They blend synthetic horns with authentic ones, crunchy, hazily-driven guitars with delicate singing saws and organs. Not to mention the deeply timid, sentimental nature with which songwriter Jeff Mangum writes painstakingly transformative ballads like Three Peaches and April 8th. Even the romantic love songs this band writes are a bit of a non-sequitur. 

Favorite track: Naomi

September 24, 1996

Pinkerton

Weezer

I feel as though Weezer’s cleverness, knack for incorporating pop culture references, and unbridled ambition are what make them one of the most interesting rock bands making music right now. Pinkerton has been experiencing a surge in popularity over the last couple of years, and that’s for good reason. If you liked the wit of the original tracks, I deeply implore you to listen to the b-sides, which contain bits and pieces from their lost rock opera, Songs From the Black Hole, which is incredibly theatrical. The instrumentation from these guys is unbridled, and the lyricism has an old-world charm that reveals a tightly-knit narrative of loneliness, youth, and frustration.

Favorite track: Falling For You

July 30, 1996

Alice In Chains: MTV Unplugged

Alice In Chains

While I do think Hole’s MTV Unplugged album is one of my favorite live performances ever, Alice in Chains’ Unplugged is a close second. It’s raw and haunting, offering a deeply personal take on your favorite Alice in Chains songs. Cantrell and Staley’s vocals work splendidly with a more lo-fi, orchestral production. You’d think grunge would be harder to translate to an acoustic setting, but it allows for each player and their instrument, whether percussion, guitar, vocals, etc., to shine respectively.

Favorite track: Down In A Hole