Picture this: driving down Broad Street, listening to this playlist right here, and watching a leaf slap right onto your windshield as you cruise through a cascade of changing colors. It blocks your vision and even though you use the windshield-wipers, it won’t go away. That’s fall for me.
‘90s rocker Poe is avant-grand author Mark Z. Danielewski’s sister, and her song “Junkie” is as abstract and experimental as any of his works. It almost sounds like the song uses Klezmer for an interlude, which is such an exciting addition for me. I love unique instrumentation. It adds a lot to the track’s makeup, and juxtaposes well with Poe’s Fiona-Apple-if-she-used-a- drum-machine aura.
Riot Grrrl masterminds Veruca Salt deliver a stunning lo-fi tune with “Aurora.” The downtempo guitar is ahead of its time, and the light vocals speak to the autumn air. I always thought that the band was from Seattle; evidently not, as the Chicago-born Veruca Salt poses an unexpected midwestern feature on the list. It gets a little slowcore at the chorus—the bandmates must’ve had Codeine and Low in the CD stack.
Liz Phair delivers with “Headache.” The lyrics are witty and well written, and her delivery is on point as always. The electronic tint and heavy bass that forms the center of the melody is a highlight on this mix of mostly-analog tracks (with Poe as the outlier). She, as always, demonstrates her flexibility in genres—Liz Phair can make something danceable.
“Dogs of L.A.” is not as angsty as Liz Phair. The delivery of this track is detached and almost ironic. Phair sings about how “I was a Star Trek crew member, with my beetle boots and my super-8,” and the specificity and attention to detail in the lyricism caught my eye. The absurdity of the track is off-putting, and the deadpan delivery by Phair makes you wonder whether you’re laughing
with or at her.
“Blue Sun” by Darling Violetta sounds like “Wonderwall.” As the first fifteen seconds came to a close, I wondered where the customary Mellotron of Oasis’s hit was. I truly do think this is a better song than “Wonderwall,” though. There’s a shift in the chorus that evokes Jeff Buckley at his best, and this song is just a bit of a treasure. The female vocals and strings are a little less angry than some of the other tracks on the list. Darling Violetta’s name is taken from letters written by Bela Lugosi, which is cool if you’re into Bauhaus. There’s not a ton of brand consistency, but it sounds stellar.
“Feelin’ Massachusetts” by the Julia Hatfield Trio is power pop at its most triumphant. The riffs throw you in from the first line, leaving me dazzled by the rapid-fire classic power-pop upbeat energy. Are you surprised to find that Julia Hatfield is from Boston? I wasn’t either.
An angelfish is a triangle shaped, striped fish that is found predominantly in South America. Angelfish is also a Scottish alternative rock band. Evidently, “King Of The World” by Angelfish is a little darker than the namesake aquarium fish.
“Where Did The Home Team Go” by Kelley Deal 6000 fits in with the American Analog Set in the genre of late-’90s suburban malaise. The vocals are charmingly recorded, and the guitar fits in right with the kick drum. Always great to have a track on time.
“Mellie’s Comin Over” by Letters to Cleo is another Boston proto-emo 90s track. As a piece of trivia, the band’s single “Cruel To Be Kind” was featured in the movie “10 Things I Hate About You.” I didn’t know that either. Still, that fact just enhances the ‘90s sensibility of the track. The punchy guitar is cool enough to have a little bit of twinkle to it, which adds to the fun of this listen. Drive to the store and play this track on the way over. Drive home, unload the groceries. Listen to the song again.
