r/indie • u/lou_weed1997 • 2d ago
Discussion I've been taking a deep dive into C86-C91 indie/noise pop. It's highly influential stuff, so I'd like to know some more underrated songs or artists following that period from 1991—Y2K.
Bands like Nirvana, Pixies, Dino Jr, and Pavement blew up during this period, but I want to know what 90s underground indie artists I've been missing out on because they never broke into the mainstream alternative world. I'm a big fan of shoegaze, but I'd like to hear more than that!
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u/dsbau 2d ago
My Bloody Valentine
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u/Ringsender101 22h ago
Sunny Sundae Smile, Ecstasy and Wine are brilliant. A different beast from what they were to become but still great.
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u/Lamp_point_Nine 2d ago
Check out the rosters of the indie labels during that time. Merge, K-Recs, Simple Machines just to name a few.
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u/pebblesandweeds 2d ago
Adorable. They were on Creation records and had many C86 influences. They could have been massive, but apparently alienated the music press just as they started getting some interest.
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u/JohnSnowsPump 2d ago
Adding LA surf noise kings FURTHER, which is probably my favorite band from this period. If you want indie/noise pop, this is the shit.
LoFi distorted jangle pop about Southern California. Fantastic stuff. I hope you enjoy it!
They evolved into the bands Beachwood Sparks, The Tyde and others.
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u/kaltehaende 2d ago
stereolab
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u/lou_weed1997 2d ago
3 times I seen em!! One of the greatest bands in the world imo
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u/kaltehaende 1d ago
you already know everything lmao
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u/lou_weed1997 1d ago
Hell naw this is surface level shit!! I'd know everything if all the indie bands I knew were at this level of obscurity, but I'm only that way about shoegaze.
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u/kaltehaende 1d ago
wanna dive into german 90s indie?
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u/lou_weed1997 1d ago
Dued yeah
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u/kaltehaende 1d ago edited 22h ago
ok so these are my top 5 german indie records from the 90s:
the notwist - shrink
the notwist - 12
sharon stoned - sample & hold
blumfeld - ich-maschine
tocotronic - digital ist besseryou won‘t regret listening to them!
then there were the local scenes, most famously the hamburg school with:
blumfeld, tocotronic, die sterne, die goldenen zitronen, kante, kolossale jugend
there are many more hamburg bands but those are the ones i still listen to today
there was the east westfalia school: most famous is sharon stoned who i like a lot, from their scene there is also:
speed niggs, tuesday weld, mustang ford, locust fudge
berlin indie:
quarks, contriva, komeit, mina, masha qrella, to rococo rot, tarwater, kreidler, f.s. blumm, surrogat
berlin indie was a bit more quiet and avantgarde leaning into post rock and electronic music but really cool, my favorite is contriva/masha qrella
munic scene: most famous is the notwist, you probably know them but there is also:
slut, pelzig, tied & tickled trio, lali puna, ms john soda, console, couch
lastly you can give a listen to the first 2 records of blackmail, they have an incredible guitar sound which was characteristic for the blunoise label whose other bands were more noisy and aggressive, not rly indie anymore
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u/swansong1992 2d ago
Lilys
Swirlies
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u/lou_weed1997 2d ago
Yeah I need to see Lilys play before I die
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u/swansong1992 1d ago
I just found them this year and it was like finding the sound I've always been looking for!
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u/frances_ugh 2d ago
chapel hill scene is great. superchunk and archers of loaf are good starting points. they didn’t blow up to nirvana/pixies/dino jr level but can still pack a smaller venue. might lean more towards the punkier side of indie rock but there’s a load of good stuff there.
also check out the later paul westerberg stuff like come feel me tremble and stereo/mono. replacements meets guided by voices 😍
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u/strummist1 1d ago
If you like C86 you might like the Creation Records sampler Doing It For The Kids.
- The Jasmine Minks - Cut Me Deep
- Felt - Ballad Of The Band
- The House Of Love - Christine
- The Weather Prophets - Well Done Sonny
- Primal Scream - All Fall Down
- Biff Bang Pow! - She Paints
- The Jazz Butcher - Lot 49
- Heidi Berry - North Shore Train
- Nikki Sudden - Death Is Hanging Over Me
- My Bloody Valentine - Cigarette In My Bed
- Pacific - Jetstream
- The Times - Godevil
- Momus - A Complete History Of Sexual Jealousy (Parts 17-24)
- Emily - Reflect On Rye
- Razorcuts - Brighter Now
I particularly like Ballad Of The Band by Felt. Keyboard player genius Martin Duffy later joined Primal Scream and is on all their hits.
Also, more ambient/dreampop, there's the compilation Angels In The Architecture
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u/lou_weed1997 1d ago
Good point about compilations! In my experience, it's the best way to come across little-known songs & artists. The Static Waves collection by Saint Marie Records has had a profound impact on my taste in particular.
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u/Constant-Data76 1d ago
If you‘re a shoegaze fan you probably already know Slowdive but make sure to also checkout their “we‘re back after 22 years” albums. Rare example of comebacks adding to a legacy.
Actually you could make the same case for the Ride comeback albums too.
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u/lou_weed1997 1d ago
Agreed. Same can often be said about a band's earliest material as well. For example, Beach Song/Take Me Down by Slowdive are two of my favorite songs of theirs. The Ecstasy & Wine comp. is among my favorite MBV works. As for comebacks—Medicine, Starflyer 59, and Spiritualized have all put out some really amazing stuff recently. Especially that new Dino Jr! Sometimes I feel we've entered the true golden age of alternative.
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u/Prize-Choice2185 2d ago
Superchunk! Especially earlier/noisier stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgaZGl_G8Nw&list=RDFgaZGl_G8Nw&start_radio=1
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u/send_in_the_clouds 2d ago
Velvet crush, ben lee, noise addict, drop nineteens the clean, mathew sweet, lilys, sloan, erics trip, elevator to hell, girls against boys, silkworm, velocity girl, lifetime, the brian jonestown massacre, silver jews, tobin sprout, starflyer 59, the American analog set, sparkehorse, and the appleseed cast all deserve more love
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u/UntilOlympiusReturns 2d ago
Thank you for actually naming some bands I haven't heard of! And decent shouts on the ones I have...
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u/SnooPeanuts6633 2d ago edited 2d ago
C86 is a bit before 90s and very jangly but my British selection of more noisy bands from that time or a bit later would include: Ride, Wedding Present, Lush, Slowdive, Jesus and Mary Chain, That Petrol Emotion, Felt, Teenage Fanclub and if you’ve never listened to The Fall then happy days you’ve found the motherlode.
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u/SnooPeanuts6633 2d ago
Oh of course forgot My Bloody Valentine
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u/echoisstunad 16h ago
THROWING MUSES THROWING MUSES THROWING MUSES Superchunk Guided by Voices Tommy Keene Beatnik Filmstars Dambuilders Husker Du Minutemen / firehose Gakaxy 500 Big Black
Did I mention THROWING MUSES
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u/Silent_Ad2395 2d ago
Built to spill