Today’s Top 15 Bands That Sound Like They’re From the 90s
What’s the next big old thang?
Once upon a millennial time, retro-rawk was all the rediscovered rage. More recently, black metal has enjoyed a well-deserved resurgence and incorporation into today’s aural lexicon. And lately it seems like the raw, angular, angsty 90s sound has been popping up more than middle school boners.
So we consulted an expert on the 90s to help us navigate the best of today’s yesteryear-sounding rockers, compiled below in alphabetical order. Brooklyn mainstay Joshua Lozano worked at CBGB during its 90s hardcore height and has toured with countless bands including Jarboe and Cobalt (not to mention he also kills it on the new Family album, big news coming soon on that).
Lozano’s own noise-rock band Fashion Week has been slaying unsuspecting US audiences for years; scroll down to the bottom of this post to enjoy a few FW video jams, then buy the band’s RIPPING 2015 album Prêt-à-Porter on the Solar Flare Records webstore, and if you are in Brooklyn on 2/11 catch FW at Saint Vitus Bar with not one but TWO of the bands listed below (!) – tickets available here.
I now pass the mic to the one-and-only SlouchedOverOgre, our mighty Sloshua Plobano…
’68 – Take all the noisiest parts of In Utero and make it a band, and you will most certainly win my heart.
Blacklisters – Having recently released possibly my favorite record of 2015, these guys might like the Jesus Lizard almost as much as I do. Even their artwork is reminiscent of 90’s stylings!
Bully – Take the Muffs, slow it down, mix in some Pixies, recall that soft verse/heavy chorus (grunge) vibe and appreciate that Bully are here now for everyone who missed the nineties, and some of us who didn’t.
Fight Amp – These guys keep releasing great records! I bet their cd collections are really similar to mine.
Haan – Formerly No Way (they just changed their name), they combine all the best elements of the all the best Amrep and Touch & Go bands. FUCK YES!
Grizzlor – Oh man, these guys are about to make a dent. I want to swim in pool of sound created by Grizzlor and Haan playing together in a room. Can this happen please? Also Chris Spencer posted about this band (greatest noise rock honor ever?)
KEN Mode – The kings of all underground rock right now, these guys took the 90’s noise rock book and rewrote it for the 21st century!
Legendary Divorce – This Legendary Divorce is NOT such a bore! The record kicks off reminiscent of Jawbox, and blasts in with the vocal fury of Babes in Toyland — awesome guitar rock I can’t really put my finger on to compare, but undoubtedly 90’s.
Metz – They’re even on SUB-POP! (they’re probably so stoked on that!)
Mossbreaker – I was first turned on to this band under a ruse as “old unreleased Failure songs” and I believed it. That is about as big a compliment as I can imagine.
Sloth Rust – Remember the 90’s were all about weird? This band fills that requirement and also recognizes the genius of a chorus that sings the one word YEAH!
Teen Death – WHEEEEEEEEE GRUNGE!!!
Whores – These guys obviously win because they actually released a song on AMREP! They even shout out the best nineties bands in their songs!
Wrong – Nails that Strap It On-era Helmet sound. I don’t wanna be right.
X Repentance X – Okay, I had to put a metalcore band on the list. Just being straight edge is pretty nineties in and of itself (fuck yeah, my brethren!). But also these guys could jump back in time to a Hardcore Matinee at CBGB to play for a room full of people sporting baggy pants, wallet chains, backpacks, and XL shirts. I would have been there stage diving and hoping I didn’t get targeted for my long hair and purple Dinosaur Jr shirt.
Fashion Week, “Heroin Chic”:
Fashion Week, “Fendi Bender”:
Fashion Week, “Chorusace”:
