"Web In Front" - Archers of Loaf (1993) / b/w / "Savory" - Jawbox (1994)

With the new format that we have recently begun, I think it's about time I kick off a new idea that I've had in regards to my posts. With our old rotation format, I always wanted to make sure that I picked something "important" (for the most part) with each choice. With this more open-ended, post whenever you feel like it format, however, I feel like it's given me the space to branch out even more, and introduce everyone to some things that I might not have been able to otherwise. With that in mind, I have decided to not only write about individual albums that are worth checking out, but also individual tracks that I have either loved for years, or that I just can't get out of my head at the moment. I've decided to post these songs in "single" format, meaning that each post will contain 2 or 3 songs, which I'll then relate to each other in the accompanying paragraph or so. Sometimes these songs will be from the same band (often when just a couple of tracks stand out from the rest), but many times I'll try to give a small indication of a trend by choosing songs from different artists. I plan on writing these "single" posts more often, as they're easier to listen to than an entire album, but I'll still continue with my regular album postings as well. Now on to my first choice....

The Mid-90's Underground Encapsulated....with Guitars

I guess I should start off by saying that the 1990's are my all-time favorite era of music. From the more mainstream bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana, to indie bands such as Pavement and Modest Mouse, not to mention the golden age of hip-hop, the Western world was simply bursting at the seams with exciting sounds. My great love of music comes from experiencing as much of this music as I could while being in my formative years, and as long as I live, I'll never tire of the music I was listening to then.

In the mid-90's, many indie bands began incorporating a more hard-edged guitar sound into their music, all the while retaining a sense of melody that set them apart from a lot of the more mainstream bands. Archers of Loaf, a band from Chapel Hill, NC, used this edge to propel the slacker rock that Pavement had perfected into a new decibel range, mixing their guitars with Eric Bachmann's passionate, scratchy vocals. Meanwhile, DC's Jawbox was mixing a more hardcore sound with even more impassioned vocals, setting the scene for the late 90's emo surge (not to be confused with what was considered emo in the 2000's), that featured bands such as Cursive and The Promise Ring. Both of these songs were part of great albums, but each stands out so far from the rest that they deserve special recognition, as they perfectly encapsulate what was happening in underground music in the mid 90's. Listen and enjoy (hopefully!).

"Web In Front" - Archers of Loaf (from their 1993 album Icky Mettle) 
                                          &
"Savory" - Jawbox (from their 1994 album For Your Own Special Sweetheart)