Forgotten but Fire: 4 Bands From the 90s Worth Revisiting

Though grunge and Britpop were dominating forces in 1990s rock music, they weren’t the only scenes happening back then. With so many great bands, it’s easy to forget some against the giant historical shadows of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Blur, and Oasis. Even bands that formed in the early 1980s released career-defining albums at the dawn of Lollapalooza: Metallica, R.E.M., and Red Hot Chili Peppers. And all this happened alongside Weezer, Green Day, No Doubt, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Rage Against The Machine, to name a few more. Trust this list as a reminder or perhaps an introduction to four bands from the 90s who are often forgotten but worth remembering.

Videos by American Songwriter

The Dandy Warhols

Not every band from the Pacific Northwest was grunge. When Courtney Taylor-Taylor assembled his group of Portland bohemians, he wasn’t interested in the baggy shorts and angst dominating MTV. Instead, Taylor-Taylor wrote self-aware garage rock and shoegaze songs with the pop melodies of 1960s psychedelia. “Bohemian Like You” became a surprise hit following its placement in a Vodafone commercial. But well before then, The Dandys foreshadowed the garage rock revival of The Strokes and The White Stripes.

Porno For Pyros

With Jane’s Addiction, singer Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins helped usher in the alternative rock era. However, the same chaos and, well, addiction that fueled their band also destroyed it. Farrell and Perkins reassembled as Porno For Pyros with guitarist Peter DiStefano and bassist Martyn LeNoble. Their best-known song is “Pets”. However, you should check out the dazed chorus on “Tahitian Moon” which finds Farrell seeking hope in unsteady waters.

Throwing Muses

Stepsisters Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly formed Throwing Muses in high school. The band gained attention in the late 1980s working at the same Fort Apache Studios as Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., and Radiohead. Radiohead’s “Creep” uses the loud/quiet song format of Pixies. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood has also cited Throwing Muses as an influence. Meanwhile, Donelly left to co-found The Breeders with Pixies’ bassist and vocalist Kim Deal before fronting her own band, Belly. Throwing Muses is one of those underrated and forgotten 90s bands that are really worth revisiting.

Veruca Salt

In 1994, both Weezer and Oasis released culture-shifting debut albums. Though grunge was waning, alternative rock guitar bands were not. Chicago’s Veruca Salt emerged on an indie label called Minty Fresh. And their single “Seether” was everywhere. They eventually signed with Outpost/Geffen and worked with Metallica’s producer Bob Rock on the follow-up, Eight Arms To Hold You. “Seether” wouldn’t be the only hit from Nina Gordon and Louise Post. Veruca Salt’s 1997 single “Volcano Girls” is a polished banger that’s more rock than alt.

Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images