Notes From the Underground

(Priority)
by Joshua Brown

A carefully chosen selection of would-be hits from the vast sea of guitar rock bands who reside just below the surface of the American mainstream. Some of these groups you’ll soon be hearing on the radio touted as the “next big thing,” so people who are interested in staying a few car-lengths ahead in the race would be wise to invest in both of the Notes From the Underground comps. The least “underground” band featured here is Everclear. They earned their spot here by gaining a foothold in the public eye without alienating the small but loyal fan base who gave them the boost they needed. My favorite track is “Till the Next Day Comes” by the Rugburns. They use the word “baby” and sound like they’re the first rock ‘n’ roll band to do it. There was a major label bidding war for Built to Spill, featuring Doug Martsch of Seattle’s Treepeople, and the lucky winner was Warner Bros. And who can ever forget NY’s Unsane, gods of painful tension. The other bands involved are Milk Cult (featuring members of Steel Pole Bathtub, Faith No More, Jawbreaker, and Thinking Fellers Union Local 282), Slug, Sixteen Deluxe, Godheadsilo, Morning Glories, Prayerfactory, Thirty Ought Six, Saturnine, E. Coli, Pop Sickle, and Alcohol Funnycar.