WE'RE GOING AS A BRITISH INVASION BAND.

Artist: The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Album: Strung Out in Heaven
Song: Love
Date: June 23 1998
Status: Acquired

BJM is a band I discovered through the incredible MTV show, 120 Minutes. 120 Minutes played good music, and a variety of music. Two things in short supply during most hours of the day. But you had to be quick. They covered a lot of ground and you may only see a video once or twice.

I was transfixed by the rough simplicity of BJM. The band seemed bent on proving that virtuosity and brillant music are not synonymous. Artistic vision matters more. Plus...Crazy Ass Anton Newcombe story!

SHIT, LOOKS LIKE WE NEED TO THROW TOGETHER A SECOND VIDEO. WHO NEW?

Artist: Radiohead
Album: Pablo Honey
Song: Anyone Can Play Guitar
Date: February 1993
Status: Not Acquired

Every wonder what the second single off Pablo Honey was? It was this! While its a quality song, its very of its time. It doesn't transcend time it was made like latter Radiohead work. Instead its the kind of song that becomes your favorite song that no one else who loves this band would ever pick as there favorite and you can have all to yourself.

YEAH.

Artist: Collective Soul
Album: Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid
Song: Shine
Date: March 19, 1994

Five guys and no piano, must be grunge. Collective Soul is one of those bands that got lumped in with grunge in the mid 90's by the record companies. In the record companies defense, "Shine" does sound awfully three cord crunchy compared to other songs delivered by Collective Soul.

The lighting in the video says "Seattle" but the rusted tin barn and the dead kudzu screams "Atlanta"

HOW WAS IT?

Artist: Better than Ezra
Album: Deluxe
Song: Good
Date: 1995
Status: Acquired

Better than Ezra was one of many bands whose success followed on the heals of the grunge breakout. It was like record companies rediscovered that people like guitars, and that groups of people would get together, and one guy would bring drums, and another a base, and they'd make noise that people liked.  I mean, isn't that what producers are for? Anyway, they scoured the country for these "bands" and Ezra was one of them. Not really an alternative act. More just a band...with instruments, but you know, it was good.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE "MOOKIE BLAYLOCKS"!

Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Ten
Song: Black
Date: August 27, 1991
Status: Acquired

This song is just huge. Like the obelisk in 2010. Live its even better. The end just drives into the crowd and lifts the whole thing into the either.

WRESTLING IS REAL!

Artist: R.E.M.
Album: Automatic for The People
Song: Man on The Moon
Date: November 21, 1992
Status: Acquired

The R.E.M. of my youth wast the major label R.E.M. It was a different machine than the college rock pseudo-rock act of a half generation before me. Some of the fuzzy energy of that earlier incarnation was traded in for assured exploration.

And there is no telling how many kids were introduced to Andy Kaufman because of this song.

BUSSING GAVE US GREATNESS

Artist: Fishbone
Album: Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe
Song: Swim
Date: 1993
Status: Acquired

Fishbone's members were mostly inner city kids who were bussed to suburban schools. You have to think that influenced their sound greatly. An incredible live band who never quite captured their full power on record.