Our survey of albums released in the summer of 1991 continues into August, with Metallica's epic self-titled collection (more commonly known as "The Black Album"); Pearl Jam's meteoric debut Ten; Blur's uneven debut (later disowned by Damon Albarn), Leisure; and Toad the Wet Sprocket's acoustic hit machine, fear.Check out our August 1991 playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/73dsuQXBtMQyF5mYBEHkEi?si=540473b84f6644f6

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It's the long hot summer of 1991, and we're listening to July's album releases: the intricate punk twang of Meat Puppets on Forbidden Places; the highly influential alt rock weirdness of Mudhoney on Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge; the always compelling Fugazi on the incomparable Steady Diet of Nothing; the swan song of '80s legends Psychedelic Furs on World Outside; and the always welcome nostalgia of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers on Into the Great Wide Open. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65CDLu0fSXw7RN0CAVCDfY?si=710280740bcd4b50

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May 1991 saw some weird, marvelous album releases, and we're reviewing them all here: Bullhead, the 3rd studio album from Seattle alt rock pioneers Melvins; Gish, the majestic and haunting debut studio album from '90s legends Smashing Pumpkins; De La Soul is Dead, a challenging and hilarious collection of hip hop gems from national treasures De La Soul; Sailing the Seas of Cheese, the major label debut of the brilliant, unclassifiable Primus; and Mighty Like a Rose, an uneven but compelling entry from singer-songwriter Elvis Costello.

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April 1991 features a number of searing album releases: Violent Femmes with their 5th studio album Why Do Birds Sing?; the self-titled Andrew Wood tribute from a Seattle supergroup, Temple of the Dog; trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack's stunning debut Blue Lines; Brazilian metal gods Sepultura's now classic collection, Arise; the smart, dynamic alternative rock of Firehose on Flyin' the Flannel; plus a few surprises from Crash Test Dummies, Lenny Kravitz, and more.

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It's time to listen to albums released in March 1991: R.E.M.'s majestic, dynamic mainstream breakthrough Out of Time; Morrissey's 2nd solo album Kill Uncle; the criminally underrated Urge Overkill with The Supersonic Storybook; the always hilarious punk sounds of NOFX on their 3rd album, Ribbed; the Steve Albini-produced noise rock of The Jesus Lizard on Goat; and the impressive songwriting craft of Throwing Muses on The Real Ramona.

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On this episode we listen to albums released in February 1991: Freddie Mercury's swan song on Queen's Innuendo; the grunge sounds of Tad, the unluckiest of the Seattle bands, on 8-Way Santa; J. Mascis going it alone on Dinosaur, Jr.'s majestic Green Mind; the Butthole Surfers being their obnoxious, idiosyncratic selves on Pioughd; and the timeless hard rock of Motörhead on the genuinely awesome 1916.

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1991 is a legendary year in the history of American popular music. As we’ll see, by the time summer hits, legendary albums are dropping literally every week, and a genuine renaissance is in full swing. But this is January 1991, and we’re still in the calm before the storm, though in the albums we profile in this episode, definite trends are rising. We listen to the grungy tones of Screaming Trees on Uncle Anesthesia; the earthy bluegrass of Athens, Georgia band Chickasaw Mudd Puppies on 8-Track Stomp (produced by Michael Stipe); the soon-to-be-irrelevant party rock stylings of David Lee Roth on A Little Ain’t Enough; the G-funk production and new gangster attitude of DJ Quik on the massively influential Quik is the Name; the jazz beats and introspective lyrics of legendary rappers Guru and Premier on Gang Starr’s dazzling Step in the Arena; the iconic sound and mega-hits of Jesus Jones on Doubt; and, of course, a mid-career solo album from Sting, The Soul Cages, which finds the Police frontman ruminating about ships and the sea (and it’s actually pretty good!).

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Over the past 12 podcast episodes, John and I have listened to (and argued over) more than 70 albums released in 1990. Some definite themes have emerged: the transition from ‘80s to ‘90s in both the form and content of popular music; the birth of new aesthetics and sociopolitical concerns in both rock and hip hop; and more than anything, the undeniable sound of underground music moving into the mainstream.

On this episode, we share our respective “top ten” albums of 1990 and talk about the year’s dramatic developments in pop culture.

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Let’s listen to albums released in December 1990: Tristessa, the first EP from The Smashing Pumpkins and a blistering proof of concept; Smooth Noodle Maps, a sad and disappointing collection of songs from Devo, one of the best to ever do it; Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, a promising debut album from rockabilly masters The Reverend Horton Heat; Kill at Will, Ice Cube’s fierce and refined follow-up EP to his now-classic Amerikkka’s Most Wanted; Gala, a collection of gorgeous work from British shoegaze pioneers Lush; and The Simpsons Sing The Blues, a cynical cash-in record that pushes the boundaries of listenability and defiles its brilliant source material.

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This week we’re listening to music released in November 1990: Against the Grain, harmonic, philosophical punk rock from the legendary Bad Religion; Hell’s Ditch, Shane MacGowan’s final album with Celtic punk stalwarts The Pogues; Reverberation, Echo & The Bunnymen’s sad attempt to replace frontman Ian McCulloch; Ferociously Stoned, a surprisingly dynamic debut album from swing and ska band Cherry Poppin’ Daddies; and Naïve, a pulsing blast of electric noise from German industrial band KMFDM.

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