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.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

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.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit 120months.substack.com

On Part Two of our survey of albums released in October 1990, we listen to music from some of the most popular singer-songwriters of the era: Paul Simon’s Brazilian flavored mid-life crisis exploration on Rhythm of the Saints; Dwight Yoakum’s tenderhearted Bakersfield crooning on If There Was a Way; roots rock supergroup The Traveling Wilbury’s getting …

October 1990 is another month so packed with new music releases that we’re doing not one but TWO podcast episodes to cover it all. On Part One, we talk about Hold Me Up, the third studio album from Goo Goo Dolls that marked the emergence of Johnny Rzeznik as the band’s frontman; No Prayer for the Dying, a solid entry from punk metal gods Iron Maiden; the self-titled debut (and only proper album) from the influential Britpop band The La’s, known for “There She Goes,” a song you literally could not avoid in the 90s and early 2000s; This is Our Music, the final album from American indie dreampop band Galaxie 500; Behaviour, an album in the vein of Depeche Mode’s Violator from British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys; and Too Dark Park, a bracing environmentally-themed hell-vision from crushing industrial psycho legends Skinny Puppy.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit 120months.substack.com

On Part Two of our discussion of music released in September 1990, John and I dive into the ethereal world of dream pop and psychedelic grooves that pulsed underneath this weird moment in pop culture. We listen to the puzzling, haunting work of Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise on the soundtrack to David Lynch’s batshit TV show Twin Peaks; Glider, a t…

September 1990 was so packed with incredible music that we’ve split the month into two episodes. In Part One, we listen to Soul Asylum’s eclectic, promising And the Horse They Rode in On, Bob Dylan’s legendary clunker Under the Red Sky, Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s grunge punk masterpiece Ragged Glory, Indigo Girls’ folky, pristine Nomads Indians Saints, and the self-titled debut from indie rock icons Superchunk.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

Released in August 1994, Jeff Buckley’s Grace is an album like no other. A moderate hit in the ‘90s, Grace has now risen into the pantheon of “greatest albums of all time” lists by countless fans and critics, with his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” frequently cited as one of the finest songs ever recorded (there’s even an entire book about just that song).

What is it about Buckley’s music that strikes such a deep (secret?) chord? This week I talk with Jacob Givens, a writer, musician, and podcaster widely known for his viral videos that capture the visceral feeling of hearing ‘90s music for the first time. We talk about the new documentary, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, and reflect on ‘90s music culture, masculinity in American rock, the weird tragedy of Buckley’s untimely 1997 death, and the evolving appeal of his signature work.

Subscribe to the 120 MONTHS Substack

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re talking about albums released in August 1990, and wow — what a time for new music. Two now-classic collections came out on the same day (8/21/90): Jane’s Addiction’s Ritual De Lo Habitual and Facelift, the debut album from Alice in Chains. On top of that, we listen to NWA’s harrowing if uneven EP 100 Miles and Runnin’, Black Sabbath’s pulverizing, non-Ozzie metal journey Tyr, and the reliably infectious Pixies with Bossanova.

Check out this month’s playlist:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This week Jason P. Woodbury of Aquarium Drunkard’s excellent Transmissions podcast (not to mention his own expansive musical projects) joins us for a discussion of Uncle Tupelo’s 1990 album No Depression, as we consider how the “country punk” genre label doesn’t quite capture the breadth and depth of Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy’s diverse artistic output. From the joys and challenges of songwriting collaboration to the solo projects each of them pursued after Uncle Tupelo’s sad breakup, we reflect on an important piece of ‘90s music history that continues to have influence today.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

The albums released in July 1990, despite their eclecticism, share a common theme: dudes with serious problems. We’ve got Pantera’s dark, bracing groove metal on the now-classic Cowboys from Hell (which, as John points out, is LITERALLY about cowboys from hell); Suicidal Tendencies upping their game on the chaotic, cinematic, and utterly batshit record Lights…Cameras…Revolution!; Iggy Pop’s wonderfully bizarre and often surprising Brick by Brick; the influential Mother Love Bone’s Apple, their only full-length album due to the untimely death of charismatic screamer Andrew Wood; and Steve Earle’s desperate, searching country rock on The Hard Way.

Check out this month’s playlist and let us know your favorites:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe