Holy cow this is so good. I love that you are mining this kind of archival content for healthy reflection. I think a lot about Silver Lake going thru its version of this in the aughts but without the same volume of press available in the 90s
That moment coincided with my entry into music law, meeting Jeff Castelaz and others in that world. It’s a moving target, but lately it’s been more Internet spaces than cities and towns.
As someone who grew up in Seattle in the 80s and then moved to Chicago in the 90s, and (along with a former member of Veruca Salt) worked at the Chicago Reader, I feel perhaps uniquely compelled to set the record straight on one point here. A textual analysis of the controversial 1994 column by Bill Wyman reveals that it in no way "touted Chicago as the next Seattle" -- that was the interpretation levied by Albini and the many, MANY people who felt compelled to weigh in over the following yearlong letters-to-the-editor war. Here is the column in question: https://chicagoreader.com/music/not-from-the-underground-1993-in-review-hitsvilles-top-ten/
Tangentially related: we’re driving down to Fort Worth from OKC in a few weeks to see Momma play. I’m curious what the demo of the crowd will be since we’re all in our early-mid 50s and their very Veruca Salt-esque sound makes me feel 25 again (I’m spinning the CD in my car stereo while my wife is listening to ’em on Spotify to do her “homework” for the show. They just played Kimmel, so I’m also wondering what the ceiling is for a band like that these days when the youths don’t seem much interested in that sound (outside of Olivia Rodrigo dipping into it here and there).
My bet - and by that I mean literally - is that these genres have the same opportunities as every genre. It depends how good the record is, how active their touring, and how smart and well-resourced the marketing. Playing Kimmel or even SNL won’t necessarily move the needle unless the performance has a viral life beyond broadcast media. Spotify has redefined “indie” so that it’s becoming a version of mainstream pop. Does this work within that frame? We’ll see. What I know for sure is that they’ll have a career as long as they can stay together and keep working. If they fail at this point it’s because they got in their own way. As far as going legit mainstream, I sincerely hope they do.
I’ll shut up soon but i saw a cut of Butthole Surfers doc at SXSW with no less than Ian McKaye on camera calling out dick moves with T&G and the opinion “an oral contract is not worth the paper it’s written on”
The guy from Touch & Go in the film claims they're not trying to make any money off of artists. Which contradicts their lawsuit trying to force Butthole Surfers to stay on the label.
Thanks, John, I am grateful for your writing and stories. As I lived there, reminds me of Minneapolis at around the same time and back into the 80s. Maybe I’m biased because so many artists and bands were ‘so close’ to making it, whatever that means.
Holy cow this is so good. I love that you are mining this kind of archival content for healthy reflection. I think a lot about Silver Lake going thru its version of this in the aughts but without the same volume of press available in the 90s
That moment coincided with my entry into music law, meeting Jeff Castelaz and others in that world. It’s a moving target, but lately it’s been more Internet spaces than cities and towns.
Totally diffuse now. I feel like In the aughts music supervisors were shaping things.
Keeps us on our toes.
Death by Dashboard 🤣
As someone who grew up in Seattle in the 80s and then moved to Chicago in the 90s, and (along with a former member of Veruca Salt) worked at the Chicago Reader, I feel perhaps uniquely compelled to set the record straight on one point here. A textual analysis of the controversial 1994 column by Bill Wyman reveals that it in no way "touted Chicago as the next Seattle" -- that was the interpretation levied by Albini and the many, MANY people who felt compelled to weigh in over the following yearlong letters-to-the-editor war. Here is the column in question: https://chicagoreader.com/music/not-from-the-underground-1993-in-review-hitsvilles-top-ten/
Here's Albini: https://chicagoreader.com/news/three-pandering-sluts-and-their-music-press-stooge/
And here's Wyman, 22 years later https://music.newcity.com/2016/03/31/liz-phair-steve-albini-me-the-true-story-of-1993-the-greatest-goddamn-year-in-chicago-rock-history/
Thank you!
lol the fact checking instinct dies hard! I love your newsletter fyi.
Thank you! Fact-checking is always welcome.
god i miss him
Word to the anonymous shout-out (I think)!
Confidentiality
Tangentially related: we’re driving down to Fort Worth from OKC in a few weeks to see Momma play. I’m curious what the demo of the crowd will be since we’re all in our early-mid 50s and their very Veruca Salt-esque sound makes me feel 25 again (I’m spinning the CD in my car stereo while my wife is listening to ’em on Spotify to do her “homework” for the show. They just played Kimmel, so I’m also wondering what the ceiling is for a band like that these days when the youths don’t seem much interested in that sound (outside of Olivia Rodrigo dipping into it here and there).
My bet - and by that I mean literally - is that these genres have the same opportunities as every genre. It depends how good the record is, how active their touring, and how smart and well-resourced the marketing. Playing Kimmel or even SNL won’t necessarily move the needle unless the performance has a viral life beyond broadcast media. Spotify has redefined “indie” so that it’s becoming a version of mainstream pop. Does this work within that frame? We’ll see. What I know for sure is that they’ll have a career as long as they can stay together and keep working. If they fail at this point it’s because they got in their own way. As far as going legit mainstream, I sincerely hope they do.
Interesting. I’d always thought Chicago was an entity unto its own and never the next anything. Such a great history there.
Totally agree. But those were different times. Plus there’s a LOT that was going on at that time he didn’t cover. Like all of alt country.
Wondering if you’d do a little retrospective on the Alt Country of that time. I’d love to learn what I missed and discover it now.
Sorta wrote one a couple months ago titled Radicalized By Uncle Tupelo.
I’ll shut up soon but i saw a cut of Butthole Surfers doc at SXSW with no less than Ian McKaye on camera calling out dick moves with T&G and the opinion “an oral contract is not worth the paper it’s written on”
That is from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion on Walthal v Rusk, right?
I believe so, yes
The guy from Touch & Go in the film claims they're not trying to make any money off of artists. Which contradicts their lawsuit trying to force Butthole Surfers to stay on the label.
another banger!
Thanks, means a lot coming from you my friend!
Great piece. Thanks for the perspective.
Thanks, John, I am grateful for your writing and stories. As I lived there, reminds me of Minneapolis at around the same time and back into the 80s. Maybe I’m biased because so many artists and bands were ‘so close’ to making it, whatever that means.