History 1996: The Way it Actually Was vs the Way You Want To Remember it
posted by on January 17 at 10:34 AM
Megan’s post about 1996 got me thinking about the gap between how things actually were and the way we like to remember them. In 1996, I was 16, living in the suburbs, and going to shows at the Old Firehouse but usually paying less attention to the bands than to the social life. My favorite bands then were probably Jawbreaker, Rancid, Green Day, the Chemical Brothers, and Red Rocket (ask Dave at Red Light about that one). But when I look back on 1996, I imagine my own musical tastes rather differently. Jawbreaker’s still on the list, but Daft Punk and Aphex Twin replace the Chemical Brothers, Modest Mouse replaces Rancid, Sonic Youth and Bikini Kill make the list instead of Green Day (okay, maybe Green Day stays too), and so on… That’s how 1996 sounds when I think about it now, but it probably didn’t really sound that way at the time. It probably sounded a lot more like this. I guess all this is to say, thank god we don’t stay 16 forever, and: How fucking dated is that Jawbreaker video?
I saw my friend the other day and I don't know
Exactly just what he became
It goes to show
It wasn't long ago
I was just like you
Dude, how could you leave NIN off of your list? I think every time I ever saw you back then [er, "around" then] at the Firehouse you were sporting a NIN t-shirt. Maybe not.
NIN were definitely one of my favorite t-shirts, but I think they ranked somewhere below Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana on the master list.
listening to aphex twin was quite uncool in 1996, trust me.
also, true or false: previous to 1998, 96% of americans found out about aphex twin from either mtv's amp or nine inch nails' 'further down the spiral' ep?
oh my god. the red rocket 'jane wiedlin' 7" was the catchiest shit in '96. although it wasn't quite as life changing as when the excursion compilation dropped. state route 522? botch? slowsidedown? joughdawnbaker? nineironspitfire? OH HELL YES. 1996 was a damn fine year in local all ages music.
MTV's Amp compilation is entirely responsible for me first hearing "Girl/Boy Song." Ah, pre-blogosphere suburbia...
Second that @5.
Wow. That's exactly how I got into aphex twin. I got that orange Amp comp and immediately went out and bought the Richard D. James album. Weird.
amp is what did it for me. i stayed up late just in hopes of catching it, since i'd never heard anything like that stuff before.
amp was pretty awesome.
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