I feel like I should probably link this article from Carl Wilson on Superchunk's recent reemergence. Like usual, he's right on point describing the band as representing the 'anti-slacker version of 90s indie culture," and even more on point in his claim of Pavement's musical influence being overrated and Superchunk's being underrated. Not that I don't of course love Pavement (Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is an amazing record, and the guitar on "Stereo" still gives me goose bumps when listening to it), but I've always been somewhat uncomfortable with the heaps of praise given them, particularly with regards to Slanted and Enchanted which I've never been able to fully get behind. Much of what they accomplished as a band, and much of what is attributed to them (like the whole slacker thing) had already been done by other artists, by the time they showed up on the scene, and in some cases (like with The Fall's Hex Enduction Hour) with much more interesting results.
All of this is to say, yet again, that Superchunk deserves more props then they have thus far received (they gave us the Arcade Fire, and Neutral Milk Hotel for crying out loud, not to mention three of the 90s strongest releases in No Pokey For Kitty, Foolish and Incidental Music).
In other news, the new Black Mountain kicks ass. Here's the epic "Let Spirits Ride" (big props to J-Rod, who reminded me about this earlier today).
You've definitely convinced me that I should be listening to Superchunk. With which of the three 90s releases above should I begin?
ReplyDeleteIf you'd written this before p4k put out its "best songs of the 90s" list, I would have berated you for the pavement-bashing. No Pocky For Kitty is great. Julia, I'd recommend starting there.
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