Music Monday – “Music to Clean to” 90's mix!

As much as it pains me to reveal my age, I will admit that I am a 90's child. As in, I graduated in the 1990's (the LATE 1990's, thankyouverymuch) and spent half of my childhood growing up IN the 90's.

Even more painful is that the 90's are officially "retro" enough to start sneaking its way back into pop culture. See: Revamps of awesome 90's dramas "90210" and "Melrose Place" (the revamps are not awesome), 90's fashion being revisited in small ways (thank god), and my city establishing an all 90's channel - in which they play up the nostalgia aspect.

So for this Music Monday, we're doing the Running Man as we work! (Oh, you KNOW I was the master of that dance. For REAL, yo.) It's a 90's flashback for this week, including the 90's party I threw for a bunch of my girlfriends this year, with my tips on how I put it together!

Now, when it comes to 90's music, for me it falls into 2 categories: Alternative and Hip-Hop. This one falls more into the Alternative realm, but it's not really the "grunge" form of it. Don't get me wrong, I like Nirvana as much as any other 90's child (and I desperately tried to work a Nirvana song in but it just didn't go with the general feel of this particular playlist - someday!), but I focused on more of the happy, Pop-ish alternative music that came out in the 90's (and some of it is outright Pop - even I can't resist a little "I'm Too Sexy"). As a bonus bit of nostalgia, I'm telling the story of how I discovered certain songs, too! Some I didn't discover until this century!

1. "Your New Cuckoo", The Caridgans My friend from my last high school (I transferred in 11th grade), Joey, introduced me to The Caridgans, for which I'm eternally grateful - for his taste in music and his friendship, we're still good buddies! 
2. "Underground," Ben Folds Five While I didn't discover this SONG until college, I discovered Ben Folds Five when I was visiting my uncle and his then-girlfriend (now-wife) in IL. She gave me a bunch of cool cd's to check out and tape back at my Dad's place (who I was staying with for a few weeks in IL - the uncle visit was a side-trip), and Ben Folds Five's "Whatever and Ever Amen" was amongst them. They're still one of my favorite bands ever, even though they're now defunct. 
3. "Last Goodbye", Jeff Buckley He sounds like an angel. Sadly, I didn't give him a listen until the mid-2000's. I love his plaintive wail to "kiss me" in this song. 
4. "Here's Where the Story Ends", The Sundays
5. "Missing", Everything But the Girl This song is part of their album "Amplified Heart", which is one of my favorite albums ever. So loved, in fact, I haven't listened to any of their other songs from other albums so as to not ruin my affection for this album. Also: this song has a cowbell! AWESOME. 
6. "Supernova", Liz Phair
7. "The Noise of Carpet", Stereolab Another friend from high school, Andrew, introduced me to this group and the album this came from. He's another one of my still-good friends who also gives me musical guidance; we bonded over our mutual adoration of Radiohead (my all-time favorite band)
8. "Devil's Haircut", Beck
9. "Buddy Holly", Weezer I know it's cliche, but I love this song - and yes, the video is what led me to loving it. Ho yeah. 
10. "Criminal", Fiona Apple Another cd discovered via my now-aunt, and she's still one of my favorite artists ever. Not as high as Radiohead, but still up there. She's awesome. 
11. "Brimful of Asha", Cornershop
12. "Your Woman", White Town  I LOVED THIS SONG. For some reason, the local alternative station rarely ever played it, and never when I was close to my radio/tape player. Remember when you had to make your own mix tape? REMEMBER TAPES? GAWD, I'm old.
13. "I'm Too Sexy", Right Said Fred I don't care, it's awesome, shut up. 
14. "Just a Girl", No Doubt Oh man. I wanted to be Gwen Stefani SO BAD when this song came out. Those bindis, rhinestoned bra straps, and red lips? BITCHIN'. Plus it was used in some of my favorite movies as a teenager - "Clueless" and "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion". "I'M THE MARY!"
15. "Cosmic Girl", Jamiroquai It's pretty played out at this point, but it's still a good song. I actually liked this single better than "Virtual Insanity".
16. "April Fools", Rufus Wainwright This was a random late-night discovery on MTV one night... and it took me years to find it (thank you, internet!). Love this song.