Pop Sensibilities.
30 nuggets from the depths of an "Esoteric Pop-Punk from the 1990s" Chart
I have gone from someone who actively disliked Rate Your Music (mostly because of design/aesthetic/types of people who rode hard for RYM reasons) to someone who absolutely loves it. I guess just needed to realize what I could use it for. I spent years looking for “the Letterboxd for albums” (and ultimately found that with Musicboard) but in the past few years I’ve fallen hard for the charts functionality over on RYM.
If you don’t know, custom charts at RYM let you create a very flexible list of albums. Say, something as simple as “Top Albums of 1981” or as specific as “Esoteric Albums from the 1980s in the New Wave / New Romantic genre, excluding Live albums.” Esoteric meaning anything with high scores based on a lower volume of individual ratings.
All this is to say, I was craving some 90s-era poppy, punky hooky music and growing tired of listening to the same albums over and over, so I have spent a day or two in the depths of an “Esoteric Pop-Punk from the 1990s” list and putting anything that perks my ear up into a playlist.
I tried to keep things in the spirit of the playlist, so I didn’t include a ton of bands that I would consider slightly more known quantities… but that said, there were bands I already knew and considered quite known-ish (The Figgs, Trusty, Sinkhole, Zoinks!, Rhythm Collision) that I included anyway because why not? I wouldn’t call ‘em any of the biggest of the big pop-punk bands of the era so if even one person gets tipped off on how consistently amazing The Figgs are because of this playlist I’d say it’s a success.
Anyway, check it out - here’s the tracklist! Let me know what you think over on Twitter. If this kind of stuff ain’t your bag, that’s OK too. I’ve got a few other Esoteric-based playlists you can check out:
Track list:
Radio Friendly by Cuckooland off Pop Sensibility
Where Is Cancer? by TEENY FRAHOOP off 2nd hospital
Candy by Trusty off The Fourth Wise Man
The Best Years by Smile off Girl Crushes Boy
Donut by Sinkhole off Core Sample
Sporting Life by Actionslacks off Too Bright Just Right Goodnight
Man of Few Words by Kathleen Turner Overdrive off Kathleen Turner Overdrive
Speedwalker by New Sweet Breath off Demolition Theater
Spy Vs Spy by Serpico off Rumble
Sirens by Donuts N' Glory off When Pregnasaurs Ruled the Earth
Dirty Underwear by Zoinks! off Stranger Anxiety
Road To Nowhere by Deviot off Sickhead
The Sound by Whirlpool off Whirlpool
Nashville by Judge Nothing off Riveter
Happy As A F#@*ing Clam by Rhythm Collision off Clobberer!
Mold by The Figgs off Banda Macho
O-Rama by Ashtray Babyhead off O-Rama
Tiny Shoes by Pollen off Peach Tree
Stupid After All by Cletus off Protein Packed
Rent A Cop by Life Savers off Huntington Beach
Nick & Nick by The Grown-Ups off Milk Carton
Bored Again by Skimmer off Compitoenail
Some Chances Are Worth Taking by Element 101 off Future Plans Undecided
Everyday by The Grumpies off Who Ate Stinky?
Misery Town by Cheater off Home is Where the Heart is
Sorsha by d.b.s. off Tales from the Crib
Tilt by Alligator Gun off Shirk (Expanded Edition)
It's Your Right by The Wrench off Worry When We Get There
Cigarette Buzz by Connie Dungs off Eternal Bad Luck Charm
Melkein Rakkauslaulu by Punk Lurex OK off Hatut ja Myssyt
That’s it, that’s all. Be excellent to one other.