August 6th, 2020 1:21pm

Oops! All Playlists

Here’s a collection of playlists I’ve made recently; they’re sort of like my version of what used to be released as compilations and box sets.

WELCOME TO THE ’90s: THE NEW POP 1989-1992

An exploration of sleek turn-of-the-’90s pop sounds – not quite ’80s in style but also not what would take hold for most of the ’90s either.

WHAT WAS INDIE ROCK? 1991-1995

This one is starting from the conceit that indie rock is a specific genre with a particular aesthetic rooted in the first half of the 1990s.

WHAT WAS ALT-ROCK? 1991-1996

This one, which is a companion to the indie playlist, examines alt-rock – or alternative rock – as a genre with its own set of conventions rather than simply a marketing catch-all term.

WHAT WAS COLLEGE ROCK? 1986-1990

Completing the trilogy started by the previous two playlists, this one explores the foundational “alternative” music of the mid to late ’80s, when it was more likely to be called “college rock” or “postmodern.”

CELEBRATES ITSELF: SHOEGAZE 1988-1995

Exploring the first wave of shoegaze, including some outliers.

THE NEW INDIE 2008-2010

Exploring a sea change in aesthetics that set the foundation for what “indie” would mean in the 2010s.

MIDNIGHT CITIES: INDIETRONICA 2008-2013

The lines between indie and electronic aesthetics begin to blur as a new decade begins.

AFTER PUNK 1980-1983

New factions and genres emerge in the wake of the big punk moment of the late ’70s.

BURNING INSIDE: INDUSTRIAL 1986-1994

An introduction to industrial, curated with Sean T. Collins.

B-BOY DOCUMENTS: RAP 1997-1999

Hip-hop in the boom years following the deaths of Tupac and Biggie.

THE HIGH ’80s: GLOSSY POP 1985-1987

This is an exploration of the the ultra high energy, freakishly clean pop aesthetic of the mid-’80s. You probably already know these songs, but I sequenced them to highlight how unhinged it all is. Imagine living like this!

PRE-MILLENNIUM TENSIONS: POP BEATS 1996-1999

Pop and rock in the time of “electronica.” Back when artists – mostly established acts trying to keep their relevance – put loops and beats on everything.

MODULAR POP: 1995-2004

Mapping out the often kitschy and appropriative post-hip hop aesthetic in indie culture, DJ music, and the Shibuya-kei scene spanning about 10 years.

FUSION AND FUSIONS: 1970-1975

A collection of songs exploring the spaces between funk, jazz, psychedelia, progressive rock, and R&B in the early to mid ’70s.

TRIP HOP MOOD MAP

This playlist collects all the major trip hop classics alongside songs with a similar feel by artists not typically associated with the genre.

NYC: THE ROCK REVIVAL 2000-2004

A broad view of what was happening in the New York City rock scene at the turn of the 21st century.

FUCK THE PAIN AWAY: ELECTROCLASH SOUNDS 1998-2005

Exploring the raunchy, abrasive electroclash era at the turn of the millennium, along with some aesthetically adjacent music.

Unbroken Circles: Folk In Rock 1969-1972

Exploring English folk revival, psychedelic folk, and acoustic rock in the hippie era.

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WHAT WAS BRITPOP? 1993-1997?

Was it a genre, or actually more of a cultural moment? Either way, yer mad fer it, mate!

ALT-CRUNCHY: NEO-HIPPIE, JAM BAND, AND FOLKY VIBES 1992-1998

The crunchy/neo-hippie end of alternative music in the 90s. Imagine vegan cafes and health food stores, hacky sack on the quad…

MUSIC FROM THE YUPPIE’S LAIR: 1986-1992

Sophisticated rock, early VH1 pop, and adult contemporary – the aggressively tasteful and upscale aesthetics of the upwardly mobile.

THE OTHER POP 2002-2007

Mostly European pop from the wilderness years prior to the rise of Lady Gaga/Katy Perry and the emergence of Robyn/Carly Rae Jepsen as mainstream cult figures.