As you may or may not known (given the relative smallness of this readership, one can never be certain), but a while back, Julius sent out an email to fellow writers of The Solute for their opinion of adding an ‘Other Media’ section. Now, The Solute remains a film-centric site, but Other Media allows the writers a chance to explore other mediums of interest, be it television, music, literature, or technology.
So, a bit of a confession: I’m not a diehard music lover. Don’t get me wrong; there are many bands and albums I love, acknowledge what they brought to the table, and how they compare against other works. However, I’m simply not one of those who obsessively loves and consumes music.
Nevertheless, upon reading Julius’s email, a thought popped into my head: a look back on Garbage, the popular, quintessentially 90s alt-rock/electronic band.
Now, Garbage is my favorite band; their fusion of alt-rock and electronica, coupled with Shirley Manson’s scary-sexy energy and chameleonic vocals, to steal a cliché, speak to me. Oh sure, I know there are bands with greater significance or importance on the music scene. But, you like what you like.
So, the question for this series is what does this band’s albums say, and how does their message hold up nearly 20 years after their debut album? Are they forever a faded memory of the 90s, or do they still pack a punch well two decades later?
One a week, I’ll be reviewing one of their albums, looking at its place in history, how its aged, and giving a special shoutout to one of the B-Sides from one of the albums’ respective singles.
Starting next week, we start at the beginning: the self-titled debut album, Garbage.