So 90's it hurts....yeah I said it

Posted over 2 years ago

Sometimes there is a band that sticks to you the way peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth. This band for me has been the Lemonheads and they have seemed to have stuck to me like Jiffy. I think it was because it was one of the first bands I "discovered" in my first year of college, and hold each of their albums in a special place near my heart. Most people know them for their remake of Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs.Robinson, but behind that one cover there is quite the history. Just when I thought they had their ball rolling, they quit in 1996. Car Button Cloth reached 130 on the Billboard list, and the Lemonheads went gently into the night. With the exception of Evan Dando's solo release in 2003, not much was heard from any of the members of the band. Then I saw a blurb that the Lemonheads had signed to Vagrant Records, and would be putting out a new album in 2006. Needless to say I was excited, and was there on new release Tuesday at Best Buy to pick it up. While it may not have been one of the best albums of 2006, it definitely was a great Lemonheads album. For those of you who loved Its A Shame About Ray, and Come On Feel the Lemonheads, this is an album you should pick up. The sound rambles between the punk-pop vintage of the band's early-'90s Boston sound and the more polished approach of It's a Shame About Ray, but the songs have a world-weary outlook of one who saw great expectations pass him by. It all perfectly meshes on "Become the Enemy," perhaps the best song Dando has ever written.

Comments (11)

Add To My Trusted Moggers

Augusts1 says Hmmm that title sounds suspiciously familiar, lol! Glad you're taking my lead @ = ) ! I definitely recall TL. I like the songs that I heard but not enough to buy a cd. They were a pretty popular group but there was just too many other bands I was into at the time. I like the song/vid you posted. I read an interview w/Evan prior to his last cd coming out & he talked about all the substance abuse he had done through the '90s. Which was no surprise since he hung out w/Courtney Love, lol!

Permalink posted 03/03/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

Universalis says ° ° Dogs don't breed cats (as we say in french les chiens ne font pas des chats 8))) now 90's don't hurt, there was so many good bands playing that i just can't forget that decade, also because it started all sadly with the death of Serge Gainsbourg (on March 2 1991). Get a big list of artists of the decade at wiki's...

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

chulsmith says yeah, i was kind of impressed by the new album. not that much into dando's solo album, though. but i liked their stuff pre-it's a shame about ray, too. much different, more pop punk than "90's" alternapop. anyway, i agree - good new album. and coop, if i remember correctly (as peanut butter is kind of hated in paris and therefore isn't sold anywhere except the american grocery store), it's either jif, or skippy. i prefer crunchy jif. there's peter pan, too. and the natural stuff which is the best, but the separation of the oil kind of grosses me out...

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

deadmandeadman says Many people who's opinions i trust have tried to sell me on the Lemonheads. I just don't get it, i guess.

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

dermahrk says I've bought the two Dando solo releases, and the last 3 or 4 Lemonheads CDs. Prefer the Lemonheads to the solo stuff. I know the Lemonheads started out way before Car Button Cloth and It's A Shame About Ray in more of a punk vein, but since I like the later stuff so much, I've really hesitated to go any further back, as punk is definitely not my bag. Are you or anyone else familiar with the earlier stuff and, if so, what do you recommend?

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

Anna says Ashley and AJ would back me up...

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

Anna says dermahrk, I know what you might say now, hush :P

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

Me and the Horse I Rode In On says Uhh....................It's A Shame About Ray is on my list. Still one of the finest rock albums ever made. I've had a hard time with the solo stuff. Really liked the Live-album he released some years ago....but the solo album didn't get me. The new album is okay........Guess I'll never quite accept that there's life after It's A Shame About Ray.

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

Lilithk says I'll definitely put it on my list. I love the lemonheads.

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

Rawkkiddoh says August, glad you didnt mind me stealing your line! Universalis, love Serge, cant forget this moment for sure Chul you got me on the jif/jiffy. Guess I have not bought it in a while. Deadman, it seems you either love them, or dont care for them. They happen to be one band that I had not heard of going to college, and kind of dove head first into them.Stuck with me ever since. dermahrk, some of their earlier stuff was hit or miss, but I did always like the album Lick. Anna, always thought Evan was a good looking fellow, even better when we cut all his hair off. Me, yeah I agree about the solo stuff. Although after listening to it for a bit it does tend to grow on you. Lilith, glad you liked it and the new disc is really good.

Permalink posted 03/04/2007
Add To My Trusted Moggers

Me and the Horse I Rode In On says Have you heard the live-album? Great stuff. It's just him on stage but that does not keep him from stepping on his fuzz-box from time to time. He does a great cover of Big Star's Thirteen. I know he's not in his greatest shape on this one but he had been gone for a long time and it was so good to hear from him again. My guess is that the next album will be great. He learned that he could make it back........get the lemonheads back together.....and now it's time to start writing the great songs. Henry

Permalink posted 03/05/2007