120 Months Podcast

We're kicking off 1992 by listening to albums released in January: the lush, confessional genius of Tori Amos on Little Earthquakes; Lou Reed at his most vulnerable and insightful on the classic Magic and Loss; Afghan Whigs upping their game on Congregation; the vibrant dreampop of Lush on Spooky.Check out the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1mMpHXJ8vtpWWOEHBkj49Q?si=72ccd799f3424505#shoegaze #dreampop #toriamos #loureed #afghanwhigs #indierock #90smusic #1990s #1992 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

It's time to look back on an incredible year in music, as we each pick our top ten albums of 1991 -- along with some honorable mentions and our choices for song of the year. #90smusic #nirvana #metallica #redhotchilipeppers #1990s #1991 #tompetty #massiveattack #mybloodyvalentine #smashingpumpkins #alternativerock #mtv #pearljam #gunsnroses This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

It's the last month of an amazing year in music, and we're listening to three albums that hit record stores just before the closing bells of 1991: Green Day's leap forward into pop punk stardom, Kerplunk; Live's mystically-infused debut Mental Jewelry; and the hilarious stoner metal of Monster Magnet on the influential Spine of God. Listen to the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/23g5A89ga1J2jbS1qdkSZZ?si=a3a974b479d84518#greenday #punk #90smusic #90srock #monstermagnet #stonerrock #metal #heavymetal #1991 #podcast #musicpodcast This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

November 1991 features several contenders for album of the year. On this episode we listen to U2's reinvention as an electronically-infused art rock band on Achtung Baby; Ani DiFranco developing her brand of acoustic activist poetry on Not So Soft; Tupac Shakur's bracing, incredible debut 2Pacalypse Now; My Bloody Valentine shattering all expectations of what a guitar can sound like on Loveless; and Teenage Fanclub bringing perfect pop melodies on Bandwagonesque. Check out the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4dYmoE26bXvxH0NmKZqrVJ?si=3d5b50aa65b24bcc#mybloodyvalentine #tupac #hiphop #U2 #bono #theedge #guitars #alternativerock #90s #1991 #90smusic #anidifranco This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

Ride along with us as we listen to albums released in October 1991: Soundgarden's attempt at a "heavy metal White Album," Badmotorfinger; Ice Cube's righteous fury on Death Certificate; Public Enemy continuing their incredible early '90s run on Apocalypse '91: The Enemy Strikes Black; Superchunk finds their sunny indie groove on No Pocky for Kitty; and Neil Young puts of a fierce, classic live album with Crazy Horse, Weld. Check out the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ykcmXBINl18AZlXxNUyn3?si=1ee272989fb04b3a#90srock #90smusic #soundgarden #chriscornell #icecube #publicenemy #superchunk #neilyoung #indierock #rocknroll This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

In the final installment of our trilogy on the insane month of September 1991, we listen to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' towering funk rock masterpiece Blood Sugar Sex Magik; the demented, chemically-influenced slop rock of Ween on The Pod; the lush shoegaze of Slowdive on their beautiful debut, Just For a Day; and the jam-tastic stylings of Blues Traveler on Travelers & Thieves. Check out this episode's playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5OszTYSm0y9iw3VRDhA6IP?si=2fdd5a146dba4306#slowdive #redhotchilipeppers #flea #anthonykiedis #bluestraveler #ween #90smusic #ilovethe90s #alternativerock #90srock #1990s This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode we continue our survey of a historic month in music, September 1991, when "alternative" music hit the mainstream. We're listening to Nirvana's monumental album Nevermind; Uncle Tupelo's Still Feel Gone; Trompe Le Monde from Pixies; and the hip hop masterpiece The Low End Theory from A Tribe Called Quest.Check out this month's playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6AgXYXUe5S3tjwCOalBH1Z?si=a0df4e99add648b8#nirvana #nevermind #1990s #1991 #alternativerock #hiphop #atribecalledquest #90smusic #pixies #uncletupelo #podcast #music This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

We're kicking off one of the most insane months in music history, September 1991, by listening to just 4 of the many classic albums released within the same 30 days: Guns N' Roses with the epic double barrel of Use Your Illusion I and II; Ozzy Osbourne's soaring, surprisingly sentimental No More Tears; Kyuss with an influential stoner rock debut, Wretch; and Hole's Kim Gordon-produced gut-wrenching art rock masterpiece, Pretty on the Inside. Check out the whole playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6JllasateGSCzp7108Eqwn?si=251919eaa4c445c3#hole #gunsnroses #slash #axlrose #kyuss #joshhomme #queensofthestoneage #ozzy #ozzyosbourne #90srock #90s This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode we're listening to albums released in August 1991: the chaotic experimental rock of Mr. Bungle on their self-titled debut; indie rock majesty from Sebadoh on III; jammy pop from Spin Doctors on Pocket Full of Kryptonite; and heavy grunge tones from Skin Yard on the magnificently titled 1000 Smiling Knuckles.Listen to the whole playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3bgB67utd97u2iJdqps7WU?si=a9093916539a4c9b#mrbungle #spindoctors #sebadoh #dinosaurjr #alternativerock #skinyard #mikepatton #mtv #90smusic This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

Our survey of albums released in the summer of 1991 continues into August, with Metallica's epic self-titled collection (more commonly known as "The Black Album"); Pearl Jam's meteoric debut Ten; Blur's uneven debut (later disowned by Damon Albarn), Leisure; and Toad the Wet Sprocket's acoustic hit machine, fear.Check out our August 1991 playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/73dsuQXBtMQyF5mYBEHkEi?si=540473b84f6644f6 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

It's the long hot summer of 1991, and we're listening to July's album releases: the intricate punk twang of Meat Puppets on Forbidden Places; the highly influential alt rock weirdness of Mudhoney on Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge; the always compelling Fugazi on the incomparable Steady Diet of Nothing; the swan song of '80s legends Psychedelic Furs on World Outside; and the always welcome nostalgia of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers on Into the Great Wide Open. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65CDLu0fSXw7RN0CAVCDfY?si=710280740bcd4b50 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

May 1991 saw some weird, marvelous album releases, and we're reviewing them all here: Bullhead, the 3rd studio album from Seattle alt rock pioneers Melvins; Gish, the majestic and haunting debut studio album from '90s legends Smashing Pumpkins; De La Soul is Dead, a challenging and hilarious collection of hip hop gems from national treasures De La Soul; Sailing the Seas of Cheese, the major label debut of the brilliant, unclassifiable Primus; and Mighty Like a Rose, an uneven but compelling entry from singer-songwriter Elvis Costello. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

April 1991 features a number of searing album releases: Violent Femmes with their 5th studio album Why Do Birds Sing?; the self-titled Andrew Wood tribute from a Seattle supergroup, Temple of the Dog; trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack's stunning debut Blue Lines; Brazilian metal gods Sepultura's now classic collection, Arise; the smart, dynamic alternative rock of Firehose on Flyin' the Flannel; plus a few surprises from Crash Test Dummies, Lenny Kravitz, and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

It's time to listen to albums released in March 1991: R.E.M.'s majestic, dynamic mainstream breakthrough Out of Time; Morrissey's 2nd solo album Kill Uncle; the criminally underrated Urge Overkill with The Supersonic Storybook; the always hilarious punk sounds of NOFX on their 3rd album, Ribbed; the Steve Albini-produced noise rock of The Jesus Lizard on Goat; and the impressive songwriting craft of Throwing Muses on The Real Ramona. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode we listen to albums released in February 1991: Freddie Mercury's swan song on Queen's Innuendo; the grunge sounds of Tad, the unluckiest of the Seattle bands, on 8-Way Santa; J. Mascis going it alone on Dinosaur, Jr.'s majestic Green Mind; the Butthole Surfers being their obnoxious, idiosyncratic selves on Pioughd; and the timeless hard rock of Motörhead on the genuinely awesome 1916. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

1991 is a legendary year in the history of American popular music. As we’ll see, by the time summer hits, legendary albums are dropping literally every week, and a genuine renaissance is in full swing. But this is January 1991, and we’re still in the calm before the storm, though in the albums we profile in this episode, definite trends are rising. We listen to the grungy tones of Screaming Trees on Uncle Anesthesia; the earthy bluegrass of Athens, Georgia band Chickasaw Mudd Puppies on 8-Track Stomp (produced by Michael Stipe); the soon-to-be-irrelevant party rock stylings of David Lee Roth on A Little Ain’t Enough; the G-funk production and new gangster attitude of DJ Quik on the massively influential Quik is the Name; the jazz beats and introspective lyrics of legendary rappers Guru and Premier on Gang Starr’s dazzling Step in the Arena; the iconic sound and mega-hits of Jesus Jones on Doubt; and, of course, a mid-career solo album from Sting, The Soul Cages, which finds the Police frontman ruminating about ships and the sea (and it’s actually pretty good!). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

Over the past 12 podcast episodes, John and I have listened to (and argued over) more than 70 albums released in 1990. Some definite themes have emerged: the transition from ‘80s to ‘90s in both the form and content of popular music; the birth of new aesthetics and sociopolitical concerns in both rock and hip hop; and more than anything, the undeniable sound of underground music moving into the mainstream.On this episode, we share our respective “top ten” albums of 1990 and talk about the year’s dramatic developments in pop culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

Let’s listen to albums released in December 1990: Tristessa, the first EP from The Smashing Pumpkins and a blistering proof of concept; Smooth Noodle Maps, a sad and disappointing collection of songs from Devo, one of the best to ever do it; Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, a promising debut album from rockabilly masters The Reverend Horton Heat; Kill at Will, Ice Cube’s fierce and refined follow-up EP to his now-classic Amerikkka’s Most Wanted; Gala, a collection of gorgeous work from British shoegaze pioneers Lush; and The Simpsons Sing The Blues, a cynical cash-in record that pushes the boundaries of listenability and defiles its brilliant source material. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re listening to music released in November 1990: Against the Grain, harmonic, philosophical punk rock from the legendary Bad Religion; Hell’s Ditch, Shane MacGowan’s final album with Celtic punk stalwarts The Pogues; Reverberation, Echo & The Bunnymen’s sad attempt to replace frontman Ian McCulloch; Ferociously Stoned, a surprisingly dynamic debut album from swing and ska band Cherry Poppin’ Daddies; and Naïve, a pulsing blast of electric noise from German industrial band KMFDM. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit 120months.substack.comOn Part Two of our survey of albums released in October 1990, we listen to music from some of the most popular singer-songwriters of the era: Paul Simon’s Brazilian flavored mid-life crisis exploration on Rhythm of the Saints; Dwight Yoakum’s tenderhearted Bakersfield crooning on If There Was a Way; roots rock supergroup The Traveling Wilbury’s getting …

October 1990 is another month so packed with new music releases that we’re doing not one but TWO podcast episodes to cover it all. On Part One, we talk about Hold Me Up, the third studio album from Goo Goo Dolls that marked the emergence of Johnny Rzeznik as the band’s frontman; No Prayer for the Dying, a solid entry from punk metal gods Iron Maiden; the self-titled debut (and only proper album) from the influential Britpop band The La’s, known for “There She Goes,” a song you literally could not avoid in the 90s and early 2000s; This is Our Music, the final album from American indie dreampop band Galaxie 500; Behaviour, an album in the vein of Depeche Mode’s Violator from British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys; and Too Dark Park, a bracing environmentally-themed hell-vision from crushing industrial psycho legends Skinny Puppy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit 120months.substack.comOn Part Two of our discussion of music released in September 1990, John and I dive into the ethereal world of dream pop and psychedelic grooves that pulsed underneath this weird moment in pop culture. We listen to the puzzling, haunting work of Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise on the soundtrack to David Lynch’s batshit TV show Twin Peaks; Glider, a t…

September 1990 was so packed with incredible music that we’ve split the month into two episodes. In Part One, we listen to Soul Asylum’s eclectic, promising And the Horse They Rode in On, Bob Dylan’s legendary clunker Under the Red Sky, Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s grunge punk masterpiece Ragged Glory, Indigo Girls’ folky, pristine Nomads Indians Saints, and the self-titled debut from indie rock icons Superchunk. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

Released in August 1994, Jeff Buckley’s Grace is an album like no other. A moderate hit in the ‘90s, Grace has now risen into the pantheon of “greatest albums of all time” lists by countless fans and critics, with his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” frequently cited as one of the finest songs ever recorded (there’s even an entire book about just that song). What is it about Buckley’s music that strikes such a deep (secret?) chord? This week I talk with Jacob Givens, a writer, musician, and podcaster widely known for his viral videos that capture the visceral feeling of hearing ‘90s music for the first time. We talk about the new documentary, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, and reflect on ‘90s music culture, masculinity in American rock, the weird tragedy of Buckley’s untimely 1997 death, and the evolving appeal of his signature work.Subscribe to the 120 MONTHS Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re talking about albums released in August 1990, and wow — what a time for new music. Two now-classic collections came out on the same day (8/21/90): Jane’s Addiction’s Ritual De Lo Habitual and Facelift, the debut album from Alice in Chains. On top of that, we listen to NWA’s harrowing if uneven EP 100 Miles and Runnin’, Black Sabbath’s pulverizing, non-Ozzie metal journey Tyr, and the reliably infectious Pixies with Bossanova. Check out this month’s playlist: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This week Jason P. Woodbury of Aquarium Drunkard’s excellent Transmissions podcast (not to mention his own expansive musical projects) joins us for a discussion of Uncle Tupelo’s 1990 album No Depression, as we consider how the “country punk” genre label doesn’t quite capture the breadth and depth of Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy’s diverse artistic output. From the joys and challenges of songwriting collaboration to the solo projects each of them pursued after Uncle Tupelo’s sad breakup, we reflect on an important piece of ‘90s music history that continues to have influence today. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

The albums released in July 1990, despite their eclecticism, share a common theme: dudes with serious problems. We’ve got Pantera’s dark, bracing groove metal on the now-classic Cowboys from Hell (which, as John points out, is LITERALLY about cowboys from hell); Suicidal Tendencies upping their game on the chaotic, cinematic, and utterly batshit record Lights…Cameras…Revolution!; Iggy Pop’s wonderfully bizarre and often surprising Brick by Brick; the influential Mother Love Bone’s Apple, their only full-length album due to the untimely death of charismatic screamer Andrew Wood; and Steve Earle’s desperate, searching country rock on The Hard Way. Check out this month’s playlist and let us know your favorites: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

We are officially 6 months into our quest to catalog our opinions on every major album release from the 1990s, one month at a time. This week we’re listening to some killer stuff from June 1990. Sonic Youth’s now-classic album Goo sees Kim Gordon take the reins as the band’s lead vocalist, with Thurston Moore refining his ecstatic electric guitar chaos; Uncle Tupelo’s first studio album No Depression has Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy developing their singular “hillbilly thrash” sound while delivering some of the era’s most compelling songwriting; former Misfits frontman Glenn Danzig channels Jim Morrison on the vampire blues rock album Danzig II: The Lucifuge; and the debut album from the Scottish band Teenage Fanclub, A Catholic Education, lays down some of the main ideas and sounds that would dominate alternative rock in the decade ahead. Check out this episode’s playlist: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re listening to music from May 1990, a moment when, if you had the right ears, you could hear something fracturing in the idealistic image of American life cultivated in the 1980s. Soundgarden’s EP collection Screaming Life/Fopp pushes ‘80s metalhead s**t to its limits as the band teeters on the brink of the sound that will define the decade; Ice Cube’s Amerikkka’s Most Wanted paints a disturbing portrait of the nation’s inner cities overflowing with the violence of poverty and racism; The Breeders’ debut studio album Pod takes alternative rock to a newly haunted place; Mark Lanegan’s debut solo album The Winding Sheet sees the Screaming Trees frontman honing his grunge alienation; and The Pretenders’ Packed! has Chrissie Hynde going it alone with a studio band while maintaining her pristine badasssery. Check out this episode’s playlist: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

When John and I first looked at the list of albums released in April 1990, we both said the same thing: “heavy hitters.” These are some of the biggest musical acts of the ‘90s, all putting out important albums within weeks of each other. Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet would’ve been enough to chew on for the whole month, honestly. But we also get: a very early collection from Green Day (sounding already like Green Day), the post-hardcore classic Repeater from Fugazi, a weird, moving album about Andy Warhol’s life and death from the reunited Lou Reed and John Cale, alt-rock intensity from Afghan Whigs (a band I’ve only recently discovered), and the haunting goth-toned masterpiece The Good Son from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This was the month that cemented, for me, the initial thought that began this podcast: the ‘90s were an incredibly important moment in the history of popular music, with a stunning amount of vital work dropped into the world month after month. Check out our playlist for April 1990 and let us know your favorites: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

The playlist for March 1990 has some familiar favorites alongside, for me at least, a couple of big surprises. Social Distortion’s self-titled album contains some of their biggest hits (including “Ball and Chain” and “Story of My Life”), and thanks to a Social D-obsessed college roommate, this album became a forever soundtrack to my early twenties. Depeche Mode’s sinister, moody masterpiece Violator is another album filled with recognizable tunes (“Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence” among them), and returning to Violator this week reminded me how much Depeche Mode’s sound dominated the ‘80s and early ‘90s.For whatever reason (more about that in the episode), I’ve paid less attention to the albums of Sinéad O'Connor and Cowboy Junkies. I know that O’Connor’s version of Prince’s song “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and particularly the iconic accompanying music video, were impossible to miss in the ‘90s, but the album from which that song derives, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, is worthy of your attention. On this week’s episode, we were both sort of blown away by the album’s sound, production, lyrics, and songwriting craft. Similarly, the Cowboy Junkies’ March 1990 release The Caution Horses contains a ton of great songs and a soft, alt-country vibe that’s just really pleasant and appealing, even when their songs take darker turns. And their cover of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” is an all-timer. Also discussed in this episode: Albums from Prong, Robert Plant, The Highwaymen, and more.Listen to the March 1990 playlist: Check out our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/120_months/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

After listening and re-listening to the playlist for January 1990, I couldn’t stop thinking about The Sundays. Their album Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic stood out, not just as the best album of that month, but for producing an uncanny sense of nostalgia for the lost world of the pre-Internet 1990s.This week’s guest, David Humphries, a professor of English at Queensborough Community College in New York City, knows exactly what I’m talking about. Last year he co-edited an excellent project on ‘90s music, a collection of writing called Happy Nostalgia: Making Connections with the Music of the ‘90s. His own essay, “A Couple Centuries of Sundays,” reflects on the things that make The Sundays’ music so special, and he joins me on the podcast for a conversation about analog culture, lazy days on empty college campuses, the wider world of ‘90s music and, of course, the singular appeal of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.Subscribe to the 120 MONTHS Substack: https://substack.com/@120monthsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/120_months/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

February 1990 was a wild month in music, with new album releases from Oingo Boingo, Everything But the Girl, The Cramps, Primus, The Highwaymen, Midnight Oil, and Guided By Voices.Listen to our February 1990 playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7cJqeGIUsNXmVkWYWlGzee?si=V8rVdTEVRBucjSyfE76aQwSubscribe to the 120 MONTHS Substack: https://substack.com/@120monthsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/120_months/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe

On the very first episode of 120 MONTHS, we’re kicking off a decade of amazing music by surveying the cultural landscape as the 80s ended and a new era began. Musically speaking, the 90s came screaming out of the gates, with albums released in January 1990 that offered a weird prophecy of what was to come, from the lo-fi production of Daniel Johnston’s 1990, to the bodily-obsessed humor of Ween’s GodWeenSatan: The Oneness, to the hyper-literate nerd rock of They Might Be Giants’ Flood, to the poetic acoustic tones of bands like Toad the Wet Sprocket and The Sundays. In the very first month of the 1990s, you could already hear some of the trends that would take over the mainstream in the months and years to come.Listen to the January 1990 playlist: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 120months.substack.com/subscribe