BitterJalapenoJr
Jalapeno
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 Lists
01.22.24 Chilli Man's 90s Travels ♦12.31.23 A mildly spicy 2023 ♦
10.18.23 Hidden/Forgotten Gems vol. 1: Alternati ♦08.21.23 Jalapeno's 5 Purge
02.27.23 Autechre: Expanded Challenge02.02.23 IDM/Electronic discovery
12.16.22 Jalapeno's 2022 Picks11.18.22 Jalapeno's 101 discography challenge ♦

Hidden/Forgotten Gems vol. 1: Alternative Rock

Greetings Sputnik. Below is the first in a series of lists intended to throw some light onto a bunch of great yet sadly under-appreciated albums across a range of genres. Instalment one concerns genres within the wider umbrella of alternative rock. From indie, emo, and grunge to britpop, shoegaze and beyond, here are 20 albums with nowhere near enough recognition or ratings on Sputnik. Get tuned in.
1Treepeople
Guilt Regret Embarrassment

Year: 1989

Although famous for creating indie rock outfit Built to Spill, Doug Martsch’s previous endeavours are unjustly unappreciated. Guilt Regret Embarrassment was a hugely forward-thinking release in 1989. Delving equally into the realms of noise-fuelled indie rock and post-hardcore, it now exists as precursor to the explosion that made alternative rock an unstoppable musical force in the 90s. It has a mere 0.8 ratings for each year of its 34-year existence.

Jalapeno rating: 4.3

Favourite tracks: GRE, Lost, Pity, Trailer Park

For fans of: Fugazi, Dinosaur Jr.
2Mock Orange
Nines & Sixes

Year: 1998

Acting as a bridge between the more abrasive side of Midwest emo and energy of the radio-friendly third wave that would follow, Mock Orange’s debut is bursting at the seams with catchy hooks, razor-sharp riffing, fill-heavy drumming, and emo’s signature nasally vocals, all wrapped up in a suitably unpolished production job. Simultaneously accessible and mathy, this is a half hour of power worthy of far more attention than sub-100 ratings would suggest.

Jalapeno rating: 4.1

Favourite tracks: Window Shopping, Paper

For fans of: Sunny Day Real Estate, Braid and Fall Out Boy (debut album only)
33Ds
Hellzapoppin

Year: 1992

Hailing from New Zealand’s musically fertile city of Dunedin, the strange sounding and strange looking debut from 3Ds is hard to summarise succinctly. Noise pop, indie rock, punk rock and neo-psychedelia all play equal roles as constantly changing rhythms, intriguing guitar interplay and a rather unique new wave vocal style all relentlessly batter, confuse and ultimately delight the ears. Overall, a very rewarding and surreal listen.

Jalapeno rating: 4.2

Favourite tracks: Swallow, Outer Space, Hellzapoppin

For fans of: Pixies, Pavement, Television, Sonic Youth (90s)
4Heavy Vegetable
Frisbie

Year: 1995

Where to start with this beast of… progressive indie? Combining influences from math rock, indie rock, post-grunge, post-hardcore with melodic 60s pop sensibilities, “Frisbie” is headfuck in the best possible way. Throwing formulae out the window, almost everything about the album is irregular, structurally speaking, and I’m all for it. The off-kilter music is juxtaposed by quirky, catchy vocal melodies which give it immediate accessibility although repeated listens will enhance the experience further. A must check.

Jalapeno rating: 4.1

Favourite tracks: N/A – best enjoyed as a single unit.

For fans of: Pixies, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, P.E.E.
5Challenger (USA)
Give People What They Want In Lethal Doses

Year: 2004

The Chicago-based outfit born on the side of Milemarker is primarily considered post-hardcore. While I would not attempt to say that this is inaccurate, its sole album boasts a certain nuance from the majority of mid 00s post hardcore outfits producing material with glossy, heavy metal leanings by incorporating facets of 90s alternative rock and indie which provide a less polished and more organic sound. A solid debut which sadly resulted in nothing further from the band.

Jalapeno rating: 3.7

Favourite tracks: Blackouts, Death Museum, Sweet Vaccine, The Angry Engineer

For fans of: Fugazi, Treepeople
6TAD
God's Balls

Year: 1989

Equalling King Buzzo when it comes to blurring the boundaries of sludge metal and grunge, TAD’s debut is as heavy as I imagine God’s gonads would be if they existed. Brutally noisy at times, this groove-laden powerhouse of filth easily holds its own against the most revered grunge albums and although some of TADs later albums would become defining statements of the Seattle alternative scene at the time, none carried the sheer weight contained within a metaphorical holy ballsack. Essential.

Jalapeno rating: 4.2

Favourite tracks: Sex God Missy, Boiler Room, Pork Chop, Behemoth

For fans of: Melvins, Paw, Mudhoney, The Jesus Lizard, Swans (early)
7The Beautiful South
Blue Is The Colour

Year: 1996

The dissolution of indie/jangle pop outfit The Housemartins resulted in bassist Norman Cook eventually becoming Fatboy Slim while guitarist/singer Paul Heaton continued along a more familiar path with The Beautiful South. The band’s most popular album shows a huge juxtaposition, coupling sweetly upbeat pop-rock tracks with harrowingly miserable lyrics about alcoholism, failed relationships and broken social systems. Sentimental to me as regular in my late aunt’s car CD player during the late 90s, it’s one I return to often.

Jalapeno rating: 3.9

Favourite tracks: Liar’s Bar, Rotterdam (Or Anywhere), The Sound of North America

For fans of: The Housemartins, The Smiths, Crowded House, Del Amitri
8Happy Diving
Electric Soul Unity

Year: 2016

Happy Diving’s sophomore maintains the debut’s massive wall of distortion and soaring, melodic solos in true J. Mascis fashion, however, the simplistic power-pop song structures have been injected with more energy this time around. Electric Soul Unity is an incredibly easy listening experience and shows a modern band with a sound so deeply rooted in the heydays of indie rock and shoegaze that it should appeal to any fan of either.

Jalapeno rating: 3.7

Favourite tracks: Don’t Be Afraid of Love, Electric Soul Unity

For fans of: Dinosaur Jr., Torche and Swervedriver
9Ovlov
TRU

Year: 2018

Like above, the members of Ovlov are clearly also graduates of the school of J. Mascis but here, the production approach has been more fastidious resulting in a similarly massive sound but with the edges softened. The ending track is sublime for those who enjoy the post-reformation Dinosaur Jr. material. Soothing and melancholic, this fusion of indie rock, shoegaze and noise pop will envelop you in a comforting blanket of nostalgia.

Jalapeno rating: 3.8

Favourite tracks: Grab it From the Garden, Baby Alligator, Stick

For fans of: Swervedriver, The Smashing Pumpkins & Dinosaur Jr. (post reunion)
10Chug
Sassafras

Year: 1994

Another inclusion from the legendary city of Dunedin, New Zealand is Chug whose debut “Sassafras” is best described as a mash up of bubble-gum pop and noise rock with a generous helping of krautrock sprinkled on top. Nonsensical lyrics are half sung, half drawled in a hypnotic fashion over drone-like guitars and 70s krautrock drumming all wrapped up in a cloak of neo-psychedelia. It’s all so delightfully whimsical and without purpose…and that’s the best part

Jalapeno rating: 3.7

Favourite tracks: Golden Mile, Mustang, Sometimes, Witches

For fans of: Sonic Youth, The Velvet Underground, Stereolab (early), Can
11P.E.E.
Now, More Charm And More Tender

Year: 1996

With a mathy, post hardcore-influenced take on indie/emo fusion supplemented by hints of twee pop, P.E.E. provides an interesting and addictive 26 minutes of craziness on it’s 1996 debut. Conventional structures are completely abandoned in favour of butchered rhythms and abrupt stop/starting between short songs. The diverse influences play off each other well with the noisier elements not overpowering the bittersweet Midwest sparkle.

Jalapeno rating: 3.8

Favourite tracks: Ihop, Plankton, Treed

For fans of: Pixies, Heavy Vegetable, The Breeers
12Supergrass
I Should Coco

Year: 1995

Hardly a “hidden gem”, Supergrass’ debut has by far the most ratings on this list but 158 does not do this masterpiece justice. With a more direct, balls-to-the-wall approach to Britpop, Supergrass took influence from bands like Buzzcocks and Madness, boosting the movement with a fresh punky edge. From the rapid-fire trio of snotty-nosed punk anthems that kickstart the affair, to the European smash hit “Alright” and the penultimate psychedelic banger “Sofa of my Lethargy”, there is nothing but the best of raw 90s British energy here. Massively unappreciated outside the UK.

Jalapeno rating: 5

Favourite tracks: Sofa of My Lethargy, Caught by the Fuzz, I’d Like to Know, Strange Ones

For fans of: Buzzcocks, Super Furry Animals, Pulp
13Lemon Meringue Die
nobody wouldn't see good things

Year: 2015

This mix of slacker rock, bedroom pop, neo-psychedelia and fifth-wave emo is simultaneously relaxing and unsettling. Half whispered, vocals swirl around above trippy synths, warped guitars and field recording collations. While sounding like a troubled teenager’s introspective soundtrack, it also gives off an inexplicable feeling of something more sinister, perhaps assisted by the knives taped to the skateboard on the album art.

Jalapeno rating: 3.4

Favourite tracks: Shitty Double Kickflips

For fans of: fuck knows… weird, dreamlike stuff that has an unexplained sinister edge?
14Cornershop
When I Was Born For The 7th Time

Year: 1997

On Cornershop’s third album, indie rock is fused with groovy trip hop, psychedelic soundscapes, and world music to create a very enjoyable and chilled out listening experience. It’s testament to the fact the band should be known for more than simply being the originators of a song that Fatboy Slim would subsequently remix and proceed take the world by storm.

Jalapeno rating: 3.6

Favourite tracks: Chocolat, We’re in Your Corner, Sleep on the Left Side

For fans of: fuck knows
15Compulsion
Comforter

Year: 1994

Compulsion was a Dublin-based band whose debut is a meat and potatoes alternative rock album from the ultra-fruitful year of 1994. Raw and grungy, it boasts some similarities with Therapy? – their more famous counterparts from north of the border. While it lacks the poppy hooks that gave Therapy? popularity in the European alternative scene at the time, the album is solid and the post punk inspired vocals and bleak lyrics are uncanny in their resemblance to those of Andy Cairns.

Jalapeno rating: 3.3

Favourite tracks: Yancy Dangerfield’s Delusions, Basketcase, Rapejacket, Bad Cooking

For fans of: Therapy?, Nirvana
16Calm (US)
Calm

Year: 1996

Soft, sorrowful grungegaze a la Billy Corgan dominates this EP with a touch of post-hardcore and a smidgeon of stoner rock thrown in for nuance. Melancholy in motion is the name of the game here and the limited timeframe of twenty minutes is probably for the best - it will send you into a world of fuzzy bliss but there’s not enough variance here to make a full length. Great little EP though.

Jalapeno rating: 3.6

Favourite tracks: N/A – it’s only twenty minutes, just listen to it all.

For fans of: The Smashing Pumpkins, Hum
17Gomez
Bring It On

Year: 1998

Gomez’s debut arrived in a period of transition between the brash confidence of britpop and the reserved melancholy of the post-britpop wave that would cement itself to radio waves over the turn of the millennium. Fitting into neither bracket, the Merseyside outfit’s first offering is nuanced by influences from blues rock and country. By also adding a stoney glaze of psychedelia to the indie rock base, Gomez stood out amongst peers at the time and Bring It On is still deserving of your attention today.

Jalapeno rating: 4

Favourite tracks: Get Miles, Rie’s Wagon, Whippin’ Piccadilly

For fans of: The Bluetones, The Bees, Super Furry Animals
18The Clean
Vehicle

Year: 1990

Flying Nun Records legends The Clean are certified champions of the “Dunedin Sound” movement which many of the biggest names of alternative and indie rock cite as a massive influence. Although responsible for some of the earliest “Dunedin Sound” tracks in the early 80s, the 1990 offering “Vehicle” is a delicious concoction of jangle pop, slacker rock and post-punk. It’s also easy to draw comparisons between the music of The Clean and the England’s Madchester scene and the following britpop movement.

Jalapeno rating: 3.8

Favourite tracks: (Draw(in)g to a (W)hole, Diamond Shines

For fans for: R.E.M., The Stone Roses, Pavement, James
19Washer
Here Comes Washer

Year: 2016

Slacker vocals, sloppy musicianship and lo-fi production are the mainstay on this punk-tinged indie affair and it’s all part of the charm. Occasional hints of post-hardcore and Pinkerton-style emo poke through with no-nonsense Kim Deal basslines providing solid foundations. For 2016, there’s certainly no new ground being broken but you’ll find a respectable release which will surely scratch your itch for lo-fi slacker rock.

Jalapeno rating: 3.5

Favourite tracks: Eyelids, Pet Rock vs. Healing Crystal, Beansy

For fans of: Sebadoh, Pavement, Pixies, Weezer (early), Modest Mouse (early)
20Nymphs
Nymphs

Year: 1991

Whiney female-fronted Nymphs served what could be called proto-grunge on their eponymous and only album to date. Recorded in the twilight zone at the turn of the decade when glam metal was dying and the rebellion of grunge was in its most formative years, the sound of Nymphs has the rebellious, punky vibe of Nirvana while maintaining a sickly-sweet glaze from the hair metal scene. Immensely empowering and influential to bands like Hole, Garbage and many others.

Jalapeno rating: 3.

For fans of: Hole, Garbage, Hammerbox, L7
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