Latest news with #90sMusic
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Shirley Manson, the Unexpected Godmother of Rock
An unanswered question in modern music history is: What happened to the culture that created all those amazing female artists in the 1990s? From Liz Phair to Björk to PJ Harvey to Hole to Bikini Kill to Tori Amos and others, women with wildly different sounds, looks and opinions were as critically and commercially powerful as, if not more than, men. Yet by the early 2000s, we were all living in a Disney pop star dominated world, in terms of mainstream commercial music. Shirley Manson, the Scottish musician who has, for 31 years, been the frontwoman of Garbage, one of the most successful rock bands of the era and a major contributor to this woman-powered '90s culture, has a fascinating theory. 'Sept. 11th stopped all alternative female voices in their tracks, because when people get scared, they get conservative and what does a conservative society loathe? A dangerous woman,' she said. 'The fact is, they stopped playing alternative female voices on the radio,' Ms. Manson added, sitting in her favorite cafe in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles this April. 'I remember someone at Interscope Records telling me KROQ [Los Angeles's alternative rock station] will only play one woman, and it's Gwen Stefani, and therefore we're putting all our marketing money into No Doubt. That literally became the dead end for that incredible explosion of female-empowered alternative voices, which were a direct result of that first incredible wave of alternative women: Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, Stevie Nicks. My generation was a response to that. Our careers exploded, so we were like, 'Oh, hey, everything's cool, everything has changed, the ceiling has been broken.' And then we hit 2001 and it fell to the earth.' She shook her head, continuing: 'We've now seen two decades of very carefully managed, young, mostly solo, mostly Disney, mostly theater school kids, and they're great! It brings people a lot of joy. To make somebody dance — what a great gift. I could cry just saying that. But as a result, we've also lost the esoteric and the fragile and the dark and the spooky and the fury and all the things that a patriarchal society considers not fitting for a young woman's mind.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
ABC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Beck guest programs rage (1994)
Oi losers, we've got an absolute winner of a Vault Guest Programmer for you this week. Join us this Friday night as we replay this bonafide classic rage ep programmed by American musician, singer and songwriter Beck David Hansen, known mononymously as Beck. Filmed back in 1994 whilst Beck was on tour in Australia (playing some iconic venues like The Roxy, Prince Bandroom and Old Lion Hotel in Adelaide to name a few), this is a show that is truly reflective of the many sounds that made the 90's so damn good. So if, like Beck, your time is a piece of wax falling on a termite that's choking on the splinters, you won't wanna miss Guest Programmer's show. It all kicks off at 11:47pm this Friday on ABC Entertains (or stream live on ABC iview)!
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Where is Babylon Zoo now? How Spaceman singer, 55, swapped futuristic chart-toppers for the business world with his own film production company
Babylon Zoo dominated the charts with futuristic music and androgynous style back in the 90s - with chart-storming hit Spaceman staying at number one for five weeks. Far from famous for just his music, the band's frontman Jasbinder Singh Mann's looks also won the hearts of fans, with his long hair and silver space age skirts inspiring kooky followers around the world. The band were well know for being huge chart-toppers whose biggest hit held onto the Number One spot in the UK charts in 1996 for five solid weeks. The song was the fastest selling single the UK for over thirty years. Despite decades-old success, Jasbinder, also known as Jas Mann, has now swapped his edgy look for a smart businessman look and thick-rimmed spectacles. The 55-year-old songwriter, musician, singer, record and film producer has changed his life having turned his back on the music industry which made him a household name and now co-founded film production and distribution company Virgin India. The star had a steady rise to the top for the Dudley born musician, now aged 51, whose father is Punjabi Indian and his mother of Sioux descent. His most famous single Spaceman, from his album The Boy With The X-Ray Eyes, was featured on a Levi's advert in 1996, helping it to reach the top of the charts. Jas said at the time: 'I write about what it would feel like to be a person from another planet, rather than romanticizing science fiction.' His references to space and aliens came from feeling out of place, with him saying: 'I sometimes feel like a fly in a bowl of milk.' However, his second album King Kong Groover, released three years later, was not so well received. He said of one of the tracks, All The Money's Gone: 'It's an absolute p***-take. You would have to be a buffoon to throw away the money I earned.' Jas was determined to make it big one way or the other and also achieved success with Indie band The Sandkings. Then he swapped music for film in 2008 to become co-chairman and CEO of the multi-million dollar Indomina Group, an independent film studio. He also produced two instalments of the Cabin Fever franchise.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iconic 90s dance music legend looks unrecognisable as she poses for stunning snaps over 20 years since she found fame
This star found fame in 1998 with the hit single Mysterious Times - which shot to number two in the charts. The dance track was released with German DJ and fellow 90s star Sash! and secured the pop star's icon status. She was known for her classic 90s boob tube tops and low rise jeans - and even wore a striking silver cat suit to the 1999 BRIT Awards. And her music career still appears to be a success, with several appearances at dance music festivals over the years. She looked unrecognisable in an array of recent snaps, displaying her glowing toned legs in one snap and sporting a busty blouse in another. But can YOU guess who this 90s star is? It's none other than Pray and Killin' Time hitmaker Tina Cousins. Tina is still making and performing music years on, having taken to the stage at multiple electronic festivals and gigs in recent years. Most recently, Tina played a set at Barcelona dance music festival Super Éxitos in June of last year. Speaking to live and Loud previously, Tina spoke about her hit Mysterious Times as she said: 'That was the song that broke it. 'Killin' Time was already out and that was the reason why I got to sing and do the check anyway. 'Sash actually heard the song in Sweden and really liked the vocal on it and asked and to try and get hold of me. 'It wasn't like I definitely had it. I went over and sung it, I was on tenterhooks to see if I actually got it. 'It was difficult because the German/English trying to translate bits and pieces was interesting, they changed a couple of bits. 'When I heard it played back, I was so excited I couldn't believe it and it came in at No. 2 in the UK.' Tina was also asked if there was anything about the early days of her career she would change. She said: 'I know everyone says they look back and wouldn't change a thing, you are so in awe of the fact that you have a record deal that some little things you let slide and some people do take advantage. 'Its a dog eat dog business. Having the right people in place. 'Make sure there is someone by your side who looks out for you.'
CBC
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
These high schoolers weren't even born in the 90s, but they're bringing back the hits
The '90s are back at a London high school this week as a group of students is taking the stage to perform grunge, rock and pop hits from the iconic decade. 'Smells Like the 90s' is a musical tribute by the Musical Theatre students at Clarke Road Secondary School. The show features hits from bands like Metallica, Spice Girls, TLC, and, of course, Nirvana. It runs from Thursday to Saturday. "It's funny cause walking around, you see a lot of people in cargo pants," said music teacher Kevin Kennedy. "A lot of the trends of the 90s are coming back — and if you talk to people, they're listening to the '90s still." The show helps to deepen the respect for the '90s among students, he said, and to learn about the decade of music and changes that took place. For some students, it's expanding their playlist, he said. Drums, guitar, saxophones and flutes It's great news for student Brooklyn Taitt, who stayed an extra year at Clarke Road just to perform in the show. "I've been in the music program for five years, and I was really interested in the '90s music. I wanted to play in a rock band, and it was just so interesting having all the wind instruments and everything in these big songs," she told CBC's Afternoon Drive. "It was just interesting bringing songs back and having the nostalgia of everything," she said. "Even though I wasn't there in the '90s, it just feels like so much energy from everybody." Taitt is already a '90s fan and knew "every song in the entire set list," she said, and was excited to see the show come together after students have been working so hard since September. "It's just so nice to see it be a final product with all of our energy and all of our love for each other and just being able to have fun with it." Grade 11 student Koda Greene-Cavanagh, who likes the grunge vibe of the decade, first got introduced to '90s music from her dad, but now listens to it "all the time," she said. She plays flute, which is featured in her favourite song of the night, Guns N' Roses' November Rain. "It's really flute heavy, you can hear me really well. It really pops out," she said. "I'm also excited for the two people to see the set because the set is really cool, and all the lights." Dress, sing and dance like it's the '90s Those who make it out to the show are encouraged to dress like the '90s, said Kennedy, along with singing and dancing to the music. "It's a lot as much fun for the audience as it is for the band, which is the point of the evening," he said. The show was originally supposed to take place in 2020, but was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year, it was time to check the box and do the show, said Kennedy. Some original people from the band are still helping with this show. The group is taking the show on the road to perform at an arts school in Cleveland and take a trip to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.
