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10 Awesome Canadian Alt-Rock Songs from the 90s That You’ve Probably Forgotten

Over the weekend, BuzzFeed has this list of 38 alt-rock songs from the 90s that we probably haven’t heard for years. I’m going to counter that with 10 Canadian songs from the same era that have gone AWOL.

 

1. Crash Vegas: “Inside Out” (1990)

Technically, this single came out in the waning months of 1989, but the album from whence it came was released in February 1990. That’s good enough for me.

 

2.  Nine Big Dogs:  “Dougie’s Lament” (1991)

One of the reasons I love going through my vinyl collection with you record by record is that I rediscover releases that haven’t been off the shelf for years. This is a perfect example. Nine Big Dogs were from St. Catharines and were together for about two years. In 1991, they released an album entitled Bite which featured this track called “Dougie’s Lament” written by singer Alex Bako, a former student at the TV Broadcasting program at Mohawk College. Bite did make it to CD, but it along with the vinyl has long been deleted. 

 

3.  Songs of Freedom:  “Call Me” (1992)

A single from their second album.  There was one more record after that, but it didn’t equal what the band did with their first two records.

 

4. I Mother Earth: “Not Quite Sonic” (1993)

I think I’ve had this song on every retro playlist I’ve made for every iPod/iPhone I’ve ever owned.

 

5.  Pure:  “Denial” (1994)

After being discovered at the Music West conference in Vancouver, they had a run of good luck that continued for the bulk of the decade.  This is from their 1994 release, Generation 6-Pack.

 

6.  Delerium: “Flowers Become Screens” (1994)

A gorgeous, floaty song from a side project of Front Line Assembly and an album entitled Semantic Spaces. The single is Kristy Thirsk from The Rose Chronicles.

 

7.  Slowburn:  “Whatever” (1996)

They got off to such a fast start with their self-titled debut album, but broke up before they could do anything else.

 

8.  Sandbox:  “Curious” (1997)

The band that featured the guy who we’d later know as Bubbles on The Trailer Park Boys.  Seriously. You can look it up.

 

9. Pluto:  “The Goodbye Girls” (1998)

Yet another band from Vancouver.  They survived through three albums, including Shake Hands with the Future, from which this single came.

 

10. Thrush Hermit: “The Day We Hit the Coast” (1999)

AKA the band that once featured Joel Plaskett.

 

Any other lost gems you’d like to add?

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37974 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

41 thoughts on “10 Awesome Canadian Alt-Rock Songs from the 90s That You’ve Probably Forgotten

  • Great list!

    Let’s not forget:

    – Doughboys – Fix Me
    – Lowest of the Low – Salesmen, Cheats & Liars
    – Rusty – Wake Me

    Reply
    • Aww Lowest of the Low-Shakespeare my Butt….still one of my favorite albums to listen to from start to finish. I had a shirt. ..”Lowest of the Low….High in the low 90’s”

      Reply
  • I still listen to Zuckerbaby’s ‘Andromeda’ on a regular basis

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  • Hayden – Trees Lounge is always a song I forget about then stumble across and love. Then I have to watch the movie.

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  • The Day We Hit The Coast is a great song. Give me one reason it’s on this list.

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  • Glad to see Curious on there.

    Rest in peace Todd Simko of Pure.

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  • Don’t forget Joydrops “Metasexual”. Tara Slone was a really underrated singer.

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  • So glad to see sandbox in that list, and zuckerbaby and rusty in the comments section. Andromeda might have one of my favourite guitar solos ever, such a good vibe to it.

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  • Vicious by Limblifter

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  • Downtime from Gandarvas is pretty awesome too

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  • King Cobb Steelie – Rational

    The Grapes of Wrath – You May be Right

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  • Love this list! But my all-time fave has got to be First Day of Spring by The Gandharvas.

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    • Rhymes with f@#k all….lol that’s the shirt I had when they played a second stage at one of the first edgefests!

      Reply
  • How about Matthew Sweet, Sick of Myself?

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    • Not Canadian, sorry for the mix-up 🙁

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      • Weird, I was vaguely under the impression he was Canadian, too.

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  • I’ll redeem myself by saying the Odds had a number of great forgotten 90’s alt tunes.

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  • Gandharvas – first day of spring.

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  • I’d like to say my picks but after seeing this list I’m not so sure they’re as obscure as they need to be. I’m thinking treblecharger’s red or Matthew good bands symbolistic white walls or stereo by the watchmen. Even leader of men by nickleback was well worth putting on this list before they broke over.

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  • Furnaceface If You Love Her Would You Buy Her A Gun

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  • Starkicker – Neil Armstrong and Get Up. Lost gem of a record.

    Also shameless plug for this compilation of Classic Canadian songs of the 80s and 90s covered by contemporary artists (Alan featured it a few weeks back in a post):
    http://qbim.ca/dmntd

    We’re going to be making another one and are looking for new song suggestions.

    Reply
  • Holly McNarland had some great songs. The Watchmen were great. (Middle East from In the Trees was always my favourite from them.) King Cobb Steelie were great. I liked Dragonfly and Heroic Doses by Glueleg. One Life to Live by Raggadeth was so far ahead of its time. The Gandharvas were another of my favourite bands. Misogyny by Rusty was great.

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  • Bootsauce – Masterstroke

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  • The Inbreds Kombinator… The original 2 piece band. Just drums and bass.

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  • Untitled – Age of Electric
    Smoke and Ashes – 13 Ashes
    Paranoia – Barstool Prophets
    Chupacabras – Chixdiggit
    Killjoys
    Damn The Diva

    Reply
    • Of course that was meant to read “13 Engines”

      Reply
  • How about ‘Smile’ by Change of heart.

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  • The Super Friendz and “10 Lbs” is a slice of fried gold. Just sayin’.

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  • Great post, totally forgot the Crash Vegas tune. How about Sloan “lines you amend”,

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  • Swamp Baby: “Cyborgs”. No one captured downtown Toronto like a black and white photograph better.

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