The Jean Goes to College – Part 1

I went off to college in ‘92 but didn’t really dig it. Freshman year highlights in Virginia included hosting my own college radio show and briefly being part of a band- the Inflatable File Cabinets- but the rest of the experience was quite forgettable. I only lasted one semester before moving back home. I then attended a local university on Long Island for a couple of years before going off to college again and eventually graduating. I guess at the time I felt like I just didn't fit in anywhere and my own rich fantasy life- which included my own independent study of music, books and films- seemed more interesting to me than anything college had to offer.

Pixies

During my early college years, I began drifting away from punk music and more towards heavier indie/alternative and ‘80s alternative music (sometimes called college rock, noise pop, or indie rock). Perhaps my growing preference for these weirder, rougher, and more aggressive sounds reflected not only my desire to rock out but also a deeper urge to explore my own anxieties and insecurities about the present- and the future. (Based on the popularity of American indie rock at the time, I was not the only young person going through an existential rough patch and looking for a release which other types of music just couldn't provide.) The indie rock bands listed below all seem to share two things in common: rocking out and shredding their guitars. Here are some of my favorite indie rock songs. Enjoy!

Superchunk

01. Sugar – “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” (1992)
02. Superchunk – “Slack Motherfucker” (1990)
03. Sebadoh – “The Freed Pig” (1991)
04. Fugazi – “Rend It” (1993)
05. Pixies – “Rock Music” (1990)
06. Dinosaur Jr. – “Freak Scene” (1988)
07. Pixies – “Here Comes Your Man” (1989)
08. Superchunk – “Hyper Enough” (1995)
09. Pixies – “Down to the Well” (1990)
10. Hüsker Dü – “Divide and Conquer” (1985)
11. Pixies – “Wave of Mutilation” (1989)
12. Sonic Youth – “Youth Against Fascism” (1992)
13. Superchunk – “Learned to Surf” (2010)
14. Sebadoh – “Rebound” (1994)
15. Hüsker Dü – “Makes No Sense at All” (1985)
16. Sebadoh – “Not a Friend” (1994)
17. Dinosaur Jr. – “Little Furry Things” (1987)
18. Fugazi – “Public Witness Program” (1993)
19. Pixies – “Havalina” (1990)
20. Superchunk – “Everything at Once” (2010)

The Jean performing in 1992

Listen to the playlist on Spotify... 

Recommended Links:

Pixies – “Head On”

Pixies – “Velouria”