By Antony. So I wrote a rant about the evils of nostalgia and then deleted it. For me, there’s nothing worse than finding myself in a public place and realizing that they’re playing the 90s Nostalgia Channel—or whatever Sirius XM, Beats, or Spotify call their versions. They cater to the walking dead. Those who stopped growing two decades ago. If your music taste has stagnated, I consider that a moral failure.
The rant was meant to contrast with the playlist I put together here, which suggests that I have some ambivalence about nostalgia. This mix is made of recent music that I would have liked in the 90s. I hope these songs transcend their clear debt to music from the 90s—push things a little farther or in an interesting way. I’m confident that a few of them do. Anyway, this playlist is how I like my nostalgia—evoking memories without retreading them.
Download S&N Mix 22: I Will Love The Twenty-First Century
1. Nothing – “Vertigo Flowers”
2. Eagulls – “My Life In Rewind”
3. DIIV – “Under The Sun”
4. Jake Bugg – “Gimme The Love”
5. Frightened Rabbit – “Get Out”
6. Moderat – “Reminder”
7. Pantha du Prince – “The Winter Hymn”
8. Jack Garratt – “Breathe Life”
9. Beacon – “Backbone”
10. Christine And The Queens – “Tilted”
11. Sjowgren – “Seventeen”
12. The Joy Formidable – “The Last Thing On My Mind”
13. The Boxer Rebellion – “Big Ideas”
14. Pete Yorn – “Lost Weekend”
15. Chris The Conquered – “I’m Not That Famous Yet”
Shadows & Noise 
I never liked being moral anyway.
Two credits: The title is lifted from Mark Strand. And second, quite a few of the songs I first heard because of Mark Nagle’s NOW 2016 rolling Spotify playlist.
@Kelly. Well, yes, being moral has never been your problem 🙂
Even in the 90s
Is 90s nostalgia okay so long as you’re also exploring new music? Because I definitely have my days where I need nothing but music recorded between ’90 and ’94.
A lot of this mix is either very early 90s (from the grunge to the pop sounds of those years) or very late 90s (when electronica was the fad), which I find to be interesting from a nostalgia perspective. Totally pumped for new Frightened Rabbit, Joy Formidable, and Nothing. Not so sure I dig the direction Jake Bugg is going in (though in my mind he’s only been good for about 4 or 5 songs to date anyway).
@Spencer. It’s more about how you’re using the nostalgia. Is it a matter of remembering and enjoying a certain album or band? That’s okay with me. Good music stays good music. But if it’s like reading the old love letters from the “one who got away”, then I think it’s a bad indulgence. If it makes you hide from the present, then it’s a bad indulgence. But as the French (or at least my mother) say, “Everything in moderation.” Some days you might just want to stroll down memory lane…and in moderation, that harms no one. It’s the constant loop of the past that weirds me out.
As for the music. Jake Bugg’s song sounds like the Stone Roses to me. So you can add Britpop to list of genres the mix evokes. I’m super-impressed by the two Joy Formidable songs so far. Given that I didn’t care for their last album, this is a happy return of the band for me.
I like the concept, Antony. And I agree regarding being trapped in nostalgia. I love 90s music, but I find 90s radio stations off-putting. This is a playlist I’ve been toying with, but better done than I would have. Antony is a better curator. Music is in an interesting place right now. I’m really impressed by the Joy Formidable and rock music in general seems to be finding interesting things to say lately. This mix puts me in a hopeful mood. Not a bad place to be.
I don’t love Jake Bugg’s catalog wholesale, but I do like him more than maybe Spencer. Saw him perform at a church last week. Just him and a guitar. What a talent. Underrated guitarist and has a powerful voice. Like Antony, “Gimme the Love” reminds me of the Stone Roses and I loved that band, so I’m into it.
Pitchfork gave the new JF album a 6.1 and a bunch of backhanded insults. So we ought to love it.