March Madness Haiku

Filling out brackets
A national holiday
Oh, you mean it's not?

Sounds Like Chicken

I was just sitting here having a perfectly pleasant morning watching Duke lose to NC State (right up until Duke won by one - ugh, H8 Duke), and for some reason started thinking about pop music from my college and early post-college days.

I brainstormed a list of late 80s/early to mid-90s bands that I listened to a lot: Toad the Wet Sprocket, Gin Blossoms, Matchbox 20, Goo Goo Dolls, Counting Crows, Hootie and the Blowfish, Better than Ezra, Spin Doctors, Crash Test Dummies.

So now it occurs to me, these are basically all the exact same band. I sort of have to remove Toad, because they are one of my favorite bands ever and it doesn't seem right to disparage them by lumping them in the with others... and Matchbox has had some staying power... but the others. Eeesh.

Don't get me wrong, I still like hearing some of the classic hits from these bands because like music always does, they take me back to specific memories that are primarily of the good variety. But we really aren't talking classics here. Sure, there are some arguments to be had: which is the better song - Hey Jealousy or Mr. Jones? Push or Name? Only Wanna Be with You or Two Princes?

Um, you could similarly argue which of the previous comparisons is the worst song. Or band. Seriously, in retrospect, did Crash Test Dummies have any redeeming artistic value?

Which brings me back to my original point -- most of these bands are essentially the same band. Thank goodness my music collection at the time also included Nirvana, Live, Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, REM, Pearl Jam, U2, the Indigo Girls, and Madonna. C'mon, you can't argue with Madonna.

So go search your itunes or do some web surfing and weigh in, what are your nominations for best and worst 90s bands?