Meet the 1990s - Stepping out from Franz Ferdinand's shadow
These altruistic "little brothers" of Franz Ferdinand are making great music, just having trouble getting dates. Talented Rock - sans a single pretty boy.
The 1990s had their work cut out for them.
They ain't pretty...
Ok - let me clarify, rather than to sell out shows with their smashing good looks - they let their music do the talking.
In a recent article in Britain's UNCUT Magazine (the best rock rag in the world - period), the Scottish trio get a write up and a tearing down, of sorts.
"The 1990s. Two parts ex-Yummy Fur - Jamie McMorrow (bass, crazy teeth) and Jackie McMorrow (vocals/guitar, crazier teeth) - to one part Ex-V Twin Michael McGaughrin (drums, Monkees haircut.)"
Meet The 1990s - and before you get any ideas about you having the one-up on these newcommers, realize this: their instruments have more miles on them than your used car.
"They play rock and roll like a blonde gets out of a car!”
Over the last six months the group witnessed their former mates (Franz Ferdinand = Ex-Yummy Furs) take off both musically and in terms of world exposure. Now, it's their turn.
HISTORY OF THE YUMMY FURS
What is the Glasgow Sound?
The Yummy Furs were a Glaswegian quartet formed in 1992, born from the determination of John "Jack" McKeown (The 1990s).
To hear some truly amazing Yummy Furs music from the BBC in 1995 - the John Peel Sessions:
For the best examples 0f the "Glaswegian Sound" of those days - Listen to:
"CAR PARK" & "INDEPENDENT POP SONG".
Yummy Furs tracks from the BBC archives
They recorded more than 60 tracks in just their first five years together. By 1999 the band would have recorded several times, released five albums and played for thousands.
The group had a dedicated following, but one this fan base never seemed to grow.
Extremely popular in the Glasgow clubs and in some of the trendier spots elsewhere in Europe, the sound never caught on elsewhere.
The musicians (at last count there were ten to eleven incarnations of the band lineup- each including McKeown though) decided to call it quits some six years ago.
Alex Kapranos and John Thomson went on to form Franz Ferdinand.
LIVE FROM GLASGOW -
An old YUMMY FURS VIDEO - Very low tech, but still rare and cool.
Want more pertinent music history? Of course you do!
Learn quite a bit about The Yummy Furs (1992-1999) here:
GUITAR TABS for POLICE MAN from The Yummy Furs
"The guitar sound is easy to get. I use a fender amp and a fendermustang guitar.
To get a similar over drive I use a VOX pedal." Tabs transcribed by Nick Thurgoode.
One last look back at the 1990s (thanks to Wikipedia)
During the decade -
- Rock and roll becomes an alternative taste, although it still outsells hip hop at the beginning of the decade.
- Popular styles include grunge (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden),
- jam bands (Dave Matthews Band, Phish), and
- Singer-songwriters include Alanis Morissette, Beck, and Jeff Buckley.
- Rap and Hip hop music gains widespread mainstream acceptance throughout the decade, starting with influential albums by NWA and Public Enemy around 1989-91, leading to the commercial success of MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, the alternative hip-hop pioneers De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and the mid-90s explosion of gangsta rap from Dr. Dre, and the iconic figures of Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG, whose success paves the way for Puff Daddy and crossover star Eminem in the late 1990s, finally putting rap on top of the pop world.
- Smoothly produced Teen pop held over from the late 1980s popular into 1991, returns with the Spice Girls and Take That in Britain and the Backstreet Boys in America beginning in 1997, ultimately leading to stars like Britney Spears, N Sync and Christina Aguilera, while Madonna continues to have success with her influential Dance Pop.
- R&B Music such as Quiet Storm is popular with artists such as such Babyface, Brian McKnight, Monica, Brandy, and Faith Evans. R&B girl groups such as TLC, SWV, and En Vogue are hugely popular as well. Also, artists like Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill, and Mary J. Blige combine hip hop with R&B in the 1990s. Artists like Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey appeal to the Top 40 crowd with their ballad driven songs in the early to mid 90s. R&B Boy Bands are big throughout the 90s such as Jodeci, Dru Hill, Blackstreet, 112 and especially Boyz II Men who appealed to the Top 40 crowd are popular as well.
- Latin music becomes popular outside a Spanish-speaking audience with crossover hits by Ricky Martin and others.
- Music festivals such as Lollapalooza or Woodstock became popular; a fusing of genres from alternative rock, rap, punk rock and garage bands.
- Popular hard rock bands maintain a strong presence into the 1990s. Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, and Van Halen were all still quite popular through the mid 1990s. Aerosmith and Bon Jovi's popularity and success spanned the entire decade and both were extremely popular at the turn of the new millennium.
- Music resumes its political content after the hiatus of the 1980s. Starting in 1996, the Tibetan Freedom Concert draws up to 120,000 people per year to a rock festival for the benefit of the cause of the International Tibet Independence Movement.
- Also, socially aware metal bands such as Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down form.
- Club/Dance music is very popular from 1990 to 1996 or 1997 with acts like C&C Music Factory, Technotronic, Real McCoy, Corona, Crystal Waters, La Bouche, & RuPaul.
- Trance, techno and electronica music becomes widely popular at rave parties in Europe/USA and in pop culture, particularly later in the decade. The drug Ecstasy, (aka MDMA or 'X') is popularized by rave culture.
1980s backlash, beginning in about 1992 and lasting into the 2000s. - During most of the 1990s anything "Eighties" was considered to be ultimately uncool. As a result, people start wearing straighter hair, darker clothes and acoustic music becomes popular in opposition to the bright synthpop of the '80s.
- Music becomes more profane, by end of decade a Parental Advisory sticker becomes acceptable rather than controversial.
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