Reading back contemporary overviews of music from the end of 1993 it's striking how US rock was grouped together as one intransigent whole, which means that Nirvana, in the year of In Utero and the recording of Unplugged In New York, are usually mentioned in the same (usually negative) list and tone as the Spin Doctors and Counting Crows, because they're all American guitar bands coming over here selling their records with their hair and moaning, aren't they? Of course this had long since essayed its own music press backlash, put into true being by April's Select magazine Yanks Go Home! cover, as Stuart Maconie coining the term Lion Pop first in a Cud album review a year earlier - having already put in his notice at the NME, the final straw being Superchunk appearing on the cover - lit the touchpaper for much to follow. We didn't know it yet, but a band signed by Alan McGee that May would come to lead that line. 1993 was a curious year all round, the charts full of second gear reggae revival and one hit wonders - 4 Non Blondes, Snow, Culture Beat - while a lot of big names ended up in litigation of various kinds, whether Michael Jackson and Jordy Chandler, George Michael and Sony or what was now The Artist Formerly Known As Prince and Warner Brothers. Meanwhile all this happened...
The Breeders - Cannonball
PJ Harvey - 50ft Queenie
Unrest - Make Out Club
The Fall - Why Are People Grudgeful
The Boo Radleys - Lazarus
The Afghan Whigs - Debonair
Sugar - Tilted
Elastica - Stutter
Nirvana - Scentless Apprentice
Huggy Bear - Her Jazz
Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
Leftfield feat. John Lydon - Open Up
Sub Sub feat. Melanie Williams - Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)
Saint Etienne - You're In A Bad Way
Stereolab - French Disko
Seefeel - Plainsong
Björk - Human Behaviour
KRS-One - Sound Of Da Police
Wu-Tang Clan - Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'
Pet Shop Boys - Can You Forgive Her?
Frank Black - I Heard Ramona Sing
Squeeze - Some Fantastic Place
The Lemonheads - It's About Time
Madder Rose - Swim
The Auteurs - American Guitars
Eggs - The Government Administrator
Animals That Swim - Roy
James - Laid
Gigolo Aunts - Where I Find My Heaven
Pulp - Lipgloss
Blur - Coping
Suede - Animal Lover
David Bowie - Jump They Say
New Order - Regret
The Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar
Tindersticks - City Sickness
Liz Phair - Stratford-On-Guy
Red House Painters - Katy Song
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You
Previously amongst the 40: 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
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