Early 90s Indie Disco Playlist Help?

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Urgent question time - we're doing some DJing tomorrow evening, and the theme, God help us, is an early 90s student disco. What tracks would have been played - we need to know if we've forgotten any. Cheers!

― Tom, Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ach, Tom, I was an early 90's indie DJ and I reckon I have this all under control. My half of the set will be as half arsed and professional as it was back then. Key point though, no revisionism. Nothing that I would not have played at the time, and those Carter USM tracks in full. I never did, and still won't play James.

It was a difficult dangerous world being an indie DJ in the earlu nineties, and truth be told I don't think I have ever really recovered. My record collection certainly hasn't.

― Pete, Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Didn't indie rawk take a vacation in the early nineties since that was when the whole alternative explosion ocurred? Bands like Ride, Stone Roses, Smiths/Morissey, Nivrvana, Chili Peppers were all being played on mainstream radio. You could always go with Superchunk, Pixies, & Fugazi - but for non-pohgoing dancing try Jesus Jones, EMF, Charlatans UK, Happy Mondays, Dee-Lite, Stereo MC's, NIN (Pretty Hate Machine), Breeders.

― john - us|against|them, Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

In the parts of my memory which haven't been obliterated by The Horror, early 90s student discos were all 'Perfume' by the Paris Angels (the 12" version with a different name if the DJ fancied himself as, y'know', a bit dancey like) and 'Welcome To The Terrordome', and 'Velocity Girl' thrown in for good measure at the end of the evening. According to the cassette recordings of the hypno- regression phase of my extensive mid-90s therapy, it really consisted of The Wonderstuff, that awful PWEI list record, 'Debaser' by The Worst Band Ever (it's Official!) and endless, endless bleddy Stone Roses.

May God have mercy on your soul. And, more importantly, my ears.

― Tim, Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As I recall it wasn't "Debaser" that got played but that apalling rip- off of it by Sugar, which IIRC was yet *another* song about bad things happening by rivers. Can't remember the title.

See, Peter, Dee-Lite! I knew we'd forgotten something!

― Tom, Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Box Set Go by the High... oh dear...

And to prove how down with it you were, maybe something like Little Fluffy Clouds by the Orb.

honk honk tweet tweet

― mishmash, Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Grim memories helped by the fact that most indie nights i've been to in the last few years still play a "Madchester" half hour?!?

At the marvellous Washington Heights in Reading we *always* got - Step On by the Mondays, Fools Gold by the Stone Roses (plus the long funky one, last track on the first album?), The Only One I Know, some Wonder Stuff (was it called Golden Green? A cack "hoedown" sort of thing), a few Smiths songs, Sheriff Fatman (at least twice...), ohhh, and that one good Paris Angels song. There must have been much more (Jesus Jones...) but those ones are inked into my brain as sunday nights.

Zoom on a few years and the playlist stays the same except with added Suede. Token techno of the night was probably Charly by the Prodigy too.

Prior to 1990 every alternative night i ever went to seemed to be endless variations of Temple of Love, some Poppies, Love Removal Machine then back to ToL.

Hmmm...good luck Tom! :-)

― Gruf, Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

90/91/92

Try these

Bang Bang Machine - Geek Love Cocteau Twins - Iceblink Luck Curve - Ten little Girls Dinosaur Jr - The Wagon Electronic - Get the message Faith No More - Epic Flowered Up - Weekender Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea Happy Mondays - Step on James - Sit down Janes Addiction - Been Caught Stealing Jesus and Mary Chain - Reverence Lush - Mad love EP Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod My Bloody Valentine - Soon Nine Inch Nails - Head Like a Hole Primal Scream - Come Together Primal Scream - Higher than the sun Ride - Like A Daydream Suede - The drowners Sugar - A Good Idea That Petrol Emotion - Hey Venus The KLF - Last train to transcentral The KLF - What time is love The Pixies - Planet of sound The Sisters Of Mercy - More The Young Gods - Kissing the Sun Therapy? - Teethgrinder

DJ Martian's Page http://djmartian.blogspot.com/ Diverse Music Positive Weblog covering a range of interesting creative artistic music: jungle, industrial, dark metal, gothic, electro-rock, techno, epic rock, post rock, experimental hardcore, ambient, tech house, progressive trance

DJ Martian

― DJ Martian, Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

utah saints? spacemen 3 'big city' new order 'regret' uh stereolab 'super electric' chills 'heavenly pop hit' there's no other way lightning seeds 'pure'

sorry for these.

― , Thursday, 21 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well we seem to have the more British end of the above list sorted (though foolishly I left my copy of Papua New Ginuea at home). It would appear though that merely by owning the 12" version of Perfume by the Paris Angels will make the crowd bow down to me.

Oha nd everyone knows, early nineties indie discos always end with I Am The Resurrection. You can tell the bouncer that its the last song and bask, sniggering to yourself that you have just extended your night by an extra ten minutes. What japes.

― Pete, Friday, 22 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"I Am The Resurrection" last INDEED - but don't forget, "Daydream Believer" MUST be played as the lights go on, it is THE LAW. Oh, and also that Credit To The Nation which samples Nirvana, so everyone has to leap up excitedly, start throwing their hair around, and then pretend they knew all along when they realise what it is...

Funnily enough, i went to a wedding last weekend and had EXACTLY the experience of finding myself back at Leicester Poly in 1991, it was GRATE. Hearing "There Is A Light" played as The First Song, however, made me feel both VERY old and VERY single.

― MJ Hibbett, Friday, 22 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Dancing Queen is another "end of the night" tune so you can groove away in that oh so ironic way.

Forgot another "must play", Loaded by Primal Scream. Surely the tune that launched a thousand (million) students shuffling away to *that* beat.

― Gruf, Friday, 22 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I suspect it's too late, and in any case I missed out on early 90s indie clubs so am only going by which stuff from that era gets played at the indie nights I've been to recently, but one tune that gets requested a lot (along with all the baggy stuff that's already been mentioned) is the Sultans of Ping FC's "Where's Me Jumper?". It bounces, it has awful lyrics, it's like some strange and embarrassing hybrid of Carter USM and "Eat Yerself Fitter" by the Fall, and for some reason I can't help but grin every time I hear it.

Oh, and some Therapy? and Nirvana are always popular (these days, at least) among the people who like to push everyone over on the dancefloor. And I have a soft spot for "Cannonball" by the Breeders. The DJs always congratulate each other if anyone plays any pop rave stuff, but apart from "Out Of Space" and "Ebenezer Goode" it's normally greeted somewhat less enthusiastically by everyone else.

Hope it goes/went well, anyway. And that you're going to tell us what you played...

― Rebecca, Friday, 22 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I just want to register the extent of my envy of those many of you who got to go to early90s indiediscos. Where I was, there was one indie disco at the start of the first academic year, then it was discontinued. The standard disco that pulled in the punters wasn't 'indie' at all. If anything, I think that the idea that student life = indie pop is something of a long-standing myth, perpetuated by such bitter drinkers and sour lemons as Tim Hopkins.

― the pinefox, Saturday, 23 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I was privileged to attend the event and, extraordinarily, the records managed to induce the same heavy hearted, get-me-another-beer misery that listening to all of the same records did eight (or so) years ago. You'd have thought nostalgia might have kicked in by now, but it felt more like neuralgia. And the few bright spots were identical, too. It occurs to me that I like 'Perfume' by the Paris Angels so much becasue it reminds me of my rural home: "ooooh- aaaar ... I'm going stupid once again..."

Ah, Pinefox, there is a Kingmaker-shaped scar on my personality, and you should be darned glad you avoided it. I object to being referred to as sour. But only mildly.

Tim

― Tim, Monday, 25 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The playlist, or what I can remember of it (about half, maybe) is up on NYLPM. Tim will be delighted to know that we were all suffering from apalling hangovers on Saturday for our Kingmaker-toting antics.

― Tom, Monday, 25 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

About that disco set list.

1. The divisions between 'good', 'bad' etc seem sometimes not merely arbitrary but perverse. Why is 'Girls And Boys' good and 'She's So High' bad? I have a curious feeling coming over me, even as we speak, that the latter might actually be my favourite Blur record.

2. I agree with Mr Hopkins about Kingmaker. I think that 'Ten Years Asleep' is particularly execrable. But I would like to put Hopkins on the spot in an aggressive and challenging way, and - once I've picked myself up off the floor and staunched the bleeding from my nose - ask him which he loathes more: Kingmaker or the Divine Comedy? It's quite a tough call, if you ask me.

3. It was good to see 'Twisterella' on the list, but why no 'Like A Daydream'? If I ever get to run a disco, I'm going to play 'Like A Daydream' and no mistake. It's the best pop song of 2000, you know. That's what I heard.

If I couldn't find 'Like A Daydream' on a suitable format, I'd settle for 'Taste'. But playing *neither* 'Like A Daydream' *nor* 'Taste' - well, that's just being silly. It shows an awful lack of, you know, taste.

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 26 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Easy. Divine Comedy. The Divine Comedy were and are utterly vile. Kingmaker are merely horrible.

― Tim, Wednesday, 27 September 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think perhaps too many people are making the mistake of trying to recreate the Early 90s Indie Disco experience rather than just cherry- pick the good bits of it. There is a lot of the music from back then, some of it even played in student discos, which really has stood the test of time. A lot of it hasn't and should be consigned to the dustbin of history. There is no reason why anyone should have to listen to Credit to the Nation again.

Beyond that, I agree with the comments of Mr Pinefox - the whole indie-student link is vastly overstated. Most students I knew in the early 1990s had never even heard of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine let alone more outre tunesmiths such as Ride or Slowdive.

― ian moore, Monday, 2 October 2000 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

Well ya got to have Violent Femmes "Blister in the sun"...still an indie disco fave...and Jackson 5 "I want you back" for the ironic end of night closer

― Michael Bourke, Friday, 8 December 2000 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

Well, who could forget "Move any Mountain"- The Shamen, Blimey I remember giving the big licks at the disco (makes me just cringe now though!!) or "Kennedy" - The wedding Present (Maybe I'm hanging on to the late 80's? and am older than I think!)

― Jamie, Wednesday, 7 February 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

Believe it or not I am a indie DJ in the year 2002!!!!

Tracks we play a lot - Kill all hippies - Primal Scream
Here Comes your man - Pixies
Don`t let me down gentley - Wonder stuff
beautiful ones/metal mickey - suede
Turn - Therapy
Lust for life - Iggy
Fools gold - Stone Roses
Weirdo - Charlatans
Halleugah Club mix - Happy Mondays
Blue Monday - New Order
Theres no other way - Blur
Buck Rogers - Feeder
Loaded - Primal Scream
3 is the magic No - De la Soul
Weekender -Flowered UP
Song to the siren -Chemical Bros
Brimful of Asher - Cornershop
Its your thing - Isley bros

the list goes on.
its good fun even after all these years

― wez, Wednesday, 21 August 2002 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanx god i was too young in the early nineties

― Chupa-Cabras (vicc13), Wednesday, 21 August 2002 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

an indie disco is not complete without lush - ladykillers.

― chickpee, Saturday, 17 April 2004 08:17 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

Hello!.I am a peruvian fan of the indie pop from the last 3 decades,and I am always looking for more and more danceable tracks to add to my playlists (I will have a party within a month).So check out,I am looking forward your comments (and additions):

304. SUEDE - Beautiful ones (3:50)
305. SUEDE - Electricity (4:38)
306. SUEDE - Moving (2:50)
307. SUEDE - She´s in fashion (4:53)
308. SUEDE - The drowners (4:10)
309. SUEDE - Trash (4:06)
310. SUEDE - Wonderful,sometimes (3:44)
311. SUGAR HILL GANG - Rapper's delight (14:37)
312. SUPER FURRY ANIMALS - Hit and run (3:30)
313. SUPERGRASS - Alright (3:01)
314. SUPREME BEINGS OF LEISURE - Strange love addiction (5:04)
315. TALK TALK - It's my life (3:55)
316. TELEPOPMUSIK - Breathe (4:38)
317. THE BELOVED - Sweet harmony (5:04)
318. THE BRAVERY - An honest mistake (3:40)
319. THE BRAVERY - Fearless (3:07)
320. THE BRAVERY - Give in (2:48)
321. THE BRAVERY - Out of line (3:04)
322. THE BRAVERY - Public service announcement (3:34)
323. THE BRAVERY - Unconditional (3:19)
324. THE CHARLATANS UK - One to another (4:28)
325. THE CHARLATANS UK - Opportunity three (7:26)
326. THE CHARLATANS UK - Polar bear (4:57)
327. THE CHARLATANS UK - The only one I know (3:58)
328. THE CHARLATANS UK - Theme from the wish (3:30)
329. THE CHARLATANS UK - Weirdo (3:40)
330. THE CHARLATANS UK - White shirt (3:24)
331. THE CHARLATANS - Sproston green (US version) (4:19)
332. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - 1 Block rockin' beats (5:13)
333. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Come with us (4:58)
334. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - 2 Dig your own hole (5:27)
335. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - It began in Afrika (6:16)
336. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Galaxy bounce (3:27)
337. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - 3 Setting sun (5:28)
338. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - 4 It doesn't matter (6:14)
339. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - 5 Don't stop the rock (4:49)
340. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Believe (7:01)
341. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Denmark (5:07)
342. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Get yourself high (5:49)
343. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Hey boy hey girl (4:50)
344. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Out of control (7:19)
345. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Star guitar (6:27)
346. THE CLASH - London calling (3:19)
347. THE CLASH - Rock the Casbah (3:42)
348. THE CORAL - Goodbye (4:02)
349. THE CRYSTAL METHOD - Keep hope alive (live) (6:29)
350. THE CURE - 2 late (2:41)
351. THE CURE - Another journey by train (3:06)
352. THE CURE - Close to me (mix) (3:40)
353. THE CURE - Doing the unstuck (4:24)
354. THE CURE - Friday I'm in love (3:35)
355. THE CURE - High (3:33)
356. THE CURE - Just like heaven (3:31)
357. THE CURE - Love song (3:30)
358. THE CURE - Pillbox tales (2:56)
359. THE CURE - The exploding boy (2:54)
360. THE FALL - Bill is dead (4:33)
361. THE FARM - All together now (6:21)
362. THE FARM - All together now (remix) (6:22)
363. THE FUTUREHEADS - Robot (2:00)
364. THE KILLERS - Change your mind (3:10)
365. THE KILLERS - Midnight show (4:03)
366. THE KILLERS - Mr. Brightside (3:42)
367. THE KILLERS - Smile like you mean it (3:54)
368. THE KILLERS - Somebody told me (3:33)
369. THE LIGHTNING SEEDS - Life's too short (3:51)
370. THE LIGHTNING SEEDS - Pure (3:46)
371. THE LIGHTNING SEEDS - Sense (4:06)
372. THE MISSION UK - Like a child again (3:38)
373. THE MUSIC - Breakin' (3:58)
374. THE MUSIC - I need love (3:45)
375. THE MUSIC - Take the long road and walk it (4:53)
376. THE MUSIC - Take the long road and walk it (5:45)
377. THE MUSIC - Take the long road and walk it (5:45)
378. THE OCEAN BLUE - Between something and nothing (4:01)
379. THE OCEAN BLUE - Mercury (4:12)
380. THE ORDINARY BOYS - Boys will be boys (2:42)
381. THE PIXIES - Here comes your man (3:21)
382. THE POSTAL SERVICE - Such great heights (4:26)
383. THE RAPTURE - House of jealous lovers (5:04)
384. THE RAPTURE - I need your love (4:39)
385. THE RAPTURE - Sister savior (3:51)
386. THE ROLLING STONES - Don't stop (3:58)
387. THE SILENCERS - Painted moon (full version) (6:37)
388. THE SMITHS - Ask (3:16)
389. THE SMITHS - Bigmouth strikes again (3:13)
390. THE SMITHS - How soon is now (6:44)
391. THE SMITHS - Jeane (3:06)
392. THE SMITHS - Panic (2:20)
393. THE SMITHS - The boy with the thorn in his side (3:16)
394. THE SMITHS - There is a light that never goes out (4:02)
395. THE SMITHS - This charming man (2:42)
396. THE STONE ROSES - Fools gold (9:54)
397. THE STONE ROSES - Fools gold (4:15)
398. THE STONE ROSES - I am the resurrection (8:13)
399. THE STONE ROSES - I wanna be adored (4:53)
400. THE STONE ROSES - Love spreads (5:46)
401. THE STROKES - Hard to explain (3:47)
402. THE STROKES - Last nite (3:15)
403. THE SUGARCUBES - Blue eyed pop (S1000 mix) (6:39)
404. THE SUGARCUBES - Hit (3:56)
405. THE SUGARCUBES - Motorcrash (Justin Robertson mix) (6:48)
406. THE SUGARCUBES - Vitamin (3:41)
407. THE TEARS - Lovers (4:05)
408. THE TEARS - Refugees (2:57)
409. THE VERVE - Bitter sweet symphony (5:58)
410. THE WHITE STRIPES - Blue orchid (2:37)
411. THE WHITE STRIPES - Fell in love with a girl (1:50)
412. THE WILD SWANS - Bible dreams (3:11)
413. TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING - I'll be there (4:02)
414. U2 - Discotheque (5:19)
415. U2 - Even better than the real thing (the Perfecto mix) (6:38)
416. U2 - Hold me,thrill me,kiss me,kill me (4:45)
417. U2 - Mofo (5:49)
418. U2 - The fly (4:29)
419. UNDERWORLD - Born slippy,nuxx (9:44)
420. UNDERWORLD - Cowgirl (8:24)
421. UNDERWORLD - Two months off (9:08)
422. UNDERWORLD - Why why why (8:18)
423. YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Date with the night (2:35)
424. YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Machine (3:14)
425. YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Maps (3:39)
426. YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Tick (1:49)

― Pablo, Thursday, 11 August 2005 04:04 (nineteen years ago)

i hope you randomise them a little at least

getting some go! team is urgent and key

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Thursday, 11 August 2005 04:08 (nineteen years ago)

indie kids lioke to dance to pulp too

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Thursday, 11 August 2005 04:11 (nineteen years ago)

why do i feel incredibly lucky, like we just barely dodged the first 303 of that list?

and SUGAR HILL GANG and ROLLING STONES as indie pop? (something lost in translation perhaps?)

Pablo, just going on the tail end of your list, you may want to try some of the early 90s stuff by World of Twist, Wolfgang Press, Wedding Present (Kennedy / Brassneck ), The Telescopes' "Celeste", Trembling Blue Stars "The Rainbow", something by The Sundays

― rentboy (rentboy), Thursday, 11 August 2005 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

Indie kids don't deserve to dance.

All you need for a party is the Egyptian Lover.

― nicholas de jong (nicholas de jong), Thursday, 11 August 2005 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

*Cough*I'm Free by The Soup Dragons*cough*

― , Friday, 12 August 2005 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

just because everyone was focused on britpop at the nineties indie clubs, doesn't mean there aren't shit loads of early nineties jams that will rock a crowd that otherwise stayed at home during the nineties.

guaranteed to rock a crowd:

bikini kill - rebel girl
sonic youth - bull in the heather
smashing pumpkins - 1979
hole - miss world
violent femmes - american music
weezer - good life
liz phair - fuck and run
neutral milk hotel - holland 1945
bjork - big time sensuality
james - laid
amps - tip city
breeders - cannonball
nine inch nails - head like a hole
rentals - friends of p

and don't forget hip hop.

check out my super dope all nineties indie mix show:
http://www.myspace.com/goldsoundzradio

― James Guzzi (jamiejams), Thursday, 7 September 2006 22:36 (eighteen years ago)

sounds horrible

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Thursday, 7 September 2006 22:41 (eighteen years ago)

― James Guzzi (jamiejams), Thursday, 7 September 2006 22:54 (eighteen years ago)

xpost - OTMFM

don't quite get the "otherwise stayed at home" bit though, I've heard most of that stuff played out over the years when I've found myself at an indie night, usually interspersed with the populist patriot-pop crap that sent me to the bar/despair (for later years see nu-metal, emo, hatpop & haircut indie)

― just say no to individuality (fandango), Thursday, 7 September 2006 23:01 (eighteen years ago)

I WAS HERE

DONT KNOW WHAT FOR

― Confounded (Confounded), Thursday, 7 September 2006 23:04 (eighteen years ago)

danniel wang to thread

― and PappaWheelie, author of Have You Ever Been Poxy Fuled? (PappaWheelie 2), Friday, 8 September 2006 15:40 (eighteen years ago)

At our club you could set your watch for last orders by the appearance of either Killdozer's "American Pie", or Fugazi's "Waiting Room". When the usual DJ was on holiday there 3was total confusion as he played something else and everyone forgot to get a last round in (there was no chance of hearing a bell).

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Friday, 8 September 2006 17:49 (eighteen years ago)

"Touch Me I'm Sick" by Mudhoney always went down well, I recall.

― everything (everything), Friday, 8 September 2006 18:10 (eighteen years ago)

six years pass...

I get to be an indie dj at 2013... yey. Not strictly indie nor 90s but here's what I have of the playlist, anyhoo.

Generationals - Lucky Numbers
China Rats - At least those kids are getting fed
Phantogram - When I'm Small
Raveonettes - Gone Forever
The Sounds - Rock n Roll
Jesus & the Mary Chain - April Skies
Q Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses (krikor edit)
From Bubblegum to Sky - Hello Hello Hi
Santigold - Disparate Youth
Delorean - Deli
Chappo - Come Home
Tom Tom Club - You Sexy Thing (Extended)
Oregon Bike Trails - High School Lover
Cake - Short Skirt Long Jacket
Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone
Oberhofer - Away frm U
Soda Stereo - Zoom
Perro del Mar - Walk on by
Lucious Jackson - Naked Eye
Beck - Cellphone's Dead
AlunaGeorge - Your Drums Your Love (Friendly Fires remix)
Geggy Tah - Whoever You Are
Illya Kuriaki and the Valderamas - Jennifer del Estero
Fun Lovin Criminals - Bump
Andre Kraml - Safari
Ghost Loft - Seconds
Florence + the Machine - YGTL (xx remix)
La Roux - Colourless Color
SBTRKT - Pharoahs
Charli XCX - Nuclear Seasons
Poliça - Wandering Star
M83 - Midnight City
Washed Out - Amor Fati
Apples in Stereo - Avril en Mai

― Moka, Tuesday, 26 February 2013 07:39 (twelve years ago)

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