by Jack Merridew

Created on: July 21, 2011   Last Updated: April 06, 2012

In the 90's time capsule buried under the dirt of post-Y2K nostalgia, what albums (or Napster downloads) would we find? Possibly "Nevermind" by Nirvana... "Dizzy Up the Girl" by Goo Goo Dolls... "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" by the Smashing Pumpkins? All of these would be given the attention in our time capsule that they've been given in the past decade: an exhausting amount. Let's fill the capsule, which represents our memory, with the unsung heroes. the bands below never made a dent in mainstream consciousness, but would have if the ears had been there to hear.

♦ The Promise Ring- "Nothing Feels Good"

This album by Milwaukee emo group, The Promise Ring, defeats its own title by intentionally making the listener feel good. Combining quirky, stupidly romantic lyrics with sickening pop guitar riffs, this album keeps a strange bounce to it that is uncanny for an emo band. Influencing later smash-success band Jimmy Eat World, the Promise Ring remain the hopeful and traditional hallmark band of emo. Listening to the lead single "Why did ever we meet?" can induce cravings for cotton candy.

♦ Alkaline Trio- "Goddammit"

Did you ever have that friend who describes their breakup to you in such a vivid way that you feel broken up with? That is the feeling that Chicago crew, Alkaline Trio, will leave you with on their little known debut, " Goddammit". Swinging its drunken arms in despair over the lost love of its life, this album is fun and utterly miserable at the same time. The guitar invariably depends on punk recklessness, and scathing speed. The absurd depravity of the situations that Matt Skiba extracts his wailing verses from are both pitiful and funny. An air of self-consciousness surrounds this album, and it never loses the ability to poke fun at itself.

♦ Nirvana- "Incesticide"

The token Nirvana album rears its mainstream head, right? Not exactly. Incesticide is essentially the B-side album of Nevermind, and makes ugly what Nevermind made pretty. After being denied the control of his beloved "Smells like Teen Spirit" video shoot, Kurt Cobain was finally given free reign on the artistic approach of Incesticide. The album cover of the opiate-holding humanoid was his artwork, and ushered in Nirvana with what would become the tragic demise of the band: black tar heroin. Besides notable exceptions, "Molly's Lips" and "Son of a Gun", Incesticide was dark work written by an

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