LO-BENMIX96.3: Radio from Hell

1998. New Year's Eve. Salt Lake City.

The turn of the calendar was always eventful in Utah: The spontaneous dance parties. The fines for disruption of the peace. The adolescent heartbreak. The Martinelli's.

Yet what I remember most about that night was the radio. Of speakers blasting X96's countdown of the top songs of the year.

1998 was a pivotal year for me. It was the first year I could drive and with spatial and temporal freedom (ie. not having my social schedule dictated by my parents' unreasonable sleep patterns) also came free reign over the radio dial. Between zine culture of the 80s and cybercommunities of the 00s, the radio was the primary vector through which we were exposed to new music [with proper respects paid to The Box].

Listening to the radio was, of course, a haphazard affair; musical Russian Roulette. For every Eve 6 there were a dozen Everclears (yeah. oh yeah. repeat ad nauseum.). But that was a part of the charm about listening to the radio: a larger sense of the local community's musical demography. Of some jerk-off at the local Little Ceasar's requesting Everlast on their lunch break.

In typical bloated "Back in my day..." rhetoric, I believe that 1998 was possibly the most diverse span of radio during our adolescent years. Alternative rock had started to break free of Generation X malasie and grunge's cultural hegemony to find a sense of quirk and levity. Who could have predicted that five years after "Heart Shaped Box", a Canadian band rapping about anime and the X-files would top the Modern Rock Charts? This was that awkward phase when rock groups recruited DJs as permanent members of the band.

And that whole swing revival? Under what ill-fated moon was this even possible, let alone popular?

Yet, beyond these dated relics are some of the finest singles of the decade. Even though the lyrics may have been blurred out (and had no actual relevance to our lives), "Semi-Charmed Life" perfectly captured that post-grunge moment -- it is the soundtrack to students finally being released from high school bondage (although Can't Hardly Wait poorly chose the excruciating "Graduate").

For what it's worth, X96's #1 single of the year was "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys -- which dovetailed perfectly into our own world as Andy Nelson had reappropriated the song for his own devices, transforming the chorus to "Intergalactic-Kill-Cathy-Anderegg" in minor revenge for his poor English grade. No objections from any of us.

Ben and I spent a lazy afternoon sifting through tracks to populate this mixtape, trying to recreate an hour or so slice of X96 broadcasting in 1998. There was a wonderful sepia-toned feeling of nostalgia about the whole enterprise -- Of skipping out on 2nd Black to hit up Costas. Of frisbee and slurpees at Reservoir Park.

Of repetitions of the unrepeatable.

Like a pinch on the neck of Mr. Spock:

1. The Way - Fastball [All The Pain Money Can Buy]
2. The New Pollution - Beck [Odelay]
3. Semi-Charmed Life (Radio Edit) - Third Eye Blind [Semi-Charmed Life Single]
4. My Hero - Foo Fighters [The Colour And The Shape]
5. One Week - Barenaked Ladies [Stunt]
6. Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger [Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?]
7. Zoot Suit Riot - Cherry Poppin' Daddies [Zoot Suit Riot]
8. Circles - Soul Coughing [El Oso]
9. Sex and Candy - Marcy Playground [Marcy Playground]
10. Love Fool - Cardigans [First Band on the Moon]
11. Fly - Sugar Ray [Floored]
12. Inside Out - Eve 6 [Eve 6]
13. Closing Time - Semisonic [Feeling Strangely Fine]
14. Brick (Radio Edit) - Ben Folds Five [Brick Single]
15. Bittersweet Symphony (Radio Edit) - The Verve [Bittersweet Symphony Single]
16. Your Woman - White Town [Women In Technology]
17. What I Got - Sublime [Sublime]
18. The Impression That I Get - Mighty Mighty Bosstones [Impression That I Get]
19. Walking On The Sun - Smashmouth [Fush Yu Mang]
20. Shimmer - Fuel [Sunburn]
21. Intergalactic - Beastie Boys [Hello Nasty]