Pearl Jam - mankind, 1996

"The inspiration behind “Mankind” is often interpreted as Gossard’s commentary on authenticity in the mid-90s rock scene. Several sources describe the song as a “scathing put-down of imposter bands” that were flooding the music scene in the wake of Pearl Jam’s success (PEARL JAM - NO CODE (1996) - The Year Grunge Broke). By 1996, the grunge explosion had given rise to many imitators, and Gossard’s lyrics and attitude in “Mankind” reflect a frustration with trend-chasing and musical facades. One music review called the track a “riff-driven put-down of second-wave ‘grunge’ bands” (The Genius Of… No Code by Pearl Jam - Guitar.com). In tone, however, Gossard approached the subject with humor and irony rather than anger. He delivers the song in a tongue-in-cheek manner, once referring to his own rough lead vocals as a bit of fun within the album (No Code – More Than Ten). The band was aware that fans and radio listeners would be surprised to hear Stone on lead – indeed, its debut “took fans and radio stations by complete surprise in 1996” (No Code – More Than Ten). This willingness to subvert expectations was very much in line with Pearl Jam’s mindset during No Code, an album defined by experimentation and defying mainstream conventions."

Pet Shop Boys - in the night nineteen ninety-five, 1996

"les Zazous, long-haired proto-beatnik dissidents who conscientiously chose not to take sides with either the Nazis or the Resistance, but instead "opted out." As a result, they were distrusted and hated by both sides. The Nazis disdained them as depraved and decadent, while the French Resistance regarded them as collaborators. Obviously Neil was intrigued by the dramatic possibilities of being in such an ambiguous and precarious position. Stylistically the song betrays the influence of American producer "Bobby O" Orlando, with whom Neil and Chris were working at the time. (In particular, note the strong musical similarity to the cult classic "Passion" by the Flirts, written and produced by Bobby O.) A British TV program devoted to fashion, The Clothes Show, used part of "In the Night" as its theme song, which prompted the Boys to record a new version in 1995. The newer rendition, an instrumental, replaced the old one as the TV theme music and was released as a bonus track on the "Before" single. Oh, and in case you're wondering how things turn out for the Zazou addressed in this song, I would be remiss not to point out that its music ends with a percussive effect highly reminiscent of the firing of a machine gun. Make of that what you will."

Nada Surf - zen brain, 1996

"I’d place “Zen Brain” on my shelf of perfect wistful ‘90s indie rock LP-closing songs with Matthew Sweet’s “Smog Moon,” Superchunk “Martinis on the Roof,” and Radiohead’s “Street Spirit.” Ok, it’s a very specific list, but still. There’s just something about its zoned out sad bliss that has an hypnotic effect; all is OK with the world and with Nada Surf’s High/Low."

Nada Surf - icebox, 1996

"The Weezer wannabe tags were certainly understandable when it came to Nada Surf's debut; besides a similarity of intent (a quick, punchy post-grunge pop/rock album with quick, punchy post-grunge pop/rock songs), the production from Ric Ocasek sealed the deal for many. The fact that the band had been going for a while before Weezer's own 1995 splash seems to have been ignored, admittedly. But if Nada Surf never came up with anything that had the influence and lingering impact of Pinkerton, say, High/Low is a nicely frazzled and fun release that actually bears a little similarity at points to prime Cheap Trick. To be sure, it's not an exact comparison (Caws is nowhere near the singer Robin Zander is, for a start), but in terms of spiky intensity shot through with just enough emotional yearning, Caws has the job down well. His guitar playing does the business well enough, while the Lorca/Elliot rhythm section similarly shows its skill track for track."

Electronic - if you've got love, 1996

"Seven of the thirteen tracks were composed by full-time members Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner, and the other six co-written with former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos. He was recommended to Electronic via a friend of Sumner's, and commuted to Manchester throughout 1995 during the recording sessions, which stretched from late 1994 to late 1995. The protracted sessions resulted in a dense, thick production that was later acknowledged by both Sumner and Marr and criticised in professional reviews; they consequently spent much less time on their next album Twisted Tenderness. Raise the Pressure was also remarked upon for Bernard Sumner's impressionistic lyrics, which some saw as the result of his use of Prozac during this period, following an appearance on the BBC 2 programme The Late Show, which explored the effects of the antidepressant on creativity. According to Sumner, however, he only wrote one lyric whilst under the influence of Prozac. Musically the album comprises guitar pop/rock songs ("One Day", "Out of My League") and more dance oriented tracks ("Until the End of Time", "If You've Got Love")."

The Cranberries - i'm still remembering, 1996

“It was kind of sad how, you know, sometimes, when people die, you expect there to be a silence. But there wasn’t a silence. You know what RIP means. It means rest in peace. And I suppose it was kind of sad because nobody seemed to want to let it be. Everybody was just like, boom! It was just a big media thing, so it was kind of sad.”

Robert Forster - i'll jump, 1996

"I don’t think song lyrics are poetry. I think lyric writing and poetry are two really different things, and this is being brought home to me at the moment because I’m off to Dublin in two weeks and I’m doing two concerts that celebrate the 150th year of the birth of the poet W.B. Yeats. And so I’m trying to put music to his poetry and it just reminded me that it is hard, that they are two very, very different things."

Nada Surf - popular, 1996

"Popular" is the debut single by American alternative rock band Nada Surf, released in May 1996 from their debut album High/Low, released the following month. Each verse in "Popular" presents, in spoken-word format, sarcastic advice to teenagers taken from the book Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity by American actress Gloria Winters."

The Beatles - i'm looking through you anthology two version, 1996

"During October and November 1965, the Beatles recorded three versions of "I'm Looking Through You". Take 1 was recorded on 24 October and was slower than the version released on Rubber Soul, having a tempo of 132 beats per minute. It had a significantly different rhythm and lacked the "Why, tell me why..." middle eight of the final version. Take 1 was eventually released in 1996 on the Anthology 2 compilation. Take 1 also featured an electric twelve-bar blues jam, and a pitch centre in the key of G."

Stereolab - cybele's reverie, 1996

"Cybele's Reverie is an EP by English-French rock band Stereolab, released on 19 February 1996 by Duophonic Records. Its title track serves as the lead single from their fourth studio album Emperor Tomato Ketchup. The four-track EP is the only one by Stereolab on which none of the songs are in English: the title track, "Brigitte", and "Young Lungs" are in French, and "Les Yper-Yper Sound" is an instrumental."

The Lightning Seeds - like you do, 1996

"Perhaps best representing the sunny, joyous elements of the album, though, is Like You Do."

Electronic - how long, 1996

"By the time Electronic's long-delayed second album appeared in 1996, the zeitgeist in Britain had completely shifted from its members' parent bands to a new generation of groups, with Oasis, who shared management with Sumner and Marr's project, standing forth out of a horde of newer Brit-pop acts. Electronic itself chose not to try and compete, following its own low-key path while working with a variety of guest musicians, including returning singer Denise Johnson. The intriguing surprise came courtesy of an additional keyboardist - none other than Kraftwerk veteran Karl Bartos, who also co-wrote nearly half the release with Sumner and Marr. In the same way that the group's debut promised more than it delivered, though, Raise the Pressure - theoretically a dream collaboration between key members of three groundbreaking bands - ends up being more pleasant than necessary."

The Lightning Seeds - you bet your life, 1996

"The Lightning Seeds’ “You Bet Your Life” has a Beach Boys feel, which I love because I’m a fan of theirs. The melody is calm and soothing, like running happily in the meadows, sort of thing. Normally, I hate songs like that, but it works well for The Lightning Seeds’ “You Bet Your Life.”

Electronic - out of my league, 1996

"The acoustic frenzy of ‘Get The Message’ (the intro reminds me a bit of ‘Cemetry Gates’) is highlighted by Marr’s usual brilliant riffs, while the hopeless elegance of ‘Out Of My League’ is another example of Sumner and Marr combining their talents to create a beautiful song, enhanced by Sumner’s angelic vocals. Though the band only released three albums in their ten years of existence, Electronic is one of the many prominent marks in the two’s musical careers."

Club 8 - look out, 1996

"The song aligns with Club 8’s signature dreamy, introspective style, often blending bossa nova, trip hop, and twee pop influences. Specific details about "Look Out!" (e.g., album or release date) are less documented in the provided sources, but it’s part of their broader discography, which spans albums like Nouvelle (1996), The Friend I Once Had (1998), and Golden Island (2018)."

REM - electrolite, 1996

"Mulholland represents to me the iconic 'from on high' vantage point looking down at L.A. and the valley at night when the lights are all sparkling and the city looks, like it does from a plane, like a blanket of fine lights all shimmering and solid. I really wanted to write a farewell song to the 20th century...And nowhere seemed more perfect than the city that came into its own throughout the 20th century, but always looking forward and driven by ideas of a greater future, at whatever cost."

Club 8 - don't be gone, 1996

"Club 8 consists of Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård, formed in 1995 in Stockholm, Sweden. Their early sound, as heard in Nouvelle, blends anorak pop with influences from bands like The Smiths and Sarah Records artists. The song "Don't Be Gone" reflects their signature dreamy, melancholic style, with introspective lyrics about honesty and emotional support in relationships. Nouvelle is noted for its 13 tracks, including other songs like "Blue Skies" and "Me Too"

REM - bittersweet me, 1996

"Bittersweet Me" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from their 10th studio album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996). Like much of the album, the song originated while the band were on the road for the Monster tour, although the song was only ever soundchecked and has never been played live as part of a concert.[1] The song was a bigger hit in the United States than the first single from the album, "E-Bow the Letter", except on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, where the first single's number-two peak bested the number-six peak of "Bittersweet Me".

The Lightning Seeds - sugar coated iceberg, 1996

"Quite a metaphor, that, uncertain which is the dominant force, whether it is sugar sweetening the destructive power of an iceberg, or a the gulp of realisation following a swallow of something not quite so sweet after all. I am sure the lyric explains but I prefer the uncertainty, tending more towards the tune and the presentation. Both of which this band had, here and in general, in spades. And I notice they have some gigs lined up for next year, this late return surely worth a shout, pinned as it is on the back of the 25th anniversary of their third album, 'Jollification'."

Belle And Sebastian - the state i am in, 1996

"Recorded quickly and cheaply as the first album from Electric Honey, the in-house record label from Glasgow's Stow College's music business program, Belle and Sebastian's 1996 debut, Tigermilk, is a rare record in many respects. Initially, it was simply scarce, limited to a run of 1,000 and not re-released until 1999, by which time Belle and Sebastian were established as one of the great indie pop sensations of the late '90s. It is also rare in the sense that not many indie records are made with assistance from a university, but Tigermilk is rarest in how it captures a band that seems simultaneously fledgling and fully formed."