If It's Too Loud...

Normally, something called 90s Fest would have any music fan in their late 30s thrilled with even the mere possibility. But the recently announced 90s Fest taking place September 12 in Williamsburg is disappointing and more than a bit confusing. The main problem seems to be that it doesn't know what it is. It's as if it's trying to be both a tribute to 90s culture and also be tongue in cheek kitschy at the same time, which is nearly impossible to pull off. First of all, the headliner is whatever the fuck passes for Blind Melon in 2015. You can't really explore the fun side of a band that was derailed by the singer's tragic death 20 years ago. Maybe their just trying to cater to kids that have no idea Shannon Hoon died, or even who Shannon Hoon is. Then there's Lisa Loeb. It may be 21 years since she hit it huge with "Stay (I Missed You)" and she seems to have a sense of humor about it, but she's also had a perfectly respectable career as a sing...

I promise, I'm as surprised as you are. I know it's decidedly uncool for anyone to really be a Lisa Loeb fan, especially 20 years after "Stay" propelled her into the public consciousness. I've actually kept up with her music for the last decade, and none of it was especially special in terms of what it was doing. It was beautifully serviceable folk music, but that's it. Enter No Fairy Tale , which is a re-entry into the pop area for her, and is easily the best power pop album released in the last few years. There's literally not a bad song here - each one is just an immediate powerhouse from start to finish, and even the slower songs feel both stripped down and complete. There's really not a flaw to be found on the album, and especially for a veteran musician like Loeb, it's a very pleasant surprise. It's difficult to recommend just a handful of songs, but "Matches" and "The 90s" are both great representations of...