The Rise and Fall the Alternative Rock Movement (w/ Leslie Fram & Matt Pinfield)

This is the pilot episode of my podcast “Sounding Off with Rick Beato” This is a discussion about the Rise and Fall of the Alternative Rock Movement with two giants of Alternative Radio and MTV. Leslie Fram is Senior VP of Music Strategy for CMT and former program director of 99X Atlanta’s legendary Alternative Rock Station. Matt Pinfield American music personality, TV host and radio DJ best known as a video deejay on MTV and VH1. He was host of MTV’s 120 Minutes from 1995-1999. In January 2021, Pinfield began hosting "New & Approved," a Sunday evening program featuring new rock music, on 95.5 FM KLOS in Los Angeles.
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[@thomasknight7588]

Rick, you are the interviewer everyone should emulate. You let your guests speak. You make them the focus of the interview instead of you. Simply great.

[@scottallencarr]

Just to back that up: you were a perfect guest here!

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

Quite different than an Eddie Trunk interview. 😂

[@shotgunrebels]

Fun watching the radio folks naturally bounce the conversation to each other keeping everyone involved and the audience engaged.

[@neven6125]

100%...This is fantastic!!

[@jlthiess]

@@edryba4867 just roaming the internet looking for something to be angry at, huh? I believe what they meant is that it's enjoyable to watch a couple of people skilled in their profession put those skills to use.

[@blah2blah65]

I noticed that too and was amazed! I'm used to "news" (more like "opinion") TV shows where panelists try to hog the conversation. Yet here are these two highly accomplished yet refreshingly humble people complimenting each other and asking each other questions.

[@darrylgoodwin7947]

Yeah seems like Leslie is interviewing these two.

[@literathos3171]

@@edryba4867 dude wtf? He was obviously pointing out that the radio gave em great talking skills

[@ridgerunner4943]

We need more dingy bars willing to play new bands. Live music is key to regrow the fanbase.

[@johnvcougar]

Or bars in general, don’t hafta be dingy, but I like where you’re going with this.

[@michaelhotten752]

"Radio underestimates its audience." So true. The redundant playlist is exhibit #1.

[@dwalden74]

Because it’s the same as network television - it’s about selling advertising to a dumbed down audience, not showcasing dynamic content.

[@surfsup5757]

Radio had sucked for 20 yrs. KZbin is the new music source.

[@dwalden74]

@@surfsup5757 Yeah except now youtube is filled with commercials.

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

no, radio knows that the majority of people aren't interested in music that is different, or that doesn't allow them to dance and so on... besides, all those "alternative" bands were crap or quite derivative, meaning they're doing the same stuff that was developed during the late 70s/beginning of the 80s, experimental stuff tough to listen to, not suitable for most of the listeners... I mean, who's going to explore Throbbing Gristle catalogue in deep? compare that to listening to Stockhausen instead of Richard Strauss. And compare listening to Can or some other Krautrock stuff instead of the more accesible Pink Floyd (at least the post DSOTM)... Nirvana was a lighter, more easy listening version of Mudhoney or The Pixies, and that's why they had commercial success. They were accessible and knew, or cared about, doing proper songs... The Pixies didn't.

[@bjbonin624]

the 1996 Telecommunications Act really fucked everything up, IMO more than streaming. Thanks for bringing light to this.

[@james6039]

Definitely that's what killed Radio.

[@pricila6511]

It's what I believe killed rock

[@theendistheend123]

RICK BEADO.....something you might encourage OR DO YOURSELF, do your own DJ'ing on youtube. Spend an hour playing new rock music. Stuff thats out there now but is getting ignored. Get people like matt and leslie to send you bands and just play them on youtube. I would listen. im ALWAYS looking for new music, but cant find much these days because the good stuff is essentially invisible.

[@FrankHerfjord]

yes. We need a new John Peel.

[@jarettmeyer4929]

Great idea

[@seanbrooks2583]

NPR Tiny Desk and KEXP youtube videos are my gateway to new music.

[@infinitejest5117]

I found so many great new bands from those places. So true.

[@GlenPridgen]

Leslie is a dear friend of mine and I love everything about her. A kind sweet soul. I've met Matt many times and he is always kind and humble. I can say the same about my friend Rick Beato...met him a half dozen times and always kind and humble...one of the most interesting people you will ever come across. One thing you've probably noticed about Rick while watching his videos...he is not an easy person to impress. The look on Ricks face throughout this interview is priceless. He is like a kid in a candy store. I love everything about this video. Well done Rick...these two deserve the respect they get.

[@rsdemarco]

It was remarkable for me going to small clubs in early1991 when Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins were on their final small gig tour and everyone knowing instinctively that something big was about to happen. In less than a year we were hearing these bands on the radio and seeing them on MTV. It was an exciting time.

[@rsohlich1]

I'm 36 and always wished I was like 10-15 years older. By the time my generation came of age in the very late 90s/early 2000s the music was stale and cliched. Your extremely fortunate. I wish I could have seen AIC and Nirvana in 91.

[@tonttaana8930]

Rick you should do also The rise and fall the 80s hair metal rock movement!!!!!!!

[@RickBeato]

I was planning on it :)

[@tonttaana8930]

@@RickBeato oh yeah:). Love your videos from finland Rick:). Keep on rocking:)

[@marcalampi5036]

Also Punk Rock and also New Wave Music too that malted into Alternative

[@petebrown3715]

@Rick Beato- Don't forget the rise of thrash and speed metal which was the "alternative" to the pop rock known as hair metal.

[@gregh3248]

😝😆👍

[@Califokie12]

“.....I have become, Comfortably Numb.” (And then I died) -signed, Alternative Rock

[@NickolaiVolkov]

I LOVE Leslie Fram's communication style and always try to do just that. Interject/participate a little bit and pass the baton so-to-speak to someone else in the group who either hasn't participated in a while or hasn't participated period. Love including others. :) This is wonderful and I'm only 5 minutes in!

[@SpookieVonDookie]

Matt Pinfield was the equivalent of My Cool Uncle in the 90s. I love that dude so much!

[@RFXLR]

My analogy for radio stations is like malls. You go to one mall in America, you’ve been to them all because they have the same stores. Every rock station pretty much plays the same bands.

[@TheLinuxYes]

all the consolidation ruined radio. only a few companies left that own them all.

[@mars-lpv3458]

Sad but true.

[@thebarf9235]

Thanks Bill Clinton.

[@clayz1]

The same fifty song playlist, every day.

[@mars-lpv3458]

@@officialWWM Or they're lazy and greedy.

[@chrisdc22]

Leslie Fram is an unsung hero in this business. I mean, she gets lots of credit, but she's so deferential (as you can tell in this interview as she keeps deferring to Matt) it's easy to overlook the fact that she has a GREAT musical mind.

[@greatleapforwards]

I grew up in the late 80s early 90s listening to John Peel on the BBC world Service. The number of people and musicians that man influenced over a period of 5 odd decades is unfathomable. Without a doubt the single most important radio DJ that ever was and ever will be

[@gavinreid5387]

I listened to him from the mid 70s. He was probably the only national DJ regularly playing the early Punk singles and real roots Reggae.

[@Veaseify]

He was also emblematic of the Music media's obsession with 'new and different' and the constant churning out of fads, particularly in British music. In Peel's world if you had been around more than 2 years you were old hat, an attitude that is completely at odds with the majority of music listeners who want everything to sound exactly like the stuff they were listening to when they were 15.

[@greatleapforwards]

@@Veaseify except for the Fall 😆

[@Veaseify]

@@greatleapforwards ha ha yes, he still thought they were cutting edge 30 years later. Its incredible if you think back to the 70's and 80's how many hundreds of obscure bands must have been played once on one of his shows and never heard of again. I still remember him introducing a song with 'This is Extreme Noise Terror...from er, Ipswich' deliberately enhancing the unlikelihood of anything with that name emanating from Suffolk :)

[@notpub]

Yes!!!! And "Peel Session" LPs are some of the best you can buy from a range of great artists!!!😎

[@HaXaW5150]

All Rick has to do is sit back and smile. These two are pro talkers, they could go on forever. LOL! ; )*

[@RickBeato]

True!!!

[@jasonbone5121]

@Luka Meah He had a label - he has a video about it. Search for "Why I Never Talk About My Record Label That Failed". Great video (as they all are).

[@5891jonathan]

This channel has the best content. Always informative and interesting. One idea that resonates is we need more Unplugged performances. Wouldn’t that be great? Also more exposure for new singer/songwriter artists and bands!

[@msannthrope_2049]

College radio was the only alternative radio I knew of. Mainstream radio latched onto Nirvana and whatever else came after. College radio played the bands Nirvana liked.

[@markwilmeth3082]

Yes but even the college radio stopped playing the good stuff after a while. You don't hear any Nomeanasno, or Helmet, Steal Poll Bathtub. I could go on forever but the phone will not let me!!!

[@nachshonrorick]

Yup, Nirvana was the catchiest, cutest, most sellable object from the underground. See how that turned out...

[@706wi11]

the scene was already dead by the late 90s anyway, I grew up with mainstream 90s rock but by 97-98 it was done, esp after. Remember that Days of the New nonsense? oof. that's when I got into college radio, might have been a decade or 2 late for what most considered college rock but it still introduced me to stuff like Pavement & matador label bands, most of us weren't feeling nu metal. I feel like I got in on the last breath death rattle of college radio though, where indie still meant rock because by the early 00s it was all this fruity trash when indie became synonymous with emo

[@706wi11]

@@bradpirochta9293 wuxtry in Athens had a free sampler CD tray. Found some mighty good bands on the defunct Ng Records label sampler and later matador samplers

[@foto21]

Hair Metal was essentially all copies of Van Halen who premiered in 1977. By 1990, it was time for younger folks, so the turnover was inevitable based on age alone, plus people were tired of the mental vacuum of hair metal, so people went back to the 60s and 70s to make their music.

[@paulseitz672]

I was DJ and Music Director of WCCM radio in Randolph New Jersey in 1983-1985 and then I worked at I.R.S. Records from 1990-1991. This segment was so spot on and seeing Leslie and Matt reminded me of what was good about the music business. When you love music and musicians you find it, you look under rocks and check out the clubs and sit on youtube for an hour listening to likeminded music lovers - you do this because ultimately it's not a business decision it's a compulsion. Well done Rick!

[@zoomzabba452]

I'm young for the origional scene (32), but saw Matt in the thumbnail and said "Oh, that guy" because it was 1998 and we had cable.

[@chrislumpkin]

College radio was where one found new alternative rock in the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. Mainstream radio was already dropping carts on scripted programming. It seems almost impossible for an unsigned band to get on the radio. New music requires a love of and persistent hunt to find. Commercial radio has turned its back.

[@ryanshinermusic]

Yeah, it’s sad colleges don’t want to support college radio any more. I had some valuable experience from working at my college station

[@OdaKa]

Dropping carts?

[@joeldf6859]

Yes. It was KLSU for me during the mid 80s while going to LSU. They are still at it to this day.

[@chrislumpkin]

@@OdaKa single and multi-song cartridges following a script made by the programming director. Very rarely did a DJ have the latitude to play their personal choices or listener requests (they took them, but what was played was scripted for most).

[@haolekoa737]

Attended one semester of community college, had a show on their radio station for three years... Thought about trying to be a DJ as a career, but then realized I already had it as good as it was gonna get. College radio was the only time I'd be able to play what I want and say what I want. Ended up with a career as an arborist & working musician. Never once regretted my decision, as commercial radio has only gotten worse in the 30 years since.

[@debvalle7466]

The era I never got over! So important to analyze the downfall, too. Look forward to seeing this.

[@keithstonehart]

My band won The Morning X jingle contest in 2000! They had us come up to the studio and interview ...It was a cool moment!

[@marcnelson1427]

First time hearing my band shouted out on Rick’s channel!! (band’s Dreamers, we’re in LA by way of Brooklyn) Matt is such an asset and advocate for the music community. He genuinely just loves music and respects it. Met up with him many times and he’s the real deal. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of modern music, countless stories to tell and a big heart

[@NatalieValentina6]

How cool that you're here! I found you guys years ago, randomly as an AI recommendation (I think from having Night Riots & Bad Suns in my feed), & never looked back. You have so many songs (e.g. Screws, The Last Love Song, & Sweet Disaster, etc.) that I listen to on the regular. Thank you for your music, it has helped to make quarantining demonstrably better😋. I'm sure you're chomping-at-the-bit to be able to perform live again. It's cool to see that you also enjoy Rick's Channel. It always astonishes me how interconnected he is to so many facets of the industry, from tracking down the stems for WMTSG?, to interviewing musical legends. And of course, through 120 Minutes, Matt Pinfield introduced me to so many artists of whom I became lifelong fans. We were lucky to grow up at a time when we had access to (& were influenced by) someone so knowledgeable...w/such passion for music, & just a great ear & taste level.

[@marcnelson1427]

@@NatalieValentina6 I watch all of Rick’s videos, a constant source of inspiration. I definitely miss performing at shows. It’s coming back soon though. Night Riots was one of my favorite bands to tour with, and we’ve toured with so many amazing bands and people, but I really vibed with what they do and who they are. Miss them!

[@koby8251]

Saw your post and went and checked you guys out...randomly picked Sweet Disaster....great tune....very cool lyrics...keep it up!

[@AlligatorArms]

First of all, “Painkiller” was one of my absolute faves of 2018; really dig what you guys are doing & it looks like you have a lot of fun making videos. I just discovered Rick’s channel recently and I’m amazed by how many real musicians I’ve seen in the comments section, and they’re just watching these videos for the same reason I am, when I’m just a regular music fan in rural mid-Michigan. A lot of the time it’s videos that aren’t even about current music. That just tells me that their heads are in the right place. I think that’s pretty awesome.

[@marcnelson1427]

@@AlligatorArms most of our favorite music is from before we were born!! The last sixties through early 70s, 90s grunge. There’s lots of great music happening now too. It can be harder to find because there’s so much of it, which is a good thing ultimately. We’ve played many many shows in Michigan, mostly Detroit but have driven through much of the state. We miss playing live shows but it’s coming back soon 🙏

[@gainbear8853]

Ned’s Atomic Dustbin!! God Fodder. Great record.

[@exerciserelax8719]

Yes!! Just had its 30th anniversary if you can believe it.

[@Deafeningstorm]

I was just listening to this album the other day at work. It's so catchy and good.

[@kevgamble]

Both the first two records were great. I kind of prefer Are You Normal?, but they're both excellent. Even the third one had some great moments on it.

[@timfoster6286]

Yes, the Madchester scene had amazing music. God Fodder by Neds Atomic Dustbin was a treasure and underrated (criminally) album!

[@paulb6630]

"you gotta love music more than anything else in the world"

[@Gongtopia]

We need more people in the business like Leslie and Matt who are still FANS of the music and not just accountants.

[@RB-bd5tz]

"Tin-eared graph-paper brained accountants, instead of music fans / Call all the shots at giant record companies now, the lowest common denominator rules" - Dead Kennedys, "MTV Get Off the Air," 1985

[@presidentsquidward3970]

you mean fans of old music only?

[@2bteachable2]

That was amazing! So I graduated from high school in suburban Maryland in 1984. In 1983, MTV introduced me to U2, and when I asked a friend in high school to make a cassette copy of "War," he put The Clash "Combat Rock" on the B side. Listening to WHFS followed close behind. (I can still hear the voices of the DJs Damien and Weasle.) In the early 1990s, when Alternative Radio became big, I was in heaven. True Alternative Radio is incredibly diverse. (Like 1985, when I was able to listen to songs like How Soon Is Now?, Running Up That Hill, Driver 8, Life's What You Make It, Cities In Dust, She Sells Sanctuary, and Take the Skinheads Bowling.) I feel that diversity is what is missing today. That diversity was the heart and soul of great radio. Everything was new and different. Now, so much sounds the same, and it feels soulless - probably because it's quantized and it doesn't swing. As for artist support, I wonder if record companies can even spell those words anymore. I miss real alternative radio (and good songwriting).

[@Darrylizer1]

Weasel is still on WTMD in Towson.

[@2bteachable2]

@@Darrylizer1 I heard that a while ago. I live in Western Massachusetts now, but I have the WTMD app. It lets me listen to radio the way it is supposed to be, passionate and musically intelligent.

[@ryanshinermusic]

It is wild how the alt charts got replaced with pop

[@HumbleNarcissist0]

Even the Rock charts too, Billboard replaced the Hot Rock Songs chart and changed it to Hot Rock/Alternative songs and the #1 song is by two rap artists, wtf?

[@BD-me4nk]

Pop will swallow whatever is popular hence it's name. Problem is all the money chasers that feed off what is good until it's dead. The bigger the beast the bigger the feast for the parasites

[@galek75]

Just read Mark Fisher. In these times, there IS no alternative.

[@tangogrrl]

@@BD-me4nk That would be a good lyric. "The bigger the beast the bigger the feast" good name for a song or even a band

[@mbsnyderc]

@@BD-me4nk Pop is made to sell to people who don't know anything about music mostly 13 year old girls.because they will pay for it for adults they really have to love it and have spare money they just listen ad don't buy.

[@jsauce311]

99X was so great growing up in ATL and had a huge impact on my music influences. Big Day Out, Music Midtown, etc.. with diverse lineups you would only dream about.

[@scamster71]

Yeah, this really brought back a lot of memories for me also. I used to listen to the Morning X with Barnes, Leslie, and Jimmy on my drive in to work. I really miss that show.

[@PBRStreetgang]

As much as I hate some things about Atlanta, I grew up here in the 80s and 90s and am proud of the music scene here. 96 Rock, Z93, 99X....RIP

[@706wi11]

Are ANY left? Grew up listening to em all, plus WUOG 90.5 & Bulldog/Rock 103.7 in Athens. Now those Steve/Dave FM type things mostly all play the same setlist from iHeartRadio. My dad rented a van and took a large group of me and my friends to Big Day Out 97, my only regret being there was so much going on we mostly stuck to the main stage so we missed a lot of good, smaller punk bands on the side stages. but we saw/met Local H, then the Bosstones, Offspring, Foo Fighters... good times!

[@djdudemanhey]

@@scamster71 those guys had some of the best April Fools prank shows...fooled the entire city. Great times pre-internet

[@fuse404]

I'm so grateful to have grown up in Atlanta during 99x's peak. I started my day with Barnes, Leslie, and Jimmy and had the radio on until I went to sleep. There is no way I could thank Leslie Fram enough for her role. And I don't think there is any way to overstate what was lost when local radio was killed.

[@RichSad45]

Leslie referenced Sean Demery. He and I worked together at an Internet radio startup in San Francisco around 1999-2002. LOVE THAT GUY. Sean tragicly passed away recently. I was CTO, CEO was Eric Rhoads and SVP of Radio Programming was Steve Rivers, who we also lost recently. RIP Sean and Steve. You guys made my life in radio fantastic.

[@Weremoogle]

Sean Demery was great. He was my favorite to listen to in Atlanta.

[@RichSad45]

@@Weremoogle Working with him forming a pioneering Internet radio company was amazing. Sean even let my young daughter, around 10 years old, do a couple of voiceovers. I wish we could post pictures in comments. I have a couple fun pictures of Sean from the professionally shot executive photos from our website. I'll post it somewhere and put a link to it in a reply. It's cute. He was so good as a DJ, program directory, but he was also one of the nicest people I've ever known. A very sweet man. Taken from us far too soon.

[@chrisknowles64]

Great point on consolidation killing radio. Homogeny of formats and corporate process really squashed the life out of radio. There was no way for stations to have a unique personality.

[@fernandogalindo5370]

Not sure Matt Pinfield was the most famous VJ from that particular Mtv era but definitely by far the most knowledgeable VJ Mtv ever had. The man was (maybe still is) a walking music encyclopedia.

[@liamfitzgerald7528]

I was a Kendall fan. Pinfield was alright, but I was cursed with that 90s kid distrust of enthusiastic people. We hated everything back then. Not always proud of that. He sure has passion for good music. We need more of that.

[@MegalonJonesSlattery]

In the late 80's, I got my fix on REM, The Clash, RHCP and Fugazi from a station coming out of Windsor, Canada. The ionization of the atmosphere had to be just perfect for me to get it in Michigan.

[@Schmidtty1974]

89x, which sadly, is now a country station....

[@rsohlich1]

@@Schmidtty1974 really? I was listening to 88.7 until I moved in 2010.

[@Schmidtty1974]

Yep, they changed their format to country at the beginning of this year. Same with 93.9 they were more of a alt pop station from Windsor, and now their more contemporary country.

[@misterknightowlandco]

Didn’t 98.7 start playing alternative rock right after 89x quit?

[@timbaxter9932]

Nothin' like walking into a dive bar and being pleasantly surprised hearing great music you never heard before!

[@arthurvalaer5306]

Or getting recommendations from record store clerks

[@alxra]

120 minutes back in the 80's was like a window to a far off world where this bizarre british dude would play this cool alternative music. It felt like pirate radio/video and he might get busted and taken off air any minute. I don't know if they kept the same vibe in the 90's but it was cool way back in the day.

[@arthurvalaer5306]

Early 90's it was still like that. Around the late 90's and early 00's it moved to MTV2 and was more about indie rock and the sort of British bands you'd read about in NME.

[@sajomide]

CFNY 102.1 in Toronto was the pioneer for alternative music in the late '70s and '80s. So many memories. So many great bands.

[@danielwatkins877]

". . . we didn't have a budget.". "We had a blast.". How much wisdom in that exchange?

[@mackenziebrewing8706]

Aside from the great topic and insights, hats off to Matt and Leslie for constantly deferring to one another and not co-opting an entire conversation. Mutual respect and great conversation.

[@somerandomhomeboy]

I think that's because they are actually listening to each other rather than just waiting to speak.

[@ejstar8917]

It’s cool to hear the shout out to 91-X in San Diego, Ca! I remember getting turned on to the station in in ‘82 and there was a cool landscape of bands like The Smiths, The Cure and U2. It felt like every day something new and very different was happening. It was a great time.

[@seibervideo]

Love 91X from when I lived in San Diego 20 years ago. Still put it on Sunday mornings for Resurrection Sunday and Church of Bob. It’s my go-to streamed radio station.

[@mocatfish]

X, Rank and File, Violent Femmes, Dream Syndicate

[@map3384]

It definitely was.

[@rjpg]

SD in the HOUSE! KGB 101 was my primary station but wouldn't play anything after the 90s. 91-X took that audience and exploded.

[@Alejandrakoxxx]

Still rocks

[@Garythefireman66]

Great to see Pinfield. He had it rough for a couple of years, but he's sober and brilliant. Such a fan of his.

[@jamesreeves4600]

What happened?

[@SSs-ch4ey]

@@jamesreeves4600 yeah I'm curious too

[@colico14]

We had 107.7 "The End" here in Seattle! Man, the amount of time I spent listening to "The End."

[@kimoconnell1618]

I love that WHFS (DC) was recognized. That's all I listened to in the 80s and early 90s.

[@Darrylizer1]

Same, and went to the HSF Festivals as well.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Weasel has a Friday and Saturday show on WTMD (Baltimore-area college radio station). It's as good as his program was on WHFS.

[@Darrylizer1]

@@thedevilinthecircuit1414 That is a great radio station. The one saving grace as far as music radio in the DMV.

[@recklesstoboggan]

This KZbin video should be mandatory viewing at every radio station.

[@ChrisPuckett]

Once again Rick delivers exactly what I want to watch. You had to be alive during that era to understand the impact. I compare the late 80s early 90s to the late 60s, for its affect on music and culture. We haven’t lived through another era like that since. Radio is absolutely dead now, so let’s talk about the good old days. If you grew up in music at that time you remember the saying “corporate rock still sucks.” That saying was imprinted on my brain and I still view the world that way. I believe corporate radio and corporate music has taken over the music business since the mid 90s and not let go. You will not have another scene bubble up again like it did in the early 90s because of this. I know exactly what station format they were talking about. They popped up in the early 90s, WMMS had it for a minute. That was my local station. It was a mix of all music, 60s, 70s, rock, metal, etc. just good music led by the DJ. You could have Sarah McLaughlin in the same hour as Tool, followed up by Boz Skaggs, some rare Dylan acoustic set from the 70s, and Maggot Brain. And those weekly shows… Then you would have the hot local band mixed in every hour. In our city that was Nine Inch Nails…. Saw them as a local opening act. Our government and Republicans killed the radio industry. They literally ripped art away from kids growing up after 1995. Anyone still in corporate radio or corporate music, are doing it for a paycheck. There’s no art left in any of that. It’s a machine to make money. And a lot of the new music coming out are just propped up and selected to make money. Fortunately artists have the ability now to become their own publishing companies. And do all of their distribution. And do all of their tours and promotion. That’s what musicians have to do these days to avoid working with corporate tools.

[@saddestchord7622]

It's only been the last five or six years that people have been able to stream their Spotify accounts easily in their cars. As wireless Carplay becomes more popular, even more will do it. Plus the last of the Boomers and oldest Gen X will stop commuting. Maybe then radio becomes less profitable, and more underground and local. Who knows.

[@rl-ub9hx]

I shed a tear the day I turned on 99.1whfs and they had changed to a Spanish station over night. No warning. So many great memories of HFSTIVAL and all the events they held

[@frankhoeppel2314]

Just wrote a very similar comment. Miss that station and those shows!

[@rl-ub9hx]

@@frankhoeppel2314 it was my coming of age man. 99.1 DC 101 and 98 rock. Late 90s into 2000s were my teen years

[@andrewdevlin2255]

Rick Beato, you have the ability to develop an artist. You have the knowledge and equipment and the following to enhance someone’s career in the right direction and make their music great. You also have the ability to showcase unsigned artists who do not have a huge following on social media, and find that diamond in the rough. You could also curate a Spotify playlist that would attract millions of listeners as well😁😁 food for thought. Thank you for the great content. Hope you stumbled upon my comment.

[@jameslima9817]

Just love hearing Matt’s voice again. Been a while.

[@ronsworld250]

That was really a great time. I was fortunate enough to live in an area, DC, MD, Northern VA that had WHFS. A great time for bands and after 91, Smells Like Teen Spirit , the dam broke and all those cool bands hit. A magical time for music. I really look back fondly on those years, that time, those shows, etc. HFStivals in the 90s was a golden time. Matt Pinfield was a must watch on MTV.

[@DavidSaundersPosts]

So many great bands at those shows. Still have the beer cooler with the WHFS stickers.

[@dewdew34]

I was friends with Neci back in the late 80's. What a trip...

[@ronsworld250]

@@dewdew34 My lady. Neci’s music knowledge was off the charts and she had one of the best voices in radio. Oh, do I miss the old HFS w/ Mr. Einstein, RIP, in charge. He had a dope roster of deejays in Neci, his son, Damian, Bob Waugh, Rob Timm, Aqu, Weasel, etc. The progressive format in the 80s, early 90s, pre-Nirvana was awesome. They played any and everything and their local music segments were excellent. Even the post, Nirvana boom was different but still cool. They dialed back the progressive feel and went to a more modern rock, Alternative format. I didn’t like that many of the classic deejays left and Mr. Einstein left as well. Actually, he started up another progressive station WRNR in Annapolis.

[@dewdew34]

@@ronsworld250 I moved away in 90 but have family in the area. Going back i caught RNR one day and it was great too. But nothing was like the days of all those you mentioned on the mic and even the World music on Sunday's, heard by many sobering up... I loved how they would mix different genres but a common theme sometimes, brilliant.

[@marshsundeen]

97X ( WOXY mentioned in Rain Man, the movie), was an alt station in the 1980's and 1990's that was in Oxford, Ohio, and was accessible to Cincinnati. Sadly it died In 2010, after moving to Austin, TX from Cincinnati.

[@TrashLefties]

Yes!!!!!!! The best of all my travels trying to fing alt stations.

[@bronzeagekid8223]

WLIR on Long Island, NY was the best through the 80s and early 90s. One of the original local "new music" stations, which later became known as "alternative" music. There is nothing like local radio and that sense of community all of the listeners had to the station and DJs and the local clubs and venues. You could feel the sincerity.

[@anmana7]

Yes, I used to listen to WLIR in the 80s and early 90s. They played new wave and a lot of imports on Sunday nights.

[@johnsmith7140]

The shriek of the week

[@bronzeagekid8223]

@@johnsmith7140 and before that, it was the Screamer of the Week :-)

[@conshea7382]

Great documentary on showtime about WLIR

[@ChromaticHarp]

🎼 Honda of Mineola 🎶

[@Metalbass10000]

Back then, NOBODY, no radio station, no dj, would play unsigned bands, or unknown music. It all had to be according to the formula. Whereas 10 years earlier you could hear local band different format at radio stations. It's one of the things that turned our local music scene from a very vibrant lively dynamic music scene into stagnant stinking pond of monoculture.

[@safenders]

Excellent description

[@JRrox822]

So very well said.

[@fushumang1716]

*20 years ago

[@stephenryderjr7894]

WHFS 99.1 station drop. I was listening to this station in the 90s and was definitikey a big part of my life.

[@bostonvair]

Matt: "The word 'alternative' really meant alternative at that time." So spot on. Eventually, it became a formula like any other formula. It was killed by its own success and by stations pursuing a set standard as to what "sounded alternative." A lot of great music was being excluded because it didn't fit the sound formula as alternative stations became, ironically, more conservative.

[@meattooth1303]

i have to say that this you tuber is awesome. breaking down songs i have been listening to since i was in mom's womb (born '70). songs i learned to play by listening to vinyl where i would pick up the needle, pull it back a mm and do this over and over until i figured it out. i been binge watching this channel since last night and again this AM.

[@nautilaz]

People say go to Spotify or KZbin to find new music, but honestly, that's like sifting through an enormous pile of unknown records. DJs in the 90's (alternative) served as that filter and introduced me to many bands I would never have heard otherwise. So give them the credit to curate and use their ear to find the best stuff and bring it forward.

[@The_Obvious_Solution]

Definitely. These days, I still subscribe to Sirius to get the exposure to new music in the genres I like. I'm also hooked on Punk Tacos; a Denver-based station, but free online if you don't live in Denver. I've been introduced to many awesome bands.

[@hellsunicorn]

Yeah, why do your own research and form your own opinions when you can have an “expert” control what you hear. This is the same line of thought that pop listeners follow, which is why Alternative rightly died off. Why listen to poorly produced and dissonant pop when you can have slicker versions of the same?

[@christianman73]

Pete Pardo's "Sea of Tranquility" KZbin channel is where I've been getting a lot of really good music recommendations for the past year. Pete's not much of a punk or grunge fan, but his tastes are very eclectic, from metal and progressive rock to jazz and blues, and he has clued me in to new (and old!) music that I probably would never have otherwise heard.

[@christianman73]

@@hellsunicorn I *enjoyed* the dissonance and raw production of alternative rock. "Slick" production was never really part of the appeal of alternative rock, which was inspired by '70s punk rock, which I also loved. When I was in the mood to hear slickness, I went for Fleetwood Mac, not The Cure or Nirvana (even though I loved all three).

[@hellsunicorn]

@@christianman73 Fair enough, I'm a fairly insular metal head who was turned off by the clique-like hostility that 90s Nirvana fan boys visited towards me back in the day, so I have a built in ideological bias against some of the cultural aspects of the Alternative scene that don't necessarily apply to people who still listen to it today. Some of the more extreme stuff I listen to parallels the dissonant character of some of the dirtier parts of the early Grunge scene, and I am something of a Melvins fan. I tend to view the idea of non-mainstream music consumers relying exclusively on elite DJs and media types as a "filter" as puzzling given that it's identical to how mainstream consumers select their music. It just comes off as counterintuitive to proclaim one's individuality while falling back on conformist practices.

[@PBRStreetgang]

Wow, grew up listening to 99X and 96 Rock. What a strange turn FM radio has taken. Edit - much respect to Matt Pinfield. One of the last relevant people at MTV, he was a fixture of my teenage years.

[@adamjg4]

WHFS (DC/MD area) in the 1980s good stuff. All gone by mid '90 something. RIP.

[@jasonremy1627]

I remember growing up in the late 1980s early 1990s listening to WAAF in Boston. Great local radio. They had an overnight show, like midnight-3AM and they played only local bands. First time I heard groups and artists like Juliana Hatfield, the Lemonheads, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Throwing Muses, Tonya Donnelly, Dropkick Murphy's, etc. There's nothing like local radio back in the day.

[@kms311]

Same dude. Heard Pearl Jam’s “Alive” on WAAF driving home from a Bruin’s game when I was 13. That was a huge music moment for me. That was a great station during the 80’s and 90’s.

[@terminal8237]

In our country (Portugal) there are dozens of alternative rock bands that cant have a stage or be played on the radio. In our city Coimbra barrelly exists places that allow original rock bands to play. But the funny side of the history is that when our bands tour in other countries, they usually have sold out shows and lots of support. we shoul change the way we support and judge our local bands, and start to give them stages and oportunityes to be heard. By our personal expirience, its quite sad sending about 100 e-mails to radios, agencies and small avenues, and get like 2 or 3 repplys saying no. Its quite desmotivating. Alternative music will never die cause there will be always public with good taste and whit creativity 🙂

[@ekayaniperforms]

Start your own alt station!!!! Do it

[@christopherhorner8272]

Most indie scenes in the US started off with shows at warehouses and/or rehearsal spaces, and starting college radio stations. Getting a warehouse, dividing it into practice spaces, but have a larger main room space for shows. Not sure how local ordinance / laws work over there, but it may be worth a shot. Streaming the live & radio shows too.

[@terminal8237]

@@christopherhorner8272 @Christopher Horner Even the radio and live stations here in our country dont answear our calls and e-mails. Its sad as hell, we have sended about 100 emails last month and only got 2 responses saying "no" 😅 The culture in Portugal is dying...the only ones who can make it are the pop icones with lots of managers and agencies with interests in them

[@christopherhorner8272]

@@terminal8237 do the universities have radio stations? Getting support at a place with a strong music program to start one if they don't would be key. Not sure if relocating (to Spain, or wherever) is an option. Stick with it for as long as you can.

[@theangriestbassplayer7492]

@43 minutes when Rick mentions the Seattle scene that was the joint cover in Pioneer Square. Friday and Saturday night you paid $10 and got access to 10 different bars that all had live music. Now there are officially 3 of those bars still around. The rest have all disappeared (prior to Covid even).

[@digitaldosage1979]

BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR YEARS! Thank you SOOOOOO much for sharing this! I agree 110% with ALL OF THIS info and have been wondering for years why nobody is talking about the matter... literally ruined the creative trajectory that music was going in and building to during the early to mid-90s. The telecommunications act destroyed the creative side of music almost overnight! The mainstream has never been the same ever since.

[@ryanharvey7138]

Queen tried to tell us with the song “Radio Ga Ga.” the mono culture that radio has become is tragic. Hopefully enough people will be inspired by conversations like this one to take music forward again. I love what the three of you had to say about local programming and music scenes supporting each other. That’s exactly what this generation needs. Thanks for doing this interview! Great topic.

[@damienleimbach6574]

I miss 99x and Morning x so much. Amazing to hear Leslies voice...like I'm in high school all over again!

[@nandisaand5287]

Rick, I was listening to Primus on Pandora this morning and I realized that their drum tracks are NOT auto-tuned. Its because of your videos that I recognized that. Thanks for making music more accessible to uneducated folks like me.

[@pollutance]

I tried so many times to get a request on 92.3 K-ROCK but I could never get through. That was until my 21st Birthday they answered every single one of my calls. I eventually just told him “GRUNGE ALL DAY…… PLEASE.” and they did just that, I’ll never forget it. Thank you 92.3 K-ROCK!

[@bugra1525]

Matt Pinfield really sounds like Bob Odenkirk. It's eery.

[@kimjoan212]

Matt was my guy back in the MTV days .... love ❤️ him✊🏾✊🏾

[@chitlitlah]

This was an amazing interview. Matt was a legend back in the 90s. I didn't know Leslie before this but she seems to have had a major impact on music of the time as well. And then there's Rick who we all love and adore.

[@rexx9496]

Love hearing Gen Xers talk about the good ol days. I was born in 76 so I'm at the very tail end of this generation and was still in high school when the alternative scene started blowing up. So I missed all these great shows.

[@EvanWeeks]

What a great topic, Rick! I'm loving the discussion so far, it's awesome to hear all of you weigh in on how that era developed and progressed.

[@tomblaze2]

Fascinating- can’t wait until one day we can see a video - the rise and fall of trap beats 🎧 😜

[@infinitesonic6980]

such an inspiration for a little band in Bogots, Colombia to keep trying by hearing these legendary and powerful musical presences support and hopefully push programmers to invest a little time and take a risk on what "little bands" like us do......High hopes for our new album "Loose Ends - Volume 1"...and RB...thank you so much for posting quality and informative videos....You have helped us so much in producing our stuff by us watching WMTSG episodes and others! Un abrazo desde Bogota!

[@joshuahelmeke]

Man, this takes me back. It reminds me of the local station in Minnesota during the early 90's: Rev 105.1: real working programmers/distributors. That all changed after ABC bought out almost every broadcasting station in the country. Their attitude is SO personable. They're interested in people and are emotionally available...no pretense to these people. I was lucky to be there when it was happening.

[@MEETMagazine]

Matt Pinfield is the music encyclopedia!

[@fernandogalindo5370]

Right? I posted something similar then I read your comment lol

[@skuhl]

Out of all the personalitys MTV put out there Pinfield by far was the most knowledgeable and relatable for me. He REALLY knew his stuff. Lived and Breathed rock industry. Need more of him, beato, etc doing these things.

[@travismiles5885]

He's not as pretentious as Eddie "name dropper" Trunk either. I'll listen or watch Eddie because I love 80s metal and unfortunately he seems to be the only person still talking about it. Its hilarious how much Steel Panther pisses him off too!

[@SB-ou5yp]

You're actually everywhere!

[@chitlitlah]

@@SB-ou5yp He is. I see him commenting on Aba and Preach's videos all the time. MEET is a man of taste.

[@AlerieHightower]

This was such a cool conversation! KDGE "The Edge" in Dallas was in on the beginning of this movement, in 1989. I remember how thrilled I was to finally hear alternative bands and songs on the radio after years of toiling in obscurity. As exciting as it was, I have to wonder if that commercial success was a blessing or a curse... It was sold to the broadcast arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1996, and as you can imagine, it imploded almost immediately.

[@VelvetAirGuitar]

Brilliant! Really miss those days and the radio stations like 99X and WHFS! I played guitar for the Doubters Club and Judybats, both bands had airplay on those stations. Was so cool to drive thru AtL or DC and here our songs on the radio! Met Leslie at the Alternative Boot Camp in Boston years ago. Matt was a great replacement on 120! Cheers

[@wordsandmusicstudio]

Love the respect you guys give Chris Cornell. He lives on in his music & remembrance. PS I interned at KROQ in Pasadena in 1982, wow was I lucky.

[@HaroldBallz]

99.1 WHFS in DC was legendary.

[@utoobia]

Yes, yes. And the legendary HFStival.

[@Draggoon12]

I remember listening to Matt on 106.3 Modern Rock at the Jersey Shore back in the early 90`s ....lot of good memories!

[@Bix103]

Me too!! I still miss it.

[@matthewkeen3527]

Born and raised in San Diego and started high school in the mid-80s. 91X started in '83 and we were lucky to have that station in town. Song of the decade on New Year's eve 1989/1990 was The Smiths - How Soon is Now.

[@rjpg]

Great to hear Leslie acknowledged our station. Didn't realize 91X was one of few alternate stations, I took the station for granted.

[@presidentsquidward3970]

what do you mean, were. it still exists

[@matthewkeen3527]

@@presidentsquidward3970 it’s a reference to the past and that we were lucky that station was around because it was the only one doing it we could get on the air.

[@presidentsquidward3970]

@@matthewkeen3527 Idk as a Gen Z'er I was pretty lucky to listen to it and 94.9 in its heyday in the mid-00's, and Halloran taking over the station in 2014-2016 where I was hearing a lot of good stuff, they still play new music I like but now its just classics over and over again. I'm too much of a fanboy of 91X to abandon it though, at least a couple varied stuff returned today, up the new music adds, play the recurrents, play more varied 70s-present stuff, boom, perfect station.

[@antonbundschu5264]

What a great conversation! Awesome to see other old dudes (like me) so excited about new music. I almost feel sorry for my peers who are missing out on all the great new music. You can see and hear other geezers like this on KEXP in Seattle and on Indie 102.3 in Denver.

[@samwestonpotter]

Rick, I love your videos. As a 90’s kid (born in ‘78), your videos are right up my alley. I love the song breakdowns as well as the interviews. I watched the Lukather video which was amazing and now this! Awesome.

[@nuwandawc]

Great to see all the 99X fans. Anybody remember The Swingin Velveeta Lounge on Friday's? RIP Sean Demery

[@GeeWhizbang]

Heeeell yes! I lived for it....I distinctly remember him playing a horn heavy remix of ‘Hey Man, Nice Shot’ that I’ve never been able to find since.

[@jamesreeves4600]

How did Sean die?

[@rhiannonleigh4223]

@@jamesreeves4600 stroke.

[@carodee9854]

This conversation of reminiscing was great. It reminds me of the radio station I listened to in the 70s in Montreal. It was a commercial station that sounded like Student Radio. When Tubular Bells came out there were so many requests to have it played. One morning the dj decided to play Tubular Bells non-stop in one speaker - without interruption. On the other speaker the regular morning line-up was played with the usual features.

[@good4gaby]

THE 9()’s was an amazing time for music, it was full of irony and passion ....omg its Matt! I Love this!

[@GoCeltics734]

I was so lucky to grow up with 95.5 WBRU in Providence. They played anything and everything alt in the 80s and 90s

[@teleguy5699]

I remember that station. I remember when BCN was it for FM back in the 60s and early 70s.

[@guitarprepnplus1]

Smoked my first joint listening to BRU back in 1972. 👍💨🚀

[@eltonpacheco1835]

Things haven't been the same since it left the airwaves and went to the internet. I still have it as a preset on my car radio!

[@PeteJake100]

Great playlists at BRU, but DJs not so much. But it’s the music that matters right.

[@bossfan49]

I was hoping this would be more about the bands of the era. New bands that emerged and older bands that were finally getting some mainstream exposure. The Cure, Depeche Mode, Morrissey, Charlatans, Soup Dragons, 10,000 Maniacs, REM, They Might Be Giants, Material Issue, Jesus and Mary Chain, Chili Peppers, ......etc Lollapalooza for crying out loud!

[@davidmahoney1248]

Great episode. The Quake, KQAK 99FM in San Francisco was one of the first commercial alternative radio stations broadcasting from 1982-1985. RIP The Quake.

[@noahtrock]

Hey! I know that voice!! Leslie from 99X!! I miss them. I can't even find a rock, alternative, or metal station in Atlanta, now. Pleeeeaaaase bring it back!

[@quinnmitchel4075]

Love grunge and alt rock era, my absolute favorite music

[@shoegazer93]

Shoegaze has had a massive resurgence. The recording technology advancement goes hand in hand with the experimentation of guitar effects. The wall of sound has reached its full potential. Flyying Colours from Australia and Airiel from Chicago are great examples

[@zachrizzo6525]

Loathe is also shoegaze mixed with metal

[@GeeWhizbang]

Agreed...check out Soft Science if you’re unfamiliar

[@tdsims1963]

Thanks! Are we talking about recent bands ("recent" as in within the past five years)?

[@GeeWhizbang]

@@tdsims1963 yes Soft Science is a newish band from Sacramento

[@bskitchenriffs6522]

Earthquaker and Walrus are too huge pushers of oddball effects. Their demo videos are filled with hipster alternative musicians. I love their stuff, as they recognize the importance of shoegaze as a sub genre. The afterneath is my favorite.

[@marieparker3822]

Thank you, everyone, for saying 'alternative'. 'Alternate' is a different word with a different meaning. Bless you for saving me from some pain today.

[@terrye6853]

I remember seeing Matt Pinfield interview Brian May on MTV in the 90s. May was blown away by Matt’s knowledge

[@__-wc5zn]

I think alt rock is making a comeback. honestly people these days are making some great ass music. every genre has gotten like 10 times better since last decade.

[@jaysonmahaguay5888]

@Hilltop JD614 I agree with you, nobody beats the physical copy and expending hours in a record store checking every albums and magazines

[@haleyconant]

This is why I never know what one music provider calls "alternative" versus another. You can get anything from The Strokes to The Used to Dave Matthews. Thanks for driving into this Rick!

[@Sweetish_Jeff_]

True. The classic rock stations will play The Beatles, but never play anything before 1966. The oldies stations will do that. And then there is what I cal “revisionist radio”, making artists and bands out to be one-hit wonders. Example: Marc Bolan and T. Rex. American radio only plays one song by them: “Bang A Gong (Get It On)”. Yet I used to listen to a UK radio station years ago and they played “20th Century Boy”, “Jeepster”, “Metal Guru”, “Ride A White Swan”, “Children Of The Revolution”, and “Hot Love” among others. American radio makes people think an artist or a band was a one-hit wonder when they are not.

[@haleyconant]

@Jay Emm yep, that's America for ya.

[@dawnpatrol700]

You could tell Matt Pinfield was choosing the videos on MTV2 circa 2000. It ended with a bang. People rave about 80s MTV, but I think the Pinfield years were the best. I remember seeing Pretenders Tatooed Love Boys followed by Badly Drawn Boy Disillusion. So up my alley, I could tell a REAL music fan was choosing these, rather than a program manager, targeting commercial money

[@uprebel5150]

I waited until I was 24 to go to college in 1990. This really freed up my time to attend gigs even more than before. Grew up and went to college in Metro-Detroit. I only had classes Monday thru Thursday. This was a perfect recipe to allow me to see at least two gigs a week. Windsor, Ontario had a great Alt station 89X. Ann Arbor and East Lansing were hot spots. I would travel the Upper Midwest most weekends finding out by word of mouth where the great new bands were. No damn Googling back in the day. My kids don't believe me that I saw Nirvana more than once. Great memories.

[@timothy4664]

I was 14 in 91. I remember complaining to my parents because my allowance wasn't nearly enough for all the tapes I wanted to buy and I was too young to work lol.