10 Forgotten 90s Rock Bands Worth Rediscovering
2. Madder Rose
Formed in 1991 in Greenwich Village, New York, Madder Rose might just be the quintessential forgotten '90s group. At the core of the band were singer/guitarist Mary Lorson and guitarist Billy Cote.
Both contributed highly distinctive elements to Madder Rose's sound - a memorable mix of downbeat goodness, symphonic loveliness and abrasive guitar. The band released four albums between 1993 and 1999 (with a long-anticipated reunion album, To Be Beautiful, in 2019) and, for a time, looked set for big things.
Madder Rose's druggy, sludgy vibe and artistic pretensions, aided not a little by Lorson's treacly vocals and Cote's immediately recognizable playing made for some fascinating music.
Despite creating an initial splash, however, their star soon faded. Listening to their albums today, such relative lack of success is hard to fathom.
Each set contains enough sparkling jewels, compulsive hooks and depth to stand out. Following the band's break-up, Larson and Cote continued to work collaboratively on several projects, recording together as part of Saint Low, guesting on each other's albums and jointly releasing, under their own names, Piano Creeps (2003, Cooking Vinyl Records).