10 Most Underrated 90s Indie Bands You Need To Listen To
8. The Black Watch
Over the past 35 years, founding guitarist/vocalist John Andrew Fredrick has kept The Black Watch afloat. In fact, he’s been the only consistent member, with a revolving door of other singular musicians helping him produce some truly magnificent material.
However, sustained quality doesn’t always result in a substantial fanbase, as the title of their recent collection (31 Years of Obscurity: The Best of the Black Watch 1988 – 2019) proves. Indeed, just about everything they’ve done—from 1988’s St. Valentine to 2021’s Here & There—should be celebrated, especially their 1990s output.
Between 1991 and 1999, The Black Watch issued three LPs—Flowering, Amphetamines, and The King of Good Intensions—as well as a couple of EPs. They’re all great, with highlights including the rustically symphonic This is For Chandler, the buoyant Terrific, the grungily wispy Whatever You Need, and the beautifully contemplative Evangeline.
Yes, shades of The Cure, Nick Drake, Tears for Fears, and the decade’s prevailing Britpop movement are evident. But, Fredrick and company also do a lot to exude treasurable originality, too. In particular, their lyrics have a habitually witty and earnest edge (which isn’t too surprising since he’s an accomplished fiction writer, film critic, and university lecturer).