High School Reunion: Lisa Gerarde (1990-1994)
The early ‘90s made alternative music a household name. KROQ, ground-breaking in its own right, was THE radio station to hear the Pixies mixed with No Doubt, or Red Hot Chili Peppers following Oingo Boingo and Billy Idol. DJs like Rodney Bingenheimer and Jed The Fish were my first music gurus; I hung on their every word and felt those first flashes of true music geekery when they announced before a song, “You heard this here first on KROQ!” 91X, a San Diego alternative station, and 88.9 KXLU were also choice stations to hear the coolest music.
I was always a shy girl with a close-knit group of friends that I’d known since kindergarten, so when we got to high school and began to venture outside our little group, I found myself drawn to people who also shared my love of music. When most kids were out partying, I was honing my mixtape craft at home. I’d be hanging by the radio at night and on the weekends taping my favorite songs for my friends. When I finally got a stereo with a tape deck AND a CD player, I was spending more money on Memorex than Mossimo.
Happy Mondays – Step On
They Might Be Giants – Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Blur – There’s No Other Way
Alice In Chains – Would?
XTC – The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
U2 – Until The End of The World
Nirvana – Come As You Are
Catherine Wheel – Black Metallic
The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
Radiohead – Stop Whispering
Belly – Gepetto
Suede – Metal Mickey
Afghan Whigs – Debonair
James – Laid
Portishead – Glory Box
Jeff Buckley – Last Goodbye