Song of the Day 5/27: Everclear, “Santa Monica”

I’ve been on a bit of a ’90s kick lately — I’m more and more convinced that decade was rock music’s last hurrah — and this tune has gotten lodged in my head, so an [[[EARWORM ALERT!]]] is in order.

By late 1995, when this song from “Sparkle and Fade” broke out on Alternative Rock radio and what was left of MTV, grunge had pretty much run its course, its dour ethos failing to match the mid-’90s zeitgeist — nihilism is a tough sell in boom times. Post-grunge used the same instrumentation but fewer minor chords, producing what often sounded like a throwback to the ’70s. This tune is a good example — loud, three-chord rock you could crank up on the car radio.

Everclear had a nice five-year run after this song got the public’s attention, scoring two platinum albums and a string of Alternative chart hits. The original band broke up in 2003, but leader Art Alexakis has stayed active, not just releasing music but working as an industry A&R man.