Category: 90s music

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Hidden Gems from the B-Side — Drivin N Cryin (Week 19)

Fly Me Courageous ♬ Build a Fire

Hey yall… welcome…

Today I got two more from these guys…
both of ‘em take me back…

Back to around ‘98…
weekend nights… guitars plugged in…
just playing for hours…

There was this lady and her husband…
and also a guy named Dennis…
and my best friend Ron on drums…
we’d go all night…

And somewhere in the middle of it all…
between the laughs…
the beer… the whiskey… the weed…
these two songs would find their way in…

I don’t miss the stimulants…
but I sure miss the music…
the friendship…
the memories…

I think about Dennis a lot…
he passed way too young…
great guy… great guitar player…

♬ “Fly Me Courageous” — Fly Me Courageous (1991)

♬ “Build a Fire” — Fly Me Courageous (1991)

So this one’s for you, Dennis…

Rock on, brother… 🎸

That’s Dennis in the background with the black n white guitar…

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson | All rights reserved

`’.,°~

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Hidden Gems from the B-Side — Life Side (Week 17)

Matthew Sweet 🎶 I’ve Been Waiting 🎶 Walk Out..

For this week’s Hidden Gems from the B-Side, I’m digging into the catalog of Matthew Sweet.

Today’s picks come from two different moments in his career — 🎶 I’ve Been Waiting from the 1991 album Girlfriend, and 🎶 Walk Out from 100% Fun (1995). Both tracks show why Sweet became such a cult favorite in the alternative scene — melodic, guitar-driven songs that still sound just as good decades later.

As a bonus, I’m also sharing a video of Matthew during his recovery after suffering a stroke in 2024. Watching a musician fight their way back through therapy is powerful — a reminder that music isn’t just something we listen to… it’s something that lives deep inside a person. Seeing that strength and determination makes these songs hit even harder.

Hope y’all enjoy… 🎸

Special Bonus 👇 Recovering From A Stroke…

…

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All Rights Reserved.

`’.,°~

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Hidden Gems from the B-Side — Life Side (Week 16)

Matthew Sweet 🎶 Evangeline 🎶 Not When I Need It…

🎸 Matthew Sweet — Hidden Gems
Two deep cuts worth the spotlight.. “Evangeline” and  “Not When I Need It.”
“Evangeline” comes from Girlfriend (1991), Sweet’s breakout power-pop classic. It wasn’t a single, but it became a fan favorite for its hooks and guitar fire—and it was inspired by the comic-book character Evangeline, blending sci-fi imagery with aching pop romance.

A few years later, 100% Fun (1995) kept the melodic magic rolling. “Not When I Need It” is one of those perfect deep cuts—bright, punchy, and emotionally honest. Together, these tracks show Sweet’s sweet spot: killer hooks with real heart.

Discovering Matthew Sweet in the early ’90s was a blast for me—cranking his CDs, guitar in hand, playing along in my room. Hope you enjoy this little trip back 🎸

Also, I love the guitar riffs in “Evangeline”… many of his songs have it like that.

👇 bonus Paste Studio tracks

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson | All rights reserved

`’.,°~

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Hidden Gems from the B-Side—Life Side (Week 15)

Matthew Sweet 🎶 We’re the Same 🎶 I Almost Forgot…

As I was putting this piece together, I got raptured back to 1995 — on the edge of my bed by the window… that little apartment in Riverdale, GA… guitar in hand… as was always the case… learning these next two songs. The story behind this album’s title is heavier than the sound.

Matthew Sweet’s 100% Fun — the 1995 album that includes both “We’re the Same” and “I Almost Forgot” — gets its title from a surprisingly heavy rock history footnote. Sweet lifted the phrase “100% fun” from Kurt Cobain’s 1994 suicide note, where Cobain wrote: *“The worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by faking it and pretending as if I’m having 100% fun.”*

That ironic origin gives the album title a bittersweet edge — a record full of bright hooks and jangly guitars, but named after a line born out of real emotional struggle. 100% Fun stands as one of Sweet’s most loved power-pop records — catchy, melodic, and quietly reflective beneath the shine.

So yeah — without further ado… here’s the music.

🎵 “We’re the Same” — 100% Fun (1995)


🎵 “I Almost Forgot” — 100% Fun (1995)

…

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson

`’.,°~

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Hidden Gems From The B-Side.. Life Side (Week 13)

Tonic — 3 Songs + 1 Encore (Final Send-Off)

One last ride for Tonic—
a small send-off to a band that carried seasons of my life.
Their songs were companions more than tracks…
Windows down… volume up… thanks for the road…

🎵 If You Could Only See
🎵 Queen
🎵 Let Me Go

Encore (King of the Hill cover) 👇

🎵 East Bound and Down

Encore 👇👏

…

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

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Hidden Gems From The B-Side.. Life Side (Week 10)

Tonic 🎶 Future Says Run 🎶 Sugar…

Sup my people…
I’m sticking with Tonic this week… just too many great songs to leave behind…
Thought I’d let you experience them on a deeper level…
They’ve always been such an underrated deal…
except for those of us who know…

So I’ve got two more for you…

🎵 Future Says Run
Album… Sugar
Release year… 1998

🎵 Sugar
Album… Sugar
Release year… 1998

I hope yall enjoy…
So press play…
and let’s go over this midweek hump together…

…….⏳<3→👀→✅…💬”im right”…🙏<3…🚫⏸️…🌙⚡<3’…….<3~⏳~→?→=…”:;=;”…<3→/→!→…~NOW~’…….<3~⏳~…👁…”:;right?;”…<3…~no fear~…🌙’

© Bryan H. 2026 — All Rights Reserved

`’.,°~

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Hidden Gems From The B-Side.. Life Side (Week 9)

Tonic 🎶 Head On Straight 🎶 Lemon Parade…

Hey yall… so I have two more great songs from Tonic for you…

“Head on Straight”
• Album: Head on Straight
• Year: 2o02

“Lemon Parade”
• Album: Lemon Parade
• Year: 1996

And here’s some cool facts about the band…

• The name “Tonic” comes from music theory — the tonic is the home note of a scale.. They chose it because they wanted their songs to feel grounded.. centered.. and real…

• “If You Could Only See” became one of the most-played rock songs of the late ’90s.. but the band actually thought deeper tracks like “Lemon Parade” better represented who they really were…

• Emerson Hart (lead singer) wrote many of their songs while dealing with personal struggles — addiction.. recovery.. and relationships — which is why their lyrics hit with that raw… honest edge….

• They turned down being over-polished… Labels wanted them slicker… but Tonic pushed to keep their sound emotional and imperfect — part of why they connect so well with listeners who love real feeling over radio gloss…

• They reunited after a long break because fans never stopped asking for them — and when they came back… they kept the same heart instead of chasing modern trends…

I hope you enjoy 😉 `.°~

© 2026 Bryan H. All Rights Reserved.

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Hidden Gems From The B-Side.. Life Side (Week 8)

Tonic 🎶 Open Up Your Eyes 🎶 Mr. Golden Deal…

Hey yall… I got two more songs from Tonic for you…

Open Up Your Eyes — from their 1996 debut album Lemon Parade —
It’s a great one… I like the video too… how they start dancing on the skates at the end… lol

Mr. Golden Deal… also from Lemon Parade (1996)… I love this one… it’s like poetry…

easy to skip past…
worth stopping for…

Hidden gems… I think..
I hope yall enjoy them…

…….💎🎶~→💿🎶’…….<¤>~→||→=||~’

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year in 2o26… here’s to turning pages — not running from them…