kings of the underground

just a few weeks removed from seeing Dinosaur Jr., the music scene in southern new england during my youth has been on my mind a bit. the strength of bands coming out of boston and the surrounding area played a huge factor in nuturing my love of music growing up. today i thought i'd revisit one of the forgotten bands from back then. Cold Water Flat had a rather short existence. the band, formed by Paul Janowitz, younger brother of Bill, the frontman of the then locally popular Buffalo Tom, was close to disbanding the group after one album when they were signed to a major label amidst the explosion of alternative music in the nineties. in fact, it was the newly formed Fort Apache imprint created by MCA, Fort Apache Studios being the epicenter of Boston's music scene in the ninties, recording popular local artists and emerging national alternative acts. the subsequeent '95 self-titled release would turn out to be their last when it failed to catch on, but in my eyes remains an underlooked gem from a time were southern new england was abuzz with the success of bands ranging from Dinosaur Jr. and the Lemonheads to bands like Morphine, Belly and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. it contains the familiar punch of grunge emulating pop that recalls the heyday of 120 Minutes and the formation of countless modern rock radio stations, making it good pickings for the eventual nostalgia for all things ninties.

Cold Water Flat "King of the Underground"