Five '90s Bands Still Living the Dream

The ’90s are back in a big way. With Ed Kowalczyk of Live and Toad The Wet Sprocket touring again, we decided to crank up the way-back machine and see what some of their peers are up to. Join us as we virtually trek across the globe, rekindling the best musical stylings of the Gen X glory decade with five of our favorite bands.

5. Better Than Ezra

Best known for being one of the few – or possibly the only – grunge band from New Orleans, and for their killer jams “Desperately Wanting” and “Good,” Better Than Ezra just wrapped up a tour and they’re working on a new album for next year. They also recently re-released the 1998 fan favorite albumHow Does Your Garden Grow?, and they certainly haven’t forgotten their roots: The group’s BTEFoundation has raised over $850,000 for various causes in and around New Orleans.

4. Spin Doctors

You know them as the band that put “ba de de de de da de de da da bop bop bop” on the map, thanks to the song “Two Princes.” While that song and their other hits “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” and “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues” ensured their place in the pantheon of ’90s stars, Spin Doctors have kept at it, steadily touring and releasing new music – the group has been playing together for 25 years. Their latest, If The River Was Whiskey, was recorded completely live, and the video for the title track premiered on Conan O’Brien’s TeamCoco.com.

3. Dan Wilson (Semisonic)

The man behind Semisonic‘s impossible-to-escape and beloved tune “Closing Time,” Dan Wilson has maintained a busy career as a solo artist and has co-written tunes with Taylor Swift, Josh Groban, and the Dixie Chicks. He’s just wrapping up a tour and remains good-naturedly bemused about “Closing Time”‘s second life as a punchline for comedic scenes in everything from The Office to Eastbound & Down. Also, check out the video for “Disappearing” – Wilson illustrated it himself!

2. Spacehog

Spacehog‘s cosmic “In The Meantime” was one of 1995’s standout rock tracks, a refreshingly soaring, catchy tune in the middle of the era’s largely humorless dirges. Bassist and singer Royston Langdon stayed in the spotlight for his marriage to Liv Tyler six years later, and the group’s former guitarist Antony was featured in Joaquin Phoenix’s mockumentary I’m Still Here. Now, the group is launching its first U.S. tour in quite some time in support of 2013’s As It Is On Earth.

1. The Cranberries

Dolores O’Riordan’s powerful voice helped The Cranberries sell over 40 million albums worldwide, buoyed by hits like “Zombie” and “Linger.” O’Riordan has worked through some personal issues of her own recently, and the group remains a popular live draw – they’re now touring behind 2012’s Roses.