152. Nirvarious Artists
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In this episode of Beyond Yacht Rock 2000, the hosts dive into a fictional genre they've coined 'Nervarious Artists'—compilation albums from the late 80s and early 90s that featured Nirvana alongside obscure, often hilariously named bands. The episode is structured as a countdown of the 10 most 'nervarious' artists, judged by the absurdity of their names and the sparsity of their Wikipedia presence. The hosts blend humor, nostalgia, and deep dives into underground music culture, recounting personal memories of discovering these bands while reflecting on their own identities as music obsessives. Highlights include the story of Lance Diamond, a flamboyant Buffalo legend who briefly fronted the Goo Goo Dolls, the fictional Australian band Smelly Tongues (confused with a chimpanzee rock group), and the tragic mystery of Bobby Fuller’s death. The episode is packed with meta-commentary on hipsterism, music fandom, and the fleeting fame of indie acts caught in the grunge wave. The hosts also tease upcoming segments, including a murder mystery deep dive and a new bumper theme called 'Canadian apologies.'
Nervarious Artists are bands on grunge-era compilations that included Nirvana, chosen for their silly names and minimal online presence.
The ranking is based on how 'nervarious' a band is—defined by absurd name + minimal Wikipedia content, with the least documented being the most 'nervarious'.
The episode uses humor and personal anecdotes to explore the culture of music obsession, especially the desire to be 'in the know' without being a poser.
The fictional band Smelly Tongues, possibly a monkey rock group, is crowned the most nerverious artist due to confusion with a real Australian band and a fictional ape band.
The hosts use the episode to reflect on the legacy of Nirvana, the rise of grunge, and the fleeting fame of underground bands.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introducing Nervarious Artists: The Genre of Forgotten Bands
“I'm calling them nerverious artists. Do you guys have any questions? Yes. Okay. The juicy Wikipedia, the robustness of Wikipedia articles, are you counting from most robust to least or least robust to most? I mean, we'll find out after the first song.”
Number 10: The Goo Goo Dolls and the Legend of Lance Diamond
“I saw this TV special and I was like, this is the best band I've ever seen. The lead singer was a middle-aged black man. In a captain's hat... He was like a rhinestone studded Captain Steubens with shades on and one of their guitarists looked like Poochie.”
Number 9: Jackal and the Art of the Smutty Southern Rock Band
“What if it was about his hen house? Probably was. Steve? Yeah, Steve, they were really clever with their like I've been jacking my lumber baby since my chain saw you.”
Number 8: That Dog and the Punk Girl Band with a Period in the Name
“It's an E.E. Cummings band name with a period at the end. So I'm trying to do it justice by pausing every time I say it. Right, because the period indicates a pause.”
Number 7: The Motorcycle Boy and the British Indie Super Group
“I guess technically that is a motor if they're EVs. Doesn't a motor have to turn wheels? An engine. No, an engine is like the compression. Oh, okay, okay. And a motor is... Is anything that kind of turns a wheel.”
“Nothing gets more nerverious artists than a band confused with a bunch of monkeys. And their name is Smelly Tongues.”
“I saw this TV special and I was like, this is the best band I've ever seen. The lead singer was a middle-aged black man. In a captain's hat... He was like a rhinestone studded Captain Steubens with shades on and one of their guitarists looked like Poochie.”
“What if it was about his hen house? Probably was. Steve? Yeah, Steve, they were really clever with their like I've been jacking my lumber baby since my chain saw you.”
Hosts
Nirvana
other
Goo Goo Dolls
other
Bobby Fuller
person
Jackal
other
That Dog
other
The Motorcycle Boy
other
Sub Pop
other
Cat Butt
other
Dickless
other
Coffin Break
other
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