Music

11 Farmclub memories that'll give you Y2K nostalgia

by Tyler Munro

Here’s to the nights we won’t remember with the friends will never forget

If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can still see the row of lights glistening off Matt Pinfield’s round, bald head. With help from the Doritos girl, Pinfield was conductor to Farmclub’s brief but beautiful symphony, reigning in its inexplicable mix of burgeoning indie rock and pleather-clad nu metal.

Farmclub was in constant contradiction with itself, catering to the Bizkit-capped zeitgeist while still using its website as the platform to break new bands.

From Orgy to Dynamite Hack, there is perhaps no better snapshot of Y2K’s music scene than Farmclub.com: A short-lived show named after a website that at one point affiliated itself with Extreme Championship Wrestling.

But as much as we’re joking here, and as much as it sounds like I’m taking the piss, Farmclub was ritualistic viewing for me. Because while it helped perpetuate my terrible taste in music—Yes, I liked Godsmack—it also gave me a pretty early head start on good music, introducing me to bands like At the Drive-In and Queens of the Stone Age at an impressionable 12-years-old. That meant a lot.

Below, we’ll outline the best and worst of Farmclub, from hyper-horny rap-rock to goggle-wearing groove metal. And in between, some things worth taking seriously. Remember Primer 55? Because you’re about to.

 

At the Drive-In – One Armed Scissor

I’d never seen anything quite like this before. It doesn’t sound the best, with so-so guitar-work and an out of breath Cedric Bixler on vocals, but what “One Armed Scissor” lacked in precision it more than made up for with primal, raw energy.

 

Orgy – Opticon

Orgy still exist, but their story has taken a decidedly sour turn: Last summer, they tried to crowd fund $100,000 towards a new album. They fell $93,000 short.

 

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – Richter Scale Madness

Skip to 3:15 for their performance. Skip to the end to see them absolutely trash their gear.

 

Wu-Tang Clan – Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)

The W was a surprisingly solid post-36 Chambers effort from Wu-Tang Clan, and it’s no small feat that they essentially re-made one of their best songs for its lead single and somehow pulled it off.

 

Bloodhound Gang – The Bad Touch

Admit it, you loved this song, and its popularity largely contributed to the success of Dynamite Hack, ironic “Boyz in the Hood” cover artists that Farmclub single-handedly pushed into the charts.

 

Creed – Higher

Oh, Creed. Must my relationship with your music be so conflicted?

 

Primus – AntiPop

How much of Farmclub’s audience do you think were wise to the “Primus Sucks” chant? I sure as hell wasn’t.

 

Primer 55 – Get Loose

In hindsight, it’s fascinating that an entire genre existed solely to get the kids to jump the fuck up. There might be no better embodiment of that than “Get Loose,” a song written exclusively around getting them wallet chains bouncing.

 

No Doubt – Ex-Girlfriend

Is that Nardwuar on guitar?

 

Bone Thugs ‘n’ Harmony – Tha Crossroads

Not even Farmclub’s so-so sound could make this song sound anything but smooooooth. We’ll never hear hip-hop like this again.

 

Queens of the Stone Age – Auto Pilot

Not even the most pixellated videos of this lot can camouflage Nick Oliveri’s trademark goatee. This Rated R jam was in large part the calm before the storm for Queens, whose star went nova shortly thereafter.