Surge Overkill

Consider a few other factors. Apparently, fickleness still reigns. The Lemonheads were the darlings of the fledgling alterna-rock scene a few years back, Evan Dando one of the genre's first heartthrobs. Now they, and Dando, are considered a joke; their droopy bubblegrunge, once fashionable, is now considered passe. The music's ironic-angst stance can grow tiresome, too, which may account for the rise of stiflingly earnest acts like Hootie & the Blowfish.

Of course, there are exceptions: Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Live, and the Cranberries have had no problem selling boxloads of copies of their second albums. But each of them is a more traditional rock band, one that crosses beyond Lollapalooza party lines. A band like Belly or the Stone Roses may ultimately be considered too wimpy for the tastes of your average meat-and-potatoes American rock fan.

At the very least, K-tel may one day have one sharp alterna-rock compilation on its hands. Maybe they'll call it Smells Like Grunge! and include pump-you-up morsels like Bush's "Everything Zen," the Lemonheads' "In Your Arms," Veruca Salt's "Seether," Oasis' "Live Forever," the Breeders' "Cannonball," and Frente!'s remake of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle." In any case, Weezer, Crash Test Dummies, and Blind Melon better watch out — their fans may already be gearing up to buy another band's souvenir baseball caps.