A Really Strange and Wonderful Time: The Chapel Hill Music Scene, 1989-1999

by Tom Maxwell

The first biography of the thriving and influential rock scene in Chapel Hill, which gave the world artists like Ben Folds Five, Superchunk, and Squirrel Nut Zippers
 
North Carolina has always produced extraordinary music of every description. But the indie-rock boom of the late 1980s and early ‘90s brought the state most fully into the public consciousness, while the subsequent post-Grunge free-for-all bestowed its greatest commercial successes. In addition to the creation of legacy label Merge Records and a slate of excellent indie bands like Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, and Polvo, this was the decade when other North Carolina artists broke Billboard’s Top 200 and sold millions of records―several million of which were issued by another indie label based in Carrboro, Chapel Hill’s smaller next-door neighbor. It’s time to take a closer look at exactly what happened.

A Really Strange and Wonderful Time features a representative cross-section of what was being created in and around Chapel Hill between 1989 and 1999. In addition to the aforementioned indie bands, it documents―through firsthand accounts―other local notables like Ben Folds Five, Dillon Fence, Flat Duo Jets, Small, Southern Culture on the Skids, Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Veldt, and Whiskeytown. At the same time, it describes the nurturing infrastructure which engendered and encouraged this marvelous diversity. In essence, A Really Strange and Wonderful Time is proof of the genius of community.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Pop Culture, Southern, Punk

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2024

Reviews

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting more superchunk and merge and zero squirrel nut zippers (I bought the book based on the title alone) but it's a great read about the music scene of the 90s.

[Soscha · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A Really Strange and Wonderful Time" is an enthralling biography that delves into the thriving rock scene of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, unveiling the birthplace of influential artists such as Ben Folds Five, Superchunk, and Squirrel Nut Zippers. While North Carolina has a rich history of musical talent, from bluegrass pioneer Charlie Poole to jazz legends Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Nina Simone, it was the indie rock boom of the late 1980s and '90s that truly propelled the state onto the global stage.

This book takes readers on a captivating journey through the extraordinary decade between 1989 and 1999, a time when North Carolina bands broke into the Billboard's top 200 and sold millions of records. It was during this period that Carrboro, Chapel Hill's smaller and sleepier neighbor, housed an ambitious indie label and gave birth to legacy label Merge Records. "A Really Strange and Wonderful Time" presents an opportunity to closely examine the remarkable happenings of this era.

Author and musician Tom Maxwell brings this story to life by skillfully weaving together firsthand accounts from those who experienced the scene firsthand. Through interviews and insightful commentary, Maxwell allows band members, culture mavens, producers, visual artists, DJs, and club owners to speak for themselves. His own perspective as a participant adds color and context to the narrative, taking readers directly into the heart of the action.

The book is meticulously researched and intimately written, immersing readers in the sweat-drenched basement gigs, sold-out shows at renowned venues like the Cradle, makeshift recording studios, and cramped 15-passenger vans. Maxwell unravels the wondrous flowering of musical activity during this period and the subsequent decline, showing that success is not solely defined by fame, but rather lies in the communal spirit of the artistic community.

In conclusion, "A Really Strange and Wonderful Time" offers a compelling exploration of Chapel Hill's influential rock scene, capturing the essence of an era that propelled North Carolina into the public consciousness. By giving voice to the individuals who shaped the scene, Maxwell provides readers with an intimate and insightful perspective on the highs and lows of this extraordinary musical journey. Whether you were a part of the scene or simply a lover of indie rock, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the power of community, creativity, and the transformative impact of music.

[Peter Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intensely interested in reading this book as I lived in Chapel Hill from '91-'94 and was very peripherally involved in the fertile 90's music scene as a spectator. So I got a kick out of reading quotes from people I know and hearing about shows I attended from a real insider's perspective. As you would expect, the author is most informed about the Squirrel Nut Zippers and probably spends the most time on them, but he determinedly makes an effort to include details on other groups like Ben Folds Five, Superchunk, Polvo, Archers of Loaf, The Veldt, Flat Duo Jets, Zen Frisbee, and Metal Flake Mother to name a few, as well as the Merge and Mammoth record labels, and even individual scenesters (RIP Mark Sloop). He understands that the scene is more than just a couple of bands, but also the people who contribute to the infrastructure of it as well. I like to think that I'm not beholden to nostalgia, but it was nice to reminisce about a special time in my life that meant a lot to others too.

[Jerry Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this several days ago and just haven't been on GR.

I LOVE reading about music scenes. This was no exception, I had zero knowledge coming in about Chapel Hill music, though I'd heard of some of the bands. I left with a lot more knowledge and some cool bands to check out.

It's really a 3.5 but I rounded up for effort. The author did an admirable job on an impossible task. To talk about all of the people in and around a music scene over a decade and not lose the reader in a soup of names. It cannot be done but Maxwell did as good as anyone. If you're going to read this, I highly recommend devoting time to reading large chunks or you'll get lost in the details.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who lived on the outskirts of this scene (Greensboro 1994-2012) I really enjoyed this trip back thru some wonderful times. Every scene is special, and every scene deserves to celebrate itself. Tom Maxwell was obviously an insider and writes from that perspective. He writes with a lot of love.

[Jerry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Excellent. Thanks, G!

[Holden Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the venerable Bede, Tom has put down knowledge for the ages. But what he's describing is experience and an even less tangible feeling. It's all there, you are taken to the heart of the indie music scene for a decade.

[Miranda Pennachi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to revisit this time and to gain more perspective on the inner workings of bands and labels in Chapel Hill in the 90s!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advance copy of this new book that looks at a particular time in a city's history where everything came together to make art and noise that will still enthrall listeners years from now.

During the 80's there was an ad for shampoo that sums up how certain bands become popular. The ads starts with a woman washing her hair, telling her friends how great the product was, them telling their friends and so on and so on. That is an origin tale for many bands, they met, share an interest, decide to create art and once they decide the art is right, or as right as it is ever going to be, the decide to share it with others. Siblings, crushes, buds, hangers on and scene makers see them, maybe 5-10. They tell their friends and so on and so on. History might be made, or a spectacular flame out might be coming soon. Again a band origin story for many, but what made them interested in music or art in the first place. What was happening that made them say, Hey I can do that, or I can do that better. Or even hey I can help these people make art, and maybe make some scratch doing it. A Really Strange and Wonderful Time: The Chapel Hill Music Scene: 1989-1999 by musician and author Tom Maxwell looks at a particular scene that drew on location, enviroment and tiny moments that lead up to huge moments in creativity.

The book begins with a club in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, an area that had a lot going on, a time period where things still seemed positive. Clubs need entertainment and this club began forming relationships with local bands, being both supportive, and nurturing, no matter how some of the bands might act. What also helped was location, in that this area was part of the East Coast tour circuit, meaning bands going North or South would stop and perform in the area. This helped grow local record shops, who began to start selling local acts and some of the larger bands who would stop for shows. These places began to bring people together, and share more music, jazz, experimental rock, with people creating more art along these lines. Merge Records a small label was soon becoming a player in the burgeoning college music scene, as more and more bands began to break throughout the area.
Tom Maxwell was a member of one of these groups that began to break out. Maxwell's band Squirrel Nut Zippers was a swing revival, showing the different forms of music that were breaking out. As such he was close to the scene and brings a lot of his own knowledge and perspective to the book. In addition to discussions with other artists, Maxwell talks to the people around the scene, the fans, the promoters and DJs who would champion bands. The book is a bit of a memoir, but this more about the scene, and how it germinated from a couple of small coincidences to something that filled Billboard charts, made a lot of money for some people, and a lot of heartbreak for others. The writing is a very good, and though a bit of familiarity with the music of the times would help readers. Maxwell knows the place, the music and the people and it shows. Some of the bands might be unfamiliar, but one will build up quite a list of new music to listen to.

Recommended for people who worked in record stores during the 90's like myself and going, oh yeah I loved that band, oh those guys were good, what happened to them. A really deep look at a music scene told by a person embedded deep in the middle as things were changing, and as things began to cool down.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough and entertaining romp through the 1990s in Chapel Hill. I only moved to that town in the last couple of those years, but even from far away in Phoenix, Arizona, in the first half of that decade, I was aware of what was happening in Chapel Hill and had been buying records by Superchunk, Polvo, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Ben Folds Five, The Connells, Don Dixon, etc., and had discovered the Usenet group alt.music.chapel-hill on this crazy new thing called the internet.

Tom Maxwell is a skilled writer, and he has woven the story of this decade with care and insight. No doubt there are things left out, but that's inevitable when there are so many threads making up the tapestry. I was pleased at how Tom's own musical experiences were included but not given undue weight or importance over any other people or bands; in fact he showed tremendous deference and gratitude when talking about many other bands and individuals and their role in both the scene and his own musical upbringing. I'm sure Tom "put a lid on it" about some of his experience with the Zippers in these pages, but of course he has another whole book about that--check it out if you haven't.

I'm so grateful for this book, and for this beautiful region in North Carolina where I still live, and that so many of the people included in the book are still alive, and that many of them are still making music and art. Unfortunately the In Memoriam page in the back already needs updating (RIP Dex Romweber). I'm thankful for the amazing contributions that those who have left us made to the music community of Chapel Hill.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won the hardcover edition of A Really strange and wonderful time from a goodreads giveaway. I had never heard of Tom Maxwell or the squirrel nut zippers before. And I also had no idea that chapel hill had a music scene in the 1990.

I liked that each chapter was a year and talked about what the bands mentioned in the book did that year. The book also talks about a few record labels from chapel hill and the people who ran them. And also mentioned was the cats cradle which is a place bands performed.

And I also liked the cover of the book. I think it matched the title of the book.

It was defiantly interesting learning about all the different bands and the people who were in them during the 10 year period fro 1989-1999. I remember the band names more than the people who were in them.

Towards the end of the book Tom takes several pages to write about what some of the people mentioned in the book are doing today.

Also toward the end of the book Tom quotes a book called the unreality of time. It never occurred to me before that there is the past, present, future. The past is always the past. However the other present and future will eventually become the past. Anyway I thought they who discussion about time was though provoking.

So now even if I can't remember the names of most of people who were in the bands talked about in the book at least I will have new to me music that I want to explore.

[EspReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must read for those who were part of the Chapel Hill (or NC) music scene in the 1990s. Also of interest for those who followed indy music in that period. Otherwise, the book will be a challenge to read. The author, Maxwell, was in several bands covered by the book--most notably Squirrel Nut Zippers. Consequently, he appears to be too close to his subject. The book is poorly organized beyond the chronological chapters. Any organization would have be welcomed--even inserting a space in between topics in a chapter would have been helpful. As it is, it is one long uninterrupted stream of musicians, band names, record companies, record execs and the like. It was very tough to keep track and there was no scorecard. Maxwell obviously looks back fondly on the people and music of the era, but there is way too much on the Zippers and not enough on Superchunk and almost nothing on the Connells and others. And the index--probably the p00rest part of the book. When I received the book as a gift I headed right to the index looking for REM. No mention, even though I knew REM had a huge influence on the Chapel Hill scene. Indeed they were in the book, but oddly not in the index. Other groups were notably absent as well.

[Austin Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a biography of a whole ecosystem. The way things intertwined and developed over time was fascinating.

I always love to read about DIY—especially in music scenes.

I’m glad it didn’t just focus on the band’s work—as I wasn’t familiar with most of the music previously. (I had lived nearby in Charlotte in the 90s, but I was a kid at that point.)

Whereas I knew about Ben Folds and Squirrel Nut Zippers, I had no idea about Zen Frisbee (which gets mentioned over 100 times).

The community and the time are the real focal points here.

It’s the story of a bunch of college bands that were important to their members, the bands around them, and the community at large—long after their times were over.

That said, I do wish that the book didn’t essentially end with long lists of updates on where people are now. It felt less like a resolution and more like tedium.

Even as a philosophy major, I found the last chapter, a philosophical essay on the nature of time and creativity, to be a bit much. But I do think it drove home the idea that the scene (and the elements that created it) was bigger than any individual or accomplishment.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful inside view of the indie music scene in Chapel Hill North Carolina area in the 1990's. I got the whole vibe of the Squirrel Nut Zippers (one of the indie groups my husband loves to listen to) and the bands and people surrounding that time and how they maneuvered around in the indie and corporate music scene. I really liked how the author rounded out the book by making the last chapters about bringing the reader up to date on the people involved and a memorial page for those that have died. If you are into indie music even if it is the Athens GA scene - you will find this interesting.
I won this book from Goodreads giveaways.

[Hope Broadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obligatory "A really strange and wonderful book" comment. But it IS a great book. It is strange in that there are no transition breaks in the chapters, so it can be a little hard to follow. But EVERYTHING else about this book is wonderful. I was in college at NC State from 1993 - 1999 and this was the music of those days. I have been to the Cradle. I saw some of these bands at the G105 Big Shindigs. It was great to read about the bands' experiences and hear their backstories. I also got introduced to groups that I wasn't aware of back in the day, like The Veldt.
To this day, Greg Humphreys is one of my favorite singers.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously researched, "A Really Strange and Wonderful Time" evokes a memorable creative era in Chapel Hill and the Triangle. Tom Maxwell -- part of the "scenius" himself -- relied on extensive interviews, a fabulous memory, and first-person accounts to bring this momentous time to life.

Chock full of tales of short-lived bands and collaborations and the steady presence of Cat's Cradle, Merge Records, and other community pillars, this book leans hard on nostalgia and what-ifs -- but a resounding lack of regret. Music is eternal, and Maxwell's account is a welcome reminder in a time of cultural upheaval.

[C.G. Twiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A meticulously researched book about the Chapel Hill indie music scene in the 90s. I expected this would be similar to books I've read about the Seattle "grunge" music scene in the 90s, which produced several bonafide superstar bands, such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots. Unfortunately, other than REM (who is only briefly mentioned), I'd never heard of any of these bands. So that makes it a 3-star for me, but fans of the bands will likely love this book.

I just reviewed A Really Strange and Wonderful Time by Tom Maxwell. #NetGalley

[Scott Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books on music scenes. I didn't know anything about the Chapel Hill Music Scene. I admit that I read this solely for information on the Squirrel Nut Zippers. I enjoyed learning more about Ben Folds Five and even Hootie and The Blowfish. However, I really didn't know the multiple other bands mentioned in this book. While I think the book is probably aimed more at people familiar with the scene, I still liked learning a bit about the music industry at the time and the couple of bands I was aware of beforehand.

[Mike Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. A terrific account from someone who was very much there and part of the scene. I would have rated this higher if it made more frequent use of paragraph breaks, sections, and last names. It was sometimes tough to track who he was talking about. That said, this inside-out, stream-of-conscious perspective made me feel like I was there, and introduced me to some local bands I missed along the way.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in this book simply because of its region and subject. I spent formative years in North Carolina during this creative time period. I thought reading this book would be a nice step back in time to relive some cool music and find music that I hadn’t heard in that time. This book succeeded on those fronts, but to tell you the truth this book could have been a hundred pages shorter and it would have been better.

[christee henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This is your time. Connect with like-minded people, occupy the physical spaces available to you, and inherit your rightful creative kingdom. As Christ told his disciples in the Gospel of Thomas, “It will not come by waiting for it. It is not a matter of saying, ‘Here it is’ or ‘There it is.’ Rather, the kingdom is spread out upon the earth.” —closing lines

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The jumps between bands, labels, clubs, tours, and studios every few paragraphs took a few chapters to get used to. But it ultimately showed how many people and places wove together over time to create the community of bands in Chapel Hill. I learned a ton and have lots of new (to me) music to check out.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its somewhat odd to read a book that chronicles a time and place with which you were intimately involved... when you know most of the people personally, and were present for a lot of the events chronicled...even when you might remember some events differently...but that's okay...this book was a lot of fun...a story well told, compelling and thorough...recommended.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I didn’t really know or care about the bands, this was a fun read about the history of Chapel Hill’s music scene in the 90s which honestly gave us some of the most-hated (by me but also objectively annoying) songs I can remember in the 90s/2000s.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely walk down memory lane. The inside scoop on the bands so important to me during my college years.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty darn even-handed and certainly comprehensive exploration of what all the biggest Chapel Hill staples were up to for 10 years. I moved here for shows, I mean grad school, in 1999 and managed to catch Whiskeytown's last show at the Cradle on New Year's Eve before everything kind of fizzled out in a Napster and Disney money haze.

Ex-Squirrel Nut Zipper Tom Maxwell certainly does answer many questions that dogged me at the time in this brisk, engaging read.

Things like:
1) What is the point of Shark Quest?
2) Why aren't there any Squirrel Nut Zippers songs I can swing dance to?
3) Did anybody enjoy being in Whiskeytown making those beautiful songs?
4) Why did Ben Folds Five always seem like they were from Greensboro?

The great thing about this book is that Maxwell is talking to the right people, and more importantly, they are speaking openly to him. Anybody with an interest in the late 20th-century popular music industry will find something of interest here, especially if they are looking for business details about a huge bubble that is on the verge of collapse. I appreciate Maxwell's effort to capture this fairly ineffable era so well -- as a North Carolina history book, it's a complete banger.