The archive
Alternative Times: 119 volumes capturing the rise of 2000s alternative rock, emo, nu-metal, indie and underground music before the streaming era changed everything.
Alternative Times was essentially a curated monthly-ish compilation series collecting:
The series became popular because it functioned like a snapshot of the alternative rock scene during the peak years of post-grunge, active rock, alt metal, emo and early indie revival.
A lot of people discovered bands through these compilations before streaming existed.
Most evidence points to:
119 numbered volumes running from approximately 2000 to 2010.
Before Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Bandcamp algorithms, discovering new alternative music was difficult.
"Alternative Times" worked like a monthly radio sampler, an underground playlist, a DJ promo pack and a discovery engine.
People downloaded the newest volume to hear upcoming radio singles, lesser-known bands, promo tracks and scene favorites.
The archive