A Really Strange and Wonderful Time

The Chapel Hill Music Scene: 1989-1999

By: Tom Maxwell

Narrated 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.

Critic reviews

“Here is a vibrant tribute to the kind of offbeat scene that made this era's music so vital. Tom Maxwell brings readers into the Cat's Cradle, into living room band practices, and into the local kitchens that employed so many young and excitable creative minds. A Really Strange and Wonderful Time is a snapshot of utopia, populated with can-do artists who, as one participant says, ‘are willing to toil in relative obscurity with the simple goal of producing something cool.’ We're lucky Tom Maxwell was one of them."—John Lingan, author of A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival

“In prose that is erudite, moving, and at times both hilarious and heart-breaking, Tom Maxwell has written the definitive history of the Chapel Hill music scene. Arduously researched and built around extensive interviews with almost all the major figures of the time, Maxwell reveals in granular detail how one small group of people in a tiny southern town could come together to create a community of artistic exploration that, for a while at least, made a whole bunch of noise that inspired the world. It was a time of magic, and these pages are filled with it.”—Nic Brown, author of Bang Bang Crash

More than just a history of Chapel Hill music in the 90s

I grew up in Raleigh, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgia of reliving a lot of local bands I remember from my youth, Tom Maxwell backs up to look at the bigger picture of what creates an artistic community, and how we can cultivate such a community in our own lives.

Great Nostalgia from a great time

I still listen to all rhese bands and loved this book. I felt there were a few major players of the time that were left out, but it is robust. Great knowledge and history of NC scenes, which is why I was surprised he referenced Ryan Adams was from Jacksonville, Fl...
This is a great read

Beautifully arranged and read.

If you are into indie, punk, DIY music and/or have an interest in the 1990's music scene in Chapel Hill, then you should already have a copy. Brilliant and infinitely interesting. 🖤🔥

An amazing journey back to a wonderful time!

Having been a small part but mostly an observer of this wonderful time in the Chapel Hill/Raleigh music scene this was a great listen and an insightful look back at what was a formative time for me. Having known and worked with a lot of the “characters” in this book it was great to hear deep dives into stories I knew parts of and many I had no idea about. Thanks for this document Tom!…….oh, and to discover that Regular Size Rudy was the bass player for Bicycle Face was a nice bonus.