Bully is reminiscent of the best of the ’90s

Nashville, Tenn., rock band Bully gained ground in 2015 for its throwback to ’90s alternative rock, punk and grunge. The early ’90s saw underground alternative rock break through the mainstream, but it was also an era rich in female rock performers were more obsessed with lyrics and guitar pedals than what brand of shoes they were wearing.

In many ways Bully, which plays Snug Harbor Tuesday, is a throwback to that way of thinking. Bully frontwoman Alicia Bognanno is decidedly anti-fashion.

“I don’t think about fashion and I don’t care,” says Bognanno, a young recording engineer and songwriter who interned under Steve Albini. Albini produced seminal albums by Nirvana, the Pixies and PJ Harvey.

On Bully’s debut, “Feels Like,” Bognanno’s voice rockets from a whisper to a hoarse yell as she spouts confessional lyrics about throwing up in a date’s car or a missed period – subjects that can still resonate with both genders. It’s like a more raw Veruca Salt or, in its poppier moments, Juliana Hatfield, while musically channeling the fuzzy guitar rock of Dinosaur Jr., and “Dirty”-era Sonic Youth with a spoonful of emo angst.

But Bognanno was a baby when “Smells Like Teen Spirit” swallowed radio and ushered in a new sound. She grew up on Ace of Base and Motown, middle school-era “bad emo,” and hip-hop that was coming out of nearby Minneapolis on the Rhymesayers label (she grew up in Rosemount, Minn.).

“I didn’t listen to any (’90s rock) until I was in college. That was 2008. For some reason, that was a lot of the first underground music I heard,” she says. “That music is really good, basic rock music and the stuff that was going on in college was reverb-y, surf-y stuff. I’m definitely more into straightforward, rawer-sounding stuff.”

As a recording engineer, producing Bully’s debut album “Feel This,” Bognanno wanted to capture the raw intensity of analog recording. Her preference for analog is why she sought out Albini’s Chicago studio, where Bully also recorded, in the first place.

“I understand the method of it better than Pro Tools. It’s more physical and makes more sense to my brain,” she explains. “There’s certain restrictions with tape... that I like. I like being forced to commit to a take or a track and move on. I like not having the ability to come back and remix it.”

“Feels Like” has been praised for its warm, gritty production.

“I definitely had a sound in my head,” she says, adding that her experience as an engineer surprisingly makes her less picky in the studio. “I’ve seen a lot of artists spend a lot of time and want it perfect. I like the natural flaws. I think it gives a recording character.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Bully is reminiscent of the best of the ’90s."