#mudhoney history

[joncronshawauthor]

Jon's author diary - December 15, 2023 #amwriting

📚 Welcome to this week’s Author Diary! 📚 What’s in Store This Week: 🔪 Working on “Scoundrels”I’ve been immersed in developing my thief fantasy novel, “Scoundrels.” This novel is a prequel to “Dawn of Assassins,” featuring the same beloved characters but set before the events of the original story. 📘 Crafting the Book Description for “The Fall of Wolfsbane”Condensing a 108,000-word novel into a…

[schlock-luster-video]

On May 25, 1965 Mudhoney debuted in Boston, Massachusetts.

[grungeincluded]

''Along with the niches of more counter-cultural inspired Evangelicals releasing more and more #music through the 80s, artists tried to keep up and create or come into the amorphous sounds and scenes of what came to be called “#grunge”

''Grunge can be defined in various social, musical, aesthetic, and political ways, with its roots in punk and that scene(s)’ diversity of expression and ideology.

Grunge made suburban kids able to access really cool shit they never would have come across otherwise, as experimentally expressive entertainment or philosophically. They could move to the city and reinvent themselves, or do it in their basements with less fear of getting their asses stomped on the way to the record store (which happened to me, again and again, in 1979).'' - Chris Estey

© Grunge Included | @37fotosb

[bitter69uk]

On this day in sexploitation history: breast-fixated visionary Russ Meyer’s essential b-movie Lorna was released sixty years ago (11 September 1964). (Tagline: "Without artistic surrender, without compromise, without question or apology, an important motion picture was produced: LORNA - a woman too much for one man!”). I definitely would have seen Lorna at London’s Scala Cinema in the early 1990s, possibly on a double bill with Mudhoney (1965), the next film Meyer and memorable leading lady Lorna Maitland made together. (Meyer’s biographer Jimmy McDonough summarizes Maitland as “a stiff swirl of cotton-candy blonde hair, lips like a pair of overstuffed couches mating, a lethal-weapon body – there was something plain wicked about Lorna Maitland. Her terminally unimpressed scowl seemed to suggest your balls were not long for this world … A Venus flytrap in a wighat, Jayne Mansfield’s evil twin”).  And I’ve never seen Lorna again, so my memory of it is a bit misty (sadly, whole swathes of Meyer’s filmography are currently difficult to see. His estate is chaotic). Anyway, Lorna represents the start of what Roger Ebert has termed Meyer’s “Gothic period.” For his part, Meyer said he was inspired by Bitter Rice (1949), calling Lorna his attempt at making an American interpretation of Italian neo-realism.

[mourntomidnight]

Essay on the relationship between goth and grunge

Goth is a music based subculture created in the 80s. Pioneered by bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure, it is a subculture with a convoluted history and tumultuous developments. Its aesthetic, sonic and lifestyle components being influenced primarily by horror films, avant garde art, music, cinema and literature, campy b movies, glam rock, punk, old Hollywood and classic literature, it has been among the most surviving counterculture amongst others of the same era, especially among teens and adults. It has survived, and continues to struggle against, numerous misconceptions and stereotypes by the media, perverted men and posers deliberately warping the scene to their advantage due to the efforts of those among the scene. It has clearly defined values and characteristics of those who choose to participate in the scene, that revolve around clubbing, social participation, seeing and being seen, political and cultural conscientiousness, creativity, insular tastes in media and hobbies and overall can be seen as a means of self help and building of one’s identity.

Grunge, on the other hand, at first seems the radical opposite.

Grunge, also a music based subculture, was created in Seattle in the 90s, although there is evidence to support that grunge type sounds have been around prior to the 90s in the form of bands such as Flipper and Green River. Nevertheless, grunge was popularized by bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, becoming huge throughout the beginning to the middle of the decade. Amongst the members of Gen X who participated in the scene, the unfashion and sonic elements of grunge was influenced by feelings of directionless and lack of hope for the future, as the workforce at the time was still dominated by boomers who refused to leave space for Gen X. These historical components can be seen the deliberately slovenly fashion of grunge adherents in the form of flannel shirts, t shirts and ripped jeans, many Nirvana lyrics being purposely directionless to represent such feelings by Kurt Cobain, and an overall reclaiming of the stigma of poverty to combat the material excessiveness of the 80s. Grunge, as a sound, varies from the punk sounds of Mudhoney, alternative rock such as Nirvana, sludgy metal in the form of The Melvins, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains to an evenly sounded Mother Love Bone, but can be best described as a mix between Punk and Metal.

According to many goths and punks around at grunge’s rise to popularity, grunge was an especially disliked scene, due to the punks feelings of many grunge kids being the same individuals who bullied and ostracized the alternative crowd of the 80s, and would have done the same to Kurt Cobain had he never became famous, along with many goths and punks disliking the toxic masculinity displayed by grunge adherents in fashion and behavior, especially in regards to many hair metal bands going in a grunge direction.

Grunge has been documented and dissected, much to the dismay of those involved, since the beginning. The most famous example of this phenomenon is Marc Jacobs Perry Ellis fashion “grunge” runway of 1992-1993, reportedly so disliked it was burned by Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, along with causing Jacobs to be fired by Perry Ellis, due to an increasing concern of the commercialization of grunge that it never really recovered from to this day, another stark contrast it has from goth. If you look up grunge now on the internet, you will find a warped idea of grunge in the form of expensive fast fashion brands and clothing, Instagram accounts featuring hyper sexualized depictions of vaguely alternative women and the remaining devotees of true grunge culture in the form of old men and young people alike on the internet posting of bands like Nirvana.

At first glance, especially looking at the masculine sides of grunge, that goth and grunge are inherently incompatible, and due to grunge’s popularity eating at the goth scenes previous dominance in youth culture of yesteryear. But, I would like to offer a different argument from an angle no one has quite considered. The feminine elements of grunge.

Kinderwhore, is a variant of grunge fashion worn by women in grunge bands and within grunge scenes that was created by Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and popularized by Courtney Love.

Where exactly Kinderwhore gets its name is from journalist Everett True, during an interview with Kurt Cobain and Courtney love. The fashion revolves around purposely inflating traditional, girlish fashions to cartoonish levels, and then subverting them via aggressive, masculine behavior to avoid potential insecurities. Meaning, many women in grunge bands who dressed kinderwhore would always be as aggressive on stage as the men, oftentimes singing feminist lyrics.

The fashion itself revolves around babydoll dresses, slip dresses and Mary janes or combat boots, along with ripped tights, chokers, leather jackets, cardigans and dresses with lace details or Peter Pan collars.

Kinderwhore is related to riot grrl, which is a subset of punk that was underground in the 90s in contrast to grunge, but some within the grunge scene, especially Courtney Love, rejected and denied her work being riot grrl in the first place. If one sees riot grrls middle class origins, white feminism, exclusionary behavior towards trans women, and superficial lyrical and social attitudes, it’s easy to see why many within punk and grunge scenes would want to distance themselves from it. That being said, riot grrls only contribution worth noting to punk was it’s push towards inclusiveness to women due to punk growing increasingly misogynistic and unsafe for women in the 80s, and its efforts have done the most to make punk a better space for women.

What attracts many goths to goth fashion is a deliberate subversion of gender and gender roles in the form of its visuals. Many goths, men and women, would both wear makeup and dress masculine or feminine as they desired, especially due to goth’s acceptance of those deemed “different” by broader society. With keeping in mind to Kinderwhore, a fashion style that also revolves around subverting gender expectations, it is to be expected that among women of goth and grunge, a meeting was destined to take place. Among the women of 90s goth, it was common for them to combine goth fashion with kinderwhore looks.

In the 90s new wave bands such as Strawberry Switchblade, and deathrock bands such as Cinema Strange have experimented with Kindergoth (kinderwhore + goth) looks, that ultimately led designers such as Anna Sui sending her team to scout goth clubs to take inspiration for designs for future garments that would oftentimes be out of reach for many goths due to lack of affordability for the working class individuals in the scene.

With all these examples in terms of visuals, goth and grunge inspired looks is a feasible venture provided it is put under feminine lenses. Many attempts have been made by those who understand neither scene to create a “grunge goth” hybrid, as seen in many online accounts and opportunistic business ventures by outsiders, but a true grunge goth fusion would combine goth fashion with the ever subversive kinderwhore fashion, its legacy seen in many online aesthetics including the Morute aesthetic, a sister aesthetic subculture used primarily as a means of coping with childhood trauma via the means of girlish femininity combined with grunge and American gothic encapsulated by the works of Nicole Dollanganger and an assortment of women photographers on tumblr and beyond.

Sonically, there can be a case for similarities between goth and grunge. Both use a distorted bass, use vocals that howl and scream and punk like guitars. With these similarities in mind, I believe it is feasible for a grunge/deathrock hybrid band to exist, but as of this writing I cannot find a band that has done this. Perhaps some day.

Sources:

Some wear leather some wear lace by Andi Harriman

https://youtu.be/peEUXhCY8lY by Angela Benedict and the comments cited

My dad, a true grunger :)

Various accounts from old punks on Reddit on r/punk

Marc Jacobs’s Perry Ellis Grunge Show: The Collection That Sent a Electric Shock Through '90s Fashion | Vogue

[amgerychair]

ON THIS DAY, June 30th, 1992, Epic Records released the Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Primarily focusing on the ascendant Seattle music scene of the early 1990s with songs by Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, and Mother Love Bone. It also features contributions from Seattlites Jimi Hendrix and The Lovemongers, the latter being a side project of Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. And reaches further afield with Chicago’s Smashing Pumpkins who sit alongside the first solo material from Minneapolis’ legend Paul Westerberg, after the breakup of The Replacements.

How do you catch lightning in a bottle? Ask Singles director Cameron Crowe. He began his career as a staff writer for Rolling Stone; music was his passion. Having written screenplays for movies like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) and “The Wild Life” (1984), he struck out as writer/director with the hit movie “Say Anything…” in 1989. A confluence of events most likely led to Crowe championing the music scene of the Pacific Northwest; chief among them would be him marrying Nancy Wilson of Seattle rock pioneers Heart in 1986. Crowe moved to the Emerald City and quickly became enamoured with the local scene.

For his 1989 directorial debut “Say Anything…” starring John Cusack, he compiled a soundtrack of artists that deftly looked back through the annals of rock history while hinting that he may have had some prior knowledge regarding the new alternative rock revolution, which would explode in 1991 with the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind.

The “Say Anything..” soundtrack featured’ 70s/80s rock icons Nancy Wilson and Peter Gabriel alongside future ’90s lollapalooza alumni Fishbone and The Red Hot Chili Peppers (remember both bands were relatively unknown in 1989, and still considered oddities on the landscape of ’80s rock). Crowe also chose to add flannel-wearing Minneapolis firebrands The Replacements, one of the great American rock bands. With a vibrant talent for wrecking their career; The Mats, as they were affectionately known, influenced a generation of alternative rock and punk bands.

Interestingly, Crowe included two bands on the “Say Anything..” soundtrack that didn’t make the official album release but whose songs featured in scenes in the movie itself. Mother Love Bone with Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns sat side by side with Soundgarden’s Toy Box. In 1989, both bands were mere blips on the musical radar. Their additions gave credence to the idea that Crowe wasn’t blind to his new surroundings in Seattle.

His love of seeking out new music and the influence of his wife Nancy Wilson and her sister Ann (who, despite Heart’s worldwide mega-stardom, never lost sight of the local Seattle music scene) led Cameron Crowe to be in a prime position when it came to choosing cutting edge music for his next film, Singles.

Filming for Singles took place in various Seattle locations between March 11th, 1991 and May 24th, 1991. At that time, Alice In Chains had released their debut album, Facelift, that previous summer (August 1990). Pearl Jam had formed mere months before, in late 1990, their debut album Ten would hit shelves in August of 1991. Soundgarden’s opus Badmotorfinger would be released in October of 1991, and Nirvana was in LA recording Nevermind while filming took place. Within one year, these bands would become household names and flip the music world on its head.

However, in early 1991, as filming progressed, the earth-shattering success of these bands still seemed unlikely despite the groundswell of interest. It took Nirvana’s Nevermind and the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” single in September 1991 to crack the lid and shoot the whole scene into the stratosphere.

Crowe assembled the cast for Singles. But rather than feature the songs wafting through various scenes in the background during some dialogue, he featured the bands themselves throughout the movie. Alice In Chains and Soundgarden played live, and due to the awkward acting skills of various band members, the film has many hilarious cameos. Singles felt like a love letter to the Seattle music scene just before it exploded worldwide.

The soundtrack captured the zeitgeist of the time, quite unlike anything that came before it. It’s packed to the brim with incredible songs and performances. On display is the sheer diversity of this close-knit community of musicians. It looks back at the forefathers who influenced its development, and it stretches beyond the borders of the Pacific Northwest to include like-minded artists from other zip codes.

The album opens with “Would?” by Alice In Chains. The song was a first glimpse of new Alice In Chains material from their forthcoming album Dirt, and it didn’t disappoint. Mike Starr’s simple yet memorable bass riff opens proceedings, followed by Sean Kinney’s rolling, tribal drums and Jerry Cantrell’s atmospheric guitar. Jerry takes the lead vocal on the verse before Layne takes command of the chorus. “Would?” was written as a tribute to Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood, who passed away in March 1990.

Pearl Jam’s “Breath” follows, the first of two songs from them to feature on the soundtrack. Rarely has a band found its “sound” with the rapid ease of Pearl Jam. Almost immediately after Eddie Vedder arrived in Seattle from San Diego in 1990, the band pumped out a succession of breathtaking, classic songs, and “Breath” is no exception. Later, the band offered up “State Of Love And Trust,” both songs are a galvanising statement of intent from a band in its infancy but in complete control of its destiny.

Chris Cornell’s “Seasons” is a highwater mark. It’s easy to run out of superlatives to describe the sheer beauty of this song. Infused with a cinematic scale that belies its acoustic instrumentation, “Seasons” continues a streak of more intimate, earthy songs Cornell produced around this time, outside the Soundgarden fold. Similar to the Temple Of The Dog material released in April 1991, it’s one of Cornell’s finest moments and is more convincing evidence that he was one of his generation’s greatest musicians and songwriters.

The addition of Paul Westerberg makes a lot of sense. The Replacements were trailblazers. Rising from the fertile Minneapolis punk scene, these snot-nosed savants left a trail of destruction and a glut of stunning albums and songs in their wake. Highly regarded and massively influential, The Mats embodied the spirit of savage, catchy Rock ‘N Roll and Punk.

Frontman Paul Westerberg’s two songs were the world’s first glimpse at solo material after The Mats disbandment. Largely acoustic, Dyslexic Heart is an infectious pop masterpiece with clever wordplay. “Waiting For Somebody” is equally catchy, vibrant and melodically sophisticated.

The Lovemongers tackle Led Zeppelin’s “Battle Of Evermore” with astonishing results. Ann and Nancy Wilson’s powerhouse vocal performance stands shoulder to shoulder with Robert Plants’. Staying true to the original’s sound and arrangement, they pull off that difficult feat of adding to the song’s legacy with a pitch-perfect, fiery performance of real emotional depth and deep understanding and respect for the source material.

Mother Love Bone’s “Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns” follows. A song of two halves, its unhurried piano intro (Chloe Dancer) accompanies the epic rock masterpiece (Crown Of Thorns). The song’s grandiose scale is matched only by its awe-inspiring ambition. Its blissfully melancholic trancelike build is soaringly uplifting and could easily be regarded as “Stairway To Heaven” for the Gen-X alumni. It’s a fitting epitaph to the late great Andrew Wood.

Soundgarden’s “Birth Ritual” is a juggernaut. Kim Thayil’s behemoth riffs are propelled by Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd’s savage rhythm section. Chris Cornell’s banshee wail shoots spectre-like across the crushing din; it’s the stuff legends are made of. Mudhoney’s “Overblown” is a trashy romp, filled with edge-of-your-seat abandon and lashings of attitude. It’s everything we love about the band condensed into three glorious minutes.

Jimi Hendrix’s “May This Be Love” is a tip of the hat to one of Seattle’s most famous sons. It is a gorgeous track from 1967’s Are You Experienced album; the song’s inclusion is fitting and doesn’t feel out of place. Screaming Trees “Nearly Lost You” is a thunderous track filled with ecstatic energy, immense hooks and Mark Lanegan’s gritty baritone. The song’s runtime perfectly captures the organic beauty of the Screaming Trees sound. Despite the band being one of the forefathers of the Pacific Northwest scene that rose in the 1980s, the inclusion of “Nearly Lost You” on Singles was the first introduction to the band for many.

Smashing Pumpkin’s “Drown” closes out the album in immaculate fashion. It’s a dreamy, blissed-out trip through a gorgeous soundscape that builds beautifully toward a crescendo of swirling feedback. There’s a stunning emotional arc to the song; Billy Corgan sings, “No matter where you are / I can still hear you when you dream,” in a serene vocal cadence before insisting, ���Is it something someone said? / Was it something someone said?” in a more urgent timbre. The intensity lifts, allowing Corgan’s breathtaking guitar solo to soar. It’s a fitting end to an impeccably curated album of songs.

Singles helped crystallise the idea of the ‘Seattle scene’ in the mainstream public’s mind. It did so, featuring essentially new work from contemporary artists. It was a huge commercial hit and acted as a catalyst for the breakthrough of alternative rock into popular culture. It’s still a thrilling listen. And all these years later, it retains the power to return the listener to a time when all possibilities seemed endless.

Essential…!

SOURCE: The year grunge broke

[looseygoosey66]

REHAB DOLL TURNS 35!

The story of Seattle’s rise to global rock supremacy in the late ’80s and early ’90s begins with Green River. Made up of Jeff Ament (bass), Mark Arm (guitar/vocals), Bruce Fairweather (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), and Alex Shumway (drums), the quintet put out three 12”s and a 7” single during its brief existence. Green River’s influence on Seattle’s music scene spread far and wide thanks to the members’ dispersion into bands including Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, and Love Battery, as well as the punk-glam-sludge-rock songs they left behind.

“By ��83, ‘84, there was definitely a movement that was happening within hardcore, like Black Flag slowing down for My War,” says Arm. “The Replacements and Butthole Surfers were rearing their heads, and they’re very different bands, but they’re not hardcore—the Replacements are pretty much straight-up rock, and Butthole Surfers were God knows what. Sonic Youth’s Bad Moon Rising was around, and a lot of really interesting post-hardcore things were happening.”

Green River, which formed in 1984, was part of that evolution, with a sound that straddled a lot of different genres—blues, punk, bloozy straight-ahead rock. The mini-LP Dry As A Bone, which came out in 1987, and the band’s lone full-length Rehab Doll, which came out in 1988, were released as a single CD with a few bonus cuts, including their sneering cover of David Bowie’s “Queen Bitch” and their marauding version of Dead Boys’ “Ain’t Nothin’ to Do,” in 1990—but they’ve been unavailable on vinyl for years. Now, these slices of Seattle music history are not only back in print, they’re accompanied by items from the vaults that had been forgotten about for decades.

Dry As A Bone was recorded at Jack Endino’s Reciprocal Recording in 1986, and it shows the band in furious form, with Arm’s yowl battling Fairweather and Gossard’s ferocious guitar playing on “This Town” and “Unwind” opening as a slow bluesy grind then jump-starting itself into a hyperactive chase. The deluxe edition includes Green River’s cuts from the crucial Seattle-scene compilation Deep Six, as well as long-lost songs that were recorded to the now-archaic format Betamax.

Rehab Doll, recorded largely at Seattle’s Steve Lawson Studios., bridges the gap between the taut, punky energy of Dry As a Bone and the bigger drums and thicker riffs that were coming to dominate rock in the late ’80s. This new edition of Rehab Doll includes a version of “Swallow My Pride” recorded to 8-track at Endino’s Reciprocal Recording, which features a more accurate depiction of how the band sounded when they played live. “When I listen to these mixes, I think, ‘This is how we actually sounded—this is the kind of energy we had,’” says Shumway.

Green River’s place in American music history is without question, but these recordings paint a more complete picture of the band—and of rock in the mid- to late-’80s, when punk’s faster-and-louder ideals had begun shape-shifting into other ideas.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

ON THE WAY UP IN '89 -- THE ULTIMATE ANTI-STAR DOING ROCK STAR THINGS.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on the late, great Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) signing a copy of "Bleach" at a Rough Trade record store in the UK on December 4th, 1989. 📸: Bruce Pavitt (founder of the Sub-Pop label).

OVERVIEW: "The shot was taken during Nirvana’s first European tour, a tumultuous time for the band before they blew up, with Kurt even having his passport stolen, as well as trying to jump from a speaker tower at one point. When opening for TAD and MUDHONEY at the Astoria Theatre on November 27, 1989, the music press in London were bewildered, calling them “Sub-Pop’s answer to THE BEATLES," foreshadowing their ultimate success.

I think it’s kind of a cool shot given not only is this "pre rock star Kurt," but also for the fact a copy of BLACK FLAG’s "The First Four Years" lies behind him, as well as the legendary Earache Records "Grind Crusher" compilation, which largely put grindcore on the map. Eagle eyed viewers will also notice a copy of BAD BRAINS’ "Quickness" LP as well.

Most of you probably rolled your eyes seeing this post thinking “yet another post about how Kurt Cobain liked hardcore," and yes, you wouldn’t be wrong, I’m sick of hearing about it too as if it validates hardcore’s place in music history any more because of one guy. Nonetheless, it doesn’t hinder how important this band and Sub-Pop were in putting alternative, and largely punk on the map and rehashing it for a different audience.

In 1983 prior to the label, Bruce Pavitt hosted a radio show called Subterranean Pop after his zine on the University of Washington radio station, KCMU (now KEXP). He also DJed at two local clubs, The Vogue and the all-ages venue, The Metropolis. He was possibly the only DJ in the country spinning a set of RUN DMC, MINOR THREAT, and THE SMITHS. Also Kurt put down the "Tales of Terror" LP and SACCHARINE TRUST when no one knew what or how great that shit is; it goes without saying he was a real head."

-- FORT BRAGG ZINE (via Instagram/Picuki)

Source: www.picuki.com/media/3056228479377383830.

[howardhawkshollywoodannex]

Jack Black illustrates the history of rock and roll with references to King Crimson, Mudhoney and Can, as substitute teacher Dewey Finn in School of Rock (2003).

[lowpantsnochance]

Is it a coincidence that Flipper and Guns n Roses both took 16 years to release new albums?   

If you were around during the Reagan Years and bought Generic, Flipper's 1982 debut album, one of two things probably happened: 

 A: You threw this curiously yellow LP on your turntable and then spent a half hour switching back and forth between 33 and 45 rpm, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong with your stereo speakers and why this music sounded so goddamned slow, after which you promptly returned it to your favorite punk rock record store and exchanged it for, say, the new Exploited album. 

Or B: Beneath the feedback and over-driven bass sludge you had an epiphany of sorts, your ears slowly attuning to the strange life-affirming sense of catharsis lurking beneath the cacophony of wrong notes that immediately elevated this record above the by-the-numbers fuck the world nihilism of the average punk band. It resonated with you perfectly, even though you had never heard anything that sounded even remotely like it before. It may have changed your life, possibly even for the better. 

That may be overstating Flipper's impact a bit, but just barely. Generic was indeed that important; a droning, feedback-laden slap in the face to the hardcore scene's harder-faster-louder aesthetic, and it was genuinely one of those polarizing albums that you either "got" or you didn't.  It cemented their reputation as the genuine article and influenced countless musicians, but the band never lived up to it's promise. Their sophomore album, Gone Fishin', was decidedly more experimental than their sloppy debut and critically underrated, then the band ground to a sudden halt after the death of co-vocalist/bass player Will Shatter in 1987.  The surviving members reunited briefly in the early-nineties, then seemed to disappear again overnight amid vague rumors of mismanagement, bad blood, and drug addiction. Until this year, their entire catalog (including Generic) was out of print, and if you heard their name it was usually in the context of someone they influenced. If there was ever a more unlikely contender for a comeback, it was Flipper.  

Well, Flipper is back after 16 years with not one but two new albums, one recorded live and one in the studio. Love, the studio disc, is a fine offering from this legendary group of reprobates and delinquents. You're not going to find anything as anthemic as "Way of the World" or "Life" here, but the new songs more than hold their own against the band's considerable history. All the elements that defined Flipper and made them stand out like a sore thumb are present and accounted for: the monolithic bass rumble (played here by Krist Novoselic, filling in for the late Will Shatter), Ted Falconi's ambient wash of guitar noise, Steve DePace's cavernous drums, and Bruce Loose's venomous vocal attack. Co-produced by the band and Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, et al.), Love sounds more like a throwback to the mid-nineties Sub Pop Singles Club era than the group's original work on the Subterranean label in the eighties. While unmistakably Flipper, songs such as "Triple Mass" and "Love Fight" would not sound out of place on Bleach or Incesticide. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and it makes sense that in a band where the bass guitar is the lead instrument, the bass player would have a certain amount of influence on the songs. They just happened to record this album with the former bass player from Nirvana, so I suppose you would have to expect some cross-pollination. 

Love really succeeds when it sticks to what Flipper does best: slowing the pace down to a crawl and dragging you through the dirt with them. "Why Can't You See" sounds like "Dazed and Confused" without all the dick-fucking around with the violin bow and "Old Graves," the album's closing track, may contain Flipper's most genuinely horrifying lyrics; over one of the band's trademark bass dirges, Bruce Loose paints a simple story filled with images of childhood innocence that slowly builds to a violent climax. While not on the level as "Shine" or "The Lights, The Sound," this is what you listen to Flipper for, and no one can wring more emotion out of three notes than Flipper. 

Love is not a perfect album. It's difficult not to miss Will Shatter's sleepy, junkie-next-door vocals, which on earlier albums played as a perfect counterpoint to Loose's punk sneer. But as I said: it ain't 1982 no more. It's doubtful Love will win many new converts or break Flipper out of the artistic ghetto they've been relegated to. Flipper was never about courting popularity, and you would probably be hard pressed to find another band that so consistently went out of their way to alienate their audience and shoot themselves in the foot in the process. But there was always an affirming catharsis lurking beneath the wanton self-destruction set them apart from the average punk band. It will be interesting to see how they go over on the Van's Warped Tour (note: did that actually happen?) It will be great to see Flipper still bringing the noise and annoying the youth of today.

[robotpussy]

i got into bam bam thanks to you mentioning them and im so glad that they are my introduction into grunge theyre so fucking good and i probably wouldnt have heard about them had i first listened to some other band (despite tina bell literally being like the mother of grunge 🙄) thanks so much for being the reason ik about them ❤❤❤

even though she is the mother grunge, I think most bands pre 1991 from the seattle "grunge" scene get very little mention anyway but I know Bam Bam and Tina Bell being left out is just people doing what they always do (erasing black women, ESPECIALLY with the history of rock music), and when women in grunge are brought up its always courtney love, kat from babes in toyland or L7 which like, fine, they were there when it was happening but leaving out the pioneer is so absurd

And im very certain many people don't even know who Bam Bam is, yet matt cameron who went on to be in soundgarden and pearl jam gets talked abt a lot more than tina but they always make sure to leave out that he was in Bam Bam and that kurt cobain was their roadie - the man they claim started it all (at least in terms of grunge going 'mainstream) - they would rather leave out that he was connected to the grunge band lead by a black woman 🙄

but yea theyre badass and amazingggg theyre one of my favourite bands from that genre really. i really want to write or make something about bam bam because its so annoying how that one band is left out of the grunge conversation, even Mudhoney and the Melvins get little mentions and everybody cries over how they get no recognition either

[coolmusiccentral]

Top 40 Albums of 2023

We say goodbye to 2023 with 40 of the best albums we've listened to in the last year, a list topped by Fever Ray's amazing third album "Radical Romantics", another close encounter with Karin Dreijer's extraterrestrial electropop project. Our top 5 albums of the year also include Yo La Tengo's "This Stupid World", one of their best efforts in an amazing career that's nearing its 40th anniversary, Protomartyr's sixth album "Formal Growth in the Desert", another post punk masterclass, and the two excellent albums that newcomers Bar Italia offered us in the year ("Tracey Denim" and "The Twits"), combining a hard work ethic with great talent.

Here are our Top 40 Albums of 2023 based on what we've listened to so far, plus a few others that stood out. This list will be updated in the near future as there are certainly more good albums out there that we are yet to discover and will be posted in its final form in Cool Music Database as usual.

Top 40 Albums

Radical romantics - FEVER RAY

This stupid world - YO LA TENGO

Formal growth in the desert - PROTOMARTYR

Tracey denim / The twits - BAR ITALIA

Rat saw God - WEDNESDAY

The record - BOYGENIUS

First two pages of Frankenstein / Laugh track - THE NATIONAL

I've seen a way - MANDY, INDIANA

Everyone's crushed - WATER FROM YOUR EYES

I inside the old year dying - PJ HARVEY

Everything is alive - SLOWDIVE

The beggar - SWANS

Sit down for dinner - BLONDE REDHEAD

Stereo mind game - DAUGHTER

O monolith - SQUID

Shook - ALGIERS

The ballad of Darren - BLUR

Javelin - SUFJAN STEVENS

Cacti - BILLY NOMATES

UK grim - SLEAFORD MODS

Medicine - GOAT

The death of Randy Fitzsimmons - THE HIVES

Plastic eternity - MUDHONEY

In times new roman - QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

I don't want you anymore - CHERRY GLAZERR

Bobbie - PIP BLOM

Food for worms - SHAME

Gigi's recovery - THE MURDER CAPITAL

Breaking the balls of history - QUASI

Careful of your keepers - THIS IS THE KIT

Clear pond road - KRISTIN HERSH

Islands in the sky - DEATH VALLEY GIRLS

The land is inhospitable and so are we - MITSKI

Chaos for the fly - GRIAN CHATTEN

Weathervanes - JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT

Mommy - BE YOUR OWN PET

God games - THE KILLS

Bless this mess - U.S. GIRLS

Time's arrow - LADYTRON

Mid air - ROMY

Also recommended: Isn't it now? - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, All her plans - CABLE TIES, The price of progress - THE HOLD STEADY, On grace & dignity - THE GOLDEN DREGS, Bird machine - SPARKLEHORSE, Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert - CAT POWER, Brain worms - RVG, House Of All - HOUSE OF ALL, Sea of mirrors - THE CORAL, I thought I was better than you - BAXTER DURY, Rabbit rabbit - SPEEDY ORTIZ, Formentera II - METRIC, The candle and the flame - ROBERT FORSTER, Strange disciple - NATION OF LANGUAGE, Dead meat - THE TUBS, New York City - THE MEN, Continue as a guest - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, Blondshell - BLONDSHELL, Several songs about fire - A SAVAGE, Cousin - WILCO, The future is your past - THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, Land of sleeper - PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS, Expired candy - BODY TYPE, The last rotation of earth - BC CAMPLIGHT, Nowhere to go but up / Welshpool frillies / La La Land - GUIDED BY VOICES

[greensparty]

2023: The Year in Green's Party

This was a historic year for my blog as it turned 10! In Jan. 2013 I began this blog as a way to share my thoughts on pop culture and since then I've gotten to do things I never even imagined would be possible: interviewing filmmakers, actors, musicians, authors and more; reviewing movies, music, concerts, books, and theater; covering conventions and film festivals; and connecting with fans who also have their hands on the pulse of pop culture at the moment and it's history. This was hands down one of my best years yet! Here are just a few of the highlights:

the many faces of Green's Party

Retweets and social media: Tom Petty's website included a pull quote from my Nov. 2022 album review of Live at the Fillmore 1997 on their website page for the album; Ondi Timoner and her doc Last Flight Home shared my interview with her on Twitter; the Video Archives Podcast liked and shared my Best Podcasts of 2022 list on Twitter; Cadence13 and David Spade of the Fly on the Wall podcast liked my Best Podcasts of 2022 lists on Twitter; TV Guidance Counselor host Ken Reid liked and shared my Best Podcasts of 2022 list on Twitter; Completely Conspicuous host Jay Kumar liked my Best Podcasts of 2022 list on Twitter; U2 Daily Tour News shared my U2 movie review and album review on their daily newsletter and on Twitter; the Video Archives Podcast liked and retweeted my Quentin Tarantino birthday post; Andy Summers shared my concert review on his social media; the Chasing Chasing Amy team shared my movie review on Twitter; X (the band) shared my concert review on their Facebook; the There Was No Alternative team shared my interview with author Jeff Gomez on their Facebook; and Tremolo Productions liked and retweeted my Congrats to them on 20 Feet From Stardom being added to the National Film Registry on Twitter.

Exene Cervenka and I backstage at the X concert

Interviews: I got to interview a number of entertainers I find fascinating including director Ondi Timoner, musician Glen Matlock, Exene Cervenka of X, author Michael Azerrad, author Jeff Gomez, and Pete Stahl of Scream!

me hanging with Indiana Jones

Movie Reviews: I got to review loads of movies including One Fine Morning, Marlowe, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, my annual guide to the Oscar Nominated Short Films, Scream VI, Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues, Spinning Gold, Air, Little Richard: I Am Everything, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Master Gardener, Lynch/Oz, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The YouTube Effect, Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning: Part One, Oppenheimer, Chasing Chasing Amy, Stop Making Sense re-release, Flora and Son, The Holdovers, The Stones and Brian Jones, Silent Night, The Sacrifice Game, and Godard Cinema!

Album Reviews: I got to review tons of albums including Shonen Knife's Our Best Place, Inhaler's Cuts & Bruises, Philip Selway's Strange Dance and Live at Evolution Studios, U2's Songs of Surrender, Mudhoney's Plastic Eternity, The Kinks' The Journey - Part 1 and The Journey - Part 2, Wilco's Crosseyed Strangers: An Alternate Take on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Cousin, Iggy and the Stooges' Raw Power RSD Essential release, The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet RSD edition and Hackney Diamonds, Galen & Paul's Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?, Hollywood Vampires' Live in Rio, Tommy Stinson's Cowboys in the Campfire's Wronger, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' Council Skies, Alice Cooper's Killer and School's Out Deluxe Editions and Road, Extreme's Six, the Asteroid City soundtrack, Deaf Charlie's Catastrophic Metamorphic, Wham!'s The Singles: Echoes from the Edge of Heaven, Brian May and Friends' Star Fleet Sessions, Neil Young's Chrome Dreams, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros' Live at Acton Town Hall, London, Aerosmith's Greatest Hits, Speedy Ortiz's Rabbit Rabbit and Major Arcana (10th Anniversary Edition), Courtney Barnett's End of the Day (Music from Anonymous Club), Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense Expanded Edition Remaster, Huey Lewis and the News's Sports 40th Anniversary Edition, Will Butler + Sister Squares' Will Butler + Sister Squares, The Replacements' Tim (Let It Bleed) Edition, The Breeders Last Splash 30th Anniversary Original Analog Edition, Ringo Starr's Rewind Forward, Haim's Days are Gone 10th anniversary edition, Chris Shiflett's Lost at Sea, Duff McKagan's Lighthouse, Prince and the New Power Generation's Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Edition, Snail Mail's Valentine (Demos), Jimi Hendrix Experience's Hollywood Bowl: August 18, 1967, Scream's DC Special, The Beatles' 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, Pearl Jam's Vs. 30th anniversary edition, and The Black Crowes' The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion Box Set.

TV Reviews: This year I branched out and got to review some TV shows including Lucky Hank, John Carpenter's Suburban Screams, Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too?, and John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial.

my friend Ron and I at Boston Calling in May

Concert Reviews: I wrote about my day at the 2023 Boston Calling festival and I also got to cover concerts from Andy Summers, X, Sting, The Breeders, and Scream. I also started a new feature called Concert Pics, where I share pics from concerts I attended but didn't review.

Blu-ray Reviews: I got to review some blu-rays including Project: Alf, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, and We Are Not Alone.

Book Reviews: I got to review and cover some books including Stewart Copeland's The Police Diaries, Michael Azerrad's The Amplified Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, and Jeff Gomez' There Was No Alternative.

my friend Jenn and I at Jagged Little Pill

Theater Reviews: I got to review Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill when it played in Boston!

Comedy Reviews: I got to cover The State reunion show in Boston!

me at the Boston Underground Film Festival in March 2023

me with Mr. Sam J. Jones at 2023 MusicCon Collectibles Extravaganza

Film Festivals, Conventions and Events: In February I got to cover Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year presentation to Bob Odenkirk and Woman of the Year to Jennifer Coolidge; the 2023 Northeast Comic Con Spring Edition; the 2023 Boston Underground Film Festival (my first time covering them since 2019); the 2023 Salem Horror Fest; the 2023 Independent Film Festival Boston; the 2023 MusicCon Collectibles Extravaganza; I got to cover the Stop Making Sense reunion Q&A simulcast from TIFF, IFFBoston's 2023 Fall Focus mini-fest, and the 2023 Northeast Comic Con Fall Edition.

Me seeing Stop Making Sense on the big screen!

Stray Observations:

I got to cover Hollywood Vampires collectively and individually: In June I got to review Hollywood Vampires' album Live in Rio and I got to see them live in July, I also saw Joe Perry solo in April and I got to review Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in August, and I got to review Alice Cooper's Deluxe Editions of Killer and School's Out in June and his newest album Road in August.

It was a sad year for Gen X: in May MTV News announced they were ceasing operations; and there was also the passing of Andy Rourke of The Smiths, Sinead O'Connor, and Paul Reubens, all staples of the 80s and 90s :(

The Police never ended: It's as if I got to see a Police reunion this year because I got to cover guitarist Andy Summers' concert in July, singer / bassist Sting's concert in September, and while I didn't see drummer Stewart Copeland live, I did get to cover his book The Police Diaries in October!

Tough year for physical media fans like me between Netflix ending it's DVD by mail service and Best Buy announcing they're going to stop selling DVDs. Time to go to my local library more often for DVDs and blu-rays!

...And the Biggest Postings and News of the Year on Green's Party:

1/2/23: This blog turned 10! It feels like I'm just getting started in some ways!

1/20/23: A very rare clip of The Eric and Mike Show, the cable access TV show I co-hosted and co-produced as a teen, surfaced online.

Jan. - Mar. 2023: I rolled out my Best of 2022 lists in time for awards season!

3/15/23: I had my 3000th post on this blog!

4/18/23: After Netflix announced they would be discontinuing their DVD by mail service, I wrote my remembrance of Netflix DVD.

6/26/23: I shared my thoughts on the Best of 2023 so far.

9/14/23: I got to cover the re-release of Stop Making Sense, the re-release of Talking Heads' soundtrack album, and the simulcast of the Talking Heads' reunion Q&A at TIFF with Spike Lee.

10/28/23: I posted about Dave Grohl's history of SNL appearances. 34 notes.

10/30/23: I got to cover The Holdovers screening with an intro and Q&A from director Alexander Payne.

11/25/23: I wrote about the passing of Marty Krofft. 16 notes.

11/29/23: In memory of George Harrison's passing on that day in history, I posted his music video for "Any Road". 10 notes.

11/30/23: I wrote about the passing of Shane McGowan. 192 notes, making it my biggest post of the year!

11/30/23: I was quoted in a Boston.com article about the best holiday music!

Nov - Dec. 2023: I got to do an album review of Scream's DC Special, interview singer Pete Stahl and cover their concert, a rare hat trick for me!

12/27/23: I wrote about the passing of Tom Smothers. 11 notes.

Thank you for attending Green's Party in 2023! Now onto more pop culture thoughts in 2024....

[ajoytobeheld]

LC! does Sub Pop

May 14th, 2009

This morning we had the awesome opportunity of an office and warehouse tour of Sub Pop. Obviously, Sub Pop is one of the world’s greatest labels, and incredibly important in the history of what the people call ‘indie rock’, let alone North-West/Seattle music. I suppose by now we’ve been in a fair few different record label offices, from the humble to the reasonably flash, but Sub Pop was probably the most exciting we’ve been inside of yet.

Original Black Candy artwork? Sure. Salvaged wall paper with Kurt Cobain’s address penciled onto it? Of Course. Mark Arm of Mudhoney working the warehouse? Yuhu.

Carly was our host and was ridiculously lovely and welcoming and GENEROUS. We made off with t-shirts and some CDs, and I got an awesome Postal Service ‘Give Up’ print to be framed and displayed once I’m home. And a great new Nirvana aping No Age t-shirt. The office is covered in band stickers and photo booth snap shots and amazing polaroids. Seriously brilliant. Thank you very much for having us Sup Pop. We shall spend the rest of the year clothed in your bands.

Some pictures:

[nehistripesseattle]

An important aspect to our page is to provide accurate music history. Sources can be eyewitnesses, newspapers (& the journalists that report the events/stories) or the band making the history. This time it’s the Tacoma News Tribune from June 11, 1989. Excerpt: ‘Last year turned out to be fortuitous for the group; by November, Mother Love Bone had signed with a major label for a reported quarter of a million dollars. This happy state of affairs came about when a Geffen Records rep was given a demo of the group, which sparked immediate interest at Geffen and what seemed like every other major label around. The resulting "bidding wars" left Polygram Records the winner. • • March of 1990 ruined, changed, destroyed, opened, rocked for everyone. • • —————————————————— #nehistripesseattle #motherlovebone #polygram #andrewwood #stonegossard #jeffament #greggilmore #brucefairweather #theposies #mudhoney #themelvins #greenriverband #1980s #aliceinchains #sirmixalot (at Nehi Stripes Seattle) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoDxgFzv4S5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lyricallygames]

Behind the Lyrics: Touch Me I’m Sick by Mudhoney

"Touch Me I'm Sick" is a song by the American rock band Mudhoney. The lyrics of the song are tongue-in-cheek and the song is often considered to be a parody of the Seattle grunge scene that Mudhoney helped to pioneer.

The lyrics describe a person who is "sick" and wants to be touched, possibly as a form of self-destructive behavior. The band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988 and they are considered to be one of the first "grunge" bands, along with groups like Nirvana and Soundgarden.

Mudhoney's sound is heavily influenced by punk rock and garage rock and is known for its raw, abrasive sound and lyrics that often deal with social and political issues.

Throughout their career, Mudhoney has released several albums and has been praised for their consistency and longevity. They have also been credited with influencing many other bands and musicians, and they continue to tour and perform to this day. In the early 1990s, the band was associated with the grunge movement and was part of the "Seattle Sound" along with Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains among others.

Follow Lyrically Games for memorable shows, insights into song lyrics, and music history.