Grunge Baby

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It’s my belief you have to be in the right mood to fully appreciated Grunge. I’m 99 percent sure I’m there. While Alternative is my favorite genre of music, its stinky, hairy, flannel-wearing little brother can sure put a smile on my face.

Grunge, in case you’re confused, is a sub genre of Alternative rock that blossomed in the Pacific Northwest during the early ’90s. I have this theory that the local environment has a direct effect on the music created there. Rap proves this. California rap has a slinky beat while East Coast rap has a more frenetic pace while Southern rap has a more laid-back flow. The same’s true of Alternative. Most of the bands hailing from the Pacific Northwest have the muddy, gray, booming quality that perfectly matches the overall vibe of the area.

Back to the case at hand. Grunge no longer exists in any respectable form, and Alternative’s been attempting to die a slow death for some time now. But the forebears are nothing to sneeze at and hold their own just as well here in 2008 as they did back in 1991.

You knew this was coming: SONG BREAKDOWN! These are the bands and songs you must go right to iTunes and get Right. This. Minute. if you don’t already have them. Keep in mind bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against the Machine are going to be absent from this list. While I love both and consider them both Alternative, I don’t consider them Grunge.

NIRVANA: Yeah, DUH! They invented Grunge and gave us Dave Grohl. For that I am grateful, but I must confess something — I only like Nirvana because I feel like I have to. I respect their contribution to music and culture, but I just don’t dig them like I do other bands. Nevertheless, here are my favorites:

‘Heart-Shaped Box’: Senior year of high school me and this dude from school used to have phone sex all the time until he decided he wanted to date this other chick. His favorite band was Nirvana. This song was on repeat for a solid week after our big showdown. The lyric ‘Hey, wait, I’ve got a new complaint’ was scrawled on several notebooks. God bless high school.

‘All Apologies’: Disaffected youth unite! Or something like that. All snark aside, this song makes me teary eyed. I mean, even in adult life I sometimes wanna yell, ‘What else should I be? All apologies’ So, Kurt, you won that one. NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!

‘In Bloom’: Oddly enough, this song was played during an NFL promo featuring Eli Manning. I got what they were trying to do with it, but something about putting Kurt and Eli together seemed absurd. I love them both, but yeah, I generally don’t put think of one when I think of the other. Absurdity aside, this a great song. My favorite part is the chorus: ‘He’s the one, who likes all our pretty songs, and he likes to sing along, and he likes to shoot his gun, but he don’t know what it means.’ Please note that this was not the part that played during the Eli commercial. Which would have been fucking HILARIOUS.

‘Lithium’: Now, when I’m in one of my ‘Hysterical? YOU WANNA SEE HYSTERICAL?!?!?’ moods, this is the jam. It starts off fairly tight and then breaks down into chaos. Like a crazy person, who might take Lithium. Get it? Ha! Because deep down, I’m really a 12-year-old boy, my favorite line is, ‘I’m so horny, that’s OK my will is good.’

‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’: Yes, I know, it started a cultural revolution. It’s the anthem of a generation. I GET IT! *cough* Anyway. I do like this song. I’m not afraid to be all poseur and say it’s my favorite Nirvana song. Whatever!

SOUNDGARDEN: Oh hi, 3 Doors Down! Oh, I see you brought Nickelback and Hinder with you. Oh, good. Sit down boys, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. This is Chris Cornell and his buddy Kim Thayil and their pals. SUCK ON IT! Nobody did heavy Grunge like Soundgarden did. It wasn’t just heavy though, it was heavy with crazy little bits of intricate guitar and drum work, just to keep you on your toes. Chris Cornell’s vocals are without peer. While I’m sure they’d prefer their legacy to be somewhat greater, ‘Down on the Upside’ is one of my favorite phrases to use as a Facebook status. I’m sorry. Some choice bits:

‘Pretty Noose:’ I’ve had this on repeat almost all day. It’s the perfect blend of muddy and bombast. I friggin’ love this. It shifts gears enough to keep everything interesting but not so much that you’re scratching your head going ‘WTF?’ The drumming in this song gets me all hot. Sing it with me: ‘I don’t care what you’ve got, I don’t care what you need, I don’t want anything, and I don’t like what you’ve got me hanging from.’

‘Burden in my hand’: I must confess, I have no clue what this song is supposed to be about. He shot someone? They’re in the desert? I clearly fail at symbolism. Nonetheless, it’s still something to behold. Especially this lyric: ‘Close your eyes and bow your head, I need a little sympathy, ’cause fear is strong and love’s for everyone, who isn’t me.’ Oh hai, are you me?

‘Blow up the Outside World’: Again, are you me? The vocals on this are pretty damn haunting. As are the lyrics: ‘Want to make it understood, wanting though I never would, trying though I know it’s wrong, blowing it to hell and gone, wishing though I never could, blow up the outside, blow up the outside, blow up the outside, blow up the outside world’ Please see post entitled ‘And if you die …’ if you require further explanation for why I love this song.

‘Black Hole Sun’: This song is creepy in the best possible way. The video freaks my shit right out, but I love it. And yet another instance where I completely fail at symbolism. That said, is the lyric ‘Call my name through the cream, and I’ll hear you scream again’ about what I think it’s about? I’m willing to believe that it’s not and I’m just being a pervert, but I swear that’s where my mind goes every single time I hear it.

HOLE: Ah yes, Hole. Ya know, Courtney Love’s band? I’m not sure whether I love her or hate her. Maybe it’s both. Either way, Hole is the shit. I ain’t even gonna front. Pay attention, Avril; this is how it’s done. I’m also gonna say that whoever had the great idea to have Hole and Marilyn Manson tour together is FUCKING AMAZING. Check these out:

‘Violet’: The Pissed-Off Broads’ National Anthem. This song is a member of what I like to consider my iPod’s version of the Navy SEALs. Deploy only in case of emergency lest bad things happen. Like I start castrating every male over voting age that walks into my line of sight. I’ve deployed it a few times recently. *cough* For pure vitriol, my favorite line is ‘I told you from the start, just how this would end, well I get what I want, but I never want it again.’ Just the way she snarls the first line makes me fucking quiver. Oh, and someone older and wiser than me please settle this for me: Is this really about Billy Corgan?

‘Gold Dust Woman’: Yes, it’s a Fleetwood Mac cover. No, I don’t care. Courtney’s capable of snarling in a way that my darling, ethreal Stevie is not. ‘Did she make you cry, make you break down, shatter your illusions of love, is it over now, do you know how, to pick up the pieces and go home,’ sounds almost mocking; like ‘Aw, poor baby, did you get your feelings hurt?’ LOVE. IT. Why yes, I am a vindictive bitch sometimes; what of it?

‘Celebrity Skin’: I used to stand on my bed and sing this into my hair brush when I was in high school. I may or may not still do so on occasion. The line I feel like screaming at work at increasingly frequent intervals: ‘You want a part of me, well I’m not selling cheap.’

PEARL JAM: The Grunge Gods with a Conscience. And bless them for it. Yes, Fuck TicketMaster indeed. Eddie Vedder’s discomfort with the being in the spotlight was oh so apparent, but I feel added a great deal to the music. Though, I feel like the only female on the planet who does not find him attractive. I dig Chris Cornell personally. I mean, if we’re going to pick our pretty Grunge boys. Either way, as Eddie would tell you, IT’S ABOUT THE MUSIC:

‘Jeremy’: Who knew that way back then, this song would still be heartbreakingly relevant. Growing up 20 minutes away from where the Jonesboro school shooting took place, this song always meant a lot to me. I was in 8th grade when it happened. Ten years later, I still can’t wrap my head around it. The line that absolutely does it: ‘Jeremy spoke in class today.’

‘Black’: I remember this song because after my mother’s exhusband took off (also when I was in the 8th grade. That year fucking sucked), Mom listened to this ALL. THE. TIME. For that reason alone I should hate it. But I can’t. I think it’s because I get it. I watched it with my own eyes. In case you’re wondering, the line that always does me in: ‘I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life, I know you’ll be the sun in someone else’s sky, but why can’t it be mine?’

‘Yellow Ledbetter’: ‘Oh, I said, “I–I don’t, I don’t know whether I was the boxer or the bag.” ‘ This.

‘Better Man’: Usually I get really peeved when men try to sing from a woman’s perspective. As if they have any clue what it’s like. This doesn’t bother me so much. Someone’s been telling Mr.Vedder our secrets because he hit the nail on the head. ‘She lies and says she’s in love with him, can’t find a better man.’

Those were just my top picks in Grunge category. Bands like Alice in Chains made great music and what have you, they just weren’t my cup of tea. Disagree with my listing? Got some additions? Subtractions? Let’s hear it!!!

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Tags: music, Grunge, Rock, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Hole