"In the very-late 20th century, "grunge" was a dirty word around Seattle. If you went up to a band around 1997 or '98 and said, "You guys are so grunge!," you might have walked away with a fat lip. Or, at least, the protest, "No way, we're speed metal," or, "You're crazy, we're totally punk!"
Part of it might have been denial, partly that grunge was by then in its post-Cobain death throes. By the early 21st century, that low, sludgy, eerily intense sound had been almost entirely replaced by the higher-end, far brighter music that came to be generalized as indie rock.
But you know how it is in music: Like in fashion, things tend to come around again ...
So now, while indie- and pop-rock approaches a saturation point, there are signs that grunge is creeping back into Seattle. Neo-grunge, it might be better called. Post Stardom Depression has a very-Soundgarden sound. The Valley, playing with the Emergency at Fremont's High Dive at 10 p.m. Saturday ($7), play garage-punk rock with a strong Mudhoney accent. (Threeimaginarygirls.com review: "It contains all the buzzy, chugging, Rainier Beer and sticky rock-club floors of Seattle Rock of the past, and I can't help but love it.")
The best of the neo-grungers just might be the Weapons. The Seattle band's new "Formula for a Fight" EP is powerful, low-end, delicious sludge. A few of the songs — "Numb" and "40 oz." — sound like they could have been Nirvana or Alice in Chains B-sides.
This is not a bad thing, mind you, as a song could do far worse than to be compared to a Nirvana B-side. Theo Prince's lyrics reinforce the Cobain/Layne Staley echoes, with the likes of "I don't care if I die" and; even more creepily:
"I'm just alone with my forty ounce
Wishing that a gun wasn't in this house"
The Weapons are not a grunge knock-off band, and they come at things from interesting angles. Like Nirvana, this band is a trio, with Prince playing guitar, writing songs and singing in a Cobain-ish voice, Dan Wrenn on bass and Erik Schultz playing some electrifying drums.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Grunge fan
Thanks for the comment. I have updated COffin break as of your request. But Man Mother love Bone? They are no underground but almost mainstream on seattle. What can i say? you can just wekipedia and you'll get other info.Last night a friend of mine told me there are two comments and i read it.
As you'd post on 20th i postes coffinbreak first other wise i was almost done with PAW.
If you want any information regarding underground Post, Present Grunge band just give me a nudge.
As you'd post on 20th i postes coffinbreak first other wise i was almost done with PAW.
If you want any information regarding underground Post, Present Grunge band just give me a nudge.
CoffinBreak
While writing this article about a band I’ve admired for years, listening to their music and reading the liner notes in the CD booklets and vinyl slips. I always reminisce about how I first laid my ears on this band. I remember doing a little research on the web, typing bands I enjoyed in Google and seeing what results were yielded. To my amazement as I read a long article about the “Seattle Sound” a band called Coffin Break was mentioned. I never heard of the band before, so I did research, and eventually bought my first record, “Pray/Lies” which was a Sub Pop singles club release, impressed me, even the “Free Bird” cover they did as a b-side wasn’t too shabby. Since that day, Coffin Break remains one of my top 5 favorite bands and remains a top recommendation for anyone interested in listening to grunge bands, other than Nirvana and Alice In Chains.
The band revolved around Pete Litwin on guitar, Rob Skinner on bass, both of which shared vocal and song writing duties, David Brooks on drums, and later Jeff Lorien on second guitar. Coffin Break formed in the late 1980’s just about the time the whole Grunge thing was catching on. The band released their debut live 7” “Noise Patch/Boxes ‘N Boxes/Obsession” which was recorded at the OK Hotel in 1988. I came across this record only once and during a conversation I had with Pete I asked why, since it was a live record you can’t hear any crowd noise, he told me that the OK Hotel cancelled the show, and the people waiting outside left cold and wet, but the venue still allowed them to record the songs. I feel in love with the song “Boxes ‘N Boxes”, even to this day it remains a favorite of mine. It amazes me still, how much energy you can hear from this record despite having an audience that you could count on one hand.
Both Rob Skinner and Pete Litwin wrote songs for the band, and at times displayed dual vocal duties which showed, not only their different song writing abilities but musical preference as well. Skinner had that prototypical punk voice, faster paced and more hard hitting (think of the song “Kill The President”) and Litwin had at times a more metallic and arena esque voice. If you listen to certain songs, you can hear the distinct differences among them. Just give the compilation “Rupture/Psychosis” a spin and you’ll hear what I’m talking about.
Disbanded in 1993, but most of the band members found work relatively fast. Litwin went on to play in a band called Softy, who remind me a bit like a heavier version of Coffin Break, Skinner formed the band Popsickle who has a more poppy jump to their step, Brooks played in the band RC5. The band reunited for Geezerfest a few years back, and some thought that was the last time we would hear from these guys again. However, it seems like they found the Fountain of Youth and are playing locally around Seattle. In fact just 4 days ago they played in Bremerton, Washington with Neutralboy and Weathercade.
On a personal note, Coffin Break for quote some time has been a top 5 favorite band of mine (along with Flop, Pure Joy, Crackerbash, and Mother Love Bone). I still get goose bumps listening to “Kill The President”. And again, if the guys from Coffin Break are reading this, I would like to hear that version live
cooffin Break is really unique compared to other bands in Seattle. They aren’t your typical grunge band, and surely not your typical punk band. They have dual vocals which wasn’t explored enough in Seattle. It was like they had 2 bands merged into one with the different styles being thrown in on every song and on every record. They have a stage presence, from what I’ve heard at least. That was energetic, chaotic, and fun. They might not be your typical Grunge band, but assure you, one listen to these guys and you’ll be hooked. They have a nice album catalogue and an impressive compilation presence. I’m not entirely sure why they never got the attention they deserved outside of Seattle, but then again I don’t know why most of my favorite bands never got their fair share of recognition. But I do know one thing, Coffin Break is a diamond in the rough; beware one listen and you’ll be hooked, maybe that’s why Kurt Cobain saw them as a favorite of his.
The band revolved around Pete Litwin on guitar, Rob Skinner on bass, both of which shared vocal and song writing duties, David Brooks on drums, and later Jeff Lorien on second guitar. Coffin Break formed in the late 1980’s just about the time the whole Grunge thing was catching on. The band released their debut live 7” “Noise Patch/Boxes ‘N Boxes/Obsession” which was recorded at the OK Hotel in 1988. I came across this record only once and during a conversation I had with Pete I asked why, since it was a live record you can’t hear any crowd noise, he told me that the OK Hotel cancelled the show, and the people waiting outside left cold and wet, but the venue still allowed them to record the songs. I feel in love with the song “Boxes ‘N Boxes”, even to this day it remains a favorite of mine. It amazes me still, how much energy you can hear from this record despite having an audience that you could count on one hand.
Both Rob Skinner and Pete Litwin wrote songs for the band, and at times displayed dual vocal duties which showed, not only their different song writing abilities but musical preference as well. Skinner had that prototypical punk voice, faster paced and more hard hitting (think of the song “Kill The President”) and Litwin had at times a more metallic and arena esque voice. If you listen to certain songs, you can hear the distinct differences among them. Just give the compilation “Rupture/Psychosis” a spin and you’ll hear what I’m talking about.
Disbanded in 1993, but most of the band members found work relatively fast. Litwin went on to play in a band called Softy, who remind me a bit like a heavier version of Coffin Break, Skinner formed the band Popsickle who has a more poppy jump to their step, Brooks played in the band RC5. The band reunited for Geezerfest a few years back, and some thought that was the last time we would hear from these guys again. However, it seems like they found the Fountain of Youth and are playing locally around Seattle. In fact just 4 days ago they played in Bremerton, Washington with Neutralboy and Weathercade.
On a personal note, Coffin Break for quote some time has been a top 5 favorite band of mine (along with Flop, Pure Joy, Crackerbash, and Mother Love Bone). I still get goose bumps listening to “Kill The President”. And again, if the guys from Coffin Break are reading this, I would like to hear that version live
cooffin Break is really unique compared to other bands in Seattle. They aren’t your typical grunge band, and surely not your typical punk band. They have dual vocals which wasn’t explored enough in Seattle. It was like they had 2 bands merged into one with the different styles being thrown in on every song and on every record. They have a stage presence, from what I’ve heard at least. That was energetic, chaotic, and fun. They might not be your typical Grunge band, but assure you, one listen to these guys and you’ll be hooked. They have a nice album catalogue and an impressive compilation presence. I’m not entirely sure why they never got the attention they deserved outside of Seattle, but then again I don’t know why most of my favorite bands never got their fair share of recognition. But I do know one thing, Coffin Break is a diamond in the rough; beware one listen and you’ll be hooked, maybe that’s why Kurt Cobain saw them as a favorite of his.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sub Pop Rock City In Ruins
Sub Pop records were an essential part in signing grunge bands in the Seattle area and hyping their label with shirts, stickers and all that fun stuff. Back in the 80’s and 90’s it seemed like the label could do nothing wrong, signing the best local acts and even distributing the famous Sub Pop Singles Club records every month. But for whatever reason the label has gone down the toilet and has turned to shit by signing indie bands like Iron & Wine, Flight Of The Conchords and Kelly Stoltz. This revelation occurred to me when I heard the Sub Pop 300 compilation, and needless to say I was disgusted at what I heard and appalled that Sub Pop would even think about splitting a compilation between bands like TAD, Green River and TAD with Red Red Meat, Flight Of The Conchords and The Shins.
On a long drive today I thought I’d listen to all 3 Sub Pop compilations in a row, and I honestly couldn’t believe in the direction Sub Pop was going in. Before I go in depth about these compilations I want to give everyone a brief history of Sub Pop Records:
Before Sub Pop “the record label” formed, Sub Pop was Bruce Pavitt’s photocopied music fanzine back in 1979. While writing this fanzine he would also simultaneously release Sub Pop cassette compilations that chronicled the underground music scene going on at that time. Now, I know these cassettes exist, and I know what the covers and all look like, but I have no idea what bands were features on here and have never seen them anywhere. But from what I have heard he did a great job in documenting the bands that were less prevalent in major magazines and focused on those who performed in the bars.
Sub Pop than evolved further from being a small fanzine with occasional cassette compilations to getting state-wide and perhaps regional attention when Bruce Pavitt began writing Sub Pop as an article in the magazine The Rocket. He featured local bands like Malfunkshun and did record reviews by the likes of Green River and Skin Yard. But he also delved into the national limelight by writing and reviewing records by bigger bands of all genres. I luckily have on issue of The Rocket of where Bruce writes about Malfunkshun and a few other bands that I happen to forget. But it was an amazing read.
In 1986, Bruce relocated to Seattle and began assembling Sub Pop’s first ever LP compilation called “Sub Pop 100” which featured the likes of Sonic Youth, Skinny Puppy, Scratch Acid and The Wipers. This compilation is a great introduction to the label. For the most part this compilation really gels with me. My favorite track on the compilation has to be the U-Men “Gila”. Despite me being a fan of the U-Men since I picked up their “Solid Action” CD, they picked a great song for the compilation (even though I would’ve enjoyed “Dig It A Hole” even more). The Naked Raygun track “Baracuda” is also quite a nice track, and a nice introduction to a band I only heard of. Of course you can’t go wrong with including punk legends in Sonic Youth and Portland icons The Wipers. This compilation was only limited to 5,000 pressings and really began Sub Pop as a real record label.
In the midst of releasing and compiling the Sub Pop 100 Pavitt was presenting Sub Pop as a radio show on the University of Washington’s student show KCMU. While here, he was introduced to volunteers of the radio station, Mark Arm of Green River (and later Mudhoney), Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, and future Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman. It was here where the first grunge seeds were planted, and Sub Pop began cultivating the future of the grunge sound and leading the charge in bringing the sound to a national audience.
The label started off rather rocky, slow, and practically went out of business before it got off the ground. In 1987 Poneman had to borrow $20,000 from family and friends just to release Soundgarden’s debut record “Screaming Life” which was a huge hit in the underground with songs like “Hunted Down” and “Tears To Forget”. Along with signing and releasing records from bands such as Blood Circus, Green River, TAD, the label were making great strides in releasing local talent with that fuzzed out grunge style. Now the label had an identity, and they were documenting a regional sound, the label was off the ground and really doing well, and often spoke about “world domination”.
From my standpoint these early records were Sub Pop’s peak. Blood Circus’ “Two-Way Street/Six Foot Under”, Swallow’s “Trapped/Guts” and Green River’s “Dry As A Bone” were just simply brilliant, and everything I ever wanted in music. But that was not the peak of Sub Pop, for the mainstream and national public’s standpoint that is. It wasn’t until Sub Pop signed an unknown band called Nirvana and released the now, highly valuable, expensive, and rare record “Love Buzz/Big Cheese”. It was produced by the famous Jack Endino and is hand numbered, if you’re looking on eBay for this record it can go from $3,000 and northward.
The label thrived on word of mouth promotion, and having people wear their merch, and have their logo on everything and even had a “Sub Pop” store in downtown Seattle. Of course the most popular thing the label has done, and probably will ever do is the Sub Pop Singles Club. They were a limited run of 45” records that was released by a slew of bands, both local and over time not-so-local. They flew off the shelves in stores, thus creating a subscription listing where those who subscribed would get their copies, no questions asked…Of course with a fee. I luckily collected a bunch of the Singles Club over time, and amazingly the Sub Pop postage is still inside to subscribe to them. Awesome!
As fans got their records by mail thanks to the Singles Club, the people overseas were now just seeing, and hearing what Sub Pop had to offer thanks to the British writer Everett True. For those who don’t know who Everett True is, he is the man responsible for writing and publishing a lengthy article in the British magazine “Melody Maker” in 1989. And from this point onward, the grunge sound was no longer something the people of Seattle would call their own, but something that everyone in the entire world would gobble up, listen too and in one way or another exploit.
Three months later Sub Pop released Nirvana’s first full length album, “Bleach”. It wasn’t an immediate hit however, but did generate some buzz in small indie and punk circles. It seemed like overnight a band that had crowds of a few hundred in venues like The World Theater, to selling out such places like the Moore Theater. I hate to go into a Nirvana story here, because this is not what this blog is about. But I think Sub Pop owes Nirvana, but also ALL OF THE EARLY BANDS a huge amount for pulling the label out of the financial difficulties that plagues them for years. Just a few years after releasing “Bleach” Nirvana released “Nevermind”, sold 4 million records and had access to mass amounts of royalties afterwards. Than when you think of Mudhoney, they’ve been making music for what seems like forever have been pulling large crowds and making countless of records.
Even to this day, Mudhoney remains the only original member of Sub Pop’s hayday, perhaps it’s because Mark Arm works at the merchandise area of the company, or because they realize Mudhoney is simply an amazing band. While Sub Pop enjoyed Nirvana’s success of Nevermind, they also in the meantime crowned the “Bleach” a platinum selling record.
So, as maybe you all can tell, everything is going great! Signing amazing bands, releasing some earth shattering records, and gaining national notoriety. Everything is going well for the label, and everyone loves the bands on the label and how they are running it.
That is, until 1995 or so. It seemed like Sub Pop lost sight of what they wanted to achieve, and did achieve back in the 80’s and 90’s. In the coming years they would sign indie “bands” like The Shins, Death Cab For Cutie, Iron & Wine, Wolf Parade and Postal Service.
Once more and more and more of these bands began to get signed by Sub Pop, the more and more I began to just forget the label existed, or just pretend the label went out of business by 1997. There are times where I wish the label did go under by 1995, because it is completely not right what their doing in the business sense. The label started out by focusing on the local bands and focusing on a regional sound. I think they lost what the label was really about, and is just so focused on becoming internationally known.
This revelation came to me while listening to Sub Pop 300 which practically was a split between their 90’s label and their shit…I mean, new sound. This irritates me and makes me nearly barf every time I hear a song or band from this newer age. I mean no one on this green planet will ever want to hear some fake, flannel wearing indie dude grab his acoustic guitar and start singing about, go knows what. I love this label, and everything that it has done, it brought the genre I fell in love with to the forefront of every music lovers visions in the 90’s and made “grunge” a household name. I owe it to them for doing great things for the genre I love, but I can not stand back and watch this label turn in the wrong direction. They’re deviating from signing talented local bands, and are straying away from being a local label. I have no idea why when you have extremely talented local artists like Zombie Jihad, The Baseball Project, or how about former Sub Pop pioneering musicians Tad Doyle’s new band, Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth.
Sub Pop Records is too busy looking outside the northwest for bands that are terrible and completely not what the label was founded upon. There are amazing bands bashing it out in bars and clubs locally that are being overlooked and scooped up by other labels.
A few weeks ago I talked with James Burdyshaw of Cat Butt and 64 Spiders, and he told me he wanted to release a compilation of Cat Butt tracks that were unreleased and other tracks from their only two vinyl releases. But says that Sub Pop doesn’t hold this as a priority…….
How on earth can Sub Pop not hold this as a priority and hold bands like The Birthday Party and Blitzen Trappen a priority? Sub Pop owes it, not only to their fans but to themselves. If it wasn’t for bands like Cat Butt, Swallow, Blood Circus, TAD, or any of the pioneering artists their label would’ve been bankrupt before it ever started. Their business and their corporate attitude are blinding what is truly in demand and what is truly great. I for one would be more inclined to purchase a Cat Butt compilation rather than the new Foals record. Even to this day the label is still riding the grunge wave by releasing Green River t-shirts and a how about that re-released “Bleach” with bonus material. Oh, and how about that 20th anniversary show where these bands and more performed. And yet, they don’t see releasing a Cat Butt compilation a priority?
I’ll tell you one thing, if I were in charge of this label I’d bring it back into the hands of the Seattle bands and promote what the true Seattle Sound is. No one cares about these bands, or what their releasing. There is still a high demand for grunge acts, and if the labels excuse is that there either is A) no grunge acts out there, or B) there is no demand…Tell it to the thousands of people who bought the re-releases of many records, who bought the shirts and who sold out that anniversary show.
When I hear the Sub Pop 300 compilation it made me angry to hear the raw passion, emotion and spirit in the music, the liveliness of it all, than only to listen to a toned down, drawn out, pointless music. It left me scratching my head wondering why the label did this, so I asked people who are associated with the label, want to know what they said? NOTHING! None of my e-mails were answered and refused to answer any questions about why they turned to such corny and dumb bands and completely turn their back on the people and bands that put their label on the map.
I guess Sub Pop really is a record label and really is a company. They turned their back on the bands that they owe it too for keeping the labels head above water, and turned their backs on the fans that followed them for years. They want to keep riding the grunge wave and accumulating revenue from it than anything else.
Hey Sub Pop, do yourselves a favor and look at your label, and look at what it was. There is no explanation for the direction they are taking. I suggest look at your city, listen to your fans that was with the label from day 1, sign the bands that are selling out the venues in Seattle now and not the ones that are NOT selling them out. I can name countless of amazing local acts, unsigned looking for labels. Look at you label very closely and look at where you were to where you are now. I understand progression is a part of a record labels growth, but what Sub Pop is doing is not growth, they are stagnating.
Instead of promoting shitty bands like Fruit Bats, CocoRosie, No Age and Tiny Vipers I suggest re-releasing some legendary records that help pull your label out of financial difficulties, sign local acts, and bring the label back into the hands of the Seattle public. I spoken to numerous people who want the Sub Pop Singles Club back in circulation, and people who want those rare, and now out of print releases they releases years ago.
It’s amazing to think, they still ride the glories grunge and those bands gave them, yet deviate so badly and refuse their existence. Why not push for a new Green River release? I know there are unreleased material laying around and a new record on the horizon, why not do something with that? Soundgarden reformed, why not get involved, I mean they were THE FIRST band you guys were interested in? Oh, how about signing bands like Zombie Jihad, get Girl Trouble in the studio again, or how about jumping on TAD front man Tad Doyle’s new band? These acts would be ideal for the label, and ring familiarity of the grunge explosion. Oh, why your at it, drop these shitty indie bands and release a Cat Butt compilation for god sake.
I guess Sub Pop is a company and a record label who cares more about “profit”, or the lack-there-of than what gave them their identity. I owe it to Sub Pop for bringing the genre that I have studied and adored since I was a toddler into the national eyes and bringing amazing bands into my peripherals, But I won’t lay back and see the labels bullshit antics. If I were heading this label, I wouldn’t pull what these guys are doing….So with all this said, as long as they ignore a long time fan and customer of their label by not answering my questions, ignoring fans pleas for more hard hitting bands, and ignoring their past musicians I will boycott any new “artist” they release. And I will tell people, no matter who they are that Sub Pop went out of business in 1996. Thanks Bruce and Jon, for turning your back on us, and thank you for ignoring the people that were with you guys from day 1.
I want more Green River, I want Cat Butt, and I want local, aggressive, and passionate bands, not what you guys are signing and delivering…Thanks for what did in the 90’s, and thanks for introducing me to a couple of my favorite bands, In fact Green River was one of the first ever records I ever bought!! Sub Pop is a real company and a real label; doesn’t give a shit about the fans or the bands that brought it to where they are at now…Good work.
I apologize for being a bit harsh here, but I feel passionatly about this topic, and just listening to Sub Pop 300 made me angry beyond belief. Oh, and apparently Sub Pop has a new line of merchandise out, the Sub Pop Record shoe...Great business decision guys, just what the world needs an ugly yellow shoe and even uglier sounding bands....Sub Pop, you guys are surely batting a thousand.I just want my small, independent grunge label back!
On a long drive today I thought I’d listen to all 3 Sub Pop compilations in a row, and I honestly couldn’t believe in the direction Sub Pop was going in. Before I go in depth about these compilations I want to give everyone a brief history of Sub Pop Records:
Before Sub Pop “the record label” formed, Sub Pop was Bruce Pavitt’s photocopied music fanzine back in 1979. While writing this fanzine he would also simultaneously release Sub Pop cassette compilations that chronicled the underground music scene going on at that time. Now, I know these cassettes exist, and I know what the covers and all look like, but I have no idea what bands were features on here and have never seen them anywhere. But from what I have heard he did a great job in documenting the bands that were less prevalent in major magazines and focused on those who performed in the bars.
Sub Pop than evolved further from being a small fanzine with occasional cassette compilations to getting state-wide and perhaps regional attention when Bruce Pavitt began writing Sub Pop as an article in the magazine The Rocket. He featured local bands like Malfunkshun and did record reviews by the likes of Green River and Skin Yard. But he also delved into the national limelight by writing and reviewing records by bigger bands of all genres. I luckily have on issue of The Rocket of where Bruce writes about Malfunkshun and a few other bands that I happen to forget. But it was an amazing read.
In 1986, Bruce relocated to Seattle and began assembling Sub Pop’s first ever LP compilation called “Sub Pop 100” which featured the likes of Sonic Youth, Skinny Puppy, Scratch Acid and The Wipers. This compilation is a great introduction to the label. For the most part this compilation really gels with me. My favorite track on the compilation has to be the U-Men “Gila”. Despite me being a fan of the U-Men since I picked up their “Solid Action” CD, they picked a great song for the compilation (even though I would’ve enjoyed “Dig It A Hole” even more). The Naked Raygun track “Baracuda” is also quite a nice track, and a nice introduction to a band I only heard of. Of course you can’t go wrong with including punk legends in Sonic Youth and Portland icons The Wipers. This compilation was only limited to 5,000 pressings and really began Sub Pop as a real record label.
In the midst of releasing and compiling the Sub Pop 100 Pavitt was presenting Sub Pop as a radio show on the University of Washington’s student show KCMU. While here, he was introduced to volunteers of the radio station, Mark Arm of Green River (and later Mudhoney), Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, and future Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman. It was here where the first grunge seeds were planted, and Sub Pop began cultivating the future of the grunge sound and leading the charge in bringing the sound to a national audience.
The label started off rather rocky, slow, and practically went out of business before it got off the ground. In 1987 Poneman had to borrow $20,000 from family and friends just to release Soundgarden’s debut record “Screaming Life” which was a huge hit in the underground with songs like “Hunted Down” and “Tears To Forget”. Along with signing and releasing records from bands such as Blood Circus, Green River, TAD, the label were making great strides in releasing local talent with that fuzzed out grunge style. Now the label had an identity, and they were documenting a regional sound, the label was off the ground and really doing well, and often spoke about “world domination”.
From my standpoint these early records were Sub Pop’s peak. Blood Circus’ “Two-Way Street/Six Foot Under”, Swallow’s “Trapped/Guts” and Green River’s “Dry As A Bone” were just simply brilliant, and everything I ever wanted in music. But that was not the peak of Sub Pop, for the mainstream and national public’s standpoint that is. It wasn’t until Sub Pop signed an unknown band called Nirvana and released the now, highly valuable, expensive, and rare record “Love Buzz/Big Cheese”. It was produced by the famous Jack Endino and is hand numbered, if you’re looking on eBay for this record it can go from $3,000 and northward.
The label thrived on word of mouth promotion, and having people wear their merch, and have their logo on everything and even had a “Sub Pop” store in downtown Seattle. Of course the most popular thing the label has done, and probably will ever do is the Sub Pop Singles Club. They were a limited run of 45” records that was released by a slew of bands, both local and over time not-so-local. They flew off the shelves in stores, thus creating a subscription listing where those who subscribed would get their copies, no questions asked…Of course with a fee. I luckily collected a bunch of the Singles Club over time, and amazingly the Sub Pop postage is still inside to subscribe to them. Awesome!
As fans got their records by mail thanks to the Singles Club, the people overseas were now just seeing, and hearing what Sub Pop had to offer thanks to the British writer Everett True. For those who don’t know who Everett True is, he is the man responsible for writing and publishing a lengthy article in the British magazine “Melody Maker” in 1989. And from this point onward, the grunge sound was no longer something the people of Seattle would call their own, but something that everyone in the entire world would gobble up, listen too and in one way or another exploit.
Three months later Sub Pop released Nirvana’s first full length album, “Bleach”. It wasn’t an immediate hit however, but did generate some buzz in small indie and punk circles. It seemed like overnight a band that had crowds of a few hundred in venues like The World Theater, to selling out such places like the Moore Theater. I hate to go into a Nirvana story here, because this is not what this blog is about. But I think Sub Pop owes Nirvana, but also ALL OF THE EARLY BANDS a huge amount for pulling the label out of the financial difficulties that plagues them for years. Just a few years after releasing “Bleach” Nirvana released “Nevermind”, sold 4 million records and had access to mass amounts of royalties afterwards. Than when you think of Mudhoney, they’ve been making music for what seems like forever have been pulling large crowds and making countless of records.
Even to this day, Mudhoney remains the only original member of Sub Pop’s hayday, perhaps it’s because Mark Arm works at the merchandise area of the company, or because they realize Mudhoney is simply an amazing band. While Sub Pop enjoyed Nirvana’s success of Nevermind, they also in the meantime crowned the “Bleach” a platinum selling record.
So, as maybe you all can tell, everything is going great! Signing amazing bands, releasing some earth shattering records, and gaining national notoriety. Everything is going well for the label, and everyone loves the bands on the label and how they are running it.
That is, until 1995 or so. It seemed like Sub Pop lost sight of what they wanted to achieve, and did achieve back in the 80’s and 90’s. In the coming years they would sign indie “bands” like The Shins, Death Cab For Cutie, Iron & Wine, Wolf Parade and Postal Service.
Once more and more and more of these bands began to get signed by Sub Pop, the more and more I began to just forget the label existed, or just pretend the label went out of business by 1997. There are times where I wish the label did go under by 1995, because it is completely not right what their doing in the business sense. The label started out by focusing on the local bands and focusing on a regional sound. I think they lost what the label was really about, and is just so focused on becoming internationally known.
This revelation came to me while listening to Sub Pop 300 which practically was a split between their 90’s label and their shit…I mean, new sound. This irritates me and makes me nearly barf every time I hear a song or band from this newer age. I mean no one on this green planet will ever want to hear some fake, flannel wearing indie dude grab his acoustic guitar and start singing about, go knows what. I love this label, and everything that it has done, it brought the genre I fell in love with to the forefront of every music lovers visions in the 90’s and made “grunge” a household name. I owe it to them for doing great things for the genre I love, but I can not stand back and watch this label turn in the wrong direction. They’re deviating from signing talented local bands, and are straying away from being a local label. I have no idea why when you have extremely talented local artists like Zombie Jihad, The Baseball Project, or how about former Sub Pop pioneering musicians Tad Doyle’s new band, Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth.
Sub Pop Records is too busy looking outside the northwest for bands that are terrible and completely not what the label was founded upon. There are amazing bands bashing it out in bars and clubs locally that are being overlooked and scooped up by other labels.
A few weeks ago I talked with James Burdyshaw of Cat Butt and 64 Spiders, and he told me he wanted to release a compilation of Cat Butt tracks that were unreleased and other tracks from their only two vinyl releases. But says that Sub Pop doesn’t hold this as a priority…….
How on earth can Sub Pop not hold this as a priority and hold bands like The Birthday Party and Blitzen Trappen a priority? Sub Pop owes it, not only to their fans but to themselves. If it wasn’t for bands like Cat Butt, Swallow, Blood Circus, TAD, or any of the pioneering artists their label would’ve been bankrupt before it ever started. Their business and their corporate attitude are blinding what is truly in demand and what is truly great. I for one would be more inclined to purchase a Cat Butt compilation rather than the new Foals record. Even to this day the label is still riding the grunge wave by releasing Green River t-shirts and a how about that re-released “Bleach” with bonus material. Oh, and how about that 20th anniversary show where these bands and more performed. And yet, they don’t see releasing a Cat Butt compilation a priority?
I’ll tell you one thing, if I were in charge of this label I’d bring it back into the hands of the Seattle bands and promote what the true Seattle Sound is. No one cares about these bands, or what their releasing. There is still a high demand for grunge acts, and if the labels excuse is that there either is A) no grunge acts out there, or B) there is no demand…Tell it to the thousands of people who bought the re-releases of many records, who bought the shirts and who sold out that anniversary show.
When I hear the Sub Pop 300 compilation it made me angry to hear the raw passion, emotion and spirit in the music, the liveliness of it all, than only to listen to a toned down, drawn out, pointless music. It left me scratching my head wondering why the label did this, so I asked people who are associated with the label, want to know what they said? NOTHING! None of my e-mails were answered and refused to answer any questions about why they turned to such corny and dumb bands and completely turn their back on the people and bands that put their label on the map.
I guess Sub Pop really is a record label and really is a company. They turned their back on the bands that they owe it too for keeping the labels head above water, and turned their backs on the fans that followed them for years. They want to keep riding the grunge wave and accumulating revenue from it than anything else.
Hey Sub Pop, do yourselves a favor and look at your label, and look at what it was. There is no explanation for the direction they are taking. I suggest look at your city, listen to your fans that was with the label from day 1, sign the bands that are selling out the venues in Seattle now and not the ones that are NOT selling them out. I can name countless of amazing local acts, unsigned looking for labels. Look at you label very closely and look at where you were to where you are now. I understand progression is a part of a record labels growth, but what Sub Pop is doing is not growth, they are stagnating.
Instead of promoting shitty bands like Fruit Bats, CocoRosie, No Age and Tiny Vipers I suggest re-releasing some legendary records that help pull your label out of financial difficulties, sign local acts, and bring the label back into the hands of the Seattle public. I spoken to numerous people who want the Sub Pop Singles Club back in circulation, and people who want those rare, and now out of print releases they releases years ago.
It’s amazing to think, they still ride the glories grunge and those bands gave them, yet deviate so badly and refuse their existence. Why not push for a new Green River release? I know there are unreleased material laying around and a new record on the horizon, why not do something with that? Soundgarden reformed, why not get involved, I mean they were THE FIRST band you guys were interested in? Oh, how about signing bands like Zombie Jihad, get Girl Trouble in the studio again, or how about jumping on TAD front man Tad Doyle’s new band? These acts would be ideal for the label, and ring familiarity of the grunge explosion. Oh, why your at it, drop these shitty indie bands and release a Cat Butt compilation for god sake.
I guess Sub Pop is a company and a record label who cares more about “profit”, or the lack-there-of than what gave them their identity. I owe it to Sub Pop for bringing the genre that I have studied and adored since I was a toddler into the national eyes and bringing amazing bands into my peripherals, But I won’t lay back and see the labels bullshit antics. If I were heading this label, I wouldn’t pull what these guys are doing….So with all this said, as long as they ignore a long time fan and customer of their label by not answering my questions, ignoring fans pleas for more hard hitting bands, and ignoring their past musicians I will boycott any new “artist” they release. And I will tell people, no matter who they are that Sub Pop went out of business in 1996. Thanks Bruce and Jon, for turning your back on us, and thank you for ignoring the people that were with you guys from day 1.
I want more Green River, I want Cat Butt, and I want local, aggressive, and passionate bands, not what you guys are signing and delivering…Thanks for what did in the 90’s, and thanks for introducing me to a couple of my favorite bands, In fact Green River was one of the first ever records I ever bought!! Sub Pop is a real company and a real label; doesn’t give a shit about the fans or the bands that brought it to where they are at now…Good work.
I apologize for being a bit harsh here, but I feel passionatly about this topic, and just listening to Sub Pop 300 made me angry beyond belief. Oh, and apparently Sub Pop has a new line of merchandise out, the Sub Pop Record shoe...Great business decision guys, just what the world needs an ugly yellow shoe and even uglier sounding bands....Sub Pop, you guys are surely batting a thousand.I just want my small, independent grunge label back!
Something you should know
Reading these posts might confuse you or pop up your mind how come i know these band members when im from such a small country between india and china.
Well for that i'd have say i've been member of Grunge board since 12 years. so it's sorta obvious.
Cheers for that!!!!!!!!!!11
Well for that i'd have say i've been member of Grunge board since 12 years. so it's sorta obvious.
Cheers for that!!!!!!!!!!11
Six Foot Under: Blood Circus
Progression is something that happens over time mostly for the better. You start something, find out what works and move forward with that idea and turn it into bigger and better things. However, when I say Sub Pop Records they are the exception to the whole progression statement. Nowadays their too busy signing boring indie bands like Iron & Wine and Flight of The Conchords when they had a great thing going in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Featuring bands like Cat Butt, Swallow and Chemistry Set on their Sub Pop 200 Compilation, or signing the obscure band called Nirvana from Aberdeen. But Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman were onto something when they signed the band Blood Circus.
The band consisted of Michael Anderson on vocals and guitar (who ironically played briefly with Swallow in the 80’s for a little bit), Geoff Robinson on second guitar, Tracey Simmons (aka T-Man) on the bass, and Doug Day on the skins. Taking their name from some low budget sci-fi flick, Blood Circus releases their first single off of Sub Pop records “Two Way Street/Six Feet Under”, which to me was a remarkable single that stayed on my record player for months. I spinned that record so much, I was afraid I would wear it out. It had everything you wanted in a song and in a band. FINALLY Sub Pop was onto something and I wanted to continue with them on the ride!
They played their first show opening for The Obituaries and later played alongside the likes of TAD, Nirvana, Girl Trouble, and Mudhoney very frequently, and even played with other acts like White Zombie, Butthole Surfers and SNFU. As the months wore on, they toured the U.S. with Les Thugs and almost went to Europe to drop some jaws, but called it quits shortly after. Instead TAD went, played in Berlin the same night the Berlin Wall was torn down…Weird turn of events.
The band was also featured on the very popular Sub Pop 200 Compilation contributing the song “The Outback” alongside other Grunge icons like the Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, TAD and Nirvana. In a whirlwind of events thus far, in 1988 Blood Circus releases their E.P. “Primal Rock Therapy”, but failed to get much recognition due Mudhoney’s “Superfuzz Big Muff” and Nirvana’s “Love Buzz” vinyl releases that same year. Like all of their records, and like most of Seattle bands in general it was recorded at Reciprocal Studios with Jack Endino at the helm. I always find myself comparing Blood Circus, Swallow and Cat Butt together, but do you blame me? Listen to those three bands and tell me they don’t sound somewhat alike.
The “Primal Rock Therapy” release was an interesting album, with very interesting songs. For instance the song “Sea Chanty” is the only grunge song about pirates and exploring the high seas, and “Gnarly” is the only grunge song about surfing. In their heyday they wrote about politics but by the time “Primal Rock Therapy” was released Anderson says “I see things from a twisted point of view. I’m probably reading too much Jim Thompson and Charles Bukowski”. Just based off those two facts, the band already broke some boundaries and had some pretty damn great tracks to go with it. It’s a damn shame it didn’t get the recognition it deserved, and a damn disgrace it was considered one of the poorest selling records ever in Sub Pop history.
To add to their string of bad luck by this time, the band called it quits in 1990, just before the whole grunge thing was becoming popular. Michael Anderson went off to play in Hard Belly Lloyd with former Swallow members, but to my knowledge never released anything. T-Man went to play with Brother James’ post-Cat Butt band Yummy who released a record or two, played a show or two than called it quits. Doug also played sporadically in other lesser known Seattle bands, whereas Geoff did something completely different…He worked in a hardware store.
In 1992, Sub Pop reissued “Primal Rock Therapy”, included the single “Two Way Street” and “6 Foot Under”, but also included tracks from a 1989 record that never saw the light of day as bonus tracks. From my conversation with the band they do have an entire compilation of unreleased tracks laying around, I’m still working on wooing my way into getting my hands on it though.
Since that reissue, they band has reunited and played a handful of shows, they were featured in the movie Hype! Since, the most recent Blood Circus encounter was in 2007 when they tore the Crocodile Café up in a one-time reunion show. I think Jon Poneman put it best when he went on record saying “There are a bunch of you who have scored your Soundgarden, Mudhoney and Nirvana records and think you have the grunge cred covered. No chance. ‘Primal Rock Therapy’ is the acid test” and how true he was.
Not many people realize how much of an integral part Blood Circus played on the whole grunge explosion. They were one of the first bands Sub Pop signed and released a record for, and as soon as you open up the “Primal Rock Therapy” record you can see the gig poster and see how real they were. The strikingly raw sound, the mesmerizing and sometimes eerie vocals, followed by the gritty and crunchy guitars and almost haunting drum chimes in the background, how can you not love a band like this? This band, has inspired me to listen to more of the underground bands, and to dig deeper in the Seattle Scene because you never know when you will hit a goldmine. I still remember the day when I cracked open the E.P. and laid my ears on their sound. My jaw was left dropped, my eyes wide, and my toes tapping against the ground. I spinned that album for months, and never once left my CD player. Sub Pop finally had everything going for them, bands that could kick some ass, that sound good, and that what people actually wanted to listen too! Yet they push all of that away, the label deviated from signing local acts that were symbols of the scene to signing pure boring garbage. But that is a discussion for another day. If you don’t already own these releases, I urge you to get them now. If you think you know grunge, or think you have that “grunge cred” you haven’t heard nothing until you laid your ears on these guys.
If you’re looking for the single “Two Way Street/ Six Feet Under” I seen it online for over $100! I’m telling you, save your money. It’s worth every penny, for sure, but no record is worth that much. I asked Geoff once how he felt about it and he said, “Shit – shoulda been 500 bucks – I’m pissed!.....No but seriously it’s an honor, I see the it in used stores now and again…It’s kinda cool”….With that said, go buy everything they released.
The band consisted of Michael Anderson on vocals and guitar (who ironically played briefly with Swallow in the 80’s for a little bit), Geoff Robinson on second guitar, Tracey Simmons (aka T-Man) on the bass, and Doug Day on the skins. Taking their name from some low budget sci-fi flick, Blood Circus releases their first single off of Sub Pop records “Two Way Street/Six Feet Under”, which to me was a remarkable single that stayed on my record player for months. I spinned that record so much, I was afraid I would wear it out. It had everything you wanted in a song and in a band. FINALLY Sub Pop was onto something and I wanted to continue with them on the ride!
They played their first show opening for The Obituaries and later played alongside the likes of TAD, Nirvana, Girl Trouble, and Mudhoney very frequently, and even played with other acts like White Zombie, Butthole Surfers and SNFU. As the months wore on, they toured the U.S. with Les Thugs and almost went to Europe to drop some jaws, but called it quits shortly after. Instead TAD went, played in Berlin the same night the Berlin Wall was torn down…Weird turn of events.
The band was also featured on the very popular Sub Pop 200 Compilation contributing the song “The Outback” alongside other Grunge icons like the Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, TAD and Nirvana. In a whirlwind of events thus far, in 1988 Blood Circus releases their E.P. “Primal Rock Therapy”, but failed to get much recognition due Mudhoney’s “Superfuzz Big Muff” and Nirvana’s “Love Buzz” vinyl releases that same year. Like all of their records, and like most of Seattle bands in general it was recorded at Reciprocal Studios with Jack Endino at the helm. I always find myself comparing Blood Circus, Swallow and Cat Butt together, but do you blame me? Listen to those three bands and tell me they don’t sound somewhat alike.
The “Primal Rock Therapy” release was an interesting album, with very interesting songs. For instance the song “Sea Chanty” is the only grunge song about pirates and exploring the high seas, and “Gnarly” is the only grunge song about surfing. In their heyday they wrote about politics but by the time “Primal Rock Therapy” was released Anderson says “I see things from a twisted point of view. I’m probably reading too much Jim Thompson and Charles Bukowski”. Just based off those two facts, the band already broke some boundaries and had some pretty damn great tracks to go with it. It’s a damn shame it didn’t get the recognition it deserved, and a damn disgrace it was considered one of the poorest selling records ever in Sub Pop history.
To add to their string of bad luck by this time, the band called it quits in 1990, just before the whole grunge thing was becoming popular. Michael Anderson went off to play in Hard Belly Lloyd with former Swallow members, but to my knowledge never released anything. T-Man went to play with Brother James’ post-Cat Butt band Yummy who released a record or two, played a show or two than called it quits. Doug also played sporadically in other lesser known Seattle bands, whereas Geoff did something completely different…He worked in a hardware store.
In 1992, Sub Pop reissued “Primal Rock Therapy”, included the single “Two Way Street” and “6 Foot Under”, but also included tracks from a 1989 record that never saw the light of day as bonus tracks. From my conversation with the band they do have an entire compilation of unreleased tracks laying around, I’m still working on wooing my way into getting my hands on it though.
Since that reissue, they band has reunited and played a handful of shows, they were featured in the movie Hype! Since, the most recent Blood Circus encounter was in 2007 when they tore the Crocodile Café up in a one-time reunion show. I think Jon Poneman put it best when he went on record saying “There are a bunch of you who have scored your Soundgarden, Mudhoney and Nirvana records and think you have the grunge cred covered. No chance. ‘Primal Rock Therapy’ is the acid test” and how true he was.
Not many people realize how much of an integral part Blood Circus played on the whole grunge explosion. They were one of the first bands Sub Pop signed and released a record for, and as soon as you open up the “Primal Rock Therapy” record you can see the gig poster and see how real they were. The strikingly raw sound, the mesmerizing and sometimes eerie vocals, followed by the gritty and crunchy guitars and almost haunting drum chimes in the background, how can you not love a band like this? This band, has inspired me to listen to more of the underground bands, and to dig deeper in the Seattle Scene because you never know when you will hit a goldmine. I still remember the day when I cracked open the E.P. and laid my ears on their sound. My jaw was left dropped, my eyes wide, and my toes tapping against the ground. I spinned that album for months, and never once left my CD player. Sub Pop finally had everything going for them, bands that could kick some ass, that sound good, and that what people actually wanted to listen too! Yet they push all of that away, the label deviated from signing local acts that were symbols of the scene to signing pure boring garbage. But that is a discussion for another day. If you don’t already own these releases, I urge you to get them now. If you think you know grunge, or think you have that “grunge cred” you haven’t heard nothing until you laid your ears on these guys.
If you’re looking for the single “Two Way Street/ Six Feet Under” I seen it online for over $100! I’m telling you, save your money. It’s worth every penny, for sure, but no record is worth that much. I asked Geoff once how he felt about it and he said, “Shit – shoulda been 500 bucks – I’m pissed!.....No but seriously it’s an honor, I see the it in used stores now and again…It’s kinda cool”….With that said, go buy everything they released.
Bikini Kill
Ever since I started diving into the whole grunge “scene” I’ve stumbled across countless of Riot Grrrl bands that I didn’t like. Bratmobile, Excuse 17 (later would form Sleater-Kinney), Red Aunts from New York, and Jack Off Jill, all these bands did absolutely nothing for me and I really couldn’t get into the music. I think even more so in today’s current music atmosphere the Riot Grrrl scene has gone deeper and deeper down the drain. They are far more serious and far more critical about everything. But when I look at a band like Bikini Kill I see something special and something unique compared to those other bands and compared to the whole Riot Grrrl scene.
Bikini Kill were a bunch of pissed off punk girls who were feminist but did so with humor, rather than serious and bland lyrics you’ll find littered throughout the scene. But on the whole, I enjoy the fact the women were partaking in a male dominated music industry and taking things into their own hands whether it would be making their own music, making their own labels, or even making their own zines. It may not be my cup of tea but you have to respect it.
Now back to Bikini Kill. They formed in Olympia, Washington in 1990 and are often hailed as the “godmothers” of Riot Grrrl, while single handedly inspiring countless of women to play punk. While attending Evergreen State College, Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, and Tobi Vail worked on a fanzine called “Revolution Girl Style Now” but was later changed to the name of their band, “Bikini Kill”. In the fanzine they discussed sexism throughout the punk scene. Once they found Billy Karren (formally of the Go Team) they could finally make a band that personified these ideals.
Kathleen who was a former stripper wrote all the lyrics and encouraged a female centered show where the women were the ones in the front row, and on occasion would hand out their sheet music and lyrics to those lucky ladies in the front.
remember reading in a few places that during a show at some church in Capitol Hill a guy was actually in the front row, enjoy the music and the atmosphere, when a bunch of girls started hitting him and beating on him and eventually threw him out of the venue! I wish I was present for that. They toured a bunch and played with the likes of Nirvana, Some Velvet Sidewalk, Witchypoo and Mudhoney.
After a self releases demo cassette they got signed by local Olympia label Kill Rock Stars where they released their self titled EP, which was produced my the very famous Ian MacKaye of Fugazi. In 1993 they travelled to England to collaborate on a record with the band Huggy Bear and even were featured in a documentary film by Lucy Thane titled “It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill In The U.K.”. Despite all this happening they were also touring the great island to promote their album and to spread the Riot Grrrl message. Perhaps a year or so later the Riot Grrrl scene took off and they were hailed as leaders of the movement. If Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder were considered the “spokesman of a generation” Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill would be dubbed “spokeswomen for an entire gender” BEAT THAT!
Once they returned to the USA they began working with Joan Jett, who Hanna considered “an early example of riot grrrl aesthetics”. Jett produced the new single they were releasing titled “New Radio/Rebel Girl” that would be released on Kill Rock Stars later that year. In 1994 the band was at it again writing and figuring out the works to what I consider, their best album in their whole career; “Pussy Whipped”.
Their past releases weren’t too shabby, loud, angry and jam packed with gritty yells, and powerful guitar hooks. “Pussy Whipped” went to a completely different level, elevating all of their past work to an even higher altitude.
Their final album was released in 1996, titled “Reject All American” and two years later the band called it quits. However, even though the band broke up another album surfaced titled “The Singles” that collected all of the bands singles from 1995-1998 and put all of them on this album. Pretty much whatever they were working on during that gap between their last album and when they stopped playing was released.
After Bikini Kill Tobi Vail and Billy Karren formed the band The Frumpies and released the album “Frumpie One-Piece”, which I own and doesn’t really do much for me. Maybe one or two good songs out of 20. Hanna went on to be in several different projects and played in the band The Fakes, who released a single LP before she went off to do her solo thing. She now sings in Le Tigre, who I enjoy now and again. Nothing earth shattering though.
Well there you have it. Bikini Kill who started a revolution and did it with vigor and uniqueness. They wrote about feminism and didn’t give a shit about what other people thought about it. They didn’t care about major labels or any of that fancy mumbo jumbo, they wanted to spread a message. They did it with raw emotion, power and humor, something I feel is lost in the Riot Grrrl scene. They really gave punk rock a kick in the ass when they landed on the scene and really didn’t let up as they recorded their music. Personally, punk needed this kick in the ass badly, even though I may not like some of the bands within the Riot Grrrl scene, I respect their cause and enjoy every minute of it. In a male dominated scene a band like this, so pissed off and so emotionally hungry to have their message heard was bound to erupt sooner or later. Bikini Kill are damn great ladies who created damn great tunes, they influenced women to pick up a guitar, grab their girlfriends and just bash it out, they influenced women to run labels and become active in the music scene….Cheers Bikini Kill!
Bikini Kill were a bunch of pissed off punk girls who were feminist but did so with humor, rather than serious and bland lyrics you’ll find littered throughout the scene. But on the whole, I enjoy the fact the women were partaking in a male dominated music industry and taking things into their own hands whether it would be making their own music, making their own labels, or even making their own zines. It may not be my cup of tea but you have to respect it.
Now back to Bikini Kill. They formed in Olympia, Washington in 1990 and are often hailed as the “godmothers” of Riot Grrrl, while single handedly inspiring countless of women to play punk. While attending Evergreen State College, Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, and Tobi Vail worked on a fanzine called “Revolution Girl Style Now” but was later changed to the name of their band, “Bikini Kill”. In the fanzine they discussed sexism throughout the punk scene. Once they found Billy Karren (formally of the Go Team) they could finally make a band that personified these ideals.
Kathleen who was a former stripper wrote all the lyrics and encouraged a female centered show where the women were the ones in the front row, and on occasion would hand out their sheet music and lyrics to those lucky ladies in the front.
remember reading in a few places that during a show at some church in Capitol Hill a guy was actually in the front row, enjoy the music and the atmosphere, when a bunch of girls started hitting him and beating on him and eventually threw him out of the venue! I wish I was present for that. They toured a bunch and played with the likes of Nirvana, Some Velvet Sidewalk, Witchypoo and Mudhoney.
After a self releases demo cassette they got signed by local Olympia label Kill Rock Stars where they released their self titled EP, which was produced my the very famous Ian MacKaye of Fugazi. In 1993 they travelled to England to collaborate on a record with the band Huggy Bear and even were featured in a documentary film by Lucy Thane titled “It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill In The U.K.”. Despite all this happening they were also touring the great island to promote their album and to spread the Riot Grrrl message. Perhaps a year or so later the Riot Grrrl scene took off and they were hailed as leaders of the movement. If Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder were considered the “spokesman of a generation” Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill would be dubbed “spokeswomen for an entire gender” BEAT THAT!
Once they returned to the USA they began working with Joan Jett, who Hanna considered “an early example of riot grrrl aesthetics”. Jett produced the new single they were releasing titled “New Radio/Rebel Girl” that would be released on Kill Rock Stars later that year. In 1994 the band was at it again writing and figuring out the works to what I consider, their best album in their whole career; “Pussy Whipped”.
Their past releases weren’t too shabby, loud, angry and jam packed with gritty yells, and powerful guitar hooks. “Pussy Whipped” went to a completely different level, elevating all of their past work to an even higher altitude.
Their final album was released in 1996, titled “Reject All American” and two years later the band called it quits. However, even though the band broke up another album surfaced titled “The Singles” that collected all of the bands singles from 1995-1998 and put all of them on this album. Pretty much whatever they were working on during that gap between their last album and when they stopped playing was released.
After Bikini Kill Tobi Vail and Billy Karren formed the band The Frumpies and released the album “Frumpie One-Piece”, which I own and doesn’t really do much for me. Maybe one or two good songs out of 20. Hanna went on to be in several different projects and played in the band The Fakes, who released a single LP before she went off to do her solo thing. She now sings in Le Tigre, who I enjoy now and again. Nothing earth shattering though.
Well there you have it. Bikini Kill who started a revolution and did it with vigor and uniqueness. They wrote about feminism and didn’t give a shit about what other people thought about it. They didn’t care about major labels or any of that fancy mumbo jumbo, they wanted to spread a message. They did it with raw emotion, power and humor, something I feel is lost in the Riot Grrrl scene. They really gave punk rock a kick in the ass when they landed on the scene and really didn’t let up as they recorded their music. Personally, punk needed this kick in the ass badly, even though I may not like some of the bands within the Riot Grrrl scene, I respect their cause and enjoy every minute of it. In a male dominated scene a band like this, so pissed off and so emotionally hungry to have their message heard was bound to erupt sooner or later. Bikini Kill are damn great ladies who created damn great tunes, they influenced women to pick up a guitar, grab their girlfriends and just bash it out, they influenced women to run labels and become active in the music scene….Cheers Bikini Kill!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Crackerbash
They formed in 1988, with Sean Croghan (formally of Hellcows) on Vocal and guitar duties, Scott Fox on bass, and Doug Nash banging on the skins, however Doug would later be replaced with Teddy Miller formally of The Red Vines. The band’s first and only full length album was released by Empty Records back in 1992. It wasn’t a bad start if you ask me, some great songs, some ok songs and some songs that have to grow on you before you’ll respect it. But to me the greatest release by them has to be their “Tin Toy E.P.” coming right at the heels of their debut album only by a couple of years.
My first encounter with Crackerbash happened a while back when I saw the movie Hype!, the opening scene was a band that I never heard of before, but in that very brief segment of them playing live I knew this band could be special. Just from when I saw Sean go crazy, jumping about, and just shredding away at his guitar I could only imagine what this band was like for a full show. Just that brief segment got me hooked and dreaming magical dreams of fairies taking me to a far distant land called Seattle, plopping me in that crowd and seeing, hearing and taking in everything they had to offer. Then, I got my hands on their “Tin Toy” album, it encompassed what my dreams envisioned; the raw, loud and energy packed shows but it was on a recorded album. From the very first track, “A Song For Lon Mabon”, who, if I’m not mistaken was a former Oregon mayor, or some type of politican, was and still is my favorite song. The starting bass line and the build up, and the scream was just brilliance. The album didn’t let up from there at all, the entire album was jam packed with energy and what you would expect their shows to be like, and was recorded by the infamous Kurt Bloch of The Fastbacks. Despite having a very solid debut album, and an immensely brilliant record in “Tn Toy”, they had some less than crowning achievements when it came to their singles, and wished they never saw the light of day for the most part. In August 1992, the band partook in the famous Sub Pop Singles Club and dished out the “Nov. 1/Halloween Candy” record. “Nov.1” to me, should have been left on the drawing room floor, it did nothing for me, the true magic was on the flip side. Granted it was a Spinanes cover, but hey, they did a damn great job with it. Another single “Holiday” was released off of local label Imp Records was probably my favorite of their single releases. “Holiday” had a strikingly great sound and tight melodies that I feel in love with after a couple of listens. The two other songs on the record “All Work” and “Walk Back” were ok at best, not bad or anything, just nothing spectacular or pushing the boundaries for the band, if you will. And finally, their famous “Jasper 7”, I met people who love the song “Jasper” and think it’s probably one of their best work, I think differently. It is a great song, don’t get me wrong, with Sean’s wailing and those mesmerizing power chords you can’t help but to not like the song. But I think saying it’s their best work is a stretch. They also did a split with Jawbox “Back To School/Falk” but never heard it, would be an interesting listen though.
They were also featured on a bunch of compilations, two of which are my all-time favorites. They contributed the song “Head Lika Weedeater” to the Teriyaki Asthma Compilation and did a Wipers cover “I Don’t Know What I Am/Mystery” which was featured on the “8 Songs For Greg Sage”, and later be released as “14 Songs For Greg Sage”. My favorite Crackerbash song ever “A Song For Lon Mabon” was featured on the “Drinking From Puddles: A Radio History” CD which happened to be a pretty damn good compilation, if I do says o myself. They also had a hand in the “Our Band Could Be Your Life” Compilation, but I didn’t like that album at all, so I say just stick with the three I mentioned first and you’ll be good, unless you’re a fan of the Minutemen than I would take a look at the comp.In a scene that was pioneered by the iconic Wipers, Crackerbash came off as heroes of the punk scene of the 80’s and had a very strong backing. Their energetic and often raucous live shows got them recognized by Sub Pop, Empty and C/Z, but more importantly gave themselves a name. They shared the stage locally with bands like fIREHOSE and toured Europe with Girl Trouble, however shortly after their return they called it quits in 1993. Sean went off to play in Moustache and Junior High, he even has a solo record out titled “From Burnt Orange, To Midnight Blue”. Scott went and joined Star Power, Telephone, and joined Teddy in Satan’s Pilgrims. However in September 2005, they reunited in Portland and played for the first time in nearly 13 years in front of 2,000 people, and with a supporting cast of Oregon heavyweights Hazel, Pond, and Sprinkler
My first encounter with Crackerbash happened a while back when I saw the movie Hype!, the opening scene was a band that I never heard of before, but in that very brief segment of them playing live I knew this band could be special. Just from when I saw Sean go crazy, jumping about, and just shredding away at his guitar I could only imagine what this band was like for a full show. Just that brief segment got me hooked and dreaming magical dreams of fairies taking me to a far distant land called Seattle, plopping me in that crowd and seeing, hearing and taking in everything they had to offer. Then, I got my hands on their “Tin Toy” album, it encompassed what my dreams envisioned; the raw, loud and energy packed shows but it was on a recorded album. From the very first track, “A Song For Lon Mabon”, who, if I’m not mistaken was a former Oregon mayor, or some type of politican, was and still is my favorite song. The starting bass line and the build up, and the scream was just brilliance. The album didn’t let up from there at all, the entire album was jam packed with energy and what you would expect their shows to be like, and was recorded by the infamous Kurt Bloch of The Fastbacks. Despite having a very solid debut album, and an immensely brilliant record in “Tn Toy”, they had some less than crowning achievements when it came to their singles, and wished they never saw the light of day for the most part. In August 1992, the band partook in the famous Sub Pop Singles Club and dished out the “Nov. 1/Halloween Candy” record. “Nov.1” to me, should have been left on the drawing room floor, it did nothing for me, the true magic was on the flip side. Granted it was a Spinanes cover, but hey, they did a damn great job with it. Another single “Holiday” was released off of local label Imp Records was probably my favorite of their single releases. “Holiday” had a strikingly great sound and tight melodies that I feel in love with after a couple of listens. The two other songs on the record “All Work” and “Walk Back” were ok at best, not bad or anything, just nothing spectacular or pushing the boundaries for the band, if you will. And finally, their famous “Jasper 7”, I met people who love the song “Jasper” and think it’s probably one of their best work, I think differently. It is a great song, don’t get me wrong, with Sean’s wailing and those mesmerizing power chords you can’t help but to not like the song. But I think saying it’s their best work is a stretch. They also did a split with Jawbox “Back To School/Falk” but never heard it, would be an interesting listen though.
They were also featured on a bunch of compilations, two of which are my all-time favorites. They contributed the song “Head Lika Weedeater” to the Teriyaki Asthma Compilation and did a Wipers cover “I Don’t Know What I Am/Mystery” which was featured on the “8 Songs For Greg Sage”, and later be released as “14 Songs For Greg Sage”. My favorite Crackerbash song ever “A Song For Lon Mabon” was featured on the “Drinking From Puddles: A Radio History” CD which happened to be a pretty damn good compilation, if I do says o myself. They also had a hand in the “Our Band Could Be Your Life” Compilation, but I didn’t like that album at all, so I say just stick with the three I mentioned first and you’ll be good, unless you’re a fan of the Minutemen than I would take a look at the comp.In a scene that was pioneered by the iconic Wipers, Crackerbash came off as heroes of the punk scene of the 80’s and had a very strong backing. Their energetic and often raucous live shows got them recognized by Sub Pop, Empty and C/Z, but more importantly gave themselves a name. They shared the stage locally with bands like fIREHOSE and toured Europe with Girl Trouble, however shortly after their return they called it quits in 1993. Sean went off to play in Moustache and Junior High, he even has a solo record out titled “From Burnt Orange, To Midnight Blue”. Scott went and joined Star Power, Telephone, and joined Teddy in Satan’s Pilgrims. However in September 2005, they reunited in Portland and played for the first time in nearly 13 years in front of 2,000 people, and with a supporting cast of Oregon heavyweights Hazel, Pond, and Sprinkler
Monday, May 17, 2010
List of Grunge Bands
Green River
Melvins
Skinyard
Malkfunshun
Motherlovebones
Nirvana
Alice in chains
Pearl Jam
Soundgarden
Mudhoney
Screaming Trees
Tad
Temple of the dog
Tripping Daisy
Paw
Flop
Crackerbash
Coffin Break
Gruntruck
Madseason
Lovebattery
Hole
L7
Melvins
Skinyard
Malkfunshun
Motherlovebones
Nirvana
Alice in chains
Pearl Jam
Soundgarden
Mudhoney
Screaming Trees
Tad
Temple of the dog
Tripping Daisy
Paw
Flop
Crackerbash
Coffin Break
Gruntruck
Madseason
Lovebattery
Hole
L7
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Discuss Grunge
It all started, roughly 9 years ago when I heard Nirvana “Bleach” record when I became obsessed with the sound that was Grunge. Growing up I never found my niche musically; couldn’t relate to what MTV was selling me, and couldn’t find meaning in the hip hop and rap music. At the prime age of 15, I bought my first record, which was the aforementioned Nirvana record, and instantly I was hooked. Coincidentally, while searching for more music I stumbled across the Pearl Jam and Alice in chains and those were bands i listened to.I didn’t know these bands were linked by region, musicians and sound. After I listened to them, I remember my eyes bugging out, my jaw open repeating the word “wow” a few times. I finally found my niche musically…..And it was Grunge, the sound of Seattle, but more importantly the Pacific Northwest music scene as a whole. 9 years later, I’m still hooked on what I heard.
Since few people share my passion or understanding of the music I love, I created this blog to connect to those artists that I admire and relate too, as well as to connect to those love the music too. Now, if you’re coming here to read about Nirvana, Alice In Chains, or Pearl Jam you’re sadly mistaken. I’m focusing mostly on the more underground bands; those who received little or no attention outside their respective towns. Expect bands like Swallow, Blood Circus, U-Men, and TAD, don’t expect the big four bands. If I some how stumble across some rare tracks or get a sweet interview with one of the members, I’ll post them, otherwise don’t hold your breath.
Now that I rambled for a bit, let’s get this party started! Tie your flannel shirts to your waist, put on your Converse All-Stars, and get ready to hear some of the grittiest, dirtiest and fuzziest music you’ll ever lay your ears on.
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