Grunge
Alice in Chains’ 10 Best Songs
As one of the “Big Four” bands of Seattle grunge, Alice in Chains’ distinctive specialties (such as sludgy instrumentation and vocal harmonies) set them apart. In fact, they created some of the most meaningful and enduring rock music of the last 30-plus years, so it’s no wonder why they remain so revered. Fascinatingly, the group formed after the disbandment of Alice N’ Chains, a glam metal band fronted by vocalist Layne Staley whose moniker was a mischievous mixture of Alice in Wonderland and female bondage. Luckily, Staley didn’t have to wait long before fate would put him, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr together. Although they initially played around with other names (including Diamond Lie and F**k), they soon settled on the marginally altered “Ali...
Contestant on The Voice France Performs Obnoxious Rendition of Nirvana’s “Come As You Are”: Watch
A contestant on a recent episode of France’s edition of The Voice performed an obnoxious rendition of the Nirvana classic “Come As You Are” for his blind audition, but somehow got two of the judges to turn their chairs around. First off, unless there’s something lost in translation, we’re pretty sure that Stephen Di Tordo starts the performance by saying “Let’s f**k” into the microphone — leaving a confused look on the judges’ faces. From there, the opening verse sounds a little rough as Di Tordo delivers Kurt Cobain’s lyrics in a low tone. However, when he kicks into his upper register around 45 seconds into the performance, it impresses two of the judges, who promptly hit their buttons to turn their chairs around. Advertisement Related Video Then it gets really awkward, as Di Tordo gyrat...
Pearl Jam’s 10 Best Needle Drops
Pearl Jam famously abstained from making music videos for a few years in the 1990s, when they were one of the biggest bands in the world. But their music has regularly graced television and the big screen in other ways, appearing on the soundtracks of films like Judgment Night, The Basketball Diaries, and Reign Over Me. And Pearl Jam songs have popped up all over television, sometimes in surprising places like over a dozen episodes of the CBS procedural Cold Case. Here’s a look back at the 10 best Pearl Jam needle drops in film and TV. 10. “Man of the Hour” – Big Fish (2003) Advertisement Related Video [embedded content] In 2003, Tim Burton adapted Daniel Wallace’s Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, a story of a man’s reconciliation with his dying father. Burton sought out Pearl Jam ...
Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin and Bush Team Up for 2022 US Tour
Alice in Chains and Breaking Benjamin have announced a co-headlining 2022 US tour, with special guests Bush. The 30-city trek will run for two months from early August through early October. The outing kicks off in Breaking Benjamin’s home state of Pennsylvania with an August 10th show in Burgettstown, and wraps up October 8th in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (March 11th) via Ticketmaster, with a pre-sale beginning Tuesday (March 8th). “We’re looking forward to finally hitting the road again this summer,” remarked Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney. “It’s been too long and we can’t wait to get outdoors and share a night of music with our fans again.” Advertisement Related Video Breaking Benjamin frontman Ben Burnley added, “We are so extrem...
Musicians Remember Mark Lanegan: “One of THE Great Singers of the Last 30 Years”
Following the sad news that Mark Lanegan died at age 57 earlier today (February 22nd), the talented frontman of Screaming Trees and erstwhile member of Queens of the Stone Age is being remembered by his musical peers. Lanegan’s prolific music career — which also saw him release 12 solo albums and collaborate with a number of other musicians — had a profound influence and impact on many artists. Former New Order bassist Peter Hook tweeted, “Mark Lanegan was a lovely man. He led a wild life that some of us could only dream of. He leaves us with fantastic words and music! Thank god that through all of that he will live forever. RIP Mark. Sleep well.” Advertisement Related Video Velvet Underground legend John Cale wrote, “I can’t process this. Mark Lanegan will always be etched in my hear...
10 of Mark Lanegan’s Finest Musical Moments
Mark Lanegan possessed one of the most imitable voices in rock history. Defined by his deep baritone and reflective lyrics, Lanegan would rise from humble origins in the small town of Ellensburg, Washington, to mainstream prominence as the frontman of Screaming Trees — best known for the hit “Nearly Lost You.” From there, Lanegan would embark on a prolific solo career and numerous collaborations: a notable five-album stint with Queens of the Stone Age, an Americana project with Belle and Sebastian’s Isobel Campbell, and the one-off Gutter Twins LP with Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs, among others. The sheer diversity of Lanegan’s output was a testament to his gifts as a singer and songwriter. Lanegan’s life was not an easy one — as he himself revealed through the harrowing accounts in his auto...
Eddie Vedder Won’t Let Mötley Crüe Feud Go, Takes Swipe at Tommy Lee
The Pearl Jam–Mötley Crüe feud is alive and well. In the latest salvo, Eddie Vedder poked fun at Tommy Lee’s drum stunts. For those new to the beef, Vedder started things off when he reminisced about working at a San Diego concert venue in an interview with New York Times Magazine. The singer said, “I’d end up being at shows that I wouldn’t have chosen to go to — bands that monopolized late-’80s MTV. The metal bands that — I’m trying to be nice — I despised. ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and Mötley Crüe: F**k you. I hated it. I hated how it made the fellas look. I hated how it made the women look. It felt so vacuous.” Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx responded by tweeting, “Made me laugh today reading how much the singer in Pearl Jam hated @MotleyCrue. Now considering that they’re one of the most bor...
Nikki Sixx Calls Pearl Jam “One of the Most Boring Bands” Following Eddie Vedder’s Mötley Crüe Diss
Nikki Sixx has fired back at Eddie Vedder after the Pearl Jam singer recently described Mötley Crüe as “vacuous.” The Crüe bassist responded by labeling Pearl Jam “one of the most boring bands in history.” It was roughly 30 years ago when grunge knocked hair metal off the rock pedestal, but now Vedder’s comments have renewed the rivalry. In an interview with the New York Times Magazine, the singer recalled a pre-Pearl Jam job in which he loaded gear at a San Diego venue. “I’d end up being at shows that I wouldn’t have chosen to go to — bands that monopolized late-’80s MTV,” remembered Vedder. “The metal bands that — I’m trying to be nice — I despised. ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and Mötley Crüe: F**k you. I hated it. I hated how it made the fellas look. I hated how it made the women look. It fel...
Melvins Cover “Spoonman” with Soundgarden Drummer Matt Cameron: Stream
Melvins have shared a cover of Soundgarden’s “Spoonman” featuring Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron himself. The cover hails from the Melvins’ mysterious Lord of the Flies EP. It arrived on January 10th on CD format by the Amphetamine Reptile imprint, but wasn’t released digitally. This thunderous version of “Spoonman” couldn’t be contained on a limited CD release, however, and the band has now made it available via YouTube. The track touts double-drum duty from Cameron (who’s also a member of Pearl Jam) and full-time Melvins pounder Dale Crover, resulting in an even heavier take on an already-heavy song. Advertisement Related Video Frontman Buzz Osborne and bassist Steven McDonald round out the Melvins lineup for the track, which was recorded by producer Toshi Kasai. King Buzzo admirably h...
Nirvana Seek to Dismiss Nevermind Baby Lawsuit: Spencer Elden “Spent Three Decades Profiting from His Celebrity”
Nirvana has filed a motion to dismiss the “Nevermind baby” lawsuit that accuses the band and other defendants of violating child pornography laws with the iconic album cover. Spencer Elden, now 30 years old, continues to allege that the cover image used as the cover of 1991’s Nevermind, which depicts a four-month-old Elden underwater with exposed genitals, was meant to be sexual in nature and “trigger a visceral sexual response from the viewer.” However, the Nirvana camp — including surviving band members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as Kurt Cobain’s widow, Courtney Love — want the lawsuit thrown out, calling it “not serious” and stating that is was filed years too late in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit submitted on Wednesday (December 22nd). Advertisement Related Video It’s th...
Corey Taylor Calls Alice in Chains “One of the Greatest Rock Bands” Ever, Heaps High Praise on Layne Staley
Corey Taylor sung the praises of Alice in Chains during a recent in-person Q&A session with fans, calling the grunge goliaths “one of the greatest rock bands” of all time. The Slipknot frontman was asked to name his favorite of the “Big Four” Seattle grunge bands — Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam — and was quick to choose AIC, heaping praise on the band and its late singer Layne Staley. “Alice in Chains, to me, is one of the greatest rock bands that ever was,” Taylor said during the question-and-answer portion of a theater appearance in Columbus, Ohio, this past Monday (December 13th). “And I don’t just mean that from a grunge standpoint or metal or anything like that. They revolutionized so much musically and they inspired me to change the way I write music.” Adve...
Gavin Rossdale on the 20th Anniversary of Bush’s Golden State
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Gavin Rossdale catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about the 20th anniversary of Golden State, a record that found Bush going back-to-basics but also with the unfortunate timing of releasing it right before 9/11. The British-born artist tells us about having his songs recontextualized in the wake of the Twin Towers attack, signing with a record label who seemed to fail them at every turn, and eventually losing half of the band in the aftermath of it all. Advertisement Related Video Rossdale also takes us into his acting career, having just played the villain in Janell Shirtcliff’s Habit, and tells us why he’s attracted to pl...
