Nirvana
Watch RÜFÜS DU SOL Take On Nirvana Classic for First “Like A Version” Cover In Eight Years
Channeling the influences of the legendary Kurt Cobain is a tall task, but RÜFÜS DU SOL took it head-on for “Like A Version.” triple j’s long-running cover series recently invited the Grammy-winning trio back for the first time since 2014, when they mashed up Foals’ “My Number” and “Booka Shade’s “Charlotte.” This time around, they took Nirvana’s 1991 classic “Something in the Way” in for a spin alongside a string quartet—and they nailed it. The original track appeared on the fabled rock band’s second studio album, Nevermind, a record etched in the memories of RÜFÜS DU SOL’s James Hunt. “In my childhood, this band was everywhere,” Hunt, the band’s drummer, told triple J. “[Neve...
Hector Tellez Jr: The Cuban Shaking Up America’s Rock Scene
Four years ago, Cuban-born musician Hector Tellez Jr. was living in Havana: playing local clubs several nights a week, delivering passionate performances of well-oiled melodic blues rock. His style, merging the grit of Muddy Waters wailing on electric guitars with the tender-hearted yet mysterious air of Jeff Buckley, was not always welcomed by the locals, however. “In Cuba, it’s a Spanish language country, so I struggled a bit singing rock songs in English,” Tellez Jr. tells SPIN on a recent FaceTime video call from a friend’s backyard, looking every bit the brooding rocker, save for some frequent smiles. He’s wearing a cut-off muscle tee that shows off a few tattoos and a pair of round-rimmed sunglasses that look straight out of the John Lennon playbook. “There were a lot of naysayers, p...
30 Signature Guitars for Modern Artists
For decades, having a signature guitar was reserved for classic rock legends — the Claptons, the Hendrixes, the Pages, the SRVs and EVHs. But that’s no longer the case. From pop-punk to heavy metal, alt-country to neo-soul, modern artists of all genres and backgrounds are getting signature guitars from companies big and small. Among the titans of the industry, that intentional shift came with a new generation being put into decision-making positions. “When I started, it was largely classic rock and very much a pantheonic Hall of Fame,” Fender’s Executive VP for Products Justin Norvell says of the early 2000s. “It was an end-of-an-iconic-career kind of thing. But it was my feeling that it should be something that people can use to reflect back upon themselves. A Telecaster can mean James Bu...
Spencer Elden Loses Nevermind Lawsuit Against Nirvana
A year after Spencer Elden (aka the Nevermind baby) initially filed a lawsuit against Nirvana, the case has been dismissed. Judge Fernando M. Olguin ruled that the case, which argues the iconic album’s artwork is child pornography, was well past the statute of limitations (10 years) and dismissed it with prejudice. Elden is barred from re-filing the lawsuit; however, he will have the opportunity to appeal if he so decides. There’s been a lot of back and forth in the case since it was originally filed last August. Elden originally claimed that the defendants “knowingly benefited and continue to benefit from their participation in Spencer’s commercial exploitation,” and that he was unable to give consent to use the photo (he was four months old when it was taken), and his legal gua...
Kurt Cobain’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Guitar Sells For $4.5 Million at Auction
When the guitar Kurt Cobain played in Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video went up for auction, its estimated value was between $600,000-$800,000. But the final price far exceeded those estimates. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay ended up buying the left-handed Fender Mustang for a whopping $4,500,000. “I am thrilled to preserve and protect another piece of American culture that changed the way we looked at [the] world,” Irsay said in a statement. “The fact that a portion of the proceeds will go toward our effort to kick the stigma surrounding mental health makes this acquisition even more special to me.” “To have this legendary guitar, one of the most culturally significant and historically important guitars of Kurt Cobain and in all of rock music history return to my home st...
Listen to ILLENIUM’s Spellbinding Remix of Nirvana’s “Something In The Way”
ILLENIUM has taken a Nirvana classic for a spin, breathing new life into the band’s 1991 track “Something In The Way.” Written by legendary guitarist and lead vocalist Kurt Cobain, “Something In The Way” appeared on Nirvana’s sophomore album, Nevermind. Eschewing his signature euphoric sound design, ILLENIUM reworked the brooding track into a languid trap tune with a distorted drop. Dark, mesmeric and replete with spine-tingling sound design, it’s the Grammy-nominated producer’s first remix in over two years. Take a listen to ILLENIUM’s remix of “Something In The Way” below. Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles ILLENIUM says the new remix was released to align with his upcoming Batman merch collection, which was prod...
Kurt Cobain’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Fender Guitar Up for Auction
Kurt Cobain‘s guitar used in the iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video will be available for auction as part of Julien’s Auctions’ “Music Icons” auction which will take place at New York’s Hard Rock Cafe and online May 20-22. The left-handed Fender Mustang guitar comes in a Competition Lake Placid blue finish and is estimated to be valued between $600,000-$800,000. Prior to the auction, the guitar was on display at the MoPOP Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. “I’m left-handed, and it’s not very easy to find reasonably priced, high-quality left-handed guitars,” Cobain said in his final interview with Guitar World of the guitar. “But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favorite. I’ve only owned two of them.” The winner of the guitar will also receive an exclus...
Own A Piece Of Rock History With Signed Nirvana ‘In Utero’ CD
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SPIN may receive an affiliate commission. Nirvana, one of the most famous bands to come out of Seattle’s grunge scene, had a lasting impact on music that can be felt today. And whether you followed their trajectory or you’re a newer fan, you can own a piece of the band’s history: a custom-framed Nirvana In Utero CD signed by its members, the late singer Kurt Cobain, drummer Dave Grohl, and bassist Krist Novoselic. The frame also includes a still photo of the band performing during their final In Utero tour. The photo features the iconic angel statue from the album’s cover. The autograph also comes with a “letter of authentication.” Nirvana recorded their third album In Utero in 1993 with Steve ...
Nirvana Hits Back at Spencer Elden (Again) in Nevermind Cover Lawsuit: ‘This Case Must End’
Nirvana has filed another motion to dismiss in their ongoing legal dispute with Spencer Elden, who is accusing them of sexually exploitive imagery on the Nevermind cover. In the filing obtained by SPIN, Nirvana’s counsel makes their stance clear: “This case must end.” Nirvana is asking the court “for an order dismissing this action, with prejudice” and, once again, “on the ground that it is barred by the statute of limitations.” Based on Elden’s allegations, Nirvana says that “no amendment is possible to salvage the claim.” Continuing, the motion says “In his ever-shrinking pleading, Elden has now dismissed all but one of the myriad state- and federal-law claims he previously attempted to charge against Defendants.” It also said that the 10-year statute doesn’t cover when Elden was a minor...
Nirvana Hit With Second Complaint Over Nevermind Art
Hey wait, he’s got a new complaint. Nearly two weeks after a judge dismissed his initial suit after missing a deadline to respond to Nirvana‘s request to dismiss, Spencer Elden has filed paperwork in U.S. District Court of Central California. The second amended complaint, as obtained by SPIN, says that the suit is seeking “damages arising out of each Defendant’s violations during the ten years preceding the filing of this action and since, of federal child pornography and commercial child exploitation statutes.” Once again, the suit names Nirvana, Universal Music Group and photographer Kirk Weddle as defendants. Elden is seeking damages of $150,000 per defendant and attorney fees. The suit also claims that Elden is seeking damages due to the “injuries Spencer Elden (“Spencer”) sustained du...
The 90 Greatest Albums of the ’90s
This article originally appeared in the September 1999 issue of SPIN. “You must be high.” We heard that a lot during the time we spent preparing this issue. Which is understandable. Pronouncing the 90 greatest albums of the ’90s is a somewhat presumptuous thing to do. When you’re measuring the music this decade is offering to history—the sounds we partied with, copulated to, fought about, and wept over—everyone has an opinion. That ours should be more valid than yours is debatable. But hey—it’s our magazine. What, then, you ask, constitutes “greatest”? Don’t even start. Suffice it to say that, after much heated discussion and countless veiled insults, it came down to the factors of both remarkable artistry and cultural shock value. Sometimes a record’s knock-you-off-your-Skechers impa...
Nirvana Hits Back at Spencer Elden in Nevermind Cover Art Lawsuit
Remember when Spencer Elden, the baby pictured on the cover of Nevermind, sued Nirvana alleging “commercial sexual exploitation” of a minor? The case elicited groans and outrage from Nirvana fans, but the band didn’t issue a statement on the case until now. According to Billboard, on Wednesday in a new filing at U.S. District Court in Central California, the Nirvana estate fired back at Elden and the case. “Elden has spent three decades profiting from his celebrity as the self-anointed ‘Nirvana Baby,’” the band’s estate said in the filing. They also stated that the statute of limitations for the suit expired over a decade ago. “But the Nevermind cover photograph was taken in 1991. It was world-famous by no later than 1992,” the filing said. “Long before 2011, as Elden has pled, ...
