#mr.epp

[altmusicposting]

Grunge: Putting Seattle's Alternative Scene on the map

The name of this blog comes from 2 main places. The first being that I wanted to discuss a broad scope of the extremely varied music that falls within the alternative genre. The second is that I generally refer to myself as being a part of the larger alternative scene as opposed to any of the specific subcultures, because I'm familiar with, and draw from quite a few of them. With that however comes a lack of full immersion in any of the subcultures I draw from, which, yes, has always bothered me. As such, I invite you to join me as I dive deeper into the history and evolution of one of those scenes: Grunge, or grunge-punk.

The scene started in Seattle, Washington in the 80s, with bands like Mr. Epp and the Calculations, Green River, the Melvins, and Soundgarden. Eventual "face" of the genre, Nirvana, started in the late 80's too, but they and the rest of the bands initially had a different sound than what became popular in the 90s. At its conception, the sound was a more direct fusion of first wave punk and metal sounds, featuring lots of "distortion, feedback, and fuzz effects". Lyrically too, these artists (mostly) pulled from the counter-culture themes in punk and in the city itself. (Seattle was very involved in the hippie movement of the preceding decades, as well as other "outside the norm" groups.) This can be seen especially well in Mr. Epp and the Calculations' Wild Youth On Money.

This sound would begin to change in the 90s as some bands dissolved and others took an interest in going in different directions or became more focused on "making it big", which many of their older fans would probably call "selling out." Nirvana's breakout Nevermind in 1991 was actually a shift towards pop for them. Compare Nirvana's Anorexorcist from 1987 to songs like Come As You Are from 1991.

The origin and attitude surrounding the term "grunge" is debated. Some argue that it started with Mark Arm of Mr. Epp, prior to the band's actual existence, stating that the band was "Pure grunge! Pure noise! Pure shit!" Others claim it came from the record labels like SubPop promoting the music of bands like Green River and Mudhoney, though it still possessed a similar tongue-in-cheek, snarky, self-deprecating essence. While it was likely originally a cheeky inside joke-descriptor that was proudly used by the bands, with the shift in sound and increasing popularity that occurred in the 90s, the attitude towards the term changed. According to some, many bands saw it shift from "descriptor to ultimate promotor," while others saw it as a term used in popular media to codify and incorrectly group basically all the young bands from Seattle at the time without much regard for actual sound or culture. Given the history popular media has with oversimplifying and/or misnaming counter-culture/underground movements that gained traction (see bboying/breaking to break dancing, etc.), I'm more inclined to believe the latter was the majority, particularly among those involved in making the music from the beginning.

Still, as it so often does, the short, popular name stuck, and is still being used. And, whether intentional or not, the promotional aspect of the term took root. The practical, "just what we were wearing anyway" clothes that many of the bands wore became the 'look' or the style associated with the genre. The combat boots, flannels, old clothes, beanies, and longer, kinda greasy hair were not meant to be a statement like the attire of many punk and metal bands had been, but it became one anyway as bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam gained popularity.

Many of the original artists involved in the scene collaborated and regrouped when bands dissolved or individuals found their interests aligned. For example, Green River (one of the first bands in the scene) split into Mudhoney and Mother Love Bone due to goal differences. In the split, Mother Love Bone picked up Andrew Wood from Malfunkshun, who's unfortunate passing led roommate and Soundgarden vocalist (and rhythm guitarist) Chris Cornell to join them & recruit backup vocalist Eddie Vedder to pay tribute to Wood. The product of that collaboration (known as a supergroup) was called Temple of the Dog, and although Cornell returned to Soundgarden, Vedder ended up joining Mother Love Band which became Mookie Blaylock, and then Pearl Jam. Credit to Jacklyn Grambush at culturetrip.com for detailing that chronology. The point of me sharing all that is 1) I think its a wild ride of events, and 2) it illustrates both the supportive, collaborative side of grunge, and the uneasy pull between fame/success and staying "counter"/"underground" that existed in the scene.

Today, the genre has been expanded to include a variety of artists from the same time, and with a vaguely similar vibe from all over. Bands from outside of Seattle like Stone Temple Pilots and Bush received especially harsh criticism. This does feel rather 'gatekeepy' to me, which I tend to take issue with. However, given how far abstracted the music was and how commodified the term had already become by that point, I do kind of understand the frustration.

In essence, grunge is not necessarily dead, but it has been mutated into something only tangentially related to the original. Whether that is a problem or not I leave for you to decide.

[gianlucacrugnola]

Segni Tribali; Seattle

“È il rumore del Boeing quando decolla” Jonathan Poneman (Sub Pop Records) “Più grande è la folla, più basso è il quoziente d’intelligenza.” Mark Arm (Mr.Epp and The Calculations, Green River, Mudhoney, Monkeywrench, Sub Pop Records) “Preferirei essere odiato per quello che sono che amato per quello che non sono.” Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) “And you stare at me, in your Jesus Christ Pose, arms held…

[gianlucacrugnola]

Mr.Epp

Ventuno febbraio ’62 alla Vandenberg Air Force Base, California nasce Mark Mclaughlin, alias MARK ARM, voce e fondatore di Mudhoney, Green River, The Monkeywrench e altri mille side-project tra cui Mr.Epp and the Calculations definiti da lui stesso la peggior band del mondo, accendevamo gli amplificatori e, non avendo idea del concetto di saturazione, producevamo un gran casino, un sacco di…