Top Grunge Artists on Rhapsody Online

Pearl Jam

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:03 -0800

Many accused Pearl Jam of being a mainstream hard rock band that happened to hop on the alt rock gravy train at its busiest stop (Grungeville circa late 1991/early 1992), thereby reaping the benefits of constant exposure on suddenly flannel-friendly MTV with hit videos for "Alive," "Even Flow" and, most notably, "Jeremy." In the wake of the unpredictable success of their multi-platinum anthem-fest/debut Ten, Eddie Vedder eventually got used to being a celebrity. Not coincidentally, the band bravely began messing with its straight-ahead rock formula around that same time: "Spin the Black Circle" married punk with garage rock, "Off He Goes" put their own "Daughter" to shame for fireside ambiance, "Around the Bend" manifested the effects of Mirror Ball (their 1995 collaboration with Neil Young) soft and clear, and "Low Light" out-R.E.M.'d R.E.M. in its waltzing, acoustic beauty. In 2000, Pearl Jam began releasing no less than 72 volumes of live material chronicling the American and European legs of their tour in support of Binaural, which came out the same year. 2002's Riot Act proved that the band was as relevant as ever, and in 2006 they returned with a self-titled, heavy blast of anthemic anger at the state of the world. Pearl Jam are one of the few stalwarts surviving from the long-ago age of grunge hype, and they've actually become bolder and better with age. - Charles Hodgkins

Nirvana

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:02 -0800

The phenomenal success of Foo Fighters demonstrates that Nirvana were a talented trio, and not just a rickety pair of training wheels for Kurt Cobain's wild ride into fame and annihilation. Obscured behind a smokescreen of publicity and deadened by the effects of endless radio play, Nirvana's music nonetheless holds its own as some of the very best of the 1990s. Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Cobain managed to direct molten flows of white noise into melodic channels navigable by mainstream listeners. Cobain's lyrics, meanwhile, were imbued with the Pentecostal passion of someone speaking in tongues. Traveling in rapid pendulum swings from mania to catatonia, his singing conveyed the pain of a soul mortgaged deep in addiction and depression. He was a man trying desperately to make sense, through song, of the world around him -- something not often heard in Top-40 music. It's unfortunate that the nihilistic elements of Cobain's life and art were so widely and readily embraced by a Pied Piper-following cadre of Kurtophiles bent on viewing self-destruction as ennobling. Nirvana never aspired to be the anti-heroic role models that certain hopeless souls among us needed them to be. To make music that mattered is all they ever wanted, and they took genuine risks to achieve that goal. In the process, they inadvertently altered the geography of modern culture by popularizing (for better or worse) so-called "alternative" music. - Chad Driscoll

Foo Fighters

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:11 -0800

Begun as a dusty collection of back catalog bedroom hits, the Foo Fighters' debut was tracked entirely by Nirvana's Dave Grohl with Seattle producer Barrett Jones. The live incarnation of the band, including Sunny Day Real Estate's Nate Mendel and William Goldsmith as well as Germs guitarist Pat Smear, were almost immediately swept into a maelstrom of rock 'n' roll celebrity on the strength of such sonic pop anthems as "Everlong" and "My Hero." "Big Me," a pristine Matthew Sweetish pop gem sealed it though, proving Grohl was no Post-Nirvana, coattails-riding Beavis. In the years since, Foo Fighters have kept steady heat on the hit parade, churning out infectious bits of distorted juvenelia. - Kelly Bauman

Smashing Pumpkins

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:24:58 -0800

Billy Corgan and his Chicago cohorts arrived just as the alternative sea-swell was crashing ashore in the early 1990s, doing so with shiny, super-produced alt rock far removed from the Pacific Northwest's guttural Grunge rumblings. Corgan's obsessive, perfectionist nature helped rear an omnipresent triumvirate of crucial albums between 1991-95, each of which grandly built upon the scope and sound of its predecessor. Gish, Siamese Dream, and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness -- in addition to the myriad songs released as non-album tracks during that time -- were chiefly characterized by Corgan's vocals that could whisper one moment and wail the next, Corgan and James Iha's overdriven, buzzing, these-go-to-11 guitars, and Jimmy Chamberlin's propulsive, overwhelmingly powerful drum work that thrust "Silverf*ck," "Bury Me," and "Geek U.S.A." into fifth gear. Lineup changes and an electronica-embracing sound muddled the band's late '90s efforts, and the Pumpkins called it quits in 2000. After years of near-constant speculation, Corgan and Chamberlin partnered to reform the group in 2007, releasing the bombastic Zeitgeist and returning to the world stage. - Charles Hodgkins

Weezer

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:06:57 -0800

When they first appeared on the commercial pop landscape back in 1994, it wasn't without a fair amount of derision from the indie rock cognoscenti. After all, these guys were copping the indie rock style, using the same pop culture references and the same hooks, but putting it out on a major label with no grassroots support behind them. They had no "cred," as it were. Where did Weezer come from anyway? The answer is: nowhere. Rivers Cuomo founded the band as an outlet for his love of Van Halen, Cheap Trick and Kiss just a year before getting signed. The group was quickly thrust into the spotlight following the mad rush of Nirvana's success, and suddenly "Buddy Holly" and "Undone" were radio hits. The allure of this gaggle of power pop-loving kids with huge amps and no real star appeal wasn't lost on a generation of geeky punks. In the five years between Pinkerton and the band's self-titled 2001 album, they had become somewhat of a phenomenon; their influence began to slowly dominate commercial alt rock radio. Their enormous pop hooks, crunchy guitar chords and quasi-ironic rock had gained critical respect and support among even the most jaded of indie rock fans. With their ability to craft arena-ready guitar pop that transcends mawkishness or trendy aggression, Weezer remain one of the bright lights on the Top 40 landscape. - Jon Pruett

Goo Goo Dolls

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:04 -0800

Often compared to the Replacements and Cheap Trick, the Goo Goo Dolls' tattered, anthemic beginnings were documented on Metal Blade Records -- home to such other "alt rockers" as D.R.I., GWAR, and Fates Warning. Perennial headbangers, their noisy forays embraced the excesses of Sonic Youth and Oh My Gawd!-era Flaming Lips as much as they harnessed the raw punk energy of the Replacements. The 'Mats references don't really start to make sense until the fourth and fifth albums, when their songwriting developed past three chords-and-some-noise songs to eventually include string sections and over-rehearsed dynamics (see Superstar Car Wash). Their sixth album, A Boy Named Goo, offered the megahit "Name," a song so sweetly infectious and clean it seemed to deny any previous knowledge of metal. Now comfortably marketed to the 'burbs rather than the seedy, beer-soaked parts of town they once ruled, a VH-1 Behind the Music special about the band would probably seem more like an episode of the X-Files than a documentary. The band followed-up their breakthrough album with 1998's Dizzy Up the Girl, scoring the Goo Goo Dolls another round of chart hits with "Slide" and "Iris," a monster power ballad written for the City of Angels soundtrack. A result of the band's over-the-top success was that frontman Johnny Rzeznik ended up spending a great deal of time in Los Angeles; eventually moving there. In 2002, they released the rather glossy Gutterflower marking the first hiccup for the band. Rzeznik, who was having trouble adjusting to living in Los Angeles and fame in general, found himself divorced, uninspired by his new surroundings and with relative commercial bomb on his hands. In July, 2004, the Goo Goo Dolls played a Fourth of July concert for their fans. The free concert was held in the band's hometown of Buffalo, New York, and captured the magic of the band perfectly -- even the unseasonable rain couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd that day. Fittingly, the Goos released Live in Buffalo shortly thereafter. The experience restored Rzeznik's spirits and once again, the singer found himself packing his belongings and moving across country. In the transition, the band's label released What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce, a somewhat wishy-washy compilation of remixes and early tracks. Once back in Buffalo, the beleagured singer's creative juices started flowing once again. He and bandmate Robbie Takac rekindled their songwriting partnership, which had fallen by the wayside after SuperstarCarWash was released. The result was 2006's return to form, Let Love In, an inspired effort produced by Glen Ballard. - Linda Ryan

Alice in Chains

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800

Alice in Chains' debut arrived at the outset of the '90s without a name for the market they were supposed to attract. Their sound was too unique to be considered metal and more visceral than mere straight-ahead rock, but it was soon lumped in with that of other prominent bands emerging from the overcast skies of Seattle around the same time. Gritty, down-tuned guitars kept their legion of fans headbanging to "Man in a Box" and "Would?," offering sharp contrast to their mellower acoustic output ("Got Me Wrong," "No Excuses"). However, it was Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley's thick and dissonant harmonies which became one of their most imitated and original features, spawning endless copiers. Heroin-tinged lyrics and jagged, odd-time riffs foreshadowed their supposed demise, but their influence lives on in many of today's copycat bands. - Jessy Terry

Silversun Pickups

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:01 -0800

With their distorted vocals, winding guitars drenched in warm, crubling effect pedals and raw-riffing rock power, the Silversun Pickups rightfully garner many a comparison to alt-rock '90s heroes the Smashing Pumpkins (minus Billy Corgan's nasally croon, though). But that's merely what you'll hear on the surface of their sound. Beneath that veneer, the washed out guitar textures and barbed, melodic harmonies recall early Breeders and latter-day Nirvana. But the Pickups also have a tendency to lean hard on poppier West Coast indie rock songwriting sensibilities a la Earlimart. A product of L.A.'s incestuous music scene, founder Brian Aubert has said that the sum of his band's parts can be blamed on what he calls the "tumbleweed effect" -- it blows along and influences stick to it. He also says that the band was ushered onto the live stage before they were ready to play, which forced it to either crash-land or flap their wings and learn to fly. Listening to their 2006 debut long player Carnavas and follow-up Swoon reveals that they were able to pull off the latter. - Eric Shea

Stone Temple Pilots

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 09:47:08 -0800

Though plagued by unaccepting critics over their career, Stone Temple Pilots have continued to win fans, selling more than 20 million albums and grabbing a Grammy in the process. Among the early harbingers of grunge, STP draw from influences such as Led Zeppelin and Black Flag to create their own influential sound. - Jessy Terry

Third Eye Blind

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:48 -0800

One of the leaders in the slew of modern bands releasing lyrically-driven, post-Nirvana rock that incorporates a variety of styles to create one of their own. Third Eye Blind's combination of rock guitars, Beatles harmonies and emotionally charged vocals has been scoring hits since they burst on the scene in 1997 with "Semi-Charmed Life." They fall in the same category as Foo Fighters and Everclear, with smart, post-grunge pop that appeals to adult audiences as well as college-aged kids. Since the 1990s, their material has shown off a more muscle-bound unit than before. - Mike McGuirk

Collective Soul

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 09:48:02 -0800

Collective Soul is a thinking man's AOR band combining the grit of post-Seattle rock with melodic vocals and occasionally Hip-Hop-flavored percussion. They've enjoyed no small amount of success with the 25-30 age group interested in serious "alternative" music and continue to release world-conscious music in the passionate vein of Zooropa-era U2. Frontman and main contributor Ed Roland shows a strong Natalie Merchant influence, especially when he dances. - Mike McGuirk

Soundgarden

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:59 -0800

Soundgarden debuted as a swaggering, leaden Hard Rock outfit, all flailing hair and meaty Metal riffs -- this was the Soundgarden of "Big Dumb Sex" and "Full On Kevin's Mom." By the time grunge reached its heyday on MTV, the pages of Rolling Stone, and the radio, the Seattle band had reined in its lunk-headed tendencies and focused on crafting excellent songs such as "Burden In My Hand," "Like Suicide" (the elegiac swansong for grunge's commercial invincibility), and "Overfloater." They never completely captured the imagination of a generation the way their friends and contemporaries did -- Nirvana were more mercurial, Pearl Jam more anthemic. But more than any other grunge outfit, Soundgarden demonstrated the influence of '70s Hard Rock on grunge. Longtime fans claim that Soundgarden softened up over the years, citing the insane crossover success of "Black Hole Sun" (1994) as Exhibit A in the band's paving of their previously potholed Grunge/Metal hybrid. But given a closer listen, some of the band's later material -- "Pretty Noose" and "Let Me Drown," for example -- thuds just as emphatically as their late '80s releases on Sub Pop and SST. - Charles Hodgkins

Bush

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:58 -0800

When Nirvana closed up shop in 1994, Britain's Bush was quick to seize an opportunity in a suddenly vacant market. Singer/guitarist Gavin Rossdale's howl echoes that of the late Kurt Cobain, yet something about Bush's craft screams "We Are the Champions," instead of "Loser." And they certainly were, on our side of the Atlantic, anyway. Their debut, 1994's Sixteen Stone, became a huge smash, beginning with the MTV-approved lead single, "Everything Zen." Despite their Steve Albini-produced second album, the critics hated them, accusing them of being pre-fab Nirvana also-rans. But the fans loved Bush, attending the band's sold-out tours by the thousands and supporting three more studio albums, plus a greatest-hits collection, an album of remixes and 2005's Zen X Four, which compiled their top videos and acoustic and live versions of their career hits. Lead guitarist Nigel Pulsford left to spend more time with his family in 2002, and the rest of the band decided to take a break to pursue other projects. Pretty boy Rossdale has, naturally, kept busiest, forming the band Institute in 2004, settling into family life with wife Gwen Stefani and working on a solo album. - Rachel Devitt

Sick Puppies

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:13:53 -0800

In their home country of Australia, Sick Puppies hit the big time a long time ago. Singer/guitarist Shimon Moore and bassist Emma Anzai met in 1997 in their high school music room, bonded over Silverchair, and formed a band with drummer Chris Mileski. In the decade that followed, the Puppies added an album and some EPs, several national tours, and a hotly downloaded cover of Destiny's Child "Say My Name" to their resume.

Stateside, however, Sick Puppies are another YouTube success story. To save up money for the band's planned attack on the American market, Moore got a job at a Sydney mall, where he befriended and videoed a man named Juan Mann, who stood outside the mall every day with a sign reading "Free Hugs." When Mann's grandmother died, Moore edited that footage into a short video that chronicled Mann's Free Hugs Campaign, set it to the Puppies' "Nothing Really Matters," and sent it to Mann as a sympathy card. Moved, Mann posted the video to YouTube. By the end of 2006, "Free Hugs" had reached 11 million views, was featured on Oprah and CNN, and helped the Puppies (now with Mark Goodwin on drums) snag a deal with Virgin to release 2007's Dressed Up as Life. - Rachel Devitt

Gin Blossoms

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:01 -0800

Jangly and catchy, the Gin Blossoms skyrocketed out of the Phoenix bar scene in the early '90s with the one-two combination of "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You," which you may have missed if you were either away from Earth during those years or have only recently regained your hearing. Their collage of college-friendly sounds combined rootsy grit with grungy modern rock to dominate the airwaves for over a year. - Jessy Terry

Everclear

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:37 -0800

Portland's Everclear is the most successful of the post-grungesters when it comes to being a household name. Formed in Portland in 1991, Everclear hit the turbo boost button and made short work of any possible contemporaries in 1995 with Sparkle and Fade. Not that the key ingredients are anything fancy: grinding, crunchy guitars littered with catchy punk-pop riffs and an occasional flirtation with the blues. Their stranglehold on the charts exists because singer/guitarist Art Alexakis' gritty vocals and personal, emotionally charged lyrics take center stage to the music. Is it grunge? Is it pop? Never mind. The band's stock lies in their empathetic storytelling. To wit: "Father of Mine" recounts Alexakis' anger at being deserted by his father, and "Fire Maple Song" deals with the loss of his brother to heroin (not to mention the singer's own battle with drug addiction). On this cut, Everclear serve up "unloved, American style," with a muscular take on the Smiths' classic mope anthem. - Kali Holloway

Better Than Ezra

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:16 -0800

Better Than Ezra entered the marketplace at the tail end of the grunge explosion, combining Seattle rock's emotional intensity with jangle pop accessibility and strong CBS-format savvy. Quickly tiring of formulaic guitar songs, Better Than Ezra's later records reveal their ability to evolve, as they incorporate elements of electronica and post-Radiohead sonic innovation. - Mike McGuirk

Yellowcard

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:26 -0800

Yellowcard's fortunes took a turn for the better when the Jacksonville, Fla., band headed off to Southern California in 2000. With their lineup solidified, Yellowcard released two independent EPs that richly captured their catchy emo-meets-punk-pop sound. Sharp songwriting and their idiosyncratic use of a violin helped set them apart from other similar-sounding bands. Capitol Records was intrigued enough by the offbeat combination to sign them in 2003. Their success continued with the release of Ocean Avenue in 2004, which spawned a series of hit singles and went double platinum. As their fortunes rose, internal tensions erupted, with original guitarist Ben Harper departing the band to focus on his indie label, Takeover Records. He was replaced by Ryan Mendez, previously in the punk band Staring Back. - Michele K-Tel

Eddie Vedder

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:05:24 -0800

Eddie Vedder is arguably the most recognized superstar of the grunge era, after Kurt Cobain. As the singer for Pearl Jam, Vedder devised a vocal style that became synonymous with the genre and even today can be identified by the slightest whiff of his presence on a song. Vedder has always been very active outside of Pearl Jam, but he never officially left the band for any reason and has appeared in countless duet or collaborative situations, often in a one-off format for a film soundtrack. In 2007 he released his first full album of solo material, Into the Wild, a soundtrack for the eponymous film directed by Sean Penn, who reportedly hand-picked Vedder for the job. - Mike McGuirk

Presidents of the United States of America

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:22:59 -0800

Besides the Presidents' numerous platinum-selling singles, the Seattle band is best known for its cover of Ian Hunter's "Cleveland Rocks," which is used as the theme song for the Drew Carey Show. Expect more of the same ultra-catchy, self-effacing, slightly goofy songwriting in their albums: the guitars buzz with pure Seattle howl before breaking into a jangly pop jag. It's bouncy, simple and fun, but definitely not dumb. - Mark Murrmann

Filter

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:43 -0800

Although Filter haven't abandoned the Industrial Metal formula that broke them big -- the combination of aggression and catchy riffs continues with songs such as "Welcome to the Fold" -- they offer quite a bit of diversity in their music. "Take A Picture" is dreamy and poppy, opening with acoustic guitars playing a progression that's positively folksy. - Will Lerner

Silverchair

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 10:53:04 -0800

Silverchair began when three Australian teenagers (guitarist Daniel Johns, bassist Chris Joannou, and drummer Ben Gilles) calling themselves "The Innocent Criminals" submitted a demo tape of a single song for a talent contest hosted by a local FM radio station. Their entry beat out 800 others and before long the band had sparked a major label bidding war.

They eventually signed with Sony Records, and "Tomorrow," the prize-winning tune, shot to the top of the charts, where it remained for a full six weeks. The success of their debut album, Frogstomp (recorded in just nine days), gave a boost to the ailing grunge movement, showing the musicians to be spiritual decedents of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, with lead singer Daniel Johns a stone ringer for Kurt Cobain.

To coincide with the release of their single, the band changed their name to the rather obtuse Silverchair, a tribute to Nirvana's "Sliver," (which had been inexplicitly misspelled "Silver") and You Am I's "Berlin Chair," then set out to conquer America. Frogstomp became the first Australian album since INXS to crack the U.S. Top 10, eventually selling 2.5 million copies worldwide. While still in school, the band recorded Freak,, their follow-up disc, which yielded three top ten singles in Australian, and went gold in the US.

Touring was a bit of a problem. Even though the musicians traveled with a battery of tutors, they were forced to arrange their world tours around their school schedule in order to finish up their final year of high school. After graduation, the band members were able to spend much more time on their music, and it showed in the critically lauded, much more sophisticated Neon Ballroom, produced by Nick Cave's knob-twirler, Nick Launay. Neon took them out of the underage novelty act realm, replacing their former grungey rock with almost prog rock embellishments and a new vulnerability seen most materially on the painfully candid "Ana's Song," about John's eating disorder.

The band followed that disc with an extensive touring schedule which seemed to be their undoing. They took a full twelve months off to recharge, and didn't re-emerge until 2002's Diorama, which featured Johns as co-producer and longtime Beach Boys cohort Van Dyke Parks arranging three tracks. They'd all but turned their back on their grunge past, adding lush strings, some witty psychedelic flourishes and a strong pop sensibility. The disc was a creative apex, but sadly not a commercial one. The band currently seems to be in cold storage, but Johns -- who married Aussie pop star Natalie Imbruglia in December 2003 -- recently formed the Dissociatives with producer Paul Mac, whom he met in 1997 when Mac remixed the Silverchair track "Freak." The Dissociatives released their self-titled debut in 2004, and were nominated for six ARIA awards. - Jaan Uhelszki

Tonic

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:27:38 -0800

Picking up where forerunners such as Blind Melon left off, Tonic's twang-friendly Post-Grunge has transfixed listeners since their 1996 debut. Rife with thick guitar hooks, snappy arrangements, and singer Emerson Harts melodic, impassioned voice, you get helplessly catchy, engaging songs. Added bits of lap steel and mandolin lend a rootsy flavor, resulting in a mix comparable to that of such like-minded contemporaries as Matchbox 20, Sister Hazel and the Wallflowers. - Nicholas Baker

Plumb

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:11:39 -0700

With danceable beats, noisy guitars and hooky choruses, Plumb bears a certain resemblance to Garbage. Spiritually minded lyrics are layered in alternately subtle and overt metaphors. These songs could easily appeal to secular modern rock fans. - Will Lerner

Seven Mary Three

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:01 -0800

With perhaps the best song about unwanted weight gain ever written to their credit, Seven Mary Three is certain to live on in CBS-formatted suspension long after they decide to call it quits -- whenever that may be. Best known for the 1995 Grunge Pop fave "Cumbersome," the bottom-heavy trio continues to put out records, alternating between a big guitar, Pearl Jam-lite formula and gritty, introspective acoustica. - Mike McGuirk

Marcy Playground

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:03 -0800

Marcy Playground emerged in the late '90s with the omnipresent radio hit, "Sex and Candy," which seemed to strike a chord with its darkly witty lyrics and palatable quirkiness. Lumped in with the group of critically maligned artists deemed as "Post Grunge," Marcy Playground have shown more creativity than the watered-down edginess of other Buzz Bin candidates. Showing more than a passing interest in songwriting, frontman John Wozniak manages to express his "I'm an outsider" vibe with well-placed minor keys and radio-friendly orchestration. - Jon Pruett

Hole

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 09:42:37 -0700

Pretty on the Inside, Hole's 1991 debut, is a blistering heat rash of an album, full of ragged guitars, tabloid-sensational lyrics, and vocals that cut like cat claws. In all of Riot Grrrl-dom, there's not an album that has held up as well. Live Through This, the '94 follow-up, dropped the combative stance for more mature and more vulnerable moments of self-appraisal. The album's most memorable track, "Doll Parts," sounds like a last confession given at the point of exhaustion and performed without any hope of salvation. Courtney Love, for once, sounded like she was actually singing instead of just venting. A third album, 1998's Celebrity Skin, showcased yet another side of the band, emerging this time dappled in the Technicolor sunshine of '60s/'70s California pop. A public grown accustomed to a crowd-baiting Courtney arrayed in dirty laundry didn't know what to make of the new image and sales were never better than tepid. After a series of personal breakdowns in public, a rotating door policy at Betty Ford and the growing up of daughter Francis Bean, Love dissolved Hole completely in 2004. - Mike Cloward

Refreshments

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:44 -0800

The Verve Pipe

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 09:47:15 -0800

The Verve Pipe came to the public eye via the 1996 alternative radio hit "The Freshmen." Its brooding frailty caught the listener's ear, vaguely evoking feelings of loss, and images of boarding school. Mournful guitar pickings, singer/guitarist Brian Vander Ark's doleful whispering, and a faint military snare beat made the band champions du jour of the (adolescent) downtrodden. Understandably eager to shirk the one-trick pony tag, the Verve Pipe enlisted the help of producer Michael Beinhorn (Marilyn Manson, Hole) and mixer Jack Joseph Puig (Remy Zero) for a more upbeat shimmer on their 1999 self-titled CD. Singsong cadences, big fuzzy guitars, playful vocal harmonies, and space age background noises are all here for your listening pleasure. - Eric Shea

Temple of the Dog

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:23 -0800

Formed in 1990 and conceived as a one-off, posthumous tribute to fallen Seattle singer Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog were made up of members of Soundgarden and what would eventually become Pearl Jam. Faced with the news of his roommate's death from a heroin overdose, Chris Cornell wrote a pair of songs for Wood, "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven," and approached surviving members of Mother Love Bone ostensibly to record and release a single in his honor. The single became an entire album. Eddie Vedder was in town auditioning for the band that would become Pearl Jam, and he provided backing vocals during the sessions and also performed a duet with Cornell on the song "Hunger Strike." The self-titled album was released in 1991 to no fanfare, but a year later both Cornell and Vedder were megastars. A&M smelled a huge payday, and the album was re-released and billed as a collaboration between Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. "Hunger Strike" was released as a single and reached No. 4 on the charts. As a result, and with the heavy rotation of the attendant video for "Hunger Strike," Temple of the Dog -- with only one single from one album -- remains one of the most widely recognized acts of the grunge era. - Mike McGuirk

OK Go

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:25 -0800

OK Go are four guys from Chicago who write songs that don't seem to have much deep meaning yet are jam-packed with whiz kid hooks. They might appear as a fun-loving college band without serious intentions, but that's not exactly true. They were signed to a major label right after forming in 1998. They've had hit singles played on the radio ("Get Over It" from their debut) but to their credit, they don't engage in pretentious rock star posing (except for their recent tongue-in-cheek pimped out fashion sense) going so far as to make fun of themselves by learning a complicated 1980s-era dance routine (choreographed by a band member's sister) for the sake of their live show. This resulted in a fall-on-the-floor hysterical music video for "A Million Ways," which was recorded in a suburban backyard. It was never intended for public release, but like the Tommy Lee and Pamela video, it caught on in an online whirl, and they were forced to release it as their next single. But despite all signs indicating that they are carefree funsters, OK Go are also NPR-loving brainiacs and perfectionists who compose scores for underground indie flicks and worked closely with producer Tore (Franz Ferdinand) Johansson on their sophomore album recording scores of songs, only to abandon many of them when they didn't seem worthy of release. OK Go just make it look like they're effortlessly churning out power pop when in truth they work hard and relentlessly -- even moving to Los Angeles to help further their prodigious career goals. - Michele K-Tel

Dishwalla

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:13:50 -0800

Dishwalla came from the coastside college town of Santa Barbara, Calif. just a couple hour's drive from Los Angeles. The band made a name for themselves playing their noisy Post-Grunge in venues between the two cities, and eventually got noticed by A&M records. Things were looking good for Dishwalla when their eponymous debut was released in 1995, but it came and went without incident. It would take "Counting Blue Cars" from their follow-up album to hit, thanks in part to radio's positive reaction to the single, which, according to Billboard magazine, was Modern Rock radio's most played song in 1996. The band's fuzzy, bottom-heavy Grunge Pop has the guitar crunch and pop hooks that has become a staple of the format. 1998's And You Think You Know What Life's About saw the band stretch their legs a bit, and try new ideas. The album failed to light any fires. Time will tell if Dishwalla will go down in history as yet another one-hit-wonder. But certainly, for a time in the mid 1990's, they were in their zenith. - Linda Ryan

Screaming Trees

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:14 -0800

In the early 1990s, when a bunch of jerks in ripped jeans, flannel shirts and scraggly facial hair were playing Grunge, Screaming Trees were instead making some great music. Unfortunately, they were lumped in with the aforementioned scene and subsequently swept under the carpet along with the identity of Kurt Cobain's murderer. Mark Lanegan's toneful vocals don't sound faked like Eddie Vedder's, and the band's songs seem to come from a broader range of influences (like early Velvet Underground and 1970s Rolling Stones). At their best, Screaming Trees slowed Power Pop with heavy guitar riffs and melodies that you didn't want to leave your head. - Eric Shea

Default

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:08:04 -0800

Default are a Vancouver group with a strong Nickelback connection who've made quite an impression on commercial rock radio. Nickelback's Chad Kroeger produced the band's debut and had a hand in the songwriting, as well, but that doesn't mean Default are merely riding the Coattail Express. The boys are definitely able to kick up a riff-ravaged classic rock storm of their own. In the land of radio-friendly alt-rock, Default are kings. - Jon Pruett

The Calling

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:53 -0800

This Los Angeles group specializes in epic, roots-oriented, alternative radio hits for the new millennium. With an earnest and inspirational tone, the group details its struggle with big issues. Mega-ballads such as "Wherever You Will Go" provided much sing-a-long fodder in 2001. - Jon Pruett

Melvins

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:03:39 -0700

Every last Grunge star cited the Melvins as a major influence in their sound, but none of them produced anything as heavy. They may have taken ten albums to produce a single hook, but the Melvins' sludge-caked, Sabbath-inspired tracks are undeniably a force of grandeur. They embody the strange contradiction of being exceptional musicians who personify apathetic stoner kids. At first listen, the Melvins produce filthy hesher rock, but through time, layers of fuzz and distortion reveal themselves as masterful arrangements, even as they become as overwhelming as a night of huffing tar. Even Karlheinz Stockhausen's "Helicopter String Quartet" sounds feathery after two minutes of the Melvins' Lysol. Don't forget to lift with your knees. - Marc Kate

Stroke 9

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:09:54 -0800

With guitars that chime and ring as loudly as they buzz, San Francisco's Stroke 9 master the often imitated overdriven, guitar pop sound. High-profile appearances in movies such as EdTV and albums loaded with radio-friendly pop hooks should ensure Stroke 9 a healthy career. - Linda Ryan

Mae

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:17 -0800

Mae is an emo/post-grunge hybrid with artsy tendencies. Signed to Tooth & Nail Records, the band released its first album, Destination: Beautiful, in 2003. The group plays emotionally-charged music that has a darkish side but is ultimately very positive, never straying too far from the more sedate pieces they appear most comfortable with. - Mike McGuirk

Nine Days

Tue, 12 May 2009 11:19:41 -0700

This Long Island quintet won WLIR's Best Unsigned Band and WBAB's Homegrown Talent Search, and it's easy to hear why. Nine Days add grunged-out guitars to their otherwise sanitized pop for a sound that's mostly clean, but still a bit messy around the edges. And with that sort of non-offensive, mass-appeal sound, it's no wonder songs such as "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" have topped the Top-40 and Adult Alternative charts. - Linda Ryan

Crazy Town

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:34:56 -0700

Lucky Boys Confusion

Fri, 22 May 2009 17:08:08 -0700

Suburban Chicago band plays something they call "reggae-punk-hop." This means they watch MTV a lot and spit back the hooks of three current hit videos at once. Big, poppy songs with just enough groove to seem cool.

Veruca Salt

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:04:14 -0700

The well-nigh incessant rotation of Veruca Salt's massive hits was a burden on many a radio listener back in 1994. But perhaps all the critical hostility directed at this band was something of a backlash to the still-recent success of Nirvana and resultant transition of Grunge from an underground phenomenon to the sort of thing played over the speaker system at K-Mart. But today their music is easier to take. Their Cheap Trick-meets-Pistols formula, no longer bogged down by any perceived sellout baggage, is lean and mean, with the added bonus of sounding best when turned up very loud. The fact of their talent with Punk-damaged AOR hooks cannot be disputed, and the bad-ass Chrissie Hynde tone of their vocals is fun now that nobody cares about the credibility of Grunge anymore. After a long hiatus, Veruca Salt have returned with an even tougher sound that appears to pick up where L7 left off. - Eric Shea

Mad Season

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:13:50 -0800

Saving Jane

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:03:36 -0800

Mudhoney

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:47:19 -0800

Innovators of Grunge, Mudhoney's influence was felt more behind the scenes than on the frontlines, helping to patent the sound of angst-ridden, strained vocals and muddy, buzzing guitars. Unlike the stable of other Seattle area bands, Mark Arm and co. recall early, buzzing L.A. Punk and messy '60s Garage Rock. - Mark Murrmann

Michael Johns

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:21:07 -0700

Chad Kroeger

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:31 -0800

American Hi-Fi

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:13:51 -0800

American Hi-Fi had a running start on their career since drummer Stacy Jones had already logged in time with two pillars of the 1990s alternative Zeitgeist, Letters to Cleo and Veruca Salt. When Salt singer Nina Gordon asked Jones to help her record her solo album, he jumped at the chance. But helping her give birth to Tonight and the Rest of My Life, only whetted Jones's appetite to form his own band. He looked around for some like-minded musicians, and began making plans on exactly how to turn his love for the Pixies, the Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom and Julian Hatfield into something he could be proud of -- and hopefully also land on the radio.

Oddly, Jones, a crack skin-beater, decided he wanted to play guitar and sing in his band, despite the fact he had only just taught himself how to play the instrument in the back of the bus on tour for Veruca Salt's second album. On a break from the road, Jones convinced his best friends -- bassist Drew Parsons, drummer Brian Nolan, and guitarist Jamie Arentzen -- to meet him at Letters to Cleo's old rehearsal space to jam on some Cheap Trick covers. The results were so good that they played until they came up with a set of pop gems full of cheeky attitude and big guitar hooks. Jones gave a demo to Bob Rock, who was producing Gordon's solo album. Rock was so charmed he agreed to record the band's self-titled debut at his Maui studios. Call it beginner's luck, but "Flavor of the Weak" gave the new band their first radio hit in 2001. Live In Tokyo followed the next year; then American Hi-Fi engaged Nick Cave's favorite producer, Nick Launay, for their third offering, The Art of Losing, which showed a harder, more aggressive side that merged the pop lyricism of the Jam with the fire of the Clash. There wasn't a clear hit on this sophomore effort, and the band's label, Island Records, decided to drop them in what Jones claims was a decision that the future of music was with emo bands.

A move to Los Angeles led to another stylistic change, as the band set up camp at a studio in Korea Town that used to belong to Hole's Eric Erlandson and hired producer-of-the moment, Butch Walker, to man the boards. The result, Hearts on Parade, was more anthemic and seamless than anything they'd done before: its songs of longing, heartache and redemption finally captured some of that Pixie magic that inflamed Jones at the onset, and also drew on the frenetic speed of Blur and the tetchy anger of Joe Jackson. With the LP released in Japan, the band embarked on a tour with producer Walker in the hopes that a U.S. label would be captivated by their new sound. One was. Maverick signed them up, releasing Parade in April 2005. - Jaan Uhelszki

Len

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:52:08 -0700

Oleander

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:13:51 -0800

Plowing the fertile fields of post-Nirvana alterna-crunch, Oleander stand above the pack with a fine Kurt impression and massive guitars. Scoring a hit with "Down When I'm Loaded," Oleander have made it to the major label big time and plan to stay there with loud and angry music that treads the uncertain ground between Bush's cold melodicism and the metallic power-noise of Indie Grungers Local H. - Mike McGuirk