Grunge - Where to go?

[The Ozzman]

After a recent discovery, Candlebox is fucking up there

 

[Dead Winter]

AIC
Soundgarden
Saigon Kick
Screaming Trees
Smashing Pumpkins
Stone Temple Pilots
Pearl Jam
Temple of the Dog

Seriously, Alice in Chains is one of the best bands in the last 20 years.

 

[Hubster]

As is obvious, some genres most well known bands aren't the best.

So what are the best grunge bands out there?

Some decent posts in here, but most are shit (sorry).

Nirvana does not suck, but they are definitely over-praised for their work.

One thing to keep in mind with Grunge (and I hate calling it that, such a fucking marketing mass media term imo). Depending on your reasons for wanting to explore it, don't take an approach which strictly limits yourself to the bands most people know (which I know you won't anyway), or rather, what is "written" on major sites about what bands constitute "grunge".

This being said, what you want to do is branch outside of the Seattle bands, into other regions (and countries in some cases). Don't stay within "grunge", move in and out, around around it with punk, punk-rock, skate thrash, guitar pop, swirly guitar pop. They all add to a more complete experience.

Grunge itself defined only a handful of bands, but the entire movement in the 90s consisted of much much more. All the bands, in their different ways, helped to define what the feeling of music in this period was about, and why so much of it was new, different and above all, honest. To go back even earlier in some cases, i.e. late 80s outside of Seattle, will give you even better examples of origins (Boston bands of the mid to late 80s were almost a whole decade ahead of Seattle).

(In no order):

- Green River
- Mudhoney
- Dinosaur Jr
- Babes In Toyland
- Smudge
- Lemonheads (earlier)
- Blake babies
- Juliana Hatfield (earlier)
- Meanies
- Scientists
- Sonic Youth
- Breeders/Pixies
- Sugar Cubes
- Stone Roses (yes, I know, doesn't apply strongly to Grunge at all, but that's not why I've listed it)
- Tumbleweed
- Superchunk
- Sebadoh
- Melvins
- Stone Temple Pilots
- Hole (earlier)
- Hummingbirds (later)
- Clouds
- Pavement
- Husker Du
- Bullet Lavolta
- Descendents
- Def FX
- Welcome Mat

The above bands are not strictly grunge, but they all in some way contribute to what the entire experience is about. Grunge isn't meant to be a refined, or polished concept. It is loose, low-level, natural and organic, and above all, "local". hence why the 'grunge" term is full of shit, as more than anything, it is simply heavily punk and metal influenced indie pop music which is independently or self-released, with bands sharing many members and even co-writing each other's material. It's about a community-based music movement. Private.

Hope this all helps. PM me if you can't find any of the above, and I'll see what I can do to help you out.

 

[Winter.]

Alice in Chains
Soundgarden
mudhoney
animal bag
faith no more
ugly kid joe
L7.
Melvins

 

[Einherjar86]

Meat Puppets were great, but not grunge.

More like punk/rock country.

 

[Hubster]

Agreed, but it's Alt-Country (yes, there is such a thing). Evan Dando is a big fan of it.

 

[Einherjar86]

Right, alt-country. Couldn't think of the right term.

 

[Hubster]

R.E.M. sometimes fall into the alt-country tag as well...

 

[The Ozzman]

So, what defines something as alternative country?

 

[itchytasty]

Screaming Trees

Good stuff, more people should be listening to them. Lanegan's solo stuff is good too, but that's another thread, I suppose.