Grunge
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...
Eddie Vedder Unveils Live Debut of Solo Song “Long Way” at Ohana Festival: Watch
It’s been 10 years since Eddie Vedder has released a proper album without his friends in Pearl Jam, but that will change soon enough. The singer recently shared “Long Way,” the first single from his upcoming album Earthlings, and now he’s dropped a live version of the track. Watch a video of the debut live performance, shot by Pearl Jam director Blue Leach, below. “Long Way” is a Springsteen-esque guitar-organ ballad, and Vedder played it during his last-minute set at the Ohana Festival back in September. After he was forced to perform in place of Kings of Leon, the show became a star-studded spectacle, with Chad Smith, Josh Klinghoffer, Pino Palladino, Andrew Watt, and Glen Hansard comprising Vedder’s backing band. While Klinghoffer lent piano to Vedder’s solo set, Pearl Jam fans can...
Bill Maher to “Nirvana Baby” Spencer Elden: “Stop Being Such a F**king Baby”
Bill Maher didn’t mince words when he addressed the recent lawsuit brought against Nirvana by Spencer Elden, who was photographed 30 years ago as the naked baby on the cover of Nevermind. During the most recent episode of his Real Time show on HBO, Maher told Elden to “stop being such a f**king baby.” Back in August, Elden sued surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, the estate of Kurt Cobain, and other parties for sexual exploitation, alleging the underwater photo of him as a four-month-old on the iconic album cover amounted to child pornography. He is seeking at least $150,000 in damages from each of the defendants, who also include Courtney Love, Universal Music Group, photographer Kirk Weddle, and drummer Chad Channing (who barely appears on Nevermind after being...
Jerry Cantrell’s Brighten Shines a Light Back on His Stellar Solo Work: Review
The Lowdown: As one of the main creative forces of Alice in Chains for decades, singer-guitarist Jerry Cantrell is responsible for penning some of rock’s all-time great guitar riffs. He has remained busy with Alice in Chains (regularly issuing albums and touring after the arrival of singer William DuVall in 2006), and as a result, his solo career took a backseat — his last solo offering, Degradation Trip, dropped all the way back in 2002. So, nearly 20 years later, Cantrell is ready to go at it solo once more with Brighten. For the new album, he enlisted the aid of such renowned names as Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, ex-Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato (who supplies background vocals), and producer/composer Tyler Bates, among several additional respected musicians. The Good:...
Dave Grohl Reacts to Nirvana Nevermind Baby Lawsuit: “I Have Many Ideas of How We Should Alter That Cover”
Dave Grohl has reacted to the recent lawsuit brought against Nirvana by Spencer Elden, who was photographed as the baby on the cover of the band’s iconic 1991 album, Nevermind. In a new interview, the onetime Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman said he has “many ideas of how we should alter that cover.” Elden is suing multiple defendants — including Grohl, Krist Novoselic, the estate of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Universal Music Group, and more — alleging 30 years later that the naked underwater image of him as a 4-month-old baby was child pornography and that using it as the album cover was child sexual exploitation. In addition to seeking monetary compensation, Elden is requesting that the cover artwork be changed for all future releases of Nevermind, including the recentl...
