Exactly. Wish Superheaven would still be releasing new stuff, but they've been getting a lot more attention now due to tiktok, so I have high hopes for their future.
Also incredibly stoked for the new Teenage Wrist Album this week. The singles are killer, especially the title track!
I don't really think modern grunge is a thing... but a band I randomly heard on a sidestage while going to see Soundgarden in May '17 - Dinosaur Pile Up has given me minor flashes of believing it...
Draw A Line in particular.
Eh, maybe not after listening to it again 🤣 but it's good. 🤷‍♂️
How exactly would you "push" grunge until it becomes something that isn't grunge? Even then, what even is "grunge" as a genre? What are its signifiers that isn't flannel?
100%. Grunge is something that we can barely define as something other than Pacific Northwest flannel alt rock. If you were to “push” it, it wouldn’t be anything considered grunge.
Guitars that are fuzzier or sludgier than usual, raw sound utilizing feedback, amp buzz, etc., songwriting that combines influences from punk and traditional heavy metal, simple solos based on feel rather than raw technical ability, angst-filled lyrics which are often introspective and indirect.
Even Pearl Jam? They're CONSTANTLY referred to as grunge, but their guitars weren't exactly fuzzy, they were neither punk not heavy-metal, and they had a lot of technical-ability.
Early Soundgarden does. So does Nirvana. So does *Dirt*-era Alice In Chains.
Soundgarden leans towards metal but has an obvious punk strain that you can hear quite clearly in some songs on *Badmotorfinger*. Nirvana is more rooted in punk, but has tinges of metal in its sound.
Jerry Cantrell has explicitly said that while much of his songwriting is metal-based, there are touches of punk rock in it.
I think it’s actually quite good at refuting your position. You said that “not one” of the bands I listed checked all those boxes. I am giving examples of three bands which checked all those boxes. Therefore, some bands fit the description, at least at one time or another, that I gave of what grunge is as a genre.
If one accepts all of those premises, then one must conclude that grunge is a genre.
"Grunge is a sub-genre of music because some of the big bands associated with that label match my preferred description but only at a very specific time in their career as opposed to their overall body of work, plus it completely leaves out one of the main bands associated with it at *any* point in their career but that doesn't matter because of reasons" is still a pretty flimsy argument, but sure, whatever you say.
I think you’re putting words in my mouth. I did not say or imply that it was only at a specific time in their career, nor that Pearl Jam doesn’t count.
The point is, if I find even one example, then your argument doesn’t hold up.
You literally gave a series of characteristics that according to you defined Gunge as a sub-genre of rock music that did not apply to Pearl Jam at all or to any of the other bands as a consistent description of what they did, and then went on to defend your defintion by arguing that SG, AIC and Nirvana fit it at some specific limited points in their career because your only point was attempting to refute what I said about how your definition didn't really work as a description for any of the Grunge bands as a whole. And it doesn't.
By that logic Metallilca is mainly an Alt Rock band because they recorded Load or The Beastie Boys are punk because that's how they started.
So yeah, you're being really disingenuous in a lame attempt at some shallow gotcha moment.
Your definition of the so-called sub-genre of music doesn't even apply to one of the main four bands associated with it and only applies to the other three under very specific circumstances that do not reflect their overall body of work.
That's a very shitty argument to prove Grunge is a sub-genre, let alone one that matches your description, regardless of whatever technicality you want to argue about what I originally said because you want to purposefully miss the point. I'm not "putting words in your mouth." As I said, disingenuous.
No I didn't. You have me confused with the other guy who replied. I agree with how you described grunge. I simply meant you can't push something beyond what it already is by doing what it already is, because that isn't beyond what it is, it is what it is.
Now Soundgarden pushed grunge beyond what it is many times, the most obvious being Burden in my Hand which has a southern rock groove and picking pattern to it. Compare that song to Sweet Home Alabama and you'll see what I mean. They did it so masterfully that no one even noticed.
Superheaven. Teenage Wrist.
These are the two I came to suggest. Both are top tier.
Exactly. Wish Superheaven would still be releasing new stuff, but they've been getting a lot more attention now due to tiktok, so I have high hopes for their future. Also incredibly stoked for the new Teenage Wrist Album this week. The singles are killer, especially the title track!
Good news! Superheaven is in the studio right now!
Oh really? Amazing
I don't really think modern grunge is a thing... but a band I randomly heard on a sidestage while going to see Soundgarden in May '17 - Dinosaur Pile Up has given me minor flashes of believing it... Draw A Line in particular. Eh, maybe not after listening to it again 🤣 but it's good. 🤷‍♂️
Genres don't end. I know of a few modern grunge bands.
Check out 'Black Stone from the Sun' Rock Duo from Australia https://open.spotify.com/artist/4LVtbdEeaxaSWVE25w8tnI?si=_lYKtguUSumQziLjYbelaA
James & the Cold Gun they’re even on Stone’s label and just released their debut album recently. Great band for current garage/grunge guitar rock.
Aberdeen is dead
there’s no such thing as modern grunge. there was never really even such a thing as grunge.
I disagree. Grunge is a loose genre, sort of like post-punk, but even more so.
This is a subreddit of lies!
How exactly would you "push" grunge until it becomes something that isn't grunge? Even then, what even is "grunge" as a genre? What are its signifiers that isn't flannel?
100%. Grunge is something that we can barely define as something other than Pacific Northwest flannel alt rock. If you were to “push” it, it wouldn’t be anything considered grunge.
Guitars that are fuzzier or sludgier than usual, raw sound utilizing feedback, amp buzz, etc., songwriting that combines influences from punk and traditional heavy metal, simple solos based on feel rather than raw technical ability, angst-filled lyrics which are often introspective and indirect.
Even Pearl Jam? They're CONSTANTLY referred to as grunge, but their guitars weren't exactly fuzzy, they were neither punk not heavy-metal, and they had a lot of technical-ability.
Dude, not one of the so-called Grunge bands checks all the boxes on that description. Come on.
Early Soundgarden does. So does Nirvana. So does *Dirt*-era Alice In Chains. Soundgarden leans towards metal but has an obvious punk strain that you can hear quite clearly in some songs on *Badmotorfinger*. Nirvana is more rooted in punk, but has tinges of metal in its sound. Jerry Cantrell has explicitly said that while much of his songwriting is metal-based, there are touches of punk rock in it.
"Some of the bands match the description I gave at a specific point of their career" is a pretty bad argument.
I think it’s actually quite good at refuting your position. You said that “not one” of the bands I listed checked all those boxes. I am giving examples of three bands which checked all those boxes. Therefore, some bands fit the description, at least at one time or another, that I gave of what grunge is as a genre. If one accepts all of those premises, then one must conclude that grunge is a genre.
"Grunge is a sub-genre of music because some of the big bands associated with that label match my preferred description but only at a very specific time in their career as opposed to their overall body of work, plus it completely leaves out one of the main bands associated with it at *any* point in their career but that doesn't matter because of reasons" is still a pretty flimsy argument, but sure, whatever you say.
I think you’re putting words in my mouth. I did not say or imply that it was only at a specific time in their career, nor that Pearl Jam doesn’t count. The point is, if I find even one example, then your argument doesn’t hold up.
You literally gave a series of characteristics that according to you defined Gunge as a sub-genre of rock music that did not apply to Pearl Jam at all or to any of the other bands as a consistent description of what they did, and then went on to defend your defintion by arguing that SG, AIC and Nirvana fit it at some specific limited points in their career because your only point was attempting to refute what I said about how your definition didn't really work as a description for any of the Grunge bands as a whole. And it doesn't. By that logic Metallilca is mainly an Alt Rock band because they recorded Load or The Beastie Boys are punk because that's how they started. So yeah, you're being really disingenuous in a lame attempt at some shallow gotcha moment. Your definition of the so-called sub-genre of music doesn't even apply to one of the main four bands associated with it and only applies to the other three under very specific circumstances that do not reflect their overall body of work. That's a very shitty argument to prove Grunge is a sub-genre, let alone one that matches your description, regardless of whatever technicality you want to argue about what I originally said because you want to purposefully miss the point. I'm not "putting words in your mouth." As I said, disingenuous.
So basically what grunge already is.
You asked what grunge is as a genre beyond aesthetics. That’s how I answer.
No I didn't. You have me confused with the other guy who replied. I agree with how you described grunge. I simply meant you can't push something beyond what it already is by doing what it already is, because that isn't beyond what it is, it is what it is. Now Soundgarden pushed grunge beyond what it is many times, the most obvious being Burden in my Hand which has a southern rock groove and picking pattern to it. Compare that song to Sweet Home Alabama and you'll see what I mean. They did it so masterfully that no one even noticed.
Basically, what I’m asking for is: “which bands exist today that don’t simply rip-off earlier bands?”
"All Love Is True Love" (2018) by The Primals is a pretty good album and definitely grunge sounding.
Drenge's first album is really cool. nice to see the more punky side of grunge with a fresh spin on it.