Grunge : the dirty energetic music

Despair, anger, pessimism, savagery. All represent one facet of the genre we are going to discover today: grunge.

Let’s go right now.

WHAT IS GRUNGE?

Grunge is a musical genre that appeared in the USA in 1985 and became popular in the early 1990s. The grunge scene is mainly in the vicinity of Seattle and Olympia (not the Olympia in Paris (France), but the city of Olympia in Washington). This genre, counterculture, is closely associated with:

A “mother” band: Nirvana. Grunge became popular with their album Nevermind.

The independent label Sub Pop created by developer Jonathan Poneman and journalist Bruce Pavitt.
Generation X. That is the generation that grew up in the late 1980s, early 1990s. The gender will become the expression of the anxieties and anger of the youth of the time. The latter, living in an economically depressed period, have a rather pessimistic and defeatist vision of the future.

Grunge then becomes more than music, it is also a way of life and a philosophy linked to generation X.

In addition, grunge will revive this «rivalry» between the USA and England. The style will be in «competition» with English Gothic rock. The latter have the same root: punk.

GRUNGE ORIGINS

The genre comes directly from the underground. He is one of the genres derived from alternative rock and draws his inspiration from heavy metal, indie rock, hardcore punk, blues rock, garage bands and pop rock.

Mark Arm (singer of Green River and Mudhoney) is considered the first to use this term to describe this style of music. He will later state, that the use of the term «grunge» was already common in Australia to qualify groups like King Snake Roost, The Scientists, Beast of Bourbon, etc. It was later taken over by one of the creators of the Sub Pop label to define the music of Green River precisely.

The term “grunge” comes from “grungy” which means “dirty”. It can also refer to fungi between the toes (bon appétit!).

GRUNGE CHARACTERISTICS / FEATURES

Grunge is a mixture of melancholy, pessimism, disenchantment, and savagery. We sail between energy and despair.

Counterculture:

Grunge is a sleek kind of genre. When I say sleek, I mean there are much fewer frills. It’s rawer. It opposes all that’s represented by glam rock and glam metal, very popular at this period.

Music and instrumentality:

We can hear very saturated guitars with the use of fuzz, the Larsen effect, and the wha-wah pedal. However, grunge guitarists are considered antiheroes.

Virtuosity (shred) is no longer present in the music. If there’s a solo, it’s only to serve the music. In addition, some guitarists are not interested in mastering, even more, their instrument. Grunge is known for «killing guitar solos».

We also note the use of alternative tuning (Drop D, Open E, E minor, etc.)

The structure of the songs is relatively simple. As for the melody, there are regular changes in nuances within it.

For me, grunge is more about the messages and emotions to convey than about the music itself. Music is just a medium for messages.

Band’s formation :

A grunge band generally consists of:

The singer,
A guitarist (who can also be the singer),
The bass player,
A drummer.

Lyrics :

We can mention the themes of depression, drug use, ecology, or “anti-social” lyrics. The themes are the expression of the anxieties and anger of the young people at the time. The bands are the spokespersons of generation X.

Production :

The production of grunge works is minimalist. It goes back to a less digitized sound, less worked, and more «conservative».

GRUNGE BANDS / ARTISTS

In the grunge bands, we can mention Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Alice In Chains, Melvins, Stone Temple Pilots, Hole, L7, Temple of The Dog et Green River, among others.

GRUNGE LIFESTYLE

The philosophy of the young people of this period is “I don’t care about anything” (being polite). Some will say that it is felt in their everyday looks. However, it must be remembered, the economy is going badly (as a little in all decades).

The grunge style that we define as a “I don’t care” kind of style, well, depends on what young people can afford at the time. And when I say afford, I mean buy, recycle, mend, etc.

In fact, the style and lifestyle of grunge is the reality of these young people at the time. They had almost nothing, managed to live, and expressed their emotions thanks to this music.

However, with the success of the style, the fashion industry and other marketing companies took over the imagery of grunge.

In addition, we talk about counter-culture because grunge, is opposed to the theatricality, the somewhat macho spirit, and the dress code of glam rock and metal.

Decline

Of course, the death of Kurt Cobain was a trigger for the gender decline. Subsequently, several groups split up and grunge gradually withers away. However, some bands of the movement continue to produce albums and tour around the world.

In addition, other bands heavily influenced by the genre will be categorized post-grunge like Foo Fighters (with Dave Grohl – former drummer of Nirvana), Seether, Puddle Of Mudd, Creed or Nickelback.

Conclusion

Grunge represented the state of mind and reality of the young adults of the time. Mix of desperation and anger, rock and metal. This style may not have lasted long in time, but it has left its mark on memories and music forever.

You can now find the playlist dedicated to the article just below