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The Seattle band Soundgarden (Michael Lavine, from "Grunge" Abrams Image; 2009)
In the '90s, the term "grunge" lumped together cult bands like Beat Happening and the Meat Puppets with soon-to-be superstars Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. Today, we sort through a murky genre’s punk roots and mainstream legacy, with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and photographer Michael Lavine. Later: the hyper-eclectic brass band Slavic Soul Party plays live in our studio.
Grunge: Bad Name, Good Scene
Coined by the music media and scorned by musicians, the word "grunge" became a catch-all genre term for punk-influenced rock bands in the early '90s. The name was easy to use -- and hard to define. Photographer Michael Lavine and Sonic Youth singer-guitarist Thurston Moore explore the roots of fuzz-and-flannel ...
Picks of the Week
Music finds inspiration in civil war, memory loss, and an autistic 19th century slave in our picks this week. Read our full reviews here.
Brass Blast From the Boroughs
The New York-based brass band Slavic Soul Party wrings new sounds from the Old World, mixing Balkan music with American funk and jazz. The new album Taketron pushes the band’s genre boundaries even further with Japanese drumming and electronica. The nine-member ensemble packs into our studio to play live.
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