The Sounds of SeattleThe Sounds of Seattle1986 – 19951986 – 1995

A Gendered PerspectiveA Gendered Perspective

““It was like one big, loud, It was like one big, loud, unoiled machine that was unoiled machine that was about to explode.” (Kurt about to explode.” (Kurt Danielson, Danielson, LoserLoser, p. 138), p. 138)

The new Seattle The new Seattle sound was sound was officially officially christened on christened on April 1, 1986, April 1, 1986, when the when the Deep Deep SixSix compilation compilation was released on was released on the small Seattle the small Seattle label C/Z.label C/Z.

((MudhoneyMudhoney, p. 419), p. 419)

““We don’t really We don’t really have a Seattle have a Seattle

sound. We sound. We think of it as think of it as

primal rock. If primal rock. If the cavemen the cavemen were playing were playing rock ‘n roll, rock ‘n roll,

this is what it this is what it would sound would sound

like.”like.”(Geoff Robinson, (Geoff Robinson, LoserLoser, p. , p.

125)125)

““Fuck what Fuck what everybody else everybody else thinks, we’re thinks, we’re going to do what going to do what we want…we’re we want…we’re paying homage paying homage to all the music to all the music we loved as kids, we loved as kids, and we haven’t and we haven’t denied the punk-denied the punk-rock energy that rock energy that inspired us as inspired us as teenagers.”teenagers.”

(Kurt Cobain, (Kurt Cobain, LoserLoser, p. 110), p. 110)

Sub popSub pop

““If we play our cards If we play our cards right and get the right and get the records out on time records out on time it’s going to be an it’s going to be an invasion of invasion of unheard-of unheard-of proportions. proportions. Seriously.”Seriously.”

(Bruce Pavitt, (Bruce Pavitt, LoserLoser, p. 125), p. 125)

MUDHONEYMUDHONEY

““When we say ‘World Domination,’ When we say ‘World Domination,’ we’re saying, ‘Fuck you, we’re we’re saying, ‘Fuck you, we’re

from Seattle, and we don’t care if from Seattle, and we don’t care if the media machines are in L.A., the media machines are in L.A., we’re going to create our own’”.we’re going to create our own’”.

(Bruce Pavitt, (Bruce Pavitt, MudhoneyMudhoney, p. 437), p. 437)

Screaming TreesScreaming Trees

““The new thing: the big thing: the God The new thing: the big thing: the God thing: a mighty multinational thing: a mighty multinational

entertainment conglomerate based in the entertainment conglomerate based in the Pacific Northwest.”Pacific Northwest.”

((Sub Pop 100, MudhoneySub Pop 100, Mudhoney, p. 420), p. 420)

Sub Plop…what part of Sub Plop…what part of ‘we have no money’ ‘we have no money’ don’t you don’t you understand?understand?

((MudhoneyMudhoney, p. 449), p. 449)

Jonathan poneman & bruce pavitt,

co-founders of sub pop

SoundgardenSoundgarden

Pearl JamPearl Jam

““Emotionally, a lot of the music was Emotionally, a lot of the music was very menacing and intense, very very menacing and intense, very physically expressive. The way physically expressive. The way they moved…they fell down on they moved…they fell down on the floor and who cares if you miss the floor and who cares if you miss a few guitar chords – the a few guitar chords – the looseness of it was really pretty looseness of it was really pretty revolutionary. It really projected a revolutionary. It really projected a ‘fuck it’ attitude.”‘fuck it’ attitude.”

(Bruce Pavitt, (Bruce Pavitt, MudhoneyMudhoney, p. 425-6) , p. 425-6)

NirvanaNirvana

Riot Grrrl – the name refers to the movement-Riot Grrrl – the name refers to the movement-at-large – has forged salient connections at-large – has forged salient connections between musical subculture and explicitly between musical subculture and explicitly feminist politics; these qualities in turn feminist politics; these qualities in turn transform or revise previous paradigms of transform or revise previous paradigms of rock production and consumption.rock production and consumption.

(Gottlieb and Wald, (Gottlieb and Wald, Smells Like Teen Spirit,Smells Like Teen Spirit, p. 253) p. 253)

Bikini KillBikini Kill

““Moshing is not a feminine activity but a chance Moshing is not a feminine activity but a chance for a man to reach into himself, grab all of the for a man to reach into himself, grab all of the anger and hatred that has built up and bash anger and hatred that has built up and bash

everybody around over the head with it. Women everybody around over the head with it. Women have their own ways of dealing with stress…”have their own ways of dealing with stress…”

((Fan letter to Fan letter to Rolling StoneRolling Stone Magazine, Gottlieb and Wald, Magazine, Gottlieb and Wald, Smells Like Teen Spirit,Smells Like Teen Spirit,

p. 257)p. 257)

7 Year Bitch7 Year Bitch

““Some people Some people say little girls say little girls

should be seen should be seen and not heard. and not heard. But I say…OH But I say…OH BONDAGE, UP BONDAGE, UP

YOURS!”YOURS!”

(Poly Styrene, (Poly Styrene, Smells Like Smells Like Teen SpiritTeen Spirit, p. 261), p. 261)

L7L7

““It was an exercise in self-destruction. We It was an exercise in self-destruction. We were born to destroy ourselves and we did. It were born to destroy ourselves and we did. It was really fun. What I learned was uh – uh – was really fun. What I learned was uh – uh –

nothing.”nothing.”(Danny Bland, (Danny Bland, LoserLoser, p. 130), p. 130)

““Say goodbye to your friends Say goodbye to your friends and family/Welcome to the and family/Welcome to the

menageries/ Funny how they menageries/ Funny how they forget to tell you/ forget to tell you/

this is all you will ever be.”this is all you will ever be.”(From The Posies’ “Definite Door”, (From The Posies’ “Definite Door”, LoserLoser, p. 145), p. 145)

References:References:http://www.subpop.com/scripts/main/bands.php

http://crick.com/alex/pusa.htmlhttp://www.thestranger.com/2003-10-23/feature2.html

http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/dec96/prelude1296.htmlhttp://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/images/contrib/

http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/images/deb/http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2200/pic46.htmlhttp://www.unofficial-mudhoney.com/mudhoney.htm

http://images.google.com/images?q=gas+huffer&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=40&sa=N

http://www.nirvana-music.com/nirvana-pictures.htmlhttp://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~feiny34/nirvpics.html

http://crick.com/alex/main.html#homehttp://www.miscmedia.com/Loser.html

Humphrey, Clark. (1995). Humphrey, Clark. (1995). Loser; The Real Seattle Music StoryLoser; The Real Seattle Music Story. Seattle, . Seattle, MISCmedia.MISCmedia.

Gottlieb, Joanne and Gayle Wald. "Smells Like Teen Spirit: Riot Grrrls, Gottlieb, Joanne and Gayle Wald. "Smells Like Teen Spirit: Riot Grrrls, Revolution and Women in Independent Rock" pp. 250-274 Revolution and Women in Independent Rock" pp. 250-274

Azerrad, Michael. "Mudhoney: Loud Ballads of Love and Dirt..." Our Band Azerrad, Michael. "Mudhoney: Loud Ballads of Love and Dirt..." Our Band Could be your Life. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. 411-453. Could be your Life. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. 411-453.