3 Bands You May Not Realize Shaped Grunge

When grunge broke in 1991, the big four emerging from Seattle sounded both new and familiar at the same time. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains each shared elements of heavy metal, classic rock, and punk. While Black Sabbath, Neil Young, and The Clash are obvious touchstones, here are three bands you may not realize also shaped grunge.

Meat Puppets

For many, Nirvana’s iconic MTV Unplugged performance and Kurt Cobain’s choice of covers became an introduction to the Meat Puppets. “Lake Of Fire”, “Oh, Me”, and “Plateau” appear on Meat Puppets II, one of the most impactful indie rock releases of the 1980s. Led by brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood, Meat Puppets’ blend of punk and psychedelic country provided a blueprint for Seattle’s biggest bands.

In addition to Nirvana, you’ll notice the DNA of country music in Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage” (see Johnny Cash’s cover), Alice In Chains’ “Down In A Hole”, and Pearl Jam’s “Daughter”. Whether we’re talking about grunge, punk, or country, it’s all really a kind of folk music.

Dinosaur Jr.

J Mascis once described Dinosaur Jr. as “ear-bleeding country.” And though the band has punk and hardcore roots, classic rock defines them as much as any underground music scene. Mascis often rips guitar solos and riffs, while employing the noisy feedback of Neil Young, the Godfather of Grunge. Dinosaur Jr. influenced Nirvana and Soundgarden, but also Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins, and, most recently, Kurt Vile.

Music genres are typically viewed as separate islands, but Mascis’s “ear-bleeding country” has a long tradition with Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and others who turned up the volume of country music.

The Smithereens

Kurt Cobain was listening to The Beatles and The Smithereens while recording Nevermind. He may have been trying to write a Pixies song when he penned “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, but much of Nirvana’s groundbreaking album is built atop pop choruses and punk riffs. And The Smithereens style of power pop helped inform Cobain’s earworm hooks.

Grunge bands seemed uncomfortable with fame, but they presented themes of despair and isolation in unforgettable anthems. You’ll want to crank “Blood And Roses” by The Smithereens to see what I’m talking about.