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Deep Tracks — Radio Misfits — # 11 Grungeasaurus Wrecks
Nineties rock was the last gasp of the pre-streaming technology era. Grunge killed hair metal, thank you. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great songs, the excessive use of hairspray and neon, sequined onesie outfits had to go. Grunge was a slow boil, late 80s there were a handful of bands pumping out the proto-grunge angst. The mid-90’s grunge was dominant on radio and MTV. One couldn’t go an hour without hearing “Teen Spirit” or “Hunger Strike”, both great songs, yet overplayed.
Down in my home state, California, a dearth of grunge rock groups made for a more challenging effort finding the bands fighting for their radio moment. The mid-90s in the San Francisco area was a peculiar era, thrash metal still electrified audiences, and Brit Pop was the new music rock invasion catching fire. In between, the locally based adult alternative rock acts packed venues without remorse.
A fervent music fan, the grunge sound appealed. Radio wasn’t spinning the best of the best south of the Pacific Northwest. Maybe a rock radio station in Phoenix or Denver was in on the Seattle music bonanza. Not in my town.
The best place to sample the goods, local record shops, talking with the other music heads in around town and scouring the local weekly rags for the fine print concert pages. Fortunately, most of Seattle’s…
