Cooking Vinyl Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: Marilyn Manson has released his third music video from the polarizing rock icon’s eighth album, ‘Born Villain.’ Check out Manson’s new video for ‘Hey, Cruel World…’ here. [ Loudwire ] Rob Zombie talks to Loudwire Radio about his new movie ‘The Lords of Salem,’ the upcoming tour with Marilyn Manson, Zombie’s upcoming album + much more. [ Loudwire ] In memory of the late bassist Cliff Burton , Metallica have offered a free download of a classic concert featuring Burton in action. Yesterday (Sept. 27) marked the 26th anniversary of Burton’s passing. [ Loudwire ] Neil Young shares how Kurt Cobain ‘s suicide affected him. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] Mumford and Sons’ ‘Babel’ nearing record-breaking first-week album sales. [ Diffuser.fm ] Slipknot ‘s Sid Wilson (aka DJ Starscream) joins the Rob Zombie / Marilyn Manson ‘Twins of Evil’ tour. [ Rock Music Report ]
George De Soto / Frank Micelotta (2), Getty Images Grunge — it was the sound that defined the early '90s, and with this list of the 10 Best Grunge Bands, we're looking back on the acts that started a musical revolution and turned the music world on its ear. As the '80s gave way to the '90s, there was a need to shake things up from the status quo, and the sound called grunge was there to not only fill a void but to engulf the music scene as a whole. It paved the way for a wealth of frequently overlooked acts and all of a sudden, harder-edged, gritty music typically only heard on college radio was finally making its way into the public lexicon. Seattle became the center of the music universe; sweaty concert halls were once again the place to be; and flannel became a fashion statement. So let's crank up some distortion and count down the 10 Best Grunge Bands: ? Sub Pop 10 Mudhoney ? ? Mudhoney are one of grunge's most consistently solid and enduring bands. The group had its roots in the '80s act Green River, a band that many point to as one of the pioneers of the grunge sound. Mark Arm and Steve Turner emerged from Green River to start Mudhoney and while they didn't reach the commercial success of some of their peers, tracks like 'Touch Me I'm Sick,' 'Let It Slide' and 'Suck You Dry' became well-respected grunge anthems. Listen to 'Touch Me I'm Sick' ? ? Frank Micelotta, Getty Images 9 Hole ? ? It took a while for Hole to emerge from the shadow of Courtney Love 's late husband, Kurt Cobain , but 1994's 'Live Through This' was the album that finally broke them to a mass audience. Courtney Love's raspy voice hit the perfect mark on 'Miss World,' 'Doll Parts,' and 'Violet,' and though the band's sound began to evolve with 1998's 'Celebrity Skin,' songs like the title track and 'Awful' still had their roots in that undeniably gritty grunge sound. Listen to 'Miss World' ? ? YouTube 8 Mother Love Bone ? ? For many, the brilliance of Mother Love Bone wasn't discovered until after the band was no more. Sadly, singer Andrew Wood died of a drug overdose just days before the release of their first disc. The album did produce such grunge favorites as 'Stardog Champion' and 'Crown of Thorns' (the 'Chloe Dancer' intro portion would be added for the 'Singles' soundtrack). The group was also notable for being the pre- Pearl Jam band for Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard. Listen to 'Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns' ? ? Facebook: Screaming Trees 7 Screaming Trees ? ? Screaming Trees may have hit it big with 'Nearly Lost You,' but the band was well versed in their sound long before most people picked up on grunge. Led by the increasingly deep vocals of Mark Lanegan and the driving bass and guitar work of brothers Van and Gary Lee Conner, the band emerged as one of the leaders of the grunge movement. While 'Nearly Lost You' became their calling card, tracks like 'Dollar Bill,' 'Shadow of the Season,' and 'Bed or Roses' were also favorites in the band's catalog. Listen to 'Nearly Lost You' ? ? Facebook: The Melvins 6 The Melvins ? ? The Melvins , led by singer/guitarist Buzz Osbourne and drummer Dale Crover, are considered one of the pioneers of what would become grunge and thus deserve their spot among the Top 10 Grunge Bands. Their slow-moving, trudging sound became an influence for up-and-coming Seattle bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden . The band is still going strong today, and songs like 'Hooch,' 'Honey Bucket' and 'Night Goat' are as solid as they come. Listen to 'Honey Bucket' ? ? Facebook: Stone Temple Pilots 5 Stone Temple Pilots ? ? Could grunge grow outside of Seattle? That was the question in 1992, when San Diego-based rockers Stone Temple Pilots arrived with their 'Core' album, leading the second wave of grunge. The brutal lead single 'Sex Type Thing' introduced the band and vocal style of Scott Weiland . But it was the second song 'Plush,' with its memorable rhythmic guitar lines that truly established the band. Though they would evolve into a more straight-ahead rock band over time, the 'Core' and 'Purple' records had songs firmly implanted in the grunge sound. Listen to 'Plush' ? ? Facebook: Soundgarden 4 Soundgarden ? ? After forming in Seattle in the '80s, Soundgarden finally broke through with the 1991 single 'Outshined,' followed by the spirited follow-up 'Rusty Cage.' Blending in some of their punk roots, Soundgarden provided a frenetic interpretation early on before settling into a moodier, more trudging sound. Singer Chris Cornell shined on such hits as 'Spoonman,' 'Black Hole Sun,' 'Fell on Black Days,' and 'Pretty Noose.' There's no doubt Soundgarden deserves their upper echelon ranking in the Top 10 Grunge Bands list. Listen to 'Outshined' ? ? LegacyRecordings.com 3 Alice in Chains ? ? Was there a more impactful partnership in the grunge scene than Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and powerhouse frontman Layne Staley ? The pair's harmonies were unmatched, with Staley delivering the extra punch when things got really heavy. 'Man in the Box' put them on the musical map in 1991, and by the following year, they spawned the grunge masterpiece, 'Dirt,' which featured such classics as 'Would?,' 'Rooster,' 'Them Bones' and 'Angry Chair.' Listen to 'Man in the Box' ? ? Facebook: Pearl Jam 2 Pearl Jam ? ? Formed after the demise of Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam emerged from the ashes to soar with 1991's 'Ten' album. The rhythmically heavy 'Alive' set the tone for the group, while the hard-hitting 'Even Flow' cemented their status as a band to be reckoned with. And by the time 'Jeremy' commanded MTV's airwaves, everyone knew Pearl Jam. The 'Vs.' and 'Vitalogy' albums kept the grunge vibes going, and the band is still one of the most successful touring acts to this day. Listen to 'Alive' ? ? Facebook: Nirvana 1 Nirvana ? ? It's hard to argue against Nirvana as the No. 1 act of our 10 Best Grunge Bands list, as they essentially put the genre on the map with their 1991 classic, 'Nevermind.' But things didn't stop with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' as 'Come As You Are,' 'Lithium' and their 'In Utero' favorites 'Heart Shaped Box' and 'Rape Me' are as good as they come in the grunge world. Sadly, we lost Kurt Cobain in 1994, but the fact that the band reached iconic status speaks to the quality of the music and their dominance in such a short timespan. Listen to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' ? ? What Are Your Favorite Grunge Bands? So there you have it, the 10 Best Grunge Bands. What do you think of the list? Is there a band missing that should be included? Is there a group that should be placed higher or lower? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. ?
Photo by Rick Fagan Rob Zombie is the special guest on Loudwire Radio this weekend. He talks to host Mike ‘Sandman’ Sanders about his new movie ‘The Lords of Salem,’ his fall tour with Marilyn Manson and his upcoming album. Tune in to hear Sandman’s chat with Zombie, and read a preview of the interview below: You have some big things on the horizon, the first of which—I got to ask you about, I’m very excited about, as are all Rob Zombie fans—is the movie Lords of Salem. It had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, apparently scary as hell, as you tend to make some of your movies. Give us a little bit of the background. I know you were at a wedding in Massachusetts and you got interested in the Salem lore…maybe you could give me a little background from there. Well, I grew up in Massachusetts, so I was always very aware of the Salem Witch Trials even as a little kid sometimes the class field trip would be to go to Salem and, you know, they would have reenactments of the witch trials and, you know, lovely things like this for the kids to watch, but I was always well aware of it, you know, the wax museums in that area would have witch trial displays and things. But I hadn’t really thought of it in a long, long time. And about seven years ago, I went to a wedding in Massachusetts and I was just bored and I was in the hotel lobby in the gift store and I bought a book about Salem Witch Trials just to read it and kill time, and it just got me thinking about it and I just came up with this idea for the Salem, a very rough idea. And I kind of jotted down a few notes and forgot all about it. And then, about seven years later, the opportunity came up to make a film but, the only stipulation was — I mean, the budget was the first stipulation but, they just wanted something with a supernatural edge and I remembered this idea and that’s how I sort of dug it out of mothballs and brought it out and started working on it. And, yeah, the movie’s done. We had its premiere in Toronto last week at the Toronto Film Festival and it was fantastic. I don’t know exactly when it’s coming out, I actually have a meeting with Anchor Bay, the company that purchased the film, about the release date and everything…I don’t know it today but I probably will know it tomorrow. So, unfortunately, I can’t tell you. We’ll find out soon enough. Is it going to be — now, you said ‘supernatural’ — is it going to be, maybe, less visceral than some of your previous films? It’s not like a violent, gory movie — that wasn’t really what I wanted to do. I wanted to do something that was more like … It’s a very long, slow, descent of a movie and by the end … it’s just a weird disturbing, mind-altering, trip. It’s a very different type of movie, but that was the goal, I don’t want to keep doing the same thing over and over, that’s just crazy. I’m very excited, I can’t wait. I know it’s a very polarizing film, too, which I find really, really cool. I know some people are just going to love it to death, it’ll be their favorite movie, and other people will just be like, ‘What the hell was that all about?’ Well, you’re certainly no stranger to that, I would say. Pretty much everything I’ve ever done has had that reaction and I don’t really expect anything else to happen, or would I want anything else to happen. I think if I made something that everyone could agree on, I would feel as if I had somehow failed. I was going to say, if you were looking for approval you probably wouldn’t launch a co-headlining tour with Marilyn Manson. It’s always been like that. I never look for approval from anybody because times change and critics change and everything changes. I remember White Zombie, which now, everybody likes to talk about very favorable — like the fans and how great the records were and how great the band was. But I remember on our Geffen release, the first review we got, and I remember it clearly, it was in this magazine called Alternative Press, and the review started off by saying “This is the worst band ever…” And then the review went downhill from there! But now everyone [says] “Oh, classic record, blah, blah, blah.” I don’t give a crap. The tour with Manson is going to be phenomenal. I like touring with other artists who I feel that our audiences are similar. It makes for a really great night. Because, you know, it’s hard to do that. I had that experience at Alice Cooer but sometimes you tour with bands and you can tell their fans don’t like you and your fans don’t like them and…its better when everybody is there for the same reason. A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to talk to John 5. I mean, of course we talked about the soundtrack to ‘The Lords of Salem,’ which I know he worked on and we talked a little bit about the next Rob Zombie album. Can you give us a little cue as to when we might be hearing some of that music? Well, probably not ‘til after Christmas, that’s probably when we’ll release it. The record is done and the recording is done, we’re actually mixing it now, so in about another week the record will be a 100-percent finished. For what its worth — and I know everybody says this — I really think it’s our best record ever. You know, you struggle at times writing songs and other times you feel very inspired, this is a very inspired record and I think it’s the perfect combination of what I’ve done on my own and what White Zombie has done in the past combined. And the few people that have heard it had that reaction. You know, my wife is very honest when I play her music she won’t say something good, if she doesn’t like it she’ll just go “That sucks.” She’s very honest, which is good. She’s been there for everything, she was on the White Zombie tour. I mean, she loves it. The only person that’s been to more shows of mine than her is me. And she heard it the first time and that was exactly her response, she was like, “Wow. That seemed like the best of the old days mixed with the best of the new days.” So, I’m excited for people to hear it. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/loudwire-radio-station-list/” title=”See Which Stations Air Loudwire Radio” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Bassist Frank Bello has had a busy year. On top of touring with Anthrax throughout the year and playing Richard Hell in the film ‘Greetings From Tim Buckley’, he has also been a vital part of the all-star Metal Masters clinics. Loudwire spoke to Bello about the clinic’s latest installment, Metal Masters 4 , which took place in his hometown of New York City, his bond with Pantera / Down singer Phil Anselmo and his enthusiasm for a possible Metal Masters 5. You guys killed at Metal Masters 4 in New York City. What did that experience of being in your hometown mean to you? Well, No. 1, it was easy – I can get a taxi home, I was feeling the Jager the night before. [Laughs] It was really rough and I like being in my bed when I feel like that – it’s just way easier I can just get there. The funny thing about it was I wasn’t at home for that long because rehearsal was that night and everybody had drinks that night, we got pie-eyed a little bit and I had to be at soundcheck and there’s so much pressure for the [fourth edition]. This thing took a life of its own now, I had to be down there at [noon], so I was literally home for six, seven hours. But It was so nice, they give you that home vibe, it’s New York, let’s face it that was a great crowd. It was an insane crowd and I thought it was one of the better ones because it had its edge to it that night. We all came off stage that night and we knew it was amazing because the vibe from the crowd was amazing. The crowd was also hopped up on free tubes of Jager. [Laughs] It never hurts though. That whole last Mayhem tour that Anthrax dig, we had a shot called a 9:28 shot. At 9:28 right after Slayer played we would all congregate in Slayer’s dressing room and the Jager party pretty much started from that time on pretty much through the wee hours – I’m telling you every night. So after that last Mayhem tour, I was drained I needed to come home and just chill for while. How would you describe your friendship with Phil Anselmo? Very close, brothers in arms. It’s great communication, we know each other so well. I think I’m one of the people he actually trusts — and the other guys on the stage, you can tell Phil trusts us. It’s a really nice tight bond, he wouldn’t just jam with anybody, let’s put it that way. [Laughs] Is it safe to say that Phil Anselmo might have a little bit of a crush on you? [Laughs] You know, we have so much fun together. The whole “crazy legs” thing – that’s the first thing he’s ever said to me – with all the crazy, stupid things I do onstage with Anthrax ‘cause I’m always moving, that’s why he brought up the name “crazy legs.” His girlfriend says the same thing and they emailed me right after, “Can’t wait to do it again,” and that’s so cool to hear Any plans for a Metal Masters 5? As soon as that was done we all said to Mark Menghi, the guy who runs all the stuff: “Whenever, let us know, it was a lot of fun.” [Laughs] We’ll take it all up again and see what happens. It probably won’t be in New York but you know what’s crazy, there are a lot of people asking for this thing now, which is great. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/anthrax-bassist-frank-bello-reflects-on-one-year-anniversary-of-worship-music/” title=”Frank Bello Talks One Year Anniversary of ‘Worship Music'” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: Soundgarden have unleashed the first official single from of their upcoming album ‘King Animal.’ Check out the new track, ‘Been Away Too Long’ by clicking here. [ Loudwire ] Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose has filed a cease-and-desist notice to stop an L.A. art show titled ‘Axl Rose Was My Neighbor.’ Compiled by Laura London, the photographer took a number of pictures of Axl Rose when they were neighbors along with a “docudrama based on an interpretation and depiction of actual events.” [ Loudwire ] We remember legendary Metallica bassist Cliff Burton on the 26th anniversary of his tragic death with a list of the band’s Top 10 songs from his era. [ Loudwire ] Prior to his onstage blowup in Las Vegas, a source has claimed that Green Day ‘s Billie Joe Armstrong was a year sober prior to the incident. [ Diffuser.fm ] Ill Nino have invited their fans to become a part of their music video for ‘La Epidema.’ [ Rock Music Report ]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Charm City Devils have been flying high on the success of the first single from their latest studio album, ‘Sins.’ Their cover of ‘Man of Constant Sorrow’ has received a lot of radio airplay and has turned into a fan favorite at the band’s live shows. Opening for Mark Tremonti ‘s solo-project in New York City, we were able to grab a few minutes with lead singer John Allen. Allen filled us in on everything from their new record label, the band’s latest single ‘Unstoppable’ and some new music that he’s been excited about. During tonight’s set, you mentioned this was your first show in New York City. Well, I guess we played a little showcase for a distribution company at a club years ago, but we really haven’t been back since. Ever since Crue Fest 2, we never got back, the closest we came was in Sayreville [New Jersey] at the Starland Ballroom, just an awesome place. But to be back in New York City, the crowd was so awesome, so warm. It was really nice. You’ve got a few shows with Mark Tremonti’s solo project, you’ve got the new album that’s been out for a few months now. How is everything going? Everything is great, it’s just tremendous. We released the record on a very small independent label and then [our new label] eOne Music picked it up and released it for real, like nationwide in late July. Things have gone great. We pick back up with Theory of a Deadman on Oct. 20 and that’ll carry on for a little while. We just did the Rock Allegiance Festival at Hershey Park with some legendary bands like Stone Temple Pilots , Fuel , Three Days Grace and Buckcherry . It was an honor for us to be on that show. It was incredible. The first single from ‘Sins’ is also the song you closed tonight’s set with, ‘Man of Constant Sorrow.’ I know you’ve talked about that song a lot in past interviews, choosing to cover it because you’re a blues fan and you loved the movie ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ When you were deciding which song to cover, what other songs were brought up in the conversation? I don’t want to give anybody ideas! What if we go back and want to pick it up? A lot of the songs were blues-based, but of course this song is more bluegrass and we completely mangled it and changed it. It’s tricky, we were trying to think outside of the box. But you know what? You can always whip out a Foghat song, man! On the next album and in future live sets, will you bust out any more covers? I’ve got no problem playing a cover song here or there. Early when we started we’d play ‘Highway to Hell’ in our set. We used to play a Black Keys song every now and again. When we play our stuff, I feel more of a responsibility to really honor the record and play it as close as possible to the original version. If you play a cover, it feels a lot more freeing and relaxed for me. We can have a lot of fun up there with it. ‘Man of Constant Sorrow’ isn’t the case, though, because it took on a life of its own. We did change it, though, I mean, I did write a chorus for it that wasn’t there. Certainly there is still a responsibility there for that song. You could tell you were having a lot of fun when you guys busted into Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Child’ during tonight’s performance of ‘I Got Mine.’ There is so much pressure to be perfect, but then with a song like that you can just let your guard down and have a good time. Your second single is out now, ‘Unstoppable.’ You told the audience tonight that the theme of the song follows along the lines of, “Things will get better.” Certainly the title of it was something that I wind up talking about a lot. Never say die, you know, that kind of attitude. I’ve never given up, I’ve been doing this a long time. We’re lifers, man. I stopped playing music for a very brief time and I got pulled right back in. Earlier you mentioned eOne Music, your new label. They’ve got quite the roster including Saving Abel , Hatebreed , Smile Empty Soul and Black Label Society . How does it feel to be a part of that family? It’s crazy, they have such a wide array of bands, man. We’re very fortunate to be a part of that label. Hanging out with those guys, they’re good people. It’s really refreshing in our industry to be around those types of guys. It feels great. It is wonderful to be there. 2012 has brought with it a lot of new releases, some from familiar bands and others from brand new up-and-comers. Has there been anything out there that’s caught your ear? Outside of the genre, I’ve been listening to Alex Clare. Her song, ‘Too Close,’ is incredible. I know it’s not what the rockers want to hear, but it’s incredible. I still love AWOLNATION. Monster Truck, I dig them. I love the new Three Days Grace track. The Shinedown record is awesome and so is the Halestorm album. There’s just so much good stuff out there. It’s a great time to be out and playing. Since he covered ‘Man of Constant Sorrow,’ I have to ask if you’ve heard the new Bob Dylan album. I love Bob Dylan. I’ve got his first album and it’s just incredible. He’s just a great lyricist and poet. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him. I didn’t know he did a cover of the song when we decided to pick up that challenge. Had I known that Dylan did a cover of it, I don’t think we would’ve gone into it. But, I will say, a lot of people covered that song, and none of them are like ours. We wrote our own chorus, we got rid of all the music, we just kept the basic melody of the song. We’ve had tons of positive responses to it. We did have one lady, though, who was so emotionally connected to the original song that her response was just awesome. She Tweeted at us and called our version of the song an abortion and said we should all die in a fire! I figured we must have done something right, man! So what’s on the horizon for Charm City Devils? Now that I’ve been home for a couple of weeks, I have definitely started coming up with a ton of new ideas, but an album is a little ways away. I’ll get busy here in the next few weeks, but I think we’ll be working this latest album for awhile now. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/mark-tremonti-crushes-new-york-city-with-assist-from-wolfgang-van-halen/” title=”Read Our Review of Tremonti + Charm City Devils’ Show In NYC” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Musicians have to get their inspiration from somewhere, and Shinedown singer Brent Smith says he owes a debt of gratitude to the ’70s television series ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ and the singer of the show’s theme song, Waylon Jennings , for putting him on the path to music. Smith recalls in the ‘Beacon Moment’ video series (shown below), “I was about four years old and I had a love for the television show ‘The Dukes of Hazzard.’ The funny thing was that I loved the theme song so much that my grandmother got me a 45 of just the Waylon Jennings song.” Smith says that his love of the song really helped define a passion early on in his life. He recalls, “I would play it just over and over and over and over again, and honestly I knew pretty much from that moment that I wanted to be a singer. It’s funny cause I would tell my parents, ‘I want to do what the man’s doing, like on the song.’ And they were like, ‘Oh, you want to be a guitar player or be in a band?’ and I was like, ‘No, I’m gonna be a singer.’” The vocalist says that from an early age, he knew music was his future. He explains, “It was very profound because the way I looked at it, even at a young age, I don’t feel I was ever desensitized to songs or the beauty of being an artist as far as creating songs and being a songwriter. I started writing songs when I was probably six, at least in my mind I did.” Aside from ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ Smith says his dad helped provide his soulful side, turning him onto the music of Otis Redding. The vocalist says that even though he loves rock, you can hear a bit of the Redding influence in his delivery. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/shinedown-bizarre-tour-rider-requests/” title=”Next: Shinedown: Bizarre Tour Rider Requests” align=”center”] Watch Shinedown’s Brent Smith Recalling His First Love of Music ?