» grunge

Apr
7thCandlebox Is Never “Far Behind”

For the better part of the 1990s, plaid shirts and Seattle grunge rock were king. I’m not saying Biggie Smalls and Jewel weren’t top stars of the decade, but for me, I was all about that lethal combination. Back in the “pogs” decade, my late best friend Stephen and I would mosh in the pit — whether it was at the Roseland or Randall’s Island in New York City (it didn’t matter where), wrap our plaid shirts around our waist 24/7, and would go out for beers (assuming bars would serve us) while rocking out to songs from artists like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Candlebox. Speaking of the latter, that Seattle band was caught up in the whole grunge scene even though the band admits now they weren’t really a part of it. To paraphrase the band, whose members Kevin Martin, Peter Klett and Sean Hennesy sat down for an A-Sides session late last month, they made rock songs that just happened to be put out in grunge-Mecca of the world: Seattle. In other words, they were grouped with bands from the area but not once did they try to bite off their sound. Think about it — how many Alice in Chains clones can you name? Dozens, right? Anyways, the multi-platinum rockers are back with their first studio album in almost four years called Love Stories & Other Musings. The album features nine new tracks including first single “Believe In It” as well as five bonus recordings [...]
Nov
8thMotopony Rides and TAB the Band says “I Love You”

The Seattle music scene isn’t what it was in the 1990s. Ask any member of Motopony, the Emerald City-based rocking, pop-ing folkish band, and they’ll tell you the scene has gone from grunge and plaid shirts to a folk and even hip hop social scene. In the Cornerstone offices in New York City, the quintet discussed that and their self-titled debut album and performed the track “Seer” off their record. If you don’t know the band by name, by the way, you likely know them by ear. Their smooth hypnotic single “King of Diamonds” has been played repeatedly on SiriusXM and other stations, but isn’t about Neil Diamond. Listen and watch below. “Seer” Live in NYC: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmJhJS6POIw&w=460&h=315] Motopony Interview: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlMY4HzUux4&w=460&h=315] The second band on “A-Sides” is another rocking act but with a more classic rock feel. The Duxbury, Massachusetts-based TAB the Band features brothers Tony and Adrian Perry, who are probably sick about you asking them what it’s like having Aerosmith legend Joe Perry as their dad. Along with Ben Tileston and Lou Jannetty, the quartet evoke more comparisons to Cheap Trick and have been touring in support of their album “Zoo Noises.” Last week, the quartet made some noises for “A-Sides” by performing a killer informal version of “She Said No (“I Love You”), which appears on that record followed by a Q&A below the vid. Mangia. “She Said No (I Love You)” [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TL06ja9f_I&w=460&h=315] What was the songwriting process for “She Said No (I Love You)”? [...]