Grunge Music in Georgia

Grunge music was born in the early 1990s in Seattle, Washington. But the genre quickly spread to other parts of the country, including Georgia. Today, there are plenty of great grunge bands from Georgia that are keeping the sound alive. If you’re a fan of grunge music, or just looking to discover some new bands, check out this list of the best grunge bands from Georgia.

What is Grunge Music?

Grunge music is a type of rock music that emerged in the early 1990s. It is characterized by its murky, distorted sound and its angry, angst-ridden lyrics. Grunge music became popular in the Seattle area of the United States, and it soon spread to other parts of the country.

Origins

Grunge music is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Named by music critic Mark Deming as a blend of “heavy metal, punk, and indie rock”, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, lyrics expressed in angst-filled>< vituperative tones,[1] and a musical progression that often builds on the verse-chorus form's " foundation by maintaining a verse or riff longer. The guitar solos are characterized by toil and virtuosity. Many grunge bands use dynamic levels of distortion giving their music a thick "fat" sound. The introduction of Nirvana's Nevermind album (1992) would help bring grunge to unprecedented popularity during the early 1990s.

Characteristics

Grunge music is characterized by heavy guitar riffs, often played on distorted electric guitars, and what is sometimes considered an aggressive or angry sound. The lyrics are often cynical or pessimistic, and can deal with themes such as social alienation, apathy, feelings of being unwanted or misunderstood, and a desire to escape the pressures of modern life. These themes are sometimes expressed through the use of drug references.

Grunge Music in Georgia

Georgia has a rich and vibrant music scene, and grunge music is just one of the genres that has a strong presence in the state. While grunge music may not be as popular as it once was, there are still many fans of the genre in Georgia. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best places to enjoy grunge music in Georgia.

The Scene in Atlanta

Grunge music first became popular in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s. By the early 1990s, the genre had spread across the country and grunge bands were forming in cities all over the United States. One of those cities was Atlanta, Georgia.

Atlanta’s grunge scene was centered around a club called 688 Live. The club was located in an old warehouse and it quickly became a gathering place for local musicians and music fans. Grunge bands from all over the Southeast came to play at 688 Live, and the club became known as a hotbed for grunge music.

The Atlanta grunge scene eventually fizzled out in the mid-1990s, but the city left its mark on the genre. Atlanta was home to some great grunge bands, including 24-7 Spyz, Hammondutation, and Mindless Self Indulgence. If you’re a fan of grunge music, be sure to check out some of the bands that started it all in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Scene in Athens

In the late eighties and early nineties, a new sound was brewing in the college town of Athens, Georgia. This sound would come to be known as grunge, and it would change the face of rock music forever.

The grunge scene in Athens was centered around a few key clubs, namely the 40 Watt Club and the Music Hall. These venues played host to some of the biggest names in grunge, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden.

Athens was also home to a number of lesser-known but equally talented bands, such as Pylon, Love Tractor, and the B-52s. While these bands may not have achieved the same level of commercial success as their Seattle counterparts, they were vital to the development of the genre.

Today, Athens is still home to a thriving music scene. While grunge may be long gone, the city continues to produce great bands and attract top talent from all over the world.

Notable Grunge Bands from Georgia

Georgia is known for a lot of things- peaches, sweet tea, and southern hospitality. But did you know that Georgia is also home to some of the best grunge bands around? In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the most notable grunge bands to come out of Georgia.

24-7 Spyz

24-7 Spyz was a popular grunge band from Georgia that was active in the late 80s and early 90s. The band is best known for their debut album, Gumbo Millenium, which was released in 1989. The album was a critical success and helped to establish the band as one of the leading forces in the grunge scene. Other notable releases from the band include Harder Than Life (1991) and Strength In Numbers (1992).

Drivin N Cryin

Drivin N Cryin is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, that was active from 1986 to 2006 and again from 2009. The band’s original lineup consisted of Kevn Kinney (vocals, guitar), Tim Nielsen (bass), and Jeff Sullivan (drums).

The band’s first album, Scarred but Smarter (1986), was a regional success and led to the band’s signing with Island Records for their second album, Whiskey & Wate (1987). This album included the singles “Straight to Hell” and “Fly Me Courageous”, both of which received heavy rotation on MTV. The album sold well enough that the band was able to tour nationally for the first time.

The band’s third album, Tribulation (1989), was also successful, but their fourth album, Space Heater (1992), did not sell as well. After the release of Space Heater, Nielsen left the band and was replaced by Joey Huffman. The band continued to tour and release albums throughout the 1990s with varying degrees of success. Their 1996 album, Train a Comin’, was a return to form of sorts and received critical acclaim, but sales were still relatively low.

The band went on hiatus in 2006, but reformed in 2009 with Kinney, Nielsen, and Sullivan joined by Luther Dickinson on guitar. The band has released two albums since reforming, Yours Truly Condescending Blues Rangers (2010) and Songs About Cars Angular Gaze (2017).

R.E.M.

One of the most influential and successful American rock bands of all time, R.E.M. was formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry. Their unique blend of punk energy, pop hooks, and oblique lyrics propelled them to the forefront of the American alternative rock scene in the 1980s and made them one of the biggest bands in the world in the 1990s. R.E.M.’s official break-up in 2011 brought an end to one of the most important and influential careers in rock music.