Gorgeous Grunge and Music Paper

A design blog with a focus on music and paper. I’ll be sharing gorgeous grunge and music paper resources, as well as some of my own designs.

Introduction

Grunge music is a genre ofrock music that emerged in the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Developing from a combination of punk rock, metal and alternative rock, grunge was characterized by a distorted, heavy guitar sound, angst-filled lyrics and dark, often depressing themes. The first wave of grunge bands emerged in the late 1980s and included Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden; all of which went on to achieve commercial success.

What is grunge music?

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, lyrics reflecting a dark and miserable view of society, and a dirty, “acidic” sound. The style is often associated with a backlash against the polished production values of mainstream 1980s rock music.

Early grunge bands marketed themselves towards an audience of angry young people who were disaffected with the mainstream social and musical frameworks of the time – lyrically it reflected Generation X’s embrace of nihilism. “Grunge fashion” became noted for its unkempt look, which included ripped jeans, flannel shirts, and thrift store clothing. Certain fashion styles arose from grunge music and fashion, including Converse shoes, Doc Martens boots, Birkenstocks sandals, and dumpy clothes.

The history of grunge music

Grunge music emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s as aform of alternative rock. It was characterized by a heavy, distorted sound and dark, often personal lyrics. Grunge became nationally popular in 1991 with the release of Nirvana’s album Nevermind. Other grunge bands such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden also attained commercial success. By the end of 1994, however, grunge’s popularity had begun to wane, and many of its leading bands had disbanded or become less active.

Grunge music was born in the American Pacific Northwest city of Seattle, Washington. The local music scene there nurtured the development of the genre through the 1980s. Early grunge bands such as Green River and Mother Love Bone drew heavily from punk rock, hard rock, and heavy metal influences. They were also inspired by such homegrown Seattle acts as The Melvins and The U-Men.

In 1988, two major grunge albums were released that would help define the genre: Mudhoney’s Superfuzz Bigmuff EP andSoundgarden’s Ultramega OK. These releases featured a rougher, more primal sound than had been heard previously in American rock music. They helped pave the way for Nirvana’s breakout album Nevermindin 1991.

Nevermind catapulted Nirvana – and by extension, grunge – into the national spotlight. The album’s lead single,”Smells Like Teen Spirit”, became an anthem for teenage angst and alienation. It propelled Nevermind to the top of the charts and made Kurt Cobain – Nirvana’s singer, songwriter, and guitarist – a household name.

Nirvana’s success helped break down barriers for other grunge bands; after Nevermind was released,albums by Alice in Chains (Dirt), Pearl Jam (Ten), and Soundgarden (Badmotorfinger) all went multiplatinum. Grunge had entered the mainstream.

Unfortunately, Kurt Cobain’s tragic suicide in 1994 Signaleda premature end to grunge’s brief but influential reign . By that time, many of its leading lights – including Nirvana , Alice in Chains ,and Soundgarden – had disbanded or become inactive . While grunge would never again reach the level of popularity it attained in the early 1990s , its impact on popular music would be felt for years to come .

The grunge music scene

The grunge music scene was a music movement that emerged in the early 1990s in the Pacific Northwest U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle. It was characterized by a DIY approach to music making and a disdain for the polished look and sound of mainstream rock music. Grunge musicians were often inspired by punk rock and aimed to return the genre to its roots.

The grunge music scene was Spawned by Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind, which popularized the sound of Seattle’s independent label Sub Pop and brought mainstream attention to the underground music scene in the Pacific Northwest. The success of Nevermind led to a major label bidding war for bands from the area, which resulted in many of them signing to major labels. By the end of 1994, grunge had lost its position as the leading force in alternative rock music due to a number of deaths within the genre (Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, Scott Weiland) and a shift in public taste towards more pop-oriented acts such as Green Day and The Offspring.

The grunge music sound

The grunge music sound became very popular in the early 1990s. It is characterized by heavy guitar distortion, often played with feedback, and sometimesFLanger or chorus effects. The drums usually sound very “live” and contain a lot ofRMesh reverb. Grunge musicians were often considered to be slovenly and unkempt compared to their predecessors in the glam-rock scene; they wore flannel shirts instead of designer clothes, and let their hair grow long and unkempt. The result was an earthy, “authentic” look that became very popular with young people at the time.

The grunge music look

Grunge music is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Musically, grunge is characterized by heavy guitar riffs, often distorted, and lyrics dealing with topics such as angst, alienation, and apathy.Grungier bands often have nihilistic or pro-anarchist views.

The look of grunge fashion was created to imitate the disheveled, anti-fashion look of grunge musicians such as Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Grunge fashion includes plaid shirts,, mom jeans,, Birkenstocks,, Doc Martens,, and flannel shirts. The style was popularized by Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love of Nirvana, Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam.

The grunge music culture

Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s in the Pacific Northwest U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. The style became popular nationally in the early 1990s with the success of Nirvana’s album Nevermind, Nirvana’s grunge contemporaries such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and other alternative rock bands such as Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins.

Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal, creating a sound that is raw and aggressive. Lyrics are often bleak, confessional, or dealing with social alienation. Grunge fashion combines denim and plaid shirts with bands such as Mudhoney and Nirvana wearing ripped jeans, thrift store sweaters, and flannel shirts.

The grunge music legacy

Grunge music is a genre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song dynamics, and apathetic or angst-filled lyrics. The style became widely known with the release of Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind, which reached number one on the Billboard 200 charts and has been certified diamond by the RIAA for shipping over 10 million copies in the United States. A number of grunge bands became commercially successful in the early 1990s.

Grunge was also an aesthetic movement associated with the music. It supported DIY ethics and reduced production values. Grunge fashion centered on thrift store clothes and flannel shirts. Grunge aesthetics peaked during 1992–1993 with “the media’s coverage of celebrity deaths (especially Kurt Cobain’s) and nonstop news about suicide rates”. According to Allison Stewart, “In 1995 – or maybe 1994 – grunge finally died”.