Alternative Sound Bytes

Dolby has done it again! After the revolution of home theater through the introduction of the advantages of surround sound, Dolby Labs is now offering their new product called Dolby Volume. This product can be attached to consumer electronics like televisions and receivers. This latest innovation will regularly monitor the volume level that comes from the satellite box and portable media player. Then it will re-adjust the volume to your pre-determined level. The outcome is that there will be no more ear busting commercials. Dolby Volume will start appearing in the two branded LCD TV models of Toshiba Corp. in Japan this year.

The Used is a rock band from Orem, Utah. Their sound mixes many different genres and has been described as anything from post-hardcore to emo to alternative rock.

The Used formed in Orem, Utah. Drummer Branden Steineckert was the person who got everyone together to make music. The area is known for its large Mormon population, not for its incredible punk rock scene, so The Used had a lot of trouble finding venues that would let them play. The Used’s luck changed when they were signed to Reprise Records. The Used’s hit songs include A Box Full of Sharp Objects, The Taste of Ink.

The members of the Used had to overcome poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse, not to mention the straight-laced attitudes of their hometown of Orem, UT, to bring their screamo-tinged brand of post-hardcore to life. But they persevered and earned a contract with Reprise Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in June 2002.

- www.kidzworld.com/article/3079-band-the-used-biography
- http://music.yahoo.com/ar-292804-bio–The-Used

1. Nirvana

The Number One grunge band of all time is Nirvana. Its single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” from the album “Nevermind” was astonishingly conquering the alternative scene and it can be said that Nirvana had the power to have single-handedly brought grunge music its commercial success. The album “Nevermind” sold more than ten million copies in the U.S. and sold more than twenty-five million copies around the world. As Michael Azerrad of the Rolling Stones said, Nirvana was the “flagship band of Generation X”.

Nirvana was a band so passionate with its craft in music that it took a number of drummers before the band actually settled with Dave Grohl. Some songs in the album, such as “All Apologies” and “Heart-Shaped Box” has to be revised as it did not come out perfect-sounding.

After Kurt Cobain’s sudden death on April 8, 1994, Nirvana also died. It was a very tragic decline for the band which independently amplified the sound of grunge to a vast extent. Still, Nirvana fans proved to be loyal to the legacy that Cobain left.

2. Pearl Jam

Another Seattle native is the band Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam’s album “Ten” is commonly received as that of Nirvana’s “Nevermind”, the albums which geared their way towards mainstream music of the 1990s alternative. While “Nevermind” was considered to be the greater mainstream mover, Pearl Jam’s “Ten” was in second place. This album won platinum twelve times and is the most successful album of the band.

At the early stages of its career, Pearl Jam has been criticized as a “corporate cash-in”. However, the band had different causes that made it admirable and such causes were the going against “rock star excess”, their public dispute with Ticketmaster, and their rejection of making music videos of their shows. Ultimately, it is very noteworthy that Pearl Jam had outlived many of the members of its generation, considering the problems and issues that came with the success of grunge music.

3. Stone Temple Pilots

One grunge band from outside of Seattle is Stone Temple Pilots. STP had so much going on for them that made it as one of the more prominent names in the genre of 1990s alternative. The group had over 17 million albums sold in the United States alone, fifteen singles topped the Billboard charts, a “Best Hard Rock Performance” Grammy award, and a number of American Music awards.

Alongside STP’s fame was a load of harsh criticisms against them. They rose so quickly upon the release of their debut album “Core” and their fans grew more and more. The Rolling Stone magazine declared them as the “Best New Band” but their music critics said otherwise – “Worst New Band”. However, before actually disbanding in the year 2002, the group released four more albums that were all successful, and this made STP leave a deep mark in the grunge music scene.

4. Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains, formed in 1987, is also from Seattle. The band released three albums as well as an EP entitled “Jar of Flies”. To date, this EP was the one which sold over ten million copies around the world. Alice in Chains’ signature was their intense guitar and distortion music and such was truly manifested in their album “Dirt”.
However, the popularity of grunge music and its bad side effects took toll on the band. Alice in Chains was truly successful with its career but vocalist Layne Staley’s problem with drug addiction greatly affected the future of the band. His death due to substance overdose led to the unofficial disbanding of the grunge group.

The rise of alternative rock in the USA. From its early underground days where bands like Black Flag drew inspiration from the DIY ethos of punk, Left Of The Dial traces the history of the network of fans, clubs and fanzines that sustained the scene and launched the careers of bands like R.E.M., The Pixies and Husker Du. The film takes a fresh look at the explosion of the Seattle scene, culminating in the success of Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ and the tragic loss of Kurt Cobain, an artist whose triumph and tragedy continues to cast an inescapable shadow.Source:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/sevenages/programmes/left-of-the-dial/

The huge genre of the music industry has joined in the commercial mainstream to harvest the rewards and make things easier. But this phenomenon is not a bad thing. Proof of which is Echoing August. For a song to be successful, it has to be catchy. The melody and lyrics must stick to the mind of the listeners so that singing along will not be a hard task. These are the ingredients used by Echoing August for its songs. The first E.P. of the band, the Intentions, was released and include Nick Martucci on vocals and guitar, Shawn Sandi on drums and Pat McCarthy on bass.

An alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979.

The band comprised guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bassist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars for most of their career.

The Band began as a punk rock group, but began to incorporate other subgenres of rock music and became instrumental in the development of early alternative rock.The Replacements is one of the influences of these bands such as The Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Pavement and many more.

Following the critically acclaimed Let It Be (1984), the band signed to Sire Records, becoming one of the first American underground rock bands to sign to a major record label.

In the ’80s the Replacements’ blend of punk guitar and pop melodies garnered critical acclaim but little commercial success. Hailing from the Minneapolis home base of acts as diverse as Hüsker Dü and Prince, the quartet was seen by its fans as generational spokesmen; Paul Westerberg’s angst-ridden confessional songs cast him as a postpunk Bob Dylan and would influence such ’90s stars as the Goo Goo Dolls.

via [Rolling Stone]

Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997), raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an acclaimed American singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Known for his ethereal singing voice, Buckley was considered to be one of the most promising artists of his generation after the release of his critically acclaimed 1994 debut album Grace. At the height of his popularity, Buckley drowned during an evening swim in 1997. His work and style continue to be highly regarded by critics and fellow musicians.

via [Wikipedia]

One of my Favorite Song that’s written and sung by Jeff Buckley’s Last Goodbye and as another post from the blog site And She Writes entitled it as the Best BreakUp Song Ever.. Well, it depends on how you listen it, you may get different meaning and interpretation to it. Anyways I love this song, this song rules.

There are still some good songs that Jeff Buckley wrote and performed but this song really topped the charts for me.

So is there any song in particular that Jeff Buckley wrote that you like?