REVIVAL
Special to WKR by Teen
Correspondent Jett Wells | (email)
The death or fading away of a music trend is mandatory, because the fact of the matter is the music industry is fickle. A trend can only last so long, and in matter of opinion, this is unfortunate at times and fortunate at others. However, after a music trend has been dead for some time, there is revival. Ý
People have asked what grunge rock really is, and it remains ambiguous to this day. To provide an idea, I would say it's a combination between punk rockís fast tempo and power, with emo-rockís passionate tone. Grunge sprouted in Seattle and had a short lifespan from the mid-to-late 80ís to the late 90ís, and included a variety of platinum-record selling bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, etc. It was a memorable epoch, but the past is past, and the rock scene has been downgraded to whining bubblegum rock.Ý
Although all seems lost, I smell redemption. On April 1st, I paid a visit to my high schoolís promotion concert called ěHabfestî. The project was meant to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, a charity organization focused on building homes for the unfortunate. The featured act was titled ěOnce-lerî, a teenage band of pimple-popping, excessively masturbating dorks collaborating their efforts to form a sound of grunge.Ý
Once the boys (Max Comaskey, Xan Air III, Sam Geller, and Jacob Nathan) took the stage, I was assuring myself they would sound nothing more than mediocre because I had never been swayed by a teenage band before. My previous experiences included constant mishaps with tone, volume, and feedback, but Once-ler displayed a contrasting spectacle. The distorted sound hung in the air, but only until the howling scream from the vocalist awakened me from my dazzling. The song was titled ěFreedom Fries and Liberty Toastî, and after just 10 seconds, I found my toe tapping and my head rocking. Ý
With legs swinging, jittery hops, and aimless glares from the eccentric bassist, the joy trampled on. The enticing sound of Once-ler compelled the audience to rise out of their seats, hop around and shake. The lyrics were a little unclear under the pounding drums and loud guitar strumming, but it was clear what the message was from the vocalistís profound face: expression. From this moment, I was convinced grunge rock was making a comeback after an absence of 8 years, if in smaller terms. Ý
Even though my hopes for grunge revival are high and genuine, I canít help but feel naÔve for believing in the possibility. The media will never accept a grunge revival, but would rather blow their loads for a pretty face with negligible talent. A shame indeed. However, the independent music industry always has an empty slot for any genre of music, including grunge. Grunge rock may not be revived, but will thrive in the hearts of many nostalgic fans.Ý