Atestat.Denisa

8/12/2019 Atestat.Denisa

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Ministerul Educaiei, Cercetrii, Tineretului i Sportului

Colegiul Naional Grigore Moisil Oneti

Lucrare de atestat

Limba englez

- Sesiunea mai 2012 -

Coordonator,

Prof. Mariana Bereczki

Candidat,

Creu Denisa Mihaela

clasa a XII-a F


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1.Argument.........................................................................................................1

2.

Introduction.....................................................................................................2

3.

The History of Grunge.....................................................................................3

4.

Post-grunge.....................................................................................................5

5. Grunge bands..................................................................................................7

5.1.

Soundgarden.........................................................................................7

5.2.

Alice in Chains......................................................................................8

5.3. Nirvana.................................................................................................9

5.4. Pearl Jam............................................................................................10

6.Final Considerations.....................................................................................11

7.

Appendix........................................................................................................12

8.

Webliography................................................................................................13


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Motto: Grunge is not dead, it's just taking a nap.

I chose to write about grunge because this music genre touched my soul from the first time I

heard it. I still listen to it very much because I consider it a very inspiring type of music. It

really gives me some special sensations and can really make my mood. If I am having a bad or

stressful day, I immediately listen to some Nirvana or Alice in chains, one of my favourite

grunge bands and I instantly feel calmer and relaxed.

It is true that grunge music is not a quiet or calming type of music, but for my it works every

time I need to disconnect from quotidian problems.

Some may say that the grunge artists were just a bunch of creepy teenagers affected by the

bad climate in Seattle. Actually, for me grunge really has a sound that sets it aside from the

rest. Not everyone can listen to it and understand it or feel it the right way. Some may just say

that its just a noisy music full of meaningless words, but for those who really get the grunge

music, they know that it is more than that. Grunge means a lot of feelings and passion.

Since the death of Kurt Cobain, on 5 April 1994, grunge music was not promoted as much.

Despite this, I consider that grunge music did not die, it only faded away or just took a step

back, to be brought back another day by a band that will create as much history as Nirvana

did in their times.

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Grunge music (mostly known as The Seattle Sound) is a subgenre of alternative rock thatemerged during the mid 80s in the American state of Washington, especially in Seattle. Beinginspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized byheavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song dynamics, and apathetic lyrics. The grungeaesthetic is stripped-down compared to other forms of rock music, and many grunge musicianswere noted for their unkempt appearances and rejection of theatrics.

But grunge music became commercially successful in the first half of the 1990s, due to therelease of the albums Nevermind from Nirvana and Ten from Pearl Jam, in 1991. Nirvana hadthen a real surprise when they estimated to sell only 500,000 copies, but they actually reached

more than 10 million albums, only in the United States. The success of these bands boosted thepopularity of alternative rock and made grunge the most popular form of hard rock music at thetime. After that, every Grunge band tried to recreate that huge success.

The first person that used the word grunge, to describe his music genre, was Mark Arm (thevocalist of the Seattle band Mudhoney) in 1981. Arm said years later: Obviously, I didn't makegrunge up. I got it from someone else. The term was already being thrown around in Australia in

the mid-1980s to describe bands like King Snake Roost, The Scientists, Salamander Jim, and

Beasts of Bourbon.

Styles related to Grunge are Alternative Metal, Emo, Garage Punk, Indie Rock, Post-Grunge,Punk Revival and Stoner Metal.

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In the mid 80s a small movement began in Seattle, Washington. This movement was not actuallylead by Nirvana as many have said when they released the album Nevermind in September 1991,but actually went back to other Seattle bands like Melvins and Mudhoney. It was due to Nirvanaand Pearl Jam that the movement came to the forefront of mainstream success. By the mid 90sthis movement went into the eyes of the public as a new musical genre called Grunge, acombination between guitar rock, punk and metal.

Seattle, in the early 80s, was a culturally isolated place. Major bands did not tour Seattle, the live

scene was full with unimportant bands and the weather was truly bad: the fact that it rained a lotbrought people inside together. Or, as the local record producer Jack Endino said, when theweather's crappy you don't feel like going outside, you go into a basement and make a lot of

noise to take out your frustration. This was a way forthose musicians gathered together to play in order toentertain themselves and to escape from boredom and therain.

Short after this, small independent record companiescame up with the idea to start producing vinyl records for

them which were cheap and abundant. But fanzines keptgrunge enthusiasts informed on the new bands and showsalongside Jonathan Poneman and Bruce Pavitof from thelabel Sub Pop. After convincing Soundgarden, arelatively unknown local band back then, to record forthem, they soon became a driving force in the movementthat spread all over the country.

In November 1988 Poneman and Pavitof established theSub Pop Singles Club which monthly produced limited

editions of singles from local bands, their first song beingLove Buzzfrom Nirvana, with a thousand copies. After that, other local bands like Green River,Tad and Mudhoney started recording for Sub Pop and began to be well known on the local scene.

In 1989 British journalist Andy Catlin came to Seattle. Poneman and Pavit escorted him to aMudhoney show, showing him around town. The result was a big story in Britain's MelodyMaker titled Seattle, Rock City.

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In September 1991 Nirvana's second album Nevermind hit the shelves. Because it was still asmall local band, no one expected much from this album, but Kurt Cobain suddenly foundhimself as the spokesman of Generation X. Nirvana toured Australia and suddenly Grunge was a

part of popular global culture. Once Grunge became such a huge success, Vanity Fair magazinedid a Grunge fashion spread, which appeared on the runway of 7th Avenue New York fashionshows. Then, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden were in great demand due totheir popularity. Suddenly grunge artists became big celebrities and the gossips started to appear.Kim Thayil of Soundgarden was quoted saying: That is what makes pop culture so significant toall the little consumers out there; they have no interest in history or economics... They are

interested more in gossip and the nature of celebrity.

Grunge concerts were known for being straightforward, high-energy performances. Grungebands rejected the complex and high budget presentations of other musical genres, including theuse of complex light arrays, pyrotechnics, and other visual effects unrelated to playing the music.Therefore, also stage acting was generally avoided. Jack Endino said in the 1996 documentaryHype!that their primary objective was not to be entertainers, but simply to rock out.

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Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid 90s as a derivative ofGrunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone.The most remarkable bands were Foo Fighters, Nickelback, Candlebox Creed and MatchboxTwenty.

Even at the height of their popularity, after the release of Nevermind, which brought Grunge tointernational attention, Nirvana still experienced increasing problems, partly caused by Kurt

Cobain's drug addiction and growing dissatisfaction with commercial success. The death ofCobain in April 1994 marked a decline for grunge that year. Problems of addiction for LayneStaley of Alice in Chains led to the cancellation of scheduled dates for the band in 1995. As thesepioneering grunge bands faltered, major record labels began signing and promoting bands thatwere emulating the genre. This is how post grunge appeared.

In 1995, former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl's new band, the Foo Fighters, helped popularizethe genre and define its parameters, becoming one of the most commercially successful rockbands in the USA, aided by considerable airplay on MTV. Although male bands predominated,female solo artist Alanis Morissette's 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, labeled as post-grunge, alsobecame multi-platinum hit.

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With the first wave of post-grunge bands losingpopularity, bands like Puddle of Mudd, and Nickelbacktook post-grunge into the 21st century with considerablecommercial success, abandoning most of the angst andanger of the original movement for more conventional

rhythms, narratives and romantic songs.

Even though these bands were among the biggest sellingrock artists, which huge commercial success, post grungebands were criticized by fans and press for their artisticlimitations and lack of authenticity, in comparison withoriginal grunge bands.

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Soundgarden is an American grunge band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singerChris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became theband's drummer in 1986 and bassist Ben Shepherd completely took Yamamotos place as a

bassist in 1990. Soundgarden was one of the seminal bands in the creation of grunge and was one

of a number of grunge bands signed to the record label Sub Pop. Soundgarden was the firstgrunge band to sign to a major label

(A&M Records, in 1988).

Soundgarden achieved its biggestsuccess with the 1994 albumSuperunknown, which debuted atnumber one on the Billboard (Britishmagazine) charts and won one Grammy

Award for the singles Black Hole Sunand Spoonman. In 1997, the band brokeup because of its creative direction.

But, on 16 April 2010 they had a secret reunionconcert in Seattle, this being their first show since1997.Soundgarden was a pioneer of the grunge musicgenre, which mixed elements of punk rock andheavy metal into a dirty, aggressive sound.The band was praised for its technical musicalability and the expansion of its sound as the band'scareer progressed. Heavy yet ethereal, powerful yet

always-in-control, Soundgarden's music was a studyin contrasts said Henry Wilson.

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Alice in Chainsis an American grunge band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitaristand songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. Since its formation, Alicein Chains has released four studio albums, three EPs, two live albums, four compilations, andtwo DVDs. The band is known for its distinct vocal style which often included the harmonizedvocals of Staley and Cantrell.

Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s,along with other Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. In 1992 the bandreleased their album Dirt which was critically acclaimed and has been certified quadrupleplatinum. The band also achieved two No.1 Billboard 200 albums (Jar of Flies and Alice inChains), 14 top ten songs on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and eight Grammy Awardnominations.

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Nirvana was an American grunge band formed bysinger and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist KristNovoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in the year 1987and lasted until 1994. Their best drummer was DaveGrohl, who joined the band in 1990.

The band name Nirvana was taken from the Buddhistconcept, which Cobain described as freedom frompain, suffering and the external world.

In the late 1980s Nirvana established itself as part ofthe Seattle grunge scene, releasing its first albumBleach for the independent record label Sub Pop in1989. After signing to major label DGC Records,Nirvana found unexpected success with Smells LikeTeen Spirit, the first single from the band's secondalbum Nevermind (1991). Following the success ofthis album, Nirvana was labeled the flagship band ofGeneration X and Cobain hailed asthe spokesman ofa generation.

Being one of the most successful and influentialbands of that time, they have sold since they formedas a band, over fifty million albums all over theworld. Nirvana greatly affected the style of othergrunge bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, andAlice in Chains. They split up after their lead singerKurt Cobain died in 1994.

Since its debut, the band has sold over 25 millionrecords in the United States alone, and over 75million records worldwide.

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Pearl Jam is an American grunge band that formed inSeattle, Washington in 1990 by vocalist Eddie Vedder,guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready and bassistJeff Ament. Then they added, in 1998, the drummer MattCameron. Stone Gossard played also for Green River,Mother Love Bone and Temple of the Dog with JeffAment. Pearl Jam is one of the key bands of the grungemovement in the early 1990s and it is considered one ofthe most influential bands of the decade.The band broke into the mainstream with its debut albumTen. Over the course of the band's career, its membersbecame noted for their refusal to adhere to traditionalmusic industry practices, especially their refusal to make music videos.

Pearl Jam has outlasted many of its contemporaries

from the alternative rock breakthrough of the early1990s, and is considered one of the most influentialbands of the decade. Allmusic (online music guideservice) refers to Pearl Jam as the most popularAmerican rock & roll band of the '90s. Rolling Stonedescribed the band as having spent much of the pastdecade deliberately tearing apart their own fame. Todate, the band has sold over 31.5 million records in theUnited States and an estimated 60 million worldwide.This is one of the reasons why Pearl Jam will be

eligible to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall ofFame in 2016.Compared to other grunge bands of the early 1990s,Pearl Jams style is noticeably less heavy and harkens

back to the classic rock music of the 1970s and that isthe reason why the bands success has been attributedto its sound.

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For a lot of us, music is the therapy of our soul and it comes in various forms: pop, dance, rock,alternative, grunge, disco, R&B... For me this therapy is Grunge music, because it gives me somespecial sensations and can make me smile, laugh or even cry sometimes. Even if it is not a quietor calming type of music, for me and a lot of other people Grunge music can disconnect us

from our quotidian problems every time we want. For me grunge really has a sound that sets itaside from the rest. Not everyone can listen to it and understand it or feel it the right way.

Some may just say that its just a noisy music full of meaninglesswords, but for those who really

get the grunge music, they know that it is more than that. Grunge means a lot of feelings andpassion.

Mudhoney. Period. Mudhoney

basically is Grunge itself. As the

best grunge band, Mudhoney blows

Nirvana out of the water, damn they

rock so hard. Mudhoney did not

create grunge though. Neither didNirvana or The Melvins, like the

other people said. Malfunkshun

created grunge, so be thankful,

people.

The Grungiest song ever is

"Thirteenth Floor Opening" by

Mudhoney. The sound is so dirty in

that song. I love Grunge.

Grunge is what happens when punk and metal meet with the result of passionate vocals and dirty

guitars.

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Adhereto stick to something

Apatheticnot at all interested in or enthusiastic about anything and not willing to make any

effort to change things

EPabbreviation for extended play, a record that lasts for about 8 minutes on each side

Gnarledold and twisted and covered in lines

Hail to say publicly how good or important someone or something is

Hark back to somethingto remember or talk about something that happened in the past

Quadruplefour times bigger

Seminal a seminal piece of writing or music is new and different and influences other

literature or music that comes after it

Spokesman someone whose job is to officially represent an organization, for example in

dealing with journalists

Theatricsways of behaving or of doing something that are intended to make people notice

you rather than to achieve a particular aim

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grunge

http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/grunge-d2679

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=grunge

http://www.silver-dragon-records.com/grunge.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_grunge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(band)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Jam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_chains

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundgarden

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/

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