Three Tune Tuesday #1 : Seattle Sound

My mood is still set on the 90s era, thanks to the 90s festival last weekend. Watching Suede's live performance reminded me of grabbing a Sony Walkman and putting in a cassette tape.

I remember that back in the 90s, cassette tapes weren’t so cheap for me. They had been much cheaper before. My older brother told me it was because of piracy. But everything changed when Bob Geldof started the campaign to abolish these illegal activities.

That was in the 80s, and as a young kid who loved music so much, I had to save a lot of my pocket money just to buy some records. In a year, I could afford one cassette. And of course, some primal economic motive, a.k.a. bartering really helped expand my music horizons. Lol.

My first cassette tape was Nirvana’s Nevermind. Because who could resist Kurt Cobain’s charisma and those loud, distorted guitar sounds?

Before Nirvana, my music taste was heavily influenced by what my older brother told me to listen to: Duran Duran, The Police, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Rush, etc. But after listening to Nirvana and obsessively reading about them, I started searching for similar sounds—the so-called Seattle Sound.

So here it is: for my first post in #ThreeTuneTuesday, I would like to pick three tunes from those coolest bands ever.

#1 Pearl Jam - Black

Pearl Jam is quite the usual suspect when it comes to the Seattle Sound. It took me a while to start liking their music—perhaps it was just too complex for me at first, and Eddie Vedder’s vocals were so heavy. But the more I listened, the more I grew to like them. "Black" is my favorite track, and if I remember correctly, it was never released as a single. In this unplugged version, Eddie Vedder is just killing it... His voice alone definitely put Pearl Jam on my bucket list of bands I need to see live before I die.

#2 Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick

Mudhoney, I started hearing them years after I learned about Nirvana.At the time, my cassette rack was filled with Green Day, Rancid, and NOFX. I first heard "Touch Me I'm Sick" on the radio, and it instantly grabbed me. It had all the grunge elements, but it was even more raw—more like punk rock.

It took me a while to realize that Mudhoney was another key player in the Seattle Sound, often credited with helping shape the grunge movement and even influencing Nirvana. "Touch Me I'm Sick" is raw, with its distorted guitars and gritty vocals. It might not be as polished as some other tracks from the era, but that’s exactly what I love about it.

#3 The Scratch - 7 Year Bitch

7 Year Bitch is a band I discovered a bit later in my exploration of the Seattle Sound, but once I heard "The Scratch," I knew they were something special. Just like I discovered Mudhoney years after Nirvana, I learned about 7 Year Bitch years after Hole. I’m not sure if that comparison makes sense, but that’s just how I feel about it. 😀

Their raw energy immediately struck a chord with me. This track, in particular, carries a certain intensity. Maybe I’m just a sucker for gritty, punk-infused grunge sounds.

I hope you enjoyed this music selection. This post is my first attempt for Three Tune Tuesday challenge run by @ablaze. I hope I can do it consistently. 🙂

Cheers!