tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63408588345944304492024-02-20T21:40:33.165-05:00Facts For WhateverAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10332575464468157931noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-73782480108826491682019-04-22T20:40:00.004-04:002019-04-22T20:40:45.912-04:00Jamie Vardy: From Carbon Fiber Technician to Golden Boot Contender<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Written in Spring 2016 for "Introduction to Creative Nonfiction," taught by Prof. Jon Readey at Brown University</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Leicester City squad sat in the home side locker room at the King Power Stadium on a bright morning in September 2015. The players were in good spirits, still buoyant after securing the club’s first win since returning to the Premier League with a victory over Stoke the previous weekend. Still, a sense of caution lingered in the air: Manchester United were not a team you took lightly, after all. Team manager Nigel Pearson, an imposing man who rarely smiled, stands 6’1”, and boasts a widow’s peak unparalleled within British sports, walked in and posted the starting lineup for that day’s match. The players quickly huddled around, eager to see if they’d be taking part. Pearson had opted for an aggressive approach, including three forwards in his starting 11, including the last name on the team sheet: number 9, Jamie Vardy. Laser-focused as always, Vardy simply nodded upon seeing that he’d been given his first-ever start in the Premier League at age 27, never showing so much as a grin. A goal, two assists, and two drawn penalties later, he would lead his team to one of the most exciting and surprising come-from-behind upsets in Premier League history. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The path Vardy followed on his way to that incredible day is one of the most unlikely and inspiring rags-to-riches stories in the history of sport. Born in Sheffield, England in early 1987, Vardy never knew his biological father, who left home shortly after impregnating Vardy’s mother; as a result, he took his stepfather’s last name. His looks and personality reflected his working-class background: a sinewy figure with buggy eyes and short, spiky brown hair, Vardy has always been known for his resounding toughness on and off the field (for better or worse). As a teenager, he joined the youth academy system of Sheffield Wednesday, the club he’d grown up supporting, but was released by the club at just age 15. Vardy was so discouraged by his failure that he nearly quit playing soccer for good: “That was the lowest moment for me,” he told The Guardian last year. Eventually, however, Vardy refused to give up on his dream, and he began playing for the youth side of semi-professional club Stocksbridge Park Steels. He spent four years in the development academy before finally making the first team squad in 2007. At this time, Vardy made a measly £30 a week, and he split his time between soccer and working in a factory making medical splints. He also had a brush-up with the law while at Stocksbridge: after being arrested for assault (which he insists was simply him defending a friend), he played for months while wearing an ankle bracelet, and he often had to leave matches early in order to be home in time for his court-mandated curfew. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vardy impressed many with his prolific goal scoring for Stocksbridge, and in 2010 Halifax Town spent a miniscule £800 to bring the then-23-year-old to the club. At this point, he decided to focus full-time on his soccer career, risking a steady income in order to pursue his dream. In his one season with the club, Vardy knocked in 27 goals and earned another move up the ladder of English soccer, this time landing at Fleetwood Town for a reported £150,000 – almost 200 times as much as his transfer to Halifax had cost. His new team played in the fifth division, one step below the professional tier. With Fleetwood, he scored 31 goals in 34 league matches, an exceptional rate for a player at any level. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to his beyond impressive goal tallies, Vardy received praise for his particular playing style. Possessing excellent natural speed and acceleration, at any moment he could burst beyond opposing center-backs and latch onto a ball played through a gap in the defense. He could also receive the ball short and dribble through defenders if necessary. Once he worked his way into an opening behind the defense, Vardy’s precise shooting practically guaranteed a goal. His time in the lower leagues gave Vardy a toughness and physicality to his game that many top-level players lacked, especially fellow strikers. Despite standing at an unremarkable 5’10”, he jumped quite well and fought hard to win headers in the air. Mentally, Vardy displayed the kind of determination and work ethic that managers cherish. Moreover, his immense stamina enabled him to hustle for the full 90 minutes of a match without wearing out. All in all, it made for a formidable striker, and Vardy was proving to be one with his goal scoring. He’d been overlooked by clubs so long due to a combination of his size and pure bad luck, a mistake that dozens of scouts will now be cursing themselves over. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point, Vardy was grabbing the attention of the coaches and scouts throughout much of England that had ignored him for so long previously. He had carried Fleetwood Town into the fourth division of English soccer – the bottom tier of the professional Football League - for the first time in the club’s history. Vardy was now a professional for the first time in his career, and it was about to get even more exciting for him. Fleetwood received several offers for Vardy’s services, and it eventually accepted an astounding offer of £1 million pounds from Leicester City in 2012, at that point the most ever paid for a non-League player. Now 25 – not old by any means, but still notable considering most players sign professional contracts upon turning 18 if not earlier - Vardy prepared for his first season in professional-level soccer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The move signaled a massive leap for Vardy: at the time, Leicester competed in the Football League Championship, the second division in England and just one gradation underneath the Premier League – the height of English soccer and arguably the most prestigious and lucrative league in the world. The top two clubs at the end of each Championship season automatically gained promotion to the Premier League, while the teams finishing in places third through sixth competed in a playoff for the coveted third promotion slot. Leicester City were a fairly significant and successful club in English soccer as well, only spending one season outside the nation’s top two divisions, though they’d never won a top-flight title. In the season prior to signing Vardy, the club had finished in a respectable ninth place in the Championship, missing out on a promotion-playoff berth by just a few wins. Not only had Vardy earned a move to a more stable and esteemed club, but he was also reasonably close to achieving every English soccer player’s dream: playing in the Premier League. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, Vardy struggled to adapt to the new level of competition the Championship posed right away, and he failed to make a huge impression in his first season with Leicester. During the campaign, he managed just four goals in 26 appearances – a drastic decline from his nearly even goal-game ratio from seasons past – and even received taunts from Leicester fans over social media. He was so discouraged that, for the first time since being cut by his boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday at age 15, Vardy considered quitting the game altogether. Fortunately for both the Foxes and Vardy, however, manager Nigel Pearson’s reassurances convinced him to stick around. “I had a few chats with the gaffer and they constantly told me I was good enough and they believed in me and stuck by me,” Vardy said. “I am glad to be showing the faith they showed in me on the pitch.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite Vardy’s shortcomings during his Leicester debut campaign, his teammates hoisted the club all the way to sixth place and a spot in the playoff to gain promotion to the Premier League. It had required a goal in added time in the last match of the regular season to secure a victory and thus a spot in the playoff. Once there, they faced third-place finishers Watford in a two-match playoff, with whichever team that scores more across the pair of games advancing to the playoff final at Wembley Stadium. Leicester snatched a 1-0 victory in the home leg, in which Vardy was an unused substitute, meaning they needed a draw or a win to reach the winner-take-all final. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vardy was once again on the bench for the away trip to Watford, where he witnessed one of the most dramatic conclusions to a promotion playoff in English soccer history. After 20 minutes the teams had exchanged goals, leaving Leicester on pace for a 2-1 aggregate victory. Shortly after halftime, however, Watford’s Matej Vydra scored his second goal of the match. Now 2-2 on aggregate, the game seemed headed to extra time until Leicester winger Anthony Knockaert drew a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time; a goal would send Leicester through to Wembley. Knockaert took the penalty himself, but both his spot-kick and the rebound were saved by Watford goalkeeper Almunia. Watford then stormed down the field in a counter attack, crossed the ball into the box, and scored the playoff-winning goal as Troy Deeney lashed the ball into the net. Leicester had narrowly missed out on a golden opportunity to reach the Premier League. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This devastating loss seemed to only motivate the Leicester City squad to push on for promotion next season, Jamie Vardy included. He earned a starting birth in 34 league matches, scoring 14 goals and nabbing another four assists. Leicester finished first in the division by a comfortable nine-point margin, with a 17-point gap between them and the playoff places. After 10 years, Leicester had finally returned to the Premier League. Like any promoted club, they approached their new top-flight status with both excitement and trepidation; though the promotion opened up plenty of opportunities for the club, retaining one’s position in the league as a former Championship side – which requires avoiding finishing in the bottom three - proves difficult each and every year. In the summer that preceded the 2014/2015 season, the club purchased a handful of new players to aid their survival battle. Included among them was £8 million striker Leonardo Ulloa, who looked poised to cut into Vardy’s playtime. As Leicester embarked on their first season back in the Premier League, Vardy indeed seemed to be losing out on playtime: he had to wait until the club’s third match for his first career Premier League appearance, coming on as a sub for the final 20 minutes against Arsenal but unable to tilt the 1-1 match in his side’s favor. Still, in just over two seasons, he’d gone from a non-league player to leading the frontline against Arsenal in the Premier League. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After sending him in as a substitute once more against Stoke, Pearson handed Vardy his first Premier League start against Manchester United. The game started disastrously for Leicester; within 16 minutes, United lead 2-0 and seemed poised to only pile on the misery for Leicester. But then, Vardy got going on what turned out as a match-winning and career-altering performance. Immediately after the second United goal, Vardy pounced on a long pass from kickoff, dribbled into the attacking corner, and whipped in a powerful cross for Leonardo Ulloa to head home. United scored again to take a 3-1 lead just before the hour mark, but Vardy again helped bring Leicester back within one goal: after tenaciously knocking United defender Rafael off the ball, he drew a foul in the box to win a penalty. Teammate David Nugent scored from the spot to make it 3-2. Just two minutes later, Vardy created his third goal of the match, knocking down a driven pass into the path of midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, who smashed the ball into the net to equalize. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With momentum now on their side, the Leicester players pushed optimistically for a winning goal, and Vardy came up with one in the 79th minute. Displaying his trademark speed and clinical finishing, Vardy took a pass from Richie De Laet into the open field, broke away from the defense, and placed the ball past United goalie David De Gea to put Leicester up 4-3. Vardy stormed towards the corner flag and celebrated with his teammates and the club’s supporters; he had his first Premier League goal, and it had given Leicester a lead against the mighty Manchester United. Incredibly, Vardy still had more to contribute to the match, winning yet another penalty after breaking away once again, with Ulloa scoring the kick to make the score 5-3 in Leicester’s favor. After that match, everybody knew who Jamie Vardy was: the man who’d gone from a non-league semi-professional to almost single-handedly dismantling Manchester United. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though now a cult hero among Leicester fans and Cinderella-story lovers everywhere, Vardy’s appearances throughout the rest of his club’s season were a bit scattered. His next goal didn’t come until March, and the team as a whole struggled; after 29 out of 38 matches, they sat at the bottom of the league with just 19 points. Just when it looked like the Championship was beckoning, Leicester went on an astonishing run of form. Match-winning goals from Vardy against West Bromwich Albion and Burnley (the former coming very late in the game) helped bring the Foxes up to 14th place and secure a spot in the Premier League for the next season. Vardy’s performances impressed English national team manager Roy Hodgson so much that he granted Vardy his first match appearances for the national side, adding yet another landmark to the striker’s inspirational career trajectory. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As they primed for their 2015-2016 sophomore season in the top flight since returning, doubt once again overshadowed Vardy and his teammates. Pearson lost his job despite the previous season’s late heroics due to a broken relationship with the club’s owners. The firing came shortly after a sex-tape featuring three young Leicester players – one of which was Pearson’s son – leaked online. Pearson took much of the blame for failing to control the behavior of his players, who were heard in the tape making racist remarks to Thai prostitutes, which naturally offended the club’s Thai owners. The board replaced Pearson with former Chelsea and Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri, whose most recent job had been coaching Greece’s national side, only to be fired after losing to the lowly Faroe Islands. On top of everything, key midfielder Esteban Cambiasso left the club, moving to Greek club Olympiakos after declining a contract offer from Leicester. Many experts tipped Leicester as major relegation candidates, and nobody gave them a shot of challenging the league’s top teams. Of course, Jamie Vardy has always been one to defy expectations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New manager Ranieri set up a Leicester side suited perfectly for Vardy’s play-style: their tactics centered around fighting for the ball, hassling opponents, constantly sprinting throughout the pitch, and breaking on the counter-attack. Paired with new arrival Shinji Okazaki at striker, Vardy flourished under his new manager and started knocking in goals left and right. He scored Leicester’s first goal in a 4-2 win over Sunderland to open the season. A few weeks later, he scored against Bournemouth; goals versus Aston Villa and Stoke City soon followed. A pair of goals over Arsenal and another against Norwich extended his scoring streak to five straight Premier League matches.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leicester now occupied fourth position in the league, enough to qualify for the European-wide Champions League, though this early in the season, unexpected teams often start impressively before fizzling out. Shockingly, however, Leicester and Vardy kept improving: after returning from two matches with the England team (coming on as a sub in one and starting the other), Vardy scored twice to help his side tie Southampton. Winning goals against Crystal Palace, West Brom, and Watford – the team that had denied the Foxes promotion two years prior – took his tally to 12 for the season, and he was just one more match away from tying the record for most consecutive games with a goal in Premier League history. Leicester were now equal on points with league leaders Manchester City and Arsenal, and pundits finally began taking them seriously. Fans finally recognized Vardy as one of the league’s hottest players, and his reputation skyrocketed among the media. Vardy scored in his next match, a 3-0 victory over Newcastle, to tie Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s goal-scoring streak record and give Leicester sole possession of first place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the city of Leicester, their home club’s magnificent run in the premier league has been an inspiring and unifying event like no other. The city’s economy is heavily based in production, much like Vardy’s hometown of Sheffield. Less than have of its residents identify as “white British,” and is one of England’s major landing destinations for immigrants. “We’re like a salad bowl. We live side by side. We don’t live together,” said club supporter Riaz Khan, before offering a little more hope for a more unified community: “When Leicester wins [the league], it will unify the entire the city.” Supporters’ chants such as “Vardy’s having a party!” show just how much Vardy has been a part in reigniting passion for the club and togetherness among Leicester citizens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leicester’s next opponent was one with special significance already to Vardy: Manchester United. Van Nistelrooy had set his record with United, and now Vardy aimed to break it against them. He didn’t have to wait long; with less than 25 minutes gone, Vardy jumped on a pass from Christian Fuchs to give Leicester a 1-0 lead, and to give himself a place in the Premier League record books. Being the team player that he is, however, Vardy’s post-game comments focused more on how he wished the team had held on for the win (the match ended 1-1) than on his own personal glory. “[I’m] obviously delighted that I’ve got a goal to take me past Van Nistelrooy, but the boys, I think, are a bit disappointed in the way that we conceded the goal. Who knows?” he said. “On another day, it could’ve been three points.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vardy didn’t score in the next match, ending his streak at 11 consecutive games with a goal, but Leicester still won thanks to a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick. Through the Christmastime period which many analysts thought would knock them, Leicester held firm, losing only one of their five December matches and beating the likes of Everton and defending champions Chelsea. As the calendar turned to 2016, it was the other top clubs that began to fall away, and to everyone’s surprise Leicester emerged from the pack as the most consistent title challenger; after comprehensively beating Manchester City 3-1 on the road on February 6th, odds makers now listed Leicester as the favorites to win the league. In the meantime, Vardy scored goals for England against both Germany and Holland, the former a result of a tricky and incredibly bold back-heel flick that beat Manuel Neuer, universally regarded as the best goalkeeper in the sport. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As weeks went by, Leicester kept winning, and it eventually became clear that the only team with a chance of stopping them now was another unlikely (albeit not nearly as shocking) table-topper, Tottenham Hotspur. But Leicester’s consistent victories meant there were few opportunities for Tottenham to make up any ground. However, a red card for diving in a 2-2 and his subsequent verbal abuse of the referee draw versus West Ham (in which Leicester claimed a draw with a last-minute penalty kick by Leonardo Ulloa) resulted in Vardy being suspended for two crucial matches in April, with only four games left in the season. If Leicester won both, they would be guaranteed the title, meaning that the man responsible for so much of their success might not even be allowed on the field to celebrate its culmination. Now, it was up to the rest of Leicester’s squad to carry the club to the title. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, Vardy was not the only one contributing to Leicester’s success, and plenty of talented players were still available in Vardy’s mandatory absence. Due to remarkable consistency and a fortunate lack of injuries, the same group of players made up the match-day squad for the entire season with little variation. There was former French 2nd division player Riyad Mahrez, the fleet-footed Algerian winger who was renowned for his ability to trip up defenders with his tricky dribbles and astounding shooting skills. Central midfielder N’Golo Kante, also coming to Leicester from the French leagues, seemed to cover every blade of grass as he raced around the pitch game after game, making tackles and interceptions as he constantly hassled opponents. Right back Danny Simpson and midfielder Danny Drinkwater were both former Manchester United youth prospects who had been cast off after being deemed not good enough for the club. The defense was anchored by Germany’s Robert Huth and Jamaica’s Wes Morgan, both tactically adept and physically powerful center backs. Morgan was also the club captain. Sitting behind the defense was goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, a talented keeper whose father Peter stood in net for Manchester United for almost a decade and is widely regarded as one of the best goalies to ever play the game. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a Vardy-less 4-0 win over Swansea, Leicester could clinch the championship with a win against Manchester United at their home fortress, Old Trafford. Vardy watched on as his teammates battled in a hard-fought match, but an early United goal from Anthony Martial limited them to a 1-1 draw, the Leicester goal coming from captain Morgan’s header. Though they hadn’t clinched the title, the point gained from the tie meant that Tottenham needed to beat Chelsea the next day in order to prevent Leicester from winning the league with two games to spare. Vardy hosted a viewing party at his home for his fellow teammates to watch the match, though the mood was far from cheery as Tottenham took a 2-1 lead late into the game. But in the 83rd minute, Chelsea winger Eden Hazard completed a mazy run with a curled finish into the top-right corner of the net, leaving Spurs goalie Hugo Lloris helpless to keep his team in the title hunt. Tottenham failed to reclaim the lead, and Leicester were officially crowned champions of the Premier League. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Television networks broadcasted scenes of Leicester fans that had congregated in pubs across the city erupting with joy. Vardy and his teammates joined in, as defender Christian Fuchs uploaded a video of the team celebrating wildly at Vardy’s home to Twitter. Fans poured into the city center, a party-like atmosphere consuming the entire city throughout the whole night. The celebration continued at the club’s home match the following weekend, as Andrea Bocelli sang to a packed King Power Stadium before Leicester beat Everton 3-1, courtesy of a pair of goals from Jamie Vardy, and lifted the trophy in the post-game festivities. After the match, a reporter asked Vardy how Leicester had been able to pull it off. Standing with a Premier League champion’s medal around his neck, Vardy credited towards his teammates and manager: “It’s that togetherness we’ve got. We’re all like brothers.” Reportedly over 100,000 fans showed up to the title parade through the streets of Leicester a week later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vardy’s personal accomplishments went heralded as well. He finished joint-second in the league’s top scorer’s charts with 24 goals, one behind Tottenham rival and England teammate Harry Kane and level with £38 million Argentine striker Sergio Aguero. Vardy was named the Footballer of the Year by the Football Writer’s Association, as well as the Premier League Player of the Season. Even more, he’s not only on the England squad for the Euros this summer, but is widely expected to be a regular in the starting lineup throughout the tournament. All of these accolades show just how Vardy has become emblematic of the unpredictability and upward mobility of soccer not just in England but throughout much of the world. Nobody could ever have expected a 25-year-old semi-professional player to lead the Premier League in goals and to take Leicester, despite the odds, to the top of English football.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the midst of all the excitement and hubbub surrounding him and his team this season, Vardy opened up a training academy for non-league players, where they can receive high-quality coaching and get scouted by top-level clubs. “I know there are players out there in a similar position to where I was, that just need an opportunity,” he explained. “I’ve thought for some time that something could be done about it… we decided to set up V9 [the camp] to unearth talent and give those players a shot – hopefully at earning professional contracts but also to learn and understand what it takes to be a professional at the highest level.” If all goes according to plan, he may just end up discovering the next Jamie Vardy. </span>Michael O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16644192363633819389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-91152667583094044932019-04-22T20:31:00.001-04:002019-04-22T20:31:54.183-04:00Squashed<i>Written in spring 2017 for "Sportswriting," taught by Prof. Jon Readey at Brown University</i>
People often write about how their sports triumphs taught them an important life lesson – how, through all the hard practices, physical pain, teamwork, and ultimate victories showed them something eye-opening about the world and how they fit into it. These pieces are often heartfelt and inspirational, and claim to demonstrate the true value of athletics in our society. This essay isn’t one of those. Instead, I’ll be taking you on a tour of the corruption, struggles, and general athletic ineptitude that plagued my short-lived basketball career, and how, even through enduring an experience that was pretty all-around horrible, I ended up in a place that, in some small way, helped me survive the perils of high school.
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Recreational basketball in Melrose, Massachusetts during my childhood was a heavily flawed institution. Leagues existed for everyone from first graders to high school freshmen, and everybody played on Saturday, resulting in cramped court space and semi-frequent 8:00 AM a.m. tip-off times. The quality of refereeing was questionable at best, as were the mangy uniforms that got passed down year after year. But by far the most egregious facet was the method in by which the league held team selection drafts. In a typical structure, each coach picks one player per round, sometimes with the drafting order reversed each round to ensure an even more balanced distribution of talent.
But that made far too much sense for Melrose Recreational Basketball, no no no. In Melrose, the team that came in first the season previous picked their entire team before anybody else took a single player. The reigning runner-ups would then pick their 12 players, then third place, and so on and so forth. This meant that after the first season, whoever finished first would be able to easily maintain their top spot by retaining their best players and plucking the top talent from other squads as well. It’s like how big tech companies simply buy out any rising competitors, or how the Yankees simply buy out any expensive free agents; the rich get richer, and the upstarts hit a wall.
All of this made the very first season of rec basketball – first grade level – the most important, as the final standings that year would premore-determine the pecking order for each subsequent season. As it just so happens, in first grade I wound up on the last-placed team. Which, of course, meant that I wound up on the last-placed team every year. One year we were so bad that I, at the time a five-foot-nothing, sub-100-pound awkward mess who shot 20% from the field on a good day, was named team captain. In my six years of rec basketball, my team won a total of four games. And I remember every single one of them clear as day. Two came in the somewhat-balanced first grade year, before the higher finishers ripped away our two decently good players in the draft. One happened in third grade, when the perpetually-flopping Nate Horne got “injured” with thirty 30 seconds left and us up by one point as the clock operator forgot to stop the timer. Fifth grade brought one more after only three members of the opposing team showed up for the game, and had to play the match with our two worst players on loan filling out their lineup. (Even then, they still outscored us; we only won by a technical forfeit.)
Needless to say, by the time my final year of rec basketball – sixth grade – rolled around, I had lost pretty much any hope of playing on a competitive team. And I was right to, too; even with the top-level players leaving rec behind to play middle school ball, my team paled in comparison to every opponent. Game after game went by with us considering a loss by a single-digit margin a success, and a loss by less than 20 points “not that bad.” For some reason, our coach thought having us run sprints all practice would somehow make us score more than 13 points a game, or give up fewer than 35.
The consistently soul-crushing nature of my rec basketball career reached its pinnacle with my final game. It served as a microcosm for the entire experience, a fitting conclusion to a hapless era. Knowing this would likely be my final game – finally fed up, I didn’t plan on signing up for another year of this – and I managed to get myself hyped up. I’m gonna give them a performance, I told myself. (Of course, by “performance,” I meant “score more than one basket.”) As I strolled into the gym at 2:52 for our 3:00 start time, the sounds of squeaky shoes echoing throughout and the walls streaked with an aggressively bright red paint, my heart dropped: on the far right side of the gym, I spotted the unmistakable dandelion Tt-shirts my team wore during games; they were already running up and down the court. Unbeknownst to me or my parents, the game had been pushed up to 2:00, but my coach had failed to send out an email. I rushed over to our bench to see that, in a role reversal from our “win” the year previousbefore, this time we were the ones borrowing players from the other team. And the best part? We were only down by one with about twenty 20 seconds left – enough time to snatch a highly-coveted win. Even though it would technically go down in the books as a forfeit for us, the chance to actually outscore another team – even with their own players – seemed magical.
But I was missing it. As I got to the bench, my coach looked at me with surpriseI lied to my coach and said I had already warmed up and was ready to go in. “I’m ready, I can go in,” I lied, voice trembling. Coach Morris raised a single eyebrow. “I… I warmed up out in the hall!” (Another lie.) I shouldn’t have been allowed into the game according to the rules, since I hadn’t been there to check in at the start of the quarter, but the opposing coach didn’t care enough to protest. We got the ball back, still down one, with eight seconds left, and coach subbed me in for one of our loanees. Truth be told, my eyes were welling with tears from the knowledge that I had missed pretty much all of what was supposed to be the big finale of my basketball career. But I had one final play to make my mark, and I wanted to take it.
The only thing I remember more clearly about my basketball career than my four wins is how the final play of it went. We were inbounding the ball from the sideline in front of our bench, just ahead of the halfcourt line. I stood near the center circle; another player stood at the three-point line, with two underneath the hoop and one inbounding. The other team had elected to leave me free and to cover the areas within actual shooting distance of the hoop via a zone defense. The inbound pass came to me; before I could dribble, the inbounder – a third-grader who had forgotten to sign up for the league in time and was added to our squad because his brother was on the team – ran out uncovered, and I dumped the ball back to him. Almost immediately, he threw up a three-point from the top of the arc. The buzzer rang as the ball was in mid-flight. I clenched my teeth as it approached the basket… and then nothing. He had airballed. Time was up, we had lost in both the technical and literal sense, and my career was over. The sport that had beaten me down more than any other had managed to fit in one more twist of the knife. At this point, all of the childish frustration I had pent up – six years’ worth of anger over a game where you put an orange ball in a basket – over six years of a game where you put an orange ball in a basket released. I collapsed to the floor and wailed in a manner unfitting for a young child, much less the 12-year-old that I was. I sobbed through the post-game handshake and the entire ride home. Despondent in the back seat of my mom’s Ford Freestar, I told myself I was done with basketball forever. As it would turn out, my self-imposed retirement was a bit premature; my ventures into the world of basketball, and the lessons I learned them, weren’t quite finished yet.
Or so I thought.
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One month after my final basketball game, I received an acceptance letter to Belmont Hill School. Five months after that, I was walking through the doors for my first day. The all-boys prep school just outside Cambridge, Massachusetts was a new world to me; all of a sudden I was surrounded by wealth, tradition, Vineyard Vines, boat shoes, and a level of academic rigor I had not been exposed to before. Belmont Hill was a school of some notoriety, with a history of consistently sending students to top-level universities and a reputation for strong athletic programs. The grassy campus devoted about half of its acreage to its fields and gymnasium, and the other half to its brick-based academic buildings. Part of the way Belmont Hill maintained its athletic fortitude was by requiring every boy at the school to play sports all year long, one for each season other than summer. For me, choosing a fall sport was easy enough; I was a decent soccer player, and was definitively not cut out for football or cross country, the only other two fall options.
When winter rolled around, however, the decision wasn’t as clear-cut. I couldn’t ski, so that was out. Hockey was a non-starter as well. I had been told by the middle school wrestling coach that I could be an asset due to my slender figure, but I had neither the muscles nor the willpower to roll around on the floor in hopes of pinning another boy to the ground. That left two sports: squash, new to me but with an intramural team where I could dip my toes, or basketball. Despite knowing that I likely wouldn’t make the basketball team (one of the few 7th-grade teams to have cuts), I decided to give the sport one last shot, for old times’ sake.
The first day of tryouts came just before Christmas break. I stepped into the gym, this one painted navy blue and maroon but with a ceiling and acoustics on par with that of Melrose’s, with my basketball under one arm and water squirt bottle in the other. I wore oversized soccer shorts (I didn’t want to invest in new basketball shorts if I didn’t need to) and clunky white New Balance sneakers. Some of my classmates also trying out definitely looked more prepared: ankle tape, sport-appropriate shorts, Nike swoosh tees, and shiny new sneakers. Belmont Hill wasn’t known as a big basketball school, but it seemed they were trying to change that as there were some strong players in my year. There were 17 of us at tryouts; the max roster size was 12. I looked around and counted who I might have a shot at beating; I was the second-shortest, and from what I knew about the others, probably the least athletically-inclined as well. In short, I was intimidated; before the first drill even began, my already faltering confidence was shrinking even more.
After a few minutes of us shooting around to warmup, Coach Brodie arrived. Coach Brodie was an older man who also worked at the school as an English teacher. He was exactly the kind of teacher and coach you imagine a near-retirement prep school faculty member to be: stern, blunt, and old-fashioned, with a firm belief in meritocracy. Outside of school, Coach Brodie was rumored to breed race horses, and students often gossiped about the small fortune he had amassed over the years. On this day, like almost every other one regardless of season, he sported a baseball cap atop his head, his Einstein-like gray tufts of hair pointing out from the sides. He also donned a gray tee, blue checkered shorts, white knee socks, white sneakers, and a whistle around his neck.
“As I’m sure you know, eventually we’ll have to cut this group down,” he told us. “But don’t worry about that for now. We’re going to start with some simple drills to get our footing.” OkayOK, I thought, that gives us some time. Our first drill was, as Coach Brodie promised, pretty straightforward: dribbling up and down the court, switching hands each lap. Easy enough. I managed to navigate the drill fairly well, even getting through a handful of left-handed dribbles (my weaker side) without incident. My friend Liam, however, visibly struggled. Vertically-challenged and lacking some coordination, Liam wasn’t exactly the prototype of a pro-caliber basketball player, but he at least had a good spirit about him. As it turns out, spirit alone doesn’t get you very far with Coach Brodie; mMidway through one lap, Coach Brodie pulled Liam aside and whispered in his ears for a few seconds. Liam nodded, turned, and walked out of the gym. Later that afternoon, Liam verified to us what we feared: he had been cut from the team, right there on the spot, minutes into the first drill of the first practice. Apparently, we did have to worry about that for now.
The rest of the tryouts went manageably well – I shot better than I usually do, played my typical brand of tight defense, and showed off my one true asset as an athlete: my hustle. Still, I didn’t expect to make the team; I was too short, too slow, and simply not as talented as most of the competition. Two days before cuts were scheduled, Coach Brodie came up to me during lunch and confirmed-without-confirming what I expected. “You know what’s a great sport, Michael?” he asked. “Squash! What a game. You ever think about trying it out?” At that point I knew the writing was on the wall. Still, I held out until the official cuts came out two days later, the day before Christmas break. Not exactly the present I had hoped for.
When break finally ended, I set out to find a way to fulfill my winter sports requirement. This scramble to find a new sport would eventually guide me towards one of the major cornerstones of my time at Belmont Hill. Again, the choice came down to squash or basketball, only this time the basketball was also an intramural program. Nervous and risk-aversive, I decided to go with intramural basketball at first; I only lasted a day. The program itself was underwhelming – basically, a half-hour of court time to play HORSE or knockout in between the middle school and Varsity/JV practices. The odd timing of the practice also meant I had to sit through a two-hour study hall before heading to practice, play basketball for a half hour, then rush back for another hour of study hall. I decided this was not how I wanted to spend the next two months, so I finally landed on going for intramural squash.
Squash, despite its odd name and fairly obscure nature, is actually a fairly simple game. It’s basically an altered version of racquetball; you have a racquet, a small rubber ball, and an enclosed court, as and two players take turns hitting the ball off the wall until one fails to properly hit the ball before it bounces twice. Because of this simplicity, I was able to pick up and play somewhat competitively (within the intramural squad) almost immediately. More importantly, though, it was damn fun. Squash is quick and often unpredictable; the ball bounces oddly all of the time, and every now and again a return will land perfectly on the edge of a wall or even a corner, and at that point it’s anybody’s guess where the ball will go. Moreover, a lot of my fellow non-athletic regular people friends had also settled on intramural squash as their winter sport of choice. We played a dumbed-down version of squash called “King of the Court,” consisting basically of rapid-fire one-point matches. If you won the point, you stayed; if not, you got knocked out until everyone in your court rotated through. It was one of the most enjoyable sports experiences I had had in a long time, and within just two days I felt like I had managed to actually find a place where I could fit in and enjoy my winter season.
But we couldn’t allow that to continue, could we?
After two days of intramural squash, me and a few other friends and I were told we needed to speak with the assistant AD athletic director – Mr. Murphy. Mr. Murphy was basically a taller, younger version of Coach Brodie; – he coached varsity basketball, had a stern demeanor about him, worse the same kind of eyeglasses as Coach Brodie, and didn’t mince words. As we waited in the hallway outside his office, a sinking feeling enveloped my stomach. We had noticed that the courts were a little over-filled, and we’d heard murmurs that they would have to trim the team down for safety reasons. All of us waiting had been late to join intramural squash, having tried out for other sports first. After over a half hour, Mr. Murphy came out into the hall to speak with us. “I’m really sorry guys, but there’s too many people on intramural squash right now. You’ll have to find something else.” Cut from intramural squash, I thought, incredulous. I just got cut from INTRAMURAL SQUASH. Just like after my last basketball game two years earlier, I couldn’t handle the disappointment and embarrassment. I had finally settled into something, and it was being taken away. Plus, who gets cut from intramural squash?!? I felt awful, but thankfully it was short-lived. The next day, the intramural squash coach did an about-face and decided to let us hang around after all.
From that day on, I relished every day of squash I had. I ended up playing it for all six of my years at Belmont Hill, never drawn in by another winter sport. Over time I improved my game, and the casual practices allowed me social time to solidify some of the most important friendships of my life. I never expected to end up with over a half-decade of squash experience, but I’m certainly glad that I did.
Michael O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16644192363633819389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-21930653027564270432019-04-22T20:30:00.001-04:002019-04-22T20:30:11.289-04:00Men’s Basketball Falls to Princeton at Home, Stay Bottom of the Ivy League<i>Written in spring 2017 for "Sportswriting," taught by Prof. Jon Readey at Brown University</i>
Brown (11-15, 2-8 Ivy) struggled to keep pace with Princeton (22-7, 12-2 Ivy) at home on Saturday, February 18th.
The 66-51 victory gave Princeton their thirteenth straight win, and meant that the Tigers swept the Bears in their season series. The result means Princeton continue their push for the Ivy League title, while Brown linger at the bottom of the conference standings and looking unlikely to make the four-team playoff at season’s end.
Shooting and turnovers were the difference in this game, as Princeton outshot Brown 46.8%-39.1% from the field and committed five fewer turnovers than Brown’s sixteen. The discrepancy in shooting success rate stuck out in the first half, as Brown hit just 6 of 19 shots whereas Princeton drained 13 out of 24. Meanwhile, turnovers hurt Brown down the stretch as they attempted a late comeback.
The game started fairly evenly, with each team struggling to find their shooting streak in the early minutes. Eight minutes in, Brown only trailed 14-8. But a few turnovers and some good offense play in Princeton’s favor quickly made it 25-10 to the Tigers.
From then on Brown was playing a game of catch-up that never quite came to fruition. The Bears had an airball, travel, and shot clock violation all near the end of the half that allowed Princeton to preserve their lead, going into the locker room at halftime up 33-17. Princeton’s Myles Robinson ’19 finished the half with twelve points, while Brown co-captain Steven Spieth ‘17 lead the team’s first-half scoring with six points.
The second half didn’t start much better for the Bears, with Princeton extending their lead to twenty within the first four minutes. A massive block under the hoop by Princeton helped assert the Tigers’ dominance, and also took down the referee. Brown’s shooting had yet to improve, still hovering around the 30% mark on field goal conversions. The half itself was fairly disjointed, as Brown started intentionally fouling to prevent transition play and layups early on and both teams called a high number of timeouts.
Midway through the second half, Brown started to pick up some momentum and the team as a whole seem to regain their shooting streak. Guards Tavon Blackmon ’17 and JR Hobbie ’17 knocked down threes within a few minutes of each other to pull the Bears within 10 with 8:42 remaining.
But that was as close as Brown would get to for the rest of the game. Princeton quickly put up six unanswered points, including a ferocious slam dunk by Stephens. Spieth made an impressive drive to hoop to stop the bleeding at 52-38, but Princeton kept putting points on the board. The teams traded baskets and Princeton continued to be efficient from the free throw line, hitting twelve of sixteen in the second half. The gap was too wide to close and Brown elected not to continually intentional foul for the final few minutes, and the game ended 66-51.
Brown head coach Mike Martin ’04 acknowledged that Princeton’s reputation for tough defense influenced the game heavily. “They really make you work offensively,” he said. Martin also commented on Brown’s early frustration: “The game got away from us a bit in the first half.” Spieth echoed his coaches’ thoughts, saying, “We’re a really offensive team… we’ve got to give them credit for taking away what we do well, especially in the first half.”
The loss was Brown’s fifth in a row and seventh of their last eight, all coming against Ivy League opponents. Road matches at Dartmouth and Harvard and a pair of home games against Columbia and Cornell round out the Bears’ season, as their chances of making the conference tournament now appear slim.
Michael O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16644192363633819389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-4512460173712304952016-06-16T22:38:00.001-04:002016-06-16T22:40:48.074-04:00Some Albums Are Bigger Than Others: A Look at "The Queen Is Dead" Thirty Years Later<br />
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<b>Rating: 9.8/10</b><br />
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Thirty years ago today, legendary Manchester band The Smiths released <i>The Queen Is Dead</i>, their greatest album and <a href="http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/10/the-top-500-albums-of-all-time-according-to-nme/">one of the most revered records in music history</a>. The Smiths were already making waves in the British alternative scene of the 1980's with their strong first two LP's - <i>The Smiths </i>and <i>Meat is Murder - </i>and non-album singles like "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEq8DBxm0J4">How Soon Is Now?</a>" and "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want." But on <i>The Queen Is Dead, </i>The Smiths hit another gear: Johnny Marr's riffs were more addictive than they'd ever been, Andy Rourke's bass lines became even more indispensable, and Morrissey delivered the best vocal performances of his career. Never before or since did the group put together a more complete album, and today it stands as one of greatest albums of the decade if not of all time.<br />
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<i>The Queen Is Dead</i> begins with its title track, one of the most ferocious pieces of music The Smiths ever recored. A sample from the 1962 movie <i>The L-Shaped Room </i>is cut off by a wail of feedback and a thunderous drum pattern before the band launches into a six-minute psychedelic escapade. Like the best songs by The Smiths, "The Queen Is Dead" features lyrics that veer from bitingly sarcastic to emotionally direct and devastating. Here, he starts with the former, alluding to the title of the album and further demonstrating his disdain for the British Monarchy: "Her very Lowness with her head in a sling / I'm truly sorry but that sounds like a wonderful thing." Here, we get our first glimpse of the macabre theme that permeates so much of The Smiths' music, but <i>The Queen Is Dead </i>in particular. Later, he offers a bit less dark humor and a bit more vulnerability, repeating "Life is very long when you're lonely."<br />
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Morrissey's lyrics have always been characterized by a sense of morbidity, and of all of The Smiths' albums, <i>The Queen is Dead </i>best showcases that side of him. On "Cemetry Gates" [sic], he recognizes his own mortality in relation to those already moved on: "All those people, all those lives / Where are they now? / With loves and hates / And passions just like mine / They were born / And then they lived / And then they died," he cries. The chorus to "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" has become one of the most iconic moments in the catalog of one of music's most iconic artists as Morrissey approaches impending doom with a sense of Poe-like romance: "And if a double decker bus crashes into us / To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die." On "Bigmouth Strikes Again," Morrissey further explores the realm of black comedy when he insists, "Sweetness, I was only joking when I said / By rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed."<br />
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<i>The Queen Is Dead </i>also features the strongest one-two punch of gloom The Smiths ever recorded, in the form of consecutive tracks "I Know It's Over" and "Never Had No One Ever." The former is one of the most relatable and moving break-up songs ever written. Though Morrissey recognizes via the title that his relationship is no more, he's still unable to detach himself from the other person emotionally: "And I know it's over / I still cling / I don't know where else to go." "Never Had No One Ever" (double negative be damned) explores an even sadder character, as Morrissey fills the shoes not of someone who can't get over an ex, but somebody who's never even had an ex.<br />
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Of course, The Smiths are just as good at being light as they are at being heavy. The bouncy "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" remains perhaps the funniest moment of the group's discography, with lines like "Frankly, Mr. Shankly, since you asked / You are a flatulent pain in the arse." (In true Morrissey fashion, the singer then proceeds to almost immediately request, "give us your money!") "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" is laughable, though not in the way Morrissey probably intended; while he probably wanted us to snicker at his lyric on its own merit, the humor comes from the contrast between the song's mesmerizing instrumentals and ridiculous, mediocre lyrics. Even "Vicar In a Tutu," the album's only real step down in quality, offers up chuckle-inducing imagery. Earlier this week, Simon Price wrote <a href="http://thequietus.com/articles/20369-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead-review">a piece for <i>The Quietus</i></a> in which he suggested that these moments of levity detract from <i>The Queen Is Dead</i>'s emotional impact and overall quality. As a counterpoint, I would argue that they offer much-needed breaks from the melancholy, and make the album feel more genuine and more human.<br />
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What makes <i>The Queen Is Dead</i> stand apart from other Smiths records and in truth from pretty much all but a handful of other albums in general are the absolutely blissful, brilliantly-worked instrumentals. Rarely will you find a track so effortlessly buoyant as "The Boy With the Thorn In His Side," or guitar-bass interplay as captivating as that on "Bigmouth Strikes Again." The false fade at the beginning of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" is a unique stroke of genius that will never be replicated to the same effect, and the guitar work that follow is one of Marr's greatest achievements.<br />
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" wouldn't feel nearly as magical without those soaring strings.<br />
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Three decades later, much of the music from the 1980's sounds incredibly dated, but <i>The Queen Is Dead</i> remains forever timeless. Its themes are universal no matter what generation you belong to, and no period of time will can take away the majesty of Morrissey's melodies and Marr's brilliance. At the same time, however, <i>The Queen Is Dead</i> signifies the decade from which it came. It's the magnum opus a band synonymous with the early days of indie rock, and Morrissey could never really exist successfully in any time or place other than 1980's Britain - just look at his solo work for proof. It's an album that will never go away, and also an album that will never let you forget where it came from. It's one of the most important, beloved, and iconic pieces of alternative music history. But most of all, it's a collection of songs that will blow you away time and time again.</div>
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As everyone is well aware of by now, forty-nine innocent people lost their lives last Sunday night and dozens more suffered injuries when a shooter (whose name I will deliberately refrain from using throughout this piece) attacked an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Orlando. This horrific event joined a long, ever-increasing list of mass acts of violence and murder in the United States, a list that has grown at a faster and faster rate over the past few years. The usual reaction patterns from media, public figures, and the general populace began once again, to the point of predictability. There have been so many mass shootings recently that even pointing out the clichés in people's reactions to them has itself become a cliché.<br />
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The biggest question people ask in the wake of these types of events is infallibly, "why?" What you'll likely find is a glut of nuance-free, cookie-cutter answers that seem to tie everything in a nice little bow. This is somewhat understandable: violence like this is so terrifying and illogical that it's easier and more comforting to blame the issue on guns, mental health, or religious fundamentalism and call it a day. But if we fail to both thoroughly examine the roots of these events and then do everything in our power to fix the problems, it is a disservice to the victims of past mass killings and as well as the victims of future ones that we will have done nothing to prevent.<br />
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In the response to Orlando, the two main motivations suggested by the media and public have been homophobia and jihadist terrorism. Something of a debate between those who align with one view or the other has erupted to the point where the discussion online and in the political realm - as it often does on both fronts - has shifted towards each camp attempting to prove themselves right and away from trying to actually stop this from happening ever again. In addition to prioritizing personal egos over the actual victims of this massacre, this debate sets up a false binary that leaves no room for middle ground (which is where <a href="https://twitter.com/CHeathWFTV/status/743142797281271808">the FBI officially falls</a>) and effectively shuts down any discussion that goes more in-depth beyond how to label this attack. In other words, it does nothing to fix the problem, only to identify it.<br />
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What's been largely ignored in the post-Orlando discourse, as it has in so many other cases, is the base of the entire issue. Whether you think the shooter was motivated by religious beliefs or homophobia, the two both emerge from the same idea: that there are "right" and "wrong" ways to exist as a human being in terms of identity, and that you can be "better" than someone else, especially because of your identity. This shooter, for whatever reason, held a grudge against the people inside that nightclub, to the point where he felt justified in shooting over one hundred of them. Clearly, he specifically targeted a place where a large number of LGBTQ+ people would be - meaning he had determined they were in some way more deserving of death. He was full of hatred for LGBTQ+ people, and we as a society are at least somewhat complicit in allowing that hatred to flourish.<br />
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We know the shooter had visited the club about a dozen times before and was on gay dating apps, and so it is safe to assume he probably felt some sort of internal conflict about his own sexuality. What I wish to deconstruct here is the very idea that this would be a conflict at all - that is, that there would be any reason for him to feel negative about himself due to his sexual identity. Without homophobia and heteronormativity, when we finally step up and recognize all sexual orientations as equal, there will be no reason for people - including this shooter - to fear their own sexuality. But because we continue to reinforce the idea that being heterosexual is the "right" and "normal" way to be, we also continue insist that anything else is somehow deviant and negative, and place those feelings upon those who identify as non-heterosexual.<br />
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This line of thinking pervades our culture in far too many ways, whether it comes to gender or race or religion. In America we explicitly and inherently praise certain demographics while disparaging others for completely arbitrary reasons. It's this hierarchy of identity that lends itself to perversion into acts of violence and discrimination. It's the same disgusting sense of superiority that made Dylann Roof feel justified in killing nine black church-goers; it's the same concept that fueled Elliot Rodger's murderous misogyny; it's the same hatred that told Wade Michael Page he could kill six Sikh people at a temple in Wisconsin. (I feel regret about having to mention their names, but feel it is important to do so as to signify the examples I'm using to demonstrate my point.) We can pin these attacks and others like them on mental health issues, but mental health alone doesn't result in random acts of mass killing; it may heavily distort reality, but there has to be some sort of impetus in the first place, and that impetus is our country's pecking order of identity categories.<br />
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We, as a nation, need to change the rhetoric we used when we talk about people. Because that's just what they are: people. As of now, we continue to objectify individuals based on <i>what</i> they are, when we must begin to focus on <i>who </i>they are; otherwise, we rob them of their personhood and reduce the entire population into numbers and categories fixed on a totem pole of supremacy and oppression.<br />
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Of course, I am not suggesting this would put an end to all mass shootings, as not all attacks are rooted in these motivations and even those that are can never fully be escaped. But if we work hard at permanently adopting a new philosophy on how we think of people and how we treat and emphasis the various facets of identity, it may help reduce these types of attacks, and will undoubtedly make this nation a better place for everyone in the process.<br />
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We cannot allow this attack to slowly fade from memory, as we have allowed so many others to do. We cannot sit back and take no action and then act shocked when it all happens again. We may have a Congress that is unwilling to act, but social discourse is completely within our control. It's up to us to try and do something with it.<br />
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>RIP</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Stanley Almodovar III, 23</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Amanda Alvear, 25</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Martin Benitez Torres, 33</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Antonio D. Brown, 29</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Darryl R. Burt II, 29</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Simon A. Carrillo Fernandez, 31</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Luis D. Conde, 39</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Cory J. Connell, 21</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Tevin E. Crosby, 25</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Franky J. Dejesus Velazquez, 50</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Deonka D. Drayton, 32</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Mercedez M. Flores, 26</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Juan R. Guerrero, 22</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Paul T. Henry, 41</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Frank Hernandez, 27</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Miguel A. Honorato, 30</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jason B. Josaphat, 19</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Eddie J. Justice, 30</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Anthony L. Laureano Disla, 25</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Christopher A. Leinonen, 32</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Brenda L. Marquez McCool, 49</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jean C. Mendez Perez, 35</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Akyra Monet Murray, 18</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Kimberly Morris, 37</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Luis O. Ocasio-Capo, 20</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Eric I. Ortiz-Rivera, 36</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Christopher J. Sanfeliz, 24</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Xavier E. Serrano Rosado, 35</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Shane E. Tomlinson, 33</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Luis S. Vielma, 22</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Luis D. Wilson-Leon, 37</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jerald A. Wright, 31</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10332575464468157931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-87032199606984817352015-04-14T21:24:00.000-04:002015-08-15T10:45:10.271-04:00Top 10 Brand New Songs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week, Long Island rockers Brand New released "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwICLInIl8A" target="_blank">Mene</a>," their first new song since before the turn of the decade, and a song that could very well one day end up on this list. Brand New have had one of the more interesting career trajectories in modern rock, starting as a drop in the ocean of pop-punk bands in the early '00's before blossoming into proficient post-hardcore leaders with 2006's <i>The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me</i> and, later, <i>Daisy</i>. The band has always claimed a large group of rabid followers, and recently have been shown a good deal of retrospective critical acclaim across the indie blogosphere. As someone who is a pretty big fan of the band (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwICLInIl8A" target="_blank">especially their later work</a>), I'm very excited at the increasingly likely prospect of a new record, and figure now would be a good time to look back at the group's catalogue and attempt to pick out their ten best singles. While this list is dominated by tracks from the band's two latter albums, all of Brand New's music is worth checking out.</div>
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<b>10. "Daisy" - <i>Daisy (2009)</i></b></div>
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Kicking off our countdown is the self-titled track from the band's last full-length LP. Opening with an unsettling male voice leading some sort of choir shortly followed by an eerie soundbite of a small child speaking, "Daisy" is an atmospheric track about failure and inadequacy. Singer Jesse Lacey opens up the first verse by proclaiming, "I'm a mountain that has been moved/I'm a river that is all dried up," going on to compare himself to several other objects that have failed to serve their purpose. The child's dialogue splits the two verses, the second of which takes on a decidedly darker feel thanks to a low bass grumble and death-march drum pattern. "Daisy," like its eponymous album as a whole, is a slow-burner, but that doesn't make the flame any dimmer.</div>
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<b>9. "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" - <i>Deja Entendu (2003)</i></b></div>
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One of the best songs from the group's early pop-punk/emo period, "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" was Brand New's breakthrough single. The track's commanding chorus and guitarist Vince Accardi's well-written guitar work made it an obvious choice for the lead single from 2003's <i>Deja Entendu</i>, and the decision paid off in the end. Over a decade later, "The Quiet Things" is one those rare songs from MTV's emo era remembered fondly by fans and critics alike, a true testament to Brand New's ability to avoid musical cliches and write songs with staying power.</div>
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<b>8. "Sowing Season (Yeah)" - <i>The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)</i></b></div>
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"Sowing Season (Yeah)" kicks off what many consider to be Brand New's magnum opus in a stunning, raw fashion. From the second you hit play, you're greeted with a muted guitar riff and Lacey's similarly tempered vocals. Out of the quiet calm of verse one erupts the chorus, a whirlwind of mangled guitars and impassioned, intense yells of "yeah!" The second verse draws inspiration from Rudyard Kipling, and the bridge features one of Lacey's greatest vocal moments, as he screams "I am not your friend/I am just a man who knows how to feel/I am not your friend/I'm not your family/I'm not your family/yeah." Introducing fans to a brand new Brand New (sorry for that...), "Sowing Season" showcases the sheer emotional power the New York-based band is capable of creating.</div>
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<b>7. "Okay, I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't" - <i>Deja Entendu (2003)</i></b></div>
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A live staple and, in my opinion, the pinnacle moment of Brand New's pre-<i>Devil and God</i> career, this track off <i>Deja Entendu </i>is reportedly a response to Taking Back Sunday's attempts to rip on Brand New. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of a man on the other side of a bitter breakup, with many lines delivered in condescending and/or sarcastic tones. Jesse Lacey was once a member of Taking Back Sunday before leaving once his girlfriend cheated on him with a fellow band mate, and that TBS wrote several songs directly calling Lacey out in the dispute's aftermath, and the story told in "Tommy Gun" could very well be based on this feud. The song itself opens with a lengthy intro of just vocals and guitars, during which Lacey claims, "I am heaven sent/don't you dare forget." Once the drums and bass kick in, the track turns into another convetional yet above-average example of pop-punk.</div>
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<b>6. "Degausser" - </b><b><i>The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)</i></b></div>
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With <i>The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me</i>, Brand New took a drastic and ultimately fruitful away from emo and closer towards hardcore music. "Degausser" is one of the best indicators of their stylistic change, standing as one of the group's heaviest tracks to date. Like "Sowing Season," the song lulls you with more controlled verse before unleashing the band's collective fury during the chorus. Every line of the hook is screamed, and excellently so - "I can't shake this little feeling" never sounded more severe. Guitars twist and turn throughout the five-and-a-half minute runtime, and the drum patterns shift around just enough to always keep you guessing. </div>
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<b>5. "Gasoline" - <i>Daisy (2009)</i></b></div>
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Opening with a pulsating snare-bass rhythm, "Gasoline" tells a tale of futility in an aggressive and raw manner. The cleverly-worded chorus "I swear it's like dying/to catch a ghost/it feels like I'm trying/to hold smoke" later devolves into the more violent "It feels like I'm jumping towards a train." The quick bursts of heavy distortion bring about the song's moments of peak intensity, though Lacey's screaming will never fool the listener into thinking all is well. The bass lines in "Gasoline" provide much of the foundation that the fractured drums and guitars fail to provide, and stand out particularly well here.</div>
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<b>4. "Limousine" - </b><b><i>The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)</i></b></div>
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Featured on my previous posts ranking both my <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-15-long-songs.html" target="_blank">favorite long songs</a> and <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/09/top-10-guitar-solos.html" target="_blank">favorite guitar solos</a> (being the runner-up on the latter), <i>TDAGARIM</i> highlight "Limousine" reappears once again on this blog. The song's meaning is well-documented, telling the true story of a young girl killed by a drunk driver on her way home from a wedding, revisiting the drunk-driving theme from "Sowing Season." The track is sung from two perspectives; first, the girl's mother, and later, the drunk driver responsible for the tragedy. Speaking for the latter, Lacey asks Jesus, "can I get myself out from underneath/this guilt that will crush me?" The music of "Limousine" grows in emotion in concurrence with the lyrics, ultimately reaching a crescendo of horns and a heart-wrenching guitar solo. Mercifully, the track ends with a minute of feedback fade-out to allow you to gather yourself, as it can often be hard to keep a dry eye while listening to this masterfully told catastrophe.</div>
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<b>3. "You Won't Know" - </b><b><i>The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)</i></b></div>
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I hope that brief interlude after "Limousine" was enough of a recovery period, because it is immediately followed on <i>The Devil and God's</i> track list by "You Won't Know," a furious piece of music that sees Brand New at their heaviest. The anxious but hushed introduction is only a mirage, as Lacey and company soon explode into four minutes of relentlessly blood-pumping and head-banging music at its finest. Each time Lacey blasts out the song's title, the conviction in his voice grows a little bit stronger. None of Brand New's "harder" singles packs more of a punch than "You Won't Know," earning it the imaginary bronze medal of this countdown.</div>
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<b>2. "You Stole" - <i>Daisy (2009)</i></b></div>
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Like "Daisy" on steroids, "You Stole" is the ultimate example of a slow-burning Brand New track that never fails to impress and entertain. The song is built around two main guitar parts - the consistent, pace-setting chords in the background and the surf-rock flourishes littered throughout the verses. Each extended section gradually builds into a more dynamic bridge, with the amp distortion turned up and cymbals crashing left and right. After the first of these two instrumental breaks, the band slides gracefully back into the refrain of "you stole/from the cradles they were rocked in/you took the first words that they spoke." The bridge then returns, the guitars more fierce than ever, before collapsing back into the "quiet" section one last time. "You Stole" is perhaps <i>Daisy's </i>best moment, the climax of the album, and deserves to be held in high regard by Brand New fans everywhere.</div>
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<b>1. "Jesus" - </b><b><i>The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)</i></b></div>
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For a band often cited for their musical intensity and ferocious live shows, it's funny that Brand New's practically undisputed best song is one that substitutes screaming for soft singing, guitar crunch for open sustains, and raw power for stunning beauty. The four-note guitar pattern present throughout the song never gets old, nor does the equally simplistic and constant drum beat. Lacey has never sounded more beautiful than on "Jesus," and his lyrics have never been as profound before or since. "Jesus" centers around a man unsure if he has done enough to earn himself a spot in heaven, and fears being sent to hell. "Jesus Christ, I'm alone again/so what did you do those three days you were dead?" and "Jesus Christ, I'm not scared to die/I'm a little bit scared of what comes after" are just two examples of how lyrically brilliant and honest the track is. The near-matching guitar solos reinforce this feeling of uncertainty of fate. Before the song ends, Lacey does let loose one scream, in order to strike back at the society that has made him feel so much guilt and despair. For a man whose "bright is too slight to hold back all (his) dark," Jesse Lacey sure knows how to write a gorgeous piece of music, as "Jesus" proves unequivocally.<br />
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<b>Honorable mentions: </b>"Millstone," "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad,"<b> </b>"Luca," "At the Bottom"</div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-35329365419248630652015-03-20T21:03:00.000-04:002015-03-24T20:09:56.337-04:00Album of the Week: Kendrick Lamar - "To Pimp a Butterfly"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Rating: 9.6/10</b><br />
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Thanks to a convenient Interscope snafu, Kendrick Lamar's hugely anticipated <i>To Pimp a Butterfly</i> has been released a week early. The hype surrounding this album has been massive, as Kendrick's 2012 debut <i>good kid, m.A.A.d city</i> was adored by everyone from casual hip-hop fans to hardcore indie purists, and all of those who fall somewhere in the middle. <i>To Pimp a Butterfly</i> is a colossal album, both literally and figuratively; it tackles issues of racial inequity bluntly and unapologetically over the course of the sixteen-track, seventy-nine-minute run time. If <i>good kid </i>showed that being a black youth in modern times is incredibly challenging, <i>To Pimp a Butterfly</i> proves that being a black adult, especially an ultra-famous one, isn't easy either.<br />
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Kendrick isn't holding back any of his thoughts, no matter how potentially revealing and/or controversial, on <i>TPAB. </i>He tackles everything from divisions within the black community ("Complexion") to classism ("Institutionalized") to his own insecurities about being a public figure ("Mortal Man") with energy and dexterity. The best moments on the record lyrically come on "u" and "The Blacker the Berry." On "u," which serves as a contrast to self-loving lead single "i," Kendrick runs through all of his self-doubts without a shred of guardedness or embarrassment, delivered through tears and the clinking of liquor bottles. "The Blacker the Berry" sees the L.A.-based rapper proudly proclaim himself as "the biggest hypocrite of 2015" for, among other things, "weep[ing] when Trayvon Martin was in the street" but not for the gang-related slayings that occur far too frequently.<br />
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In order to provide a background for him to elucidate the immense difficulties facing the black individual in today's society, Lamar fittingly looks to a period of music that provided black Americans one of tragically few opportunities to thrive in pre-civil rights America: jazz. Tracks like "For Free?" and "Institutionalized" use instrumentation that sounds ripped from a Miles Davis record, as opposed to your run-of-the-mill hip-hop digital sampling software. In order to pull off this unique approach, Kendrick employed a bevy of live musicals to perform on the album, achieving an organic and live feel not often found in hip-hop. Thundercat is the album's unsung hero, whose basslines dominate a number of tracks, opener "Wesley's Theory" not the least among them. A handful of guests step up to the microphone as well, most notably Snoop Dogg's verse on "Institutionalized" and Rapsody's spot on "Complexion (A Zulu Love)," and the influences of famed produced Flying Lotus is clear throughout the record.<br />
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After the September release of "i" as a single, I was frankly underwhelmed, and my expectations for Lamar's new project were tempered. But <i>To Pimp a Butterfly</i> delivers outstanding quality in just about every regard, from its lyrics to its music. Save one or two weak points ("Alright" is just barely that), Kendrick lived up to the unbelievable hype for this sophomore effort. In a year heavy with high-profile rap releases, including Drake's already-released <i>If You're Reading This...</i> and the (apparently) soon-to-come new Kanye West album, <i>To Pimp a Butterfly</i> will certainly be in the conversation for 2015's best albums.<br />
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<b>Key tracks: "King Kunta," "u," "Complexion (A Zulu Love)," "The Blacker the Berry"</b><br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-33524596421399616302015-03-13T16:45:00.002-04:002015-03-13T16:45:34.148-04:00Album of the Week: Radiohead - "The Bends"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Rating: 9.6/10</b></div>
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<a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/11/top-10-radiohead-songs.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">In case it wasn't already clear, </a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Radiohead are my favorite band. From the overly-maligned </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Pablo Honey </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">to the band's most recent output </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The King of Limbs, </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love it all. Today marks twenty years since the 1995 release of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The Bends</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, Radiohead's first truly Radiohead-y album, the record that began to display their brilliance and which proved that the band's legacy wouldn't be limited to "Creep." </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The Bends</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> does this by abandoning the grunge approach of their debut for a more agitated and unusual brand of guitar rock. While I still consider </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">OK Computer</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to be </span><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/08/album-review-of-week-radiohead-ok.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">my favorite Radiohead album</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, I find myself listening to </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The Bends</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> more often than any other selection from the group's discography. The more straightforward nature of the songs, which still maintain a pop quality to them despite their weirdness, combined with a generally happier tone ("Street Spirit" notwithstanding) make it the perfect combination of Radiohead's eccentricities and </span>listen-ability<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The two best examples of Radiohead's pop side on <i>The Bends</i> are, fittingly, the album's two biggest hits - "High and Dry" and "Fake Plastic Trees." Both lean on acoustic guitar riffs before exploding into something greater, and both show off Thom Yorke's impressive singing ability. "High and Dry," later revealed to be unliked by Radiohead themselves, centers around a simple two-phrase chorus that works its way into your brain immediately, and boasts a guitar solo that pops out of your speakers every time. "Fake Plastic Trees" focuses on Yorke's vocals and acoustic guitar and a lonely Hammond organ (played by guitarist Jonny Greenwood) for the first half of the track. Once Yorke snarls "it wears him," the song erupts for a few brief yet soaring moments, before dying back down, leaving Yorke to wish he "could be who you wanted."</span><br />
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</span> But where <i>The Bends</i> thrives where <i>Pablo Honey</i> came up short is that this record is incredibly diverse, and not directly derivative of any one genre or band. It's hard to believe album opener "Planet Telex" and closer "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" were written by the same artist, let alone included on the same album. The former is a distorted mess of guitars and drums, in the best way possible. "Street Spirit" is a beautifully morose labyrinth of "cracked eggs, dead birds" and death's "beady eyes," telling a tale of absolute despair only Thom Yorke knows how to deliver. In between the album's bookends, "My Iron Lung" features two separate beserk guitar freak=outs, "Sulk" is a subtly harrowing song about the Hungerford massacre, and "Just" showcases Radiohead at their most strum-happy.<br />
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While not as paranoid as <i>OK Computer </i>or <i>Hail to the Thief,</i> jarring as <i>Kid A </i>or<i> Amnesiac, </i>or jaw-droppingly gorgeous as <i>In Rainbows</i>, <i>The Bends</i> remains probably the greatest guitar-rock record of the period between Kurt Cobain's death (and grunge's along with it) and <i>OK Computer</i>'s tech-rock revolution. Each and every song is vintage Radiohead, and the album as a whole serves as the perfect bridge between the quintet's grunge phase and their highly-celebrated era of oddity. It may not be the most complex output of Radiohead's career, but it just may be the easiest to just pick up and listen to.<br />
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<b>Key tracks: </b>"The Bends," "Fake Plastic Trees," "Just," "Street Spirit (Fade Out)"<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:6Lmj92VLXz7Z5xcsjXBMSC" width="300"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-11269574285216883372015-02-21T17:42:00.002-05:002015-02-21T17:57:40.127-05:00Album of the Week: Krill - "A Distant Fist Unclenching"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://f1.bcbits.com/img/a3639698440_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://f1.bcbits.com/img/a3639698440_10.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Rating: 8.7/10</b><br />
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2015 has already been front-loaded with early album of the year contenders: Father John Misty, Viet Cong, and Sleater-Kinney have all put out outstanding records in the year's first few weeks. Yet another album has been thrust into the conversation this week with the release of Krill's <i>A Distant Fist Unclenching</i>, the Boston-based group's third full-length output and by far the most well-worked of the bunch. The band has been compared in the past to the likes of Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, and Pavement, but in truth Krill are too unique to be pinned down to a like-for-like comparison. The trio's penchants for big guitars, quiet-loud dynamics, and candid lyrics aren't anything revolutionary, but there may not be anybody else in the underground scene making better music right now than Krill.<br />
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<i>A Distant Fist Unclenching </i>marks a clear turning point in Krill's discography, as the bite-sized songs of albums past have been replaced by sprawling, restless anthems - all but two of the record's nine tracks approach or surpass five minutes in length. The seven-minute "Tiger" serves as the album's centerpiece, building off of a chirpy guitar riff into the explosion of sound that closes out the track, demonstrating the band's ability to stretch out a song without droning on.<br />
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Singer/bassist Jonah Furman's lyrics have matured greatly as well with <i>A Distant Fist Unclenching.</i> The album as a whole serves as a strikingly identifiable depiction of anxiety and other mental health issues, making hard to believe this is the same band that wrote the cheekily hilarious "Turd" just a year ago. Furman's improvements are most noticeable on "Brain Problem," which arrives with what are bound to be some of the year's greatest lyrics. "God grant me the strength/To know what is a brain problem/And what is just me," Furman begs over an . He details his struggles in the song's verses, howling, "The problem comes and goes with the weather/And I know/Just 'cause it's not getting better now/Doesn't mean it won't ever." Furman's ability to explain something as complex as what appears to be depression in such a potent and comprehensible way is unbelievable, and shows his songwriting ability is not one to be underestimated.<br />
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Krill seem poised to use <i>A Distant Fist Unclenching</i> as a launching pad into a long, successful career of making remarkable guitar-rock records. The group <a href="http://www.vice.com/read/being-in-a-band-sucks-but-krill-does-it-anyway-666" target="_blank">stated in a recent Vice interview</a> that touring is both "boring" and "terrible," but that doesn't stop them from making big plans for 2015 already: they've booked European tour dates as well as shows across the American east coast and midwest, all culminating in a slot at May's Boston Calling festival. For Krill, the music is worth the stresses of touring and finances, but if they continue writing songs like those found on this record, I suspect those will both become much smaller issues in the future.<br />
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<b>Key tracks:</b> "Phantom," "Torturer," "Tiger," "Brain Problem"<br />
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<iframe src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:3qpyFTOtJgSrFCp1o2Sbvs" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-81830990426975467482015-02-14T20:18:00.000-05:002015-08-15T10:47:15.841-04:00Top 10 Indie Love Songs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's Valentine's Day and, depending on your relationship status, either your favorite or least favorite day of the year. Today we'll be looking at ten of my favorite love-struck songs from the realm of indie music. In the past, we've counted down the <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/11/top-10-love-songs.html" target="_blank">top ten songs with the word "love" in the title</a>, but for originality's sake, no repeats from that list will show up here. Instead, today's post takes a less literal approach and focuses on songs about infatuation with a significant other. This means no break-up songs; that's a list for another day. The rankings were determined by a combination of each track's lyrical content and message, and the actual quality of the music. Lastly, as always, these lists are based on my personal tastes, and are in no way supposed to be taken as gospel.<br />
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<b>10. Tegan and Sara - "Closer"</b><br />
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For our first entry, we jump to the poppier end of the indie spectrum, with Tegan and Sara's monster 2012 single "Closer." The twin-sister duo released the song ahead of their 2013 album <i>Heartthrob</i>, announcing their departure from their cutesy indie-folk style with billowing synthesizers and a colossal hook. "Closer" describes the complete relationship - one that's "not just all physical," where the speaker recognizes how special her partner is. The chorus will grab you right away and won't let go for a long time afterwards, just like the characters in this excellent depiction of young, uncomplicated love.<br />
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<b>9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Wedding Song"</b><br />
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The closing track on <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/08/album-review-of-week-yeahs-yeah-yeahs.html" target="_blank">2013's largely disappointing <i>Mosquito</i></a>, "Wedding Song" is one of few classics from Yeah Yeah Yeahs' most recent record. A slow-paced ballad dedicated to Karen O's husband, it shows the YYYs singer at her most emotionally raw since "Maps." Orzolek's undying love for husband Barney Clay is made readily apparent as she sings "with angels around me/I lay at your feet/you're the breath that I breathe." A steady bass line punctuates throughout, as a dreamy mix of pianos and guitars give the impression of an unblemished, absolute kind of love.<br />
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<b>8. Best Coast - "When I'm With You"</b><br />
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Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino is not know for her complicated songwriting, but the band's 2010 full-length debut <i>Crazy For You</i> is chock full of surf-rock gems, "When I'm With You" not being the least of them. The lyrics are simple as can be, and speak for themselves: "when I'm with you, I have fun," Cosentino exclaims blissfully. The instrumentation is equally sunny and and straightforward, from the cheery drum beat to the beachy guitar solo. There's something beautiful about directness of the song, and the relationship being described in it.<br />
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<b>7. Radiohead - "All I Need"</b><br />
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When I revealed <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/11/top-10-radiohead-songs.html" target="_blank">my favorite songs my by favorite artist</a>, "All I Need" landed at number four. Recently, its rank may have risen even further in my book of Radiohead's finest, as it only gets better and better with each listen. An unsettled bass-synth and spacey production encapsulate singer Thom Yorke's disquiet, as the lyrics disclose that his feelings for the song's subject are unrequited. "I am a moth/who just wants to share your light," Yorke longs, indicating that he may not have his wish granted. In the track's the final minute, the drums explode in a passionate array of cymbals as Yorke cries, "it's all wrong/it's all right." Though not a two-way street like many others featured here, the affections "All I Need" represents still make for a chilling and engaging piece of music.<br />
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<b>6. Slowdive - "Alison"</b><br />
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Released at the tail end of shoegaze's peak era, Slowdive's "Alison" is a prime example of how picturesque soundscapes can emerge from the often noisy and distorted genre. Singer/guitarist Neil Halstead declares his love for the track's eponymous love interest despite all of her shortcomings, humming, "your messed up world still thrills me." The guitars swirl around in your head thanks to some tricky production, further emphasizing the euphoria felt by Halstead. The song fades out in a heavenly wash of guitars, as shoegaze songs are prone to do, and you can't help but smile at the bond shared between the two lovers.<br />
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<b>5. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - "Home"</b><br />
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Now, for a song guaranteed to make you go, "awwwww," we turn to country bumpkins Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Despite the band's Los Angeles roots, "Home" has a definitive sweeter-than-apple-pie southern aesthetic to it. A plucky guitar riff and frolicking drum beat propel the song forward, but it's the lyrics that will really get you blushing. The chorus is tender enough as is, as at-the-time partners Alex Ebert and Jade Castrinos sing together, "home is wherever I'm with you." But the most romantic and rosiest moments of the tune come during the spoken-word bridge, a conversation between the two where Alex explains to Jade exactly when he fell in the love with her. The entire transcript is a bit lengthy to post here, so I'll just leave this excerpt, said by Alex: "while you were sitting in the backseat smoking a cigarette you thought, was going to be your last, I was falling deep, deeply in love with you." Unfortunately, the pair seemingly broke up last spring, and Jade was subsequently voted out of the group. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that this is a song about pure and honest love, and a hell of a one at that.<br />
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<b>4. Fucked Up - "Queen of Hearts"</b><br />
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A punk band with a name too profane to say on network television is not the expected source of a heartfelt long song, but Fucked Up do just that on the pile-driving "Queen of Hearts." It's a love-at-first-sight tale about David and Veronica, two major characters from the band's 2011 masterpiece rock opera <i>David Comes to Life. </i>On his way to his thankless factory job, the titular David (whose thoughts are sung by Damian Abraham throughout the record), meets Veronica, played by Cults singer Madeline Follin. The two instantly fall in love; Abraham growls, "let's be together/let's fall in love," while Follin ups the ante by proposing, "let's be together/until the world swallows us." The song is unrelenting in its sheer power, from the opening guitar riff to the chaotic breakdown at the songs conclusion. Though David and Veronica's romance is doomed from the start thanks to the album's overarching story, "Queen of Hearts" manages to capture their brief yet heart-warming relationship dynamically.<br />
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<b>3. The Smiths - "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"</b><br />
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Though more often than not Morrissey's writing about loneliness and despair, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" is a decidedly more optimistic view on romance from The Smiths. On the track, Morrissey fuses together his dry sense of humor with his poignancy, crooning during the chorus, "and if a double-decker bus/crashes into us/to die by your side/is such a heavenly way to die." Lush instrumentation accompanies the tune as per usual for a Smiths song, with Johnny Marr's guitars meshing seamlessly with Andy Rourke's bass lines. The penultimate track on what <i>NME</i> designated as the greatest album of all time, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" remains one of <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2014/02/top-10-smiths-songs.html" target="_blank">my favorite Smiths songs</a> and love songs as well.<br />
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<b>2. Alvvays - "Archie, Marry Me"</b><br />
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The runner-up of today's countdown is one of last year's best singles, Alvvays debut song "Archie, Marry Me." Sunny, simplistic, and stunningly beautiful, calling the song "When I'm With You" on steroids would be reductive. The Toronto-based quintet have put together a bouncy, transparent depiction of young love, with guitar lines and vocals that'll melt your heart. Singer Molly Rankin pleads with Archie to marry her, but, aware of his "contempt for matrimony," proposes the two "forget the invitations, floral arrangements and bread makers" and celebrate their love by signing marriage forms. The song is highly representative of today's up-and-coming generation, many of whom are choosing to forego all the hustle and bustle of an extravagant wedding ceremony and simply enjoy each other's company. After listening to the song, you'll wish you were in this kind of relationship or, if you're lucky, be glad that you are in one like this.<br />
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<b>1. Neutral Milk Hotel - "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"</b><br />
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Neutral Milk Hotel's 1998 magnum opus <i>In the Aeroplane Over the Sea</i> is, undeniably, a strange album: between Jeff Mangum's wailing and shrieking, the Holocaust-centered theme, and the persistent occurrence of distortion and clipping, it's not your average folk rock record. Most of the album's tracks contain bizarre and often jarring lyrics: take "Communist Daughter" line "semen stains the mountain tops" as an example. Of course, all of the album's eccentricities are what make it so fantastically brilliant. Which is why the LP's crown jewel comes in its most straightforward track, the one for which it is named. "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" does away with Mangum's penchant for metaphors and historical references, instead opting for an explicit expression of love. "What a beautiful face/I have found in this place/that is circling all 'round the sun" may be my favorite opening lyric ever, and Mangum's message only gets sweeter in the second verse. He cries, "and one day we will die/and our ashes will fly/from the aeroplane over the sea/but for now we are young/let us lay in the sun/and count every beautiful thing we can see." Both haunting and innocent, the songs lyrics describe a universal kind of love that one hopes will continue after death. The song is striking because it could be about any kind of relationship, whether it be high school sweethearts or elderly retirees falling in love. Of course, it wouldn't be an NMH song without at least a hint of weirdness (see: the bridge), but by and large "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" is a modest profession of love and, in my mind, probably the greatest such message ever put into music.<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:user:rhcpfan96:playlist:1CYoosfGHXysgevLiaM5js" width="300"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-84965903676337286522014-06-16T21:27:00.000-04:002014-06-16T21:27:20.740-04:00Ecstasy for America: USA vs Ghana Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The US captured a vital three points today against Ghana as John Anthony Brooks picked up a late headed goal to win after the Andre Ayew's equalizer. The American play was not exactly pretty, as the team spent much of the eighty minutes between Clint Dempsey's early opener and the Ghanaian goal desperately defending with tired legs and players going down with injuries left and right. Matt Besler and perhaps more significantly Jozy Altidore both left with hamstring issues by halftime, with Altidore's looking the more severe. Dempsey also suffered a likely broken nose after being kicked in the face in the first half.<br />
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As fate would have it, however, it was Besler's substitute replacement, Hertha Berlin center-back Brooks who would steal the game for the Outlaws. He climbed high above the Black Stars defense to nod in the winning goal as Norwegian-born Ghana goalie Adam Kwarasey failed to make the stop. It was an exhilarating, emotional, and joyous moment, and one that means so much not only for the USA's chances of advancing in this tournament but for the growth of the game as whole in the country.<br />
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In truth, this game and manner of victory could not have come at a more perfect time for soccer in the US. Interest in the sport has been increasing steadily over the past decade thanks to a variety of factors, and with millions watching this match (thanks in part to a rip-roaring start to the tournament already), many more fans were undoubtedly made in the space of two hours. The sport got its "SportsCenter moment" tonight, much akin to Landon Donovan's stoppage-time winner against Algeria in 2010, one that will be the leading story on sporting websites and programs throughout the nation for at least one night. Though the game has been increasing in popularity already in the states due in part to more accessibility to European matches on television and online, the growing quality of the MLS, social media, and the growing sales numbers of the FIFA video game franchise, it's games like this one that can really win people over.<br />
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So what does this result mean for the American squad's hopes in this world cup? In a word, everything. A loss or even a draw against this Ghana team would have made it incredibly difficult for the US to advance past their group, needing results against both Portugal and Germany, with at least one win. But now, in conjunction with Germany's 4-0 battering of the Portuguese earlier this afternoon, the US would likely move on with just a point against Portugal, a strong possibility if today's performance is anything to judge by. Assuming Germany beats Ghana, a tie vs. Portugal would leave the US three points above third place in the group with a huge lead in goal differential. Plus, Germany would have already clinched advancement, and could possibly rest some stars for their matchup against the United States.<br />
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All in all, today was an amazing day for the USA. An exciting victory in a crucial match combined with a favorable result elsewhere means that surviving the dreaded Group of Death is more than a possibility now, and maybe even a likelihood. The US plays Portugal this Sunday in a can't-miss game at six o'clock EST. Here's hoping Jurgen Klinsmann and his men can keep their winning streak alive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-51001691211205222432014-04-16T21:03:00.000-04:002014-04-16T21:03:23.949-04:00Teenage Angst Has Paid Off Well: Grunge and Social Revolution<i>Note: This is my US history term paper, and is thus significantly lengthier than my other posts, just as a heads up.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 28.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 40.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Teenage Angst Has Paid Off Well:</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 28.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 40.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Grunge and Social Revolution<o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></div>
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<b>Michael
O’Neill<o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></b></div>
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<b>4/14/2014<o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> People
sometimes define periods of American history by the music that was popular at
the time. The 1920’s are to this day referred to as the “Jazz Age;” the 1970’s
are remembered for disco. Perhaps most notably, the early 1990’s are recognized
by many as the glory days of grunge, as a new and exciting brand of alternative
music that shook the mainstream. During this time, youth were growing more and
more agitated with the older generations as the government floundered under
President George H.W. Bush, falling deeper and deeper into a recession between
1990 and 1992. <a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Americans showed their
desire for change as Democratic candidate Bill Clinton defeated Bush in the
1992 election, with third-party candidate Ross Perot managing to grab nineteen
percent of the popular vote. <a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Clearly, the American public wanted something different. Simultaneously, the
plastic music of the 1980’s had grown stale, making the time ripe for a new
genre of music to come along. These factors combined to set the stage for the
rise of grunge music, which used apathetic lyrics and an organic sound to
connect with disillusioned young people across the nation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Starting
in late 1991, grunge music began to explode in popularity, growing out of a
Seattle-based scene and eventually sustaining a presence in pop culture for a
few brief yet substantial years.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Not only did it change music, however, it also created a youth-based social
movement, the effects of which helped reshape various aspects of American
society. Most tangibly, grunge re-shaped rock music, movies, and fashion.
Besides this, the grunge era generated a new youth counter-culture, provided an
outlet for new political ideals to be broadcast to a large audience, and
increased the gap between Generation X and the Baby Boomers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Before
analyzing grunge as a musical proclamation, it is necessary to briefly examine
the rock music popular in the years preceding its peak, to which it was largely
a response of. For the most part, rock music in the 1980’s was dominated by a
more accessible form of heavy metal known as ‘pop metal.’<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The genre was characterized by melodic hooks, quick tempos, flashy guitar
playing, and clean production values. Notable artists who fell under this genre
included Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and perhaps most prominently, Van Halen.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The other sub-genre of rock to see mainstream success during this time was
arena rock, pushed forward by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and U2.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn6" name="_ednref6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> By
the beginning of the decade, punk music had experienced a decline in
popularity, with the leaders of the movement branching out into different
varieties of rock.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn7" name="_ednref7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Soon, alternative-leaning
‘post-punk’ groups such as The Smiths and The Cure began to receive both
critical and commercial acclaim in the UK, while only seeing minor success
stateside.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn8" name="_ednref8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Even
before the eighties wrapped up, many music listeners were craving a new sound,
one drastically different from the over-the-top glam metal and arena rock
scenes that were still extremely popular. Into this role stepped grunge, a
combination of several different genres that would take hold of a generation of
exasperated youth. Britannica identifies grunge music as a distinguishable
sub-genre of rock “combining guitar distortion, anguished vocals, and
heartfelt, angst-ridden lyrics.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn9" name="_ednref9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Though debate over usage of the term exists, grunge is somewhat of a catch-all
term for most of the alternative rock bands to gain popularity during the early
1990’s, though most shared at least a few musical characteristics. Due to this
broad definition, a considerable amount of variation exists among the various
grunge artists, each drawing different degrees of influence from the assorted
sub-genres of rock that came before them. Typically, grunge bands employed a
combination of punk rock and heavy metal, utilizing punk’s rebellious spirit
and heavy metal’s tendency for catchy hooks and powerful guitar riffs.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn10" name="_ednref10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Some groups, most notably Soundgarden, also drew inspiration from the hard rock
of the seventies.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn11" name="_ednref11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Nirvana front man and
grunge kingpin Kurt Cobain was influenced by everybody from rock trailblazers
The Beatles, to college rock giants like The Pixies and R.E.M., to more
conventional classic rockers such as Aerosmith and Cheap Trick.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn12" name="_ednref12" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Based on this extensive variety, grunge was a wide-ranging genre that took
ideas from numerous types of rock music and pooled them into a refreshing sound
that would soon spark a social revolution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Grunge
music first appeared in Seattle, the epicenter of the genre throughout its run,
in the mid-to-late 1980’s. Part of the reason that Seattle became the
foundation of the movement is purely coincidental; just by chance, a
disproportional amount of the country’s most talented musicians were based out
of the Northwestern metropolis. Of course, there are logical explanations for
this as well. The University of Washington attracted many youths to the city
who would facilitate the growth of the Seattle scene.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn13" name="_ednref13" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Furthermore, several new music venues had opened in the city around the same
time, generating an even stronger urban music culture.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn14" name="_ednref14" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> RKCNDY
opened its doors in 1991, just as grunge was hitting its stride, and hosted
plenty of shows by local bands.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn15" name="_ednref15" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The Crocodile opened the same year, a venue where Nirvana played some of their
early concerts.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn16" name="_ednref16" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> As a result, says
cultural geography expert Thomas L. Bell, Seattle now possessed “the nexus of
an independent music industry infrastructure,” which included the now-famous
record company known as Sub Pop.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn17" name="_ednref17" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[17]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The indie label played host to a number of early Seattle-based grunge acts,
such as Green River, Mudhoney, and Soundgarden.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn18" name="_ednref18" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[18]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Sub Pop additionally released grunge icons Nirvana’s first full-length album, <i>Bleach,</i> in 1989, unknowingly exposing to
the world one of rock’s most iconic acts in history for the first time.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn19" name="_ednref19" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[19]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The label helped popularize grunge music on a more national scale, as national
media and major labels took note of the growing scene in Seattle.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn20" name="_ednref20" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[20]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Widely-circulated
British music publication <i>NME </i>(short
for <i>New Musical Express</i>) featured several
Seattle bands throughout 1990, among them Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney. <a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn21" name="_ednref21" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[21]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
That same year, Sub Pop was bought out during financial struggles by record
company David Geffen Company, taking Nirvana and their other still-contracted
acts along with them onto the major record label.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn22" name="_ednref22" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[22]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
These circumstances, coupled with the sorry state of rock music in the
mainstream, would soon result in the spread of grunge music outside Seattle to
the rest of the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Grunge’s
big break came in late 1991, with the release of Nirvana’s <i>Nevermind</i> and its legendary lead single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
<i>NME</i> gave both <i>Nevermind</i> and former grungers Hole’s <i>Pretty on the Inside</i> critical acclaim that September, and from then
on, grunge albums began selling more copies and gain more of a presence in the
public eye.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn23" name="_ednref23" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[23]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
is still recognized today as <i>the</i> song
that broke grunge into the mainstream. Says pop culture expert Marc Oxoby, the
track “seemed overnight to become an anthem for the nation’s malaise, and particularly
for America’s youth culture,” dominating both radio waves and MTV video
rotations.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn24" name="_ednref24" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[24]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Nirvana became the faces
of grunge, with singer Kurt Cobain as the leader, as their music spread like
wildfire. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” hit #1 in 1992, and the band gained
substantial exposure via airtime on MTV, a performance <i>Saturday Night Live</i>, and appearances in <i>Rolling Stone </i>and other music magazines.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn25" name="_ednref25" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[25]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Two
other singles off <i>Nevermind </i>climbed
up near the top of Billboard’s “Mainstream Rock” chart in 1992: “Come As You
Are” peaked at number three, while “In Bloom” reached the fifth slot.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn26" name="_ednref26" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[26]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
“Lithium” also cracked into the top twenty, and remained on the chart for
sixteen weeks.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn27" name="_ednref27" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[27]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Still, nothing matched
the heights reached by the explosive lead single. To many, Nirvana was <i>the</i> grunge band, <i>Nevermind</i> was <i>the</i> grunge
album, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was <i>the</i>
grunge smash hit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Nirvana’s
triumphs paved the way for other grunge acts to score commercial success. Pearl
Jam’s debut record <i>Ten,</i> released the
same month as <i>Nevermind</i>, made a
lengthy yet steady climb to #1 by 1992.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn28" name="_ednref28" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[28]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Alice in Chains and Soundgarden each saw a rise in album sales following <i>Nevermind</i>, with each band’s respective
albums <i>Dirt</i> and <i>Superunknown</i> their biggest hits yet.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn29" name="_ednref29" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[29]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> The
former produced a #7 hit on the rock charts in “Rooster,”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn30" name="_ednref30" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[30]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
and <i>Superunknown </i>spawned three
different singles to break into the Mainstream Rock top five: “Spoonman” (#3),
“Fell on Black Days” (#4), and chart-topper “Black Hole Sun.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn31" name="_ednref31" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[31]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Mudhoney
and Green River, who had been two of the scene’s earliest members, also
benefitted greatly from the added exposure.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn32" name="_ednref32" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[32]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Mudhoney’s
1991 record <i>Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
</i>rode the grunge wave to become one of Sub Pop’s best-selling releases ever.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn33" name="_ednref33" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[33]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Nirvana’s follow up to <i>Nevermind</i>, the
bleak, raw <i>In Utero</i>, entered the
charts at the top in 1993.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn34" name="_ednref34" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[34]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The musical revolution that grunge created was now in full effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Part
of the reason grunge was so popular was its stark contrast to its predecessor
as king of the rock genres, the pop metal that flourished in the 1980’s. People
had tired of this lavish and highly sexualized style of music, and grunge acted
as a remedy, thanks to the drastic differences between the two genres. Both may
have relied somewhat on catchy melodic hooks, but the similarities stop there.
The heavy metal bands of the ‘80’s favored a “polished, smooth sound,” whereas
grunge artists used a dirtier, more organic-sounding style.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn35" name="_ednref35" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[35]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Extravagant guitar parts and solos were major characteristics of ‘glam metal,’
as it was often called.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn36" name="_ednref36" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[36]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
In contrast, the guitars in grunge songs usually used heavy distortion, earning
them the “murky-guitar” label.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn37" name="_ednref37" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[37]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Not
only different on a musical level, the images and lyrical content of both
styles were near polar opposites of each other. Pop metal was commonly known as
‘hair metal,’ due to the appearances of members of the genre’s biggest bands.
Long hair, lots of makeup, and flashy clothing were all typically worn by bands
like Mötley Crüe and Ratt.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn38" name="_ednref38" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[38]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Grunge musicians, on the other hand, dressed in much simpler attire, preferring
comfort over showiness.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn39" name="_ednref39" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[39]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The lyrics of eighties-based heavy metal songs were often highly sexual, bland,
and/or repetitive.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn40" name="_ednref40" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[40]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
An example of this is Poison’s hit “Talk Dirty to Me,” which contains the
lyrics, “I’ve got to touch you, ‘cause baby we’ll be at the drive in, in the
old man’s ford, behind the bushes until I’m screaming for more,” clearly
describing a sexual encounter.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn41" name="_ednref41" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[41]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The music video for Mötley Crüe’s unapologetically titled “Girls, Girls, Girls”
takes place in a strip club and mostly shows women pole dancing.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn42" name="_ednref42" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[42]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
“It’s all wine, women, and song,” Def Leppard’s Joe Elliot once explained,
adding, “nothing annoys me more than records about politics this, Greenpeace
that… all we are is total escapism.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn43" name="_ednref43" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[43]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Grunge
was a drastic departure from and provisional response to the hair metal scene
of the 1980’s, and marked a new era of alternative music being simultaneously
commercially viable and critically acceptable in the United States. Grunge
lyrics often had a radically different attitude than those mentioned above,
focusing at times on personal strife and on political ideas at others. Songs
often featured “cynicism, pain, and bitter humour” and reflected the angst felt
by the nation’s youth at the time.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn44" name="_ednref44" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[44]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The ‘cynicism’ and ‘pain’ elements are seen in songs like Nirvana’s
despondently titled “I Hate Myself and I Want to Die,” a case where the name of
the song speaks for itself. That ‘bitter humour’ part can be found in another
Nirvana track, “Dumb,” in which Kurt Cobain mordantly mumbles, “I think I’m
dumb, or maybe just happy.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn45" name="_ednref45" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[45]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Pearl Jam’s “Do the Evolution” stands as a good example of a
politically-charged grunge song, which lamented the arrogance of mankind and
the destruction of nature. The song’s opening verse hits the message home right
away, as singer Eddie Vedder shrieks, “I’m ahead, I’m a man, I’m the first
mammal to wear pants, yeah. I’m at peace with my lust, I can kill ‘cause in God
I trust, yeah; it’s evolution, baby.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn46" name="_ednref46" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[46]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Besides
indicating a change from the rock music of previous years, grunge also had an
impact on other music genres that were also popular during the genre’s height.
Britannica points out that grunge “played an enormous role in moving
alternative rock into the pop mainstream,” helping numerous artists of other
alternative sub-genres achieve commercial success.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn47" name="_ednref47" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[47]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Bands like Sonic Youth and Smashing Pumpkins, who despite being marketed as
grunge at the time actually shared few characteristics with the Seattle-based
genre, gained much popularity during the early nineties as a result of the new
alternative craze. New radio stations began forming under exclusively
alternative formats.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn48" name="_ednref48" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[48]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
It also resulted in the creation of many alternative-based music festivals, the
biggest being Lollapalooza and Woodstock ’94, which was held in honor of the
original Woodstock’s 25<sup>th</sup> anniversary.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn49" name="_ednref49" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[49]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Lastly, it effectively killed off the now much-maligned pop metal genre, which
practically disappeared in the nineties after ruling the decade prior. Grunge
was arguably the major style of music during the early 1990’s, and its
influence was felt throughout the music world both during this time and for
years after its untimely demise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Impact on Future Music & Other Art Forms<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The
most direct musical offspring of grunge is the style appropriately known as
‘post-grunge,’ named as such because it directly succeeded its parent genre
atop rock radio. Post-grunge artists, as put by online music guide All Music,
“imitated the sound and style of grunge, but not necessarily the individual
idiosyncrasies of its original artists.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn50" name="_ednref50" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[50]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
This greatly diminished the meaning of grunge, as post-grunge artists were
largely half-rate knock-offs of the real thing. Some, like Nirvana drummer Dave
Grohl’s Foo Fighters, maintained artistic individuality and integrity. Others,
such as Creed, Candlebox, and Nickleback, scored commercial success but are
widely regarded as some of the worst bands in history; respected music magazine
SPIN included all three on their list of “The 30 Biggest Punching Bags in Pop
History,” with Creed landing at number four.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn51" name="_ednref51" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[51]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Even
today, two decades after Cobain’s death, the impact of grunge can be felt in
newly-released rock music. Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains are all
still together, with Pearl Jam releasing <i>Lightning
Bolt</i> to critical praise in 2013.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn52" name="_ednref52" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[52]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Modern indie rock bands such as Cloud Nothings and Wavves have been compared to
Nirvana, with music critic Jessica Hopper saying the following about the
latter’s newest release, 2013’s <i>Afraid of
Heights</i>: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“<span style="background: white; color: #262626;">It's
unclear whether Wavves frontboy Nathan Williams is hoping to list towards
Cobainhood, but he seems plenty happy to hone coulda-been Nirvana licks to
perfection on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em>Afraid of
Heights</em><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">.”</span></em><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn53" name="_ednref53" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #262626; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[53]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Online music publication
Gigwise listed a dynamic range major alternative acts, including Muse, Flaming
Lips, 30 Seconds to Mars, Frank Turner, and Weezer as artists who have been
inspired by Cobain’s three-piece in one way or another.</span></em><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn54" name="_ednref54" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #262626; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[54]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Muse bassist Chris
Wosltenhome was quoted in the piece as saying that Nirvana “was what made us
want to be in bands.”</span></em><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn55" name="_ednref55" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #262626; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[55]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> 30 Seconds to Mars front
man Jared Leto stated that “Nirvana gave… the gift of permission for all of us
to have the right to pick up an instrument and create.”</span></em><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn56" name="_ednref56" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #262626; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[56]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Most indie and
alternative bands of the modern era owe a lot to Nirvana, if not for direct musical
inspiration then definitely for making alternative music as a whole more
acceptable and popular.</span></em></span></span><em><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Music was not the only art form to
be impacted by the grunge movement. The film industry began creating content
with grunge fans as target audiences. The first blockbuster “grunge” movie was
1992’s </span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Singles</span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">, which took place in Seattle, featured main
characters in their twenties, and even included a fictional grunge band.</span></em><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn57" name="_ednref57" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[57]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><em><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> In case that was not enough
indication of whom </span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Singles</span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> was targeting, three members of
Pearl Jam played small roles in the film, as did Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell.</span></em><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn58" name="_ednref58" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[58]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><em><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Soundgarden and Alice in Chains
also performed in the movie. Moreover, the film’s soundtrack featured songs
from all three aforementioned groups, plus Screaming Trees, Mudhoney, and
Mother Love Bone, eventually going platinum and becoming one of the top-selling
movie soundtracks of all time.</span></em><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn59" name="_ednref59" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[59]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><em><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt;"> Even the fashion world was not safe
from the effects of the rapidly growing grunge movement. Once Nirvana and the
other Seattle bands took off, everyone wanted to capture the grunge look by
dressing like the musicians who performed the music they loved so dearly. The
grunge style normally featured flannel shirts, worn jeans, and boots, a look
that had naturally developed for functionality, as the clothing made sense
given the climate in Washington.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn60" name="_ednref60" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[60]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
(See Appendix for a visual representation.)<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn61" name="_ednref61" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[61]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Disorder was a big part of the style, and the goal was </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“was to look tousled and unkempt, as though no
conscious attention had been paid to one's appearance,” as described by
Seattle-based celebrity photographer Karen Mason Blair.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn62" name="_ednref62" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[62]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Grunge outfits were thus often mismatched, clashing, and even appeared
slovenly.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn63" name="_ednref63" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[63]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Even the word ‘grunge’
itself could be used to describe the messy style, by definition meaning filth
or dirt. Fashion brands soon picked up on the growing fad, selling grunge-style
clothing at premium prices. From this trend came the concept of selling clothes
that were deliberately designed to look used, depleted, and dirty, a practice
that continues to this day.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn64" name="_ednref64" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[64]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The Pearl Jam song “Corduroy” was about the corporatization of the grunge look,
the irony behind spending hundreds of dollars on clothes that don’t look new.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn65" name="_ednref65" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[65]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
When asked about the meaning of the track, singer Eddie Vedder said “that song
was based on a remake of the brown corduroy jacket that I wore. I think I got
mine for 12 bucks, and it was being sold for like $650.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn66" name="_ednref66" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[66]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A Rebellion of Youth</span></b><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> While
grunge obviously had a massive impact on music, film, and fashion, to describe
the movement as a purely artistic one is to marginalize not only the leaders of
grunge but also its participants and followers. In truth, the force that drove
grunge into the mainstream was the counter-culture that developed around it in
Seattle, much like how the psychedelic and folk rock of the sixties was powered
by the hippies. David Szatmary quotes Sub Pop founders Bruce Pavitt and
Jonathan Poneman in explaining how “people (were) moving out here to become
part of a scene,” and labeled the city as a “Mecca” for alternative culture
during the early nineties.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn67" name="_ednref67" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[67]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
It was the music scene that lured most of the young adults of grunge to
Seattle, and by bringing them together grunge music inadvertently gave birth to
a social revolution comparable to the hippies of San Francisco in the late
1960’s.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn68" name="_ednref68" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[68]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
As the music became more popular, so did the counterculture, which in time
extended itself across the nation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> As
stated earlier, grunge fans were typically young people dissatisfied with
American living in the late eighties and earlier nineties, and were usually Caucasian
suburbanites who were the offspring of the baby-boomers.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn69" name="_ednref69" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[69]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Youths during this time were not happy with the state of the nation, as
unemployment rose and the future looked less than bright.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn70" name="_ednref70" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[70]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The music of grunge bands connected with this so-called “Generation X,” as the
band members had experienced many of the same emotions and issues that their
fans did.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn71" name="_ednref71" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[71]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> While some wrote these
feelings off as petty angst, the fears young people had were very real and
extremely disenchanting. Courtney Love spoke about the sources of this youth
desperation and despair, explaining that “we had to grow up with this
idealization that was never going to [expletive] come true, and it turned us
into a bunch of cynics – or a bunch of drug addicts.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn72" name="_ednref72" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[72]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Since the music of grunge reflected these lamentations, it acted as the
unifying force of the social movement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Gen
Xers valued authenticity and individuality highly, resulting in an increased
resistance to mass media and the corporatization of grunge. Originally, Kurt
Cobain wanted to throw away his fame post-<i>Nevermind</i>
in order to escape Nirvana’s ever-increasing commercialization. “We were going
to put out a record that completely, you know, ruin your reputation and only a
few thousand people from every city would show up (to concerts),” he said about
the group’s 1993 release, <i>In Utero</i>.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn73" name="_ednref73" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[73]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The album even included the satirically-titled track “Radio Friendly Unit
Shifter,” a tongue-in-cheek jab at radio stations and record labels alike.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn74" name="_ednref74" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[74]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Nirvana
was not the group to try futilely to resist pop culture’s grasp; Pearl Jam in
particular were known for their anti-corporate attitudes. The group refused to
produce music videos for any of their singles after their debut album <i>Ten</i>, standing steadfastly to their
principles in a tremendously bold move for the time.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn75" name="_ednref75" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[75]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Pearl Jam even held disdain for the Grammy awards, as made clear by Vedder in
the group’s acceptance speech at the 1996 awards after winning “Best Hard Rock
Performance” for <i>Vitalogy</i>’s “Spin the
Black Circle.” Vedder joined the rest of the band onstage before declaring with
a head scratch and a shrug, “I don’t know what this means. I don’t think it
means anything. That’s just how I feel.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn76" name="_ednref76" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[76]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Grunge as a Political Force<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Accompanying
the grunge lifestyle was a new set of political ideals implemented by the
followers of the counter-culture into their everyday lives. For the most part,
the ideology of grunge fans was built mostly on political attitudes and
beliefs, and only rarely were attempts made to actually change American
government or legislation. Grunge as a subculture held and actively advocated
for political ideals including but not limited to gender equality, resistance
to authority, avoidance of monopolies on businesses, gun control, and
acceptance of alternative sexualities. In short, the grunge movement advanced
liberal social attitudes at a time when conservatives had controlled the White
House for three consecutive terms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> The
most noteworthy political movement to arise out of Generation X and grunge
music was the third wave of feminism, in which “race, class, queerness and
gender equality took centre stage.”<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn77" name="_ednref77" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[77]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The movement was sparked by the rise of “riot grrrl,” a predominantly
female-populated sub-genre</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> of punk music
that held close ties with grunge.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn78" name="_ednref78" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[78]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Grunge artists such as Hole and L7 were often grouped under the riot grrrl
label as well, confirming the connection between the two.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn79" name="_ednref79" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[79]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Riot grrrl bands like Bikini Kill had members who were all women, and often
wrote pro-feminist lyrics.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn80" name="_ednref80" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[80]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
These punk feminists facilitated the resurgence of feminism in the country, as
their music reached a wide audience.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn81" name="_ednref81" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[81]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> The
new feminism was more militant than its previous forms, as the violent nature
of riot grrrl music showed, and encouraged women to participate in the arts, to
fight racism, and to be open about their sexualities.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn82" name="_ednref82" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[82]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Hole
were far and away the most successful group whose songs could often be
interpreted as feminist. Courtney Love wrote <i>Live Through This</i> track “Asking For It” after feeling violated by
fans after stage diving at a show, and became an anti-rape anthem for many
women across the country.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn83" name="_ednref83" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[83]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Grunge’s male counterparts also chimed in, with Cobain, Love’s husband, penning
“Rape Me” for Nirvana. The song’s message of defiance and perseverance in the
eyes of such a traumatic experience showed that the men of grunge could
identify with the genre’s women, furthering their feminist causes.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn84" name="_ednref84" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[84]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
From grunge and riot grrl, this new feminism continued to grow, with pop bands
like the Spice Girls actively promoting gender equality through their music in
the late 1990’s.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn85" name="_ednref85" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[85]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Since this time, feminism
has been a consistent presence in American politics, maintaining the basic
ideal of gender equality to this day. Bringing feminism back on a large scale
is a hugely important effect of grunge, though it wasn’t the only political
idea the cultural movement endorsed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Grunge
served as an outlet for many young people to challenge authority and the
American political climate. Of all the movement’s musical leaders, Pearl Jam
was certainly the most politically active. Through their music and actions, the
group advocated many leftist stances that were usually shared by its fans.
Their attitudes towards commercialization have already been discussed with
their anti-music video practices, but they soon took it a step further.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn86" name="_ednref86" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[86]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> In the mid-nineties, Pearl Jam became
embroiled in a public debate with ticket sellers Ticketmaster, who the band
claimed had blacklisted the group to concert venues for protesting the
company’s high prices.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn87" name="_ednref87" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[87]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The group even filed a complaint at the US Justice Department, which held a
hearing to determine whether Ticketmaster had violated federal law.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn88" name="_ednref88" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[88]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Band member Stone Gossard had this to say at the hearing: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">All
the members of Pearl Jam remember what it was like to be young and not have a
lot of money. Many Pearl Jam fans are teenagers who do not have the money to
pay thirty dollars or more that is often charged for tickets today. We have
made a conscious decision that we do not want to put the price of our concerts
out of the reach of our fans. Mr. Chairman, this is really about choices. Fans
can go from one music store to another to find the best deal on a CD. But they
can’t go anywhere but Ticketmaster for concert tickets.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn89" name="_ednref89" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[89]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The band’s noble stance ultimately
failed, as no other major rock groups joined them in their boycott of
Ticketmaster shows.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn90" name="_ednref90" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[90]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Pearl Jam played smaller shows at less popular venues as a result of their
protests, sacrificing financial gains for artistic and moral integrity.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn91" name="_ednref91" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[91]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
This type of action is in line with grunge’s principles, but was the first and
truly only case of grunge artists actually making an effort to enforce their ideals
via the political process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Pearl
Jam was also particularly known for their politically charged lyrics. The most
poignant example is the anti-gun <i>Vs. </i>track
“Glorified G,” which mocks the attitudes of American gun enthusiasts.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn92" name="_ednref92" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[92]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
In the song, Vedder cries satirically, “got a gun, fact I got two, that’s ok,
man, ‘cause I love God. Glorified version of a pellet gun, feels so manly when
armed.” <a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn93" name="_ednref93" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[93]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
It’s a scathing criticism of American gun culture, and echoes the general
feelings of the largely liberal grunge crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Lastly,
grunge musicians often promoted acceptance of LGBT individuals. The riot grrl
movement advocated most heavily for sexual equality, as many of the genre’s
performers were in fact homosexual.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn94" name="_ednref94" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[94]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Kurt Cobain claimed that as a teen he questioned his own sexuality, and in
doing so made it difficult for anyone in the grunge community to be outwardly
homophobic.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn95" name="_ednref95" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[95]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> This ties in with the
pro-individuality stance that was so key to grunge, and was another step
towards widespread public acceptance of homosexuals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Though
artists have made political statements before to no avail, grunge’s subculture
and resulting network of young activists ensured that the words of the likes of
Vedder, Cobain, and Love meant something. The political climate of the United States
shifted to the left in accordance with grunge’s largely liberal fan base, as
Democrat Bill Clinton was elected in 1992, a peak year in grunge.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn96" name="_ednref96" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[96]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
He became the first liberal President since Jimmy Carter, following the tenures
of conservative Republicans Ronald Reagan and George Bush in the eighties and
early nineties.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn97" name="_ednref97" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[97]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> That election saw an
unusually large turnout of youth voters, which can at least partially be
attributed to increased political awareness and activity resulting from the
grunge movement.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn98" name="_ednref98" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[98]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Clinton even went on MTV,
a hub of grunge culture, to campaign for the youth vote.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn99" name="_ednref99" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[99]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> Some
of the new President’s legislation reflected the leftist positions of grunge,
and were supported by the movement’s members. Most notable was perhaps the
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Bill, which put in place background checks on
people purchasing guns in the United States.</span></span><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn100" name="_ednref100" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[100]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">
Songs like Pearl Jam’s aforementioned “Glorified G” indicated that grunge
musicians and fans would be in support of such a bill, and while it’s nearly
impossible to prove how much public opinion on this issue was influenced by the
music, it certainly </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">didn't</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> hurt the cause. Grunge may not have been the only
reason for Clinton’s election and legislative decisions, but there’s no denying
that the politically charged youth making up the counter-culture supported much
of what their new President did and at least to some degree helped sway public
opinion in his favor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A Generation of Resentment</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The
final and perhaps longest-lasting impact on society of the spread of grunge
culture was an increased gap between Generation X and the Baby Boomers. Much of
the previously described angst felt by grunge fans was directed at the Baby
Boomers, who had raised them on the idea of the American dream and failed to
deliver on their promise.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn101" name="_ednref101" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[101]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Grievances over the lack of availability of decent job opportunities and a
general dismissive attitude towards youth from elders are what made young
people resent their parents so much. <a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn102" name="_ednref102" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[102]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>Soundgarden’s
Kim Thayil once ranted about his anger at the generation preceding his, saying
the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There’s
millions and millions of people in their 40s who think they’re so [expletive]
special… they’re this ultimate white-bread, suburban, upper-middle-class group
that were spoiled little [expletive] as kids ‘cause they were all children of
Dr. Spock, and then they were stupid, stinky hippies, and then they were
spoiled little yuppie materialists.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn103" name="_ednref103" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[103]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">While Thayil’s words may have been
harsh, on some level they represented how much of Generation X felt. That is to
say, the musicians </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">weren't</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> the only ones harboring negative feelings towards
their parents; the fans who made up Gen X </span><span style="line-height: 32px;">weren't</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"> exactly thrilled with the
preceding generation, either. Pop culture researcher Catherine Strong observes
that “there was a certain amount of harmony between grunge and a significant
segment of young people at the time,” and also that “grunge placed (emphasis)
on opposing older generations, particularly the Baby Boomers.”</span></span><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn104" name="_ednref104" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[104]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> Thus,
grunge music and specifically its lyrics didn’t simply portray the feelings of
a few talented individuals, but rather represented the entire fan base’s
feelings of bitterness towards their parents.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Part
of the problem was that the older generation failed to accept the complaints of
Generation X as anything more than petulant whining. Never was this more
apparent than in the days immediately preceding Kurt Cobain’s death, as the
Baby Boomers neither understood nor empathized with him or his grieving fans.
Andy Rooney gave an infamous speech on <i>60
Minutes</i> in the weeks after the singer’s suicide, which stirred up a great
deal of anger and controversy:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
what’s all this nonsense about how terrible life is? A young girl who stood
outside [Cobain’s] home in Seattle, with tears streaming down her face, said,
‘it’s hard to be a young person nowadays. He helped open people’s eyes to our
struggles.’ Please, wipe the tears from your eyes dear. You’re breaking my
heart. I’d love to relieve the pain you’re going through by switching my age
for yours.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn105" name="_ednref105" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[105]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Rooney’s sarcastic and condescending
tone outraged many viewers, particularly those of Generation X, who felt his
words epitomized the Baby Boomers’ attitude towards youth in the country. In
the end, the damage was irreparable, as the generational gap between Gen X and
the Baby Boomers has never been fully repaired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Grunge’s
honeymoon phase came to a screeching halt in April, 1994, when Kurt Cobain, the
recognized king of grunge who was often referred to as his generation’s John
Lennon, committed suicide.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn106" name="_ednref106" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[106]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The movement’s biggest band, Nirvana, was done, and from there on grunge music
began to dry up. Pearl Jam moved away towards a decidedly more conventional
rock style, as Soundgarden also departed grunge for greener pastures.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn107" name="_ednref107" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[107]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Mudhoney and the Melvins left their major labels, returning once again to niche
band status.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn108" name="_ednref108" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[108]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Hole, whose
singer/guitarist Courtney Love was married to Cobain, released the
agonizingly-timed and sadly, coincidentally titled <i>Live Through This </i>just four days after the Nirvana singer’s death.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn109" name="_ednref109" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[109]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Love, widowed and devastated, underwent more hardship months later when the
band’s bassist, Kristen Pfaff, died of a drug overdose.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn110" name="_ednref110" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[110]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The group didn’t release another album until 1998, long after grunge’s decline,
and even then it was a distinctly un-grunge-like record.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn111" name="_ednref111" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[111]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
When Kurt Cobain sported a “Grunge is Dead” t-shirt early in 1994, he had no
idea how accurate that statement would soon become.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn112" name="_ednref112" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[112]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> Though
a simple musical shift on the surface, the grunge movement made a huge splash
in the pool of American society in the early 1990’s, and set the tone for the
rest of the decade. Grunge culture led to drastic changes in rock music for
years to come, killing off the dreaded ‘hair metal’ while leaving post-grunge
in its wake. The worlds of film and fashion </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">weren't</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> safe from grunge’s reach,
either, as each industry made an effort to capitalize on the exploding Seattle
scene. A youth-based counter-culture formed around the music that started it
all, mirroring the hippies of the 1960’s. Like the hippies, grunge fans
celebrated the virtues of individuality and independence from corporatization,
though they also shared the hippies’ penchant for drug use, primarily heroin.
Unpredictably, grunge and its punk-influenced counterpart riot grrrl started
the third wave of feminism in the United States, while simultaneously taking on
big business, monopolistic practices, gun culture, and homophobia.
Additionally, grunge music and its counter-culture facilitated the final split
between the stubborn Baby Boomers and the disaffected Generation Xers by giving
a voice to concerned young people. Though Kurt Cobain may have famously uttered
“oh well, whatever, never mind,” his downtrodden, indifferent attitude did not
accurately reflect what the music of his band and others like it would do to
American society.</span></span><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_edn113" name="_ednref113" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[113]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pearl Jam Twenty</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Directed and narrated by Cameron Crowe.
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<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pearl Jam Twenty</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Directed and screenplay by Cameron Crowe.
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<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pearl Jam Twenty</span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Directed and narrated by Cameron Crowe.
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</span><a href="http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/132749/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/132749/</span></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Music and Memory</i>. Surrey, United Kingdom: Ashgate<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Publishing, 2011.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 24pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Vedder, Eddie. "Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam."
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</span><a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/eddie-vedder-of-pearl-jam-13789"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">http://www.avclub.com/article/eddie-vedder-of-pearl-jam-13789</span></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walser, Robert. "Grunge."
<i>Oxford Mus</i>. Accessed February 8, 2014.
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.libdb.belmont-hill.org:2048/subscriber/article/
grove/music/49139?q=grunge&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Appendix<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1) A visual representation of the ‘grunge’ look, as displayed
by Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Source: </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Makenna Alene, "Styled Person Of Interest: Kurt
Cobain,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Beautiful Freaks 17<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(blog), entry posted April 5, 2013,
accessed April 13, 2014, http://beautifulfreaks17.blogspot.com/2013/04/styled-person-of-interest-kurt-cobain.html.</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Endnotes</span></b></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online, "George H.W. Bush,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Encyclopaedia Britannica Online</i>,
accessed February 27, 2014, http://www.britannica.com.libdb.belmont-hill.org:2048/EBchecked/topic/86083/George-HW-Bush/.</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
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<div id="edn3">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">David P.
Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin' in Time: A
Social History of Rock-and-Roll</i>, 4th ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 2000), 286.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn4">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
ibid., 255.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn5">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 256.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn6">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref6" name="_edn6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 259.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn7">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref7" name="_edn7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 236.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn8">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref8" name="_edn8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Ibid.,
238.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn9">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref9" name="_edn9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online, ed., "grunge,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online</i>, accessed January 4, 2014,
http://www.britannica.com.libdb.belmont-hill.org:2048/EBchecked/topic/247446/grunge.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn10">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref10" name="_edn10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Rupa Huq,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Beyond Subculture: Pop, Youth and Identity
in a Postcolonial World</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(London,
UK: Routledge, 2006),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>137.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn11">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref11" name="_edn11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Marc Oxoby,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The
1990s</i>, ed. Ray B. Browne, American Pop Culture Through History (Westport,
CT: Greenwood Press, 2003),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>162.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn12">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref12" name="_edn12" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Lars Gotrich, "50 Artists Who Inspired
Kurt Cobain," www.NPR.com, last modified September 19, 2011, accessed
February 8, 2014,
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/19/140487084/the-mix-50-artists-who-inspired-kurt-cobain.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn13">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref13" name="_edn13" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Thomas L.
Bell, "Why Seattle? An Examination of an Alternative Rock Culture
Hearth,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Journal of Cultural
Geography</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>18, no. 1
(Fall/Winter 1998):<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>36, accessed
February 10, 2014, EBSCOhost.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn14">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref14" name="_edn14" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn15">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref15" name="_edn15" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Tom Scanlon, "All-Ages Rkcndy Club To Close Its Doors
Oct. 31,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Seattle Times</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(Seattle, WA), September 15, 1999,
Living,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>[Page #], accessed April
13, 2014,
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990915&slug=2983164.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn16">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref16" name="_edn16" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Tom Scanlon, "Crocodile Cafe Abruptly Closes Its
Doors,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Seattle Times</i>(Seattle,
WA), December 17, 2007, Local News,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>[Page
#], accessed April 13, 2014, http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2004078691_webcroc17m.html.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn17">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref17" name="_edn17" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[17]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;">Bell,
"Why Seattle? An Examination,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>36.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn18">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref18" name="_edn18" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[18]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Catherine Strong,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Grunge:
Music and Memory</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(Surrey,
United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing, 2011),<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>16.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn19">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref19" name="_edn19" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[19]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn20">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref20" name="_edn20" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[20]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 17.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn21">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref21" name="_edn21" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[21]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 50.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn22">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref22" name="_edn22" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[22]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>285.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn23">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref23" name="_edn23" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[23]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn24">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref24" name="_edn24" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[24]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Oxoby,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The 1990s</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>161.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn25">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref25" name="_edn25" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[25]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>286.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn26">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref26" name="_edn26" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[26]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Billboard,
"Nirvana - Chart History," Billboard.com, accessed April 13, 2014,
http://www.billboard.com/artist/312336/nirvana/chart?f=376.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn27">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref27" name="_edn27" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[27]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>286.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn28">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref28" name="_edn28" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[28]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn29">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref29" name="_edn29" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[29]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 287.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn30">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref30" name="_edn30" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[30]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Billboard, "Alice in Chains - Chart History,"
Billboard.com, accessed April 13, 2014,
http://www.billboard.com/artist/278597/alice-chains/chart?page=2&f=376.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn31">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref31" name="_edn31" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[31]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Billboard, "Soundgarden - Chart History,"
Billboard.com, accessed April 13, 2014,
http://www.billboard.com/artist/279997/soundgarden/chart?page=1&f=376.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn32">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref32" name="_edn32" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[32]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>287.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn33">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref33" name="_edn33" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[33]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn34">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref34" name="_edn34" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[34]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 286.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn35">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref35" name="_edn35" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[35]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 256.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn36">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref36" name="_edn36" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[36]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn37">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref37" name="_edn37" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[37]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online, "grunge."</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn38">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref38" name="_edn38" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[38]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>257.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn39">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref39" name="_edn39" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[39]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Karen Mason Blair, "The Grunge Look: Alice in
Chains," in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>American
Decades Primary Sources</i>, by Cynthia Rose (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2004),
10:158-159, accessed March 2, 2014, http://ic.galegroup.com.libdb.belmont-hill.org:2048/ic/bic1/PrimarySourcesDetailsPage/PrimarySourcesDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=PrimarySources&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=BIC1&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3490201889&source=Bookmark&u=mlin_m_belhill&jsid=31e7683eca4a7b968b0a1f6f3e1e0b41.</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn40">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref40" name="_edn40" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[40]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>256.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn41">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref41" name="_edn41" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[41]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Poison,
"Poison - Talk Dirty to Me," SongMeanings.com, accessed March 1,
2014, http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/132749/.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn42">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref42" name="_edn42" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[42]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">"Mötley
Crüe - Girls, Girls, Girls," YouTube.com, video file, 04:34, posted by
MotleyCrueVEVO, November 11, 2010, accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2XdmyBtCRQ.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn43">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref43" name="_edn43" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[43]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>256.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn44">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref44" name="_edn44" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[44]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Robert
Walser, "Grunge,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Oxford
Mus</i>, accessed February 8, 2014, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.libdb.belmont-hill.org:2048/subscriber/article/grove/music/49139?q=grunge&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn45">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref45" name="_edn45" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[45]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Nirvana, "Nirvana - Dumb,"
www.SongMeanings.com, accessed February 8, 2014,
http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/372/</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn46">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref46" name="_edn46" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[46]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Pearl Jam, 'Do the Evolution' Lyrics, PearlJam.com, accessed
January 4, 2014,
http://pearljam.com/music/lyrics/all/all/20844/do_the_evolution.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn47">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref47" name="_edn47" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[47]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online, "grunge."</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn48">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref48" name="_edn48" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[48]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Oxoby,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The
1990s</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>165.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn49">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref49" name="_edn49" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[49]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn50">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref50" name="_edn50" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[50]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">"Post-Grunge,"
AllMusic.com, accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.allmusic.com/style/post-grunge-ma0000005020/artists.</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref51" name="_edn51" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[51]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Andrew Martin, "The 30 Most Hated Acts Of All Time,
According To Spin," PrefixMag.com, last modified March 22, 2012, accessed
April 13, 2014, http://www.prefixmag.com/news/the-30-most-hated-acts-of-all-time-according-to-sp/63535/.</span></div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref52" name="_edn52" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[52]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Will Hermes, Pearl Jam - "Lightning Bolt" Review,
RollingStone.com, last modified October 15, 2013, accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/lightning-bolt-20131015.</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref53" name="_edn53" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[53]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Jessica Hopper, "Wavves, 'Afraid of
Heights' (Mom + Pop/Warner Bros.)," Spin.com, last modified March 25,
2013, accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.spin.com/reviews/wavves-afraid-of-heights-mom-and-pop-warner-bros/.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn54">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref54" name="_edn54" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[54]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Andrew Trendell, "Nirvana's In Utero Is 20 - Here Are
The Artists That It Inspired," Gigwise.com, last modified September 13,
2013, accessed April 13, 2014,
http://www.gigwise.com/photos/84167/nirvanas-in-utero-is-20---here-are-the-artists-that-it-inspired.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn55">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref55" name="_edn55" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[55]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn56">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref56" name="_edn56" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[56]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn57">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref57" name="_edn57" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[57]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>286.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn58">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref58" name="_edn58" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[58]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"Singles (1992) Full Cast & Crew," Imdb.com,
accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105415/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn59">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref59" name="_edn59" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[59]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Michael Nelson, "Singles Soundtrack Turns 20,"
Stereogum.com, last modified June 28, 2012, accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.stereogum.com/1075861/singles-soundtrack-turns-20/.</span></div>
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<div id="edn60">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref60" name="_edn60" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[60]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Mason Blair, "The Grunge Look: Alice," in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>American Decades Primary Sources</i>,
10:158-159.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn61">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref61" name="_edn61" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[61]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Makenna Alene, "Styled Person Of Interest: Kurt
Cobain,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Beautiful Freaks
17</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(blog), entry posted April
5, 2013, accessed April 13, 2014,
http://beautifulfreaks17.blogspot.com/2013/04/styled-person-of-interest-kurt-cobain.html.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn62">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref62" name="_edn62" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[62]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Mason Blair, "The Grunge Look: Alice," in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>American Decades Primary Sources</i>,
10:158-159.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn63">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref63" name="_edn63" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[63]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[63]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn64">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref64" name="_edn64" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[64]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn65">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref65" name="_edn65" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[65]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Eddie Vedder, "Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam,"
interview by Josh Modell, AVClub.com, last modified November 6, 2002, accessed
March 2, 2014, http://www.avclub.com/article/eddie-vedder-of-pearl-jam-13789.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn66">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref66" name="_edn66" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[66]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn67">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref67" name="_edn67" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[67]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn68">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref68" name="_edn68" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[68]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn69">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref69" name="_edn69" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[69]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Huq,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Beyond
Subculture: Pop, Youth</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>139.</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn70">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref70" name="_edn70" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[70]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Walser, "Grunge."</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn71">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref71" name="_edn71" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[71]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>287.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn72">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref72" name="_edn72" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[72]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid., 288.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn73">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref73" name="_edn73" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[73]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"Nirvana - 04/08/1994 - MTV News Report on Kurt Cobain's
Death Live," YouTube, video file, 30:01, posted by NirvanaUnseen, April
21, 2013, accessed March 2, 2014, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qibk2XNemY.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn74">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref74" name="_edn74" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[74]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Huq,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Beyond
Subculture: Pop, Youth</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>138.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn75">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref75" name="_edn75" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[75]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Batchelor, "Smells Like MTV: Music,"
www.PopMatters.com.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn76">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref76" name="_edn76" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[76]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"Pearl Jam 1996 Grammy's Speech,"
YouTube, video file, 01:12, posted by CornellisGod, August 25, 2007, accessed
March 2, 2014, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHEYs0CMe4U#t=12.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn77">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref77" name="_edn77" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[77]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Devon Murphy, "Feminist Movement's Future In Question
After The Third Wave," editorial, HuffingtonPost.CA, last modified June
24, 2013, accessed February 9, 2014,
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/24/modern-feminism_n_3471768.html.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn78">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref78" name="_edn78" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[78]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Strong,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Grunge: Music and Memory</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>110.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn79">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref79" name="_edn79" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[79]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Huq,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Beyond
Subculture: Pop, Youth</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>140.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn80">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref80" name="_edn80" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[80]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Strong,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Grunge: Music and Memory</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>110.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn81">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref81" name="_edn81" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[81]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Steve Feliciano, "The Riot Grrrl Movement,"
NYPL.org, last modified June 19, 2013, accessed January 4, 2014,
http://www.nypl.org/blog/2013/06/19/riot-grrrl-movement.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn82">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref82" name="_edn82" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[82]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn83">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref83" name="_edn83" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[83]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Kim France, "Led by Alanis Morissette and Courtney Love,
a whole new breed of feminism is standing atop the pop cultural heap,"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>New York Magazine</i>, June 3,
1996,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>41.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn84">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref84" name="_edn84" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[84]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Nirvana, Nirvana - "Rape Me" Lyrics,
SongMeanings.com, accessed January 4, 2014,
http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/15729/.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn85">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref85" name="_edn85" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[85]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Huq,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Beyond
Subculture: Pop, Youth</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>145.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn86">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref86" name="_edn86" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[86]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Batchelor, "Smells Like MTV: Music,"
www.PopMatters.com.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn87">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref87" name="_edn87" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[87]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Pearl Jam Twenty</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">, directed and
screenplay by Cameron Crowe, produced by Cameron Crowe, Michele Anthony, and
Morgan Neville, Abramorama, 2011, accessed March 2, 2014,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpo-5tv6zbY.</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn88">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref88" name="_edn88" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[88]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn89">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref89" name="_edn89" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[89]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn90">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref90" name="_edn90" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[90]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn91">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref91" name="_edn91" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[91]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn92">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref92" name="_edn92" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[92]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Pearl Jam, 'Glorified G' Lyrics, PearlJam.com, accessed
January 4, 2014, http://pearljam.com/music/lyrics/all/all/20871/glorified_g.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn93">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref93" name="_edn93" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[93]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn94">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref94" name="_edn94" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[94]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Feliciano, "The Riot Grrrl Movement," NYPL.org.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn95">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref95" name="_edn95" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[95]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Cavan Sieczkowski, "Kurt Cobain Said He Thought He Was
Gay As A Child In Unearthed Jon Savage Interview," HuffingtonPost.com,
last modified October 23, 2013, accessed March 2, 2014,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/23/kurt-cobian-gay_n_4150810.html.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn96">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref96" name="_edn96" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[96]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">BBC, "1992: Clinton beats Bush to the White House,"
BBC.co.uk, accessed April 13, 2014,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/4/newsid_3659000/3659498.stm.</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn97">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref97" name="_edn97" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[97]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn98">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref98" name="_edn98" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[98]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Matthew C. Nisbet, "A Look Back at 1992: How Bill
Clinton Engaged Younger Voters," BigThink.com, last modified December 14,
2011, accessed April 13, 2014,
http://bigthink.com/age-of-engagement/a-look-back-at-1992-how-bill-clinton-engaged-younger-voters.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn99">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref99" name="_edn99" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[99]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn100">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref100" name="_edn100" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[100]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 921-922
(1994). Accessed April 13, 2014.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-103hr1025rh/pdf/BILLS-103hr1025rh.pdf.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn101">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref101" name="_edn101" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[101]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>287.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn102">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref102" name="_edn102" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[102]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Walser, "Grunge."</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn103">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref103" name="_edn103" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[103]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Szatmary,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rockin'
in Time: A Social</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>287.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn104">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref104" name="_edn104" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[104]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Strong,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Grunge: Music and Memory</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>137.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn105">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref105" name="_edn105" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[105]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <i>P</i><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">earl Jam Twenty</span></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">,</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> directed and narrated by Cameron Crowe,
produced by Cameron Crowe, Michele Anthony, and Morgan Neville, Abramorama,
2011, accessed January 6, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOt8OuwHmQ.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn106">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref106" name="_edn106" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[106]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"NBC News reports on Kurt Cobain's death 4-94,"
YouTube.com, video file, 01:16, posted by Bigkatmanning, May 1, 2008, accessed
March 1, 2014, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJSj_gRZXnA.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn107">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref107" name="_edn107" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[107]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Strong,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Grunge: Music and Memory</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>20.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn108">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref108" name="_edn108" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[108]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ibid.</div>
</div>
<div id="edn109">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref109" name="_edn109" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[109]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "Hole - Biography,"
AllMusic.com, accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hole-mn0000680476/biography.</span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn110">
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref110" name="_edn110" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[110]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref111" name="_edn111" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[111]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref112" name="_edn112" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[112]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Strong,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Grunge: Music and Memory</i>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>20.</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/owner/My%20Documents/Mike's%20BHS%20Form%20V/APUSH%20Term%20Paper/FINAL%20DRAFT.docx#_ednref113" name="_edn113" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[113]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Nirvana, "Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit,"
SongMeanings.com, accessed March 2, 2014, </span><a href="http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3995/"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3995/</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-16304274061930418112014-04-08T22:31:00.001-04:002014-04-08T22:31:58.031-04:00Top 10 Nirvana Songs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Nirvana are a band that've been extremely present as of late. This week, they're going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Singer Kurt Cobain's ex-wife Courtney Love recently announced that her band Hole was reuniting. On a personal level, my term paper on grunge's effects on society, much of which is centered on the story of Nirvana and Cobain, is due next week.<br />
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Of course, the biggest reason Nirvana's name has been everywhere lately is because this week marks 20 years since the end of Nirvana, as Cobain was discovered deceased at his home on April 8th, 1994, twenty years ago today. The news of the tortured singer's suicide shocked the world much like word of Lennon's murder did over a decade prior, though there warning signs ahead of time, unlike the latter's sudden death. Regardless, the tragic end to the career of grunge's kings cemented their place in history as one of if not the greatest alternative act of all time. As such, whittling down their catalog to a measly ten tracks was no walk in the park. This list might seem <i>In Utero</i>-heavy, but that's largely because it's widely accepted as their best and most time-withstanding work. And to prove my point, here's number ten...<br />
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<b>10. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" - <i>In Utero</i></b><br />
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For those who wonder why <i>In Utero </i>is known for its abrasiveness and viscerality, look no further. Dry guitars and Cobain's gravelly vocal each stand out on this track, and the harsh feedback during the verse does its job dutifully. The track follows the quiet-loud-quiet format to a tee. Dave Grohl also pounds heavily behind the drumkit in one of the group's loudest, most violent songs. It's not Nirvana at their most commercially appealing by any means, but it is one of their best nonetheless.<br />
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<b>9. "Serve the Servants" - <i>In Utero</i></b><br />
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To kick off Nirvana's third and final studio album, Kurt Cobain howls possibly the greatest opening lyric in rock history: "Teenage angst has paid off well," he admits, before lamenting "now I'm bored and old." The lyric perfectly encapsulated not only what was going on in terms of pop culture and grunge's increasing role in it, but also Kurt's attitude towards his newfound fame and influence. The song comes off as more tame, more composed compared to "Frances Farmer," which gives it just that extra bit of quality. Cobain's guitar work here is some of his best, whether it's the crunchy opening riff or the more free-flowing solo. The quiet-loud song structure is reversed, as Kurt's screaming in the verses shrinks into a timid moan for the eponymous chorus. "Serve the Servants" kicks off the album in style, via a dirty, unglamourous grunge crawl.<br />
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<b>8. "Rape Me" - <i>In Utero</i></b><br />
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Due to its provocative title, "Rape Me" is far and away Nirvana's most controversial track, which is odd considering the lyrics are extremely anti-rape. But ,of course, some people will always judge a book by its cover or, in this case, a song by its title. Though "Heart-Shaped Box"'s music video was definitely, let's say, "out there," and the subject matter was just as sexual (according to Courtney Love), it's "Rape Me" that had Walmart and KMart aflutter. Ironically, the song is one of <i>In Utero</i>'s most commercially viable, following a relatively standard structure with a powerful chorus and pulsating beat. The guitar riff is fantastic, and the entire song has a somewhat straightforward punk sound to it. "Rape Me" is a classic grunge song, and is probably the closest thing to <i>Nevermind</i>-era Nirvana you can find on <i>In Utero</i>.<br />
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<b>7. "About a Girl"</b> - <b><i>Bleach</i> & <i>MTV Unplugged</i></b><br />
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Nirvana's pop tendencies were evident from the beginning, as this track from their 1989 debut <i>Bleach</i> clearly indicates. I've included both the original recording and the live acoustic version here, as both a thoroughly entertaining in different ways. The catchy chorus, simple instrumentation, and addictive melody all come together wonderfully in the plugged-in version, which still sounds great twenty-five years on. The MTV show that Nirvana played is one of the most famous in history - how many other concert recordings are regularly played on rock radio? The trio lead off on this famous night with an acoustic rendition of "About A Girl," setting the tone perfectly for the rest of the show. The prettier acoustic guitars and soft drums put all the focus on Kurt's voice, changing the emphasis of the song significantly. I'd be hard-pressed to declare one take better than the other, and would rather just enjoy each for what they are, by which I mean two amazing pieces of music.<br />
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<b>6. "On a Plain" - <i>Nevermind</i></b><br />
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<i>Nevermind</i>'s penultimate listed track and final 'loud' song (as its followed by the quite closer "Something in the Way") will leave you wanting more after the disc stops spinning. "On a Plain" jumps straight in after a bit of feedback, with the first verse kicking off quite suddenly. Cobain's riff is great, and the chorus is catchy. Grohl's drumming is substantially above average once again, particularly those thumping tom-toms during the refrain of "I'm on a plain." Lyrics such as "love myself better than you" show off Cobain's salty side as well as his unique songwriting ability. It's a wonder this seemingly commercially viable track didn't get more radio play, but that doesn't stop it from being an excellent example of Nirvana in their <i>Nevermind </i>phase.<br />
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<b>5. "All Apologies" - <i>In Utero</i></b><br />
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Here's another track that is perhaps better known by its acoustic version, however, I've elected for the electrified edition of <i>In Utero</i>'s final notes. While the MTV Unplugged performance is beautiful in its own right, I think the contrast between the extremely quiet verses and explosive chorus plays a particularly pivotal role here, perhaps more so than in any other Nirvana single, save "Smells Like Teen Spirit." In the verse, Cobain is upset but not necessarily angry, as he ponders his faults ("I wish I was like you") and asks questions like "what else should I be?" While it could be interpreted as passive-aggressive ("I'll take all the blame" and other lines like it could easily be interpreted as sarcastic), there's still no direct conflict involved. The bashful guitar riff and subdued drum beat back up this idea suitably. The chorus then brings an eruption of sound, with distorted guitars and Cobain's classic cry taking over. "All Apologies" manages to fit despair, regret, anger, self-blame, and even some philosophy ("all in all is all we are") into a stunning four-minutes.<br />
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<b>4. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" - <i>MTV Unplugged</i></b><br />
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The only performance of Nirvana's on MTV Unplugged to surpass the kick-starter, "About A Girl," is the closer, the absolutely breathtaking cover of Lead Belly's arrangement of an old folk song. Cello plays a prominent role in the build up to the song's stunning epicenter, as do two excellently-played verses. For a moment, everything drops but Cobain's whisper and quiet guitar. Then, unexpectedly, the late singer unleashes a desperate, shrieking, emotional plea, asking his love about a possible infidelity. The moment is even more powerful when seen on video, as Kurt's frail frame and sad blue eyes really paint a picture of what's going on behind the scenes with his troubled marriage. No one expected this kind of performance from the loud, wild grunge-punks from Seattle, but everybody was thankful for it once it came.<br />
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<b>3. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - <i>Nevermind</i></b><br />
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Goodness, where to start. Well, if you don't know the deal with "Smells Like Teen Spirit," you might want to pay a bit more attention. Even for those who weren't alive to see it happen, myself included, it's well established that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is the song that kicked off Nirvana's career, launched the grunge movement into the public eye at blistering speeds, and defined a generation of disaffected youth. "Teen Spirit" is possibly the most commonly analyzed song on Earth, a rare example of a piece of music that was and is hugely successful both commercially and critically. From the iconic drum into to Cobain's riff, to the instantly recognizable chorus, to the final wail of "let it die out," "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is an amazing song through and through. I don't have much else to say that hasn't already been said a thousand times before, except that it's quite remarkable that there could be two Nirvana songs better than this one, even if this list is completely subjective.<br />
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<b>2. "Pennyroyal Tea" - <i>In Utero</i></b><br />
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To be frank, much of Nirvana's discography is musically simple at first glance, and "Pennyroyal Tea" definitely falls under that categorization. A calm verse and loud chorus is nothing new for Nirvana, but on this track they do it particularly well. The chorus is one of their best, and the instrumental breakdown halfway through is outstanding in its sluggishness. The raw vocals are especially poignant during the bridge just after the solo, acting as a quiet before the final chorus's raucous storm. I also love the acoustic version, which is just Cobain on vocals and guitar, but it just missed the cut for me. I'm finding that it's hard to explain why I love this song so much, so hopefully the music can speak for itself.<br />
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<b>1. "Heart-Shaped Box" - <i>In Utero</i></b><br />
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Simply put, "Heart-Shaped Box" is in my humble opinion the greatest thing Nirvana ever did. Every single component of this song just <i>works</i>. The creepy guitar pattern creates a certain, definite mood of anticipation and uneasiness, matching the cryptic lyrics. The classic quiet-loud-quiet format is at work once again, with a volatile two-part chorus standing out among the group's other refrains. Between the crazed "Hey! Wait!" shouts and the sardonic "forever in debt to your priceless advice," the chorus is full of emotion. Cobain's growl was perhaps never better employed than here. Though the guitar solo simply mimics the melody, the distortion gives it that slightly-off feel that the song needs. "Heart-Shaped Box" is infectious, and while Kurt claims he's been locked in for four weeks, music fans have been trapped by the single for twenty years, and happily so.<br />
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<b>Honorable mentions: </b>"Pennyroyal Tea" (<i>MTV Unplugged</i> version), "School," "Dumb," "Scentless Apprentice," "Come As You Are," "Lithium," "The Man Who Sold the World"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-66270176358781563892014-03-30T15:55:00.000-04:002014-03-30T15:55:06.110-04:00Premier League Home Stretch: Assessing the Title Race, the Relegation Battle, and the Supposed Downfall of Manchester United<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title Race</b><br />
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In front of you stand three managers all attempting to snatch the Premier League Title in the final two months of the season: first, the always arrogant, always entertaining Jose Mourinho, who recently declared that his Chelsea squad have no hope of winning the league following a 1-0 defeat to lowly Crystal Palace; in the middle stands Brendan Rodgers, who with the help of a deadly striking duo has surprised everyone by taking Liverpool to the top of the table; and lastly Manuel Pellegrini, who in his first season in the BPL has led Manchester City to a current position of third place, though with two fewer matches played than their rivals, the Sky Blues can overtake both Chelsea and Liverpool should they win their games in hand.<br />
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The question on everybody's mind now is, of course, which club will finish the season in first? My answer, in short, is that I can't say for sure. If I had to guess, which I kind of have to otherwise this would be a pointless post, I'd say Manchester City will be named champions in a very tight race. They sit four points below league leaders Liverpool with two games in hand, therefore, if they win both of those matches, they will be at least two points ahead of second place. They only have one particularly difficult fixture left to play, and that's an away contest against Liverpool. Everton might frustrate them at Goodison, where they have only lost once all season, but the game at Anfield is still the toughest task left for Pellegrini's side. The return of top forward Sergio Aguero will be a big boost to the Manchester Club as well. Should Liverpool beat City in that game, they will have a pretty good shot at the title themselves. Chelsea also have to travel to Anfield, have no games in hand, and still have European play to worry about, so I think Mourinho's prognosis is a correct one. That's also another big game for Liverpool, who otherwise have an extremely tame fixture list. Their three remaining away games have them pitted against Norwich, West Ham, and Crystal Palace, though as Chelsea proved yesterday, Tony Pulis' men aren't always a pushover at Selhurst park. I expect the race to be settled in the second-to-last week of the year, and if not, all three should claim victory on the final matchday against manageable opponents, resulting in no shake-up atop the table.<br />
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<b>Fight for Fourth Place & Champions League</b><br />
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Of course, the battle for the fourth & final champions league slot in England will be a pugnacious one as well. Spurs proved themselves today to be totally incompetent of beating any strong opponent, and are all but guaranteed to finish outside the top four. That leaves two clubs legitimately contending for the position; one-time title contenders Arsenal, who spent much of the season in first before recently suffering a dip in form and effectively dropping out of the title race, and Everton, the scrappy rivals to Liverpool who year after year punch above their financial weight by finishing near clubs with significantly larger bank accounts. Like the City-Chelsea-Liverpool situation, the team currently sitting in the desired standing, Arsenal, has played one more match than the team chasing the spot. Everton lie four points behind Arsenal with one game in hand, though they have the tougher remaining schedule. This race will more than likely be determined next Saturday, when the two squads face each other at Everton's home stadium, Goodison Park, where they have stood sturdy in almost every game this season. Their one home loss came only after a misplaced back pass led to goalkeeper Tim Howard's red card and their opponent's subsequent conversion of the penalty shot. Arsenal and Everton have clashed twice already this year, both times at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. The league match ended one-one after Everton loanee Gerard Deulofeu's stunning equalizer, while the FA cup match saw the injury-plagued Blues lose 4-0. Though Everton may blow their chances with fixtures against the two Manchester clubs on the horizon (though both are home games), I still feel that whichever squad triumphs on Saturday will claim the final champions league spot. Should they draw, I'll give the advantage to Arsenal, whose toughest opponent left after Everton is the nothing-to-play-for, currently-faltering Newcastle.<br />
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<b>The Plight of David Moyes & Manchester United</b><br />
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The banner seen above was flown over Old Trafford during Manchester United's 4-1 drubbing of Aston Villa yesterday, indicating the frustration of a small but vocal minority of fans of the Red Devils. David Moyes was given the nearly insurmountable task of succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of the title defenders, and it's safe to say his first season hasn't been a huge success, with the club sitting in seventh place with Europa League the best possibility left for them to fight for. However, the level of outrage towards Moyes this year, coupled with the exaggerative media, has made this campaign out to be more of a disaster than it is and Moyes to be more incompetent than he is. Let's break it down, shall we? The Manchester United squad that won the title last season was kept pretty much 100% intact this year, with the additions of the big-haired Belgian Marouane Fellaini, the rise of young winger Adnan Januzaj, and the January addition of tricky attacking mid Juan Mata from Chelsea. Logically, many expected them to at least be in the conversation for potential league champions for most if not all of the season. However, when you look more closely, there are several major factors beyond Moyes's control that have helped cause United's slide down the BPL table. First, and most tangibly, his team is aging and has suffered its share of injuries this season. Defenders Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are now 32 and 35, respectively, and both have seen a regression in overall skill as well as a number of injuries plaguing them this year. Backup center backs Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling haven't exactly been the embodiments of health either. Linchpin midfielder Michael Carrick has been injured as well, and even when healthy has played nowhere near the level he was at last season. Fellaini missed time as well, along with role players such as Phil Jones, Patrice Evra, and Antonio Valencia. The biggest injury loss this season for United has been star striker Robin Van Persie, who led the league in goals last year. His absence has been crucial, with backup striker Javier Hernandez playing badly, leaving the young Danny Welbeck to accompany club veteran Wayne Rooney in attack. In truth, Rooney, Welbeck, goalie David De Gea, and winger Ashley Young have been the only consistently good players at the club. Part of this is clearly down to Moyes, but part is just natural regression, which is to be expected when a manager of Ferguson's stature departs.<br />
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Not only has United been worse this season, partially due to problems beyond Moyes' influence, but the rest of the league has been better. Samuel Eto'o and Eden Hazard have provided goals for Chelsea this year where they were absent in 2012-2013. Manchester City have strengthened with the additions of Alvaro Negredo and Fernandinho, with Fernandinho's partner in deep midfield, Yaya Toure, having the season of his life. It's not every season a CDM scores seventeen, yes SEVENTEEN, goals. That's more than anybody in the league besides Liverpool's devastating SAS partnership of strikers Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez. Speaking of Liverpool, they have been much stronger this season too, and Arsenal for much of the year seemed to be reborn. Everton, too, is strong, thanks to a new manager, breakout star Ross Barkley, and a dearth of impact-making loan signings. The only team near the top to have regressed (other than United) is Tottenham. Even bottom dwellers like Cardiff, Sunderland, and Fulham have been at least somewhat resistant compared to last year's pitiful performances week in and week out by the likes of Reading and QPR. So, an injury-riddled squad plus a stronger league overall have not made Moyes' job easy this year.<br />
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If you're a United supporter and are still in panic mode, consider the following. United are in seventh place, with a new manager, and a large-but-not-massive transfer budget at their disposable. Last season, the club that finished in seventh place also had a first-year coach and a similar financial situation.They ended up with 61 points, which could very well be less than United's total come the end of the season. (They sit at 54 with six games left.) As of today, that same club now leads the league and has a more than legitimate chance at the title. Yes, I'm talking about Liverpool. In Brendan Rodger's first year, the club finished seventh, the exact place United are in now, and just one year later are challenging for first place. One smart January signing in Daniel Sturridge and the rise of a few young stars in Raheem Sterling, Jon Flanagan, and Jordan Henderson have helped an already strong foundation to the top of table. In comparison, United picked up Juan Mata in January, and have rising young stars in Angelo Henriquez, Wilfried Zaha, and Adnan Januzaj. Who's to say that Welbeck, Smalling, or Cleverley don't blossom into fantastic players come next season and United experience the same ascendancy that Liverpool has witnessed this year? Obviously it's not an exact parallel, but it's a pretty close resemblance to my eyes, and definitely a possibility that should make United fans a little more patient with their new man. What happens if you fire him, hire someone else, and he struggles? Does the cycle just repeat over and over again? Moyes may not be up to snuff just yet, but given time he could be just what the Red Devils need.<br />
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<b>Relegation Rumble</b><br />
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Rivaling the tight title race this season is the even closer fight to avoid relegation to the second division. Only recently has the gap widened a little, but nobody's out of the woods quite yet. Only eight points separate 11th and 18th place, meaning any teams in that range are in danger of going down, along with, obviously, the two bottom clubs. However, for some teams I see relegation as more likely outcomes than others. For starters, I think Swansea, West Ham, Aston Villa, and Hull are all too resilient and have too much talent to go down, which leaves everybody from Norwich on as bottom-three candidates. I think Fulham are done and dusted, doomed to spend next year in the Championship. The rest, however, gets a little foggy; Sunderland are the next lowest, but have several games in hand and a talented manager in Gus Poyet. With home games against West Ham, West Brom, and Cardiff left to play, I can see them escaping relegation. They play Swansea at home on the final day of the season, and with the Welsh club likely to be safe by then, that fixture could play to their advantage nicely. Next is Cardiff, who I don't have quite as much optimism for. They still have to play Newcastle and Southampton on the road, and a final matchday faceoff with Chelsea doesn't favor them. The lack of strength in their squad is their ultimate undoing; hopefully Jordan Mutch, David Marshall, and Steven Caulker can find homes in the BPL next season, as all three are truly great players in an otherwise weak team. West Bromwich Albion will, in my opinion, be the third and final team to drop down this year, with tough games versus Spurs, Man City, and Arsenal still on the docket. Palace's win over Chelsea showed their resolve, and Norwich have just enough talent that both should avoid the dreaded drop this year.<br />
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It's sure going to be an entertaining final weeks to this BPL season, continuing the trend set by the ups and downs of the past few months. Here's to hoping we can come close to matching an ending exciting as Manchester City's last-minute title claim two years ago.<br />
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And, for what it's worth, I expect the clubs promoted to the BPL next year to be Leicester City, Burnley, and Derby County.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-18225750315355657812014-03-22T21:07:00.000-04:002014-03-22T21:07:32.669-04:00Top 15 Long SongsEvery now and again, an artist feels restricted by the expectation that a song will last somewhere between three and five minutes. Often, musicians (some more than others) will fight this sense of constriction by crafting works significantly lengthier than average. Such songs must be approached by the listener in a different manner. Depending on the style, exceptionally long tracks can put added emphasis on certain aspects of music. Some marathon-like songs are intended to build up and up to an ultimate cathartic release; some are supposed to drift along, allowed the listener to let his or her mind wander blissfully; still others consist of several different parts, indicating that the performer had plenty of ideas to fit into one piece.<br />
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Today, I will be looking at these sort of songs, and listing what I consider to be the best among them. In order for a track to qualify for this countdown, it needed to be at least seven minutes long, a length I chose because it's roughly twice as long as a typical pop song and also because it narrowed down the field substantially. Some songs that just missed the cut due to their sub-seven-minute runtime but would be considered otherwise include My Bloody Valentine's "Soon," "Whirring" by the Joy Formidable, and Radiohead's "Paranoid Android." The song's listed runtime on iTunes was the data used. The selection and ranking processes was based on a combination of my personal taste and general cultural recognition and importance. I limited the choices to one entry per artist as well. Additionally, in keeping with the extra-long theme, I've decided to make this countdown a top fifteen rather than the usual top ten. Enjoy.<br />
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<b>15. "Wasted Days" - Cloud Nothings</b><br />
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Back when<a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/11/album-of-week-cloud-nothings-attack-on.html"> I reviewed <i>Attack on Memory</i></a>, I talked about "Wasted Days" as one of the album's standout moments. The fast-paced guitar riff melts away after a few minutes into the wild instrumental midsection, complete with cataclysmic drums and eerie atmospheric noise. Dylan Baldi's primal screams during the finale mark a violent end to a visceral track, one you'll hardly notice lasts nine minutes.<br />
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<b>14. "I Am the Resurrection" - The Stone Roses</b><br />
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"I Am the Resurrection" starts as a typical 'Madchester' single, with a march-along drum beat, echoed vocals, and sunny guitars. However, once the vocals disappear and the funky bassline takes over, the song transforms into a part-jazz, part-Britpop instrumental breakdown that lasts over four minutes. Congas join the standard drum kit as John Squire gets a little experimental with his guitar playing, which remains some of the flashiest found on any Stones Roses record. Switching between quiet and loud on several occasions, the outro is a major reason why this track is one of the most famous to come of the Manchester scene.<br />
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<b>13. "Pictures of You" - The Cure</b><br />
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The spacey "Pictures of You" one of The Cure's most famous singles, and fits perfectly on their atmospheric <i>Disintegration</i>. A cascade of guitars is joined by a pulsating bass riff and Robert Smith's enveloping musings. It's a pretty straightforward love song, and a dreamy one at that. "There was nothing in the world/That I ever wanted more/Than to feel you deep in my heart," croons Smith. It still stands as one of The Cure's finest, and its length and production make it all the more memorable.<br />
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<b>12. "Hey Jude" - The Beatles</b><br />
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The Beatles become the third straight British artist with an entry on this list with their world-famous "Hey Jude." A simple piano piece and vocal melody combine magically, as this song has reached and entertained so many ears over the decades. At first known for their sub-three-minute ditties, The Beatles gradually grew more and more experimental. Part of that experimenting included longer runtimes, employed most proficiently on "Hey Jude." Once you hit the "na-na-na" section, the song becomes a group effort, one of the most famous sing-alongs in music. A huge song historically, this Beatles ballad really has held up in the forty-six years since its original release.<br />
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<b>11. "Limousine" - Brand New</b><br />
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I wrote about this extremely emotional track back when <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/09/top-10-guitar-solos.html" target="_blank">I ranked my favorite guitar solos</a>, and its multi-part structure suits the song's eight-minute runtime well. It depicts the true story of a young girl who was killed by a drunk driver from the perspectives of both the girl's mother and the driver who killed her. Naturally, the track is noticeably morose, with lyrics such as "I've one more night to be your mother" not exactly lightening the mood. However, it's the song's darkness and anguish that make it so poignant, so genuine, and so fantastic. The repeated reprisal leading up to the guitar solo is particularly powerful, as the increasingly chaotic roar of guitars, cymbals, and horns gets louder and louder. The guitar solo acts as the culmination of every emotion that's been represented throughout the song, and closes the track with a mournful bang.<br />
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<b>10. "The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie" - The Joy Formidable</b><br />
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Walls of sound seem to be a common theme for Welsh rockers The Joy Formidable, as made clear by their album-opening "The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie." The verses follow reverbed vocals and a galloping drum beat. but its the chorus that's truly uplifting. The previously hushed vocals break out into a shout, and the instruments respond with an eruption of their own. After the second chorus, the trio give a hint at what's to come in the instrumental break just before the bridge. Ritzy Bryan's perky vocal hides the fact that she's about to unleash a furious few minutes of guitars on the listener, as the increasingly frantic instrumentals really let loose for the final two minutes. The tempo picks up and continues to get faster and faster in a high-speed race to the finish, as the wondrous track concludes in a wash-out of noise. The Joy Formidable are no foreigners when it comes to writing longer songs, and "The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie" showcases their expertise in this regard.<br />
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<b>9. "A More Perfect Union" - Titus Andronicus</b><br />
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Titus Andronicus' genre has been labeled by some fans as "history-core," a pretty fitting moniker for their style of music: the band is named after a Shakespearean play, and their Civil War-themed concept album <i>The Monitor</i> opens with a recitation of a speech given by Abraham Lincoln. This narration is found at the beginning of "A More Perfect Union," one of five tracks on the record to surpass the seven-minute mark. Once the actual music begins, it's a full-fledged punk rock romp, complete with Patrick Stickles' nervous singing and an anthemic, almost Springsteen-like hook; "No, I never wanted to change the world/but I'm looking for new New Jersey/'cause tramps like us/baby, we were born to die," the frontman shouts. Halfway through the bombastic track, it slides gracefully into a patriotic war march, complete with shouted, bleeding heart vocals. The song manages to both convey a meaningful message and take the listener on a wild, fun ride, all at the same time.<br />
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<b>8. "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" - Mother Love Bone</b><br />
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Seamlessly linking together the two seemingly incompatible genres of hair metal and grunge, "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" is the crowning moment in Mother Love Bone's far-too-short career. Later found on the best-selling <i>Singles</i> soundtrack, the song starts with a romantic piano riff with the late Andy Wood lamenting love lost. "Dreams like this must die," he admits sadly. Soon, guitars chirp in softly as a light ride cymbal pattern backs Wood's increasingly full vocal. The band generate more force during the chorus, as the refrain of "this is my kind of love" is introduced. The track slowly but surely builds and builds, but never spills over the top, remaining contained and composed throughout. Mother Love Bone and their self-titled album were huge catalysts to the grunge movement, and this masterpiece stands out above the rest of their catalog.<br />
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<b>7. "Champagne Supernova" - Oasis</b><br />
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Moving from Seattle to Manchester, Oasis and the epic <i>What's the Story (Morning Glory)</i> closer "Champagne Supernova" nabs the number seven spot on this countdown. The song is a masterful fusion of psychedelia and Britpop, with its swirling guitars, ambient noise, trembling drums, and Liam Gallagher's compelling vocal performance. The verses are calming and introspective, and contains the famous repeated lyrics of "slowly walking down the hall/faster than a cannonball/where were you while we were getting high?" The chorus kicks it up a notch, as Gallagher declares in one of the most famous choruses of the nineties, "someday you will find me/caught beneath the landslide/in a champagne supernova in the sky." The midsection is an all-out blitz of guitars, with harmonies of "ahh"'s and "ooh"'s providing the background. The song returns to its blissful state for the final minute or so, before peacefully fading away. Despite the track's length, it still managed to become a radio hit, which speaks volumes to the sheer quality of the music.<br />
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<b>6. "Wakin on a Pretty Day" - Kurt Vile</b><br />
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Kurt Vile had somewhat of a breakout year in 2013, with his marathon-length <i>Wakin on a Pretty Daze</i> garnering plenty of critical acclaim. That album's nearly ten-minute opening track is the one I find myself coming back to the most, probably due to its warm nature, excellent guitarmanship, quiet yet desperate mood, and pleasant murmur. Vile's delivery sounds lackadaisical, but the lyrics suggest the situation isn't quite as careless as it would appear; "phone ringing off the shelf/guess he wanted to kill himself," he hums. Much of the track is built around Vile's guitar playing; the solos and riffs are impressive without being flashy, shy without withdrawing, and friendly without being docile. Vile was correct in calling his 'daze' 'pretty' if "Wakin on a Pretty Day" is any indication.<br />
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<b>5. "Reflektor" - Arcade Fire</b><br />
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I made my love for Arcade Fire pretty clear last year, as I named "Reflektor" and its album compatriot "Here Comes the Night Time" two of <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/11/top-75-songs-of-2013.html" target="_blank">my top tracks of 2013.</a> "Reflektor" is 450 seconds of disco drone, and I love it. The cheesy synths, Butler and Chassagne's vocal trade-offs, the conga beats, David Bowie's guest appearance, and the song's earworm-inducing melodies all combine into one glorious, bouncy, downright fun song. I won't go on too much longer on this one, seeing as I've already written plenty about it in the past, but I'll end off by saying this one song you don't want to end.<br />
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<b>4. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd</b><br />
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Moving the list back towards some more iconic pieces of music, the number four slot goes to Southern rock's biggest offering to the world, Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird." It's up there with "Smoke on the Water" and another song to be seen later on this countdown as one of <i>the</i> quintessential guitar anthems. "Free Bird" is essentially split into two halves: the first is a slow-burning, country-tinged, standard classic rock ballad, and includes that world-famous guitar riff; the second is a fiery, furious flurry of triplets and guitar virtuosity. The four-minute guitar solo is arguably the most impressive and certainly one of the most recognizable in history, as Gary Rossington and his fellow axemen make their instruments squeal in perfect harmony. "Free Bird" is often recognized as one of the greatest examples of classic rock, and much of its legacy is based on its length.<br />
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<b>3. "Dream House" - Deafheaven</b><br />
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2013 sure was a good year for longer songs, wasn't it? "Dream House" and its mix of black metal, shoegaze, and post rock make it by far the heaviest entry on this list, and also the least accessible. There's something about those shimmering chord progressions and ethereal drum patterns that makes the song sound almost heavenly, directly offset by the growled vocals of George Clarke. The San Francisco trio have crafted something magical here with <i>Sunbather</i>, something supremely unique and beautiful, and "Dream House" is the perfect example of how. The combination of different elements from the genres mentioned above somehow form this incredible hybrid of metal's emotional and physical power and shoegaze's stunning dreaminess. Like other selections lower on the list, the song can be split into two parts; one a ferocious onslaught of heavy instrumentals at hyperspeed, the other a more composed post-rock breakdown. I can't think of another modern song that utilizes an extensive runtime quite as well as "Dream House," which is why it gets beaten out only by two classics.<br />
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<b>2. "Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zeppelin</b><br />
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People tend to see the title "Stairway to Heaven" on countdowns and immediately demand that it be listed as #1, regardless of context. While it is an obviously fantastic song, one of the greatest of all time no doubt, I still think there's one track more deserving of the top spot here. But first, I should explain what got it to number two. Simply put, "Stairway" is a staple in music history, a song that took the multi-part structure and made it its own. Similarly-put-together songs in the years following were commonly referred to as "band x's 'Stairway to Heaven,'" showing just how famous and celebrated the track has become. The slow build from simple acoustic guitar and softly sung vocals to full-out riffage from Jimmy Page and screaming by Robert Plant is legendary and superb. The guitar solo, like "Free Bird"'s, is one of the most famous of all time. At eight minutes long, it never bores, getting more and more exciting as it goes on. So, you might ask, what exactly beat it out here? Well, look no further, because my choice for the best epic track of all time is...<br />
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<b>1. "Light My Fire" - The Doors</b><br />
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As good as "Stairway to Heaven" is, it has become a bit cliche and is slightly overwrought, while The Doors' classic "Light My Fire" still sounds fresh forty-seven years later. Jim Morrison's haunting vocal, Robby Krieger's creeping guitar, John Densmore's sturdy drums, and Ray Manzarek's iconic organ playing have all stood the test of time so magnificently well that I had to place this track at #1. Much of the song is composed by two equally amazing instrumental solos, one from Manzarek and one from Krieger. The organ takes the lead first, providing an eerie, almost Halloween-like feel before Krieger and his Gibson step in for their own turn in the spotlight. The psychedelic, middle-eastern flavored performance was also featured on my aforementioned countdown of my favorite guitar solos. Morrison's fantastic singing on the track is the clincher, as he croons away to fill the space before and after the instrumental break. There were other Doors songs to choose from, too, most notably "The End" and "Riders on the Storm," but at the end of the day it was no contest, with "Light My Fire" being not only the best long song in The Doors' catalog, but possibly of all time as well.<br />
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<b>Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)</b><br />
The Doors - "The End," "Riders on the Storm"<br />
Guns 'N Roses - "November Rain"<br />
The White Stripes - "Ball and Biscuit"<br />
The Beatles - "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"<br />
The Who - "Won't Get Fooled Again"<br />
Foo Fighters - "Come Back"<br />
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Modern Romance"<br />
Metallica - "One"<br />
Led Zeppelin - "Since I've Been Loving You," "Kashmir"<br />
Green Day - "Jesus of Suburbia"<br />
Radiohead - "Everything In Its Right Place" (live version off of <i>I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings)</i><br />
Daft Punk - "Around the World"<br />
Smashing Pumpkins - "Drown"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-17556086375490497772014-03-07T22:02:00.001-05:002014-03-07T22:14:00.246-05:00Top 10 Frontwomen in RockUnfortunately, for much of rock music's history, women were under-represented as most bands had had all-male members. Still, the years have given us our fair share of great female band leaders. In celebration of International Women's Day, I'll be counting down my top ten favorite female singers in rock and alternative music history. For this list, I've excluded singers who were/are known primarily as solo artists (sorry Janis Joplin and Sky Ferreira). However, the definition of a "frontwoman" is a loose one, as several of the singers featured on this list often had male companions at the mic, but would at least sporadically have a song to herself. Lastly, in addition to a description of each singer, I've embedding a track of theirs that I feel showcases their vocal prowess most successfully. And remember, as always, this is just my opinion. Let's dive right in.<br />
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<b>10. Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill)</b><br />
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This ferocious punk-rocker was at the head of the Riot Grrrl movement, as her band Bikini Kill took a leading role in the counter-culture. Closely tied in with grunge, Riot Grrrl brought significant social change wherever it thrived, advocating for gender and sexual equality, and even facilitated the resurgence of feminism in the United States. Hanna's distinct snarl and tongue-in-cheek lyrics played a significant role in the genre's rise to prominence, and she may be the most politically significant person on this list.<br />
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<b>9. Victoria Legrand (Beach House)</b></div>
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Beach House's dreamy indie swirl would be nothing without this singer's whispery, soulful vocals. Victoria Legrand is one of alternative rock's leading ladies at the moment, as 2012's <i>Bloom</i> was highly regarded by fans and critics alike. The French-born singer brings a certain sense of properness to everything she touches, and epitomizes the dream pop genre. Beach House's music is truly beautiful, and much of that is thanks to Legrand.<br />
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<b>8. Kim Deal (Pixies, The Breeders)</b></div>
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Rising to fame with indie rock legends Pixies, Kim Deal took center stage when she formed The Breeders in the early nineties. While with the Pixies, Deal played bass and sang backup vocals, her voice standing out most on <i>Surfer Rosa</i>'s "Gigantic." However, Pixies frontman Black Francis shut her out of much of the group's activity in the early 1990's, and she left to focus on The Breeders. The alternative band's biggest hit was "Cannonball" (listen above), which featured Deal's unique singing voice and delivery style. Kim Deal is one of alternative music's biggest female icons, and rightfully so. Despite her excellent songwriting abilities, she lands at just #8 on the list because I think there are other frontwomen who bring more to the table in terms of stage presence and vocal ability.<br />
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<b>7. Ritzy Bryan (The Joy Formidable)</b></div>
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The Joy Formidable are an extremely powerful band from Wales, and one of my personal favorites. They frequently make use of walls of sound created by layers of guitars, feedback, and flamboyant drums. At the forefront of the group's fortitude is singer/guitarist Ritzy Bryan, whose cutesy charm comes across in her vocals on songs like "Forest Serenade," while showing a more edgy side on tracks such as "Chapter 2." Her Welsh accent plays a prominent role in her vocals, and actually adds to the music rather than detracting from it. Not only a great singer, Bryan is a gifted guitarist, most noticeable during the lengthy solo in "Maw Maw Song." She's a dual threat as a frontwoman, and leads one of modern music's loudest, most riotous guitar bands excellently.<br />
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<b>6. Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast)</b></div>
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Bethany Cosentino is a typical, laid back California girl who just so happens to be great at writing melodies. As lead guitarist and singer for lo-fi surf-rockers Best Coast, she does a fantastic job of conveying the relaxed attitude she lives by in her music. Though the lyrics may be simple at times, she sure knows how to craft a catchy tune. Best Coast's debut album, still their best work to date by my standards, also includes a large amount of harmonies, also performed by Cosentino, that fit the lo-fidelity mood perfectly. Though <i>The Only Place</i> may have been disappointing, that album's title track proved that Cosentino still has what it takes to remain one of the biggest females in indie rock today.<br />
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<b>5. Bilinda Butcher (My Bloody Valentine)</b></div>
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My Bloody Valentine were the monarchs of shoegaze in the 90's, and Bilinda Butcher was their queen. Though her vocal stylings were soft and often low in the mix, she still made a significant contribution to many of the band's biggest tracks, including the one embedded above. Muffled vocals are an essential part of most shoegaze songs, and Butcher provided just that with My Bloody Valentine. Her guitar playing isn't anything to write off, either, as her intense feedback-driven performances combine with fellow group members Kevin Shields's playing to form that wall-of-sound effect MBV were known for.<br />
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<b>4. Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)</b></div>
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Recently nominated for an Oscar for her work on "The Moon Song" from <i>Her</i>, Karen O is one of alternative rock's most dynamic vocalists. Her performances range from bone-jarringly raw ("Date With the Night") to beautifully tender ("Maps") to desperate ("Sacrilege"). Her wild stage presence makes for a great live show, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are known for putting on a great concert. She's also known as somewhat of a fashion icon, thanks to her unique style of dress. Whether she's shouting, crying out, or quietly pleading, Karen O kills it in every song she does.<br />
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<b>3. Regine Chassagne (Arcade Fire)</b></div>
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As you probably very well know by now, Arcade Fire are one of my favorite groups. One of the band's key members is vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Regine Chassagne, whose perky vocals are wonderfully bright. Though she often lets fellow singer and husband Win Butler take lead vocal duties, songs like "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" show that Chassagne has talent at the mic. In addition to lush synthesizers, she also plays everything from drums to accordion, and even something called a hurdy-gurdy. Multi-talented and a delight to listen to, Regine Chassagne is one of my favorite singers making music right now.<br />
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<b>2. Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth, multiple side projects)</b></div>
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Kim Gordon and Sonic Youth have been making music since the early eighties, and during that time the singer/bassist/guitarist has become one of the biggest names in indie rock history. Throughout the band's lengthy career, Gordon has always provided a rebellious sneer and energy not commonly found in other singers. She has influenced countless other musicians over the decades, and remains one of the most famous women in rock history.<br />
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<b>1. Courtney Love (Hole)</b></div>
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You either love her or you hate her, but regardless of your opinion of Courtney Love as a person, you can't deny that this woman knew how to sing with the best of 'em. She showed she could scream on "Violet," that she could be transparent and raw on "Doll Parts," and that she could do both in three minutes on "Miss World." Despite her drug-riddled past and recent twitter rampages, Love is the quintessential female grunge/punk singer. Not to mention, she played a mean guitar and wrote some amazing songs with Hole. She's number one on my list because of her wild stage antics, immense vocal range, emotional performances, and impeccable songwriting ability. In short, I feel Courtney Love is not only the best frontwoman of all time, but one of rock's most gifted singers overall.<br />
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Did anyone you were expecting to see miss the cut? Perhaps Jenny Lewis? Or Chrissie Hynde? Maybe Tanya Donelly? Jehnny Beth? Stevie Nicks? Leave a note in the comments and check out the embedded playlist below for some honorable mentions alongside all of the singers listed here!<br />
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Thirty years ago this past Thursday, Manchester-based music icons The Smiths released their self-titled debut. Rather than doing (another) anniversary post, I've decided to take a broader look at the group's discography by ranking their ten best songs. This list is by no means definitive, especially considering the excellent body of work the band put together in just five years.</div>
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<b>10. "Death of a Disco Dancer" - <i>Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)</i></b></div>
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For their last full-length release, The Smiths decided to implement more jam-style songs. "Death of a Disco Dancer" is the prime example of how the usually clean-cut, fine-tuned group break out of their predetermined formula and improvise a little. It's the only Smiths song to feature famed lead singer Morrissey on a instrument, as he plays some jingling piano under Johnny Marr's punchy guitar strumming. It may not be the most put-together track by The Smiths, nor the most typical, but that's what makes it special.<br />
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<b>9. "The Headmaster Ritual" - <i>Meat Is Murder (1985)</i></b><br />
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I actually heard <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtmS2ePSSdU">Radiohead's version</a> of the opening track from <i>Meat Is Murder</i> before the original, and to this day I still can't decide which take I like better. "The Headmaster Ritual" has that signature Smiths feel, though at five minutes it's longer than other songs by the group done in the similar style; usually the jangle-pop tunes are limited to two or three minutes, and the lengthier pieces get more experimental. This track is an exception to this rule, however, as the immediate snare-guitar combo to kick off soon delves into a delicious riff before Morrissey croons in protest of corporal punishment. The chorus is delectable, as Morrissey's indeterminable la-da's and hmm's are amazingly catchy, even though he isn't saying much at all. Marr's guitar riff really is golden, and keeps me coming back for more.<br />
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<b>8. "Girlfriend In A Coma" - <i>Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)</i></b><br />
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The shortest song on this countdown, "Girlfriend In A Coma" is a delicate song dealing with a delicate situation. The instrumentation is light and sunny, and might fool you into thinking the song was a happy one. However, one listen to the lyrics uncovers the darkness behind the track: "Do you really think she'll pull through?/Do you?/Let me whisper my last goodbyes/I know it's serious," sings Moz as the tune ends. And that's the beauty of this <i>Strangeways</i> track lies; how the listener interprets Morrissey's emotions is completely manipulated by the instrumentation. Had the guitars been dour and the drums down-trodden, you'd immediately understand that something grave is going on. But since the music is perky rather than prickly, he seems at peace with the situation. Adding to the song's strength is the spectacular use of strings in the chorus, marking a noticeable change from the verse.<br />
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<b>7. "Panic" - <i>Louder Than Bombs (1987)</i></b><br />
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Taken not from any studio full-length but the 1987 compilation album <i>Louder Than Bombs</i>, "Panic" is a classic Smiths song. Mike Joyce's march drum beat, Morrissey's grimly witty lyrics ("Hang the DJ"), and Marr's plucky guitar work all combine for 142 seconds of '80's alternative excellence. This was the first Smiths song I ever heard, thanks to a music-savvy mother, an iPod nano, and a lot of car rides to siblings' sporting events. It has everything you expect from the Smiths, plus a children's choir eagerly shouting "hang the DJ!," so what more could you really want?<br />
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<b>6. "This Charming Man" - <i>The Smiths (1984)</i></b><br />
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"This Charming Man" is may be the best three minutes of not only the band's debut album, but of the year 1984 as a whole. Coincidentally, "This Charming Man" wasn't included on the original UK release, and was actually put out as a single in late 193. Still, built around yet another fantastic guitar part, the song introduced the world to what The Smiths were all about. Like "Panic" above, it embodies everything the band is known for, but to a slightly better effect. Additionally, the track's lyrical content, which presumably details a romance between two males, helped spark ongoing questions about Morrissey's sexuality. Regardless, this surprisingly danceable tune is bound to live on forever in music lore; it's made it thirty years already, hasn't it?<br />
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<b>5. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" - <i>The Queen Is Dead (1986)</i></b><br />
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This <i>The Queen Is Dead</i> track is unique in that the chorus is driven by vocal pitch-shifting; Morrissey's baritone croon is transformed into a near-chipmunk octave for the backing vocal, and it works wonders. The guitar playing and even more so the rushed drums set the quick pace, as a hook-laden melody stops by to say hello. There is something simultaneously light and dark about this song, similar to the feel of "Girlfriend In A Coma." Perhaps it's the production coupled with the self-loathing lyrics ("I've got no right to take my place with the human race) in contrast with the high-pitch vocals. Whatever the case may be, "Bigmouth Strikes Again" is definitely one of my favorite songs by The Smiths.<br />
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<b>4. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" - <i>The Queen Is Dead (1986)</i></b><br />
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"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" closes out what many Smiths fans, myself included, consider the group's best effort, 1986's <i>The Queen Is Dead</i>. While the title may state something obvious, the ideas it took to make such an excellent song were anything but. The odd yet intriguing fades during the intro are different and refreshing, and the muffled vocals during the bridge fit extraordinarily. Marr's genius shows here once again, as does Morrissey's satirical style of humor. A truly stunning song, "Some Girls..." remains an essential part of The Smiths' discography.<br />
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<b>3. "How Soon Is Now?" - <i>Hatful of Hollow (1984)</i></b><br />
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The quintessential long-form Smiths song, "How Soon Is Now?" is known for its shifty, echoing guitars and blaring alarm-like noise that pops up throughout the track. It's probably the most famous song of theirs among US listeners, and contains some of Morrissey's best lyrics to date. The song deals with shyness and social anxiety, and how such feelings can prevent someone from being in a relationship. "I am human and I need to be love/Just like everybody else does," Moz reveals. The droning nature of the song encourages the listener to space out while listening, much like the shoegaze movement would do five years later. "How Soon Is Now?" is one of the most magnificent tracks of the 1980's, and it's still only #3 on this list.<br />
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<b>2. "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before" - <i>Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)</i></b><br />
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Whether its the guitars, the pounding drum beat, the atmospheric production, the catchy melody, or the whimsical lyrics, there's something for everyone to enjoy in "Stop Me." From the exhilarating opening to the little guitar solo near the end, this song is near-perfection all the way through. Morrissey's trademark dark humor is noticeably present: "I crashed down on the crossbar/And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald buddhist reflect/And plan a mass murder," he jests, though the"mass murder" line drew controversy after the Hungerford Massacre, which occurred just as the song was being prepped for release as a single. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the song went on to become a fan favorite. Personally, I love this song dearly, and there's only one Smiths tune that I could rank above it.<br />
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<b>1. "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" - <i>The Queen Is Dead (1986)</i></b><br />
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Well, here it is. Far and away my favorite Smiths song, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" is a beautiful example of '80's alternative and excellent songwriting. "Take me out tonight/Take me anywhere/I don't care/I don't care/ I don't care," pleads Morrissey earnestly, before later adding sweetly (albeit morbidly), "And if a double-decker bus/Crashes into us/To die by your side/Is such a heavenly way to die." Every instrument here is implemented superbly; guitars, bass, drums, strings, and even a flute all come together stunningly. Like the rest of <i>The Queen Is Dead</i>, the production is impeccable. Simply put, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" is the greatest song The Smiths ever did, and considering the strength of the group's discography, that's saying a lot.<br />
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<b>Honorable mentions:</b> "The Queen Is Dead," "Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me," "Meat Is Murder," "A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours," "Pretty Girls Mark Graves," "Frankly, Mr. Shankly"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-53092532444199954762014-02-16T19:17:00.000-05:002014-02-16T19:17:24.799-05:00Album of the Week: Kanye West - "The College Dropout" (10th Anniversary)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Rating: 7.8/10</b></div>
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Kanye West. Just reading his name probably conjures up a strong image in your head. You may know him for his numerous critically-acclaimed albums, hit singles, and awards. Or, maybe you know him as an egotistical paparazzi favorite who stole Taylor Swift's thunder at the VMAs and claimed that "George Bush doesn't care about black people." Most likely, you know both sides of Kanye; his extreme self-confidence and inflated self-image are part of what drives his music, music that is highly regarded by hip-hop fans and critics alike. Ten years ago this past Monday, the world was first introduced to the crazy mind of Kanye when his debut album, <i>The College Dropout,</i> was released. Few could expect the various twists and turns that his career would take, whether it was the vocoder-laden <i>808s & Heartbreak</i> or the harsh, audacious <i>Yeezus, </i>on which West could dub himself a deity in the not-so-subtly-titled "I Am a God." <i>The College Dropout</i> was our first taste of what West brought to the table, and it was clear from the start that he was destined for stardom.</div>
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The crowning moment of the album, the track that got everybody's attention and started to define West's place in the rap game, was the ominous, marching "Jesus Walks." Excellent use of sampling and superb production only enhance Kanye's poignant lyrics, which were uniquely religious for the time. By boldly embracing Christianity on the song, West took hip-hop to a place where it hadn't been in quite some time, as explained by the second verse;<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.768190383911133px;">So here go my single dog radio needs this/</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.768190383911133px;">They said you can rap about anything except for Jesus/</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.768190383911133px;">That means guns, sex, lies, </span></span><span style="line-height: 19.768190383911133px;">videotape</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.768190383911133px;">/</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.768190383911133px;">But if I talk about God my record won't get played." </span>It's also a monster of a song, with a booming choir and tricky snare roll backing Kanye.</div>
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The album, while tackling major themes, also displayed West's tongue-in-cheek sense of humor for the first time. Pretty much the entirety of "The New Workout Plan" is satirical, mocking society's pressure on women to always look their best. The record is littered with small skits in the form of dialogues, all of which are intended to provide comic relief. Some unintentional humor can be found in the now-dated pop culture references, such as West name-dropping Kathie Lee Gifford and Regis Philbin on the aforementioned "Jesus Walks."</div>
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Besides fair amounts deep philosophical ideas and funny lyrics, <i>The College Dropout</i> is also chock-full of some great tunes. "Through the Wire" has a great sample, and Kanye impresses with his rapping skills despite having recorded the track with his jaw wired shut after a near-fatal car accident, which is detailed in the song. On "All Falls Down," Syleena Johnson provides a classic early '00's R&B vocal, and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z shows up on "Never Let Me Down" to help West close shop on the track. Other big names contributing solid verses to the record include Common, Jamie Foxx, and Ludacris.</div>
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<i>The College Dropout </i>is undoubtedly one of the top hip-hop albums of the 2000's, and holds its own when held up to the great releases of past decades, too. It remains Kanye's best-selling effort, debuting at #2 in the US and going double platinum. To some, it may pale in comparison to West's newer works, specifically <i>My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy</i> and <i>Yeezus</i>, but that doesn't make it any less of a great album. Not much could have been known about what the future held for Kanye West after hearing <i>The College Dropout,</i> but one thing was obvious from the get-go: this man was wildly talented, and far from finished.</div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:3ff2p3LnR6V7m6BinwhNaQ" width="300"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-85500789149648459592014-02-01T19:41:00.001-05:002014-02-01T19:41:59.814-05:00Album of the Week: Green Day - "Dookie" (20th Anniversary)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Green_Day_-_Dookie_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Green_Day_-_Dookie_cover.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Rating: 7.7/10</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On this day twenty years ago, the history of 'punk' music changed forever. That's because on that day Green Day's major-label debut, <i>Dookie</i>, was released, and would go on to become a massive commercial success. Riding on the strength of four hit singles and a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h275pulfwHE">famous, wild, widely-televised performance at Woodstock '94,</a> it climbed up to #2 on the US charts and launching Green Day's lengthy career as rock radio mainstays. The public viewed it as the first mainstream breakthrough for a 'punk' artist, though members of the subculture swore that Green Day were anything but. While the group certainly had punk roots, as seen in their early outputs, <i>Dookie</i> was a polished and dare I say <i>safe</i> record. While this may sound a bit ridiculous considering the subject matters and crude lyrics featured on the album, the overall sound was not nearly as extreme as that of other DIY-rock. There's still a rebellious spirit to be observed here, pretty much a necessary characteristic of anything 'punk,' but the instrumentation is a little less unruly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While some punk fans hate <i>Dookie</i> for perhaps being mislabeled and misrepresenting what punk culture is, others dislike the doors it opened for other pseudo-punk bands to hit the airwaves. Following the success of <i>Dookie,</i> bands like The Offspring, No Doubt, and Sublime all started having hit songs, all marketed as being some variation of punk. The blink-182 happened, emo happened, and the Vans Warped Tour happened, and people began declaring that 'punk is dead.' Despite a mid/late-2000's revival populated by groups like Rise Against and <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2014/01/albums-of-week-shelter-by-alcest-and.html">Against Me!</a>, and an ongoing resurgence among indie crowds thanks to artists such as Ty Segall, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA-Fz7Zd39k">Cloud Nothings,</a> and F***ed Up, many feel that the punk scene will never return to what it once was. And some trace it all back to <i>Dookie</i>. So, needless to say, Green Day's breakout album was and still is a divisive one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course, none of this makes <i>Dookie </i>a bad album by any measure. It certainly didn't sell 20 million copies without the help of some brilliant songwriting. Specifically, the four singles I mentioned earlier are golden, each one remaining in heavy rotation on alternative and rock radio throughout the country. "Longview" became famous for its sleazy bass riff, galloping drum beat, and Billie Joe Armstrong's disaffected vocal. "When I Come Around" contains an excellent guitar riff and is a great example of Green Day's songwriting abilities. "Well, I heard it all before/so don't knock down my door/I'm a loser and a user/so I don't need no accuser to try and slag me down/because I know you're right," Armstrong mumbles over Mike Dirnt's jumpy bass playing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Green Day's energetic apathy is perhaps best represented by the other two smash hits off <i>Dookie</i>: the resourceful "Welcome to Paradise" and the committedly schizophrenic "Basket Case." The former takes a strong verse and molds it into a fantastic chorus, with Dirnt's backing vocals making the difference. The ambitious instrumental break works wonders, and gives a new appreciation for the band's musicianship. The latter is a three-minute burst of vitality and introspective self-loathing. "Am I just paranoid, or am I just stoned?" asks Armstrong, having already labeled himself "neurotic to the bone" and "one of those melodramatic fools," all within the first 45 seconds of the track. Along with the chorus-opening "sometimes I give myself the creeps," these lyrics are some of the most identifiable from not only Green Day's catalog but also all of mid-'90's rock. Tre Cool's spirited drums and Armstrong's Idol-like sneer make this song what it is, and what it is is a great piece of rock music.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bulk of the album is made up of short, simpler tracks that tend to meld together, which is why <i>Dookie </i>falls short of being a 'classic' in my book. Probably the only truly great Green Day record besides <i>American Idiot,</i> <i>Dookie</i> was a rare case of a new band who already knew who they were, and where they were headed, and twenty years later, the hits still hold up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Key Tracks:</b> "Longview," "Welcome to Paradise," "Basket Case," "When I Come Around"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><iframe src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:4uG8q3GPuWHQlRbswMIRS6" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-42586287969226275842014-01-26T14:29:00.000-05:002014-01-26T14:29:07.477-05:00Grammys Preview & PredictionsTonight, the 56th annual Grammy awards will be held to look at back at the best in music of 2013. Or, to be more accurate, the best in music from October 2012 through September 2013, due to the September 30th cutoff date for albums to be considered for nomination. This stipulation means that some of the year's most celebrated releases, including Lorde's <i>Heroine</i> and Arcade Fire's <i>Reflektor,</i> won't be eligible until <i>next</i> year's Grammys. This is a pretty big flaw in a system that's already struggling, judging by the confusing nature of and general displeasure with what's been nominated. Today, I will be using the less-than-revolutionary format of "what will win" vs. "what should win" (with an added twist of "who wasn't nominated) to look at how several major categories may pan out this evening. Then, I'll be talking about performances and other parts of the show to look forward to.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/56th_Annual_Grammy_Awards"> A list of all nominees & performers can be found here</a>.Without further delay, here's this year's Grammy awards preview.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Album of the Year</span><br />
<i>The Blessed Unrest</i> - Sara Bareilles<br />
<i>Good Kid, M.A.A.D City </i>- Kendrick Lamar<br />
<i>The Heist</i> - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis<br />
<i>Random Access Memories</i> - Daft Punk<br />
<i>Red</i> - Taylor Swift<br />
<b>Who should win:</b><br />
Daft Punk's album was <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-15-daft-punk-random.html">great</a>. A cool fusion of dance, disco, electronic, funk, and pop, it produced some of the year's best singles in "Doin' It Right," "Lose Yourself to Dance," and of course the inescapable "Get Lucky." "Instant Crush" featured Strokes singer Julian Casablancas on vocals and rode a tasty groove, and "Contact" closed out the record in an epic, fiery blaze. Of these five, Daft Punk's album was the most enjoyable. I wouldn't mind if Kendrick won either; it was one of the best-received rap albums of this Grammy cycle, and it'd be nice for the Grammy awards to finally give a hip-hop artist Album of the Year honors for the first time since Outkast won in 2004 for <i>Speakerboxxx/The Love Below</i>.<br />
<b>Who will win:</b><br />
Neither of those two. The Grammys are notorious for playing it safe in this category, as evidenced by past victories by Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, and Christopher Cross over the likes of Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, U2, and Pink Floyd. Macklemore will probably take this, as the voters will think they're giving a hip-hop album some recognition when really <i>The Heist</i> is mostly full of pop songs. Swift has a chance, but I think the amount of time that's passed since the actual release of her record (October 22, 2012) will hurt her cause. If Bareilles wins, it'd shock everyone, as nobody expected her to be nominated at all.<br />
<b>Who wasn't nominated:</b><br />
My favorite album of 2013, <i>Reflektor,</i> didn't come out in time to be considered for AotY honors. I honestly wouldn't have expected it to be nominated either, though their win for <i>The Suburbs</i> maybe left the door open for a repeat. One record I honestly expected to see, however, was <i>Modern Vampires of the City.</i> That album was superb; it was also pretty universal, as I have trouble imagining anybody who wouldn't be entertained by this record. I even though it had a shot at winning, but unfortunately its not an option. I also think Kanye's <i>Yeezus</i> should be nominated, if not for its merit as a unique rap album then simply for its boldness.<br />
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"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams<br />
"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk<br />
"Locked out of Heaven" - Bruno Mars<br />
"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons<br />
"Royals" - Lorde<br />
<b>Who should win:</b><br />
"Get Lucky" was THE song of 2013. There's no denying it. You liked it. Your friends liked it. Your grandmother's neighbor's cousin liked it. From the sweet Nile Rodgers-penned guitar riff to double-nominee Pharrell's catchy vocals, everything about that song was pop perfection. "Royals" wasn't on the same level as "Get Lucky", but was and is still a great song with a pretty cool message. I couldn't complain if either of these take the trophy.<br />
<b>Who will win:</b><br />
For the love of God, please not "Blurred Lines." As if ripping off Marvin Gaye weren't enough, the song had to use lyrics which were at best somewhat misogynistic and worst pretty rapey. "Radioactive" isn't nearly as creepy, but about twice as annoying. I actually think "Get Lucky" will take this one, though "Locked Out Of Heaven" has decent odds and would be a pretty 'meh' choice, which is what I've come to expect out of the Grammys.<br />
<b>Who wasn't nominated:</b><br />
Not that I'm a fan, but "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake wouldn't have caught anyone off guard had it been nominated. I'm just glad there's no Miley on here.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Song of the Year</span><br />
"Just Give Me a Reason" - P!nk and Nate Ruess<br />
"Locked Out of Heaven" - Bruno Mars<br />
"Roar" - Katy Perry<br />
"Royals" - Lorde<br />
"Same Love" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert<br />
<b>Who should win:</b><br />
I'm done trying to figure out the distinction between this category and Record of the Year (sound vs. songwriting?), so I'm just gonna go ahead and say "Royals."<br />
<b>Who will win:</b><br />
Probably "Same Love," thanks to it's pro-LGBT message. Honestly, I won't mind this as I think that 2013 was a big year for songs with real meanings, and I do think Macklemore's song had an impact. Any of the other nominees could swipe this award, though, as Mars is nominated in Record of the Year as well and Katy Perry's song was massively popular. Let's just hope P!nk and the guy from fun.don't get their name called.<br />
<b>Who wasn't nominated:</b><br />
Weirdly, and probably due to the distinction between 'song' and 'record,' Daft Punk are snubbed here. My other statements about Timberlake and Miley still stand.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best New Artist</span><br />
James Blake<br />
Kendrick Lamar<br />
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis<br />
Kacey Musgraves<br />
Ed Sheeran<br />
<b>Who should win:</b><br />
Ignoring the fact that he's been around for a few years now, James Blake would be a nice choice. Sheeran is tolerable, and Lamar is talented. I'm in no way a country fan so I won't say Musgraves, and I've made my feelings towards Macklemore clear already.<br />
<b>Who will win:</b><br />
Macklemore's pretty much a lock here.<br />
<b>Who wasn't nominated:</b><br />
The Grammys continued their annual tradition of nominating people for best new artist who have already been around a long time. In that sense, any breakthrough artist from 2013 could've been nominated; Deafheaven would've been my choice as a "breakthrough" artist, and I would expect HAIM and Lorde to be here, but their albums came out after the deadline.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best Rock Album</span><br />
<i>13 </i>- Black Sabbath<br />
<i>Celebration Day</i> - Led Zeppelin<br />
<i>...Like Clockwork</i> - Queens of the Stone Age<br />
<i>Mechanical Bull </i>- Kings of Leon<br />
<i>The Next Day</i> - David Bowie<br />
<i>Psychedelic Pill - </i>Neil Young & Crazy Horse<br />
<b>Who should win:</b><br />
Without a doubt, Queens of the Stone Age. <i>...Like Clockwork</i> was excellent all the way through, and those first five tracks were blistering, well-crafted tunes. That album is an example of how you can still make "rock" music without sounding cheesy and/or outdated. (Looking at you, Nickelback) I'm also hoping <i>...Like Clockwork</i>'s single "My God Is the Sun" comes out of the Best Rock Performance category victorious.<br />
<b>Who will win: </b><br />
The name Led Zeppelin will garner some votes based on recognition, which is too bad because there's no new music here. Still, I expect Bowie to take the crown on the strength of his legacy and the decency of his new album.<br />
<b>Who wasn't nominated:</b><br />
There's no separate category for metal albums, so I'd throw Deafheaven's <i>Sunbather</i> in here. Though I shouldn't expect anything of the sort from the ultra-safe Grammys.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best Alternative Music Album</span><br />
<i>Hesitation Marks</i> - Nine Inch Nails<br />
<i>Lonerism</i> - Tame Impala<br />
<i>Modern Vampires of the City</i> - Vampire Weekend<br />
<i>Trouble Will Find Me</i> - The National<br />
<i>The Worse Things Get... </i>- Neko Case<br />
<b>Who should win:</b><br />
What's that I see? A sensible Grammy nominations list? All five of these albums are at least pretty good, but I'm pulling for either Vampire Weekend or Tame Impala to win. I've already talked about how much I loved Vampire Weekend's new stuff above, and <i>Lonerism</i> was one of my favorite records of 2012.<br />
<b>Who will win:</b><br />
It's almost a toss up, but I'm gonna go with The National purely based on gut feelings.<br />
<b>Who wasn't nominated:</b><br />
I'm pretty happy with this list, but if I had my way Wavves would be up there in place of Neko Case. Strong cases can be made for Kurt Vile, Local Natives, Mikal Cronin, Washed Out, and Savages as well.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best Rap Album</span><br />
<i>Good Kid, M.A.A.D City</i> - Kendrick Lamar<br />
<i>The Heist</i> - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis<br />
<i>Magna Carta...</i> - Jay-Z<br />
<i>Nothing Was the Same</i> - Drake<br />
<i>Yeezus -</i> Kanye West<br /><b>Who should win:</b><br />
Yeezus. Plain and simple.<br />
<b>Who will win:</b><br />
The Grammys might (hopefully) do that weird thing where they give somebody album of the year but not the award in their respective genre. They did it with Arcade Fire and the Black Keys a few years back, and could do it again with Macklemore and Kanye. However, anybody could win this. Jay-Z has the name recognition, as does Drake to some degree, and Kendrick was nominated for AotY alongside Macklemore.<br />
<b>Who wasn't nominated:</b><br />
I'm no rap expert, but people really liked the new albums from Run the Jewels, Chance the Rapper, and Danny Brown, so I guess I'll say those.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Performances to Watch</span></b><br />
There's a long list of performances that will be happening tonight. Some are head-scratching collaborations: Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong will sing with country superstar Miranda Lambert; pop-rock nuisances Imagine Dragons join Kendrick Lamar; the soulful John Legend and country star and American Idol judge Keith Urban perform together; and Robin Thicke will be backed by '70's rockers Chicago.<br />
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Still, there are some performances that are bound to be great. Lorde and Taylor Swift are both playing, and while I'm not huge on Swift's music she tends to put on a spectacle at these award shows. Macklemore and Madonna are doing "Same Love" together, as Queen Latifah will be officiating several dozen weddings onstage as they perform. As weird as that sounds, it's bound to be a unique experience and is a pretty cool concept. Daft Punk will finally be playing something from <i>Random Access Memories</i> live, with Stevie Wonder, no less. Married couple Jay-Z and Beyonce will be fine, I guess. Metallica are also performing, and will have help from Chinese pianist Lang Lang.<br />
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But there are two performances I'm looking forward to more so than any others. First, surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will play together, assumedly in acceptance of the band's Lifetime Achievement award. Then, the show will close with a pretty epic star-studded rock finale; Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham, Queens of the Stone Age, and Nine Inch Nails will all be performing together. In all honesty, this one part of the show should make the other three-and-a-half hours worth it.<br />
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Well, that's it. I hope everyone enjoys the show! If you want to get my thoughts on the show as it happens, I will be live tweeting the event on my personal account, @radiotoffee. Drop me a follow <a href="https://twitter.com/radiotoffee">here</a> and be prepared for a barrage of tweets tonight, then probably none for two weeks. Don't say I didn't warn you.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-71425197800817366192014-01-25T18:41:00.002-05:002014-01-25T19:51:53.368-05:00Albums of the Week: "Shelter" by Alcest and "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" by Against Me!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week, two different albums caught my attention for two completely different reasons. One is a shimmering piece of shoegazing bliss, the other is a soul-bearing punk record that punches you in the teeth and pulls at your heartstrings. <i>Shelter </i>is French-bred Alcest's best work yet, as the band strays further and further away from its black metal roots. <i>Transgender Dysphoria Blues</i>' title states up front the issues discussed in the album's lyrics; the first Against Me! release since singer Laura Jane Grace began living as a woman. Obviously, there are some hugely emotional and personal topics for Grace to sing about, and she lets it fly on <i>Transgender Dysphoria Blues. </i>I've decided today to review both albums because I think each one is special for varied, but equally important reasons: <i>Shelter</i> sounds beautiful, while the content on <i>Transgender Dysphoria Blues</i> makes it one of the most unique, raw, and important albums in a long, long time.</div>
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Alcest's career trajectory has been somewhat of a strange one; the group formed as a black metal outfit before two members of the trio departed, leaving current frontman Neige as the sole member. Since then, the group has taken a much more shoegaze-styled approach, adding a new drummer along the way. Jump to this month, when the Paris-based duo released <i>Shelter,</i> an excellent and well thought-out dreampop record. Neige claims the music he writes represents his childhood memories of dream-like transcendental experiences. The so<span style="font-family: inherit;">ngs on </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Shelter</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> definitely fit this mold, as the sparkling guitar lines and sleepy vocals can attest to. "Opale" features a sunny guitar riff and Neige's gentle singing, and deluxe edition bonus track "Into the Waves" (available on iTunes) is another favorite of mine, thanks to a catchy chorus and enthused drumming. Album closer "Deliverance" stretches out to a full ten minutes of lush soundscapes a general feeling of warmth. </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Shelter </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">may be sung in French, but that doesn't detract from its sheer sonic beauty. The instrumentation is immaculate, and the songs are well-</span>structured<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Hopefully this album doesn't suffer from the same plight as countless other albums released early in calendar years of being forgotten by critics as they consider entries for their year-end list, for <i>Shelter</i> is certainly a good enough album to deserve some recognition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the other end of the musical spectrum, we have Against Me! and their sixth studio album, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Transgender Dysphoria Blues</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. In contrast to </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Shelter</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">'s timid, relaxed mood, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">TDB </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">is an abrasive, in-your-face punk record filled with furious drum beats and shouted vocals. The album also starkly contrasts </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Shelter </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">in length; you could nearly get through the first four songs on the former in the time it takes to listen to "Deliverance" in full. This is </span>indicative<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of the genres each record falls under, as shoegaze songs tend to stretch out while punk tracks often cut short. All that said, <i>Transgender Dysphoria Blues</i> is a solid rock record. It resides in the same vein as other AM! releases, following a formula that has always suited the band. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While it sounds good, this album's strength doesn't lie in guitar riffs or melodic hooks. No, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Transgender Dysphoria Blues</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is all about the lyrics. It's a statement record, no doubt, judging from the title. This album's release is a huge moment not only for Laura Jane Grace, but also for American pop culture. When Tom Gabel came out as transgender, </span>adopted<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the name Laura Jane Grace, and started her transition into life as a woman, she became the most famous musician to publicly reveal themselves to be transgender. In doing so, she undoubtedly inspired other </span>transgender<span style="font-family: inherit;"> persons to be more confident in themselves as well as raising cultural awareness for the psychological struggles transgender people go through. At the same time, some fans and critics alike were understandably shocked, but most were supportive of Grace. It only seems fitting that a punk musician would become one of the first major transgender public figures, as the genre has always been categorized by its reluctance to conform to society's expectations and its encouragement of individualism. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The songs on <i>Transgender Dysphoria Blues</i> do a great job of portraying how Grace, and on a larger scale transgender people as a whole, deal with their gender identity. The title track opens the album with a discussion on how others view transgender individuals. "You want them to see you like they see every other girl/they just see a f**got/They hold their breath not to catch the sick," laments Grace. On the next track, lead single "True Trans Soul Rebel," she shouts "you should've been a mother/you should've been a wife/you should've been gone from here years ago/you should be living a different life." The song itself is an absolute monster, perhaps the best on the album. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Transgender Dysphoria Blues,</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Against Me! and specifically Laura Jane Grace are doing exactly what every punk group does on a </span>politically<span style="font-family: inherit;">-charged album: they've made their lyrics brutally honest and extremely transparent, leaving it all on the table and showing a big middle finger to those who stand in their way. In this sense, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Transgender Dysphoria Blues</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is nothing too special. But considering the subject matter, as well as the ongoing worldwide LGBT rights movement, this album is most definitely special. With its release, Grace establishes herself as a role model not just for transgender individuals, but people everywhere who feel as if they don't belong. </span>Simultaneously<span style="font-family: inherit;">, Against Me! has backed up its reputation as one of the most consistent rock bands active today with yet another loud, powerful punk record. Though it certainly won't be remembered as the best sounding album of 2014 (<i>Shelter</i> already beating it out in that regard), it may well be remembered as the most important.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Key Tracks:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Shelter</i> - "Opale," "Voix Sereines," "Into the Waves"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Transgender Dysphoria Blues</i> - "Transgender Dysphoria Blues," "True Trans Soul Rebel," "Black Me Out"</span></div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:7gy7foOitAK66NYaitOZLz" width="300"></iframe> <iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:4f5QFycCas16VVeNNXtJoH" width="300"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-55007596125290045952014-01-17T18:15:00.001-05:002014-01-17T18:15:27.439-05:00My Personal FIFA World XIEarlier this week, the international governing body of soccer/football (depending on where you're from), FIFA, announced its annual World XI, a selection of eleven players the federation felt performed at the highest level throughout the calendar year. This year's team raised some eyebrows with several controversial choices, most notably Barcelona's Iniesta, Xavi, and Dani Alves, as well as Real Madrid center back Sergio Ramos. These picks seemed to be based off prestige than actual performance, as many (myself included) felt that none of these players were the best in their positions in 2013. Today, I'll be offering my choices for 2013's best players. For practical purposes, I'll be sticking with the 4-3-3 formation FIFA used.<br />
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If you wish, you can view FIFA's official squad by clicking <a href="http://www.futhead.com/14/totw/toty/">here</a>.<br />
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<b>Goalkeeper: </b>Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany)<br />
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My choice for the year's best keeper lines up with FIFA's, as German goalie Manuel Neuer earns the nod. A courageously aggressive and stunningly precise goalkeeper, standing in net for the undisputed top dogs of 2013, Bayern Munich. He played a pivotal role in leading the Bundesliga side to a remarkable five trophies in 2013, as the squad were crowned champions of Europe as they ran away with the league title. The second half of the year was just as kind to Neuer, as Munich look set to once again finish atop the Bundesliga and have a good chance at repeating as Champions League winners. Crucial saves in last year's UCL final against league rivals Borussia Dortmund made the difference for Bayern, with Dortmund only managing to put one past the 6'4" Neuer with a penalty kick. Bayern Munich's 2013 was one of the best years for a single club in recent memory, and Neuer is a big reason why the team was so successful.</div>
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<i>Honorable mentions: Thibaut Courtois, David De Gea, Hugo Lloris</i></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b>Right Back: </b>Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich, Germany)<br />
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While much credit for Bayern's great year should be given to Manuel Neuer, club captain and defensive anchor Philipp Lahm is just as deserving of praise. The right back is an expert tackler, possessing the ability to put the world's best in his back pocket. He's also excellent going forward, thanks to great dribbling skills and solid passing and shooting. His versatility is shown by the fact that he has played much of 2013 as a defensive midfielder when Bayern were struck with injuries. Lahm's leadership shouldn't be underestimated either, as he acts as skipper for both club and country. The German national team was undefeated in the group stage of world cup qualifying, Lahm being a big part of that success. No other fullback in the world combined defensive ability with attacking skills quite as well as Lahm did in 2013, which is why he makes my (and FIFA's) team.</div>
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<i>Honorable mentions: Lukasz Piszcek, Dani Alves, Pablo Zabaleta</i></div>
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<b>Center Back:</b> Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)</div>
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Thiago Silva has everything you could ask for in a center back: strength, good anticipation, superb tackling, speed, and heading ability. The Brazilian captained his side to victory in his home country at this summer's Confederations Cup, playing great defense in games against Italy, Uruguay, and reigning world champs Spain. He also helped PSG to the Ligue 1 title in a landslide, with the Parisian club holding a comfortable twelve points over runners-up Marseille. Paris Saint-Germain have started the new season in fine form as well, currently sitting in first place. Silva's contribution in defense in 2013 was the best in the world, as seen by his nomination for the Ballon d'Or, confirming him as the sport's most complete center back.</div>
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<b>Center Back: </b>Dante (Bayern Munich, Brazil)</div>
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<a href="http://www.defensacentral.com/userfiles/2014/Jan_11/dante_bayern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.defensacentral.com/userfiles/2014/Jan_11/dante_bayern.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></div>
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My first selection to stray from FIFA's lineup, Dante becomes the third Bayern player in my World XI. It's hard to argue against Bayern's defensive stats in 2013, and Dante was the team's best center back. This choice was the hardest for me to make, with plenty of defenders seeming worthy of recognition. FIFA's choice, Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, was great but not spectacular. Vincent Kompany played well for Belgium and Manchester City when healthy, which unfortunately was not often enough. Mats Hummels helped Borussia Dortmund to runners up in the Bundesliga and Europe, but Bayern's success gives Dante the edge over him. Plus, bonus points for the afro.</div>
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<i>Honorable mentions: Vincent Kompany, Mats Hummels, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Jan Vertonghen</i></div>
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<b>Left Back: </b>David Alaba (Bayern Munich, Austria)</div>
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<a href="http://du8znpjowa92.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/European-champions-Bayern-Munich-and-left-back-David-Alaba-have-agreed-to-terms-on-a-three-year-contract-extension-at-the-Allianz-Arena..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://du8znpjowa92.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/European-champions-Bayern-Munich-and-left-back-David-Alaba-have-agreed-to-terms-on-a-three-year-contract-extension-at-the-Allianz-Arena..jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Bayern defenders just keep coming, don't they? As much as I would love to put Everton left back Leighton Baines into my World XI, as he is my favorite player, he did not help his side to as much success as Alaba did in 2013. The young Austrian fullback excelled both going forward and playing defense, using pace, vision, and a wicked left foot to form a formidable left-side partnership with teammate Franck Ribery. Like fellow Munich fullback Philipp Lahm, Alaba spent some time this year in midfield, showcasing his multiple talents. Already one of the world's best at just twenty-one, he looks to have a long, prolific career ahead of him.</div>
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<i>Honorable mention: Leighton Baines</i></div>
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<b>Midfield:</b> Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich, France)</div>
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If you though Bayern were only good because of their defenders, you were mistaken. Creative wideman Franck Ribery used near-perfect dribbling, precise passing, and extreme agility to create chance after chance, scoring a few of his own along the way. Ribery's biggest moment of 2013 was his back-heeled pass that set up Arjen Robben's game-winning goal in the Champions League final with a minute left in regulation. The visionary left midfielder led many of 2013's best team's attacks, and thus earns a spot in my world XI.</div>
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<b>Midfield: </b>Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich, Germany)</div>
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Last one, I promise! The final Bayern Munich player in my team of the year was inexplicable snubbed by FIFA, who instead chose Barcelona duo Xavi and Iniesta as the other midfielders alongside the aforementioned Franck Ribery. Schweinsteiger was, for lack of a better word, a beast in 2013. His strength, coupled with passing and defending abilities, made him a force to be reckoned with in central midfield. Crucial transitional play was spearheaded by the German. One of the most techinically gifted midfielders on Earth, and possessing one of the most fun names to say ever, Bastian Schweinsteiger certainly deserved a spot in this year's world eleven.</div>
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<b>Midfield:</b> Arturo Vidal (Juventus, Chile)</div>
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<a href="http://www.chilevision.cl/noticias/site/artic/20131224/imag/foto_0000000120131224101433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.chilevision.cl/noticias/site/artic/20131224/imag/foto_0000000120131224101433.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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The best player in Serie A, Arturo Vidal does everything, and does it exquisitely. This guy can score goals, pick out passes, and stop attacks with the best of them. Seemingly tireless, Vidal pushes up and down the field with great energy and quickness, providing opponents with a huge problem. He led Juve to the Serie A title early this year and helping Chilie qualify for its second consecutive World Cup. The prime example of a box-to-box midfielder today, Arturo Vidal grabs the third and final midfield spot in my 2013 TOTY.</div>
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<i>Honorable mentions: Yaya Toure, Eden Hazard, Andres Iniesta, Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan, Andrea Pirlo, Xavi, Thomas Muller</i></div>
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<b>Forward: </b>Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)</div>
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You knew this was coming. Simply put, Ronaldo was the best player in the world in 2013. With Lionel Messi spending the late weeks of the year on the injured list, the Ballon d'Or was Ronaldo's to lose. Though Madrid failed to capture either the La Liga or Champions League trophy last year, the prolific winger shone, scoring goal after goal after goal. His best showing came in Portugal's two-leg playoff against Sweden for a spot in this summer's upcoming World Cup, where he scored four goals, including a hat-trick in the second game, to earn Portugal's place in Brazil. Though I still feel Messi is the better player, it's hard to deny that Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player of 2013.</div>
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<b>Forward: </b>Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)</div>
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Despite missing a good portion of 2013 with hamstring issues, Lionel Messi still did enough to warrant this selection via his continually stunning performances. Barcelona's 2012-2013 La Liga-title-winning campaign relied heavily on the shoulders of the Argentinian. In April he became the first player to ever score in consecutive games against every La Liga side in history. Argentina qualified for the world cup partially thanks to Messi, who netted three goals for his national side in 2013. The fact that Messi can justifiably make this squad and be nominated for the Ballon d'Or despite his injury troubles speaks volumes about his ability as an athlete and his importance to his domestic side.</div>
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<b>Forward: </b>Luis Suarez (Liverpool, Uruguay)</div>
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As a die-hard Everton fan, this is very hard for me. You might even say that it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GopdzPxE2gk">bites</a> ;). Picking the FIFA-chosen Zlatan Ibrahimovic here would've been the safe, easy pick, but it would not have reflected my true feelings on who performed best in the beautiful game in 2013. My love for Everton and burning hatred for Liverpool does not make me blind to the fact that striker Luis Suarez had a stellar year (when he wasn't suspended, of course). Suarez's goal tally in 2013 is insane, especially considering he missed ten games with a suspension for chomping on Branislav Ivanovic's shoulder during a heated match against Chelsea. He had nineteen goals in fourteen matches to start this Premier League campaign, combining with Daniel Sturridge to form the BPL's most terrifying striking duo. Suarez likely would've lead the league in goals last season were it not for his suspension. He almost left Liverpool in the summer, claiming that he was sick of being scrutinized by the English media. Liverpool fans should be glad he stayed, as he is the main reason the club have a legitimate chance at finishing top four in the BPL and thus qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. Uruguay certainly benefited from his presence as well, though they required a playoff victory against Jordan in order to squeak into the World Cup. Love him or hate him (and you probably hate him), Luis Suarez had a magnificent season statistically in 2013, and I honestly believe him to deserve a spot in my team of the year. And that's coming from an Everton fan.</div>
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<i>Honorable mentions:</i> <i>Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robin Van Persie, Sergio Aguero, Gareth Bale, Robert Lewandowski, Diego Costa, Neymar, Antonio Di Natale, Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli</i></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-70508423365030548472013-12-31T00:00:00.000-05:002013-12-31T00:00:02.661-05:00#1 Album of the Year: Arcade Fire - "Reflektor"<b>Rating: 9.8/10</b><br />
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</b> My album of the year is <i>Reflektor</i> by Arcade Fire, a band I dedicated an entire week to in anticipation of this album's release. Big surprise that it got #1 on this year's countdown, right? Seriously though, if you read <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/10/album-of-week-arcade-fire-reflektor.html" target="_blank">my first review of the album</a> (which you can do by clicking through that hyper-linked text), you'll know I adored the thing. When you got past all of the empty criticisms and the puzzling anger towards the allegedly over-the-top promotion of the record, what you had was a near-perfect group of songs from a band that have mastered their craft. <i>Reflektor</i> is an Arcade Fire album like no other; drenched in synthesizers, lacking much guitar, and driven by Caribbean-flavored beats, this sounds distinctly removed from the days of <i>Funeral</i>,<i> Neon Bible</i>, or <i>The Suburbs</i>. But then again, the band's identity remains intact. Win Butler's gusty voice and his wife Regine Chassagne's perky vocals are ever-present. The ambition, grandeur, and emotion are all stronger than ever. Most importantly, the pure skill of making great music stays.<br />
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Butler & co. are undoubtedly fantastic songwriters and performers, as the songs on <i>Reflektor</i> prove. The title track is one of the year's most<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflektor_(song)#Critical_response" target="_blank"> universally beloved</a> singles, thanks to an incredibly danceable groove, fluttering pianos, deep-rooted synths, and Butler and Chassagne's vocal trade-offs. The conga beat gives the song a foreign feel as Butler's mysterious lyrics leave the song open to interpretation. The other single off the record (so far) is the absolutely gorgeous "Afterlife," guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. Chassagne's "oh-oh's," the chiming keyboards, and jumpy beat all set the stage for Butler's haunted vocal. "Afterlife/Oh my God/What an awful word," he sings right out of the gate. The accompanying music video is just as wonderful as the song, and drives home the meaning of the song even more, as a father and two sons struggle to cope with the loss of the mother of the family.<br />
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As always, Arcade Fire tackle some huge themes with their lyrics. The aforementioned "Afterlife" deals with life after death (hence the title). "We Exist" tells the tale, according to Butler himself, of what it is like growing up gay in a particularly homophobic region. This is not from Win's personal experience, as he currently has a wife (fellow vocalist Regine Chassagne, as stated above), but that makes the song no less sincere. Early on, a son asks his father for his help, as Butler cries, "Daddy it's true/I'm different from you/But tell my why they treat me like this?" Later, the speaker becomes more defiant, exclaiming, "Let 'em stare!/If that's all they can do!/But I'd lose my heart/If I turned away from you." It's a pretty riveting track, and one that probably stems from the band's experience while in Haiti. The sounds behind the story are great as well, as the keys and drums swell up, bursting at the song's pivotal moments.<br />
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While the story behind "We Exist" likely came from Haiti, so too did much of the album's music. "Flashbulb Eyes" and "Here Comes the Night Time" play out back-to-back as a sonic representation of Haitian Carnival, with wildly fun conga beats and blaring horns. The latter is particularly superb, a song I found so enjoyable that I named it <a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/11/top-75-songs-of-2013.html" target="_blank">my favorite song of 2013.</a> A rowdy guitar part kicks off the song as drummer Jeremy Gara plays with flair. The dancefloor-rush soon fades to a slow groove the bubbles up before the adrenaline-pumping "fast part" makes a spectacular return.<br />
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I can go on and on about each individual track, but I already did that in my last review. Instead, I'll wrap up the year with a more big-picture look at <i>Reflektor </i>for the rest of this post. This album has indicated a new direction for Arcade Fire, one that's much more LCD Soundsystem (whose main man, James Murphy, produced this LP) and Talking Heads than previous albums. Of course, they could take another sharp turn on their fifth release, whenever that may be.<br />
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Much spite was directed towards the band for how the promoted the album, while artists like Daft Punk and Justin Timberlake received no hate, and in some cases praise, despite having exponentially larger campaigns pre-release. They played <i>SNL</i>, including a post-show special in which they debuted several new songs, which I found pretty cool. The group performed other late-night shows, a pretty conventional way to generate buzz. The only really out-there method Arcade Fire used to hype <i>Reflektor</i> was that logo they had drawn everywhere. But in a year when Kanye West quite literally projected his face on buildings across the world, it seems hypocritical to call out Arcade Fire for what was possibly somewhat self-indulgent but nowhere near egregious. Some view the band as very pretentious, another unfounded claim in my eyes. I enjoy getting excited about a release, especially one as big as <i>Reflektor</i>.<br />
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Personally, <i>Reflektor</i> is the first Arcade Fire album where the band don't sound young anymore. <i>Funeral</i> was a youthful burst of energy, <i>Neon Bible</i> was a sort of coming-of-age, and <i>The Suburbs</i> felt like saying goodbye to childhood. <i>Reflektor</i>, however, is forwards-looking, dealing with uncertainties about life (and death) in the upcoming future. Nostalgia is swapped for anticipation, love lost exchanged for love to come. It's a logical step, considering that Butler and Chassagne recently became parents, and the band's only gotten bigger in cultural footprint since their last record and subsequent Grammy Album of the Year victory. The musical ideas are more thoroughly developed, too, as every detail was worked on meticulously, a clear sign of maturation of sound.<br />
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<i>Reflektor</i> is everything great about music packed into one, albeit lengthy, album. Deep lyrical themes, musical talent, catchy hooks, hypnotizing grooves, and songs that make you want to dance, sing, laugh, cry, and everything in between, sometimes all at the same time. Few bands can pull off having songs which contain the literal sounds of a party on the same record as songs dealing with love, death, and fitting in, but Arcade Fire is one of those bands. 2013 truly was an amazing year for alternative music, and music in general, in my opinion the best since the days of the early 1990's, and certainly the best in almost a decade. Even the mainstream finally started to shift towards higher quality music, as respectable artists like Macklemore and Lorde had smash hits with something to say. Valuable messages of restraint, tolerance, cooperation, and thriftiness left previous pop music ideals like over-indulgence, recklessness, and selfishness behind. People like to say every year that it was a bad year for music, but invariably look back years later and go back on their early words. 2013 is sure to be a year the world remembers as a strong one for music. Don't believe me? <i>Reflektor </i>is all the proof you need.<br />
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<b>Key Tracks:</b> "Reflektor," "Here Comes the Night Time," "Normal Person," "Afterlife"<br />
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December's been quite the month here on Facts for Whatever, as I published <i>fifteen</i> (!) album reviews in one month. That's almost one every other day! Thanks to everyone who followed along throughout. So, now, I present this month's work in list form. Here are, after long last, my top fifteen albums of 2013, summarized in list form. If you missed any of the full-length reviews, you can click on the album title in the list to jump to the page. Spotify links to the albums & songs of the years playlists will be embedded at the bottom of the post, and the AotY list will include <i>Reflektor </i>(though sadly not <i>MBV -</i> you can listen to that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBKjhgHGVZs&list=PL42S3gQm8xhR-55K7kDjrO1yQ7lFrKvrY" target="_blank">here</a>), so you can hear it there rather than a separate embedment. Here's hoping 2014 gives us as much great music as 2013 has! (And fingers crossed Radiohead put something out!)<br />
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<b><u>Top Fifteen Albums of the Year</u></b><br />
1. Arcade Fire - <i>Reflektor</i><br />
2. Vampire Weekend - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-2-vampire-weekend-modern.html" target="_blank">Modern Vampires of the City</a></i><br />
3. Wavves - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-3-wavves-afraid-of.html" target="_blank">Afraid of Heights</a></i><br />
4. Queens of the Stone Age -<a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-4-queens-of-stone-age.html" target="_blank"> <i>...Like Clockwork</i></a><br />
5. Washed Out - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-5-washed-out-paracosm.html" target="_blank">Paracosm</a></i><br />
6. The Joy Formidable - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-6-joy-formidable-wolfs.html" target="_blank">Wolf's Law</a></i><br />
7. Deafheaven - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-7-deafheaven-sunbather.html" target="_blank">Sunbather</a></i><br />
8. Nine Inch Nails - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-8-nine-inch-nails.html" target="_blank">Hesitation Marks</a></i><br />
9. The National - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-9-national-trouble-will.html" target="_blank">Trouble Will Find Me</a></i><br />
10. My Bloody Valentine - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-10-my-bloody-valentine-m.html" target="_blank">MBV</a></i><br />
11. HAIM - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-11-haim-days-are-gone.html" target="_blank">Days Are Gone</a></i><br />
12. Lorde - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-12-lorde-pure-heroine.html" target="_blank">Pure Heroine</a></i><br />
13. Local Natives - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-13-local-natives.html" target="_blank">Hummingbird</a></i><br />
14. Mikal Cronin - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-14-mikal-cronin-mcii.html" target="_blank">MCII</a></i><br />
15. Daft Punk - <i><a href="http://factsforwhatever.blogspot.com/2013/12/albums-of-year-15-daft-punk-random.html" target="_blank">Random Access Memories</a></i><br />
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</i> Thanks for reading!<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-32984258165353176652013-12-30T18:33:00.003-05:002013-12-30T18:35:31.549-05:00Albums of the Year 2013 - Honorable MentionsBefore the #1 spot on the album of the year countdown, it's time to take a look at some of the records that just barely missed the cut. Keeping in mind that 2013 was a particularly strong year for releases, it's easy to understand that even some really great albums could've missed out on the top fifteen. No ratings will be given to any of the releases mentioned here, which are placed in no particular order, and the reviews of each will be much briefer than usual. If your favorites from this year haven't showed up on the countdown yet, maybe you'll see them here. Also, the usual spotify links to each album will be embedded together at the bottom of the entire post - not under each individual review.<br />
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<i>Night Time, My Time</i> may just be the best pop record to be released in 2013. It was also one of the year's best full-length debuts. After an unflattering September arrest for ecstasy possession along with boyfriend and DIIV frontman Zachary Cole Smith, it was refreshing to see Ferreira put out such an excellent record. The 21-year-old starlet generated buzz last year with the single "Everything Is Embarassing," but it's on <i>Night Time, My Time</i> where the world got to see Sky's full potential. The hook-heavy synthpop record was produced by Ariel Rechtshaid, who also worked on the new HAIM and Vampire Weekend records, and tells the story of an up-and-down relationship. On "Boys," Ferreira sings "I knew it was you all along" and "you put my faith back in boys." Later, however, she laments, "I won't even bother to fight/I know you're not the one" on lead single "You're Not the One." The track contains a catchy gutar riff and chorus melody, like many of the album's best songs. "24 Hours" is a personal favorite, thanks to chimey synths, disco drums, and an impressive vocal performance. Guitars are prominent once again on songs like the '80's flavored "I Will" and the production-heavy "Omanko." "Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)" may be the album's most anthemic track, with a heavy drum beat and shouted hook. Ferreira's music will be broadcast to a wide audience in 2014, as she will be an opening act (along with Icona Pop) on Miley Cyrus's world tour. A cool blend of indie and pop, <i>Night Time, My Time</i> has the potential to be a late-blossmer on mainstream radio.</div>
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Key tracks: "Boys," "24 Hours,' "Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)," "You're Not the One"</div>
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<b>Kurt Vile - <i>Wakin on a Pretty Daze</i></b></div>
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A laid back, summery album, Kurt Vile's <i>Wakin on a Pretty Daze</i> harkened back to the days of Neil Young while adding in a dash of Pavement. A pleasing mixture of acoustic and electric guitars create vast sonic landscapes underneath Vile's lazy, mumbled vocals. The album opener "Wakin on a Pretty Day" is a sprawling, nine-minute monolith of a track. Several increases in tempo occur, as guitar layers glide around the track before a liquidy, effect-laden solo rides out the final two minutes. Many a stuffy subway ride into work on a hot summer day went by with ease thanks to this trancy tune and it's follower on the tracklist, "KV Crimes." Another leisurely song, the forceful guitar riff and percussion part standout as Vile offers "I think I'm ready/to claim what's fine/rightfully." Both of the tracks are great, and landed near the top of my favorite songs of the year. The album was one of the 2013's most effortless, most airy, and further increases Kurt Vile's status as a cult-hero indie rocker.</div>
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Key tracks: "Wakin on a Pretty Day," "KV Crimes," "Never Run Away," "Air Bud"</div>
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<b>Savages - <i>Silence Yourself</i></b></div>
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Ferocious post-punk Brits Savages burst onto the scene in 2012 much like Sky Ferreira did (though with a <i>much</i> different sound), but it wasn't until this past May that the female quarter established themselves as indie mainstays with their full-length debut, <i>Silence Yourself</i>. The album kicks off with a kick in the teeth, the unforgiving "Shut Up." In case the first song title and imposing album cover didn't tip you off, Savages are a band that don't take anything sitting down. <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/verymuchso/savages-are-the-best-band-for-when-you-feel-like-punching-a" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a> labeled them "the best band for when you feel like punching a wall." "Shut Up"'s booming bass intro and high-flying guitars remind the listener of fellow Londoners Siouxsie & the Banshees, as Jehnny (not a type) Beth's stammered vocals suggest a sense of fury, as do the lyrics. "If you tell me to shut up/I would tell you to shut up," she sputters justifiably. The harsh start-stop cymbals and Beth's raw vocals on "She Will" cry out in desperation and wrath, or possibly fear. It's a raw, angry album, and of 2013's biggest presents.</div>
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Key tracks: "Shut Up," "She Will," "Husbands"</div>
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<b>Beach Fossils - <i>Clash the Truth</i></b></div>
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The most conventionally indie album to gain a honorable mention here, <i>Clash the Truth</i> is a clear indication that Beach Fossils won't be going away any time soon, despite several recent lineup changes. Heavily influenced by lo-fi acts of the 1980's like Joy Division, <i>Clash the Truth</i> is a wonderful display of beachy guitars and old-style singing mixed with atmospheric production. The title track starts as a simple three-chord excursion before a chorus of voices join for a semi-spoken-word outro. "Careless" features lush guitars in the verses and screeching ones in the chorus over a dry drum beat. The best track might just be "Shallow," a layered piece with soothing melodies and varying levels of intensity. The album is chock-full of fun, short, classic indie-style songs, and was one of 2013's best lo-fi releases.</div>
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Key Tracks: "Clash the Truth," "Generational Synthetic," "Careless," "Shallow"</div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:1bvCVYPVl445mO690M2dOr" width="300"></iframe> <iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:2imxOfDIDk2voAYCZP88u2" width="300"></iframe><br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:0aMC5DDAF86GvYNPaivEKd" width="300"></iframe> <iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:40TgysF80nR70X6NCIvSHz" width="300"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340858834594430449.post-79475203745551294342013-12-29T14:40:00.000-05:002013-12-29T14:40:25.225-05:00Albums of the Year - #2: Vampire Weekend - "Modern Vampires of the City"<b>Rating: 9.7/10</b><br />
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Before the May release of <i>Modern Vampires of the City</i>, Vampire Weekend were viewed by most as a simple, cutesy, indie pop band. A very good one, to be fair. But to many it seemed that Vampire Weekend were trapped in a bubble, that they had already said everything they had to say, and had nowhere else to go. Everyone knew what to expect from Vampire Weekend, or so they thought. In 2013, the Ivy-bred quartet surprised everybody with the magnificient, twinkling, dazzling <i>Modern Vampires of the City</i>. Some of the band's identifiable characteristics are still present; african-flavored beats, sprightly guitars, and frontman Ezra Koenig's spry vocals all stick around. But this new album is clearly a huge leap forward for the group. The lyrics are better than ever, a bounty of previously unused instruments are introduced, and new techniques a are presented. The most noticeable of these is the use of pitch shifting, employed liberally and masterfully on two of the record's biggest songs, "Diane Young" and "Ya Hey."</div>
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The new era is ushered in immediately, as just the first few seconds of the album indicating a shift in sound. "Obvious Bicycle" starts with Koenig singing from the first moment, over a stately piano piece and a ticking flutter of a beat. Koenig harmonizes beautifully with fellow vocalist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij. The song is a gorgeous celebration of space, as the deliberate instrumentals ring out time after time. The old-timey piano outro only adds to the beauty of the track, which is one of the most chilling of the year. </div>
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Vampire Weekend do return to older ideas on songs like "Unbelievers" and "Everlasting Arms," but it's a more developed version of their previous sound. Where <i>Contra </i>and the group's self-titled debut fail to resonate, the more conventional songs on <i>Modern Vampires</i> succeed. "Unbelievers" features organ, frenetic drums, and a more typical indie feel than some of the album's other tracks. But where previously Koenig would sing about a beach house, he analyzes the divisive nature of the world's religions. "Everlasting Arms" is an effervescent burst of bass, guitar, and drums, but the lyrics discuss love and the afterlife. Another entry to this group of old-style Vampire Weekend tracks is "Finger Back." The song holds its own thanks to a fidgety drum beat and Koenig's nimble vocals.</div>
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Still, the brightest moments on <i>Modern Vampires of the City</i> come as the band explore new territory. "Diane Young" tweaks the old formula, adding a heaping dose of oddity as the pitch-shifted vocals in the chorus take focus. The frantic, fractured song uses saxophone as a major component in the verse, as the refrain's vocals slide from deep rumble to a higher whisper, and back again. "Ya Hey" is a bouyant take driven by plucky bass and handclaps. Koenig sings apologetically, "America don't love you/So I could never love you." Pitch-shifting is used once again in the chorus, this time taking Koenig's voice into a chipmunk-like wail. The technique of pitch-shifting is one I hardly ever enjoy, but Vampire Weekend use it so shrewdly that you can't help but love it. </div>
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Harpsichord plays a big role on the graceful "Step," as does an angelic choir and (surprise) more pitch-shifting. The slow jaunt of "Step" is a splendid one, making it a standout track on the album. "Worship You" is guided by a battle-ready snare pattern and agile guitar riff as Koenig essentially raps during the verses. The tongue-twister vocals are even more impressive once you find out what the lyrics actually are; imagine saying "Only in the way you want it/Only on the day you want it/Only with the understanding every single day you want it" as quickly as the frontman does here.</div>
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Perhaps the most stunning piece on <i>Modern Vampires of the City</i> is the raw, spacious "Hannah Hunt." In the early stages of the track, Koenig is left virtually alone to sing to his love. "You and I/We got our own sense of time," he asserts. At the eventual introduction of drums and the soaring piano part, Koenig briefly leaves his shell, pleading desperately instead of subtly.</div>
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The world wasn't expecting <i>Modern Vampires of the City</i> to be as amazing as it is. But upon release and in retrospection, critics and fans alike recognized the album's brilliance humbly, if the disc's placement atop or quite near the summit of numerous year-end lists is any evidence. <i>Rolling Stone, Pitchfork,</i> and NPR's listeners all named the album the best of the year, as it also picked up a Grammy nomination. It's the increasingly rare instant classic, one which will be listened to for years to come.</div>
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<b>Key Tracks:</b> "Obvious Bicycle," "Step," "Hannah Hunt," "Ya Hey"</div>
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