I have to admit, I've been enjoying the hell out of the Current's so-called "Flyin' the Flannel Weekend," a grunge retrospective timed to the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's "Bleach." It's a pretty hokey name, and some of the banter has been close to unbearable (i.e, "the music wasn't stupid... but it was dumb"). Grunge never allowed for much pontificating or over-thinking.
But the music on 89.3 FM or online here has been fantastic to hear again, from lots and lots of Mudhoney -- the prototypical grunge band in my mind, and in the best possible way -- to the always-underrated Screaming Trees to Hole, Babes in Toyland, L7, Sleater-Kinney (grunge was the rare case of women being equally welcomed in rock) to Soundgarden, fIREHOSE and even Pearl Jam (a band the station should play more of in general, imho; the hipsters can handle 'em). How about a little of the not-so-little TAD, too? I've always thought the Afghan Whigs, Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr. fit the mold, too, if not so obviously. Please, though, no Candlebox.
Sub Pop Records, by the way, just issued a 20th anniversary edition of "Bleach." It definitely still stands up.
