If you were to close your eyes and think of your favorite grunge bands, likely four or five would jump to mind. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. You may even think about Mudhoney or Screaming Trees. Maybe a couple of supergroups like Temple of the Dog and Mad Season. That would all be pretty impressive.
But a couple of handfuls of bands do not make a scene. Indeed, in the Pacific Northwest and in Seattle, specifically, grunge music was everywhere at the end of the 20th century. It seemed as if a heavy, and sludgy-sounding guitarist hung out of every apartment floor back then as if he or she were a plant in the windowsill.
As a result, several bands from that time fell through the proverbial cracks as far as mainstream attention is concerned. We wanted to highlight four of those groups here. A quartet of grunge groups that deserve more of your time today. Indeed, these are four underground grunge bands that should’ve been huge.
Skin Yard
One of the most influential rock bands from the Seattle area, Skin Yard released their debut self-titled LP in 1987. Among others, that record featured drummer Matt Cameron, who also played in Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Bam Bam; and Jack Endino, who is known as “The Grungefather” for all the songs he engineered and recorded for Sub Pop in the late 1980s as the label was getting off the ground. While Skin Yard may not have become a household name like some of its contemporaries, it is as essential to grunge history as any.
Bam Bam
While grunge music gained real momentum in the late 1980s before exploding in the following decade, it was in the middle of the 1980s when Tina Bell and her group Bam Bam were turning heads and helping to define a new sound. The group, which also featured drummer Matt Cameron (see above), was fronted by the influential Bell, whose attitude and demeanor on stage would go on to influence many other artists, including band superfan Kurt Cobain. Today, there are a few grainy, though great videos of Bam Bam on YouTube, but it’s too bad there’s not much more.
IMIJ
IMIJ should have been huge. They’re one of those secret bands that only a few 1990s rock fans remember today. But in that way, they’re like a speakeasy down a dark alley that only the cool people frequent. Named after Jimi (spelled backwards) Hendrix, the group was briefly signed to Capitol Records in 1993 and in 1994, they self-released a four-song EP, In Gods You Lust, that is just fantastic. Sadly, record execs back then didn’t think they would have a huge audience, and IMIJ was lost to time. Today, though, their talent remains very worth your time.
Mother Love Bone
There is one clear reason why Mother Love Bone never made it big, and it’s not for lack of talent or drive. It’s merely because their fabulous frontman, Andrew Wood, died just weeks before the release of the band’s debut LP, Apple. If it hadn’t been for that, Mother Love Bone may be the most famous grunge group ever. Wood had everything, from artistry to charm, but he couldn’t get past his battle with drugs. His death led to the formation of Temple of the Dog, which was led by Wood’s former friend and roommate, Chris Cornell.
Photo by Mick Hutson / Redferns / Getty Images
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