The Seattle music scene from 1979-1995 was dominated by the grunge genre. Bruce Pavitt started the independent record label Sub Pop in the early 1980s to promote underground Northwest bands playing a dirty, melodic style that blended punk, hardcore punk, and hard rock. Defining features of grunge music included raw sounds, catchy melodies, and lyrics about social alienation. Grunge fashion was characterized by flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and a DIY aesthetic. The Riot Grrrl movement also emerged in the early 1990s in Seattle and Olympia, advocating for feminist issues. While Nirvana and other grunge bands achieved mainstream success in the early 1990s, the genre

1. The Seattle Music Scene
(1979-1995)
OlgaLizana
EsmeraldaValenzuela

2. Contents
1. A little bit of context: Geography
2. What is Seattle famous for?
3. Seattle’s 90’s Music Scene: Grunge
4. Grunge
5. Grunge Features: music
6. Grunge features: lyrics
7. Grunge fashion: “non-fashion”
8. Riot Grrrls
9. Mia Zapata and The Gits
10. Decline of mainstream popularity

3. A little bit of context: Geography
● State of Washington
● North West Pacific Coast of the U.S.
● 155 km far from Canada
● Total surface: 369,2 km²
● 670,218 people

4. What Is Seattle Famous For?
Jimi
Hendrix,
1942 - 1970

5. What Is Seattle Famous For?
● Space Needle
(1962, Edward
E.Carlson
● William Edward
Boeing, 1916
● Seattle, 1971

6. Seattle’s 90’s Music Scene:
Grunge
● The sound of Seattle
(grunge): 1979 - 1995
● Influences of Punk,
Hardcore Punk and
Hard Rock.
● Punk era:
1976 - 1983
● Why in
Seattle?

7. Grunge
● 1979: Bruce Pavitt moves West
● He starts his own photocopied magazine,
Subterranean Pop
● 1981: Pavitt shortens the name to Sub Pop
The Beginning

8. Grunge
The Beginning
“1. Culture is controlled by large corporations. It is
bland. 2. Sub Pop combats this by supporting
independent means of expression: cassettes,
records, publications, video, public access cable
television, whatever. 3. We are very big interested
in regional trends, movements, ideas, slang,
record labels, what have you. We are very big
interested in small communities that aren’t big
time like important N.Y. and L.A. 4. A
decentralised cultural network is obviously cool.
Way cool.”
From Bruce Pavitt’s “Supreme Statement of Purpose” in Sub Pop
#8, 1982

9. Grunge
● 1983: Sub Pop becomes a column in the Rocket
● 1986: Sub Pop becomes a record label
● 1987: release of Dry As A Bone by Green River
● 1988: release of Touch Me, I’m Sick by Mudhoney and
Love Buzz by Nirvana

10. Grunge features:
Music
● “Pure grunge! Pure
shit! “ - Mark Arm
(Mudhoney)
● A dirty sound
● Catchy melodies
● Halfway through Punk
and Heavy Metal
● Garages and
bars;
Crocodrile
Caffee
● They played for
themselves

11. U-men (1981 -
1988) The Melvins (1983)
Pearl Jam (1990)

12. Nirvana (1991 -1994)
Soundgarden (1984 - 1997
• 2010)
Mudhoney (1988)

13. Grunge features:
Lyrics
● Themes: social alienation, apathy, entrapment, desire for freedom
● Similarities to punk rock and Generation X
● Disenchantment with the state of society and discomfort at social prejudices
● Dark or fun sense of humor, satirization of glam metal

14. Grunge fashion: “non-fashion”
● Flannel shirts
● Ripped and faded jeans
● Black boots
● Oversized sweaters
● Low-budget
antimaterialist
philosophy
● Comfort
● DIY

15. Riot grrrls
● Early 1990s in Olympia and
Seattle
● Feminist consciousness, punk
aesthetics, politics and style
● Issues such as rape, domestic
abuse, patriarchy and female
empowerment

16. Riot grrrls
L7
1985 - 200, Los Angeles
Babes in Toyland
1987 - 2001, Minneapolis
Bratmobile
1991 - 1994, 1999 - 2003, Olympia

17. Riot grrrls
Bikini Kill
1990 - 1997, Olympia
7 Year Bitch
1990, Seattle
The Gits
1986 - 1993, Seattle

18. The Gits and
Mia Zapata
● Mia Zapata (1965 - 1993), singer for the band The
Gits. She was assassinated.

19. Decline of mainstream popularity
● Grunge bands opposed to mainstream stardom
● The advent of post-grunge
● Heroin use