Touching a Nirvana: Jog As You Are

Rock was all but declared dead (yet again!) in the early 90s, this time vanquished by Rap and Hip-Hop, and then these tattered Seattle souls arrived on the scene and took the country by storm. Combining the intensity of punk with the sensibilities of Alt Rock and the doom-laden hooks of metal, Nirvana made Rock relevant again and founded an entire new sub-genre, Grunge. Too bad Kurt Cobain died while midwifing the movement; while fellow grunge bands Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots went on to relative success, none could match the impact of Nirvana or the devotion of its followers. Though this week’s wog, Jog As You Are, is not my fastest exercise list, Cobain-in-your-face makes it feel that way. You’ll find the list on Podwogging.com.

Indie or Alternative: What’s in a Genre?

An astute reader of my playlists might notice the absence of the word “Indie” in any of the genre descriptions of the songs. According to Allmusic.com, Alt Rock became more “serious” and “testosterone-driven” right around the time Nirvana made it big, and its niche in the pop ecosystem was taken by Indie. I don’t get—U2 is more testosterone-driven than Nirvana? How does that work? As far as I can see, there is no substantive difference between the two genres, other than it’s a label used by a new generation of rock fans to brand their own—the young, after all, forever need to forge new identities. Now that those Indie fans are growing older, now doubt the Millenials coming up will need a new brand to describe their rock sound of choice. Me, I’m sticking to my guns. Indie is Alt. And I’m out.