Mudhoney News

Mudhoney plays two dates in Alberta, reaching Edmonton January 8 and Calgary on January 9. Photograph by: Getty Images, Getty Images It's a mere two days before Christmas and Mark Arm of Mudhoney is at the Sub Pop Records warehouse.

If you knew a band that was made up of dudes in their 40s who made albums on the cheap whenever they felt like it, and who weren't very commercial and sometimes went on short trips to play a show or two out of town, you'd think they were weekend warriors like those guys who go to PTA meetings in leather jackets and have a drum kit in the garage ...

It had been nearly a decade since John "Woz" Wozniak, lead singer of rock band Marcy Playground, had been out on a national tour.

The Don't Look Back bill that kicks off the 2010 incarnation of All Tomorrow's Parties New York is like a grunge fan's wet dream.

When Seattle grunge went mainstream, it was only a matter of time before the ripple effect was felt in regions other than the Pacific Northwest.

In the last few years I've been conducting filmed oral history interviews with people involved in the development of the underground music infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest from the late 1970s to today.

Discovering Nirvana's lost treasures Two of the band's seminal concerts are captured in new releases this week.

Photographer Michael Lavine is doubly blessed. First, he had the good fortune to be in Seattle during its heyday in the early '90s when, for a brief moment, that city became the center of the universe, setting trends for the hipster lifestyle of art, music, fashion and film that reverberate to this day and look to be with us well into the future.

Michael Lavine will be signing copies of his book of photos, Grunge , Friday at Neumos.

Last update: November 7, 2009 - 1:28 PM 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 .

Referred to as the Seattle sound, the distorted, electric guitar-driven sound of early grunge bands like The Melvins, Mudhoney, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam opened up a whole new era of music.

Nirvana was the opening act for Tad and Mudhoney at Sub Pop's first Lame Fest on June 9, 1989, at the Moore.

Halfway through Fu Manchu 's set at Neumos last Saturday night, the band pulled out "Superbird," an ode to the Plymouth muscle car from their 2003 album No One Rides for Free .

Of all the performances taking place over the course of the 11-day Tel Aviv Music Festival, none are more highly anticipated than the arrival of Mudhoney, one of the pioneers of the American grunge movement in the 1990s that spawned the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.

The newly organized Portland Youth Development Coalition is dedicated to raising money and awareness for youth development - particularly in the area of arts education and job training.

Rating : * * * Verdict : First album in 14 years. One for the fans then Alice In Chains have always walked a beautifully fine line between rock 'n' roll and metal.

Mudhoney founder Mark Arm, front, and his cohort guitarist Steve Turner, far left, were instrumental in the roots of the Seattle grunge legend.

From Seattle grunge prototypes Mudhoney and European progressive rock veterans Gong to homegrown heroes like Rita and Mati Caspi, the upcoming Tel Aviv Music Festival will provide a plethora of musical avenues and venues to choose from.

IF ONLY more bands could take to the stage a full two and a half decades after they started working together and remain as connected to the spirit of rock 'n' roll as Mudhoney.

Quick, what's the first thing that comes to mind when when you think about the Seattle music scene? Was it Nirvana or Pearl Jam? Soundgarden, maybe? Or Mudhoney? If so, you're in good company.