Smells Like Alternative

It’s a cold and cloudy day, so it’s only fitting to do an FYI on the bands from the Northwest.

• The band formed in 1985.
• Mark Lanegan (vocals), Van Connor (bass), Gary Lee Connor (guitar) went to high school together in Ellensburg, WA; which is 90 miles away from Seattle.
• Lanegan was originally the band’s drummer, but soon switched positions with Mark Pickerel.
• The band got their name from a guitar distortion pedal.
• In 1985 the Screaming Trees recorded their first demo.
• The band’s first album, Clairvoyance, was released in 1986 on Velvetone Records.
• In 1987 the band released their second album, Even If and Especially When, through SST Records.
• In 1988 SST reissued the Screaming Trees demo, titling it Other Worlds, and also their third album Invisible Lantern.
• In 1989 they recorded their final album for SST, Buzz Factory.
• In 1990 Sub Pop released the Change Has Come EP.
• Epic Records signed the band in late 1990.
• Chris Cornell was a producer for the band’s Epic debut, Uncle Anesthesia, which was released on January 29, 1991.
• Mark Pickerel was replaced by Barrett Martin on drums in 1991.
• The track “Nearly Lost You” was included on the Singles soundtrack in 1992.
• Sweet Oblivion was released on September 8, 1992 and sold over 300,000 copies.
• The band went on an hiatus following their tour in support of Sweet Oblivion.
• The Screaming Trees regrouped in early 1995 to record a new album.
• Dust was released on June 25, 1996.
• The track “Dying Days”features a guitarist by the name of Mike McCready.
• Josh Homme (future Queens of the Stone Age mastermind) was a touring guitarist for the band during their Dust tour.
• The band was part of Lollapalooza in 1996, which also featured Metallica, Soundgarden, The Ramones and, on selected dates, Rage Against The Machine, 311, Devo, Cheap Trick and the Wu-Tang Clan.
• Following the Dust tour, the band took another break.
• The Screaming Trees last performance was on June 25, 2000 to celebrate the opening of Seattle’s Experience Music Project.
• The band announced their break up in 2000.
• Since the break up their have been two greatest hits compilations, 2001’s Nearly Lost You and 2005’s Ocean of Confession: Songs of Screaming Trees 1989-1996.

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