Shazamers' Blog

As November draws to a close, the race for Christmas number one is on, again. And though bookie Ladbrokes put their Chrimbo favourite as X-Factor star Amelia Lily, Nirvana’s best known single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ comes in at a close second for the Christmas number one spot (odds are 4/1, in case you’re interested in a flutter). The Christmas number one spot in the UK has been dominated by X-Factor related releases for the past decade – with the marked exception of 2009, when a Facebook campaign saw Rage Against the Machine hit the top spot. Nirvana are now the targets of a similar Facebook campaign – with music lovers being encouraged to buy the single to rail against the dominance of X Factor in the charts.

2011 was the 20^th anniversary of Nirvana’s seminal album, ‘Nevermind’. But as well as being in the news through celebration of one of the top rock albums of the past 20 years, Nirvana were also in the headlines recently, through various comments being exchanged by late singer Kurt Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love, and his ex band-mate, Dave Grohl.

Performing with band Hole at the SWU festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Love took the opportunity to flash the crowd and start insulting a member of the audience who had held up a picture of Kurt Cobain. She then started ranting about Dave Grohl and his band, Foo Fighters. Watch Courtney’s lash out here. Courtney then explained her rant, as reported in Loudwire. Though Grohl has deigned to retaliate (understandably), his Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic seemingly stepped up to defend his buddy on Twitter, tweeting “Q: Why do Foo Fighters pack arenas? A: Because they ROCK!!!!!!!” and “David Eric Grohl = Talent + Focus + Hard Work #Ilove you.”

More poignantly, Novoselic recently spoke to Billboard about the enduring appeal of the Nirvana album, Nevermind:

“Twenty years is a long time and a lot has gone on. But Nirvana for me personally has been prominent the whole way,” he said. “It’s been so enduring. First you’re 16, then you’re 18, then you’re 21 and then you’re 40, then 63, or whatever retirement age is. So there are these milestones. But regardless, the music lives on. People are listening to the music, talking about it and thinking about it. It’s really neat. I never thought it would be so enduring.”

Helia Tag Of The Day Nirvana

Legendary reggae artist Little Roy has previously worked with the likes of Lee Scratch Perry and The Wailers. So he’s probably not the first name that would spring to mind when it came to penning Nirvana covers. However the Kingston born singer has done just that, by compiling a double A-side of ‘Sliver’ and ‘Dive’.

While it’s hard to imagine the angst-laden lyrics of Kurt Cobain translating all that smoothly, it’s a combination that works surprisingly well. ‘Sliver’ in particular sounds like a long lost Trojan B-Side, found in a dusty rack of 7”s in a Jamaican record store. As we’ve seen before, quite often the strangest source of inspiration produces some of the finest cover versions and this certainly ranks high. Taken from ‘Nevermind’ and ‘Incestiside’ respectfully, the tracks are a perfect example of what made Nirvana so special. While the originals are drenched in fuzz and feedback, when stripped back they reveal Kurt Cobains ear for a killer melody; exactly what set them apart from the legions of grunge copycats.

‘Sliver/Dive’ will be released on limited edition 7” vinyl on 27th June, through Ark Recordings. It’ll certainly be on our summer playlist and will hopefully encourage fans of both rock and reggae to expand their musical horizons.

Jon Davies Tag Of The Day Little Roy, Nirvana

Roberto Gonzalez New Music, News Nirvana, The Vaselines