- Tad -
To hell with Nirvana - Tad were THE grunge band!
They broke up earlier this year - a real shame, as they were a highly original band that got unfairly pigeonholed alongside bands that had no real relation to them. If you don't know what they're like, think of early Nirvana crossed with 'Gish'-era Smashing Pumpkins, with a bit of Black Sabbath thrown in for good measure, playing songs about life in lumberjack country. These guys were for real - they actually wore flannel shirts and drank like fish and played super-heavy hard rock with song titles like 'Cyanide Bath' and 'Wood Goblins'. Good God yeah! In the early days they helped to build the foundation of the Sub Pop label in Seattle, worked with grunge uber-producer Jack Endino, and made Butch Vig famous (he produced Tad's third album '8-Way Santa' well before working with Nirvana or the Pumpkins).
However, Tad ploughed a furrow in a world that just wasn't ready for them. They faced many unfair roadblocks throughout their career - MTV deemed frontman Tad Doyle too ugly for their station, while their major label aspirations were dashed when they were dropped by Giant/Warner Bros. at the height of the Ice T/'Cop Killer' musical censorship controversy - but their legacy must never be forgotten. Hell, they even had the balls to make 'Infrared Riding Hood', a concept album about alien abduction and murder!
Even though the band may be gone, the guys are still around - Tad Doyle played on Mark Lanegan's last solo album 'Scraps At Midnight', while bassist Kurt Danielson now plays in Valis with the Screaming Trees' Van Conner - I've yet to hear them yet, but that's something to look forward to!
