Kim Thayil
Encyclopedia
Kim Thayil is an American
guitarist best known as the lead guitar
ist of the Seattle
-based grunge
band Soundgarden
, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell
and bassist Hiro Yamamoto
in 1984. Thayil was named 100th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
. Thayil's parents are from the state of Kerala
in India
.
Thayil met Hiro Yamamoto
at Rich East High School
in Park Forest. After graduation, they moved to Washington, where Thayil studied philosophy at the University of Washington
. There they met Chris Cornell
, a roommate, and the three formed Soundgarden
in 1984.
). They went on to release five albums, including three which went platinum
at least once, and win two Grammys.
Thayil became acclaimed for his guitar work, which was typically characterized by heavy riffing, and was cited among other grunge guitarists as an influence and a pioneer of the "Seattle Sound." In 1994, Thayil commented, "I think Soundgarden is a pretty good band and I'm a fine guitarist. I'm not God, but I'm certainly not average. I feel very comfortable with the fact that not many other people can do what I do on guitar. I think my guitar is happy with the way I play it."
During the recording sessions for Soundgarden's final album, Down on the Upside
, Thayil clashed with Cornell over the vocalist's desire to shift away from Soundgarden's traditional heavy riffing. In the midst of these tensions, which increased on the subsequent tour and came to climax at a show in Hawaii (where Ben Shepherd flung his bass into the air in frustration after suffering from several technical failures), Soundgarden announced that it would disband in April 1997.
Originally one of Soundgarden's main songwriters, Thayil's contributions as a writer eventually dwindled to just one song on Down on the Upside, "Never the Machine Forever." While a member of Soundgarden, he wrote the following songs for the band:
and Presidents of the United States of America
. More recently, he contributed guitar to the track "Blood Swamp" from the 2006 SunnO)))/Boris
album Altar
, for which he also wrote liner notes. Thayil also plays lead guitar on a track called "V.O.G." by Ascend
, which features Gentry Densley
(Iceburn
, Eagle Twin) and Greg Anderson
(Sunn O))), Engine Kid, Goatsnake
). Ascend's record, titled Ample Fire Within, was released in 2008 by Southern Lord Records
.
In 1999, Thayil formed a punk
band, the No WTO Combo
, with Jello Biafra
(formerly of Dead Kennedys
), Krist Novoselic
(formerly of Nirvana
, at the time a member of Sweet 75
), and Gina Mainwal
(also of Sweet 75
). The band was formed to celebrate and further the rampant protest activity
against the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999
, which was held on November 30, 1999. Originally scheduled to play at the Showbox on that same evening, police prevented the band from doing so, forcing the show to be rescheduled for the following night. This was Thayil's first live concert since the breakup of Soundgarden. The show was recorded by Mark Cavener and mixed by Soundgarden producer Jack Endino
; it was released as the album Live from the Battle in Seattle
in May 2000.
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Thayil #100 on the list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time".
In 2004, Thayil played guitar for Probot
, Dave Grohl
's heavy metal
side-project; he was featured on the songs "Ice Cold Man" and "Sweet Dreams."
Thayil was a recurring participant on the Almost Live!
sketch comedy show, calling things "lame" during "The Lame List" segments.
In 2009, Thayil played with Soundgarden's Matt Cameron
and Ben Shepherd
at a show in Seattle on March 24, 2009 at the Crocodile Cafe
that was headlined by Tom Morello
's The Nightwatchman
. It was the first time the three had played together in public since the band's 1997 breakup. The three were joined by Tad Doyle of fellow '90s Seattle band TAD
, and performed three Soundgarden songs. For the last song (Spoonman
) they were joined by Tom Morello. Thayil is currently playing with Greg Gilmore
of Mother Love Bone
and Danny Kelly of Heliotroupe in the group Set & Setting. Their debut performance was October 31, 2009 above the famed K Records
warehouse now known as the Cherry St. Loft in Olympia Washington.
On August 5, 2010 the band played their first reunion show under the Soundgarden name at the The Vic Theatre in Chicago
. Three days later, on August 8, 2010, they headlined the final night of Lollapalooza
in Grant Park
.
In September 2010, the band released the compilation album Telephantasm
and, according to Cornell, they plan to release more collections and packages of unreleased material over the next couple of years.Also according to Cornell there is a new album in the works and hope to be released at the end of 2011 if not early next year.
Guitars: Guild S-100
Amplifier: Bass Ampeg
Mesa Boogie
with 15" speaker
Effects: Jim Dunlop Crybaby wah, MXR
chorus
Badmotorfinger
Guitars: Guild S-100, Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite
, Gibson Firebird
Amplifiers: Peavey
VTM-120, Music Man HD130, Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
Effects: To get the heavy sound in studio, many guitar tracks were layered and panned to add the body that was lacking from previous albums.
Superunknown
Guitars: Guild S-100, Gibson Les Paul
, Fender Telecaster
, Gibson SG
Amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifiers, Mesa Boogie 50-watt Mavericks, an old Fender Super, a Fender Princeton, Fender Twin Reverbs and Vibro-Kings, and an old Orange head.
Effects: Intellitronics LA-2 and Summit DIs. (To get him to play most comfortably, Thayil's living room couch was brought into the studio, as per an article published in the May 1994 issue of Guitar World)
Down on the Upside
Guitars: Guild S-100, Diet Gibson Les Paul, Fender Telecaster, Fender Jazzmaster
, Gibson SG.
Amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifiers
Effects: Jim Dunlop Crybaby wah, Colorsound wah, Jim Dunlop Rotovibe, Mu-Tron
Current Live Setup
Guitars: Guild S-100, Guild S-300D
Amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Tremo-Verb 2x12 combo amplifiers, Mesa Boogie Electra Dyne heads paired with Mesa Boogie Stiletto 4x12 cabinets
Effects: Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner, Ehx Micro Pog, Mxr Doubleshot Distortion, Dunlop Rotovibe, Dunlop 535Q Wah, Ehx XO Deluxe Memory Man, Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere
No WTO Combo
Probot
Sunn O))) and Boris
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist best known as the lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist of the Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
-based grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
and bassist Hiro Yamamoto
Hiro Yamamoto
Hiro Yamamoto is an American bassist who was a founding member of grunge band Soundgarden, along with Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell in 1984...
in 1984. Thayil was named 100th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
Childhood and early life
Although he was born in Seattle in 1960, Thayil grew up in the Chicago suburb of Park ForestPark Forest, Illinois
Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County and Will County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 23,462...
. Thayil's parents are from the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Thayil met Hiro Yamamoto
Hiro Yamamoto
Hiro Yamamoto is an American bassist who was a founding member of grunge band Soundgarden, along with Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell in 1984...
at Rich East High School
Rich East High School
Rich East High School or REHS, is a public four-year high school located in Park Forest, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The Rich East Campus serves the cities of Park Forest, Matteson,Olympia Fields,Chicago Heights, & Richton Park...
in Park Forest. After graduation, they moved to Washington, where Thayil studied philosophy at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. There they met Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
, a roommate, and the three formed Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
in 1984.
Soundgarden (1984-1997)
Soundgarden became the first of Seattle's grunge bands to sign with a major label (A&M RecordsA&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
). They went on to release five albums, including three which went platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
at least once, and win two Grammys.
Thayil became acclaimed for his guitar work, which was typically characterized by heavy riffing, and was cited among other grunge guitarists as an influence and a pioneer of the "Seattle Sound." In 1994, Thayil commented, "I think Soundgarden is a pretty good band and I'm a fine guitarist. I'm not God, but I'm certainly not average. I feel very comfortable with the fact that not many other people can do what I do on guitar. I think my guitar is happy with the way I play it."
During the recording sessions for Soundgarden's final album, Down on the Upside
Down on the Upside
Down on the Upside is the fifth studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on May 21, 1996 through A&M Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of its previous album, Superunknown , Soundgarden commenced work on a new album...
, Thayil clashed with Cornell over the vocalist's desire to shift away from Soundgarden's traditional heavy riffing. In the midst of these tensions, which increased on the subsequent tour and came to climax at a show in Hawaii (where Ben Shepherd flung his bass into the air in frustration after suffering from several technical failures), Soundgarden announced that it would disband in April 1997.
Originally one of Soundgarden's main songwriters, Thayil's contributions as a writer eventually dwindled to just one song on Down on the Upside, "Never the Machine Forever." While a member of Soundgarden, he wrote the following songs for the band:
- "Hunted DownHunted Down"Hunted Down" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music written by guitarist Kim Thayil, "Hunted Down" was released in June 1987 as the band's first single. It is the first track on the band's first release, the Screaming Life EP...
" (Screaming Life) ... music - "Nothing to Say" (Screaming Life) ... music
- "Tears To Forget" (Screaming Life) ... music (co-written)
- "Little Joe" (Screaming Life) ... music
- "Hand of God" (Screaming Life) ... music
- "Kingdom of Come" (Fopp) ... credited to Soundgarden
- "Flower" (Ultramega OK) ... music
- "All Your Lies" (Ultramega OK) ... music (co-written)
- "Circle of Power" (Ultramega OK) ... music
- "Incessant Mace" (Ultramega OK) ... music
- "Hands All Over" (Louder Than Love) ... music
- "Get on the Snake" (Louder Than Love) ... music
- "Heretic" (Loudest Love) ... music
- "Jesus Christ PoseJesus Christ Pose"Jesus Christ Pose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden, released in 1991 as the first single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger...
" (Badmotorfinger) ... music (co-written) - "Room a Thousand Years WideRoom a Thousand Years Wide"Room a Thousand Years Wide" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by guitarist Kim Thayil and music written by drummer Matt Cameron, "Room a Thousand Years Wide" was released as a single in 1990 through Sub Pop...
" (Badmotorfinger) ... lyrics - "New Damage" (Badmotorfinger) ... music (co-written)
- "My WaveMy Wave"My Wave" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music co-written by Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil, "My Wave" was released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown...
" (Superunknown) ... music (co-written) - "SuperunknownSuperunknownSuperunknown is the fourth album by American grunge band Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994 through A&M Records. Soundgarden began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, Badmotorfinger...
" (Superunknown) ... music (co-written) - "Limo Wreck" (Superunknown) ... music (co-written)
- "Kickstand" (Superunknown) ... music
- "Never the Machine Forever" (Down on the Upside) ... music and lyrics
- "Black Rain" (Telephantasm) music
After Soundgarden (1997-2010)
After the demise of Soundgarden, Thayil went on to contribute guitar to work by PigeonhedPigeonhed
Pigeonhed was a Seattle-area band that combined elements of funk, soul, trip hop, and lo-fi. The band was a collaboration of Shawn Smith and Steve Fisk that lasted from 1993 to 1997 and produced three albums. Soundgarden's Kim Thayil provided significant instrumental contributions to each album...
and Presidents of the United States of America
The Presidents of the United States of America (band)
The Presidents of the United States of America, commonly referred to as Pot USA or "PUSA" or The Presidents, are a twice Grammy-nominated American alternative rock band. The band formed in Seattle, USA, in 1993. The three-piece group currently comprises vocalist and "basitarist" Chris Ballew,...
. More recently, he contributed guitar to the track "Blood Swamp" from the 2006 SunnO)))/Boris
Boris (band)
is a Japanese experimental rock band, known for often combining and switching between different music genres including drone metal, sludge metal, noise rock, psychedelic rock, ambient and pop...
album Altar
Altar (album)
Altar is a collaboration album between Japanese doom band Boris and American drone doom duo Sunn O))), released on October 31, 2006 through Southern Lord Records. A limited two-CD edition was released on October 23 via Southern Lord with a 28 minute bonus track with Sunn O))), Boris, and Dylan...
, for which he also wrote liner notes. Thayil also plays lead guitar on a track called "V.O.G." by Ascend
Ascend (band)
Ascend is an American experimental doom metal collaboration between singer/guitarist Gentry Densley and Greg Anderson . Their album Ample Fire Within was released by Southern Lord Records and featured a guest appearance by Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil...
, which features Gentry Densley
Gentry Densley
Gentry Densely is an American singer, guitarist and composer. A longtime fixture on Salt Lake City, Utah's punk, metal and experimental music scenes, Densely has been involved in numerous bands but is best-known for leading the groups Iceburn, Ascend and Eagle Twin...
(Iceburn
Iceburn
Iceburn, known later as the Iceburn Collective, was a musical group formed in 1991 in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A., by guitarist/vocalist/composer Gentry Densley, the sole constant member through multiple personnel changes. They were known for their unique style that combined elements of jazz,...
, Eagle Twin) and Greg Anderson
Greg Anderson (musician)
Greg Anderson is an American musician and co-founder of Southern Lord Records.Anderson is the guitarist in the doom/stoner metal outfit Goatsnake, but is also well known for his collaborations with Stephen O'Malley....
(Sunn O))), Engine Kid, Goatsnake
Goatsnake
-Biography:Goatsnake was formed in 1996 after the disbanding of The Obsessed. After The Obsessed's disbanding, the rhythm section consisting of Guy Pinhas on bass and Greg Rogers on drums began jamming with guitarist Greg Anderson )))...
). Ascend's record, titled Ample Fire Within, was released in 2008 by Southern Lord Records
Southern Lord Records
Southern Lord is an American record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson, specializing in what could broadly be classified as experimental heavy metal, particularly the doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal sub-genres. Some of the more notable artists on the label include Earth, Om,...
.
In 1999, Thayil formed a punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, the No WTO Combo
No WTO Combo
The No WTO Combo was a one-shot punk rock band started by Krist Novoselic . The band consisted of Jello Biafra ; guitartist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden; and the rhythm section of Sweet 75, with Gina Mainwal on drums and Novoselic on bass.They were originally scheduled to play the Showbox November 30,...
, with Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
(formerly of Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
), Krist Novoselic
Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
(formerly of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, at the time a member of Sweet 75
Sweet 75
Sweet 75 was a band formed by Krist Novoselic in 1994 after the death of Nirvana band member Kurt Cobain. The band released one album before splitting up in 2000.-History:...
), and Gina Mainwal
Gina Mainwal
Gina Mainwal is an American rock musician and filmmaker. She is best known as the drummer for Sweet 75, a band formed by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic after Nirvana disbanded...
(also of Sweet 75
Sweet 75
Sweet 75 was a band formed by Krist Novoselic in 1994 after the death of Nirvana band member Kurt Cobain. The band released one album before splitting up in 2000.-History:...
). The band was formed to celebrate and further the rampant protest activity
WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity
Protest activity surrounding the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was to be the launch of a new millennial round of trade negotiations, occurred on November 30, 1999 , when the World Trade Organization convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington,...
against the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999
WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999
The WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 was a meeting of the World Trade Organization, convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington, USA, over the course of three days, beginning November 30, 1999. A week before the meeting, delegates admitted failure to agree...
, which was held on November 30, 1999. Originally scheduled to play at the Showbox on that same evening, police prevented the band from doing so, forcing the show to be rescheduled for the following night. This was Thayil's first live concert since the breakup of Soundgarden. The show was recorded by Mark Cavener and mixed by Soundgarden producer Jack Endino
Jack Endino
Jack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
; it was released as the album Live from the Battle in Seattle
Live from the Battle in Seattle
Live from the Battle in Seattle is the only album released by anti-globalization punk band The No WTO Combo. Of the five tracks on the album, only two, "New Feudalism" and "Electronic Plantation", are originals. "Let's Lynch the Landlord" and "Full Metal Jackoff" are both covers, by Jello Biafra's...
in May 2000.
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Thayil #100 on the list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time".
In 2004, Thayil played guitar for Probot
Probot
Probot was a heavy metal side project of ex-Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters rhythm guitarist and lead-singer Dave Grohl. An album was recorded out of the material and released in February 2004...
, Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
's heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
side-project; he was featured on the songs "Ice Cold Man" and "Sweet Dreams."
Thayil was a recurring participant on the Almost Live!
Almost Live!
Almost Live! was a local sketch comedy television show in Seattle, Washington, USA, produced and broadcast by NBC affiliate KING-TV from 1984 to 1999. A re-packaged version of the show also aired on Comedy Central from 1992 to 1993, and episodes aired on WGRZ-TV in the late 1990s. The show was...
sketch comedy show, calling things "lame" during "The Lame List" segments.
In 2009, Thayil played with Soundgarden's Matt Cameron
Matt Cameron
Matthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
and Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd is an American musician, two-time Grammy Award Winner best known for playing bass in the grunge band Soundgarden from 1990 until the band's 1997 break-up...
at a show in Seattle on March 24, 2009 at the Crocodile Cafe
Crocodile Cafe
The Crocodile is a music club at 2200 2nd Avenue at Blanchard Street in the neighborhood of Belltown in Seattle, Washington, USA. Opened as the "Crocodile Cafe" on April 30, 1991 by Stephanie Dorgan, it quickly became a fixture on the local music scene. It closed on December 15, 2007...
that was headlined by Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
's The Nightwatchman
The Nightwatchman
The Nightwatchman is the alter-ego and solo act of Rage Against the Machine, Street Sweeper Social Club and former Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello...
. It was the first time the three had played together in public since the band's 1997 breakup. The three were joined by Tad Doyle of fellow '90s Seattle band TAD
Tad (band)
Tad was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington led by Tad Doyle. Among the first of the many bands which came out of Seattle in the grunge era, Tad was notable for the fact that its music had a noticeable 1970s metal influence, rather than the punk which influenced most other grunge bands...
, and performed three Soundgarden songs. For the last song (Spoonman
Spoonman
"Spoonman" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Spoonman" was released on February 15, 1994 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown . "Spoonman" is often credited as one of the songs that launched Soundgarden's career...
) they were joined by Tom Morello. Thayil is currently playing with Greg Gilmore
Greg Gilmore
Greg Gilmore is a musician in Seattle, Washington, and co-founder of the recording label First World Music. Although born in France, Gilmore grew up in the Seattle area....
of Mother Love Bone
Mother Love Bone
Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. The band was active from 1988 to 1990. Frontman Andrew Wood's personality and compositions helped to catapult the group to the top of the burgeoning late 1980s/early 1990s Seattle music scene...
and Danny Kelly of Heliotroupe in the group Set & Setting. Their debut performance was October 31, 2009 above the famed K Records
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
warehouse now known as the Cherry St. Loft in Olympia Washington.
Return of Soundgarden (2010- )
On January 1, 2010 it was announced through Facebook and Twitter posts by Chris Cornell that Soundgarden had officially reunited. On April 15, 2010, it was announced that Soundgarden would play its first show since 1997 the following day at the Showbox at the Market in its Seattle hometown. The band played under the name 'Nudedragons', an anagram for Soundgarden.On August 5, 2010 the band played their first reunion show under the Soundgarden name at the The Vic Theatre in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Three days later, on August 8, 2010, they headlined the final night of Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
in Grant Park
Grant Park
Grant Park may refer to:Parks*Grant Park , Georgia, USA*Grant Park , Illinois, USA*Grant Park , Oregon, USACommunities*Grant Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, a neighborhood*Grant Park, Illinois, USA, a village...
.
In September 2010, the band released the compilation album Telephantasm
Telephantasm
Telephantasm is a compilation album by the American grunge band Soundgarden. Featuring songs spanning the band's 13-year career, it was released on September 28, 2010 through A&M Records...
and, according to Cornell, they plan to release more collections and packages of unreleased material over the next couple of years.Also according to Cornell there is a new album in the works and hope to be released at the end of 2011 if not early next year.
Musical equipment
Early yearsGuitars: Guild S-100
Guild s-100
The Guild S-100 electric guitar was a lightweight solid-body guitar made by the Guild Guitar Company. It features two humbucking pickups and its body is styled similarly to a Gibson SG, but is slightly offset...
Amplifier: Bass Ampeg
Ampeg
Ampeg is primarily a musical instrument amplifier manufacturer headquartered in Woodinville, Washington, though they also manufacture guitars to a small extent...
Mesa Boogie
Mesa Boogie
Mesa/Boogie is a company in Petaluma, California that makes amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969....
with 15" speaker
Effects: Jim Dunlop Crybaby wah, MXR
MXR
MXR, also known as MXR Innovations, was a manufacturer of guitar effects units, co-founded in 1973 by Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood . MXR was based in the United States in Rochester, New York. MXR Innovations, Inc. was incorporated in 1974...
chorus
Badmotorfinger
Guitars: Guild S-100, Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite
Gibson Les Paul Custom
The Gibson Les Paul Custom is a higher end variation of the Gibson Les Paul guitar. It was developed in 1954 after Gibson had introduced the Les Paul model in 1952.-Notable Les Paul Custom players:...
, Gibson Firebird
Gibson Firebird
The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present.-History:The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's instruments, such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster. After success with the Les Paul in...
Amplifiers: Peavey
Peavey Electronics
Peavey Electronics Corporation is one of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in the world, headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi in the United States.- History :...
VTM-120, Music Man HD130, Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
Effects: To get the heavy sound in studio, many guitar tracks were layered and panned to add the body that was lacking from previous albums.
Superunknown
Guitars: Guild S-100, Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
, Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
, Gibson SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
Amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifiers, Mesa Boogie 50-watt Mavericks, an old Fender Super, a Fender Princeton, Fender Twin Reverbs and Vibro-Kings, and an old Orange head.
Effects: Intellitronics LA-2 and Summit DIs. (To get him to play most comfortably, Thayil's living room couch was brought into the studio, as per an article published in the May 1994 issue of Guitar World)
Down on the Upside
Guitars: Guild S-100, Diet Gibson Les Paul, Fender Telecaster, Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as an upmarket sibling to the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed at jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s...
, Gibson SG.
Amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifiers
Effects: Jim Dunlop Crybaby wah, Colorsound wah, Jim Dunlop Rotovibe, Mu-Tron
Current Live Setup
Guitars: Guild S-100, Guild S-300D
Amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Tremo-Verb 2x12 combo amplifiers, Mesa Boogie Electra Dyne heads paired with Mesa Boogie Stiletto 4x12 cabinets
Effects: Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner, Ehx Micro Pog, Mxr Doubleshot Distortion, Dunlop Rotovibe, Dunlop 535Q Wah, Ehx XO Deluxe Memory Man, Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere
Discography
Soundgarden- Screaming LifeScreaming Life-Outtakes:The song "Toy Box" was recorded during the sessions for Screaming Life. It was later featured on the "Flower" single. The instrumental track "The Telephantasm" was recorded mostly during these sessions and was released as a separate single in late 2010 and as an iTunes bonus track on...
(1987) - FoppFopp (EP)-Personnel:Soundgarden*Matt Cameron – drums*Chris Cornell – vocals*Kim Thayil – guitar*Hiro Yamamoto – bass guitarProduction*Drew Canulette – engineering*Steve Fisk – production...
(1988) - Ultramega OKUltramega OKUltramega OK is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on October 31, 1988 through SST Records. Following the release of the EPs Screaming Life , and Fopp , both for the Sub Pop record label, Soundgarden signed with the independent record label SST and went to work...
(1988) - Louder Than LoveLouder than LoveLouder Than Love is the second studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on September 5, 1989 through A&M Records. After touring in support of its first full-length studio album, Ultramega OK , Soundgarden signed with A&M and began work on its first album for a major label...
(1989) - Screaming Life/FoppScreaming Life/FoppScreaming Life/Fopp is a compilation album by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on May 11, 1990 through Sub Pop Records.-Overview:...
(1990) - Loudest LoveLoudest LoveLoudest Love is an EP by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released in October 1990 through A&M Records.-Overview:The EP was first released in Japan, and later released in the United States. The track listing is the same as that for the "Loud Love" single, but with the addition of "Hands...
(1990) - BadmotorfingerBadmotorfingerBadmotorfinger is the third studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991 through A&M Records. After touring in support of its previous album, Louder Than Love , Soundgarden began the recording sessions for its next album with new bassist Ben Shepherd...
(1991/1992) - SuperunknownSuperunknownSuperunknown is the fourth album by American grunge band Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994 through A&M Records. Soundgarden began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, Badmotorfinger...
(1994) - Songs from the SuperunknownSongs from the SuperunknownSongs from the Superunknown is an EP by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on November 21, 1995 through A&M Records. It was released on the same day as the CD-ROM Alive in the Superunknown.-Overview:...
(1995) - Down on the UpsideDown on the UpsideDown on the Upside is the fifth studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on May 21, 1996 through A&M Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of its previous album, Superunknown , Soundgarden commenced work on a new album...
(1996) - A-SidesA-SidesA-Sides is a compilation album by the American rock band Soundgarden with songs spanning the band's thirteen year career. It was released on November 4, 1997 through A&M Records.-Overview:...
(1997) - TelephantasmTelephantasmTelephantasm is a compilation album by the American grunge band Soundgarden. Featuring songs spanning the band's 13-year career, it was released on September 28, 2010 through A&M Records...
(2010)
No WTO Combo
- Live from the Battle in SeattleLive from the Battle in SeattleLive from the Battle in Seattle is the only album released by anti-globalization punk band The No WTO Combo. Of the five tracks on the album, only two, "New Feudalism" and "Electronic Plantation", are originals. "Let's Lynch the Landlord" and "Full Metal Jackoff" are both covers, by Jello Biafra's...
(2000)
Probot
- ProbotProbotProbot was a heavy metal side project of ex-Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters rhythm guitarist and lead-singer Dave Grohl. An album was recorded out of the material and released in February 2004...
(2004)
Sunn O))) and Boris
- AltarAltar (album)Altar is a collaboration album between Japanese doom band Boris and American drone doom duo Sunn O))), released on October 31, 2006 through Southern Lord Records. A limited two-CD edition was released on October 23 via Southern Lord with a 28 minute bonus track with Sunn O))), Boris, and Dylan...
(2006)