Screaming Trees biography
Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time the band reached its most successful period. Although widely associated with grunge, the band's sound incorporated hard rock and psychedelic elements. Since its formation, Screaming Trees released seven studio albums, five EPs and three compilations.
Screaming Trees is known as one of the "Godfathers of Grunge" along with the Melvins, U-Men, Skin Yard, Soundgarden, Green River, and Malfunkshun. Screaming Trees rose to fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with bands such as Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden and was one of the most successful underground music acts of the 1990s. The band achieved one top ten single on the Modern Rock Tracks charts. Screaming Trees had been plagued by extended inactivity due to their problems with making a follow up to Dust. This led to their official breakup in 2000.
History
1985-1989: Formation and early releases
The Conner brothers formed Screaming Trees with Mark Lanegan and Mark Pickerel in 1985 in Ellensburg, Washington, a small town a little over 100 miles from Seattle.
The band was drawn together by an interest in punk, garage, and classic rock in high school.
The band rehearsed at the Conner family's video rental store and recorded their demo tape Other Worlds in the summer of 1985 with Steve Fisk at Creative Fire recording studio in Ellensburg. The band talked the owner of the studio into releasing it as a cassette on the local indie label, Velvetone Records (the recording was re-released as a CD and vinyl EP by SST Records in 1988). In 1986, they released their debut album, Clairvoyance, also on the Velvetone label. Musically, the album is a combination of psychedelic rock and hard rock. With Fisk's help, the LP caught the attention of Greg Ginn, and the band were signed to SST Records.
In 1987, the band released their second LP, and their first for SST, Even If and Especially When. After the release of the album in 1987, the band began working the American indie circuit, playing shows across the US with other SST bands such as fIREHOSE and Meat Puppets. Their next album, Invisible Lantern, was released in 1988. Buzz Factory, released in 1989, was the fourth full length album by Screaming Trees and their last for SST Records.
1990-2000: Major label debut
In 1990 the band had signed a major-label contract with Epic Records. In 1991, the band released their fifth album, and first for a major label,
Uncle Anesthesia. The album was produced by Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell and included the single "Bed of Roses", which gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations and peaked at # 23 on the modern rock tracks. The single was the first Screaming Trees release to chart. Although
Uncle Anesthesia sold better than their previous efforts, the band remained a cult act.
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