Smith Street Books Books > Music A Field Guide to Grunge 9781922417190

Smith Street Books

A Field Guide to Grunge

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This book is your gateway to the 90's gritty, plaid-wearing underground.
What makes Grunge... Grunge? We've all watched Kurt Cobain in a hazy, high school gym. But how did this self-effacing and dirty new genre fit into the zeitgeist of the time? How did it capture the disenchantment of America's youth? And how did the primordial sludge of the underground become the mainstream? Well, that's precisely what DJ and author Steve Wide explains in this handy book.

In these pages, Steve explains how cracks in the American dream turned into unwashed hair and thrifted flannels in America's Pacific Northwest, with detailed timelines and a look back at the social climate of the 80s and 90s. There are breakdowns on the key record labels, DJs, producers, engineers, and magazines - all of which grew from the gritty determination and sonic experimentation of a close-knit community. There are deep dives into controversies, rivalries, and messy band breakups. And lastly, there's a dissection of how ripples of Grunge are still felt today, in recorded music and across wider pop culture.

If you, or someone close to you, is obsessed with wallowing in Grunge, then this book is a must-have.

UPC/ISBN: 9781922417190

Product Information

Due to the nature of collectible items and ever changing market demand, we are unable to cancel pre-orders on ratio variants and select other items (1 per store variants, exclusive covers, ect) for a refund.For preorders on regular open order comics (the majority of which are normally cover price), we can cancel preorders and refund with a store credit that can be used in our brick and mortar stores or at thirdeyecomics.com

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Books without a stated grade will be offered as Near Mint 9.4 or better. We do not guarantee 9.8 condition on any book unless specifically noted.

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WHY WE DON'T GUARANTEE 9.8

Modern comic printing is an imperfect process. Books are printed in massive
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A 9.8 grade represents near-perfection, and the reality is that not every printed book qualifies for that grade no matter where you buy it from.

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WHAT QUALIFIES AS NM 9.4

Per industry standards, a book may exhibit the following minor characteristics and still grade as Near Mint 9.4, as long as there's no accumulation of defects:

Bindery characteristics:

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  • Covers slightly offset from interior pages (common on cardstock covers)

Printing characteristics:

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Spine characteristics:

  • 2-3 small color-breaking spine ticks
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These are normal modern production characteristics, not damage from handling or shipping. They are present on books across the industry, regardless
of retailer.

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