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Archive for Krist Novoselic

10 Nirvana Songs Written by Kurt Cobain That Never Got the Attention They Deserved

Posted in Essays, Lists with tags Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana on 10/14/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

We all know Nirvana’s hit songs. “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” “Come as You Are.” “Heart-Shaped Box.” “All Apologies.” “Lithium.” “In Bloom.” Those tunes — which, fun fact, appear to be the last-released songs that are played on classic-rock radio — are imprinted indelibly on the minds of not just rock fans but American culture in general. But, as is always the case with any rock band, their hit songs only tell a small part of the group’s story. Another extremely critical aspect of Nirvana’s legacy is that they created at least a couple dozen high-quality tunes that never got their due.

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‘Don’t Have a Gun’: A Definitive Account of Nirvana’s Hit Song ‘Come as You Are”

Posted in Essays with tags Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana on 10/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Last time around, we rolled out a rather comprehensive history of Nirvana’s biggest hit song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” This time, we trace the lineage of the second single from Nirvana’s Nevermind – an aquatic, forlorn song that incorporates guns and early video special effects.

With a dreary mood that put even most major grunge songs to shame, “Come as You Are” is a downbeat tune that doesn’t exactly qualify musically as a ballad but had the sad thematic content to make it one of sorts. Like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” before it, “Come as You Are” also contains unsavory references, some of which are downright eerie decades after Kurt Cobain used a gun to commit suicide.

At the time of his death, Cobain apparently had heroin in his system; bleach, which is used in the injection process of the drug, also makes a (perhaps prescient) appearance in the words he sang on this tune.

Read The Bad Penny‘s full reflection on the song courtesy of AllMusic.

Dave Grohl’s Hardcore-Punk Bonafides Propelled Him – and Nirvana – to Enormous Mainstream Success

Posted in Essays, Features with tags Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, Lemmy, Nirvana, Scream on 05/08/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

When Nirvana signed to a major label in 1990, they had already established a strong fan base in their hometown of Seattle thanks to the underground success of Bleach, their debut album. But even though the band was just a trio, the consistency of its lineup was tested by a Spinal Tap-esque rotating cast of drummers (the last of which was Dave Grohl). When Nirvana inked a deal with the David Geffen-owned DGC Records, they also faced skepticism from a fan base suspect of artists tied to corporate entities. Whether deliberate or not, Kurt Cobain successfully diffused those concerns while simultaneously strengthening his three-piece by tapping Grohl, a drummer who had already established his punk-rock bona fides by the time he joined the band in his early 20s. Read my full feature on the topic courtesy of Collider.

Labyrinth: The History Of Nirvana

Posted in Fun And Games with tags Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana on 02/24/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

If you enjoyed the Jesus Lizard labyrinth we brought you a few light years ago, crack yer knuckles and get to work on this new puzzle revolving around their fallen friends, Nirvana.

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Revising History: Mike Watt On John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, More

Posted in Features, Revising History with tags Albert Ayler, Anna Waronker, Banyan, Bob Lee, Carla Bozulich, Cibo Matto, Ciccone Youth, Cris Kirkwood, Curt Kirkwood, Dave Grohl, Dos, Dougie Bowne, Eddie Vedder, Evan Dando, Firehose, Floored by Four, Foo Fighters, Hellride, Hellride East, Hovercraft, Iggy Pop, J Mascis, J Mascis and the Fog, John Coltrane, Krist Novoselic, Les McCann, Mike Watt, Miles Davis, Minutemen, Missingmen, Nels Cline, Nirvana, Petra Haden, Porno for Pyros, Rachel Haden, Roland Kirk, Sun Ra, the Stooges, the Unknown Instructors, Thelonious Monk, Wilco, Yuka Honda on 10/08/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Now this is quite the honor: Mike Watt, one of the most respected musicians ever to lurk in the underground, has anted up – all jazz-style – for the second installment in the Bad Penny’s brand-new series, Revising History. Continue reading →

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Nirvana’s In Utero: Un Vínculo Progresivo Entre Los Mundos Del Rock Mainstream Y Rock Independiente

Posted in Essays, Features with tags Black Sabbath, Courtney Love, Dave Grohl, Dinosaur Jr., Germs, Jimi Hendrix, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, Ozzy Osbourne, Pat Smear, Pavement, Scream, Sebadoh, Sonic Youth, Steve Albini, the Beatles, the Velvet Underground on 12/30/2009 by Kurt Orzeck

Eleven years ago, I studied for five months in Santiago, Chile. As part of my education regiment, I chose a class on the history of rock and roll. You might think that’s as much as a cop-out as taking a class in bowling or frisbee golf. But as someone who had mostly shunned classic rock till that point, I actually learned a lot. My teacher was obsessed with Deep Purple and Cream, and explained to us how Ozzy Osbourne was rock’s first psicótico.

I like to think I returned him the favor by teaching him a bit about Nirvana, of whom he wasn’t much aware, in my final paper. The self-generated topic: How Nirvana ushered indie-rock, rougher production values and anti-corporate attitudes into the mainstream with In Utero. El profesor told me I worked harder than any of his Chilean students in the class, and that I nailed the exam (70 out of 70), too.

These days, my Spanish is a bit rusty, so I couldn’t tell you what most of the paper means. But here it is for your archival viewing pleasure. PDFs are included in case the images are too taxing on yer eyes: