Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion (1992)

Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion (1992)

Screaming Trees was a musical group considered part of the grunge music movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Founded in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985, their sound was a mixture of arty '60s psychedelia and west-coast punk rock. Though critically regarded, they never achieved the superstardom of other grunge acts such as Nirvana and Soundgarden

Brothers Van Conner and Gary Lee Conner formed Screaming Trees with Mark Lanegan in the mid-'80s. Lanegan and the Conners grew up in Ellensburg, WA, a small college-town some 90 miles from Seattle. The trio were the only people in their high school who listened to punk, garage rock, and independent music, so they eventually gravitated toward each other. By the end of 1990, the band had signed a major-label contract with Epic Records. Screaming Trees reconvened to record their Epic debut, Uncle Anesthesia, with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Terry Date as producers. Before they began work on their follow-up to Uncle Anesthesia, Pickerel left the group and was replaced by Barrett Martin. Once Martin joined, the band finished "Nearly Lost You," their contribution to the Singles soundtrack, and their 1992 album Sweet Oblivion. "Nearly Lost You" became a MTV and alternative radio hit in the fall of 1992, thanks to the momentum of the Singles soundtrack. The single carried Sweet Oblivion -- which had received more press attention than any previous Screaming Trees album -- to the group's strongest sales, peaking at over 300,000 copies. The band supported Sweet Oblivion with a year-long tour, during which they fought frequently. After the tour was finished, the group decided to take an extended hiatus. During that time, Lanegan recorded his second solo album, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, which was released in 1994.

All members have moved on to other musical projects. Lanegan has released several highly acclaimed solo recordings, and was a part-time member of Queens of the Stone Age. Lanegan released "Bubblegum," his latest solo album in August of 2004, and is working with former The Afghan Whigs leader Greg Dulli in a new project named The Gutter Twins. In 2006, he released a collaboration with former Belle and Sebastian cellist Isobel Campbell entitled Ballad Of The Broken Seas to great critical acclaim.

Trees

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