Music Tuesday: Nirvana, Katy B and Rock in Rio

It’s never been a better time to be a music lover. Whether you’re looking for an intimate glimpse of an up-and-coming star, an orchestral take on hard rock songs, or a place to watch major stars perform live -- we’ve got it all this week.

Nirvana’s Nevermind Turns 20 
Is this the album that launched a thousand flannel shirts (or, ahem, quite a few more)? In a word, yes. Seattle’s grunge scene had been bubbling quietly until “Smells Like Teen Spirit” began making forays into late-night play on alternative radio stations around the country back in 1991. Then Nevermind released, grunge became a household world and suddenly all kinds of bands were aping the loud-quiet-loud dynamic the Pixies invented and Kurt Cobainso successfully emulated. Two decades have not diminished the album’s power, nor its hold on the popular imagination. We’ve got the entire album in various forms for you today.

Rock in Rio: LiveWhile folks in the northern hemisphere have been obsessing over the fact that grunge is nearly old enough to vote, people in Brazil have been rocking out. Repeatedly. Rock in Rio is one of the world’s biggest music festivals, one of the few multi-weekend extravaganzas where you could find Katy Perry, Rihanna and Elton John -- all on the same night. Last weekend, the rest of the world was able to watch the event live for the first time ever on thefestival channel. The party starts up again this Thursday, September 29 with performances by Janelle Monae, Ke$ha, Stevie Wonder and more. Tune in!

Katy B “Power On Me” 
The dubstep vocalist and burgeoning British pop star is storming the charts in Europe, and she’s poised to make waves in the U.S. this autumn. But for all Katy B’s high-energy dance cred, indie filmmakers Dig For Fireuncovered something much less bombastic in this acoustic video: her raw talent. The video quietly portrays the alienation of the publicity circuit -- we see her in photos shoots and makeup sessions -- and then perches on the edge of Katy B’s hotel bed one morning as she sings along to her own recording. It may not sound like much, but it’s strangely transporting.

Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “The Pixies - Gigantic.”