Sick of Seattle

I have been a regular reader of The Times ‘ pop music section for over 10 years. The July 17 issue has convinced me that you are content covering the latest trendy and ultimately overrated bands from the Pacific Northwest (read: Soundgarden and 7 Year Bitch).

All I can say is: Where’s the beef? The interview with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden illustrates my point. Cornell claims his musical influences to be such post-punk Amer-Indie bands as the Minutemen, Husker Du and the Meat Puppets. If this is true, than why does Soundgarden make such derivative Zeppelinesque rock ‘n’ roll?

Why does The Times so nonchalantly regurgitate the nonsense that bands like Soundgarden are speaking to an angry and alienated younger generation?

Ironically, The Times’ own poll revealed in the same day’s paper that the existence of a young, angry generation is a media fabrication based on bogus surveys. I am in my 20s, and I guarantee you that none of these Seattle bands speak for me or even communicate with me on a meaningful level.

It has to be clear to anyone with any sense of individuality or integrity that the whole “Seattle scene” has been nothing but a great marketing strategy to sell millions of records by derivative and dull bands. To twist a lyric by San Pedro’s beloved Minutemen, “This is not Bob Dylan to me. . . .”

MIKE BAKER

Calabasas