Melvins of California not dreamin' of popularity

• By PATRICK DOUGLAS • For the Tribune • July 25, 2008
• http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080725/LIFESTYLE/807250318

There are those who judge a band's success by record sales, while others judge it solely on radio play. Advertisement

For California-based rockers, the Melvins, spending 25 years in the business without selling out for mainstream approval is what it's all about.

While some of their peers and followers have enjoyed more record sales and radio hits, the Melvins know exactly what it takes to be in the spotlight. They just chose not to go there.

"Why don't we sell millions of records? The world's not the right place," said frontman Buzz Osborne in a phone interview with the Tribune from California. "I understand this greatly. I understand this immensely. There's no question in my mind about how this works."

It's all about image and selling a product to the masses instead of the music itself, according to Osborne.

"You have TV shows called 'American Idol' where all they have to do is put you on television and you become a big star. That's how it has always worked," he said. "If you played our music on MTV or the radio as much as Madonna or Nirvana, we would sell a million records, no way around it."

"Popular music is popular because it's familiar, not because it's good. You take Madonna and put her into a female version of Fat Albert and she's not going to sell any records," he continued.

"Put Kurt Cobain as Fat Albert, a 400-pound black guy, he doesn't sell any records."

What people may not realize is, without the Melvins, there'd be no Nirvana. Twenty years ago, a young Cobain spent his days following the Melvins as a fan, and Melvins drummer Dale Crover even played drums on the first Nirvana record, "Bleach."

Crover and Osborne have been the heart and soul of the Melvins since the early 1980s with a long list of bass players on the side. It's a relationship that has produced some magical moments in rock.

"We get along really well. I bring in maybe 99-percent of the material and then we hammer it out together. Dale always has a lot of ideas (and is) happy to help me with my vision."

The Melvins are best known for playing songs featuring Osborne's grinding guitar with Crover's erratically organized drumbeats, although the band has been known to occasionally produce more exotic, experimental albums, like the 2001 "Colossus of Destiny," which features an hour long track of synthesizer.

The group has released more than 20 studio albums and on the recently released, "Nude With Boots," the band expands the heavy rock vibe found on its critically acclaimed 2006 release, "A Senile Animal." Both albums have featured Jared Warren and Coady Willis of Big Business, which, according to Osborne is "working really well."

People looking for more depth to their metal than the latest hit single can find it in the Melvins' music, although Osborne isn't concerned with winning new fans who aren't willing to think beyond their radio dials.

"We're nothing like Velvet Revolver. In any way. Thank God," he said. "That's the whole point. People can have that. If that's what people are into, then so be it. I couldn't care less. It's not my thing."

"Rock-and-roll heroine addicts. That's weird. What a wild stretch of the imagination that is," he continued with a chuckle.

Now touring nationally, the Melvins are scheduled to spend Sunday and Monday playing shows in Missoula and Billings.

"Montana, we love to play there. There's very enthusiastic crowds. We've always had great shows there," Osborne said. "I'm really looking forward to it."

Reach Patrick Douglas by e-mail at patjessdouglas@netscape.net.