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Green River were arguably the first grunge band, forming around the same time as the rest of Seattle's first wave (the Melvins, Soundgarden, and Malfunkshun). In 1985, they became the first grunge band to release a record, kickstarting the Seattle music scene and later helping to establish the Sub Pop label. However, Green River are even more famous for the bands that sprang from their breakup: Mudhoney and Mother Love Bone, the latter of which also contained the roots of Pearl Jam. That lineage somewhat overshadows Green River's actual music, which helped lay out the blueprint for grunge but didn't necessarily rank among its most transcendent expressions. Green River specialized in a dirty, sludgy, gleefully ugly hybrid of punk, heavy metal, and bluesy hard rock, drawing from bands like the Stooges and Aerosmith in addition to the hardcore punk outfits where many of the members first cut their teeth. Its appeal tends to depend upon the depth of the listener's interest in grunge, but r...