Live at Rolling Stone: Alberta Cross

Breaking artist and unexpected Guns n' Roses opening act Alberta Cross recently stopped by the Rolling Stone offices to treat us to a trio of acoustic renditions of songs off their debut album Broken Side of Time, which was finally released stateside earlier this year. For this special performance, Alberta Cross scale back on the Brit-pop grandeur and feedback on their debut LP, showcasing the gritty roots rock sound at the heart of frontman Petter Ericson Stakee's songs. Up top is "ATX," with "Old Man Chicago" and "The Thief & the Heartbreaker" ready for your viewing pleasure below. For more on these up-and-comers, check out our review of Broken Side of Time.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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