"Second-generation what?" you're probably asking. Second-generation cred, that's what. The quartet is fronted by Frances Bean Cobain, who plays rhythm guitar and sings in a downright whispery voice, directly in contrast to that of her mother, Courtney Love, who formed the band and also serves as its manager and producer. Representing Seattle are the Buck twins, daughters of R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and his club-owner wife, Stephanie. The twins comprise the rhythm section of Second Generation, and they pack a surprising wallop for such delicate ladies. On lead guitar is Coco Moore, daughter of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. Getting the godparents of art rock to agree to Coco being under the influence of Frances' mother proved quite a challenge for Love, who did not impress Moore and Gordon with her rock-star excesses when their two bands toured together for Lollapalooza. However, Love does know how to turn a buck and art rock isn't going to pay for Gordon's physical upkeep forever.
Songwise, expect a lot. It's rumored that Love still has at least three albums' worth of her late husband's unrecorded lyrics, and she has graciously offered them to Second Generation. After the band has become famous worldwide, Love will then cover those songs on the next Hole album, which is scheduled to be released sometime in 2004.
So far Second Generation has played live only twice: once at the Crocodile's employee Christmas party, and once at the home of Dale Chihuly. The Chihuly show was not a proper Second Generation show though, because Jason Finn had to fill in on drums when one of the Buck twins came down with an untimely case of the chickenpox. At Love's request, the band has no plans to play publicly again before the debut album comes out in April of 2002, but Love and Gordon have already set the publicity wheel in motion with their line of Second Generation tie-in merchandise, including clothing and accessories designed by Lola Schnabel (daughter of artist Julian Schnabel), available at Fred Segal.
