Dead Moon was and remains of the better regarded underground groups in American history to have any sort of passing flirtation with punk. Of course, the fact that Fred Cole has been working in one band or another since the mid sixties has more than a bit to do with Dead Moon’s musical faculties. But the guitarist and songwriter’s ability to reign in influence spanning the whole of his career is more than a good reason to figure Dead Moon’s music as the forbearer of what would eventually be termed grunge by the media masses.

There were obviously Seattle bands gigging around town – the U-Men, the Melvins and Green River – that were instrumental in the promulgation of what would become the Seattle sound. But Cole and his Portland based ensemble were around for the same years, were more adept at deft song craft. And while Dead Moon’s wide palette never included any semblance of a metal influence, the entire outsider aesthetic the band worked with was more than a bit obvious in Seattle’s music scene during the nineties.

Part of what made Dead Moon such an appealing ensemble, apart from the fact that Cole along with his wife were a bit older than the nascent scene just north of their home, was the huge amount of work the band issued.

Beginning as just a slew of singles, the group eventually landed a deal with some German imprint. And after issuing its own work for a while, Dead Moon was able to find a huge following in Europe.

Compiling some of those stray recordings on the 1990 Thirteen of My Hook, the band attempted to chart not just its development, but its influences. Moving from “War Baby,” to “I’m Out Nine” and finally into “Street of Despair,” listeners are going to be able to identify the first song as punk, the following track as a revved up rock ballad and that final effort as supped up rockabilly run through late seventies rock and roll.

It’s on “I’m Out Nine,” though that Cole and company most deftly display its talent. Without hiding behind screaming guitars and quick tempos, the band turns in a melodically satisfying and lyrically enticing track that should sate rock dudes and their sensitive girlfriends.

And that’s really what Seattle’s music scene sounded like. There was always that loud-soft dynamic, but Dead Moon and its adherents were able to insert more than a passing sense of heart into it all.