Exactly. The fact that it irritates old people (e.g. you) is the best possible evidence that rock and roll is still going strong.
Bob Dylan aside, the fact is that rock and roll is supposed to be different from the music that came before it, and it’s supposed to bother old people. And you’re old. You are your parents now. Sorry, Gramps, but the music has passed you by, just as it did your folks, and just as it will this generation, and the next, and the next.
Can’t be THAT serious of a question to you if you have to be insulting about asking it.
So what you are saying basically is that rock and roll has NO business evolving, experimenting or just trying to be different? I thought that was what was wrong with the late 70s: EVERYTHING SOUNDED THE SAME! It appears that you would have the “White” album remade over and over ad nauseum because that WAS rock and roll substitute any other album if you wish
There are a lot of cookie cutter bands out there and a lot of insipid crap being marketed but there is a lot of good stuff out there as well. I don’t care for screamers much either but boy do I feel better after jumping around and yelling with Linkin Park hehehehehehe Catharsis baby catharsis…
Rock isn’t dead, it has just been abandoned by an industry aimed at marketing towards and getting into the pockets of 18-29 year olds.
Old people don’t buy records, but if they did, this is who would rule the charts:
[ul]
[li]Wilco[/li][li]Flaming Lips[/li][li]Pavement/Stephen Malkmus[/li][li]Whiskeytown/Ryan Adams[/li][li]Cake[/li][li]Jack Johnson[/li][li]Son Volt[/li][li]Lucinda Williams[/li][li]Pearl jam[/li][li]Weezer[/li][li]Radiohead[/li][li]Beck[/li][li]The Beta Band[/li][li]Soul Coughing/M Doughty[/li][li]Frank Black[/li][/ul]
Some of these acts are moderately poplular now, but with the full marketing engine of the music industry driving teen pop & hip-hop, you are gonna have to go out of your way in order to find good rock music.
Points that need to be considered:
Stop beating around the bushes. Just because a band has one or two minor hits, spread out over several lackluster albums, means that not only are these wannabes competent musicians, but also that rock and roll is very much alive thank you, but only on the radio (read : restricted formats) and of course at your local record store. Is that what you would have me to believe?
SERIOUS question here…
Even so, maybe i should break out record sales numbers, number of songs written, the sadly pathetic upper-middle class background of the no-name musicians in said band(s), artistic achievments of said musicians, or maybe just an unplugged album or two! But maybe i shouldn’t. i happen to know better. Heh.
The problem with rock and roll is not that it’s dead, but that it’s so damn impatient nowadays.
Used to be, you’d ask your favorite band who their influences were, and you’d get a list of older bands, ones that your band listened to growing up. Used to be, people were impressed by the message behind the music, and strove to make music all their own.
Nowadays I hear people citing Creed as a major influence, I hear people citing Limp Bizkit as a major influence. How can a contemporary of yours be a major influence? I suppose you’re entitled to your influences, but it tends to make everything within a genre very samey-samey.
Unfortunately, this leads to often ignorable radio acts. But since when does RADIO HITS AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS = ROCK AND ROLL? Since never.
Wow! Other than Pearl Jam (whom I loathe) and Wilco (of whom I’ve never heard), that’s a great list Thermal. I think I might have to investigate Wilco
To repeat others, for the most part radio=crap.
Hodge
I wholeheartedly agree with you Hodge. Thermalribbon has an excellent list of bands there.
One other I might add is Sloan. An excellent rock band to the core. Their album One Chord to Another was rock and roll all of the way through.
I think mainstream rock right now is terrible, and i find it hard to get into underground bands that aren’t in my city (with the exception of Dillenger Four) but as it’s been said, rock’s integrity works in cycles and it’s only a matter of time.
Dragonfly, if by “show me the kwon” you mean provide examples of contemporary acts that still play straight-up, guitar-based, 70’s-influenced Rock and Roll, I refer you -yet again - to the first post I made in this thread, as well as the posts made by bibliophage, woodstockbirdybird, mangeorge, and hodge. Just because you refuse to listen to those bands, or because they don’t get radio airplay, does NOT mean they aren’t Rock bands, and damn good ones at that. Record sales, radio play and concert attendance do NOT factor into the assesment of the quality of the music. Many of the bands I mentioned in that first post are from Scandinavian countries that are more open minded about non-charting music and have labels that will subsidize small bands. Therefore those bands don’t care about huge record sales or airplay, just making good ol’ Rock-n-Roll. Oh, but wait, they must not be any good according to you, dragonfly, because they have “wannabe acid rock name[s]” - sheesh. You sure have some screwy criteria for judging bands!
I notice that you have steadfastly refused to address my comments to you beyond “I don’t get the gist of what you’re saying.” You don’t get it- nor will you even bother to LISTEN to the suggested bands - because you simply don’t want to. So don’t come in here and complain that there are no good Rock bands in existence today if you’re only going to flat-out dismiss the perfectly good evidence to the opposite. This thread may not be about serious issues such as child abuse or the Taliban, but you’re still displaying flagrant ignorance, an act that is anathema to the SDMB. Pull your head out of the sand, READ our posts and give us a competent reply, please.
“Respect the Rock or go home!” - The Hellacopters
And all along I thought rock n roll died when The Replacements broke up…
This discussion reminds me of my freshman year of college, back in 1985 when Frankie Goes To Hollywood first hit the scene. You remember “Relax”, right? Catchy tune, and was played constantly on the dorm floor. FGTH then came out with their double album, and on it was a cover of “Born to Run”, and most of the dormers were appalled that anyone had the gall to cover The Boss… I was chortling with glee, and that was when I realized that music is best when it pisses other people off…
I have a couple more to add to Hodge’s fine list: Billy Bragg, Ben Folds Five, Bjork, Morphine, and Ween…
nope… the Black Crowes for one are still around and kicking ass!!
the “last great rock album” is very subjective but lots of bands have released quality works recently in the past few years…
I forgot to mention that the Crowes have a new album out called Lions , and its a great rock album, but not the very best of the last few years…
Good shot for Frank Black…him alone or with the Pixies is straight goodness.
My personal foavorite is Matthew Sweet. The guy has got talent and I dare you to not love “Girlfriend” or “Sick of Myself”
And of course, Tenacious D is the greatest band on earth. Period.