Sunday, December 28, 2008

Where are the good bands?

I think the newest band I like at all released their first record in 1999. I got a bunch of iTunes money for Christmas, and I bought a bunch of stuff from the '90s and one album from a band who released their first 12" in '93 (though the album was from 2004).

Why aren't there any new bands coming up that are worth anything. There are some bands that I tolerate, and maybe even some whose music I can drum along with on the steering wheel, but new bands just don't get my blood moving. Am I turning into a newfangled version of my parents? I am I going to treat my kids' music like Mom and Dad treated mine? The problem is that I really liked the music from the '90s, and I think the music was more "real."

That sounds cheesy, I know, but bands then often played with real conviction, and it seems to me that more recent musicians are so formulaic. And while I decry self-indulgent solos, I still like some showcasing of musicianship. I do like some "recent" (coming onto the scene since 2000-ish) artists, but not in the same way. Here is a sampling of newer people I like OK:

One Republic
Alicia Keys
Chris Brown
Kelly Clarkson
Paramore
Natasha Bedingfield
Black Eyed Peas
Blue October
Chevelle
Coldplay
Death Cab for Cutie
Gavin DeGraw
John Mayer (electric era)
Los Lonely Boys
Maroon 5
Mars Volta (though they were around before, sorta, as At the Drive-In)
Modest Mouse (they made it big relatively recently, though they have been around forever)
Shinedown
Wolfmother

Several of those are artists that I probably wouldn't have ever heard of or listened to if not for Carrie. I want more Muse's, Mars Volta's, Clutch's, COC's, Down's, CKY's, Pearl Jam's, Nirvana's, AIC's, Soundgarden's, Rage Against the Machine's, Audioslave's (it's hard to count them as "since 2000" as the previous bands are so familiar to me from long ago), Bush's, Institute's, etc.

I really need to get my band going. I can cure the world with ROCK!

5 comments:

Jennifer said...

I am still laughing about Kelly Clarkson. Really?! She totally sucks.

And yes, you are turning into new-fangled your parents. EVERYBODY likes the music of their high school days. Everybody.

I'm surprised about the artists we have in common - I attribute them to Carrie as well.

And I hate grunge. "I'm such a loser! I'm a drop-out and I am stoned all the time! Wah wah wah!"

Carrie said...

You really do sound like a parent speaking about "the old days" when music was good and people had soul! I'm sorry for you! Me? I just don't listen to music anymore....so sad!

Brian said...

Kelly Clarkson is awesome, first off. And Jennifer, I am curious which bands we have in common.

I gotta say, though, the music I bought myself with my Christmas money is rocking me just right.

Jennifer said...

In common -
One Republic
Alicia Keys
Chris Brown
Natasha Bedingfield
Black Eyed Peas
Los Lonely Boys

If you would just add Pink to the list...

Brian said...

I like some pink.

But hey - the grunge scene was a lot bigger than Nirvana. Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, the Toadies, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, and Bush did NOT sing the famous self-loathing songs. And even Nirvana's songs had a lot more going on than that. The new "emo" crap is all the self-loathing, and can I also say soulless, hollow music. Maybe it is the lack of oxygen to their lower extremities due to the tight pants. There it is - real music comes from lower body bloodflow!

Eureka!