Where is rock n roll? (1 Viewer)

[DaveDickey]

Can anyone suggest any excellent present-day rock bands?

I'm a big fan of classic 70s rock (Led Zeppelin, early Chicago, Stones)and also some of the grunge bands of the early 90s (STP, Soundgarden, etc.). Is the art of the great rock n roll band a thing of the past? Or am I just getting old?

Dave

 

[Rachael B]

Dave, does San Diego State U. have a radio station? I listen to WUTK (U. of Tennessee) and you hear all kind of stuff on college radio. I first heard Train there. Other groups I first heard there: Lemonheads, Pixies, Flying Elvises.... just a thought...

 

[Gary->dee]

"Is the art of the great rock n roll band a thing of the past?"

YEP! (imo)

 

[Jack Briggs]

Having endured the rock&roll wars for decades now along with the repeated assertions in the press throughout those decades that "rock is dead" (or dying), I am now finally able to say that, yes, I think rock is dying. Other pop-music forms, for once, seem to be overtaking it in popularity (for good or ill), which couldn't be said with any real certainty before.

It figures. Rock is at the half-century point.

Popular music is not like serious music in the way it can endure (or otherwise). It's just that rock&roll lasted longer in the limelight than any other popular music of the 20th century.

 

[LarryDavenport]

Buy:

R by Queens of the Stone Age
Elephant by The White Stripes
Quebec by Ween

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Judging from my tastes, rock died about 1973.

 

[Henry Gale]

Everyone has an opinion, but the phrase "Rock n Roll" is usually applied seriously only to certain music from the late 40's to the late 50's.
Recently I came upon a rockabilly trio in San Antonio that had that rare, and I do mean rare, spirit. They have the ridiculous name, Bop Kings. Whatever, I loved 'em. After listening for awhile I asked them if they did any Charlie Feathers. That got their attention and also got me a spontanious Feathers number. Those moments are so fleeting and widely spaced.
And I gave them a big tip.

 

[MatS]

if you are looking for rock and roll with major label logos on the product then yes rock is dead

there is a whole nother world to discover (indie)

open your eyes (and your ears)

 

[DaveDickey]

MatS,

I took your advise, "open your eyes and ears," and went to a website that sells indie music. I listened to some of it, and can honestly suggest that you heed your own advise.

 

[Todd H]

Rock's not dead. It just went back to the underground.

Dave, if you liked STP and Soundgarden, check out Audioslave. Best rock band out there now IMO.

 

[Van Patton]

Rock's alive.....but just barely. A lot of the jambands now a day are very good especially Phish and the North Mississippi Allstars. White Stripes are REALLY good surprisingly. If all you've heard is their radio stuff then you are really missing what they're about. Listen to Ball and Biscuit off their new album and watch the last night of when they were on Conan O Brien. Jack White puts SO much soul and energy into his music. Phish isn't what they used to be (mainly, IMHO, due to drugs) but they're still a lot better than so many groups out there. Everybody knows me as a music nazi because I tell them their music sucks and it isn't music.

 

[TedT]

Dave, you're in San Diego, just come down to the Ken Club (Adams Ave) every other Thursday (9/4, 9/18, etc...).

I DJ there. I like to call it "Rock Your @#*&^$ Head Off". Most of what I play is new, exciting rock. I'll have the new Wildhearts by the 4th. If you like Grand Funk Railroad and Sub Pop stuff, check out the Hellacopters (or ANY band from Sweden). Backyard Babies rock. Peepshows. Deadbeats. Turbonegro. Yo-Yos. Supersuckers. There's TONS of bands out there. You just have to know where to look.

If you can't make it to the Ken Club on alternate Thursday nights (plug plug), go there any night or Live Wire or the Liar's Club and just listen to the jukebox. Each bar has an amazing jukebox which the regulars know by heart and you can hear a ton of new rock music for free!

San Diego has a great rock scene. Check out the Dragons, Agent 51, Convoy, Furious IV, & the Make Out Boys for starters. The Dragons are playing a benefit for Aljandro Escovedo this Thursday (8/28) at the Casbah. Be there EARLY. It will sell out. Can't go wrong with Rocket From The Crypt too. The Black Halos (from Vancouver) just got back together and will be playing the Casbah next month. DO NOT miss them! The best live band I've seen in 10 years!

If you have cable radio listen to KCR or KSDT (SDSU and UCSD college radio). Sunday nights are local/rock nights on your FM dial where the DJs are given leeway to play music in the genres you're looking for. Check out 91-X, 94.9, and Rock 105.3 Sunday nights.

 

[TedT]

Oh yeah, every Christmas Eve for the past 10 years (this year will be the last), the Dragons have been doing a couple hours of Stones songs at the Casbah for free! This has been "sold out" the past 5 years. Tons of special guests and fun kick ass rock music!

 

[Tony-B]

Rock is dying? Why the heck do you all say that? Rock is not dying, it is only changing from what you all are used to.

First things first, go out and buy Stone Sour's self-titled album. Just make sure that you get the one with the parental advisory, instead of the Wal-Mart version. This band is actually a side project of Slipknot, and features one of their guitarists and their lead singer. Corey Taylor, the lead singer of the band can sing and scream really well. They are quite angsty and vulgar, but that is basically how rock is these days. There is going to be a reissue of the album sometime in late October/early November with 5 extra songs and a DVD with all 3 of their music videos. I also remember reading that the album (probably minus the 5 extra tracks) will be coming to DVD-A sometime. Go to http://www.stonesour.com/media.html to check out Get Inside, Inhale, and Bother. Listen to all 3 of those songs, since they show different sides of the band.

Dave, I noticed that you like Soundgarden. If I were you, then I would check out Audioslave, which features Chris Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden, and Rage Against the Machine, minus Zack de la Rocha, the former lead singer. You can listen to samples of Chochise, What You Are, Like A Stone, Shadow On The Sun, I Am The Highway from their album at their website, http://www.audioslave.com. And be sure to watch the video for Show Me How To Live, which is an excellent song. Audioslave's guitarist, Tom Morello, is amazing. He plays really well, and pulls off some great sounding effects.

If you are into heavier rock/metal, then also check out Fear Factory (Demanufacture and Obsolete), Disturbed (Believe), Killswitch Engage (Alive or Just Breathing?), and Spineshank (Strictly Diesel and The Height of Callousness). And also make sure to look into AFI's incredible new album, Sing the Sorrow.

I have one more thing to say. If you have not bought Nirvana's Nevermind, then go do that NOW! It is one of the best albums of the 1990s.

Jack, what do you mean by "serious music"? If you say that serious music is not popular, then The Beatles, Norah Jones, Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Elvis, and so on are not serious. I hate when people just pass off anything popular as bad without listening to it, and that is something I notice a lot on here.

 

[MatS]

MatS,
I took your advise, "open your eyes and ears," and went to a website that sells indie music. I listened to some of it, and can honestly suggest that you heed your own advise.

Dave,
you are right...I conceed...rock is dead

we now return you to your local classic rock station

 

[John Watson]

Maybe the British phrase, "The King (or Queen) is dead; Long live the King (or Queen)", is appropriate.

Anyway, the old order is always rapidly changing. As Chuck Berry said "Hail Hail, Rock 'n Roll; Deliver us from the days of old!"

Personally, I have no time for : Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, or today's MTV, or MP3s. The last rock I bought was Black Crows, I think.

BTW One of the characteristics of old rock 'n roll was to restyle some trad tunes - Carl Mann's rockabilly version of "Mona Lisa" was an ultimate delux update for the yoots of the day. Does current rock still do that?

 

[DaveDickey]

Thanks for the new music suggestions, Tony-B. I will definitely check those titles. The release by Disturbed, "Believe," is out in DVD-Audio. I saw it in the store the other day. I'll pick it up. Also Audioslave. Tks

TedT, Thanks for the live music suggestions. I actually live in Borrego Springs, so downtown San Diego is a couple of hours away. It sounds like it will be worth the trip though.

Dave

 

[Tony-B]

Glad to hear, Dave! I honestly think you should try out Stone Sour too. They are EXCELLENT.

Make sure to listen to the samples of the albums I suggested on Amazon before buying.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Rock's not dead, it's just not the moneymaking juggernaut it once was. The money is made by the boy bands, gangstas, and Kelly Clarkson. That won't change soon, if ever.

Musically, there is great rock out there. I'm glad it doesn't sound like classic rock. Otherwise, what would be the point in making new music?

 

[Tony-B]

Musically, there is great rock out there. I'm glad it doesn't sound like classic rock. Otherwise, what would be the point in making new music?

EXACTLY! That is one of the greatest things I have ever heard on here.