Rock & Roll: Dead?

[Machine Head]

Good points all around. I think fragmentation is a key. There may be too much going on to actually create mass support, and the record industry doesn't want to hype a good rock band as opposed to a boy band.

Again, I am not sure if you can correlate, but i am sure back in 1972 when the Who, Zeppelin and Floyd were in their primes, and radio was jamming on power pop, and Rolling Stone was masturbating waiting for the next CNSY album or what have you, there were a small handful of ****ers going "why won't you buy the new Ry Cooder? You're are all insane." (That rant bought you by the fact that picked up Cooder's 1972 "Into the Purple Valley" last night on vinyl.) The fact is the industry mainly decides what gets big and once in awhile some sneaks through

Where I grew up, Free-Form FM was in full effect in the late 60s.

Yes, there were options for Top 40 on the dial, but the groups you mention and more could also be found.

The syndicated radio show "Beaker Street" was fantastic.

And yeah, I'm old.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Now I know why Jack White hates Dan Auerbach.

 

[93Devil]

Kind of reminds me of Matthew Sweet. Not bad.

The lyrics are much too masculine to be mistaken for Sweet.

 

[Buck]

Rock and roll as a genre has long been a nebulous category.
Successive generations have bent the parameters to fit almost anything that falls into popular music.
What does 'Hound Dog" have to do with 'Tomorrow Never Knows'? What does 'Kid Charlemagne' have to do with 'God Save the Queen'?
'Rock and roll' as a label has been meaningless much longer than it was ever meaningful.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Rock and roll as a genre has long been a nebulous category.
Successive generations have bent the parameters to fit almost anything that falls into popular music.
What does 'Hound Dog" have to do with 'Tomorrow Never Knows'? What does 'Kid Charlemagne' have to do with 'God Save the Queen'?
'Rock and roll' as a label has been meaningless much longer than it was ever meaningful.

OK. But guitar music is pretty much dead.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

OK. But guitar music is pretty much dead.

More true than false, and sad. Guitar music is the best music.

 

[Big Circus]

Just listened to 30 seconds of a Kendrick Lamar song. Holy ****, that was awful.

That's a subthread of its own, but holy ****, does rap suck these days. I don't think I could name more than five new rap songs I've enjoyed since Outkast called it quits. It's a sad state of affairs when Drake is the standard-bearer for the art form.

And yes, get off my damn lawn.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

More true than false, and sad. Guitar music is the best music.

True in the current state, but doesn't mean it's dead forever. Could easily foresee the day where the guitar gets 'rediscovered'. Too versatile an instrument to lie dormant.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Big Circus becomes my new favorite poster, followed closely by Captain Kirk.

 

[SoloFlyer]

Holy ****. I just looked at the Grammys for Best Rock Album since 2000. Thoughts:

-- Led Zeppelin won it. In 2014. Among those they beat out are Black Sabbath, David Bowie and Neil Young.
-- The Foo Fighters won it four times.
-- Green Day and U2 won it twice each.
-- Such new blood as Springsteen, Santana and Red Hot Chili Peppers won it once each.
-- Coldplay is not "rock."
-- Of the other winners, I've never heard of Muse.
-- What I've heard of them, I like Beck and the Black Keys, but I'm not sure I'd classify either as "rock."

Beck is pretty much a chameleon.

But how are the Black Keys not rock? It's blues/garage rock, but it's still at least rock. I mean, hell, Zepplin was blues rock, too.

Also, the Grammys have been a joke ever since they awarded Jethro Tull for "best hard rock/metal performance" over the likes of Metallica and AC/DC.

That said, a larger point stands that I made in the Green Day thread - rock radio has gravitated toward the revival of the New Wave sound from the 80s. Guitar-driven music need not apply.

 

[Iron_chet]

Interesting thread, agree with a lot of what has been said and Big Circus nailed it with the state of todays rap.

I have been a front line manager in a male dominated industry since the late 90s. I remember asking one of the new young dudes to make me a CD of new rap and getting an absolutely awesome mix disc.

I asked for a playlist last year and the new guys couldn't even name what was good. Personally think Drake sucks so not sure who the big thing is.

I have a 17 and 18 year old in the house who are huge Nickleback fans, as are my wife and in laws. I find their music awful but their unironic love for it baffles me.

They also love all the bro country acts and the Blake Shelton tix for her birthday are an enormous hit.

Not sure where the next great rock band is. I sort of Like some Kings of Leon and Arcade Fire but sure it's also a function of my age that finding new music just isn't a priority.

Probably my favorite "discovery" of the past few years is Florence and the Machine who I would have never seen save for their SNL appearance.

 

[SoloFlyer]

One way to gauge who the bigtime rock bands are is to look at who headlines some of the European rock festivals. Who is headlining Rock im Park/Rock am Ring in Germany? Who is headlining Glastonbury or Sonisphere in England? So based on that, here are some of the bands who have headlined multiple shows in the last five years (leaving out Coachella and Bonnaroo since they tend to be more eclectic).

Recently formed:
Foo Fighers
Arctic Monkeys
Muse
Kings of Leon
Linkin Park
30 Seconds to Mars
Green Day

Reunions:
System of a Down
Rage Against the Machine
Queen (with Adam Lambert)
Faith No More

Old guys still kicking:
Metallica (they love festivals, working on new stuff apparently)
Rolling Stones
U2
Iron Maiden
Lenny Kravitz
Bruce Springsteen
Bon Jovi
Kiss
Pearl Jam
Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Some sort of rock blend:
Mumford and Sons
Arcade Fire
Coldplay

So there's your list. I'd add in big sellers like Black Keys, Weezer, Radiohead and Jack White/The White Stripes as other big ones.

 

[Big Circus]

Today in rap: the Raptors would like to inform you that Drizzy has availability.

 

[Machine Head]

Money, follow the money:

Live Music's $20 Billion Year: Rolling Stones, One Direction, Live Nation Top Boxscore's Year-End | Billboard

 

[Machine Head]

And Cher farts in everyone's general direction.

 

[Machine Head]

This shows how delivery of the product has changed over the last 41 years:

41 Years of Music Industry Change, In 41 Seconds... - Digital Music NewsDigital Music News

 

[Machine Head]

I weep for the 8-Track.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Money, follow the money:

Live Music's $20 Billion Year: Rolling Stones, One Direction, Live Nation Top Boxscore's Year-End | Billboard

NINE shows for Bon Jovi ...
Between them and The Stones (aged) they are killing it.

 

[John]

I don't know what's rock or alternative or whatever. I do know there is a ton of good rock-like music out there today. Pearl Jam is my favorite band and they're still doing good (sometimes great) work. Same goes for Queens of the Stone Age. The Black Keys are outstanding and Gary Clark Jr. is even better. Benjamin Booker is new and good. Volbeat and Five Finger Death Punch are more metal but they write catchy tunes.

I'm going to see Foo Fighters in October. I'm sure I'll enjoy their show, but I'm really going to see Gary Clark Jr. open up for them.

 

[Buck]

There's a lot of guitar music. What is dead is the fascist dictatorship of terrestrial radio and big-money record company marketing.

What about these guys: