What I Like

So I have been writing a lot lately about music. Old music. 60’s and 70’s stuff. What’s good, what’s overrated, what should be avoided like I-4 at rush hour. That era represents my formative years when I was morphing from nerdy loner kid to geeky teenager to well, a nerdy loner geeky adult. So that era has an impact with me. I am also writing this with the sad realization that I only knew one of the bands nominated for best Rock Band at this year’s Grammys. Fortunately, it was the winner, Foo Fighters.

Therefore I am sure that some (certainly not many) may have concluded I am an old fogey that longs for the days when Foghat opened for Thin Lizzy at the Hollywood Sportatorium.

Not really. Cuz Foghat sucked.

But besides that. Some may believe that I think today’s music is a bunch of pubescent crap. Well, yeah. Some is. Case in point – I would be totally fine if Blink 182 broke up and never produced another whiny note. They’re the Foghat of the new millennium. Annoying. And it has now been twenty years since Grunge hit the scene, so that is also music of another generation. So I cannot say in good conscience that Alice In Chains is new music. I like the Chains, but they’re yesterday’s news.

So it’s time to get with the new century. There are a number of new bands (meaning, the last 10 years, so don’t give me that 2002 was a long time ago, mmmmkay?) that I really like. Their music has depth, meaning. And they can shake a coat of paint off the side of the house. So here are three ‘new’ bands that I totally dig, and thanks to their presence on the scene, will keep things fresh while still honoring where they came from -

Chevelle

Angst in a nutshell. Lead singer Pete Loeffler can lay down a whine but he’s not a pussy. He’s not looking for sympathy. He’s looking for a party. And the platform that his vocals are built upon is pure rock power chords –

Deep Purple could do that. Chevelle takes what the greats before them gave them and spiffs it up into a nice, new millennium mosh pit.

System Of A Down

Music for ADHD victims. Their songs are a panoply of, here we are…NO we’re now over here…FOOLED ya…we are now in left field intercourse. This is not music for the masses. Some of their stuff will leave you with a migraine, including this one –

You’re heading to the medicine cabinet looking for the Tylenol, aren’t ya. They scream, they have unintelligible passages, but unlike the Death Metal genre, they come back to a melody. C’mon now, you know you were swaying to the ‘Everybody’s gone to the party have a real good time’ part weren’t ya?

Sure you were.

The Raconteurs

Okay, this is for you, Dawn. But I like the Racs. I like any of the stuff Jack White is a part of. He’s got charisma and stage presence. And they have wonderfully crafted songs that are just a little off-kilter to keep you interested. That’s okay. Steady as she goes –

Now sure. I have other new bands I like as well. Case in point - The Strokes, Five Finger Death Punch, Puddle of Mudd to name a few. The sum total of these bands and their works has me feeling good about where 'new rock' is heading.

Just please. Don't ever resort to hair spray and spandex. One era of Cinderella was enough.