Let's play a game. Everyone has to name one good band—one truly good band—preferably a truly great band—that was born in or since the year 2000. I'll go first: Zwan. Your turn now..... Oh, there aren't any others? I guess I win then. (If you dare to challenge my victory... name a band.)
Only one has met the challenge, prooving me wrong by naming the only other good band to be born since the year 2000: Audioslave.
The only other band, that is, until now.
But first, let me elaborate a little. First, I must add a qualifier to the statement above: I'm talking about mainstream bands, not underground, indy bands. I realize that there are many, many good bands out there that haven't made it mainstream yet, and most of them never will. That's precisely the problem that I'm attempting to highlight: that the good bands aren't making it because the mainstream is full of poop.
I'm not even going into an analysis of what all is wrong with rock music now. But rock music, ah... she was my one true love, and now she has betrayed me.
However. Every now and then, a beacon of light emerges from the dismal sea of musical hell that is the contemporary music industry. To date, 4 have emerged.
In 2001, Zwan, Billy Corgan's post-Smashing Pumpkins project, was the first. And it was on its way to becoming a truly great band, until it broke up.
In 2002, Audioslave became the second. Not up to the greatness of Zwan, nor has it yet been as good as either of the bands which combined to form it (Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden). However, it is a very good band, so far.
In 2003, Alter Bridge joined the ranks. Composed of the members of Creed minus Scott Stapp, with Miles Kennedy filling his shoes, Alter Bridge is, in my not-so-humble opinion, a better band than that from which it was born. Given time, it may have potential for greatness.
And now, in 2004, the latest addition to a very short list. A band called Shinedown. Visually, they give off all the appearances of yet another New Rock band. But they are far from it. With amazing guitars and incredible vocals, this is one rare band that has refused to sacrifice musicality on the commercial altar. I first discovered them on the radio, by hearing their current single, "Burning Bright."
And for your listening pleasure (and your musical education), I have included it here.
Click here to listen.
And enjoy.
1 comment:
My vote for a new truly great band is the Mars Volta. They are currently enjoying something close to mainstream popularity (though not really), so they qualify. Even so, they're definitely gonna stay out on the fringes of popular music 'cause most of what they play is much too odd to be enjoyed by most people. I you think it would be awesome if Pink Floyd was thrown in a blender with a salsa band and some hardcore punks, then fronted by Geddy Lee from Rush--except with an unmedicated panic disorder (yeah, that's really what they sound like)--then you might find this music enjoyable, even though you probably will still find it too weird. You have to listen to most of their songs at least ten times before you can find the thread of the song, but when you do, you will realize how awesome the songs are. DO NOT try and get into them with their new album, "Frances the Mute." Although "The Widow," their single from that album is the most accessible song they've ever released, the rest of the album consists of only four other songs (the entire record being about 77 minutes long) that are mostly in Spanish and are marked by long interludes of unearthly noise (which I think sounds realy cool, but if you played it around grandma, you'd be one relative short in seconds). "De-Loused in the Comatorium" is a better place to start. Well, at least it doesn't have any half-hour songs, and it's lyrics are pretty much all in English (not that they make any literal sense, as their lyricist writes the way Van Gogh painted). Regardless, I am of the opinion that they rule. And I'm right, for although no opinion can ever be demonstrated to be ABSOLUTELY right or wrong, my opinion is relatively more right than the opinion that the Mars Volta suck. Even if you don't like their music (and I fully expect 99% listeners to not like it at all, sadly enough), it is amazing music. So there.
--Daniel S. Clouser
Post a Comment