Don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, since they're not talked about as much as some other 90s rock bands, but I think Bush's first two albums are really good. If you haven't revisited them for a while or heard them at all, check em out!
Showing posts with label rock and roll can still save your soul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rock and roll can still save your soul. Show all posts
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Thursday, July 27, 2017
9 underrated alt rock albums you should be listening to right now!
Clickbaity title, as if this thing is out there to be clicked upon lol. Why 9? Unlike the Nostalgia Critic, I like to go one step below. Anyway, in no particular order, except #1.
9. The Strokes - Angles
Is this underrated? Idk, but in 2002 the Strokes were everywhere and I don't remember hearing about this album when it came out in 2011. That might be because rock wasn't much of a thing then, or I just wasn't paying attention, but holy crap am I glad I found this. This is actually my favourite Strokes album with my favourite Strokes song, "Taken for a Fool." That song alone is enough to warrant a spot here, but this list is about albums and this one's a really good listen. I hope these guys get back on track after their disappointing last release. More like this, please.
8. The Toadies - Rubberneck
Guys. This album is AMAZING. Everyone knows "Possum Kingdom," but how did this album not produce several hits?? I feel like "Away" and "I Come From the Water" would have been perfect followups to Possum Kingdom. No idea why these guys didn't catch on beyond that one song. There's a real distinctive sound to this album, like just describing them as "alt rock" doesn't quite get the job done. It's just good hard, driving music and this is a fun listen all the way through. They disappeared after this and I never heard anything else from them, which is such a shame.
7. Letters to Cleo - Wholesale Meats and Fish
Or really, anything by Letters to Cleo, except maybe Aurora Gory Alice which got some recognition. This album, the followup, got like no attention which might indicate the dreaded sophomore slump, but NO! This thing is bursting with fruit flavour, and it's actually my favourite LTC album. "Pizza Cutter," "St. Peter," "Little Rosa," it's full of should-be 90s classics.
6. Local H - As Good as Dead
Is this list gonna be all forgotten 90s bands? Maybe! Here's another band that's well known for one song, "Bound for the Floor." You know, the "copacetic" song? Oh yeah, those guys! Here's what you might not know: this band, which is still together, has an awesome discography I'm still working my way through. I'm putting this album on the list because it's the one with the classic Bound for the Floor, and it's also really good. But this is a band to dig deeper into, from their 1995 debut Ham Fisted to their 2004 release, Whatever Happened to PJ Soles? If you dig that title like I do, you're in for a good time with Local H. Also, they took their band name from two old R.E.M. songs, and I'm not sure it gets cooler than that.
5. My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
Can anything by MCR really be underrated? I say yes, because - yes, really - I think I like this album as much as the beloved Black Parade. See, I feel like if a band makes an album like Black Parade - so perfect, so iconic, so game changing - no matter what they do next isn't gonna measure up. You're kind of screwed by being so good. And no, I don't hear Danger Days get even half the love that Black Parade does, yet... it could? Should? Because it's really damn good. It's a concept album with an epic glam-rock feel and great songs like "Bulletproof Heart" and "Planetary (Go!)". It's a more upbeat-sounding album than, well, obviously the one about cancer, or anything in their discography. It would be a good radio rock album if the radio still played rock. The deluxe version is also worth a listen.
4. Kay Hanley - Cherry Marmalade
The bad news is, Letters to Cleo was broken up for many years. The good news is, we got this gorgeous solo album from frontwoman Kay Hanley. Man, this album got me through some rough times. I feel like no one has heard this album other than diehard LTC fans, and that's a real shame because every song on here is catchy and punchy and great. Even if you've only heard LTC's big song "Here and Now," if you like it, check this album out. I think you'll be hooked from the first song, "Fall."
3. The Darling Buds - Crawdaddy
Forgotten 90s bands, ahoy! This album had a couple minor hits you might remember if you were there and paying attention, "Tiny Machine" and "Crystal Clear." If you like those, well, the whole album is like that. Catchy and pop-rocky and short and sweet. "It Makes No Difference" and "Honeysuckle" are other faves of mine.
2. The Maine - Forever Halloween
And a more recent album, which has become an all time favourite. I did an entire album retrospective of The Maine when I got into them last year, and my favourites by far are the harder, classic-rocky Pioneer, and this more darkly-themed, also rockier album. While Pioneer seems to get a lot of love from fans, I don't feel like Forever Halloween gets the love it deserves. This seems to be the theme of this post - my favourite album from a band is not most people's favourite.
The Maine is an interesting band with pretty strongly varying sounds. I liked their big breakthrough American Candy a lot, and I like this year's followup, Lovely Little Lonely, which is kinda American Candy Part II sound-wise. (Something which I predicted in my post.) And I think that bright, airy pop-rock is what most people associate with them, but man do I love this darker vibe. It's almost like they became a different band for this one album, like musical cosplay? The deluxe version is a MUST here, as it features my favourite The Maine song, "Ice Cave." Just listen to the opening riff and you'll be in. It rocks.
1. Weezer - Maladroit
Well what else would it be?? My favourite album from my favourite band. Every time I listen to this I ask myself, how is this not everyone's favourite Weezer album? And then I'm like, well, people have different tastes, you KNOW this, your list of favourites is pretty weird. And then I stop talking to myself, cause that's also weird. But - it's not like I wanna impose my taste on people, this album is just so damn good! It's catchy Weezer songs with a harder rock edge. It's the best of both worlds. Oh dammit, Hannah Montana ruined that phrase forever.
Here's the thing about Weezer - while I dislike entire albums they've put out, they're my favourite band because I list six of their albums among my favourites - SIX!* And Maladroit is the cream of the crop, from my favourite track, the riff-happy "Burndt Jamb," to the ridiculously catchy "Keep Fishin'," "Slave," "American Gigolo," and of course the single "Dope Nose," it's pure melodic guitar rock heaven. I keep waiting for this album to get Pinkerton'd, for people to look back on it and be like, holy shit, this is amazing, why do I not listen to this all the time? Pinkerton is great and it was overlooked for a long time. This is even better, and it doesn't get nearly the love it deserves, even among Weezer fans. Maladroit, in my totally not humble opinion, should be required rock listening. It has classic written all over it. Don't miss out.
*6. Pinkerton
5. Green Album
4. White Album
3. Blue Album
2. Everything Will Be Alright
1. Maladroit
HONORABLE MENTION: Cage the Elephant - Tell Me I'm Pretty
This is an honourable mention because it's more unfairly maligned than overlooked, and also it won a Grammy, not that that means anything really except yeah, it's not overlooked. But among CTE fans, holy crap does this album get a ton of shit! And I have no idea why! Okay, it's not Melophobia, but what is, a freaking Beatles album? Melophobia is a masterpiece, they're probably not gonna reach that height again. But that doesn't mean this album is bad, and it's actually good!
Look, I love CTE, they're one of my favourite modern bands, but that doesn't mean I'd love any old thing they put out. I've listened to this album many times and I've never been able to hear what people are criticizing. It's "formula?" Yeah, it sounds like a CTE album, what else do you want? Bands get criticized when they change their sound or when they don't. I don't care, as long as it sounds good to my ears. CTE making a typical-sounding album sounds good. Paramore changing their sound and making a new wave album also sounds good. Some bands change their sound and it's awful, or, in the case of ZBB's latest album, they try to recapture their old sound and it does sound kind of formulaic. Maybe what I hear in that album is what others hear in Tell Me I'm Pretty. But all I hear is an enjoyable 70s-esque rock album with great vocals and riffs. Put it on on a Saturday night with some good beers and you'll dig it. No, it's not the immediate awesome punch of Melophobia, and I don't like Dan Auerbach's production as much as Jay Joyce's, but again that's no reason to dismiss it. It's a grower, really. And "Trouble" still gives me chills every time I hear it.
Whew, I've been wanting to make that list for a while now. The things I'll do to avoid going through 400 vacation photos. In all seriousness, it's been a tough few months. Hug your rockstars, they deserve it. <3
9. The Strokes - Angles
Is this underrated? Idk, but in 2002 the Strokes were everywhere and I don't remember hearing about this album when it came out in 2011. That might be because rock wasn't much of a thing then, or I just wasn't paying attention, but holy crap am I glad I found this. This is actually my favourite Strokes album with my favourite Strokes song, "Taken for a Fool." That song alone is enough to warrant a spot here, but this list is about albums and this one's a really good listen. I hope these guys get back on track after their disappointing last release. More like this, please.
8. The Toadies - Rubberneck
Guys. This album is AMAZING. Everyone knows "Possum Kingdom," but how did this album not produce several hits?? I feel like "Away" and "I Come From the Water" would have been perfect followups to Possum Kingdom. No idea why these guys didn't catch on beyond that one song. There's a real distinctive sound to this album, like just describing them as "alt rock" doesn't quite get the job done. It's just good hard, driving music and this is a fun listen all the way through. They disappeared after this and I never heard anything else from them, which is such a shame.
7. Letters to Cleo - Wholesale Meats and Fish
Or really, anything by Letters to Cleo, except maybe Aurora Gory Alice which got some recognition. This album, the followup, got like no attention which might indicate the dreaded sophomore slump, but NO! This thing is bursting with fruit flavour, and it's actually my favourite LTC album. "Pizza Cutter," "St. Peter," "Little Rosa," it's full of should-be 90s classics.
6. Local H - As Good as Dead
Is this list gonna be all forgotten 90s bands? Maybe! Here's another band that's well known for one song, "Bound for the Floor." You know, the "copacetic" song? Oh yeah, those guys! Here's what you might not know: this band, which is still together, has an awesome discography I'm still working my way through. I'm putting this album on the list because it's the one with the classic Bound for the Floor, and it's also really good. But this is a band to dig deeper into, from their 1995 debut Ham Fisted to their 2004 release, Whatever Happened to PJ Soles? If you dig that title like I do, you're in for a good time with Local H. Also, they took their band name from two old R.E.M. songs, and I'm not sure it gets cooler than that.
5. My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
Can anything by MCR really be underrated? I say yes, because - yes, really - I think I like this album as much as the beloved Black Parade. See, I feel like if a band makes an album like Black Parade - so perfect, so iconic, so game changing - no matter what they do next isn't gonna measure up. You're kind of screwed by being so good. And no, I don't hear Danger Days get even half the love that Black Parade does, yet... it could? Should? Because it's really damn good. It's a concept album with an epic glam-rock feel and great songs like "Bulletproof Heart" and "Planetary (Go!)". It's a more upbeat-sounding album than, well, obviously the one about cancer, or anything in their discography. It would be a good radio rock album if the radio still played rock. The deluxe version is also worth a listen.
4. Kay Hanley - Cherry Marmalade
The bad news is, Letters to Cleo was broken up for many years. The good news is, we got this gorgeous solo album from frontwoman Kay Hanley. Man, this album got me through some rough times. I feel like no one has heard this album other than diehard LTC fans, and that's a real shame because every song on here is catchy and punchy and great. Even if you've only heard LTC's big song "Here and Now," if you like it, check this album out. I think you'll be hooked from the first song, "Fall."
3. The Darling Buds - Crawdaddy
Forgotten 90s bands, ahoy! This album had a couple minor hits you might remember if you were there and paying attention, "Tiny Machine" and "Crystal Clear." If you like those, well, the whole album is like that. Catchy and pop-rocky and short and sweet. "It Makes No Difference" and "Honeysuckle" are other faves of mine.
2. The Maine - Forever Halloween
And a more recent album, which has become an all time favourite. I did an entire album retrospective of The Maine when I got into them last year, and my favourites by far are the harder, classic-rocky Pioneer, and this more darkly-themed, also rockier album. While Pioneer seems to get a lot of love from fans, I don't feel like Forever Halloween gets the love it deserves. This seems to be the theme of this post - my favourite album from a band is not most people's favourite.
The Maine is an interesting band with pretty strongly varying sounds. I liked their big breakthrough American Candy a lot, and I like this year's followup, Lovely Little Lonely, which is kinda American Candy Part II sound-wise. (Something which I predicted in my post.) And I think that bright, airy pop-rock is what most people associate with them, but man do I love this darker vibe. It's almost like they became a different band for this one album, like musical cosplay? The deluxe version is a MUST here, as it features my favourite The Maine song, "Ice Cave." Just listen to the opening riff and you'll be in. It rocks.
1. Weezer - Maladroit
Well what else would it be?? My favourite album from my favourite band. Every time I listen to this I ask myself, how is this not everyone's favourite Weezer album? And then I'm like, well, people have different tastes, you KNOW this, your list of favourites is pretty weird. And then I stop talking to myself, cause that's also weird. But - it's not like I wanna impose my taste on people, this album is just so damn good! It's catchy Weezer songs with a harder rock edge. It's the best of both worlds. Oh dammit, Hannah Montana ruined that phrase forever.
Here's the thing about Weezer - while I dislike entire albums they've put out, they're my favourite band because I list six of their albums among my favourites - SIX!* And Maladroit is the cream of the crop, from my favourite track, the riff-happy "Burndt Jamb," to the ridiculously catchy "Keep Fishin'," "Slave," "American Gigolo," and of course the single "Dope Nose," it's pure melodic guitar rock heaven. I keep waiting for this album to get Pinkerton'd, for people to look back on it and be like, holy shit, this is amazing, why do I not listen to this all the time? Pinkerton is great and it was overlooked for a long time. This is even better, and it doesn't get nearly the love it deserves, even among Weezer fans. Maladroit, in my totally not humble opinion, should be required rock listening. It has classic written all over it. Don't miss out.
*6. Pinkerton
5. Green Album
4. White Album
3. Blue Album
2. Everything Will Be Alright
1. Maladroit
HONORABLE MENTION: Cage the Elephant - Tell Me I'm Pretty
This is an honourable mention because it's more unfairly maligned than overlooked, and also it won a Grammy, not that that means anything really except yeah, it's not overlooked. But among CTE fans, holy crap does this album get a ton of shit! And I have no idea why! Okay, it's not Melophobia, but what is, a freaking Beatles album? Melophobia is a masterpiece, they're probably not gonna reach that height again. But that doesn't mean this album is bad, and it's actually good!
Look, I love CTE, they're one of my favourite modern bands, but that doesn't mean I'd love any old thing they put out. I've listened to this album many times and I've never been able to hear what people are criticizing. It's "formula?" Yeah, it sounds like a CTE album, what else do you want? Bands get criticized when they change their sound or when they don't. I don't care, as long as it sounds good to my ears. CTE making a typical-sounding album sounds good. Paramore changing their sound and making a new wave album also sounds good. Some bands change their sound and it's awful, or, in the case of ZBB's latest album, they try to recapture their old sound and it does sound kind of formulaic. Maybe what I hear in that album is what others hear in Tell Me I'm Pretty. But all I hear is an enjoyable 70s-esque rock album with great vocals and riffs. Put it on on a Saturday night with some good beers and you'll dig it. No, it's not the immediate awesome punch of Melophobia, and I don't like Dan Auerbach's production as much as Jay Joyce's, but again that's no reason to dismiss it. It's a grower, really. And "Trouble" still gives me chills every time I hear it.
Whew, I've been wanting to make that list for a while now. The things I'll do to avoid going through 400 vacation photos. In all seriousness, it's been a tough few months. Hug your rockstars, they deserve it. <3
Thursday, October 06, 2016
Spooooky Good Friday... I mean Thursday ~ Happy Rocktober!
So I am mostly hiatusing from stuff... the internet... life... until all this nonsense is over. Or maybe the nonsense will never end, in which case look me up in my treehouse. Under the sea. On Mars. No, that wasn't supposed to make sense. Since when does life make sense?
What does make sense in these dark, troubled times? Great music, of course. Specifically, great rock music of the past and present that will help get you in the mood for the best month of all!
Does any band embody Rocktober more than KISS? This would be a must at my Halloween party if I had parties and y'know, liked people.
One of MCR's rockinest songs, and the perfect way to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the iconic Black Parade. Crank it.
Let's take things down a notch with this gorgeous, creepy rock ballad from one of my new favorite bands. No matter how many times I hear this, it still gives me chills. Their new album fittingly drops a few days before Halloween, and I can't wait!
A song from possibly my favorite of the Elm Street movies. Doesn't get much more Rocktober than that. I love how so many 80s movies combined rock and horror. The 80s got it, man.
Let's pour a little maple syrup (the real stuff, not that gross fake shit) on our rock with this classic by Canada's own Triumph.
"Let's get hexed, let's hang out." I don't think I can possibly push this amazing UK band CREEPER enough. All three of their EPs are great, each one progressively better. Their first LP is scheduled for release next March, and the first song "Suzanne" is amazing and up on iTunes. CHECK IT OUT.
And have a wonderful month of spookiness! I'm going back to my treehouse.
What does make sense in these dark, troubled times? Great music, of course. Specifically, great rock music of the past and present that will help get you in the mood for the best month of all!
Does any band embody Rocktober more than KISS? This would be a must at my Halloween party if I had parties and y'know, liked people.
One of MCR's rockinest songs, and the perfect way to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the iconic Black Parade. Crank it.
Let's take things down a notch with this gorgeous, creepy rock ballad from one of my new favorite bands. No matter how many times I hear this, it still gives me chills. Their new album fittingly drops a few days before Halloween, and I can't wait!
A song from possibly my favorite of the Elm Street movies. Doesn't get much more Rocktober than that. I love how so many 80s movies combined rock and horror. The 80s got it, man.
Let's pour a little maple syrup (the real stuff, not that gross fake shit) on our rock with this classic by Canada's own Triumph.
"Let's get hexed, let's hang out." I don't think I can possibly push this amazing UK band CREEPER enough. All three of their EPs are great, each one progressively better. Their first LP is scheduled for release next March, and the first song "Suzanne" is amazing and up on iTunes. CHECK IT OUT.
And have a wonderful month of spookiness! I'm going back to my treehouse.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
All kinds of music stuff! Part three
Rock and roll can still save your soul. I should get that tattooed someday. Actually, I should just put it on a t-shirt. That would be a lot less prickly.
So back in the day when "mainstream rock" meant Journey, not Nickelback, I wasn't really an "alternative" kind of gal. I liked my top 40, dammit. I liked Madonna and Michael Jackson. Everything was just fine, because it was the 80s.
Then, in the latter half of the decade, my impressionable pre-teen self heard R.E.M. for the first time. This was the same time I owned stuff by Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. And maybe it sounds dramatic, but I was forever changed. Not just my taste in music but me, who I was as a human. Oh I still listened to pop music for several years after, but suddenly the world felt bigger and I felt more... whole? Mature? It was exciting.
At this time MTV was not only still relevant, but aired what was probably one of the most important music shows ever, 120 Minutes. This was a two-hour block of alternative videos that aired every Sunday night. I found so many bands through that show, some I still listen to. The Smithereens were another favorite. And The Connells. Oh jangly guitar rock, how I miss you. R.E.M.'s early albums, from the amazing Chronic Town/Murmur era and really up through Monster, were extremely influential on my music taste. I still listen to their more jangly, grungy, melodic garage rock type stuff like "Don't Go Back to Rockville." But then they moved away from that sound and into more... how do I say it... VH-1-y territory, and I lost interest. But the damage - the wonderful, wonderful damage - was done. And my Debbie Gibson tapes were traded in for something awesome. Cause that's what we did back then, we traded in tapes for other tapes. Primitive!
My love for alt-rock waned a bit in the 90s when I got REALLY REALLY into country. I kinda missed a lot of the grunge era, and I never got super into those bands. I did eventually get back into alt-rock, alongside Alan Jackson and Brooks and Dunn. The bands that really pulled me in were Weezer, Green Day, Letters to Cleo, and Tiny Music- era STP. In 2001, when I dropped country for awhile post-9/11 for sanity purposes, I immersed myself in the alt-rock of the day, like Jimmy Eat World, White Stripes, Motion City Soundtrack, and MCR, the Killers, Paramore, etc. later on. This was pretty much my musical identity for a while, but then when I got back into country in the mid-2000s I kind of lost the thread.
This brings me to a point I want to make. You could say, maybe I "outgrew" that kind of music. Maybe that comes with getting into your 30s. Or maybe the country artists I got into were just killing it and I wanted to focus on that. Who knows? I can say, having gotten pretty hard back into some alt-rock this past year, I definitely haven't outgrown it just because I'm no longer in my teens or 20s. And that's the thing. Some music you will outgrow. Tiffany, for instance. Even Madonna, while I love her 80s material, I haven't listened to it in a long time. But that's pop. Rock, I think, is different.
When you grow up with rock music, it's part of your soul. You don't "outgrow" it. Maybe some bands here and there, maybe certain styles,* but this notion that modern rock is just for people under 25 is ridiculous. I'm from the MTV generation, I'm not gonna suddenly start listening to... polka or something just cause I'm over 30! I still want to keep up with new music, because I like some of it.
I've said this before, but I think the reason people are staying "younger" longer these days is because of rock music. Seriously, if you grow up a rock fan, how can you ever get old? You've got timeless cool built in. It's not like back in our grandparents' day. So yeah, that's my big science-y theory. Rock music keeps you young. Not kale or any of that shit. So eat a cheeseburger, and don't stop listening to rock and roll. #protip #lifehack
*I'm using the terms "rock" and "alt-rock" as a REALLY HUGE umbrella, encompassing indie, pop-rock, pop-punk, garage rock, emo, whatever. I don't even know all the genres. Too complicated. Also, what exactly is "emo?" Well I don't know either, but here's my take on it.
Not emo - MCR. Seriously, they're a rock and fucking roll band.
Good emo - Brand New
Decent emo - Dashboard Confessional
Whiny poser emo - Simple Plan
Bad stereotypical emo - Hawthorne Heights (ya know, the "cut my wrists and black my eyes" guys? *shudder*)
Anyway, it's not a genre I'm really into, but there's some crossover with pop-punk and other stuff I might mention. So yeah, I'm just calling it all "rock," even if a lot of it is a far cry from the classic rock of my previous post.
Speaking of MCR, while they are not reuniting *sniff*, there is this Black Parade tribute album coming out and... uggggh. Okay, there's one track I'm really excited about. My new-favorite-band Creeper is covering "How I Disappear," which I absolutely love, and wow are they perfect for covering MCR. I saw one person compare them to MCR and another to The Killers and yeah, that's pretty much right. They're like a cross between MCR and The Killers and also just themselves obviously, cause that would be boring to just rehash other bands.
But anyway, back to rehashing other bands. This "tribute" album, other than Creeper, features some utterly awful bands, some I haven't heard of, and some of these samey-sounding pop-punk bands. Look. First of all, MCR is NOT a pop punk band. I don't want to hear their songs done in that style. Second, I like some pop-punk. I like Green Day, Blink has some decent stuff, for the newer bands All Time Low is pretty good. But we don't need 50 of these bands that all sound the same! Seriously, I have no idea how fans even tell them apart. I guess I'm glad some kids are listening to this stuff rather than top 40, at least it's music with real instruments and songs actually written by the band. (So, music.) But I can only deal with it in small doses.
You know, pop punk is kind of the hair metal of the 2000s/2010s. Like, it's not terrible music, it is organic and made by actual musicians, but it's still kind of scoffed at. Maybe cause there's a sameyness, maybe cause it seems cheesy, maybe just cause it's "genre" stuff. Now I was never into hair metal, but I can see the appeal of a Bon Jovi or yes, even a Poison. But if you have those guys, do you really need, like, a Winger and a Skid Row too? Idk, I guess if you like the genre, less is not more. It's kind of like how some people look down on horror movies or any genre stuff, really. But it's a funny comparison to me. Green Day would be Bon Jovi, like the big guys that brought the music to the masses, Blink would be Poison, their goofy little brothers, and honestly now I just wanna hear Green Day cover "Wanted Dead or Alive" and Blink do "Nothing But a Good Time," and I've become distracted from my point.
Oh yeah, just like what you like. Don't let me tell you it's all the same. I've probably watched 147 80s slasher movies, what do I know? I can tell you I'd legit rather hear hair metal covers of MCR songs than pop punk ones though.
Okay, time to end this. So yeah, keep seeking out new music, no matter where you are in life. If you like a new band and you're in your 30s and all the other fans are 18, well maybe that just means you're cool. Nothing is "for" specific people, music is for everyone. If something speaks to you, there's a reason for that. (Unless you're a casual listener, and what speaks to you is whatever they play on the radio. *sigh*) So 2016 will forever be the year I got obsessed with Creeper and The Maine, and back into alt rock. I'm glad to be back. And this is only the beginning.
So back in the day when "mainstream rock" meant Journey, not Nickelback, I wasn't really an "alternative" kind of gal. I liked my top 40, dammit. I liked Madonna and Michael Jackson. Everything was just fine, because it was the 80s.
Then, in the latter half of the decade, my impressionable pre-teen self heard R.E.M. for the first time. This was the same time I owned stuff by Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. And maybe it sounds dramatic, but I was forever changed. Not just my taste in music but me, who I was as a human. Oh I still listened to pop music for several years after, but suddenly the world felt bigger and I felt more... whole? Mature? It was exciting.
At this time MTV was not only still relevant, but aired what was probably one of the most important music shows ever, 120 Minutes. This was a two-hour block of alternative videos that aired every Sunday night. I found so many bands through that show, some I still listen to. The Smithereens were another favorite. And The Connells. Oh jangly guitar rock, how I miss you. R.E.M.'s early albums, from the amazing Chronic Town/Murmur era and really up through Monster, were extremely influential on my music taste. I still listen to their more jangly, grungy, melodic garage rock type stuff like "Don't Go Back to Rockville." But then they moved away from that sound and into more... how do I say it... VH-1-y territory, and I lost interest. But the damage - the wonderful, wonderful damage - was done. And my Debbie Gibson tapes were traded in for something awesome. Cause that's what we did back then, we traded in tapes for other tapes. Primitive!
My love for alt-rock waned a bit in the 90s when I got REALLY REALLY into country. I kinda missed a lot of the grunge era, and I never got super into those bands. I did eventually get back into alt-rock, alongside Alan Jackson and Brooks and Dunn. The bands that really pulled me in were Weezer, Green Day, Letters to Cleo, and Tiny Music- era STP. In 2001, when I dropped country for awhile post-9/11 for sanity purposes, I immersed myself in the alt-rock of the day, like Jimmy Eat World, White Stripes, Motion City Soundtrack, and MCR, the Killers, Paramore, etc. later on. This was pretty much my musical identity for a while, but then when I got back into country in the mid-2000s I kind of lost the thread.
This brings me to a point I want to make. You could say, maybe I "outgrew" that kind of music. Maybe that comes with getting into your 30s. Or maybe the country artists I got into were just killing it and I wanted to focus on that. Who knows? I can say, having gotten pretty hard back into some alt-rock this past year, I definitely haven't outgrown it just because I'm no longer in my teens or 20s. And that's the thing. Some music you will outgrow. Tiffany, for instance. Even Madonna, while I love her 80s material, I haven't listened to it in a long time. But that's pop. Rock, I think, is different.
When you grow up with rock music, it's part of your soul. You don't "outgrow" it. Maybe some bands here and there, maybe certain styles,* but this notion that modern rock is just for people under 25 is ridiculous. I'm from the MTV generation, I'm not gonna suddenly start listening to... polka or something just cause I'm over 30! I still want to keep up with new music, because I like some of it.
I've said this before, but I think the reason people are staying "younger" longer these days is because of rock music. Seriously, if you grow up a rock fan, how can you ever get old? You've got timeless cool built in. It's not like back in our grandparents' day. So yeah, that's my big science-y theory. Rock music keeps you young. Not kale or any of that shit. So eat a cheeseburger, and don't stop listening to rock and roll. #protip #lifehack
*I'm using the terms "rock" and "alt-rock" as a REALLY HUGE umbrella, encompassing indie, pop-rock, pop-punk, garage rock, emo, whatever. I don't even know all the genres. Too complicated. Also, what exactly is "emo?" Well I don't know either, but here's my take on it.
Not emo - MCR. Seriously, they're a rock and fucking roll band.
Good emo - Brand New
Decent emo - Dashboard Confessional
Whiny poser emo - Simple Plan
Bad stereotypical emo - Hawthorne Heights (ya know, the "cut my wrists and black my eyes" guys? *shudder*)
Anyway, it's not a genre I'm really into, but there's some crossover with pop-punk and other stuff I might mention. So yeah, I'm just calling it all "rock," even if a lot of it is a far cry from the classic rock of my previous post.
Speaking of MCR, while they are not reuniting *sniff*, there is this Black Parade tribute album coming out and... uggggh. Okay, there's one track I'm really excited about. My new-favorite-band Creeper is covering "How I Disappear," which I absolutely love, and wow are they perfect for covering MCR. I saw one person compare them to MCR and another to The Killers and yeah, that's pretty much right. They're like a cross between MCR and The Killers and also just themselves obviously, cause that would be boring to just rehash other bands.
But anyway, back to rehashing other bands. This "tribute" album, other than Creeper, features some utterly awful bands, some I haven't heard of, and some of these samey-sounding pop-punk bands. Look. First of all, MCR is NOT a pop punk band. I don't want to hear their songs done in that style. Second, I like some pop-punk. I like Green Day, Blink has some decent stuff, for the newer bands All Time Low is pretty good. But we don't need 50 of these bands that all sound the same! Seriously, I have no idea how fans even tell them apart. I guess I'm glad some kids are listening to this stuff rather than top 40, at least it's music with real instruments and songs actually written by the band. (So, music.) But I can only deal with it in small doses.
You know, pop punk is kind of the hair metal of the 2000s/2010s. Like, it's not terrible music, it is organic and made by actual musicians, but it's still kind of scoffed at. Maybe cause there's a sameyness, maybe cause it seems cheesy, maybe just cause it's "genre" stuff. Now I was never into hair metal, but I can see the appeal of a Bon Jovi or yes, even a Poison. But if you have those guys, do you really need, like, a Winger and a Skid Row too? Idk, I guess if you like the genre, less is not more. It's kind of like how some people look down on horror movies or any genre stuff, really. But it's a funny comparison to me. Green Day would be Bon Jovi, like the big guys that brought the music to the masses, Blink would be Poison, their goofy little brothers, and honestly now I just wanna hear Green Day cover "Wanted Dead or Alive" and Blink do "Nothing But a Good Time," and I've become distracted from my point.
Oh yeah, just like what you like. Don't let me tell you it's all the same. I've probably watched 147 80s slasher movies, what do I know? I can tell you I'd legit rather hear hair metal covers of MCR songs than pop punk ones though.
Okay, time to end this. So yeah, keep seeking out new music, no matter where you are in life. If you like a new band and you're in your 30s and all the other fans are 18, well maybe that just means you're cool. Nothing is "for" specific people, music is for everyone. If something speaks to you, there's a reason for that. (Unless you're a casual listener, and what speaks to you is whatever they play on the radio. *sigh*) So 2016 will forever be the year I got obsessed with Creeper and The Maine, and back into alt rock. I'm glad to be back. And this is only the beginning.
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