Band of the Day

The Strokes. Many of you may dislike them, but I'm rather hopefull that these guys usher in the next big movement in rock. It's that simple for me.

I'm tired of the rap rock. I'm tired of the grandiose, Alice In Chains rip-offs like Creed and Nickleback (both of which Jerry Cantrell has toured with this summer, unfortunately).

These guys are playing stuff that's insanely catchy and cool, and I can really see it cathing on. With the help of bands like the Hives and the Vines, who knows, we may be seeing a new trend. Hopefully it's not just a fad.

So. Opinions? *ducking*

ps-if you haven't heard of these guys, you may have heard their songs on the radio a lot. "Last Nite" and "Hard to Explain" are their two big singles. I also suggest "Barely Legal", "Alone Together", and "Someday".

[In Living Color's Men on Film]
Hated it!
[/In Living Color's Men on Film]

So, you wish to insult one form of manufactured pop-rock in favor of another? I think I'll stick with Dream Theater, thank you.

By the way, I like Creed and Alice In Chains, too.

bleh!

That's not what I'm saying. If I've got to have something with such pop sensibilities, I'd rather have these guys. Plus, I simply enjoy the music. But that's just me.

Creed, on the other hand, I hate. I've never seen a band more full of themselves (well, that's mainly Stapp). I just can't stand 'em.

Believe me, if there were a chance in hell of my favorite bands becoming famous, that would be really cool! But be realistic, most of our favorite bands are not the mainstream type, and will never be overly popular.

If there's one band out there that I think may have a chance and is an excellent band, it would without a doubt be Queens of the Stone Age. But they have several obsticles in their way to becoming huge hits.

So to answer your question, YES. I would rather that. The bands now are incredibly tiring and boring. They're all ripping each-other off, and originally simply ripping off Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains...badly. Time for a change.

I really enjoyed Is This It?. I'm less enthralled with the rest of the garage thing that seems to have followed them (Hives, Vines, etc.), but, at the same time, I have a hard time finding the similarities that the media, et al. seem to find, and it's still more enjoyable than Limp Bizkit ever was.

And, in response to Justin, I'm not sure in what way the Strokes are manufactured. I'll admit that the album may be a little overproduced, but that hardly implies intentional fabrication. In fact, they existed and released an EP before they were signed to a major label.

The Hives are pretty good. They're album isn't as good as Is This It?, but there are some good tracks on it. The main thing I hope they stay away from in the future is their slow songs. Only one or two of those are good. Also, the whole band is embodied in their lead singer. the rest is really kinda bad. I saw them in concert and he was really cool. Very Cobain-esque. He literally lit and smoked a cigarette in the middle of a guitar solo.

Anyway, I'd like to echo the Bizkit comment.

Bitt, have you heard of Queens of the Stone Age? Like I said, they're fantastic. I saw them in concert at the begining of the summer (with Dave Grohl on drums), and I'm seeing them again on Friday. Can't wait.

"if you haven't heard of these guys, you may have heard their songs on the radio"

The "radio"? With my Em[eg available? An interesting concept . . .

With my Em[eg available?

For reasons I can't qualify or quantify at all, that's my favorite typo ever.

The "radio"? With my Em[eg available? An interesting concept . . .

Tell me about it. I really like Filter. The first time I heard they had a new album out was when someone was having trouble playing the tunes on his empeg.

Same thing happend with the new OLP album (which I really like DiGNAN17).

I have a tuner, but it is seldom used. When it is used, I listen to talk radio. I feel I may be missing out on some new music. The band I am into right now is called Skrape. The CD came out in October of 2001 and I just heard them a week ago.

Bitt, what's the UBBCode to indent. Last 100 times I looked in the BBS FAQ I couldn't find it. Thanks.

have you heard of Queens of the Stone Age?

You've talked about them many times. It's obviously your favorite band for the past few years, and I've tried to find something to listen to, with no good results. What I have found I remember as being pretty boring, but, then, I probably just got ahold of the wrong thing. I do really like most of the bands they're borrowing people from, including Dinosaur Jr. (in a typically non-direct fashion, have you heard the new Jason Loewenstein album?), Foo Fighters, Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, etc. (though Monster Magnet pretty well sucks).

Anyway, maybe you need to point me at something particularly good. Maybe I could borrow a cassette (or whatever today's equivalent of that might be ).

So, you wish to insult one form of manufactured pop-rock in favor of another? I think I'll stick with Dream Theater, thank you.

No, he didn't say "Living Color", the band. He said "In Living Color", the comedy television program. He's referring to the two characters from the running sketch "Men on Film", which is two gay black men reviewing movies. Their catch-phrase line is "Hated it!".

I think the comedians are two of the Wayans horde (has Hollywood run out of Wayans brothers yet? We worked our way through the Sheens and the Baldwins already, haven't we?).

Bitt, what's the UBBCode to indent. Last 100 times I looked in the BBS FAQ I couldn't find it. Thanks.

Use the old HTML trick of doing a list, but without any item tags in the list.

edit: Let me clarify that I know you can't do HTML on the BBS. There is a list tag in the UBBcode that you can use.

I just use [list] without any [*] items, which was suggested by Tony Fabris.

BTW, I created those without UBB interpreting them like: [[i][/i]list]

I think the comedians are two of the Wayans horde (has Hollywood run out of Wayans brothers yet? We worked our way through the Sheens and the Baldwins already, haven't we?).

One of them was certainly Damon. I don't remember who the other one was, now, but I think it was David Alan Grier.

In a remarkable tangent, you should check out Marlon Wayans in Requiem for a Dream, which should easily qualify for most unexpected great performance of the decade awards. Of course, make sure you're in the happiest mood you've ever been in before you see it, because otherwise, you'll break whatever beverage container you have lying around in order to slash your wrists three-quarters of the way through the film, and the really dark parts will have yet to come.

maybe you need to point me at something particularly good.

Well, frankly I like everything of theirs, but again, tastes will vary. Their first album is still a lot like the stuff their old band did (Kyuss, "pioneers of Stoner Rock"), and their second album was a lot different. I think you're right, they do borrow a lot from other acts, but I think they do it pretty well. Plus, you can't avoid the Screaming Trees connection, seeing as Josh Homme played second guitar for them for the last few years of their existence, and hell, Mark Lanegan is in the band of course Anyway, here's some songs that I tend to like of theirs:

Regular John
Avon
Mexicola
The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
Better Living Through Chemistry
In the Fade (Lanegan on vocals. fantastic)

Just to reiterate, my favorite band: Screaming Trees. My favorite artist: Mark Lanegan. I love everything that he and they have done. If there's fans out there, check out the song "High Noon Amsterdam" by Masters of Reality. That song is incredible.

That isn't what I was referring to.

Oh, sorry. I was viewing the thread in flat mode and didn't notice who the reply was addressed to.

Well then perhaps manufactured was the wrong word. In fact now I'm sure of it. They just remind me of so much other general pop music out there that all sounds the same to me. I'm not saying everything I listen to is unique and special. I guess I just don't like pop music. I do respect them for being an actual band, though. Instrumental talent is important to me. I suppose I just get sick of catchy tunes after a while.

It's ok. I've done it, too. I should really get into the habit of quoting exactly what I'm responding to.

Creed, on the other hand, I hate. I've never seen a band more full of themselves (well, that's mainly Stapp). I just can't stand 'em.

They weren't always full of themselves. I bought the second album solely on merit. The first was great. And that album (My Own Prison) was released twice. In 1996 it could only be found in Florida, where they're from. But in 1997, after they were signed, it was re-released by Wind-up. I don't love the second album, but it's ok. The third I've heard a few songs from, but only liked one, and so haven't bought it.

As for Stapp being full of himself... I don't disagree. I think it might be why the original bassist left last year.

Odd. They sound fairly fresh to me, in that they're recycling stuff that's twenty years old instead of stuff that's twenty minutes old.

Out of curiosity, what new stuff are you listening to these days, just so I can get an idea of where you're coming from.

I'm really not listening to new stuff. Well I suppose the latest release from Dream Theater is new, being that it only came out in I think February. Um, other than that, the only thing I play often is TOOL. The rest is actually all radio rock from recent years, really. There are some variations, but nothing new. I got sick of commercial radio. There won't be much new stuff in my collection until I settle on a way to get new music without having pop culture shoved down my throat.

XM, maybe?

Okay, I'll give you that. I actually somewhat enjoyed the song My Own Prison. It was pretty good without shoving the religion down your throat.

But these days, I hear Creed, Nickleback, The Calling, and my least favorite, Staind, and I hear absolutely no difference. The singer from the Calling might be the one that to me sounds the most like everyone else. Like I said, it seems like they're all trying to sing like Eddie Vedder, attempting to pull off weak harmonies like AIC, and failing at both. That and the lead singer from Staind is the most boring showman I've ever seen on stage.

I had to sit through horrible bands on the Family Values Tour just to see Stone Temple Pilots. What's his name? Aaron Lewis? He just walked slowly back andforth the entire time, "singing" without much effort, and generally incredibly boring. Of course everyone loved it because they were there to see them. I can't imagine what all those people thought about Scott Weiland with all of his gyrations and jumping around on monitors and stuff. Hell, at the end he stripped bare-ass naked and dressed himself in the American flag. I wonder what the goths though of it

Anyway, sorry to rant, but this happens to be one area I'm a bit over-opinionated in Sorry to vent here

The Strokes album I'd have to say is a bit overproduced (I don't always like what they did with the vocals, and the drums are pretty crappy sometimes), but I still like the music.

DeadFire, I sugest you get a live recording of them sometime. I find that I like the live recordings waaaay better. Their performance on Saturday Night Live for example, was really clean and great.

Believe me, I'm not one for new stuff. Pretty much everythign I listen to could be classified as "grunge" and it's immediate offspring. The only bands I listen to regularly that are still playing are Queens..., Tuatara, Mark Lanegan, and Our Lady Peace. Of course, OLP isn't exactly grunge, but they're an exception. Frankly, I want a tuner just to have one. Plus I can get traffic reports and when I'm in the DC area I can listen to Don & Mike. I hate commercial radio in general. If I listen to rock radio, it's DC101 which today actually played "All Along the Watchtower" which gained them a little more respect from me

Just want to clarify something here. Mark Lanegan doesn't do a damned thing on stage. He hugs the mic stand in the exact same way every time he's on, he rarely opens his eyes, and he just stands like that the whole time he's on. The difference between him and Aaron Lewis? A hell of a lot of talent and a hell of a lot of voice.

Never heard Screaming Trees or Mark Lanegan? I implore you to get ahold of the sone "Troubled Times". Please, do it for rock

If I listen to rock radio, it's DC101 which today actually played "All Along the Watchtower" which gained them a little more respect from me

The Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, U2, or some other version? One of the last times that I listened to the radio around here was when they played the U2 version and the DJ announced it as their cover of a Jimi Hendrix song. This, I believe, was the same station that awarded Yes their Best New Rock Band award the year ``Owner of a Lonely Heart'' was a hit. [sigh]

This, I believe, was the same station that awarded Yes their Best New Rock Band award the year ``Owner of a Lonely Heart'' was a hit.

To be fair, that album was essentially a new Yes, and I wouldn't be surprised if the radio station did the award as a joke. I consider the albums with Howe and Bruford to be a different band than the albums with White and Rabin. Both good, but in different ways.

And I even like the transitional album between the two ("Drama") which is barely Yes at all but still manages to capture the essence of Yes.

It was the Hendrix version. I didn't hear any colorful commentary on it as immediately afterwards they went to commercial. That's why we have empegs.

If it was a joke, it was solely for their own benefit. And knowing the mentality of some of the DJs at the time, that doesn't seem like a great possibility.

I was trying to remember if it might have been a different song (I don't think so), so I was reading the AllMusic entry on them. I have never read such a fawning, sychophantic essay in my life. It's like he was getting paid per cubic meter of smoke blown up my ass.

Holy cow! That is one of the longest bios on any artist I've seen on AllMusic! Damn! I'm definitely not reading that, but I can see what you mean. Hell, it's as long as the Beatles' bio. Not that length is a determining factor, but on that site it often is.

I just read it, and I don't see it as being particularly smoke-blowing. It's an accurate portrayal of their history and a pretty straightforward description of their music and the reason they were successful.

Of course, I could see how someone who thought they sucked could be put off by it.

It's just that their history is so complicated, it needs that many words to properly tell it.

Well, just check out this last paragraph:

By the mid-'90s, even longtime detractors of progressive rock, who loathed the band's early-'70s album-length musical excursions, conceded that Yes is the best of all the bands in their particular field of endeavor in what they do. The group continues to sell CDs in large quantity -- in 1995, Atlantic Records issued upgraded, remastered versions of the group's classic 1960s and '70s albums -- even as the work of many of their one-time rivals are consigned to the cut-out bins, and their periodic tours, as well as numerous solo albums (especially by Wakeman, and lately by Anderson and Howe), are taken very seriously by fans and critics. Today, their music of almost every era is regarded by fans with undiminished enthusiasm, and by their critics as respectable attempts at doing something serious with rock music.

First, I love the fact that he refers to other prog rock bands as their ``rivals'', as if they were fighting for market dominance. Hell, they ``competed'' against themselves (in the guise of ABWH, GTR, Asia, etc.) as much as with Genesis or King Crimson. And it's fortunate how they crushed their ``competition'' down into the bargain bins -- not that Genesis, for example, didn't also just get a remastering. Not to mention the abject toadying. Aargh.

Come on. I like Yes as much as the next guy, but reread that last paragraph (quoted in my prior post). I'm pretty sure that ... uhhh ... Bruce Eder likes them a lot more than the average guy. I think he might be hinting around for a little Jon Anderson fellatio or something. (Not that there's anything wrong with that. )

DeadFire, I sugest you get a live recording of them sometime. I find that I like the live recordings waaaay better. Their performance on Saturday Night Live for example, was really clean and great.

Well, if I didn't like the studio version, I don't see how I'm likely to like the live version. I try to keep an open mind. I listen to something new and decide whether or not I like it. And to me, Last Night seemed like a song way too focused on being catchy than saying something or displaying talent. So I decided I didn't like The Strokes.

I suppose I have a problem with the industry or the way radio works more than I have a problem with pop music. I may very well end up following only local music in certain genres just to avoid having stuff crammed down my throat by radio and TV.

That is, until I get XM, which will likely be the only way I hear new music in the future. Right now I have to actively look for it, since I hate radio.

Well hey, you just said you dismissed the band based on one song

Honestly, I do like the Strokes, and I like the performance of Last Nite on SNL a lot more than the one on the album.

That isn't their best song, it's just the most catchy. You have to understand that the commercial radio that we all hate can do this to some people. They'll latch onto whatever song sounds the most catching and exploit the hell out of it, until you think the band has no other song. Most people will never try to hear anything else of theirs.

On Stone Temple Pilots' latest album, the only single was "Days of the Week", which is my least favorite song on the album. I very much dislike that song, but that's all that anyone heard.

Check out "Barely Legal" by the Strokes. My girlfriend also doesn't like them, and I want her to hear some of the other songs as well.

Well hey, you just said you dismissed the band based on one song

I know that I did. And as for the rest of what you said, I actually agree. I have some albums from bands that had a very popular song that was played on the radio over and over, and I tend to skip that song when listening to the album. More often than not, my favorites have not been radio tunes.

But of course, if I buy a new CD and pick a favorite, 6 months down the road it's the new single.

But the one thing I think is important in this kind of debate is NOT to attempt to convince other people to listen to what you like. As far as The Strokes go, I have already made my decision. I can certainly change that decision in the future, and have done so before about other bands. But I will not go and actively search for songs by them.

Suggesting a band is fine. But repeatedly plugging them in an attempt to get people to just give up and listen, which is what it appears you're trying to do with me, is not the way to go.

No no, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't want to force someone to listen to something I liked. I just thought that since you had based your opinion on them with one song that I didn't feel was totally representative, I was suggesting one song for you to check out. Suggesting one song is hardly forcing you to listen to it.

One of my best friends listens to a lot of stuff that I just can't get into, but I listen to a few songs he suggests to get a good idea of what the band is about before I dismiss them entirely

I don't have a problem with the suggestion itself... just hearing it repeatedly, that's all.