Allmusic Guide to Crush Bands of 2007
December 4th, 2007 | 4:05 pm est |
Afternoon Naps
Cleveland, Ohio isn’t the first place you might expect to find such pretty, gentle and light-hearted music. From the name down to the gentle strum of the guitars, the interlocking male/female vocals to the lilting melodies, the Naps are classic indie pop. Nothing you haven’t heard before but done with enough style and grace to cause strong crush-like symptoms. - Tim Sendra
The Afternoon Naps’ MySpace
Kelly Alvarez
She’s the queen of the scene in San Diego, singing back up vocals for a bunch of bands, playing in an all-girl Zeros cover band and, best of all, recording snappy songs like “Not Gonna Take It” which plant her dead center in the middle of the much needed Suzi Quatro revival. – Tim Sendra
Kelly Alvarez’s MySpace
Bye!
Archie Moore (ex-Velocity Girl, the Heartworms) has been laying low for a spell. His new recordings are enough to remind indie pop fans just how much they were missing during his absence. The newly finished tracks you can hear on the Bye! site are an endearing blend of Northern Soul beats, shoegaze guitar haze and instantly hummable melodies. – Tim Sendra
Bye!’s MySpace
Cilvaringz
The only international member of the Wu-Tang corps, Cilvaringz — also known the Dutch/Moroccan Tarik Azzougarh — has the same hard-hitting, intricate lyrics of his fellow Clansmen with an added international perspective (which other rapper would have a song called “‘Death to America,’” an intelligent albeit provocative look at the current political situation?). His rhymes are tight and his production can rival that of his hero’s, the RZA; all-in-all a pretty impressive package. - Marisa Brown
Cilvaringz’s MySpace.
The Clay Hips
Brent Kenji has the voice of an angel and his bands (the Fairways, Young Tradition) have made some of the warmest, most inviting indie pop of the last decade. His new project is a collaboration with a Finnish guy named Andrew and it’s his most sophisticated and accomplished sounding group to date. Which is really saying a lot. – Tim Sendra
The Clay Hips’ MySpace
The Carps
Mixing poppy vocals with crunchy guitars and plenty of drums, this Canadian duo plays rock music for the young genre-crossing urban crowd, complete with bright hoodies, kicks, and lots of bass. - Marisa Brown
The Carps’ MySpace.
Foals
Extremely tight, fun punchy math-dance-rock quintet from England. Yeah, it’s been done before, but hardly ever this well. Just try to not tap your foot along to “Hummer.” Just try. - Marisa Brown
Foals’ MySpace.
Gigi
Masterminded by producer Colin Stewart (who runs the seemingly utopian studio The Hive) and made up of members of Vancouver bands Great Aunt Ida and P:ano among others, Gigi comes about as close to recapturing the innocent, emotionally charged sound of the girl groups and 60’s dream pop balladry as anyone has in the past 30 years. These songs need to be made into a record immediately! – Tim Sendra
Gigi’s MySpace
Hezekiah
There’s not much Hezekiah doesn’t know how to do: he can rap, write songs, produce, play instruments, and sing, and he shows this all off on both his records, including this year’s excellent I Predict a Riot. Here’s a video for “Soul Music,” which is off his 2005 debut Hurry Up & Wait.
Hezekiah’s MySpace.
Los Campesinos!
Despite all the possibilities for Los Campesinos! to be irritating (the boy/girl vocals, the xylophones, the exclamation point), the British octet is actually pretty great. “We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives” is fantastically catchy, and the witty (self-?) deprecation of “TheInternationTweecoreUnderground,” which contains the lines “And I never cared about Ian MacKaye/Calvin Johnson never meant anything to me,” is really just too great to pass up. - Marisa Brown
Los Campesinos!’ MySpace.
Candie Payne
With Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Kate Nash and the Pipettes, the U.K. has recently produced a bumper crop of sharp, savvy pop divas. None of them, however, are as effortlessly sweet and elegant as Liverpool’s Candie Payne, whose “pop noir” plays a little bit like Lulu meets Portishead. Payne’s crystal clear voice has just a bit of wise-beyond-her-years sadness to it, especially on glamorous ballads like the title track from her album I Wish I Could Have Loved You More, but she’s also able go-go shimmy with the bst of them on “By Tomorrow.” Her single “One More Chance” was remixed by 2007’s “it” producer, Mark Ronson; with any luck, I Wish I Could Have Loved You More will have legs into 2008. - Heather Phares
Candie Payne’s MySpace
Rockford Kabine
Rurhpott, Germany’s production team Rockford Kabine has apparently been around since 1999, but only released its debut album, Italian Music, this year. Fortunately, Italian Music was worth the wait: It sounds like the toughest, creepiest and most evocative parts of spaghetti western, Italian horror and vintage skin flick soundtracks rolled into one. These “31 Invalid Movie Themes” can instead be your compulsively listenable musical backdrop for driving, hanging out and just generally feeling like your life is ultra-cool. - Heather Phares
The trailer for Italian Music hints at just how inspired the album is:
Rockford Kabine’s MySpace
The School
Here’s one for lovers of twee orchestral pop. Equal parts Heavenly and SLGTM, their songs have more than enough sadness in their giddy bounce to keep things on the right side of precious. They’re signed to indie pop powerhouse Elefant records and their forthcoming album should be just the thing to warm your heart while waiting for the next Camera Obscura album to arrive. – Tim Sendra
The School’s MySpace
Sly Hats
Kamerah Darling creates a lovely, intimate little world of bossa nova-inspired, sunshine pop- fueled tunes built around wobbly keyboards, sparse guitars, whatever’s lying around percussion and his intimate, utterly charming vocals. You could mention the Beach Boys, you could speak of C86 or Sarah records….you could, sure, but you’d be wasting time better spent falling under Sly Hats’ fragile spell. – Tim Sendra
Sly Hats’ MySpace
Theoretical Girl
Theoretical Girl may be friends and tourmates with hyper-angular, guitar-ry bands like Good Shoes and Maximo Park, but her own music is an intriguing mix of ’60s girl group yearning and icy synth-pop, with a look to match. She’s Mary Quant mod meets new wave geometry, the innocence of Pye singles with post-punk bite. With her backing band, the Equations, Theoretical Girl is equally at home playing with Shitdisco or at Twee as Fuck. Her first single, the razor-sharp “Hypocrite,” isn’t out until Feburary, but that songs and the demos on her MySpace page suggest she’s onto something good; her creamy soprano sounds especially sweet on “The Boy I Left Behind” and “Another Fight.” For anyone who likes swooning pop with an edge, Theoretical Girl is one to watch. - Heather Phares
Here’s the unofficial video for “Hypocrite.”
Volt
One of the leading lights the French punk-goes-electronic scene known as “glue wave,” Volt sounds as deviant as they are witty. At first listen, songs like “Chinese Bite” and “Testbild” are so snotty, so sleek and so hilariously sinister that they sound like they could be parodies, but they’re also so insidiously catchy that it’s clear that even if they’re not totally serious, they mean it, man. Volt’s self-titled full-length is full of zapping synths, high-watt guitars and impossibly sneery vocals, making it an addictive treat for fans of forward-thinking garage-rock and punk (along with In The Red’s other 2007 releases). - Heather Phares
Volt’s MySpace
Wow, what a crappy list of music, LOL! Where is the rock? I’m really getting sick of all this indie rock/pop crap that doesn’t even come close to getting your blood pumping. I’m tired of all this sensitive, quiet, introspective, danceable? (seriously, who dances to this crap) garbage that they’re calling music lately. I’m also tired of all the screamo, sound-alike, digitally processed crap the industry is trying to pass off as “rock”, where’s the good stuff? Whatever happened to groups like AC/DC, GNR, Motley Crue, or Zeppelin, the Who, etc. Airbourne has got to make this list as they’re one of the closest things I’ve heard to a decent rock record all year!!!
Oh, and go Foo’s…their best yet!
What happened to all those groups? They got old, a quarter of their members died, or just got too old to play and perform, and music moved on, as it always does. I read a couple days ago that Led Zeppelin is shifting some of their songs down a key for their big reunion show because Robert Plant can’t hit the same high notes anymore. Maybe that’s a sign that getting back together wasn’t such a good idea after all. The only people who really care are old people, and young people who carry a big friggin torch for bands who quit years before they were even born. I’m not sure which, but you’ve got to be in one of those categories. Besides, there is good, and even amazing rock being made today. For instance, Queens of the Stone Age can rock as hard as anybody. And they’re still progressing with every release.
Stop being so narrow-minded. You can’t say that someone who wrote a song you don’t like doesn’t deserve to be counted as a musician or songwriter, when thousands of people listen to them. Even if you don’t like newer music, don’t bash people for caring about what’s being done now. It’s the only music that has any real power to change anything, because it speaks about today, to the people of today.
you’re both wrong! HA!
“It’s the only music that has any real power to change anything, because it speaks about today, to the people of today.”
I agree with some of your argument, but then you haveta go and put-down younger people who love old music. well, f-both of ya! I love old rocknroll, new indie pop and old pop too for that matter. It’s all in the eye of the beholder gentlemen. also, i think robert johnson’s music is still, even today somewhere in the world, changing the world. It changed my life. so let’s not get too definitive here boys with our statements. It don’t matter when it was recorded, good music will live on and continue to touch “the people of today.” god bless it for that!
I’m sorry to say it but I agree… it looks like the author just kind of took some obscure Indie bands he really liked… which technically all reviews are based on opinion…but just the pattern of them all being Indie bands…and the fact that they are all very obscure, avant garde, and unheard of…I just don’t really see anyone I know ‘crushing on’ or even listening to these bands for fun except maybe one or two.
“Catchy” and “pop” were two words they used frequently also…and I can’t find much of either.
True enough buddy. I wasn’t trying to discount the greatness of older music. I grew up listening to all the music my dad loves. When I started playing bass guitar, the very first bassline I taught myself was Dazed and Confused. My first name is Paul, after Paul McCartney. I think the greatest guitar performance I’ve ever heard is Duane Allman on In Memory of Elizabeth Reed from the Allman Brothers Band’s live At Fillmore East album. And I’m only 21. What I meant by that statement is that the music of the current generation is what speaks to the vast majority of the current generation. Very few young people who listen to current music know much or care about those older artists who inspired the ones they listen to today. I, and any other serious music listener, understand that music is a continuum, and respect that. I was trying to make the point that one can’t discount the new music of a generation just because they themselves don’t like it. If that’s what people are listening to, then that is what is making a difference in their lives, for better or worse, and that cannot be ignored. I don’t like much mainstream music these days, and I’m not big into indie pop either, but if that’s what people love, then so be it. I’m not going to write off an entire genre just because I’m not into it, nor will I allow myself to have my musical identity monopolized by one genre. If I like it, I listen to it. So just let other people listen to what they like, and do the same yourself.
Sorry for the length of my comments. I love to talk about music. It’s kind of ridiculous, and none of this is meant as an insult to you. I just strongly dislike when people say they’re tired of some kind of music, or they can’t stand it. If that’s the case, no one says you have to listen to it, so don’t.
Grizzly Bear, Deer Tick, Tall Tales, Band Of Horses, Uncle Earl, Carolina Chocolate Drops…….
Honestly There is no band approaching there career correctly anymore with the exception of radiohead. Either people are trying to be overly creative and introspective and because of that they sacrafice what actually sounds good just so they can be different. Sadly enough though the few bands that dont do that get labeled by the idiot writers of today as ” Indie ” im sorry not every fucking band out there right now is a indie band and im sure they dont want to be labeled as part of that stupid trend. When the hell is another band going to come along that can play the guitar efficiently and still experiment while maintaining a good sound. In my opinion Radiohead is the only fucking band who are good enough at thier instruments to be as experimental as they are. Bands need to realize that the guitar is still the instrument that makes rock music rock. All these stupid bands need to stop playing around on there fucking computers and become a guitar rock band and write guitar pop oriented music before they delve into experimentation. Just like schooling you cant go for a masters degree without getting your bachelors first. sorry about the long message. i didnt mean to offend anyone but im sick of no bands doing things the way that it is suppose to be done. Because of all these stupid indie shitheads rock is becoming a music of the past and the music that is taking over is rap. Is there ever going to be a new great rock band? maybe ill just have to do it myself…
Looks like a list of ‘I can out-obscure you’.
and yes im sorry that i left out queens of the stoneage because i would agree they dont get half the recoginition they deserve for being one of the last great ROCK bands of today.
Yeah, BRING BACK THE ROOOCKK! Actually, BRING BACK THE DREAMPOP/SHOEGAZE ROCK!!!! Those guys and gals experimented with the guitar and with songwriting.
CAN’T WAAAIT FOR A SWERVEDRIVER REUNION TOUR!! OMG!! GOING OUT OF MY MIND FOR THAT ONE!!!
First of all, “When the hell is another band going to come along that can play the guitar efficiently and still experiment while maintaining a good sound.” - The Mars Volta and Muse BOTH pop into mind right away as bands that do BOTH of these extremely well and totally ROCK at the same time! There’s also new up-and-comers like Juliette and the Licks who continue the tradition in new ways as well.
Secondly, “All these stupid bands need to stop playing around on there fucking computers and become a guitar rock band and write guitar pop oriented music before they delve into experimentation.” - WHY??? Are you REALLY trying to say that ALL good music has to be played on a guitar and must conform to YOUR definition of “guitar rock”?? Are you serious?? Sounds like perhaps someone really needs to broaden their musical horizons a bit and stop listening to “Modern Rock” Clear Channel Radio stations, huh?
Trust me i love electronic music as well (Aphex twin, Autechre, Boards Of Canada, Air) i just think that all of these stupid indie bands are not talented enough yet in the studio to take on the level of experimentation that they are trying. I love the mars volta they are one of my favorite bands and muse is ok. im not saying everyone has to play guitar at all but at least gain the basics before you jump into experimentation Ex. The Beatles, Radiohead ( My Two Favorite Bands ) And At The Drive In ( The Band The Mars Volta Use To Be In ). And if there is anything i hate most it is the fucking radio. All I am saying is most of these bands are not even good enough musicians to do what they are trying to do yet. I like alot of indie rock as well but these bands that are coming out lately arent exactly ” sweeping me off my feet “. And yes My Bloody Valentine is a perfect example of a band who was highly experimental while still sounding amazing and catchy.
Q: Where’s the rock?
A: Comets on Fire
Seriously, if 70s rock gets your blood up, the Comets, the Comets…
Check out “Avatar” and “Field Recordings from the Sun”
If you want to hear some new realy rocking music, check out the Reckless Sons. Here’s their myspace: myspace.com/recklesssons. Enjoy.
I suppose the way I worded my initial statement wasn’t the greatest…I actually enjoy a great variety of music from classical to jazz to rock, anything but country or electronica really. My initial reaction to seeing this list of bands just had me jumping off the deep end about the state of the music industry in general. I really enjoy QOTSA as well and am coming across great new bands almost daily, they just don’t ever seem to be the ones getting good promo. If I didn’t dig around on the ‘net I never would’ve heard of half the great bands that I’ve listened to lately. I’ve completely given up on radio and was just venting at what the music industry is calling “rock” these days…”hey, let’s just slam our guitars a bit while in drop-D and get a guy that screams really good about how bad his life his, the kids’ll eat it up!” I apologize if it came off as putting down any music but classic rock, that wasn’t really my intention.
Thanks for the heads up Hank & Will, I will definitely give these guys a listen.
I’m not too big on indie music right now. I long for the days of college rock where ‘indie” music was Husker Du, The Pixies and Sonic Youth. I feel people get swept into the label more than the music. People who shun The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen becasue they are on the radio but havent heard The White Album or Nebraska. I give respect to bands who are indie but dont fall into the mold of wistful and sweet pop with light guitars and quirky lyrics. Band of Horses are one of my favorite bands right and I think that while they are indie in terms of label they have a sound all thier own. I also think that a lot of it is a battle for obscurity which makes no sense at all.
Obscurity does not discredit music, but not all credited music is obscure.
-”Sum it all up zen quote for the day”
you know what band absolutly gets no respect from anyone? System of a down. i’m not into heavy metal, but my god, Hypnotize/mesmerize was amazing. they both ROCK and think and they avoid the progey nonsense that occasionally bites into both comets on fire and the mars volta.
I’m now 50, so I’m too old for most of these names. However, the most exciting bands that I’ve heard over the past few years (other than Radiohead, who seem to be pretty much universally respected) are the Derek Trucks Band (see Joyful Noise, Songlines and - most especially - Live at the Georgia Theater) and the band that I love the most and cannot fathom why they’re not as big as Radiohead: the Drive-By Truckers. The DBTs have now put out 3 terrific CDs in a row - Decoration Day, The Dirty South and Blessing & A Curse - and combine true rock, actual melodies and harmonies and the absolute best songwriting that I’ve heard in years.
I love music buddies!!! I’m always looking forward to listen to it. Of course I’ve got my fav’s but I choose to have the chance of listening to new and old bands I discover day by day. I totally agree with ‘graeslbear’.
Music as every other art gives you the chance to be part of it, and if you don’t like it, just turn over and enjoy something else… no-one will judge you for that!
(sorry for my english)
Hey McBoozo, are you drunk??? You didn’t happen to notice this is a very specific list - not rock bands, not ‘good ‘ole bands’ like AC/DC, these are 2007 best new CRUSH bands.
Here, let me write up your post for 2007’s Best Classical Recordings…
“Dudez WTF?! Whars all the Led zeplinz!? I dun no wats wrong wit yo, yo shud haf more Metallica.”
There you go, now you don’t have to think about what you want to write.
Wow radiohead is amazing if anybody hasn’t heard disc two of in rainbows its touching im speachless.
By the way when are the critics ever going to give another album a 5/5 just because most of the music now days is complete crap doesnt mean that all the other artist who have made complete worthy albums deserving of a 5/5 should get screwed over. Ex ( Radiohead ) In Rainbows is everybit as good as O.K Computer and much better than the bends which also got 5/5. Era Vulgaris was also complete deserving of five stars. not to mention the new Iron & Wine was also completely deserving as was Beyond By Dinosaur Jr. I mean common i almost think the music critics are being just bias thinking just cause it wasnt made ten years ago it doesnt deserve recognition.
i used to work in a record store.
i had all of these bands records before anyone.
i was at the first Supersilent practices in a garage in Norway.
Wow, nick. Good for you.
And Namtillaku - harsh! I don’t think you understood what he (or she) was saying at all. Go re-read the posts.
I wonder if that was the Nick I know, it sounds like him. haha.
Actually, I can agree with everyone to some degree in the ongoing argument on this thread. A few points I care to vent (and subsequently have flamed)
1) even if you don’t like Ween (on record) go see them live, they do rock hard and they are amazing. In 2000, who opened for Ween? Queens of the Stone Age. Dean Ween appears on ’songs for the deaf’ and ‘desert sessions 9&10′. Ween actually never seems to get the respect they deserve, they did learn the rules, they know how to rock, oh and crime of all crimes, they occasionally add humor (of the potty- and absurdist- varieties) to their music.
2) there are some of the old geezers out there rockin’ still AND making good music. Rip on Robert Plant all you want for being in Zep (he’s still going to be remembered long after YOU’RE gone), but his new CD with Alison Krauss is not just some more of the same old same old, it’s someone pushing the boundaries of what people percieve of them. Springsteen, rockin’. Fogerty, rockin’. Neil Young, rockin’. there are plenty more, you get the point even if you don’t agree (and trust me one of you will make that clear soon enough).
3) A lot of ‘new’ music frankly isn’t very exciting. I don’t care what kind of music it is, I listen to all kinds, I just want to hear someone who “means” it when they play and I think that may be an underlying argument in some of what I’ve read here today. I like all sorts of bands, but I DO want to hear more people ROCK OUT. and yes, QOTSA is awesome and Mars Volta and Tool, but it’s not enough. I’d like to blame Zach Braff and the “Garden State” soundtrack for all of this unrepentant navel-gazing in current music. (note: I said “I’d like to”, this doesn’t mean I will.)
4) I DON”T want to apologise for such a long post, you don’t have to read it. I’m writing because I want to chat about music and voice some of my opinion.
5) as for the post about someone giving 5 star reviews, MOJO magazine frequently does that (Springsteen, Plant/Krauss, Neil Young, Tom Waits a few of the ones I remember), I don’t always agree with them (I loved the new Wilco cd WAY more than they did), but they offer a pretty reliable source in tune with my tastes and music lovers in general, unlike (I think) Rolling Stone or Spin. For indie stuff, Magnet magazine is pretty right on. WaxPoetics if you’re a crate-digger.
there’s plenty of music out there, and if you haven’t heard it, it’s new to you.
bashing on certain music is sometimes quite fun.
You are all right and go screw yourselves
love peace and chicken grease.
Give me textured, spacious, hard, melodic, climatic and convoluted. Just don’t give me American Idol. The choices posted here were good. Granted, I don’t agree with all of them and yes, I sort of feel that there could be a mix up in the types of bands, but whatever. Keep in mind ladies and gentlemen, this site is just one of many who have selected what they think is the best new stuff for 2007.
not one band from LA either. How sad. The Blood Arm rocks harder then any of these cutesey/diricitive drivel on this list except that Kelly Alvarez was kinda all right
Where is the love for Lucky Soul at?
The great Unwanted is pretty much the best indie pop album of the year and the great unwanted is possibly the best single track of the year
Did someone have to put the words Ween and amazing in the same sentence? Good lord, next thing we know we’ll be praising Nickleback . Listen to the Velvet Underground and start from there.
relax peeps. Theres no need to rip on my last post when i was just trying to highlight how much i thought the whole blog post reeked of indie nerds sweating profusely over their keyboards at 330am desperately looking for the most obscure band you’ve never heard of to recommend you listen to. you know… (”I was there!”)…
Okay, so im not smart enough to construct a logical argument so i just used a james murphey song to try and get my point across. You got me. it doesnt help that the song doesnt fit the argument. oh wells
now excuse me whilst i rock out to adam levine and his maroon possie. hes so dreamy. and he wears those pants that make his ass so hot. mmm.
Cheers Nick
I was there in 1968
I was there at first Can show
etc etc
And:
I hear you and your band have sold your guitars and bought turntables,
I hear you and your band have sold your turntables and bought guitars.
Case closed :)
Robbie, I like your style…
Jesus you guys! Have any of you ever listened to these bands? Maybe they aren’t so obscure, maybe you just haven’t heard of them! Personally I haven’t heard of them either but most of the descriptions kind of turned me off. You can’t judge music before you haven’t heard it. You can judge what the band is wearing and what they look like in their glossy magazine photos but you can’t judge the music until you hear it.
I believe the only way anybody can truly educate themselves about music today is by studying what came before it. How can you possibly know what the hell you’re talking about if you haven’t listened to anything over 10 years old? It’s beyond me. I’m not old either, I’m only 20. You can only ever completely understand anything if you go back to the very beginning, it’s one giant progression. There is no way you can analyze music properly if you don’t know where what originated or where this came from or what band is that. You just have to know. Just like you can’t talk about world affairs intelligently if you know nothing about history.
On ANOTHER note, KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN JUST DIED. How many of you care?
STEVE said: “A lot of ‘new’ music frankly isn’t very exciting. I don’t care what kind of music it is, I listen to all kinds, I just want to hear someone who “means” it when they play and I think that may be an underlying argument in some of what I’ve read here today. I like all sorts of bands, but I DO want to hear more people ROCK OUT. and yes, QOTSA is awesome and Mars Volta and Tool, but it’s not enough.”
come on, you can’t think of current-ish rock bands better than Tool or Queens of the Stone Age? You need to get out more, dude.
You want to hear someone “mean it” when they play it? Go watch an Arcade Fire video and tell me they’re not LIVING inside that song for four minutes (good enough for the Boss himself to cover them and invite them up for two songs in Ottawa this year). Or how about British Sea Power? Their performance on the Jools Holland show was incredible. What about Spoon, and this year’s excellent “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga”? Rocking out? Jesu or Boris will pretty much knock the teeth out of anything around. Or try the Yeah Yeah Yeahs if you prefer it punky and sloppy and Birthday Party-indebted. And I defy you not to dance and have a great, cathartic time to bands like the Klaxons or the first Interpol album.
It’s all real “indie” and “new” and “trendy”. But it’ll all be the objects of everyone’s longing and veneration in 20 years. I don’t think the problem is Zack Braff (who should be castrated…oh wait). The problem is that with the internet, 500+ stations of cable, and Youtube, we’re turning into a retrospective culture. Kids today know WAY more about the 80s than kids in the 80s knew about the 60s. And as a result, we’re so aware of how kitschy 20 years of time can make the “new neo-youth counterculture movement scene place thing time” of yesteryear–come on, who hasn’t watched a 70s action flick for a laugh? or played some sarcastic air guitar to a Bon Jovi song?
The problem with this is that we’re becoming painfully self-conscious of everything we do–to the point where we can’t do anything without thinking about how dumb it will seem in ten years. This unwillingness to stand for anything (or “mean it” when we play music) isn’t a result of not caring. It’s caring TOO MUCH–it’s being afraid to be laughed at later. Why not just do something sarcastic and silly and toss up a retrospective “just kidding” in five years? Come on, JUSTICE, come on, Devendra Banhardt, come on, Of Montreal, the jig is up.
Because looking like an ass a little later never stopped Iggy Pop. And thank God for that.
wow, the BOSS himself!! The Arcade Fire must REALLY be something if Bruce Springsteen approves!! If I’m in a band and if Bruce Springsteen covers one of my songs, I know I’m doing something terribly wrong.
i think you had some good points about todays culture tim but honestly, you lost me at “new neo-youth counterculture movement scene place thing time”. And since when did air guitar have to be done with sarcasm? nobody told me.
“And aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai WILL LOOOOOVE YOU… bayybe…. AAAAALLWAYSSS!”
aw man im gonna watch that on youtube now. (ps: And seriously what the hell is with that film clip)
tim i think i’m going to give your post the inaugural o.o pitchforks because i dont really understand it. just be thankful u didn’t get the piss drinking monkey, which i thought was undeserved as Jet are cool eventhough i think they may be primitive neanderthals that have wandered into our civilization from some distant mountain… i have to stop posting s**t noone cares about.
Don’t you think there’s enough room for everyone and every music genre possibly imaginable these days? It’s all so accessible, just turn your computer on, not your radio though. I think tim pointed that out nicely. There is so much stuff out there, of course I agree you have to filter alot more then before. That’s what makes the discussions so enjoyable.
I will suggest a band from my native Québec, Malajube, even if they didn’t release an album this year. They kick ass and their shows are amazing.
Here’s some thoughts from someone pushing fifty. I’ve been collecting since the seventies. I have 5000+ albums & CD’s. I find the list to be one sided. Good music is a matter of opinion. One person’s art is someone else’s trash.
As far as so called real rock, it is out there if you look. Bob Seger, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & John Mellencamp have all put out excellent albums recently. The Police have been kicking butt on tour. And you can have my son if you can get me tickets for Led Zep.
Ah but wait a minute those are old geezers, past their prime. What about young groups playing rock? Is rock really dead? Hell no it isn’t! The Answer, Mardo, Earl Greyhound, The Hives, The Donnas, Bombay Black, Blackberry Smoke, Brand New Sin, Louis XIV, Priestess, Buckcherry, Glyder, Black Stone Cherry, & Roadstar.
Now if you really want to rock have a good time and worship at alter of rock & roll, go to a concert. Try Popa Chubby, or Me First And The Gimme Gimmes.
Y’all need to lighten up. There’s too much stress going on here.
What a bunch of wankers. Get a god-damn grip on yourselves. Fuck.
All this music sucks balls. Indie pop is not the only music in the world. This list makes me sad for humanity.
everyone should just stop. i listened to all the bands on this list i didnt like really any of them but who cares a bunch of indie kids wearing tight jeans and black framed glasses will enjoy it. and honestly hopefully one day those kids will smoke a damn a joint and sit down turn on radiohead,jimi hendrix,the beatles ,ecetera ,ecetera and realize how powerful music can really be. let people like what they want. honestly who cares what everyone else is listening to. listen to what you like. If you want to start a revolution and change things pick up a guitar or a bass or a drum kit whatever and do it yourself stop complaining.
Re: “where’s the rock.’ The only people who could like Airbourne are 13 year old Spinal Tap fans. I don’t have a problem with hair-metal or AC/DC style hard rock making a comeback but all the examples I’ve heard so far sound like so much bad parody. You have to remember Crue sang “Girls, Girls, Girls” with a frightening lack of irony. To me that Airbourne song sounds like Limozeen from the Homestar Runner cartoons.
Henry you go man, you go.
very nice list. I also hate it when people say they listen to everything but hate a certain category of music, and that is some closed minded shit… and even if you did make the effort to start your revolution, are you sure that ‘you’ are what people want to hear?
it’s only a matter of choice.
Sweet a couple of interesting things on there. Rockford Karbine seemed pretty sweet. More beat orientated music on the list would be apprieciated.
how do i recommend my crush??? CHRIS NAISH is AWESOME!
If you want great rock ‘n’ roll with inteligence, edge and downright mind-blowing creativity drop on in at:
myspace.com/everythingnowmusic
and give the band Everything, Now! a listen. You’ll be surprised by what you hear! It’s free and will take you 2 minutes.
Why did nobody mention The Eagles of Deathmetal?
They rocked me away @ Pardiso, Amsterdam!
Tim H., loved the Earl Greyhound album…they’ve definitely got something there. I do also enjoy Spoon. Limozeen is sweet :) I was a little disappointed by the Donna’s new one. I’ll have to check out some of the other bands you listed.
I would’ve appreciated a little more genre variety in the list…that was the point I was trying to make in my initial post. ‘Nuff said.
If you want to talk about Hard Rock..you testosterone filled crack heads, get off a “Crush” indie band page. Look at these bands, hear there music, hear there “correct” guitar playing and open up your 1974 minds and get with the program!! Shave your mullets, put your Humble Pie records back in the closet(they wont be going on tour any time this year) and put your polka dotted flying V air guitar bands to bed!! Indie Rock is about all we have to listen to today!! Deal with it, or play your children’s records..you might learn something!!!
P.S. Afternoon Naps are great. I saw them with Voxtrot and they are one of the best bands I’ve seen this year. They opened for the Pipettes and I can assure there were many 60 year olds at the show with mullets, they all seemed to approve!!
-Lola
Hate to say it, but this isn’t a ‘crush INDIE band’ page. This is a ‘crush BAND’ page. Nothing suggests the bands listed HAVE to be indie-pop (there’s that goddamn oxymoron for the 111,111,111th time), but they all are. I am very adamantly against being remembered as the ‘indie pop’ generation. Isn’t there anything better out there than a bunch of ‘ironic’ hipsters aping Calvin Johnson? You know, he had an excuse for being into teddy bears and shit like that; he was retarded. It doesn’t say much about our generation that our most ‘famed’ musical artists (I use that term loosely, because who but hipsters have heard The Clay Hips or whatever) make a living by pretending to be retarded. Also, just because a bunch of people don’t want to hear phrases like ‘introspective,’ ‘guy/girl harmonies,’ ‘whatever’s lying around percussion,’ or ‘Calvin Johnson,’ doesn’t mean they want to listen to shit like Humble Pie. Open your 1974 minds? Sorry, but you should open your 1982 mind! These stupid fuckers are constantly reviving a genre of music that should have been aborted before it even came to be (I’m talking of course about ‘twee’). Everybody needs to shut the fuck up and start making decent records again, rather than worrying about whether Axl Rose or Calvin Johnson would masturbate to your songs. And AllMusic, you should really consider reviewing some shit that doesn’t fall under this new abomination of music called ‘indie pop.’ Indie-pop this, indie-pop that. Fuck it. There are a million rotten things going on in the world today, I’m sure some artist out there is doing something that can’t be described as ‘cutsie’ or ’sweet.’ I want my music to stab me in the face and not relent until I’m dismembered. I’m tired of hearing about pandas and sunshine by way of guy/girl harmonies. FUCK THAT.
Hahahaha ” Correct Guitar Playing ” is that suppose to be some kind of joke. my god. Listen to Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Joe Satriani, John McLaughlin, Pat Martino, Steve Vai Or Eric Johnson If you want ” Correct Guitar Playing “
My god man you forget yngwie malmsteen! the swedish elf falic guitar shredder. His music will really dismember you.With his wicked spirit fingers!
>
Could be the quote of the year! Good job Slave Herald.
Peace be with you for the holidays and may your face be well.
Long live Guitar Hero!
Sorry my post did not fully post:
Again:
My god man you forget yngwie malmsteen! the swedish elf falic guitar shredder. His music will really dismember you.With his wicked spirit fingers!
I want my music to stab me in the face
Could be the quote of the year! Good job Slave Herald.
Peace be with you for the holidays and may your face be well.
Long live Guitar Hero!
i know, slave. seriously. every night i pray to god we are remembered as the “nickelback” generation as opposed to the “indie pop” generation. at least they don’t have fucking teddy bears, right? =P
anyway, two great bands that debuted this year: the twilight sad and yeasayer.
sigh. Look guys beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This guy likes this music, thats good for him. I’m sure these musicians like their own music. They have all the right to do so.
What indie is about is playing what you want to play no matter what other people think about it. Pure self expression. But it is true that many indie artists lack vocabulary to express themselves well because they do not understand the past of rock music, jazz, blues, country. Its pure lack of education.
Also to blame for a increasing lack of talent is cuts to fine art programs in school.
holiday and the adventure pop collective, louis xiv, transfer, get back loretta… san diego has good music
why aren’t we on this list? Conquer the World is the best band amg never heard of period.
every night i pray to god we are remembered as the “nickelback” generation
actually that may be the new quote of the year! WOW!!
Every night I pray to the good Lord above that bands like nickelback are quickly forgotten.
great post Stev0 could not agree more. There are awful indie bands and awful main stream bands with lack of vocabulary giving other artist of any musical “title” a bad name.
lolalala, i agree with you but youre really snobbing the place up. give it a rest.
I work at a fairly big college radio station, and I haven’t heard of ANY of the bands in this list. That isn’t a good sign, because our music director knows his stuff.
But a lot of people bagging on indie for being cute need to realize that it’s just a small portion of the genre that’s guilty of that. Look up Lightning Bolt or Merzbow, crank your speakers, and see if you still have eardrums left when you’re done.
All this arguments are so cute… they remind me “about pandas and sunshine by way of guy/girl harmonies”.
“And Namtillaku - harsh! I don’t think you understood what he (or she) was saying at all. Go re-read the posts.”
I reread the posts and you know what? I think you misread them. Read the first post in this list, I’ll put the first sentence here for you; “Wow, what a crappy list of music, LOL! Where is the rock? I’m really getting sick of all this indie rock/pop crap that doesn’t even come close to getting your blood pumping”
Saying I’m being harsh by dissing this fool’s comments is like berating me for being mean to GW. Wake up.
Rock is dead… long live rock!
“Rock” has grown up a bit. It no longer exclusively mines the teenage pyche for it’s emotional impetus. It includes a much wider emotional and intellectual palette, as evidenced by “rockers” like Sufjan Stevens (whom I’m sure you despise). Genres have mixed too.
Maybe they need a new name for this kind of stuff. I don’t know. I rarely listen to “rock” anymore, to be honest.
Seriously though, aren’t there artists out there that still “rock”? How about The White Stripes? They sound like good ole’ Led Zeppelin to me.
Whoops.
That last comment was directed at McBoozo.
Here a good/weird rock band: THE WIGGINS
www.myspace.com/thewigginsrox
Bored bored bored bored bored bored. Some of this music is good–if all you like is jangly pop and angular guitar riffs played in the style of yet again someone who worships at the ground of Slint’s Spiderland–an album that few people who weren’t guitar dorks listened to at all. I realize that cute, emaciatedly thin rockers who emote through self-absorbed or 9th surrealist lyrics are still all the rage. I get that. Some of it is decent. Fuck, I love fuckign Dashboard Confessional. But if I have to have a crush on these art schoolies, then I might as well become celibate. Thank GOD Dinosaur Jr. got back together.
here, let me end this argument once and for all by echoing something posted earlier:
where’s your album? what have you done for rock lately? what’s your band doing for the betterment of our ears?
what’s that you say?
you don’t have a band?
too bad, so sad.
if you’re not out there doing something then you have very little to bitch about.
you say there are no great bands anymore, that no one plays them like they used to?
fucking learn to play the guitar or shut the fuck up.
you don’t like indie pop?
shut the fuck up and don’t listen to it, but at least these kids are making something.
maybe everything’s good, maybe nothing’s good, i don’t know. i do know what i like and i do know that there are a fucking ton of bands making smart, funny, catchy, rockin, interesting, hyperbole-inducing music that makes me want to invent new adjectives.
there’s also a lot to be learned from bands of the past, too, let’s never forget out rock roots.
i mean, let’s face it, to the few posters that have outed themselves as - ahem - older, think about it this way: you’re complaints about music today in some way echo the sentiments of your parents and/or their peers when your beloved zep and hendrix were tearing it up back in the day. is that what you wanted? to become your parents?
nobody’s taste is right or wrong, it’s just a matter of opinion, and opinions, like assholes, are part of everyone and usually stink.
in closing, i’d like to remind everyone of what happened in the seventies. some kids in new york got fed up with the bullshit on the radio and invented punk. they did their part. if you don’t like what happening now make up something new, other wise you’re just a lot of talk and empty opinions.
(p.s., to all who have been complaining about the lack of “real rock” on the list that spawned all this acrimony let me point out a few problems with your “insights”:
a. the list says twothousandseven in the title, if you’re looking for the who or the stones or zep check your calendar and see what year it is, it’s twothousandseven, not nineteensixtyseven.
b. the list says it’s for “crush” bands, bands that sing about having crushes, being crushed on, or bands that you would have a crush on. it wasn’t the “reliving the good ol’ days” list or the “smelly sweaty balls to the walls” list it was the “crush bands of twothousandseven” list, besides, ragging on bands for making “catchy” or, dare i say it, “cute” music makes about as much sense as shit talking the beatles or the kinks or even the who. please, learn how to read.)
TIM RESPONDED TO ME on DEC. 8th :”come on, you can’t think of current-ish rock bands better than Tool or Queens of the Stone Age? You need to get out more, dude.”
I wasn’t naming those bands because they are the epitome of rocking out circa 2007, I was naming those bands in terms of rocking out (via an earlier post on this thread). I “get out” just fine in terms of current music.
“You want to hear someone “mean it” when they play it? Go watch an Arcade Fire video and tell me they’re not LIVING inside that song for four minutes (good enough for the Boss himself to cover them and invite them up for two songs in Ottawa this year).”
The Arcade Fire just doesn’t move me. I don’t care how uncool that makes me. The Boss digs them, good for him. Just because I liked his new album doesn’t mean anything other than that: I liked his new album. For posteritys’ sake “The Boss” liked the wallflowers, too when they were hot shit, and guess what: I didn’t care then either, it didn’t make them a band I wanted to listened to.
“Or how about British Sea Power? Their performance on the Jools Holland show was incredible.”
I liked them when they put out “Decline of…”, but I didn’t connect with anything they made after that, and when I went back later and listened to the debut, it didn’t really stick with me, I’m sure similar things have happened to anyone out there that is an avid music listener.
“Or try the Yeah Yeah Yeahs if you prefer it punky and sloppy and Birthday Party-indebted.”
Loved the first ep and the “machine” single, didn’t care so much for the full lengths they put out (there are good songs on them, though). Really, Birthday party? I always thought they owed more of a nod to Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (vocals, gtr, drums, no bass) or Sleater-kinney and personally I would rather hear either of those bands over Yeah Yeah Yeahs (or see live for that matter, but S-K is done, sigh). And Sleater-Kinney is a great example of my idea of a band who “means it”. My friend Adam swears Yeah Yeah Yeahs are nothing more than a Vice Squad rip-off. Oh, well.
And I don’t really like interpol either. Too pretentious for my taste. I say that as a Scott Walker fan……. Look Out!
Some interesting recommendations. Obscure? Yes. I hadn’t heard of any of them but one. I have on I’d like to contribute: Fayetteville, AR’s Christmas Fuller Project (www.myspace.com/christmasfullerproject). Their debut album, while rough, has a couple knock-out tracks. Pretty fun live, too. I probably should also mention that they are my friends, as well.