I don't even know where to start. I've been scratching my head trying to get this draft going for weeks. I'm just going to do some keyboard-vomit and see if my thoughts end up being coherent...
What has happened to Rock and Roll? At the most recent televised awards show, they didn't even give out the award for best rock album on live TV. To find bands like the Black keys, Kings of Leon et al, which I would consider to be bands doing Rock and Roll music, you have to look in the 'Alternative' category and charts. What are they an alternative to? EDM? POP? Why aren't they called Rock?
I've seen bands in many different levels that I would consider 'alternative' in that they are hard to categorize and are not playing straight-ahead easy to follow music.... I often go over to the 'Alt Nation' channel on the satellite radio in my car - I mean, you can't be inspired to write differently by listening to the same classic rock, modern rock and modern country, right?! Much of what I hear there is rock and roll music, not much alternative to it (other than it is not POP music, I guess... but then the hipsters like to be all about the obscure, so doesn't that make it 'Popular'?! it's exhausting)... Even the americana/folk inspired 'Mumford' bands could possibly be considered 'alternative', though they are growing in numbers and getting more airplay, and are based on a solid beat and basic song structures, so are they truly an alternative?
But back to the topic. What has happened to Rock and Roll? Some say that Grunge killed it. Others say that MTV, Autotune and technology killed it. Either way, Rock music hasn't been the same in a long time.
I almost feel that any band that tries to write just good old fashioned Rock and Roll music ends up in a category of 'boring/ignored' and if you aren't 'innovating' (using way too many effects or making noise and calling it music) then you aren't relevant. But people still listen to the music from the 60's, 70's and 80's... a lot.... then throw-backs like Black Keys make statements about other successful bands (whether you like them or not, Nickelback still sells a lot of tickets to their shows..) that seem to divide Rock and Roll into different classes of artistic value...
And maybe that is part of the issue. If Rock and Roll can't just be making YOUR music and doing YOUR thing, whatever that is, but has all sorts of unspoken rules that other artists seem to think they are better at, then how does anyone know what to do anymore? I see this competitive approach in my scene, it's the reason the scene itself isn't really a scene yet, and will be what holds Vegas back from popping like I think it can. So maybe it's the National version of the Vegas problem. Why can't we all just get along?
i may not be the biggest fan of the modern bands that are out there (and admittedly find the art-pop-shoegaze-whateveryouwannacallit music to be too ironic and not ballsy at all. - therefore not Rock and roll by my own set of rules - ugh, it never stops) but I applaud anyone who writes and performs their own brand of music, whether it is a nod to their influences or an attempt to break new ground.
This all coming from a guy who writes music that is very much a nod to his influences. take it for what its worth..
I'd love to hear new bands that you think are in the 'Rock and Roll' category. Post them here or on my Facebook post about this. I'd love to be exposed to people doing rock and roll in 2014!
What has happened to Rock and Roll? At the most recent televised awards show, they didn't even give out the award for best rock album on live TV. To find bands like the Black keys, Kings of Leon et al, which I would consider to be bands doing Rock and Roll music, you have to look in the 'Alternative' category and charts. What are they an alternative to? EDM? POP? Why aren't they called Rock?
I've seen bands in many different levels that I would consider 'alternative' in that they are hard to categorize and are not playing straight-ahead easy to follow music.... I often go over to the 'Alt Nation' channel on the satellite radio in my car - I mean, you can't be inspired to write differently by listening to the same classic rock, modern rock and modern country, right?! Much of what I hear there is rock and roll music, not much alternative to it (other than it is not POP music, I guess... but then the hipsters like to be all about the obscure, so doesn't that make it 'Popular'?! it's exhausting)... Even the americana/folk inspired 'Mumford' bands could possibly be considered 'alternative', though they are growing in numbers and getting more airplay, and are based on a solid beat and basic song structures, so are they truly an alternative?
But back to the topic. What has happened to Rock and Roll? Some say that Grunge killed it. Others say that MTV, Autotune and technology killed it. Either way, Rock music hasn't been the same in a long time.
I almost feel that any band that tries to write just good old fashioned Rock and Roll music ends up in a category of 'boring/ignored' and if you aren't 'innovating' (using way too many effects or making noise and calling it music) then you aren't relevant. But people still listen to the music from the 60's, 70's and 80's... a lot.... then throw-backs like Black Keys make statements about other successful bands (whether you like them or not, Nickelback still sells a lot of tickets to their shows..) that seem to divide Rock and Roll into different classes of artistic value...
And maybe that is part of the issue. If Rock and Roll can't just be making YOUR music and doing YOUR thing, whatever that is, but has all sorts of unspoken rules that other artists seem to think they are better at, then how does anyone know what to do anymore? I see this competitive approach in my scene, it's the reason the scene itself isn't really a scene yet, and will be what holds Vegas back from popping like I think it can. So maybe it's the National version of the Vegas problem. Why can't we all just get along?
i may not be the biggest fan of the modern bands that are out there (and admittedly find the art-pop-shoegaze-whateveryouwannacallit music to be too ironic and not ballsy at all. - therefore not Rock and roll by my own set of rules - ugh, it never stops) but I applaud anyone who writes and performs their own brand of music, whether it is a nod to their influences or an attempt to break new ground.
This all coming from a guy who writes music that is very much a nod to his influences. take it for what its worth..
I'd love to hear new bands that you think are in the 'Rock and Roll' category. Post them here or on my Facebook post about this. I'd love to be exposed to people doing rock and roll in 2014!