Is Rock & Roll dead?

[BillCable]

I recently got a new car that has a CD player in it.     My '94 Grand Prix had a tape player, but I usually just ended up listening to broadcast radio in it.  Having 6 CDs to flip through is a real treat.

I've been listening to GnR's Use Your Illusion CD quite a bit, and I'm just more and more impressed by the quality of the music.  I'm at the point when I switch on the Rock station I just can't stomach it.  It's all so bland.  Raspy, nondescript vocals.  Dull, uninspired lyrics... mostly bitching and moaning.  Muddled power-chords instead of melodies.  Do bands even have a lead guitarist anymore?

These days I end up listening to Rap on the radio, because at least Rap has creative lyrics and beats.  The only Rock CDs I've purchased in the past two years were Green Day and Velvet Revolver... both of which are awesome but both by guys that have been around since before I went to college.

I just can't name a good rock band that came out after 2000.  There have been a few catchy singles that I've enjoyed, but all from one-hit wonders.

The thing is... I don't want to sound like an old guy saying "Back in my day music was so much better... now it's crap."  At least not without the evidence to back it up.  I'm not that old yet.  So are there good bands these days that I'm just missing?  Listening to old GnR, I'm just amazed at the craftsmanship of the songs.  It seems to me that the skill is just gone in modern rock.  I mean, I know the melody is gone... but maybe I just can't appreciate the craftsmanship in the new stuff due to my own personal tastes.

So what do you think?  Are there any good modern Rock bands?  Or is Rock dead?

[Rob]

There's lots of good music out there - you just won't find it on the radio for the most part.

[BillCable]

So where do I find it?     I don't want to spend hunders of hours listening to iTunes samples before I find a good song.

Am I correct in my assessment that the Rock music on the radio is crap?

[john todd]

i am waiting for he rock resurgence.  i agree that there haven't been any decent new acts in about 10 years.

[Scott]

Its really hard to give recommendations to people...one suggestion I'd give is that you sign up at this site...

http://www.last.fm/user/ocb75

Its tied in to iTunes and will then give you recommendations based on what you listen to... I also have used similar things on Amazon and iTunes (Recommendations) and then try and sample some things

Personally, over the past few years I've found myself moving further and further in to a kinder softer alternative type of music far removed from the Gn'R, Metallica, AC/DC, Megadeth etc I was listening to in the early 90's and the Seattle scene of the mid to late 90's...I'd say 80's and 90's rock is dead but there is still some good stuff out there.  People around here have introduced me to some great bands in the last few years...Wilco, The Shins, Shout Out Louds, Bright Eyes, Coldplay etc  from which I myself have gotten in to bands like Muse, Iron & Wine, Arcade Fire, Rilo Kiley etc etc

But that's me, I'd suggest trying something similar though

[Ben]

Am I correct in my assessment that the Rock music on the radio is crap?

Yes. 

[JoshEEE]

So what do you think?  Are there any good modern Rock bands?  Or is Rock dead?

There's plenty of great music out there.  Especially compared to Use your Illusion (which is one of the more subpar GnR CDs in my opinion).

Audioslave is great, there are a couple of new Buck Cherry songs I enjoy. System of a Down has some excellent music.  Green Day is still alive and kicking.
I hesitate to name bands like Yellowcard as "up and comers" but I do enjoy a couple of their songs.

[hansolo_506]

Listen everybody let me tell you 'bout the rock 'n' roll
Feel that rhythm and it's really gonna thrill your soul
She said come along with me, to a land of make believe
She said rock 'n' roll is king

She loves that rock 'n' roll and she plays it all night long
That's all she ever tells me when I call her on the telephone
She says feel that jumpin' beat, and git up on your feet
She says rock 'n' roll is king

Chorus: Oh let those guitars play
Play for me play for me
Oh let that song ring out
That's how it's meant to be

It rolls like a train that's comin' on down the track
She rolled over Beethoven and she gave Tchaikovsky back
She loves that drivin' beat, she goes dancin' on down the street
She said rock 'n' roll is king

Chorus

When she comes around and I'm listenin' to the radio
She says you can't do that 'cause all I wanna do is rock 'n' roll
Now here I'm gonna stay where that music starts to play
She says rock 'n' roll is king

[Angry Ewok]

Go out and buy My Morning Jacket's past two albums, It Still Moves, and Z. Rock lives.

[Matt]

The whole "there's no good music anymore" argument is a tired, lame, cop-out that's been used for decades now by lazy thirty-somethings, who are realizing they're getting old and are nostalgic for the music they grew up with.  It's nothing new--people were saying the same exact thing twenty years ago, and they'll be saying the same thing twenty years from now.

As others have said, there's still just as much good music out there now as there's always been--you just have to look for it a little harder than you used to.  Free radio sucks--it's not even worth listening to anymore.  Thankfully, satellite radio has taken it's place, and if you don't want to pay for that, then there's always the internet, which is an amazing resource for discovering new music.

[Nicklab]

Is Rock & Roll dead?

Kind of.  There are definitely some cool new rock bands out there though.  Take Wolfmother for instance.  Very retro, pretty derivative, but it works and it rocks.

But back to the original question.  Yes, it's kind of dead.  Hip Hop has taken the place of Rock as one of the dominant music forms in popular music.  But as a form?  Rock has been through the ringer.  Sure, it's only 50+ years old as a form, but in that time a lot has been done and there isn't much left that's original.  Because of the whole "Been there, done that" vibe that rock now has, it's lost it's rebellious spirit.  And when you also factor in that rock music is supposed to be the music of youth and that genre seems to be pretty well embraced by parents who were also raised on rock and roll...it loses a lot of it's appeal.  It's not as rebellious as it used to be.  Even punk.  Because guess what?  People that were pogoing to The Ramones in 1978 have kids who have to cope with their formerly cool parents.

Rock will definitely have periods of resurgence.  But right now the charts are dominated by pop music, hip-hop and country.  The majority of rock bands that are charting are weak emo bands with little mass appeal other than with kids from 14 - 24.

But some decent new releases?  Like I said:  Wolfmother is cool.  The Raconteurs album is okay.  Ok Go is actually very cool.  Jet has a new album coming out.  So do The Deftones.  I'll be checking those out.

As for decent sources of new music, I wholeheartedly agree with the satellite radio comments.  I have so many more listening choices on satellite than on FM radio.  Try it out.   It's worth it just for the music programming.  I'd also recommend getting on MySpace and checking out some new bands.  Almost every band going has a MySpace page, and most of them will let you download their material.  This is actually what MySpace was designed to do...hook up bands with fans and vice versa.

[john todd]

The whole "there's no good music anymore" argument is a tired, lame, cop-out that's been used for decades now by lazy thirty-somethings, who are realizing they're getting old and are nostalgic for the music they grew up with.  It's nothing new--people were saying the same exact thing twenty years ago, and they'll be saying the same thing twenty years from now.

As others have said, there's still just as much good music out there now as there's always been--you just have to look for it a little harder than you used to.  Free radio sucks--it's not even worth listening to anymore.  Thankfully, satellite radio has taken it's place, and if you don't want to pay for that, then there's always the internet, which is an amazing resource for discovering new music.

maybe, but they do still play a little bit of rock on the radio, but it is typically more like nickelback and they totally suck.  so, i still think its more of a lull than me just being nostalgic.

[BillCable]

The whole "there's no good music anymore" argument is a tired, lame, cop-out that's been used for decades now by lazy thirty-somethings, who are realizing they're getting old and are nostalgic for the music they grew up with.� It's nothing new--people were saying the same exact thing twenty years ago, and they'll be saying the same thing twenty years from now.

As others have said, there's still just as much good music out there now as there's always been--you just have to look for it a little harder than you used to.� Free radio sucks--it's not even worth listening to anymore.� Thankfully, satellite radio has taken it's place, and if you don't want to pay for that, then there's always the internet, which is an amazing resource for discovering new music.

maybe, but they do still play a little bit of rock on the radio, but it is typically more like nickelback and they totally suck.  so, i still think its more of a lull than me just being nostalgic.

Exactly.  Back in my day they actually played good rock music on the radio, so I didn't have to exert heroic efforts in order to find something worth listening to.   

I really don't listen to music all that often.  My commute is about 15 minutes, and I rarely listen when I'm not driving.  So something like satellite wouldn't be worth the cost. 

I'll check out some of the bands mentioned here.  I'm also pretty content listening to the rap stations... that's a genre that's realy come into its own.

[Matt]

Not to get too far off the "there hasn't been any good rock music produced since 1992" topic, but:

Especially compared to Use your Illusion (which is one of the more subpar GnR CDs in my opinion).

There's not exactly a whole lot left to choose from in the GN'R catalog besides the Illusion albums (yes, there are two of them).  The only other full album of original material is (the untouchable) Appetite, and then you've got an EP and a covers album.  So, only three full albums of original material, and yes, the Illusions are most definitely subpar compared to Appetite (although if they had been smart and whittled the Illusions down to one disc, it certainly would have come closer to rivaling Appetite).

There are definitely some cool new rock bands out there though.  Take Wolfmother for instance.  Very retro, pretty derivative, but it works and it rocks.

(snip)

But some decent new releases?  Like I said:  Wolfmother is cool. 

Do you have the Wolfmother album, Nick?  And if so, care to do any uploading?    I've heard the single and really like it, and have heard nothing but positive things about the full record.

[Rob]

I can hook you up with it Matt.