Is America out of good rock bands?

[Pengwuino]

I think it is safe to say that all musical talent in the United States has been exausted. I just watched Conan and the musical "talent" for the show was a band called "Be your own pet". This was not music. This could not be construed to be music either. No human being on this planet with ears could have liked it. I shall describe it to you in its entirety:

1 bad drummer with shaving cream on
2 pathetic typical/stereotypical guitarists
1 ugly lead singer, who can't at all sing, jumping up and down without actually saying any english words

Life was great until i watched this. I'm going to jump off a cliff now.

 

[Wishbone]

the fact is there aren't many good new rock bands out because most of them like you said, aren't good at their respective instruments. Image has become HUGE in the rock industry, and has caused a real lack of skill/creativity for the band members. Look at how many 1 hit wonders there are in the rock industry nowadays. Partly to blame is the recording industry, one of the most despicable corperate sectors in existence. They are so turned off by rock music now that bands have to bend ass-backwards to recive an absolutley crap contract, and that is if they are EXTREMELY lucky.There are however a few that are decent. The Darkness are a fantastic rock band, I would suggest looking into them, probibaly the best rock band in decades. Also if you are interested in metal, and even if you aren't I would look into Dragonforce. And both of them are not from America, so your thesis might be right :/

 

[Pengwuino]

Well that doesn't make sense. If record companies don't give out as many contracts to rock groups, wouldn't that mean you'd only be finding good bands with contracts and not these... things that get on Conan and that other loser who comes after him?

 

[big man]

There are plenty of good rock bands out there (including American rock bands), but they are more 'underground' than they are supposed to be. Like Wishbone said, they find it hard to get good deals, and when they get the deals they want the record company tends not to market them as well as they should.

Fozzy is a good rock band (chris jericho isn't a groundbreaking vocalist but he's pretty good and he can at least hit a note).

Sick Speed was a really good rock band, but unfortuantely it isn't around anymore...instead you have Fozzy and Rich Ward's solo project now.

Tantric is definitely a band that can play their instruments and the singer isn't too bad either.

Pearl Jam...I know their last few albums haven't been wonderful, but they've always been good and the last album was damn good.

Dredg can be classed as borderline rock and they are incredibly good.

Some more American bands are:

Queens of the Stone Age (more stoner rock)
Rollins Band
Seemless
Godsmack
Doubledrive (now broken up and some members are in Dark New Day)

So to answer your question, America isn't out of good rock bands. It just so happens that 90% of the ones made 'popular' are pathetically talentless kids who don't even write most of their own music. But Conan does choose some absolute shockers to perform on his show.

 

[Chi Meson]

Mission of Burma has regrouped

and all is well.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Not sure what constitutes American rock, but I like these from America - White Stripes, Beck, Mark Ronson, Antony and the Johnstons, Pink Martini and The Killers.

 

[wolram]

American rock bands,

 

[fuzzyfelt]

thanks Wolram
Now my attempt to innocently broaden the scope of the OP to include a drag queen caberet act and a latin american style 12 piece orchestra has been foiled!

 

[Anttech]

Is America out of good rock bands?

did u ever have any decent ones?

Good electronic music used to come from the states, (Detriot mainly) but we pinched it and now its fully european..

 

[wolram]

thanks Wolram
Now my attempt to innocently broaden the scope of the OP to include a drag queen caberet act and a latin american style 12 piece orchestra has been foiled!

Aw, go on Fi give us all a good laugh

 

[Hootenanny]

I thought for something to run out, you had to start with some first!

The only good band to come out of america is REM.

 

[Anttech]

Ohh yeh I forgot there was the rolling stones..
Ohh wait, they are from England... hahaha

 

[fuzzyfelt]

I've already sneaked them in.
Antony and the Johnstons is a transvestite band, s/he has a fascinating voice, but the lyrics are dark and odd, and Pink Martini is the orchestra from Oregon.

 

[Gokul43201]

Some names that comes to mind for US bands that were at least pretty decent: The Doors, The Ramones, Velvet Underground, Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, CCR, Eagles, Dead, E Street Band, and more recently, Metallica, REM, Nirvana, Dave Matthews Band, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

bad drummer with shaving cream on

Are you sure it was shaving cream?

 

[Curious3141]

Tool, A Perfect Circle, Dream Theater.

 

[mattmns]

I agree with you pengwuino, I think 99% of music made in the past 10 years (or so) is crap! That is why I generally listen to 80's and early 90's hip-hop and sometimes classic rock.

 

[Wishbone]

Well that doesn't make sense. If record companies don't give out as many contracts to rock groups, wouldn't that mean you'd only be finding good bands with contracts and not these... things that get on Conan and that other loser who comes after him?

no it makes perfect sense because that is assuming that the industry promotes the rock industry, and that rock bands and not the relativley uncreative derivations of rock and roll like emo and poprock, etc. Its not like all bands audition in front of label and they say ok "these 3 bands make it". Labels aren't looking as hard as they were for decent rock bands like they used to. They're money is more based on hip-hop, rap, etc. Whether that is a good or bad thing is decided on taste.

 

[Wishbone]

Some names that comes to mind for US bands that were at least pretty decent: The Doors, The Ramones, Velvet Underground, Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, CCR, Eagles, Dead, E Street Band, and more recently, Metallica, REM, Nirvana, Dave Matthews Band, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam.

exactly my point, how many Aerosmith bands are being spawned right now. How many rock bands that are just being created do we see being around 30 years into the future.

 

[wasteofo2]

Just because pop music is largely bad, it doesn't mean America's out of good rock bands.

This summer I'm going to be seeing/have seen great American bands such as:

Queens of the Stone Age
Eagles of Death Metal
Les Claypool
Gov't Mule
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Shins
The Flaming Lips
Wilco
Ween
Umphrey's McGee

And there's ALWAYS good local music out there. Stop complaining and start looking around for good music. You'll find it, just not on MTV or the radio.

 

[Chi Meson]

Just because pop music is largely bad, it doesn't mean America's out of good rock bands.

This summer I'm going to be seeing/have seen great American bands such as:

Queens of the Stone Age
Eagles of Death Metal
Les Claypool
Gov't Mule
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Shins
The Flaming Lips
Wilco
Ween
Umphrey's McGee

And there's ALWAYS good local music out there. Stop complaining and start looking around for good music. You'll find it, just not on MTV or the radio.

OR you could be listening to it right now via internet. Via iTunes (or the non-mac equivalent) go to radio/alt-modern/take your pick of "indie" stations. SomaFM is taking up half my bandwidth these days. It's a bit tilted to the quieter "alt" or "indie-pop." They play most of WoO2's list right there. And Mission of Burma.

 

[arildno]

I think it is safe to say that all musical talent in the United States has been exausted. I just watched Conan and the musical "talent" for the show was a band called "Be your own pet". This was not music. This could not be construed to be music either. No human being on this planet with ears could have liked it. I shall describe it to you in its entirety:

1 bad drummer with shaving cream on
2 pathetic typical/stereotypical guitarists
1 ugly lead singer, who can't at all sing, jumping up and down without actually saying any english words

Life was great until i watched this. I'm going to jump off a cliff now.

Village People still exists..(Should I run now?)

 

[FredGarvin]

Your problem is, like has already been said, you are looking in mainstream sources for good music. Stop looking at popular places. What is supposedly popular is what is marketable, not necessarily good.

 

[Wishbone]

And when you look at most non-mainstream sources you have really ill-produced songs, making the band 1/5 of what they could be.

 

[gravenewworld]

the best bands out there are usually considered "underground". if you want to listen to good rock bands, then throw away your radio and TV. there are many many many small venues/bars in major cities that have good bands all the time, and when I say a good band at a bar I mean a band that actually plays original music, not the typical cover band crap that bars usually have. you just aren't looking in the right places. believe it or not, you can find good bands by searching through the music section on myspace.com

 

[Moonbear]

I think it is safe to say that all musical talent in the United States has been exausted.

Wow, you suddenly sound very very old. I thought you had to be at least 30 before you were allowed to complain about "kids these days with their bad music."

Have you noticed that on holiday weekends, suddenly all the stations switch over to "80's Flashback Weekends?"

 

[Chi Meson]

Have you noticed that on holiday weekends, suddenly all the stations switch over to "80's Flashback Weekends?"

And still they rarely play the good music of the 80's which were, mostly, through the independant labels, such as "Ace of Hearts" which released the Mission of Burma LPs. Did I mention Mission of Burma? Did I tell you that this essential band regrouped?
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F3AJLM/103-1379395-1978214?v=glance&n=5174

 

[kmbop53]

Shinedown is a good band, from the south, a bit heavy, but that is what I like.They have lyrics that actually mean something.

 

[FredGarvin]

And still they rarely play the good music of the 80's which were, mostly, through the independant labels, such as "Ace of Hearts" which released the Mission of Burma LPs. Did I mention Mission of Burma? Did I tell you that this essential band regrouped?
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F3AJLM/103-1379395-1978214?v=glance&n=5174

Chi,
If you don't already have it, I can not recommend enough getting XM radio (or DirecTV which now broadcasts XM too). The station FRED is so incredibly awesome. You would love it. It's standard play lists are right up your (and my) alley. Trust me, you will not hear Culture Club on this station.

 

[Moonbear]

And still they rarely play the good music of the 80's which were, mostly, through the independant labels, such as "Ace of Hearts" which released the Mission of Burma LPs. Did I mention Mission of Burma? Did I tell you that this essential band regrouped?
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F3AJLM/103-1379395-1978214?v=glance&n=5174

Yes, one of my friends is really vocal about this complaint. Whenever they do one of those flashback weekends, and they start repeating the most played songs, she'll shout out, "It was a whole decade! There's enough music to not repeat songs in one weekend!"

When I was still in college, one station used to set aside a day or weekend here or there to play deep cuts. I always enjoyed that much more than the regular programming.

 

[oldtobor]

If you ran out of bands, check out the more than 100,000 rock bands you can find on the following websites:

www.soundclick.com

www.cdbaby.com

www.rockdetector.com[/URL]

and for more progressive - experimental :

[url]www.gepr.net[/url]

[url]www.gnosis2000.net[/url]

Alot of them are American but many are from other countries also.