Top 5 Bands That Are Still Around

[exist10z]

Agree with Penny on this, like Oasis much more than Blur at the time, now it's completely flipped.  Don't think Blur sound dated, but more like the predecessors to sounds we're hearing now.  Of course some of that feeling is retrospective, as I know what Damon Albarn has done since and have seen his progression, while Oasis, well...

And yes, some of my argument this whole time has been that the 'grunge sound' sounds dated.  While admittedly some of that is holdover exhaustion from living through the 90s and being inundated with that sound, I think the point still holds some inherent credence (and speaking of Creedence, that's a band that was great, but also I think sounds dated, and doesn't hold up like maybe The Beatles, Stones, or even The Allman Bros.).

As for listening to the predecessors of Beach House, sure, I listen to Galaxie 500 and Yo La Tengo too (new YLT out soon by the way), and appreciate their significance.  However, it's easy to dismiss a newer band and say that an earlier incarnation was 'better', as opposed to just maybe first.  Not saying Beach House is better, but maybe we don't know yet.  Feel like I am Beach Houses publicist all of the sudden, I am from Baltimore, maybe I could get the job.  Frankly I don't even love Beach House, though I do like them, but was simply using them as an example of similar new bands doing what I think is pretty great music.

I may end up looking back at this time period, and saying the same thing I am now saying about grunge, that it's not that great and is over-rated.  I would be a fool not to recognize that possibility, as it's happened to me many times before.  But I am sort of the opposite of someone who clings to a certain style of music from an earlier time, I am reactionary by nature and am much more likely to 'throw off' the older music in favor of new, sometimes simply because it's new.  This is problematic as well.  That's really a personality issue as much as anything else, hoping I am learning and growing all the time, and that I know or appreciate something now that I didn't previously.

[e_wind]

All this Nirvana vs Pearl Jam stuff has got to stop before it descends into the same pathetic level we went through in the 90s with Oasis vs Blur.

well that's easy: Oasis and Blur both suck

:happy:

for example, ewind, agree about TEN being an amazing album--i just think it sounds dated today..you can pinpoint exactly when it was recorded...which isn't the case with Nevermind. Same with Oasis-whom I loved, completely dated and Blur's Parklife doesn't sound as dated today.

hmm. I think that that's a near impossible point to argue, one way or the other. Of course we know when it was recorded, because we know all about music eras and what not. But that could be said about SO MANY great records. I mean, DSOTM, for example.... who today is making anything like that? Wouldn't that, by this knowledge, make that a dated topic? Or am I missing something? I mean we can pigeonhole MOST majorly popular records to an era.

And I do think Nevermind sounds dated in the same way. I think you can listen to it and know that it didn't come out last year.

and i love that we're talking about music again...and not just butt plugs or butt chugs or what not

don't talk shit on butt chugs.

[Tracy 2112]

What I need to know is why sounding "dated" is a bad thing. I would say the following pieces all sounded "dated"; so what?

The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand

Deep Purple Highway Star

J J Fad.......... Supersonic

Pearl Jam - Even Flow

[Fully]

When I say something is dated, I'm saying that it doesn't hold up over time. It's not a timeless classic. Dated music can be fine, but it isn't necessarily something that will become a classic. But it's also opinion so...

[exist10z]

It's not that everything that sounds dated is bad, it's just dated.  I would argue that music from the same time periods that doesn't sound dated, and it does exist, was/is what was the better/best music of the time.  The best music doesn't end up sounding dated, it ends up sounding like the precursor to whatever is best in current music, regardless of time.

I could suggest 50 Beatles songs that I don't think sound dated at all, despite being 40 years old.  Songs that sound like if someone put them out today, we'd be saying, 'this is amazing, how creative, listen to how they do this/that.'. None of the examples you gave do that in my opinion.  And The Beatles are kinda an easy example, being probably the greatest modern musical act, but I can think of other bands as well.  I can think of songs from Bowie, The Clash, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, The Smiths, Blur, Talking Heads, Rush, etc., that don't sound dated, but actually still sound fresh today.  To me, that is better.  Not that sounding dated equals bad, but that not sounding dated is a feature of higher quality music overall.

[Tracy 2112]

It's not that everything that sounds dated is bad, it's just dated.  I would argue that music from the same time periods that doesn't sound dated, and it does exist, was/is what was the better/best music of the time.  The best music doesn't end up sounding dated, it ends up sounding like the precursor to whatever is best in current music, regardless of time.

I could suggest 50 Beatles songs that I don't think sound dated at all, despite being 40 years old.  Songs that sound like if someone put them out today, we'd be saying, 'this is amazing, how creative, listen to how they do this/that.'. None of the examples you gave do that in my opinion.  And The Beatles are kinda an easy example, being probably the greatest modern musical act, but I can think of other bands as well.  I can think of songs from Bowie, The Clash, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, The Smiths, Blur, Talking Heads, Rush, etc., that don't sound dated, but actually still sound fresh today.  To me, that is better.  Not that sounding dated equals bad, but that not sounding dated is a feature of higher quality music overall.

cool, thanks 

even though it's a little fantasy land to suggest if something came out today from the past it wouldn't sound dated.

[Penny Lane]

It's not that everything that sounds dated is bad, it's just dated.  I would argue that music from the same time periods that doesn't sound dated, and it does exist, was/is what was the better/best music of the time.  The best music doesn't end up sounding dated, it ends up sounding like the precursor to whatever is best in current music, regardless of time.

I could suggest 50 Beatles songs that I don't think sound dated at all, despite being 40 years old.  Songs that sound like if someone put them out today, we'd be saying, 'this is amazing, how creative, listen to how they do this/that.'. None of the examples you gave do that in my opinion.  And The Beatles are kinda an easy example, being probably the greatest modern musical act, but I can think of other bands as well.  I can think of songs from Bowie, The Clash, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, The Smiths, Blur, Talking Heads, Rush, etc., that don't sound dated, but actually still sound fresh today.  To me, that is better.  Not that sounding dated equals bad, but that not sounding dated is a feature of higher quality music overall.

yep, exactly..i love TEN and i didn't like Nevermind as much...but there's something about the music that doesn't date it, the same as the classics above (especially classics like DSOTM)

credence--i think that's totally timeless, also, and bands like Drag the River and Deer Tick are following in their footsteps...a little messier but i think timeless, also.

if you asked me what was a better album and a better band in the 90s, i'd definitely say PJ (over Nirvana or Soundgarden, etc)..but PJ's music is just a bit more dated. (sorry eric! just my opinion--sawwwy)

and Fully--definitely VH is wayyyyy better than Van Hagar -no contest

[manonthemoon]

Just my .02, but as a huge Soundgarden fan the first two albums aren't really grunge at all, much more hard rock.  It wasn't until BadMotorFinger that the grunge sound came about with their music.  And for what its worth BMF is my favorite album from the 90's total classic and one very underrated album IMO.  Core from STP is also a classic album, crazy good.

Plus I think all music is related to its era and you can usual tell it in its sound.  I don't think there is anything wrong with that, but you can hear it in all of the so called classics.  I also think that most of these arguments are based on personal preference so theres always that.

DLR in Van Halen was awesome, after that not so much.

[APR]

When I hear the term grunge, the only band that comes to mind is Mudhoney.  PJ, Alice, Soundgarden, and Nirvana are all so different other then they play rock music and are from the same city.

I have been a huge Pearl Jam fan for soooo long, so of course I think their music holds up and still sounds fresh.  No Code is a classic, great and artistic album.   The remastered version of Ten sounds incredible and less dated (not that there's anything wrong with that). 

I could never get into U2, Guns/Roses, Van Halen so I was so excited when the 90s music resonated with me.  I was thankful that passionate, rocking music I could listen to over and over came out (PJ, Radiohead, Tool, Soundgarden).  I don't find the sincerity of the best 90s music to be false at all.

I can't forget Jeff Buckley's Grace, which was so different but so powerful, sincere, and incredible. 

Not counting MMJ, that's the stuff I listen to most because I love the most.  I started college in 1990 so I am biased towards that era.  Likely that the music people discover in their late teens or early 20s is what they like best.

[Ob1jacobe]

Top 5 current bands
- MMJ
- Wilco
- The National
- Arcade Fire
- The Walkmen

The '90s
I spent too much time with jam bands in college.  I have recently discovered/rediscovered so much good music from that decade.  Some of these bands extend beyond the 90s but their best albums were released then.  Figure most of you are familiar with these bands but if you want recommendation on where to start i would be happy to provide.  I think the all make a very solid case for timeless music from the 90s
- Pulp
- Blur
- Neutral Milk Hotel
- Yo La Tengo
- Built to Spill
- Pavement
- Spritualized
- Stereolab
- Beck
- Flaming Lips

[Fully]

and Fully--definitely VH is wayyyyy better than Van Hagar -no contest

Whew. My faith is restored.

[Shug]

However, I must say that original VH sounds incredibly dated to me now. I only listen to it and remember the original trans ams with t-tops and firebirds painted on the hood, girls with long blond hair and winged bangs with large combs in the back pocket of their flare legged jeans, back when my big sister and her friends looked like the cast of the movie about The Runaways - you know, back in the glory days of badass.

If I only had a time machine....LD and I would have some fun!

[exist10z]

Top 5 current bands
- MMJ
- Wilco
- The National
- Arcade Fire
- The Walkmen

The '90s
I spent too much time with jam bands in college.  I have recently discovered/rediscovered so much good music from that decade.  Some of these bands extend beyond the 90s but their best albums were released then.  Figure most of you are familiar with these bands but if you want recommendation on where to start i would be happy to provide.  I think the all make a very solid case for timeless music from the 90s
- Pulp
- Blur
- Neutral Milk Hotel
- Yo La Tengo
- Built to Spill
- Pavement
- Spritualized
- Stereolab
- Beck
- Flaming Lips

Good top 5 list, though I left The National and Arcade Fire out simply because they didn't have enough output to qualify in my opinion.  Not sure if they would have made it if they did, but they'd be contenders.

We've mostly been 'arguing' about the so-called 'grunge' genre of 90s rock.  Some find it more important/valuable/worthy than others.  I think the bands you listed, for the most part, stand on their own, regardless of time period.  I personally would 'rate' the first six you listed, as well as The Flaming Lips, better than most anything burdened with the grunge label.  Yes, that would include Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, all of which I like/liked.  I think all those bands you listed held up better over time, progressed, expanded or improved their sound, and more to the point - I just would rather listen to them now.  Of course that's not to discount personal taste, which is pretty much everything in this discussion.

[Shug]

I've never stopped listening to classic 60s and 70s rock, those bands have always been and will always be my most favorites.  Not many new bands could really compete for my musical attention. 

But, in the 80s the "current" bands I was listening to:
Tom Petty
U2
REM
SRV
Georgia Satellites (they, along with SRV, were guitar-weilding rock 'n' roll saviours to me, God they kicked fucking ass live!)

and unusual for me to listen to non-guitar oriented music, but I did get into
Kate Bush
Peter Gabriel

In the 90s, besides the Grateful Dead, it was:
The Black Crowes
The Jayhawks
Lenny Kravitz
U2
Matthew Sweet
Freedy Johnston
Jules Shear

I was never much into grunge or indie rock, other than the really melodic and songwriting-crafty stuff. I like guitars and Hammond organ and harmony singing. My musical tastes are not very complicated nor very broad.  Most of you guys put me to shame, if broad musical tastes is the issue.  As Skynyrd sang,  "be a simple kind of man, be something you love and understand"  I guess that's me. 

[jaye]

Matthew Sweet
Freedy Johnston

I used to LOVE both these guys.  Saw Freedy several times in small clubs.   I think I only have their stuff on cassettes and I don't have a cassette player anymore! 

[Shug]

Jaye, I have This Perfect World on CD, I'm sure its out of print.  I also have some live radio show tracks, too. PM me if interested.