Modern Rock - what do you like???

[Rooster_Ties]

Call this a spin-off of the "classic rock" threads going on around here...

OK, name all the bands/solo-artists you like (or at least look forward to their new releases) for bands/artists that have come on the scene only since about 1990 or so, or at least since the mid 80's. I mean bands or rock/alternative artists who were mostly unheard of (at least on a national scale) prior to 10 or 15 years ago (or at the very most, 20 years ago).

Off the top of my head (and in no particular order)...

Radiohead

Ben Folds

Cake

Cibo Matto (oh when will they have another album out????)

Interpol

Rufus Wainwright

Bjork

Tori Amos

Peter Murphy

Matthew Sweet

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Jeff Buckley (who died much, much too young)

There are probably a few I'm forgetting, but that's the lion's share of the "relatively recent" bands/artists who's careers I'm still following closely, and who I have probably 75% of the CD's form their respective catalogs (or in some cases, more like 90%)

A few others I've stumbled on CD's by that I've liked include...

Alanis Morissette (Her most recent two albums have been pretty good - still don't have any of her earlier ones)

The Smashing Pumpkins

Beck (I'm kinda hit-or-miss with Beck, but he's always interesting)

The Beastie Boys - I have just a smattering of their CD's, but like 'em all, and I need more!!

Garbage - loved their first two albums, but their third was a bomb for me (and not in a good way)

Perry Farrell / Jane's Adiction / Porno for Pyros

Edited May 28, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[Guest Mnytime]

Guns N' Roses, usual disclaimor

Metallica

Nirvana

Pearl Jam

Tool

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Rage Against The Machine

The Smashing Pumpkins

Nine Inch Nails

Korn

Beck

Soundgarden

Jane's Addiction, another disclaimor

PJ Harvey

A Perfect Circle

The White Stripes

Zwan

Edited May 29, 2003 by Mnytime

[Guest Mnytime]

Are you including Rap as well for this? I ask since you included the Beastie Boys on your list.

Edited May 28, 2003 by Mnytime

[Rooster_Ties]

Well, the Beasties kinda go in the Rap catagory (OK, they go more than just "kinda" in Rap), but they also get played on many of the alternative/modern-rock radio stations, so I did include them - just cuz it made sense to me to include them.

I guess I wouldn't include more traditional "rap" or "hip-hop" in my original question, but I'd probably include any "rap" or "hip-hop" crossover artists, whatever the hell that means.

Edited May 28, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[BFrank]

Supergrass (although their new one is disappointing)

Aqua Velvets

Dandy Warhols

The Posies (have broken up)

Garbage

Yo La Tengo

Mermen

Loud Family

They Might Be Giants

[Guest Mnytime]

Forgot to add these two

Pennywise

Sublime

BFrank

I liked Garbage's first record but the next two have been more of the same but not as good.

[tonym]

Mmm, that first Garbage album was good. Must have been the Vig influence when he was on top of his game.

Any Radiohead --- you can never hear enough of them.

Porno for Pyros --- Perry Farrell's baby; the debut was a bit spacey and trippy.

The Amps --- again a pet project for one of the Breeders' Deal sisters. 3 minute punk with lo fi qualities. Student house music ahh.

Suede --- especially their first two albums; the debut was camp as Gilbert & George with astounding lyrics. The second went all Roxy Music 'For your Pleasure' stuff with well- timed guitar solos and suggestions of sleazy sex. Wonderful.

Pumpkins --- as mentioned. Perfect amalgam of angst, guitars, tunes and imagery.

Rage Against the Machine --- puts a lot of this nu-metal stuff to shame.

Particularly liked The Verve before they overdid the strings; 'A Northern Soul' has got to be one of the most depressing pieces of rock and that's including The Smiths.

NIN --- again mentioned below, but 'Downward Spiral' is a masterpiece.

God, i'm getting spots again.

[Rooster_Ties]

Oh yeah, Garbage. Forgot about them (and will add them to my original post now). I love their first two albums (pretty much equally), but their third album fell totally flat for me.

Perry Farrell / Jane's Adiction / Porno for Pyros is also good. I only have the recent "Farrell" one-disc compilation "Rev", but I like it quite a bit. His cover of Leonard Bernstein's "Tonight" (from West Side Story) is really a suprisingly great track. Also love the Grateful Dead cover (and I'm not much of a Dead fan). Hey, I just looked up Farrell on the AMG - to make sure I got the exact title right of "Tonight"....

and I learned that Perry Farrell's real name is "Perry Bernstein". Hmmmmmmmmm......... I wonder.........

[Alexander]

I like quite a few recent bands when I hear them, but I don't own anything by them. I would say that the most "contemporary" artist I own is Tom Waits(!). My wife has several Barenaked Ladies albums, if that counts.

Edited May 28, 2003 by Alexander

[Jazzmoose]

Bjork

Alice in Chains

Nirvana

The Descendents

That's about it, I'm afraid...I'm just an old fuddy duddy jazz fan now.

[catesta]

Megadeth

Pantera

Godsmack

[Jazzmoose]

Megadeth

Pantera

Godsmack

And I thought our politics were different!!

[Jim Dye]

Mnytimes list is about right for me, although I was never really into Korn. One of the best shows from that 'era' was one I saw at Michigan State about 1990.

Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins and Chili Peppers headlining.

Ten was just about to be released. The first Pumpkins record was out and Blood Sugar Sex Magik was new as well. Hell of a show. No one, including myself, knew who Pearl Jam was yet. Vedder was still into his climb all over the auditorium' phase like they show him in the Even Flow video.

Can't believe its been 12 years....

I would also add to my list:

Living Colour

Primus

Fishbone

Mr. Bungle

I also dig some of the shoegazing bands like Lush and Slowdive and early Verve.

I think Radiohead is one of the best groups around right now.

If we could include Rap, I really dug P.E. at the time.

[7/4]

Bjork

North Mississippi Allstars

The Word

Can't think of anyone else...

non-rock:

I do like a lot of beatless Ambient from the mid-late'90s like the FAX label and Bill Laswell...

[Noj]

Barring a few(mostly the ones I'm unfamiliar with in BFrank's list), I like pretty much every band listed in this thread.

others:

Primus, Sausage, Les Claypool & The Holy Mackerel, Oysterhead

Audioslave (Rage Against The Soundgarden?)

Mad Season (Alice In Different Chains?)

The Vandals (these guys are comedy)

[.:.impossible]

Stereolab .:. I really hope they do continue on in some form...

The Sea and Cake/Sam Prekop .:. First and foremost

Pavement/Silver Jews/Preston School of Industry/The Jicks .:. the latest Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks album is excellent.

Beck .:. I will continue to buy his albums for a long time.

J Mascis .:. He should be considered "classic" by now.

Elliott Smith

Phish/Trey Anastasio .:. They get the short end of the stick for being a "jam" band.

Radiohead

Tortoise

Cat Power

I'm very interested in hearing more from Pretty Girls Make Graves.

[John B]

I'll probably keep remembering more and having to use the "edit" function but here I go, off the top of my head:

Unwound

Shellac

Fugazi

Slint

Mogwai

Tortoise

Godspeed You Black Emperor!

Stereolab

Yo La Tengo

Spiritualized

Bardo Pond

Alice Donut

Edited May 29, 2003 by John B

[WD45]

Radiohead - I listened to Kid A everyday for 6 months. Really.

Bjork - Love that voice, and the production is always at the forefront. She knows how to pick 'em.

Tortoise - I saw the drummer do his side project thing the other night under the moniker "a Grape Dope."

Mouse on Mars - General freakiness all around with these guys.

[AfricaBrass]

Bfrank,

I dig the new Supergrass album. It really grew on me. They are a great band.

Impossible,

I believe Stereolab is in the studio now. I read on their website recently that they were beginning to record again after the death of Mary Hanson. I love that group. They were my band of the '90s.

I like a bunch of the groups you guys have mentioned.

Here's a couple that haven't been mentioned yet.

Beachwood Sparks - I love their first album. Their other two are okay, but the first one is great.

Brendan Benson - His Lapalco album has been a big favorite of mine.

The last Wondermints album is good if you're a fan of the Beach Boys.

The High Llamas were another big favorite of mine in the '90s. Their Hawaii album really pulled off the Beach Boys Smile era stuff. I still like their Gideon Gaye album the best.

I know these guys are derided by some, but the last Mother Hips album, The Green Hills of Earth, is one I really liked.

I also like some of the alt-country stuff.

Wilco's Summer Teeth has been a favorite (though it's not as country as their earlier stuff was).

I know I'm forgetting a bunch, but here's a few I like.

:rsmile:

[Parkertown]

I like so many of those previously mentioned:

Bjork-fantastic in concert; and her videos are groundbreaking!

Mad Season-Layne Staley will be missed-also AIC of course!

Pearl Jam-seen 'em a couple times-the first time the best; in '92 with Dave Abruseeze (sp?) on drums-this was like seeing 5 horses galloping in perfect unison-(Man I was a loser back then, couldn't get a date-still have unused ticket! )

and some not yet mentioned:

Blake Babies/Juliana Hatfield/Lemonheads- really love all of this stuff-it's a shame most involved became completely derailed by their brush with stardom, though the BB reunion record is great and I heard Evan Dando recently got his shit back together, which is great news cuz I think he writes great, fun songs. Juliana was gonna be really big, but she rebelled, big time.

The Sundays-great songwriting duo, that Gavurin/Wheeler team. I've devoured everything I could find by this band and would like to know just what the problem is: Where have they gone??? Harriet Wheeler's voice is like an angel from heaven, IMO.

The Cranberries-loved the first couple albums/b-sides. Who knew they'd become such a cheesy pop band?

I know I'm forgetting some...

Oh, and this other type of music I discovered in the late 90's...what was that?...oh yeah, JAZZ!!! Doesn't get much more alternative than that!

[Noj]

Bjork-fantastic in concert; and her videos are groundbreaking!

Bjork's videos are the best! "All Is Full Of Love" and "Human Behavior" are my two favorites--very cool imagery.

I like The Sundays too, I still have a cassette of Reading, Writing, & Arithmetic--a play off the name of their home town Reading, if I recall.

Layne Staley--heavy casualty, he didn't take his own advice and "wake up, slow suicide's no way to go..." RIP

[danasgoodstuff]

OK, now I really feel like a geezer. I have heard most of the above mentioned bands/artists but the only one I have much use for is Jeff Buckley who was indeed taken from us too early. The only rock band currently working whose current work I have much use for is Los Lobos and the're hardly "modern rock" and have been working 20+ years(?) Oh well.

[BFrank]

I agree with everyone's statements about Garbage. Their first album is definitely the best. The second one was OK, and I actually never got around to getting the third.

... but the FIRST one was GREAT!

AfricaBrass, I'll give the new SuperGrass more listenings. Their other 2 had to grow (no pun intended) on me, so this probably will, too.

If any of you stumble upon The Loud Family's "Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things", pick it up. It's very entertaining. Shades of Todd Rundgren, 10cc, and other pop/rock bands with an edge.

For those with an EMusic account, they have a version of "Horse With No Name" on a collection of pop tunes by alternative artists. No matter what you think of the original version, you will definitely like THIS one.

[John B]

some more:

Jesus Lizard ( while they were on Touch & Go)

Man...or Astroman? - on e of my favorite bands to see live, a few years back. Great surf music and a great sense of humor.

[Rooster_Ties]

Glad to see so many names and bands listed in this thread. I was beginning to wonder if anyone else liked anything current in rock music, after the major "classic rock" threads that were going on.

By the way, assuming you don't get your "modern rock" fix on the radio (and I suspect many of us can't, since there seems to be less and less of that on the airwaves these days), I'm wondering where people find out about new bands/groups/artists that are worth checking out???

I get most of mine from a select few friends, who are closer to to that scene than I am. That's how I found out about Interpol in particular, and fortunately I found out soon enough to get to see them live in concert, here in Kansas City.

I guess that was another reason I started this thread, was to see what names came up that I was maybe vaguely aware of, but hadn't really checked out yet. Thanks!!!