On the hunt for new rock music – have I found some?

So you know how I’ve been banging on about the death of rock music lately, in my post about the Melissa Etheridge / Sheryl Crow concert and in my birthday party post?

Well, last weekend @sift666 started playing me different songs by artists from last century (god, that sounds like a long time ago!) and asking me how I’d categorise them. I’d listen for a few bars, then make my pronouncement – rock, pop, electronica, punk/new wave.

The interesting bit about all this (to us, anyway) was the difference in how we see rock music. I was thinking about it again in the shower this morning, and then had to scribble down a couple of diagrams to illustrate, before I forgot.

I was going to write them out neatly, or maybe do a Word flowchart, then I just thought “fuck it” and scanned my rough drafts for you.

How @sitft666 sees music

How @kiwideb sees music

Just to clarify before this boggles your mind – I’m just talking about popular music, I’m only talking about in my lifetime (late 50’s on) and I make no claims to being a music expert. This is just my view of it.

To me, for it be rock, it has to have actual instruments (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard optional) and you need to be able to dance and head bang to it. It has a heavier sound than pop, but not as heavy as metal or punk.

Now you know why we’ve been arguing about music for 30 years!

I wish I could remember all the “tests” we did, but foolishly I didn’t write them down. Probably a bit boring for anyone else anyway, let’s just get on with it!

What have I found?

I’ve decided that there is still some rock / heavy metal / punk & new wave but that a lot of it is different to how it used to be, so I need to be a bit more open minded to how it would be.

Here’s what I’ve found so far. I’m including new albums by bands that have been round a while, which Sift wouldn’t.

Blink 182 – Bored To Death from the album California, 2016. For now, this is my favourite rock album from this decade.

Green Day – their 2016 album Revolution Radio was interesting. Some of it sounded to me like late 90’s or early 21st century. But some sounded like early punk, especially Bang Bang, which I found reminiscent of the Motors. I’ve picked Bouncing Off the Walls, which also sounds like early punk to me.

No, no, we want new artists.

I’m noticing that the beat from some of the newer bands is different – slower and quite often with quite a loud percussive beat in parts. Quite different, but I like it! I’m hearing it in songs I wouldn’t categorise as rock as well, like Raign’s version of Knocking on Heavens Door.

Bishop Briggs is categorised as Indie pop / Alternative rock, but I’m happy to call her a rocker. Here’s White Flag off her new album, being released today! You can hear the beat I mean in this.

What about Imagine Dragons? Are they rock? The song I know them best for (and like), Radioactive, has that slower beat, but this one, Whatever it Takes, is a bit more rock to me.

… which led me to Rag’n’Bone Man. Mmm, me likee, very much. Here’s Human:

…which led me in turn to Kaleo – Way Down We Go

Hmm, that slow beat again. It’s almost like it’s being used as punctuation, or an accent, rather than to keep the beat. I like it and can certainly shake my 60 year old booty to it, in a much more restrained fashion than I’m used to, but think I’m going to have to re-categorise all of these as soft rock.

Ok, where’s the heavier stuff?

Disturbed have come to my attention with their awesome version of Sounds of Silence. What’s the rest of their stuff like? The modern Heavy Metal, without a doubt. A bit heavy for me, but if I had to choose one, I’d go with Down With the Sickness.

The name Paramore popped up, so went to check them out. Hmm, last decade I’d have called them rock, but around 2010 they morphed into a pop band. Next!

Someone who is definitely not pop is 6 year old Aralynne who featured on America’s Got Talent with her original song Zombie Skin. Just a tad heavy for my taste, but entertaining as hell!

Then I wondered what had happened to the rare few rockers who featured on American Idol.

Caleb Johnson, the 2014 winner, released an album called Testify. Wikipedia says:

The album debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 24 with 11,000 copies sold in its debut week, giving him the distinction of having the lowest first week sales and inaugural chart position of any American Idol winner. The album has sold 24,000 copies in the United States as of April 2016. Johnson also has the distinction of being the first American Idol winner to have their Idol coronation song, "As Long as You Love Me," fail to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Hmm, not very encouraging. I had a bit of a listen but it was all a bit dull, so not gonna bore you with that.

James Durbin, from 2011, is in a band called Quiet Riot, who seem to be fairly active, but they’re heavy metal too, and I can’t be bothered going there either.

OK, I’m done looking for now, and this post is too long anyway

So far, I’ve found the up to date equivalent of soft rock, and the modern version of heavy metal. But the only bands doing what I’d call classic rock are bands that have been around since last century.

I might not have found classic rock, but I found enough interesting stuff to re-motivate myself to look for the songs that will complete my 60 years of favourite music posts. Old timers here may remember I got up to 2014, promised stuff from 2015-17 and never delivered (and now it’s 2018)…

I’m going to leave you with two compilations – Best Rocks Songs from 2000-2014 and the Top 100 Rock Songs from this Decade. In an hour’s time, @sift666 can get back to us all with his decision on whether there’s any good music in there.

Time for me to go make dinner.

Thanks for reading and listening. What's your current favourite rock song?

Top pic from Pixabay. Diagrams badly hand drawn by me. Videos from Youtube.

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