Epitonic Newsletter: Vol. 4, No. 33 'Rock Is Back? Where Did It Go?'
09/26/02
STREAM THIS PAGE
Are you all a little sick yet of all the magazine covers trumpeting
the news that "Rock Is Back"? Are you tired of seeing the Hives and
Vines' insolent faces staring back at you from newsstands? Are you a
little insulted by the notion that if the mainstream press stopped
paying attention to rock, it must have stopped existing?
We are.
Because the truth of the matter is that rock -- of the type that is
suddenly popular these days -- never went anywhere, it just stopped
being fashionable for awhile. Indeed, energetic young bands who name
the Stooges, Stones, Velvet Underground, and Ramones as their musical
deities have been rocking small dank clubs since long before the
Strokes came onto the scene. We like the Strokes -- how can you not,
they're a damn fine band -- so they're part of this week's playlist,
as are the White Stripes and Clinic, two more conquering heroes of the
retro rock revival who definitely deserve the attention they've been
getting. But they're featured alongside a dozen other terrific rock
bands who continue to labor in varying degrees of obscurity.
Enjoy -- and never forget Neil Young's immortal words:
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey hey, my my.
OTHER NEWS:
RESFEST's kickoff in San Francisco last weekend was a smashing
success. Particularly well attended screenings included the opening
night shorts program State of the Art, the ever-popular Cinema
Electronica, the Chris Cunningham retrospective showcasing the
innovative director's work for artists like Aphex Twin and Bjork,
and Director's Club, which featured shorts by Spike Jonze and Mike
Mills. Stefan Nadelman, whose terrific short "Terminal Bar" was part
of the "True Stories" program, also won the Perrier Across America
contest for his playful road movie "Tourist Pictures," which you
can still see at res.com/perrier. Thanks to all those
who voted in that contest. RESFEST moves next to New York (Oct.
16-20) and then to Los Angeles (Oct. 30-Nov. 3). Tickets for those
festivals, as well as our international dates, are on sale now at
resfest.com.
"Explode"
by
Lost Kids
A cross between the bad-acid-trip schizophrenia of late '60s garage and the frantic necrophilia of late '70s death-rock ensembles. From the maniacs who brought us the Starlite Desperation.
"Chantilly Rock"
by
'68 Comeback
Listen to this band for one minute and you'll understand instantly why they're named as they are. Motor City rock collides with Memphis blues in a hallucinatory conflagration that will transport you three decades back in time.
"All Arounder"
by
Oneida
Ladies and gentleman, are you prepared to rock? Because that's what the boys and girl in Oneida insist you must do with their positively punishing style of psychotically eclectic white hot garage rock.
"Last Nite"
by
The Strokes
This quintet of Manhattan hipsters produces extremely catchy, gritty garage rock reminiscent of the Velvets and the late '70s CBGB's crew.
"Sophia Loren"
by
New Wet Kojak
Swaggering through a cognac-soaked red velvet lounge as the saxophone talks and the smoke rings rise, Scott McCloud and Johnny Temple from Girls Against Boys get even sexier than usual with this slick, prowling beast of a band.
"The Second Line"
by
Clinic
Clinic's a dynamic garage- and punk-tinged rock band from Liverpool with a sound as exciting as standing outside in a lightning storm. They touch on many of rock music's seminal reference points, but their vibrant, energetic, ingenious music sounds like no one else.
"White Belts"
by
Make Up
The Make Up's smoldering, sexually-charged gospel-flavored garage punk is better, tighter, and more liberated than ever before. Their volcanic, lava-hot pelvis-rock will burn a path through your insides and leave you feeling hollow and all used up.
"Come Baby Come"
by
Ted Leo/Pharmacists
Former Chisel frontman Ted Leo gets behind the wheel of a new rock band, the Pharmacists, with buddies from the Make Up, Warmers, and Secret Stars. Raw, soulful, and sometimes political punk-inflected rock in the vein of The Jam.
"Won't Go Out"
by
Holly Golightly
Turn down the lights and turn up the heartache as Holly Golightly and friends offer up dusty country- and blues-tinged love songs that are often as creepy as they are sultry. Her music is straight out of the noir movie gin joint -- so pull up a barstool!
"This Wondrous Day"
by
Thee Headcoats
The best-known project of the prolific and legendary British performer/poet/provocateur
Billy Childish, Thee Headcoats are a glorious riot of messy rock and roll that mixes up
the blues, garage, and punk.
"I-75 Boogie"
by
Soledad Brothers
Prepare yourself. Dark and dangerous acid-blues duo the Soledad Brothers lays it on you heavy with ragged ideologically charged garage rock that often recalls both the Delta blues and the legendary MC5 in spirit and sound.
"On the Prowl"
by
The Gossip
This bassless female-fronted trio mines the classic lo-fi sound of '60s Pacific Northwest garage rock and injects it with a healthy dose of '90s Pacific Northwest riot punk.
"Jimmy The Exploder"
by
The White Stripes
Man, the things you can do with just a drum kit, an electric guitar, and a whiney rock star voice. That's all the White Stripes use, but their minimal rock is incredibly eclectic, somehow combining aspects of garage, punk, blues, metal, and arena rock.
"I Say I Love You"
by
The Mooney Suzuki
Are you ready for The Mooney Suzuki's epileptic, high-adrenaline, whitelightwhiteheat goofball garage rock attack? 'Cause it's gonna take a lot out of you. Once these guys get started, they testify like there's no tomorrow, and it can be a bit much for the ordinary heart to handle.
"I'm Out Of It"
by
The Nomads
Stockholm's The Nomads have been kicking out the jams and warming up the long cold Swedish winters for two decades with their fiery, direct, metal-edged garage rock. It's grimy, driving, satisfying stuff, made even more better by the band's willingness to experiment occasionally with rockabilly, metal, prog, and blues.
