But none of these acts are hear to revolutionize music as we know it. It happened in 1991 with Nevermind, and died 2 1/2 years later with a shotgun blast. The Indie Rock explosion that took place in the early 90s reconfigured the music industry landscape, and solidified the foundations of the US and UK Independent music networks that were built on the shaky ground of the 80s.
There are no Cobain figures in "The New Rock Revolution." In late 2003, The Darkness, an amalgamation of classic rock and hair metal, are the biggest band in the UK. Andrew WK's party/puke rock is somehow circumventing the standard criteria for novelty act.
Meanwhile, bands like Turbonegro and The Hellacopters both released the best albums of their careers during the hoopla (Scandanavian Leather and By The Grace Of God, and neither seemed to get the critical attention they deserved. In an alternate universe, these two would conquer America in double-bill stadium tour. Both of them are Capital "R" rock, neither one of them is a candidate to spearhead a revolution.
And to further prove my point, here's the track list for the "New Rock Revolution" CD the NME packaged in one of their isuses in late 2002:
THE LIBERTINES Boys In The Band
YEAH YEAH YEAHS Miles Away
THE BEATINGS What You Say
THE VON BONDIES My Baby's Cryin'
THE DATSUNS Little Bruise
IKARA COLT At The Lodge
THE COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE Amber
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB Waiting Here
INTERPOL Specialist
THE THRILLS Santa Cruz
THE CORAL Time Travel
RADIO 4 New Disco
BURNING BRIDES See You Empty
THE D4 Get Loose
THE MUSIC Jag Tune
There is no rhyme or reason here. Just a bundle of buzz bands, deemed column worthy by the birds and lads of NME.
We're due for another revolution, and everyone seems to know it. And it's safe to say the revolution has started. Someone, somewhere, is fingering the "strike anywhere" match, and they're trying to figure out what to set on fire.
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Article comments
1 - andy
I like the Datsuns alright. The Hives can suck donkey for all I'm concerned. I hate that jangly lo-fi crap. There's no power behind it.
check out
www.soundclick.com/thesuburbansound for a project I'm involved in. True rock and roll powerhouse.
2 - Eric Olsen
Excellent Brooker, thanks and welcome!
3 - TDavid
Wow, I need to expand my musical horizons. The only artist mentioned here that I recognized was the Cobain/Nirvana reference, Joan Jett and Led Zep comparisons.
I guess I'm what you'd call a hopeless 70s/80s-omantic.
4 - Ralph Del Rio
Brooker the roots rock sound of the White Stripes and The Strokes is definitely in the right direction for rock. But we are at the tail end of the Disney revolution that began after Nirvana. It's amazing that the Mouse is not doing better. But that's neither here nor there. MTV is very fragented these days and VH1 has imploded. The new era is ripe for the picking but why does it feel like Elvis and The Beatles are leading the way these days..., ain't it strange? Alot also boils down to radio because the slack is definitely there to pick up and if radio did it right; It would have a grand effect on the next music revolution. Which is the way it should be.
5 - jadester
finally, someone else who has a similar view to me on The White Stripes and The Hives! i haven't really heard the others you mentioned (yet), but whilst i agree the stripes and hives are both very good bands, i dont consider them revolutionary. Their sound is too similar to older stuff to be truly new. I wait with baited breath for the real revolution...
6 - mike
Rock "critics," many of whom are former and future record company employees, are constantly hyping "rock revivals." The last nano-innovation was nu metal, which has run its course, and which most critics hated anyway.
I actually thought the idea of something called "screamo" was a joke when I first of it. Straight from The Onion. Coming next: Pucko.
7 - Eric Olsen
Is that affiliated with hockey?
8 - mike
No, actually I meant to say Puke-O. It's a new genre where the singer throws up all over the microphone to create the most authentic-sounding hardcore punk ever. Makes screamo sound like the Beach Boys!