Todays topic is the best modern rock band that I’m currently listening to through my headphones. Actually I want to say that they are the best modern rock band still producing new material, but I’m not really up enough on rock to be sure. In any case 3 Doors Down is a darn good band with a new album: Seventeen Days. If you have been listening to the radio regularly any time in the last few years, you have probably heard one of their previous hits–most likely Kryptonite, Be Like That, or Here Without You. They have a current song entitled "Let Me Go" which kind of sucks you in but isn’t nearly as good as most of the songs on the album.
There are two songs in the middle that I find especially find interesting. The first is "Be Somebody". It is about a young man and his mother. It isn’t very explicit regarding the topic of their discussion, but it has one of those interesting refrains which is very evocative even if it doesn’t make much literal sense:
I’m trying to be somebody, I’m not trying to be somebody else
this life is mine I’m livin, don’t you know me, I won’t ever let you down
It has a fairly complex lead guitar part which is plucked to make it sound almost like a mandolin. This part doesn’t really have a counterpoint structure, but it definitely shifts from melody to harmonics in a way which echos something I should be able to identify explicitly, but I can’t.
The next song is "Landing In London". It is melodically so similar to the previous song that during every single time I listen to the album, during the first four measures, I briefly think "Did the CD skip back into the song?" But the song goes in a very different direction so I find it fascinating how the two tie together. Thematically they make a lot of sense together. You suspect that the son is now on the road and singing about missing home–though it may be his lover he is missing and not his mother. It also has Bob Seger as a guest vocalist, doing the expected excellent job.
There are also examples of a more driving and angry rock style in "The Real Life" (with a sound similar to Nickelback) and the bitter "Behind Those Eyes".
If you like excellent pick work guitar and gravelly voiced rock, you will love the new album. (That doesn’t sound like a compliment but it is.) They also have on of my favorite lines ever at the beginning of their first song: "There’s a difference in spending time with me and killing time while I’m there". Ain’t that the truth?
Wow, the Mississippi links keep coming. 3 Doors Down is from Escatawpa, Mississippi. And gravelly voiced rock is right, Landing in London has Bob Seger as a guest vocal.
Message to the other main posters, I can’t get back on the main system to delete the double posting. If you can, please delete the double posting. 🙂
Thanks, that’s now three C.d.s you’ve recommended very recently that I want to buy.
The funny thing about the double posting is that it is very much like the “Three Doors Down” consecutive songs with very similar melodies — I thought I’d read this post before — and I had — but I’m inspecting the texts with care to see if they are exactly identical. 😉
Not to hijack this thread, but is anyone into House/Trance? :]
I like trance quite a bit, though I am not at all up on the latest. In a mildly related note (since only a very few of their songs could be classified as trance) I’m thrilled that Dead Can Dance is back together for a tour and new album sometime in the middle of this year.
My tastes mostly run to varieties of funk, R&B, pop, dance, and jazz (with varieties of classical, hip-hop, and country following closely behind), so I don’t know from rock these days. Offhand, The Drive by Truckers, Ted Leo and whoever he plays with, and The Futureheads have would probably be my favorite current “rock” acts.
M.I.A’s Piracy Funds Terrorism is the current love of my life.
Anyone heard Ken Layne’s band? I’m not a huge fan of roots-rock, but the more I read about it, the better it sounds.
Stan LS: I picked up The Trax 20th anniversary collection last year. V. nice collection of early Chicago House. And I’ve become a big fan of the whole German house/microhouse/electrohouse thing.
Funny that we’ve got all these music threads, because I’ve been buying and listening to a lot more music lately. I’m not sure if its because music is starting to suck less, or what. Another interesting thing is I heard most of these acts first on Conan O’brien or SNL or some other venue besides radio, giving the lie to the RIAA’s latest campaign.
Keane — Hopes and Fears: The lead in this band looks like he’s twelve, and sings like a castrati, but they have a really clean sound and lyrics that are suitably deep and important sounding.
Scissor Sisters: Massively fun to listen to, groovy disco-esque beats and hooks, lyrical content and themes sure to give social conservatives screaming heebies. You have been warned.
The Killers — Hot Fuss: Euro techno punk rock. Its like someone put the Cure, Depeche Mode, and Violent Femmes into a blender and hit frappé.
Jet: Everyone knows about Jet. I bought this almost a year ago soley to get Are You Gonna Be My Girl, and then forgot about it. Recently dug it out because of their new single Look What You’ve Done and decided to listen to the whole thing several times and what do you know, it rocks pretty hard.
Can’t wait until Beck’s new one comes out. Everytime I hear that new single (is it Hell Yeah?) I want to go kick down a brick wall or run track to somehow release the energy it has built up inside me.
I sometimes listen to trance when coding. It makes for nice background noise, and since its largely content-free, it doesn’t distract from what I’m doing so much.
You know, one of your very own ObWi regular posters plays guitar and writes songs for a Northern Virginia/DC-area local band with a CD available . . . wink, wink. Unfortunately, his band is on hiatus right now because its singer is having a baby in about three weeks.
OK, I’ve said enough. I’m not good at self-promotion.
BTW, the new Garbage single is out, and it’s pretty good. A lot more rock-sounding than anything off of Beautiful Garbage.
If you don’t tell us the band name, we can’t buy the album.
Re: the Killers – The funny part is that while “Euro techno punk rock” is certainly an accurate descriptor, they are actually a bunch of 19 year olds from Las Vegas. I liked the record okay, but to me, it didn’t really last past the singles. But, I’m not a huge fan of 80’s music, so it’s not really aimed at me (Mr. Brightside is a great song, though).
Sebastian, based upon your previous music posts, I’m willing to bet that if you haven’t heard the Killers, you will love ’em.
Arcade Fire’s new record is beautiful. The Futureheads have a clean, Jam/Buzzcocks thing happening with very tight, skilful performances, strong songwriting, and knock-dead harmonizing. Plus, they cover Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love,” so how bad can they be?
I want to dis the new Kings of Leon, but I can’t – the single is too strong.
Nothing to add on the trance side, but blip-hop guru Prefuse 73 has got a new one out, so fans of “Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives” might want to check that out.
Okay!
I have the Killer’s CD and I really like 3 of the songs (2 are already singles) but I can barely stand to listen to the rest of the album. I’m going to try it two or three more times because sometimes albums like that really grow on me, but that is more like do diligence than actual hope. 🙂
st > Did not know about that Las Vegas thing. That’s hysterical. I like the Killer’s stuff ok, but my wife is really ga-ga over it. And yes, she is a total child of the 80’s. (I am too, but oddly enough I more strongly identify with early 90’s pop/rock/rap. *shrug*) I have cause to be stuck in my car for two hours a few times each week, and there’s only one song on the CD that makes me want to hit the skip button. However, I do the poor man’s iPod approach: mp3 CD player with about 10 albums ripped, set to random play. Maybe if I listened to them straight up, they would grate?
SH – sounds like we had similar reactions to the Killers. I gave it a week or two, but it didn’t end up growing on me. I do still listen to the 2 or 3 songs I did like.
Neolith – Has she flipped her wig over Interpol yet? They are mining some of the same vein, but referring more to joy division than new order.
Oh, and if you are a fan of the early 90’s tribe/beasties/blacksheep/pharcyde stuff, I highly recommend the latest from Blackalicious, “Blazing Arrow.” Man, that’s a goodie. Or, of course, the Jurassic 5.
Moreover, my award for most slept on classic album of the 90’s is the Brand New Heavies’ Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1; The brand new heavies playing live behind rap crews, including Black Sheep, Grand Puba (of Brand Nubian), Gangstarr, Pharcyde, Large Professor and many more. If you don’t have it, just get it.
“I have cause to be stuck in my car for two hours a few times each week, and there’s only one song on the CD that makes me want to hit the skip button. However, I do the poor man’s iPod approach: mp3 CD player with about 10 albums ripped, set to random play. Maybe if I listened to them straight up, they would grate?”
That’s an interesting point. There are some artists whose songs sound better as part of a whole album, while others sound much better as individual songs. I know I’m inviting scorn to be heaped down upon me, but while I love a large number of REM songs, I can’t stand listening to any of their albums (Out of Time may be the only exception). To take an older example, Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill” had a large number of good songs, but each one is even better when listened to as a whole. One of the interesting things about that album when listened to as a whole is watching Alanis see-saw between head-over-heels-in-love songs, interesting contemplative songs, and bitter-angry-at-the-world songs. [Voice in my head #1 3 way see-saw? Voice #2 Who asked you? Its my metaphor I’ll cry if I want to. Voice #3 Please you two, don’t fight….]. The Evanescence album has some of the same characteristics, but the mood of each song is even better reflected in each song’s sound than you find in Alanis Morissette’s album.
do diligence? Sheesh, can I spell due?
BTW, the new Garbage single is out, and it’s pretty good. A lot more rock-sounding than anything off of Beautiful Garbage.
Nifty. They’re actually a local band, at least in theory; I don’t think they’ve been back to Madison in at least four years.
SH – re: sheesh. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that error – it’s complicated by the fact that many people refer to that process as “doing due diligence,” as in “I’m going to do due diligence, then I’ll sign the deal” or something. Others shorthand it to, say “After I do my diligence, I’ll get back to you” or some such. Email, of course, multiplies this problem. Email, useful as it is, is like acid poured onto the English language, eating away all the interesting flesh, and leaving only the utilitarian bones. Of course, that’s only IMHO, FWIW, YMMV.
Re: whole vs parts: Lucinda Williams is an example of a songwriter/singer who is best appreciated by listening to the whole CD rather than by hearing individual songs. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and Blue were written as whole units of which the songs are parts. Her latest ( I forget the name) is more disjointed and has a number of songs I really can’t bear to listen to as they seem so far bbelow her standard. I think she rushed to publish that one. I usually listen to all or most of a CD, rather than cobbling together songs from various sources. There is a narrative effect I enjoy, or maybe it’s the development of a musical idea through a series of songs that is pleasurable. Ry Cooder is another artist who makes unified assembleges of songs that wouldn’t work as singles.
SH – by which I mean it’s a common typo, not that you didn’t know the correct usage.
Seb, the band is The Fragments, and we’re at http://www.thefragments.net. I rarely engage in self-promotion because a) it seems cheesy, and b) I always figure people will think we suck, but here it’s actually on topic. 😀
We’re just a plain-old, straight-ahead female-fronted pop-rock band. We happen to be blessed with an extremely talented singer/lyricist and two good songwriters, but it’s just a hobby for us.
I’ll have to check out the latest from Garbage – Beautiful Garbage sort of disappeared from my playlists while Version 2.0 is still in rotation.
For roots-rock / punk-country, the Bottle Rockets are reliably good. My favorite locals in that genre, the Hangdogs, are no more (and I’m sure that with their last album titled Wallace ’48 that they’d be favorites of TtWD, too). The good news is that the band minus Banger is regrouping as the Stray Dogs and starting to play gigs in NYC and Banger has a new band back home in Iowa City.
Oh, and if you are a fan of the early 90’s tribe/beasties/blacksheep/pharcyde stuff, I highly recommend the latest from Blackalicious, “Blazing Arrow.” Man, that’s a goodie. Or, of course, the Jurassic 5.
I pimped this one back when von was looking for indie rap (and von, if you’re reading, what did you end up buying?), but in that vein check out Later That Day… by Lyrics Born. Good stuff.
Moreover, my award for most slept on classic album of the 90’s is the Brand New Heavies’ Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1; The brand new heavies playing live behind rap crews, including Black Sheep, Grand Puba (of Brand Nubian), Gangstarr, Pharcyde, Large Professor and many more. If you don’t have it, just get it.
Another Brand New Heavies fan! That makes three of us, I think.
Josh – to be honest, while I don’t dislike the BNHs, they never put out anything that I like nearly as much as Heavy Rhyme. The other records are good party music, but I don’t find myself pulling them off the shelf that much. Tight, tight band though. No doubt. And thet N’dea Davenport can sing her a** off.
Peter Rauhofer (of the Club 69 fame) is going to be at Spirit (NYC) on March 12th. Should be good.
Has she flipped her wig over Interpol yet?
Nope, but that’s probably because neither of us listen to radio or pay attention to the ‘music scene’ much at all. I think I’ll score some points by heading on over to Best Buy and picking up their disc for her. Also, I printed out your whole comment and plan on going on a shopping spree this weekend. Thanks for the suggestions!
Email, useful as it is, is like acid poured onto the English language, eating away all the interesting flesh, and leaving only the utilitarian bones.
LOL 🙂
neither of us listen to radio or pay attention to the ‘music scene’ much at all
Sweet! This gives me an opportunity to do make my favorite recommendation of all! Everyone who sits in front of a computer for any amount of time should be listening to KEXP, the Seattle college radio station that Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project dumped a bunch of money into. An example of how sweet they are: During February, they did daily black history month features, a sample week of which was Eric B. and Rakim, Shuggie Otis, A Tribe Called Quest, Leadbelly, and Sir Mix-A-Lot. That’s just righteous. They specialize in lots and lots of obscure and wonderful indie rock, along with a big helping of new underground hip-hop and electronica. I heard most of the new music recommendations above for the first time on KEXP. It’s on all day in my office.
Oh, and picking up again on the whole/parts theme above – Radiohead’s “Kid A” and “Amnesiac” were like that. When Kid A first came out, I had only heard a couple of individual songs, and hated them, and said so. At length. While drunk at parties.* After about three months of this behavior, a friend of mine sat me down with a pair of headphones and made me listen to the whole thing. I never said another word about it.
*Does anyone else remember that period when whether or not Kid A sucked was a topic of frequent and widespread debate at parties? Anyone? No? Hmmm.
st: yes. I remember vividly, OK Computer comes out, “This is great!” Kid A – “WTF!” Amnesiac – “I have my doubts, ‘cuz Kid A sucked . . . but this is pretty great!” Back to Kid A – “Whaaa? This is very awesome.”
I’ve recently had a similar reaction to Smile, Brian Wilson’s album. First few listens, “this is corny.” Gradually, however, it got to me and now I can’t put it on without playing the whole thing. Highly recommended.
travis – re: smile. I was initially dubious, but you are like the fifth person to say that to me. Sigh; I guess I’ll just have to pick it up. Thanks for the recommend.
My step mother’s sister sings backup on Smile. Her husband is the drummer for the current incarnation of Styx. Not sure if I am proud or embarrassed.
The period where you had to pretend you liked “Kid A” came immediately after the period where you had to pretend you didn’t like the Strokes.
I do love Kid A, though.
If you like Interpol, also worth checking out is the new Decemberists CD, “Picaresque,” where they’re really working out their Smiths jones (so to speak).
Oh! And Spoon has a new album! It’s called “Gimme Fiction” and it’s great – about three parts Clash, two parts Kinks, and one part Talking Heads, with a little sprinkle of Steely Dan, Prince, “Come Together,” “Fame,” and 60’s spy movies.
The Killers and Arcade Fire are both really Talking Heads-y.
The period where you had to pretend you liked “Kid A” came immediately after the period where you had to pretend you didn’t like the Strokes.
I do love Kid A, though.
So…you are the one guy who actually dug it, as opposed to all us callow posers who just say we do. Ok, I get it now.
Underwhelmed by the new spoon single, but who am I kidding – I’ll buy the new album as soon as it hits amazon.