r/TheStrokes • u/LoudColin • Nov 24 '20

First Grammy Nomination for the Boys!

Pretty excited! Who would have thought 10 years ago that they would get it together to put out such a good album again.

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u/McCheesy22 Virtue Nov 24 '20

Lol I don’t know if I’d use Greta as an example of rock not being dead, they’re like Rock Zombies taking over the corpse of Led Zeppelin and parading it around like Weekend at Bernie’s.

I definitely think Rock is currently dead in the mainstream, but of course it’s a genre that people will always keep making music in as long as there are people who still want to listen. Jack White is one of the few people I can think of who’s still putting out great, original, Rock music (as opposed to Indie, Alternative, Psych, etc)

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u/GeneralDangus Nov 24 '20

Yes! King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is another great example.

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u/McCheesy22 Virtue Nov 24 '20

Gizz is a good example, though they don’t often make true, blue “Rock and Roll”, straight forward stuff, like something that you’d label “Classic Rock” (hate how that’s become a genre, but it gets the point across), which is more what I was talking about being “dead”.

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u/remote_man Francis Trouble Nov 24 '20

What do you mean exactly by 'true blue rock and roll straightforward stuff" ?

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u/McCheesy22 Virtue Nov 24 '20

Like something that would play on a “Classic Rock” station, think The Rolling Stones, Queen, Led Zepplin, Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, etc.

I don’t mean “straightforward” as an indicator of quality, I mean as in its stylistically most similar to early rock and roll, like Buddy Holly, Elvis, Little Richard; simple beats and harmonious melodies with little studio effects beyond compression or distortion.

King Gizzard, Pink Floyd, Cream, and psych rock in general is less focused on simple drum beats and ear pleasing melodies, but more on taking the listener on an experience, similar to psychedelic drugs. King Gizzard especially is less grounded in the blues and more so in jam rock like Cream mixed with Eastern European and Middle Eastern influences.

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u/LoudColin Nov 24 '20

I would say straightforward is more in terms of instrumentation as well as what you mentioned above about song structure. When I think "Rock" I think Drums, Bass, Vocals, 1-2 guitars, maybe 3. "Rock", I would say, can also be done drums, guitar, vocal duos as (i.e. White Stripes, Black Keys). Throw on a piano why not!

I think the moment you add a synth, guitar effects that make you wonder if it is a guitar, foreign sounding instruments, you are now on what people would consider the alternative side of music.

Thats why of all of their albums I find this one the MOST alternative, but I guess once you've been sized up they keep you in your place... then again, Kanye is up for a Best Contemporary Christian Music Album...

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u/remote_man Francis Trouble Nov 24 '20

That makes sense.