What happened to Rock criticism?

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LoudCloud
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What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by LoudCloud »

I was wondering if anyone knew of any places (websites, blogs etc.) where I can find recommendations for new Rock bands and albums that aren't, for lack of a better term, boring?

You might wonder what I mean by "boring" and this is probably where I imagine I'll come across as a bit elitist or whatever. But screw it, I'm at my breaking point with this so I might as well get it off my chest. It's important to remember that this is just my own personal opinion and that you're just as entitled to disagree as I am entitled to express it.
[WARNING: Overly-long post written by a very opinionated young person ahead}

So here goes - I think the majority of music critics/journalists/websites that I used to rely on for finding new Rock music have almost completely lost my interest. I don't know what happened but in the last 3 or so years the Rock music they recommend just seems unbelievably DULL to me. It's not that I no longer like Rock music, or that there aren't any good bands out there (I still find amazing stuff sometimes), but most of the stuff being recommended by music publications is the same-sounding Indie snore-fests. It seems any band they praise (or give attention to) HAS to fit specifically into these 4 categories:

1. Soft Indie Rock/Pop bands that sound so boring and lifeless. They tend to mostly keep to a gentle, stereotypically-indie sound without doing much else. The vocalists all seem to sound the same and limit themselves to a soft, "whiney" voice. The instrumentals are horribly forgettable and limp. There's barely any grit or spark to them. They sound as if you asked someone who hates indie music to describe the genre and then made it into an actual band. Half the time they sound more like indie folk/indie pop anyway but still get the Rock label attached despite not.... Rocking at all (and yeah I know Rock is super-diverse in terms of its sound, but its sad to me that the style most critics seem to like right now sounds more like ukelele-driven bedroom pop than most people's idea of what "rock" is).

2. Typical Post-Punk bands that sound like they're from 1979. Most "loud" rock music the critics like nowadays just sounds like regular Post-punk to me. I like Post-punk, just not enough to trick myself into ignoring how most bands don't sound all that unique or "ground-breaking" anymore. For a community that loves to crap on newer bands for sounding too much like "*insert older rock style here*, critics sure love glorifying this one particular style. And, yeah, I know Post-punk is hugely diverse/experimental in sound, but most of it that gets reviewed nowadays sounds more middle-of-the-road than adventurous.

3. Abstract experimental stuff. I usually like this style a lot but lately a lot of the stuff getting reviewed sounds too soft and atmospheric for what I'm in the mood for. Thankfully a few louder bands still pop up and I've even loved some of them (black midi, black country new road), but the rest just goes into one ear and out the other for me.

4. The scream-y edgy emo-ish stuff. This category fits a lot of different styles into one that have some similarities (especially in their fanbases). It included Pop-punk, Emo, "Core" bands, some of the more accessible Metal bands out there, even some Hard Rock-inspired stuff. The kind of stuff you'd expect Kerrang to review. I don't have anything against these types of music but with a few exceptions (I do enjoy some MCR) it's just not my thing. Maybe its the style of vocals or something, but I never got into this type of Rock the same way I got into indie/alternative/classic stuff. So I tend to leave it alone unless it really catches my eye (and currently it sure isn't).

So where's the rest of Rock music? What happened to stuff like Radiohead? Muse? the Mars Volta? Foals? QotSA? the White Stripes? What happened to the bands that could be both accessible and unique at the same time? Why were they replaced with bands of lethargic, bored 30-year olds who sound like they're perpetually on auto-pilot? When did critics become afraid of reviewing any other rock style that isn't indie or punk-related?

Also, you guys know those "born in the wrong generation"/"Classic rock is the only good Rock music" types? Well for as much as I hate them, I can't help but notice how similar the newer rock/indie/alternative critics are to them, but in the reverse way. Those guys will praise bands that incorporate classic rock cliches at all costs, whereas these critics will hate bands for having some classic rock cliches at all costs. After a while, it just comes across like they're almost embarrassed of Rock music's legacy. As if the mere thought of praising a band that performs catchy riffs or guitar solos in 2021 will somehow harm their credibility as a critic. A band can't so much as have a blues lick in a song, without them accusing them of being "muh dad-rock band" or some other buzzword like that. Keep in mind, that this is coming from a person who usually hates the "classic rock/wrong generation" crowd but even I can't help but see how modern music critics are just as one-track minded and naively limiting with what "respectable" Rock music should sound like in 2021. They just replaced suffocatingly cliched classic rock with suffocatingly cliched indie.

It's almost poetically ironic. Indie/Alternative critics used to blame Hair Metal for almost killing Rock with how generic and "auto-pilot" the sound had became, while praising themselves for saving Rock by promoting an alternative to those bands. Nowadays, those critics mostly highlight generic, "auto-pilot" indie bands while refusing to cover anything that is an alternative to that. The "death"/"decline" of Rock music is often discussed nowadays, and a myriad of reasons are given for why its happening, but I hardly hear anyone discuss how music journalists seem unwilling to promote ACTUAL alternatives to this ever-waning wave of (not-so-)"alternative" bands.

Rant over. I have no idea what kind of reaction this post will get (probably not that great judging by how I rushed this all out without wording it the best I could) but I just needed to ramble a bit because I don't know where else to express all this. Is there anyone who knows what I'm talking about? Who can relate even a little bit? And is there anyone who has got over it by discovering any other outlet for discovering new Rock stuff? Please, I'm genuinely disappointed about this. I'm so sick of checking out the critics' selection of rock music every year on this website and finding the same old shite. It's gotten to the point where I can predict EXACTLY what I'll hear when I put on a new acclaimed album based solely on the band name/cover art/genre.

I know there's other great genres of music out there, but I'm not ready to let go of modern Rock yet. I still have hope in it. To leave it all behind and relegate myself only to older bands (pre-2020s) would make it feel like the youthful, music-hungry part of me has died and I've officially became a bitter ol' elitist who hates modern stuff for the sake of it.
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acroamor
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by acroamor »

This is so sad Alexa play Kawasaki Backflip
Hymie
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Hymie »

LoudCloud wrote: Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:22 pm I know there's other great genres of music out there, but I'm not ready to let go of modern Rock yet. I still have hope in it. To leave it all behind and relegate myself only to older bands (pre-2020s) would make it feel like the youthful, music-hungry part of me has died and I've officially became a bitter ol' elitist who hates modern stuff for the sake of it.
Happens to everyone eventually. It happened to me must sooner than most as by the age of 17 in 1974 I was barely interested at all in current music anymore. I was, and still am, totally immersed in music from the from the 50s and 60s, and even the 30s and 40s more than anything from the mid 80s and beyond.
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Father2TheMan
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Father2TheMan »

If you're talking about the entertainment aspect of Rock criticism, I tend to agree with you LoudCloud. I think of someone like Lester Bangs. I didn't/don't always agree with him but it seems like he made me have a strong visceral reaction when I disagreed with him as opposed to more of a shrug of "Huh? I don't get it.." which is what I tend to lean towards more these days.

I probably am the wrong person to give new "rock" recommendations though because my music listening tends to be wide but shallow: I enjoy a pretty wide range of genres so if I am not interested by the output in one, it's replaced by a different genre that I see as having "better" releases at the moment.

I'm also much more focused on songs versus albums.

"Nobody goes around humming albums" Dave Marsh
"The laughs come hard in Old Lang Syne....."
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Safetycat »

Just to address this part of your message: "What happened to stuff like Radiohead? Muse? the Mars Volta? Foals? QotSA? the White Stripes?"

Radiohead: Released one of their most well-acclaimed albums in the last 5 years, lots of the members are doing solo work
Muse: Released an album in 2018
The Mars Volta: At the Drive In released an album in 2017
Foals: Released 2 albums in 2019
QoTSA: Released an album in 2017
The White Stripes: Fair, they don't exist anymore, but Jack White released an album in 2018.

So yeah I guess 2-4 year gaps means most of these acts haven't released in a little bit, but to be fair not many big acts released anything over the last year. Because, you know, there's a pandemic.

Idk, I'd say trying to find a critic who fits your taste well is an impossible challenge. Go on metacritic and look at who's reviewing the new stuff you do like I guess? Then go listen to IDLES. Actually that's my main takeaway, if you want some good modern rock then listen to IDLES.
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Edre Depeche Head
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

sorry I was harsh

I recommend becoming active on Albumoftheyear and RYM for music recs
Last edited by Edre Depeche Head on Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Honorio »

Hey, Edre, surely there’s no need to be so harsh with a newcomer.
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Honorio »

Edre Peraza wrote: Fri Apr 30, 2021 11:58 am sorry I was harsh
Thank you Edre! Probably there was no need to erase your whole post, only the last sentence was openly harsh. But, as a moderator, I don't like the idea of receiving the young newcomers too severely. LoudCloud's opinion could be different (even opposite) than some of ours but I would like to keep the forum as a friendly and welcoming place. But of course any forumer (including Edre Peraza of course) should feel free to add comments (both positive and negative) to this thread, please don't refrain because of my comment.
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Edre Depeche Head
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

After consideration, I decided to come up with a list of artists from rock, indie, metal, punk, etc that have released good material that you might enjoy over the last 15 or so years, including older artists who are still actively putting out great material in my opinion.

The 1975 (Alternative, Pop Rock, Indie Pop)
David Bowie (Art Rock, Experimental Rock)
Radiohead (Alternative Rock, Experimental Rock)
Grimes (Art Pop, Electronic)
Bright Eyes (Indie Rock, Indie Folk)
Deafheaven (Metal, Blackgaze, Black Metal, Shoegaze)
Phoebe Bridgers (Indie Folk, Indie Rock)
Wavves (Indie Rock, Surf Punk, Noise Rock)
Jack White (Alternative Rock)
Perfume Genius (Art Pop)
Nine Inch Nails (Industrial Rock, Experimental Rock, Electronic)
Idles (Post Punk, Punk Rock)
The Armed (Noise Rock, Post Punk)
St. Vincent (Art Pop, Indie Rock)
Arctic Monkeys (Indie Rock, Alternative Rock)
The Strokes (Indie Rock)
Julien Baker (Indie Folk, Indie Rock)
Desaparacitos (Indie Rock, Emo)
Pluralone (Art Rock, Expiermental Rock)
Future Islands (Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Synthpop)
Poppy (Metal, Synthpop)
The Chats (Punk Rock)
Swans (Post Rock)
The Drums (Post Punk, Surf Rock)
Depeche Mode (Synthpop, Alternative Rock)
Foster The People (Indie Pop, Indie Rock)
Tame Impala (Indie Pop, Indie Rock)
Beach Fossils (Indie Rock)
Royal Blood (Hard Rock)
Twenty One Pilots (Pop Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock)
I Don't Know How But They Found Me (Alternative Rock, Indie Rock)
Daughters (Post Punk)
Death From Above 1979 (Noise Rock, Post Punk, Indie Rock)
Shame (Post Punk)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (Psychedelic Rock)
Drab Majesty (Goth Rock)
Fleet Foxes (Indie Folk, Indie Rock)
MGMT (Indietronica)
Cloud Nothings (Indie Rock)
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Jirin »

St Vincent I'd easily put in the same category as Radiohead. But it sounds like what you're against is music that sounds 'Sad' for lack of a better term, and I assume that encompasses bands like The National to you.

I think the problem is that bands that are more 'Extraverted' go the pop/electronic route now, and indie bands are the ones who make more introverted, reflective, emotional music. And it doesn't leave a lot for people with your preferences. People with your preferences stereotypically don't even listen to new music because they've already found their favorites and aren't taking new applications.

Sleater-Kinney is making guitar driven hard rock.
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Edre Depeche Head
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

I kinda missed the sad part of your statement so I narrowed it down even more to what might actually fit your taste...

The 1975
David Bowie
Radiohead
St Vincenet
Wavves
Idles
Pluaralone
The Strokes
Future Islands
Swans
Royal Blood
Daughters
MGMT
Cloud Nothings
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mileswide
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by mileswide »

LoudCloud wrote: Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:22 pm I know there's other great genres of music out there, but I'm not ready to let go of modern Rock yet.
I'd relinquish your grip on rock/indie a little and go seek out other canons, starting by filtering RYM or our own Acclaimed Music by genre for instance. Once you've got a taste for some other music that has earnt years of widespread kudos, you can be more adventurous with finding current favourites. Then you can return to rock, hopefully with a renewed enthusiasm for it, all the more so because you're no longer dependent on one genre to deliver. I went through a similar disaffection with modern indie around 2007 and had to delve into the past to go forward....
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Ace864 »

I've recently read an article stating that true Rock has died. All modern rock music can actually be considered pop music.
To be honest, I partly agree with this famous statement that actual rock music has died ages ago with some popular bands back in time. I remember those times when subcultures were popular. Now, everything is different. The way you dress up demonstrates that you belong to one or another subculture. I watched one rock concert online and saw a dude in a pink T-shirt with a banana print. That dude would probably be dead in good old times.
It's hard to find new songs that could belong to rock music somehow. So, I find some old rock stock music and found a lot of popular songs there.
Last edited by Ace864 on Mon Jul 26, 2021 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by Jirin »

Popular rock music gets poppified and defanged. Whereas more nichey rock music is idiosyncratic and moody to suit its anti-pop audience.

There’s nothing wrong with idiosyncratic and moody, but it’s never going to give you the thing old school rock or even 90s rock gave you.

Not much you can do besides find some old school rock bands with their own non-derivative voice and vote with your dollars.
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Re: What happened to Rock criticism?

Post by luvulongTIM »

Is that the same Poppy (mentioned above) from Poppy and the Jezebels?
Anyway try False Heads, the Flechettes, the New Twenty’s, Jody and the Jerms, Sløtface, Death Valley Girls, Blossoms, Velvet Hands, Dear Boy, Cherry Glazer, Pinky Pinky, the Bombpops, FEET, Bad Cop/Bad Cop, Vile Assembly, Sharp Class….. just to name a few.
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