best rock album of the 21st century (so far)?

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variableD
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best rock album of the 21st century (so far)?

Post by variableD » Wed Apr 13, 2016 12:11 pm

If you had just one choice for the best rock album of the last 16 years, the absolute most essential, most groundbreaking, amazing record that everyone should hear and know, what is it? I'd like to keep this to one choice per person, at least at first. Any subgenre is fine, and I mean "rock" in its broadest possible sense, so that includes "post-rock" or anything on the border or questionably not rock.

If I was Rip Van Winkle, and just woke up after falling asleep in 1999, what is the first thing you'd put on, saying, "DUDE. You've got to hear this!"? Not that you'd say "dude", because of course, you wouldn't.

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Post by shedshrine » Wed Apr 13, 2016 1:06 pm

Alright, I'll bite. Of course any entry here will begin with "arguably"..and I apologize ahead of time because I'm not even following your post 1999 rule but..

With the onset of the sci fi sounding Year 2000+ new millennium , the album that really nailed the whole man/machine computer age alienation zeitgeist was OK Computer by Radiohead (1997). Of course with the way the world has changed post 2000 has kind of shell-shocked everything..where the hell are we now, what does it mean to be truly human and alive in the new millennium. I think we're still waiting for a definitive album statement in that regard.

That said, I'll be the first to admit I haven't kept up with all the latest music of the last few years. Hoping to get schooled on this point.

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Post by variableD » Wed Apr 13, 2016 1:35 pm

shedshrine wrote:the latest music of the last few years.
We're talking about a period of almost SIXTEEN YEARS. I know, it's hard to believe. Time has a way of slipping by.

Imagine being a 16 year old kid again... you don't want to listen to what your dad listens to... you want to hear something that was at least made since you were born. When I was that age, I did listen to a lot of music from the late 60s, and I wasn't born yet in the 60s, but not far off. I guess OK Computer would be the equivalent for a 16 year old now, which puts it in an interesting perspective. Radiohead to that kid would be like Hendrix to me at that age. Hendrix to him or her would be like Elvis was to me.

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shedshrine
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Post by shedshrine » Wed Apr 13, 2016 2:18 pm

Which 16 year old? :)
My 13 year old daughter loves Imogen Heap and Pentatonix.

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Post by kslight » Wed Apr 13, 2016 2:22 pm

Radiohead was pretty cool to a point...admittedly not such a fan of anything they've done in what, 13 years...I liked Radiohead when they were a rock band.


I'm a pretty big fan of The Dead Weather...probably the closest thing to what I would call rock that I listen to, but I really don't make any outstanding effort to stay current otherwise. Their debut was about perfect for me, their follow ups are fine too but their debut feels the strongest to me.

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Post by vvv » Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:03 pm

I'm not a 16 year old girl altho' I might play one in ...

...eh, ...

... well, for me, not a 16 year old girl but a 56 year old young man, the record that first came to mind as something new that I could get behind would be The National's High Violet, in that it kind of sets up a new genre, altho' they may be about the only ones innit, of dad-rock. Altho' Trouble Will Find Me is arguably even better ...

I also think that, somehow, a Foo Fighter's disc should be nominatable, altho' I don't really think any given album from them is that good.

So, as a alternate, mebbe Songs for the Deaf by QOTSA, altho' Them Crooked Vultures is just as good, and ...Like Clockwork, also.

Shoutouts to:
Lanegan: Blues Funeral and Bubblegum;
Richard Thompson: Old Kit Bag and Electric
Ryan Adams: Ryan Adams and Gold
Gov't Mule: Shout and Sco-Mule
Steve Wynn: Crossing Dragon Bridge and ... Tick ... Tick ...Tock
Grinderman: both records
Dinosaur Jr.: Beyond
Buddy Guy: Sweet Tea (blues-rock?)
NIN: The Fragile
Bowie: the last two
Frank Black: Frank Black and the Catholics, Pistolero, Bluefinger
Steve Earle: The Revolution Starts Now
Wilco: Kicking Televisions, Star Wars, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Nick Cave: Push Away the Sky
REM: Accelerate
Jack White: his two
I also dig the Dead Weather records, all 3
Sonic Youth: Rather Ripped, Sonic Nurse, The Eternal
Bob Mould: District Line, Life and Times, Silver Age
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers: Mojo
Black Dub
Last edited by vvv on Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:30 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Post by shedshrine » Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:23 pm

PJ Harvey-Tales of the City, Tales of the Sea
Robyn Hitchcock-Spooked, The Man Upstairs
David Bowie-Blackstar
+1 Frank Black-Pistolero and Black Francis-Bluefinger
Nick Cave-Dig!Lazarus!Dig

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Post by variableD » Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:47 pm

Maybe we should limit this to bands/artists that didn't release anything in the 20th century... I'm seeing a lot of old, familiar names. These records are probably good, maybe really good, but are they earth-shattering, foundational masterpieces? That's what I'm looking for. Something that redefines rock as we know it.

Is there anyone here under 30?

Please, pick ONE. Not a list. The absolute best, the one you can't live without.

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Post by shedshrine » Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:54 pm

Ah well, I can take a hint. Hey Vlayman and Kslight, what say we go get a drink and talk about the "old" days..

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Post by variableD » Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:01 pm

kslight wrote:The Dead Weather...probably the closest thing to what I would call rock that I listen to
Checking them out now...

They're definitely rock. Very blues-based... not surprising considering it's Jack White on guitar.

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Post by floid » Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:03 pm

St Vincent's good.
I'm not sure the under 30 crowd thinks in terms of rock.
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variableD
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Post by variableD » Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:05 pm

shedshrine wrote:Ah well, I can take a hint. Hey Vlayman and Kslight, what say we go get a drink and talk about the "old" days..
Remember when I mentioned Rip Van Winkle earlier... I was talking about ME. :)
Yeah, I'm old too. I haven't been tuned in to what's new in a long time, and now I'm trying to get caught up. I don't mean to insult or offend anyone. I just want some insight from people who aren't in the same situation as me. It is nice to know I'm not alone, though.

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Post by variableD » Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:07 pm

floid wrote:I'm not sure the under 30 crowd thinks in terms of rock.
Good point. But surely some of them do.

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Post by kslight » Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:18 pm

variableD wrote:
kslight wrote:The Dead Weather...probably the closest thing to what I would call rock that I listen to
Checking them out now...

They're definitely rock. Very blues-based... not surprising considering it's Jack White on guitar.
Jack White is not on guitar. He's on drums. And THAT'S why its awesome. Oh and his band, too.



Side story, my biz partner had a band around the same time coincidentally that was incredible live?similar arrangement but also an organ player. This is a band that gave me goosebumps every time I saw them?


Their recordings never really capture what make them great?.I didn't engineer them? He swears one day we will go through the multitrack tapes and mix the record as he intended.

Here's a great video of them live, at their peak, with bad sound quality.. Every other video I can find is even worse audio, or a less great lineup, or a less great song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsEom8TkkIA
Last edited by kslight on Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:42 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Post by kslight » Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:19 pm

shedshrine wrote:Ah well, I can take a hint. Hey Vlayman and Kslight, what say we go get a drink and talk about the "old" days..
At the tender age of 30, I think some here would probably frown upon me calling my youth the "old" days?


But hey, I turn 31 next month?

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