I do try to stay current though I grew up with the Beatles, Stones, Clapton Hendrix, Joplin etc. I am always looking for that great rock band in order to purchase new CDs. I do not get to listen to radio that much (anyway, a lot of great music isn't played on the radio anyway) For someone who loves relevant lyrics (like a Dylan, though I know their is no match), the rock of Aeorsmith, Green Day and The Black Crowes, give me (the titles, not the actual CDs) five CDs you think reflect the best rock bands of today. By the way I do like solo artists like Crowe, Pink (sometimes), and Beck. Help a middle aged guy out!

I don't listen to much classic rock, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what the kinds of bands you seem to like are, and here's a few of my recommendations:

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists--Good rock music with highly relevant lyrics


Wrens - Really just their last album, The Meadowlands. Probably the best straight-up rock album of the past three years in my opinion.

Okkervil River - They describe themselves as folk-punk on their website, and I guess that's kind of accurate. With "Black" and "For Real" from the album Black Sheep Boy they made what are in my opinion probably the two best songs of the year. The lyrics are more about love and loss.

I could recommend some more, but I think I'll stop there, since I think these are the three band I think you'll most likely enjoy. I'm sure you'll receive enough recommendations from others anyways. Hope you find something you can dig, man.

Hey Rev, I'm not a boomer, but I'm a huge fan of most of the artists you mentioned, so here's some current stuff you may be interested in:

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. If you like relevent, intelligent lyrics, you cannot really beat Bright Eyes. His songwriting style is very Dylan-esque, and this album is more acoustic than his previous work, but it's one of his strongest.

Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow. Great Psychedelic influnenced folk rock. You'd swear it was some lost album from the late 60s.

Elliot Smith - Any of his stuff. A great Beatle-esquse singer-songwriter.

Reigning Sound - Time Bomb High School or Too Much Guitar. If you like 60's British Invasion stuff....Love, Kinks, Stones....This Memphis band is flat out awesome.

I'm assuming you've heard of more mainstream stuff like Radiohead, Wilco, and The White Stripes, so I won't go into great detail about them, but would also be great considering the bands you like.

I think My Morning Jacket definitely fits the bill. Every song on the CD "Z" is different but the overall feel of the album is kind of rock... maybe.

Other recommendations would be
Ron Sexsmith... one of the best songwriters of our time...
A.C. Newman or The New Pornographers both are technically the same... alot of great catchy hooks with great lyrics (don't let the name fool you)
Archer Prewitt someone who uses every instrument under the sun to craft some of the most wonderful pop songs (more of an a.m. radio sound than rock)
Metric - someone who kicks the pants of pink. The new record has a harder feel to it than its predecessor.

Try those for now and enjoy.

Rev. are you into the Wilco? If not I think you would really appreciate Wilco.

If not already listening to them, I recommend the White Stripes. For something similiar but more blues-rock, try the Black Keys.

If adventuresome, try my favorite one-man band, Bevis Frond. Nick Saloman often channels the Byrds into his own brand of neo-psychedelic folk rock.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by crazed:
If not already listening to them, I recommend the White Stripes. For something similiar but more blues-rock, try the Black Keys.

If adventuresome, try my favorite one-man band, Bevis Frond. Nick Saloman often channels the Byrds into his own brand of neo-psychedelic folk rock.

[I just purchased my first White Stripes album this morning, White Blood Count (Cells, oops). My take on it: fantastic! I am an instant fan. If their other albums are as good as this one then I will be purchasing a lot of White Stripes for a while. This is a very versatile group with outstanding guitar work and great vocals. And I love the Dylan-like Hotel ?, the second song on the CD (sorry, forgot the last name. Don't have it here with me) Thanks for helping me "catch up" to some really good stuff!]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rev. Rikard,

Fellow Boomer here (born 1959)

Dittos on the above plugs for A.C. Newman and Elliott Smith.

As a child of the 60's/70's, you might also enjoy these:

"Southern Rock Opera" by The Drive-By Truckers (modern-day take on the Lynyrd Skynyrd thing)

or

"Oh No" by OK Go. (modern-day take on the Cheap Trick thing)

.

The Shins might be a good choice; they're very much a throwback to the Kinks, the Byrds, and early to mid-career Beatles.

White Blood Cells is the White Stripes' best album, but the one after it, Elephant, is also very good. I like the Black Keys (try "Rubber Factory") even more.

Unless you're a critic, I'm also sure you'll like Kings of Leon. Straightforward Southern rock, but it might be best to ignore some of the lyrics.

quote:

Originally posted by Rev. Rikard:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by crazed:
If not already listening to them, I recommend the White Stripes. For something similiar but more blues-rock, try the Black Keys.

If adventuresome, try my favorite one-man band, Bevis Frond. Nick Saloman often channels the Byrds into his own brand of neo-psychedelic folk rock.

[I just purchased my first White Stripes album this morning, White Blood Count. My take on it: fantastic! I am an instant fan. If their other albums are as good as this one then I will be purchasing a lot of White Stripes for a while. This is a very versatile group with outstanding guitar work and great vocals. And I love the Dylan-like Hotel ?, the second song on the CD (sorry, forgot the last name. Don't have it here with me) Thanks for helping me "catch up" to some really good stuff!]

Glad you enjoyed it, Rev. You can't go wrong any of the White Stripes albums (IMO). Hope you get a chance to try the Black Keys. dubs is right, try their "Rubber Factory", it's amazing.

I agree that the Rev. should check out all the above bands, but if he really wants to whet his Beatles love, he could do worse than Supergrass' last two, Life on Other Planets and Road to Rouen, plus I'm a sucker for the Coral's Magic and Medicine, and Nada Surf's Let Go is pretty impressive too.

You've got some good stuff to choose from in this thread.

Check out Ween's White Pepper album to also whet your Beatles love.

I have to second the recommendations for the Black Keys' "Rubber Factory". If you're a fan of Cream and Hendrix, I'd think you'd really enjoy this album.

You may want to check out The Magic Numbers' latest release, Rev. I noticed on one of your other posts a top 5 tightest harmonies list. Well, if there's one thing this group can do, it's harmonize. The album also has kind of a 60's pop feel to it. I must also second the Black Keys recommendations.

Spoon's Gimmie Fiction sounds like "classic rock" to me in the best possible way. Was never a big fan until this release. It blew me away....

Rev., let me offer an enthusiastic second to two of RL's suggestions, Ted Leo and Okkervil River. Specifically, check out Hearts of Oak and Black Sheep Boy respectively.

I'll also third ericg75 and J_D's Wilco recommendations, assuming you've not heard them already. I've said in the past that I think the degree to which they have invented and reinvented themselves is probably as close to the sort of career arc The Beatles or Buffalo Springfield had as we're likely to get these days. Despite most people's love of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I'm partial to starting with Summerteeth.

This year's Hold Steady album Separation Sunday has a classic rock sound in all the right ways. It's going to be way up on my year-end list along with Okkervil River.

f_s gave you a good, current power pop recommendation with OK Go. I'll give you another with Eugene Edwards excellent My Favorite Revolution. Power pop at its finest.

Now Playing: "Eulogy" Richard Pryor Was It Something I Said

quote:

Originally posted by The Human:
Spoon's Gimmie Fiction sounds like "classic rock" to me in the best possible way. Was never a big fan until this release. It blew me away....

That's exactly how I am. I don't like Kill the Moonlight, but Gimme Fiction really does the trick for me.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:

quote:

Originally posted by The Human:
Spoon's Gimmie Fiction sounds like "classic rock" to me in the best possible way. Was never a big fan until this release. It blew me away....

That's exactly how I am. I don't like Kill the Moonlight, but Gimme Fiction really does the trick for me.

I don't get the big diff. I really like both. What makes them somehow different?

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:

quote:

Originally posted by The Human:
Spoon's Gimmie Fiction sounds like "classic rock" to me in the best possible way. Was never a big fan until this release. It blew me away....

That's exactly how I am. I don't like Kill the Moonlight, but Gimme Fiction really does the trick for me.

I don't get the big diff. I really like both. What makes them somehow different?

I don't know. They really sound similar. It's just that one I really like and the other I'm lukewarm towards. One of those things you can't really explain I guess.

I second the Spoon recommendation, and I agree with Mark, that there's not a huge difference, in sound or quality, between "Gimme Fiction" and "Kill the Moonlight". Or "Girls can Tell" for that matter. I too prefer "Gimme Fiction", but only by a hair. It's like saying "Let it Bleed" is better than "Beggars Banquet".