Your Top 10 US Alternative Rock Bands

I’m heading to the club—mostly just hoping to snag at least thirty minutes of decent jazz, probably while nursing a Budweiser 🙏
As for the local band, I’m not expecting much, I guess.

gentlepuma20 said:I’m heading to the club because I want at least half an hour of decent jazz, likely fueled by some Budweiser. 🙏

It would’ve been nice to have some good punk at McDonald's. But you're just a metalhead who likes sweat and country music, so you wouldn't get it...

Narantxa said:uh, stoner rock. I struggle with that whole genre unless it's Kyuss...
Wait, are they heretics? What’s the deal—did they just change their name, or did the actual lineup switch too?

The name stays the same, but they've got a new drummer now... they just finished recording some new stuff and honestly, it's gonna be killer.

David Sullivan4 said:It would've been cool to have some decent punk at McDonald's. But you're more into that sweaty metal scene and country music, so I guess you wouldn't really get it, right?

Fair point!
Anyone got any extra sweat they're looking to sell?🙂

I’m not exactly the coolest guy here... 😢

And look, I’m no expert at betting on these things, so take this with a grain of salt:

1. Post-punk bands led by The Fall—absolutely. Though I wouldn't say the unreliable ones are leading the pack; they're more like the solid middle ground rather than the absolute peak.

2. Generally speaking, punk up to '78, specifically focusing on The Clash and the Buzzcocks—that's a given. No debate needed. 🙏

3. A deep dive into the American underground, centered around Husker Du (on the SST label), Mission of Burma, and those Dischord bands... Is there some widely accepted standard of "quality" that I just don't get or care for? Honestly, those bands just don't do it for me. And I don't know them that well either. Which is probably fine.

4. The bands that paved the way for grunge... Sonic Youth, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Pavement, and their various incarnations. Except for Sonic Youth (and even then, not their entire discography), it's basically the same deal as my take on SST.

Kurt Cobain, Radiohead, and At the Drive-In are respected as the heavyweights of the '90s mainstream, while Slint and Big Black represent the crown jewel of the underground. Honestly, when it comes to that decade, you pretty much have to stay current with everything released by the people who were actually making waves in the '80s. It's mandatory. Like, Kurt Cobain was genuinely great during his commercial peaks (Nevermind and MTV Unplugged), but the rest is just noise to me. Those circle-jerk crowds are exhausting. And what even is At the Drive-In, Slint, or Big Black? Is that stuff even listenable?

That's where the forum splits into two camps... one group is all about the sweat, the folk-rock stuff, and metal mixed in with this whole list, while the softer crowd sticks to indie and Americana releases... Check the National or Arcade Fire—Americana is boring too, with a couple of exceptions. Sure, the sweat, the folk, and the metal have their moments, but they aren't really what this specific faction of the forum values.

The one thing they do agree on is that most people consider Franz Ferdinand (and later Block Party, The Editors, etc.) to be the gold standard. That first Franz Ferdinand album is pleasant enough and I've got a soft spot for it, but subconsciously, I always associate it with that terrible music festival back in the day, because we played nothing but that CD in the car while doing a reportage out there. This newer stuff is just okay. I listen to The Editors a little, but they didn't really grab me. As for Block Party: see my thoughts on Slint.

Progressive rock and jazz aren't really my thing—not the modern stuff, anyway. Prog is great if you look at it from before the ugly punks showed up. As for jazz, to quote Zappu, it isn't dead, it's just outdated. I have zero interest in listening to eight thousand empty, pretentious hacks who only gained cult status because they once parked their cars two streets away from Coltrane's apartment... though I might stumble upon a solid track here and there.

The most interesting part of today's scene wasn't even mentioned: experimental electronica (including that mostly German stuff, which isn't all that experimental and is more pop-infused), nor its cousin, contemporary classical music. And then there's the whole spectrum of world music where—if you can scrape off the popular crossover garbage and—if it were possible—get rid of that heavily made-up, stiff, "high society" audience that frequents places like the Kennedy Center or fancy theater halls where they unfortunately host these concerts, there is truly some brilliant music to be found.

stormyviper11 said:What's the deal with ATDI, Slint, and Big Black? Are they any good?

Oh yeah—definitely worth a listen. 🙂

Man, I'm pretty cool, aren't I?

World music, electronica, classical... none of that counts. It's all about what's actually cool, stormyviper11—some people just never get it.

David Sullivan4 said:There was some decent punk at McDonald's. But you're more into that sweaty metal scene and country music, so you probably wouldn't get it, right?

Even the country shows at Wynn were alright... Like when she heads out to a local farmers market in the suburbs...

stormyviper11 is officially giving up on listening to eighties hardcore because that car show last night was actually a blast. I’m thinking "almost cool" should be the title 🙂

Honestly, I’m just glad stormyviper11 isn't into any of this cool stuff.
If everyone on this forum had such hardcore punk or metal tastes, this place would look completely different.

On another note, I'm giving a massive thousand points of credit because he hasn't even heard of Slint.

David Sullivan4 said:We can officially stop pretending stormyviper11 actually listens to eighties hardcore now. After seeing that car show last night, he’s basically a total convert. I'm thinking we call him "almost cool" from here on out.🙂

"Almost cool"? Wow... 🙂 Thanks, really, you didn't have to go that far.

Anyway, if anyone missed the show last night, those models are still in the window through Saturday!

I guess being almost cool is the new cool these days.

Izrod said:Since I'm new here, I wanted to see what everyone else is listening to. Here is my Top 10 list:
1. Misfits
2. The Cure
3. London After Midnight
4. Bauhaus
5. Skinny Puppy
6. Sisters of Mercy
7. Christian Death
8. Rammstein
9. Joy Division
10. Siouxsie and the Banshees

I'm really digging 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, and especially 4. 👍 Actually, I'd swap 9 for New Order, and instead of 1, 5, and 8, I'd go with Clan of Xymox, Silke Bischoff, and Einstürzende Neubauten.

Timothy Jones85 said:If you want to be considered cool on this forum, you better shut up and follow these bands.😁

Hmm, let's see... Post-punk bands are alright, but not huge. Punk isn't really my thing either. If we're talking Dischord bands, Fugazi is an absolute must. For the ex-Dischord crowd, Girls Against Boys is essential. I absolutely love those bands that paved the way for grunge. As for 90s mainstream? No way. I can't stand pop, country, or especially metal. Indie is definitely my lane, and Americana is always a winner. Between Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, and Editors, I prefer "The Departure" much more. Also, I'm just not into prog or jazz.

+ My favorite British acts (The Smiths, Suede, Stone Roses, James, Jesus and Mary Chain, Pulp, Ash, Travis, Placebo, Carter USM, Massive Attack, Portishead, and Sneakerpimps), plus I'll throw in The Lemonheads, Smashing Pumpkins, White Stripes, Arab Strap, The Cramps, Violent Femmes, Shelter, Shift, New Bomb Turks, Cavea... and all the others I've forgotten.

So, there it is. I'm not "cool," and honestly, I don't care what anyone thinks. 🥳

Led Zeppelin - Stairway
Black Sabbath - Sabbath, bloody sabbath
Animals
Rolling Stones - Angie
Azra - Tko to tamo pjeva
Azra - Obrati pažnju na posljednju stvar
Rock classics list
Deep Purple - Soldier of fortune
Deep Purple - Child in time
Kurt Cobain - Heart(shaped box)

Here’s my Top 10 list—not that it was easy to narrow it down.

Hey everyone, I don't think we even realized how we got played—he’s just being super subtle about recruiting all those prog and jazz snobs over on the forum for his own weird little faction 😬

Does that mean we're looking at a shortage?

gentlepuma20 said:So does that mean we're looking at more shore leave?

Well, if some radical extremist shows up and decides to absolutely tear us all to pieces, maybe—but I’m guessing they’ll be real short-lived.

Man, you guys listen to some wild stuff... Just all over the place... 👎

one11 said:Man, people really listen to just about anything these days... Just a whole lot of nonsense... 👎

Exactly!

Susan Edwards3 said:Alex Rogers91

🤣

😬

Susan Clark10 said:...and I'd throw in the Lemonheads, Smashing Pumpkins, White Stripes, Neutral Milk Hotel, the Cramps, and Violent Femmes.

A woman who actually digs Neutral Milk Hotel? 😲

ZEEEEEEENI Microsoft! 😬