Furthermore, The White Stripes are a fine band, up until 'Elephant'.  Those first few albums were great!

The thing I can't down with in regards to the new crop of 'garage' bands is they are all so fucking wimpy!  Where's the danger, the excitement, the punk rock?  I like psych, and I like some stoner-y kinda stuff too, but I need some energy and passion and spite and hate in my rocknroll to really get me going.  I rarely feel an element of danger bands live shows these days, it's either straight up 'bug' music (see: The Flintstones) or it's just so wimpy that I can't get behind it.  I don't need a GG Allin show, but c'mon, make me feel like I might get hurt if I get a little too close to the stage, y'know?!  GIMME DANGER LITTLE STRANGER

is this thread stuck in a time warp from 2001?

 

THE WHITE STRIPES are fuckin awesome and are better than 80% of the bands discussed here.  has anyone that talked shit about them actually own any of their albums???  they put out some of the most brilliant rock n roll records in the past 15 years. and the live show was absolutely ELECTRIC.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9bgjsRP-bs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drEv4ppt2n4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fM2qhG8mA4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4rYaLBUpLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03YUgHAshSo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ-zRwN8sZg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JOGoaJauzk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QABMdiR0HE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXLmdciqUD4

 

DONT HATE

 

 

 michelle,

    a thoughtful considered opinion has no place here! you will ruin everything for the rest of us!!

  
Michelle Magnero said:

Just spent 15 minutes writing my post and it got deleted, so I don't know how this one will turn out but I will try...Ok, so first of all I think a couple of the bands are slightly popular/ trendy, but not the genre. Most of the people I know either do not like it or don't know who the bands are. When I think about why it is that a couple/handful of the bands have managed to cross over into the mainstream my two favorite examples to use are White Stripes and Black Lips, both of whom have been discussed elsewhere on this board. If you think about each of these bands and how/why they got popular (and also take into consideration that we are talking about two different time periods here- WS in 2000/ early 2000's and BL in the later part of the decade) one thing that becomes obvious to me is that they both became successful because of some kind of branding or selling of a concept, none of which, if you really think about it, has anything to do with the music they are playing. (Some of you on here may be able to think of things such as the equipment they use or build, etc., that connects the image to the sound,  but remember that you already have a background knowledge about this that the general public does not, thus they probably won't consider it.) So with BL, think about how back before they were on Vice the garage community seemed a little stand-offish against them (even when they were on ITR). Well partly I think the reason for this may have been because they were so young and looked a little hipster-ish. (And also the fact that they have admitted in their interviews that in the old days they didn't even really know how to play and just relied on shock value at their shows.)So once they landed on Vice the kids went, oh, they look edgy or whatever, let's listen to this. With WS, ten years ago: WS was a buzz band, people thought it was cute. They thought all those bands from Sweden were cute. THEY WERE NOT. (Sorry Swedish GRH members.) Someone brought up the example of Oblivians and I think it is a great one, so I will use it again: These kids that like BL are not going to look at old Oblivians LPs and go, they look cool, I think I will listen to this- because they don't know the TIME PERIOD or the GENRE. And they don't care about it. Two more quick things then I will shut up- 1. The Mummies: for whatever reason for quite a long time it has seemed to me that if someone only knew one garage band, it was the Mummies. Usually these people were hipsters. If I think about another band a lot of people know, you have Man or Astroman. They are so big that people who like this band and do not like primarily garage refuse to acknowledge that they are a garage rock band. My suspicion is that it is because they don't know enough about the genre to know that MoA plays a sub-genre of garage. 2. Blaine: No we are not cool, for me what liking garage means is that people think you are weird and that your music sucks/ all sounds the same :)

Just spent 15 minutes writing my post and it got deleted, so I don't know how this one will turn out but I will try...Ok, so first of all I think a couple of the bands are slightly popular/ trendy, but not the genre. Most of the people I know either do not like it or don't know who the bands are. When I think about why it is that a couple/handful of the bands have managed to cross over into the mainstream my two favorite examples to use are White Stripes and Black Lips, both of whom have been discussed elsewhere on this board. If you think about each of these bands and how/why they got popular (and also take into consideration that we are talking about two different time periods here- WS in 2000/ early 2000's and BL in the later part of the decade) one thing that becomes obvious to me is that they both became successful because of some kind of branding or selling of a concept, none of which, if you really think about it, has anything to do with the music they are playing. (Some of you on here may be able to think of things such as the equipment they use or build, etc., that connects the image to the sound,  but remember that you already have a background knowledge about this that the general public does not, thus they probably won't consider it.) So with BL, think about how back before they were on Vice the garage community seemed a little stand-offish against them (even when they were on ITR). Well partly I think the reason for this may have been because they were so young and looked a little hipster-ish. (And also the fact that they have admitted in their interviews that in the old days they didn't even really know how to play and just relied on shock value at their shows.)So once they landed on Vice the kids went, oh, they look edgy or whatever, let's listen to this. With WS, ten years ago: WS was a buzz band, people thought it was cute. They thought all those bands from Sweden were cute. THEY WERE NOT. (Sorry Swedish GRH members.) Someone brought up the example of Oblivians and I think it is a great one, so I will use it again: These kids that like BL are not going to look at old Oblivians LPs and go, they look cool, I think I will listen to this- because they don't know the TIME PERIOD or the GENRE. And they don't care about it. Two more quick things then I will shut up- 1. The Mummies: for whatever reason for quite a long time it has seemed to me that if someone only knew one garage band, it was the Mummies. Usually these people were hipsters. If I think about another band a lot of people know, you have Man or Astroman. They are so big that people who like this band and do not like primarily garage refuse to acknowledge that they are a garage rock band. My suspicion is that it is because they don't know enough about the genre to know that MoA plays a sub-genre of garage. 2. Blaine: No we are not cool, for me what liking garage means is that people think you are weird and that your music sucks/ all sounds the same :)

tell us where we can go if our little cool club is ruined? and be quick about it. the fucking roof just blew off!

Most of these posts read like elite assholes.  Annoyed because people don't know as much about music as you do?  That's childish.  I hope, out of spite, garage becomes more mainstream and ruins your little cool club.

I'm anyway grateful that kids become fans of garage. I remember when I started listening to it. It started with Black Lips, Mummies, Sonics, 13th Floor etc, but the thirst for more got me interested in hearing more.

 

Let's welcome them all!

Jon said:

yes. trendy as fck.. i have a DJ night where I play tons of BFTG tunes, stuff from all those awesome comps from Teenage Shutdown to the Quagmire series, but people don't seem intrested in really knowing the genre. as well as more current garagepunk band... instead tons of people go out to this other night where they play nothing outside the Nuggets comp and even then its usually only the Sonics, sometimes 13th floor elevators and a bunch of other top 40 tracks from the 60's and people are always at shows trying to brag about how much they know about "garage" and how good it is but can never talk any further than the sonics, mummies, gories, white stripes, and the black lips.

I guess a lot of the meat of this discussion depends on what you consider garage and what you don't.

In my humble opinion, there is more to garage than just influences and all garage did not descend from the 60s British Invasion (which I think (Rock History Blasphemy Warning) we could have lived without in America) as many would have us believe. Buddy Holly was recording his songs (played in a garage) in the fifties using Lo-fi equipment and his drummer thumping a cardboard box on Not Fade Away.

For my part, if it's too clean,polished and processed, it ain't garage.

I call my music "Garage" cause that's where I write it, play it and often record it. I realize too, that the conventional definition of the "G" word probably means something different to most people.   

 

Oh my god this is so truuuue. Which is why I try to play as many of the more obscure 60's Garage Bands on my show as I can. Also..thanks to the previous folks who agreed with my post.

Jon said:

yes. trendy as fck.. i have a DJ night where I play tons of BFTG tunes, stuff from all those awesome comps from Teenage Shutdown to the Quagmire series, but people don't seem intrested in really knowing the genre. as well as more current garagepunk band... instead tons of people go out to this other night where they play nothing outside the Nuggets comp and even then its usually only the Sonics, sometimes 13th floor elevators and a bunch of other top 40 tracks from the 60's and people are always at shows trying to brag about how much they know about "garage" and how good it is but can never talk any further than the sonics, mummies, gories, white stripes, and the black lips.

yes. trendy as fck.. i have a DJ night where I play tons of BFTG tunes, stuff from all those awesome comps from Teenage Shutdown to the Quagmire series, but people don't seem intrested in really knowing the genre. as well as more current garagepunk band... instead tons of people go out to this other night where they play nothing outside the Nuggets comp and even then its usually only the Sonics, sometimes 13th floor elevators and a bunch of other top 40 tracks from the 60's and people are always at shows trying to brag about how much they know about "garage" and how good it is but can never talk any further than the sonics, mummies, gories, white stripes, and the black lips.

Or tell the Monks to forget about the banjo.

John Carlucci said:

I totally agree with this part of your post. I've always hated labels. I feel that having preconceived notions and rules in any specific genre stifles creativity. Think about it, if the 13th Floor Elevators were a new band starting out today, how many people would say, "You can't have a jug player in a Garage Band!" lol! 

I totally agree with this part of your post. I've always hated labels. I feel that having preconceived notions and rules in any specific genre stifles creativity. Think about it, if the 13th Floor Elevators were a new band starting out today, how many people would say, "You can't have a jug player in a Garage Band!" lol!

Old School Hero said:.

On a side note: I do think it could go big in a real and honest way. I think this because there are a ton of people who can't stand rap or techno..and that's all you have a choice to dance to these days. I find that pure Rock 'n Roll is quite dancable and could make a huge comeback if done by the right bands, with the right DJ's, and the right people starting it.

For as long as I've run this website (or at least since I started the old GaragePunk Forums in 2002), the Mummies and Gories have always been discussed a lot. And even before that, going back to the mid-'90s, they've also been highly revered on other websites and email lists (like the Bomp list, for example) and I spun the hell out of them on my old radio show in St. Louis. In fact, the Mummies got played more than any other band on my show over the course of more than a decade.

Plus, both of those bands have reformed and started playing out again in recent years.

jamie said:

It is trendy at the moment. Lots of real young "hipsters" come see my two garage style groups. They all like The Sonics, Gories, Mummies, and The Black Lips. Not much beyond that, although these people also seem to be into all sorts of different music genres, alot of gothic sort of stuff and grunge. Basically anything with guitars. I think what it really is, is these people are looking for something more alternative than the generic indie stuff. And it is fun music that you can dance to and have fun. As opposed to the poser synth arty indie disco bands and the people that see them.

 

But then there are other local groups who call themselves garage when although they might know a few garage bands, because they themselves are really indie people, they don't really get it. And you get them saying things like "We are a garage rock band influenced by Joy Division and The Slits and The Jam". But because they play on line ups with actual garage style bands and the crowd of young people is the same, it doesn't really make a difference.

 

What I want to know is why is it The Mummies and The Gories, out of all the 80s garage bands, to be talked about so much now?

It is trendy at the moment. Lots of real young "hipsters" come see my two garage style groups. They all like The Sonics, Gories, Mummies, and The Black Lips. Not much beyond that, although these people also seem to be into all sorts of different music genres, alot of gothic sort of stuff and grunge. Basically anything with guitars. I think what it really is, is these people are looking for something more alternative than the generic indie stuff. And it is fun music that you can dance to and have fun. As opposed to the poser synth arty indie disco bands and the people that see them.

 

But then there are other local groups who call themselves garage when although they might know a few garage bands, because they themselves are really indie people, they don't really get it. And you get them saying things like "We are a garage rock band influenced by Joy Division and The Slits and The Jam". But because they play on line ups with actual garage style bands and the crowd of young people is the same, it doesn't really make a difference.

 

What I want to know is why is it The Mummies and The Gories, out of all the 80s garage bands, to be talked about so much now?

we got pointed here by you because we are trying to sell out but nobody's buying. seriously though (one eyebrow up /slanted smiles) this brings up something that is probably one of the hardest things a band must do. describing yourself. giving yourself a label that will attract people who might otherwise pass you by. this is loathesome to all of us bands as we are unique. that is what we must believe in order to keep going. we worry that maybe strictly speaking we do not belong on gph. we have heroes and inspirations that are firmly in the canon but we do not really sound like them. kopper is there a gph tribunal that passes judgement on who is really gp? we firmly believe in such a thing as good music and bad music. it is not a matter of opinion. it is a fact. facts (despite what the republicans think) are solid and immovable objects. they exist and there is nothing you can do about it. most of those whiny sensitive bear shit bands on pitchfork are BAD MUSIC. there is a terrible pretense to having soul that just makes us fucking angry. having said all that  probably none of it belongs here. just forget it.

kopper said:

Hell yeah, it's trendy as fuck right now. And it's really annoying. I keep hearing or reading of "garage" sounds or influences in bands that sound NOTHING like garage rock (or "garage punk," for that matter). I think it's just the state of the music scene right now. Bands like the Hives, White Stripes, and Black Lips (amongst others) really put "garage rock" in the mainstream, and then you had labels like Vice Records jump on the bandwagon with lots of money to promote it with the help of corporations like Scion, and BOOM. It's the "next big thing." Problem is, too many of these bands are just plain BORING, and I bet most of 'em wouldn't know a Sonics or Oblivians tune if it hit 'em on their heads.

Oh, and by the way, I never could stand the Strokes. As far as I'm concerned they were the "Pearl Jam of Garage Rock," a fabricated band, totally fake, with crappy music that might be OK when compared with the rest of mainstream "rock music," but pales in comparison to most of the real garage rock/punk out there.

for 22-piastepirkkko. according to this thread I see your point at first sight. but the description of the bands somehow says there's more then just "garage". and a soundsample was choosen, which is far from this part of the labeling. but nevertheless garage has always been an integral  part of the band's sound and heritage.

http://soundcloud.com/bone-voyage/22-pistepirkko-save-my-soul/
http://soundcloud.com/bone-voyage/22-pistepirkko-big-bed/
http://soundcloud.com/bone-voyage/22-pistepirkko
http://soundcloud.com/bone-voyage/22-pistepirkko-frankenstein

 

the band gonna play a off-venue show in reykjavik on 12.10.  at Bar 11, garage-style for sure. They are not hardcore, and are not the pure garage band you might be looking for. maybe at heart they are a quirky pop band. or homemade r'n'r. stubborn and  adventurous. it's not for everyone. 

rumble ouwee!

The false labeling is annoying, but imagine rock n roll music being played on the radio, at high school dances. Even if it becomes "main stream" it doesnt sound all that bad to me. But at the moment im showing all kinds of freinds my rock and roll, and they're digging it just fine, so again, i dont think its such a huge deal.

yeah, i'd almost rather talk politics or religion with the squares than try to get them to understand the music that i like...

Old School Hero said:

I don't know man I feel like the biggest loser in the world when I tell people what I like. (Not that I care...) I tell people and I get the whole O_O look or the awkward, "Ooohhh''. Sometimes people even have the nerve to say they listen to it all the time and clearly don't. I definitely agree with Kop on what he said earlier. I think to a degree it is trendy for car comercials and stuff like that...and there are some bands that definitely improperly label themselves as Garage or whatever. I don't know why that is, but then again some people call Metal Rock 'n' Roll and I definitely couldn't agree less.

On a side note: I do think it could go big in a real and honest way. I think this because there are a ton of people who can't stand rap or techno..and that's all you have a choice to dance to these days. I find that pure Rock 'n Roll is quite dancable and could make a huge comeback if done by the right bands, with the right DJ's, and the right people starting it.

I don't know man I feel like the biggest loser in the world when I tell people what I like. (Not that I care...) I tell people and I get the whole O_O look or the awkward, "Ooohhh''. Sometimes people even have the nerve to say they listen to it all the time and clearly don't. I definitely agree with Kop on what he said earlier. I think to a degree it is trendy for car comercials and stuff like that...and there are some bands that definitely improperly label themselves as Garage or whatever. I don't know why that is, but then again some people call Metal Rock 'n' Roll and I definitely couldn't agree less.

On a side note: I do think it could go big in a real and honest way. I think this because there are a ton of people who can't stand rap or techno..and that's all you have a choice to dance to these days. I find that pure Rock 'n Roll is quite dancable and could make a huge comeback if done by the right bands, with the right DJ's, and the right people starting it.

The words "melody driven" always give it away.  Also describing a band as having a gazillion influences that are "blended" to produce a certain (insert adjective here) sound. Makes me hesitant to spend money on music fests, especially when there is not much to spare.

 

When i spin records here in north germany, i can count the people who dig it on one hand. Most know the Sonics, but if i come with 'Back from the Grave' Stuff and others they never hearded before they are not that interested.

I think it's just lots of people do not know how to handle new impressions and are simply not interested to change because it is much easier to be as you where.

I actually try forcing them to listen to that kind of music because it's me who's the DJ :D But seriously i don't stop to spread Garage as i understand it till i'm rid of it! A man on a mission UAhhhhh!

...ah, jep i think it's not trendy around here :)

Wow don't even start with indie. That description got killed in the 2000's... 

Strokes are coming with new record that's correct. but I think fans and recordcompanies don't give a shit. this band is dead. (was always dead)

Enough about Strokes.. I first noticed that "garage" was going to be trend when I saw this film Scott Pilgrim VS The World. Scott's band Sex O Bomb sounds very rough and with nice fuzz. I actually really like it. I think it's composed by Beck.. Black Lips got also tune in the film. I thought it was very cool at the time bringing the garage to the people who dosent search in music. But now I have other ideas when some new bands are using this word Garage" again again and playing stuff sounding like Artic Monkeys or Libertines.. Fuck off you killed the word "indie" don't kill "Garage"..

 

Yeah it's a trend, it's almost as though it's following "indie" being a trend, perhaps they see it as helping differentiate themselves from the mass of "indie" ever so slightly to put "garage rock influenced" in their sound description. And "indie" too, remember when "indie" used to describe independent? Now I don't know what it means, seems to be more of an aesthetic than anything else these days, hopefully this is not the beginning of garage becoming the same thing but I fear that it is... And yeah, never liked the Strokes, bland and shit boring...

the strokes arnt gone there latest album was realeased in feb and last nite is a top tune witha great solo