Ever since it's blues-inspired birth in the '50s, people have been saying that Rock Music is dead. Nowadays, many look fondly on the rock music of the '60s, '70s, '80s, and the '90s, citing legendary bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, or Nirvana. They say that the lack of a band with a similar reputation in the 2000s is proof that the genre is stagnating. This is true, to some extent: It's seemingly lost it's anti-establishment attitude in the eyes of many. However, I believe this to be exaggeration. In retrospect, you could say much of the same of the mid to late '80s before the grunge explosion led by Nirvana that saved us from the horrors of Glam Metal (Sorry Motley Crue fans, but the genre was and is terrible). Ironically, it's the bands that were shaped by Nirvana that are the cause of the stagnation of Modern Rock Radio.
I think we should all thank Nirvana for saving us from this.
But fortunately, if you're willing to look, there are plenty of great bands keeping the genre alive and well. For this list I'm going to include bands that had their first major release no earlier than 1995, and are still active (or active until recently) with well received recent efforts. Also, while I love them dearly, bands like Foo Fighters and Muse will not be making an appearance on this list, seeing as they're pretty much the face of Modern Rock music, and let's be honest; there's a damn good chance you've listened to at least one of their songs before.
5. Them Crooked Vultures
Okay, so this one is a little unfair seeing as it's a super group, but that's why I've included it this far down the list. The most star studded band on this list, it includes Dave Grohl (frontman of Foo Fighters/drummer for Nirvana) on drums, John Paul Jones (bassist for Led Zeppelin) on bass, and Joshua Homme (Singer/guitarist for Queens of the Stone Age) on guitar and vocals. The result, 2009's Them Crooked Vultures, was a bluesy, scummy, riff-driven masterpiece, and possibly one of the best releases by a super group in decades. While it won a Grammy for Best Rock Song with their single New Fang, this band does not get the amount of recognition it deserves. A problem only amplified by the fact that they've been dormant for the past 6 years. But, according to Dave Grohl it's only a matter of time before they return.
Recommended songs: Mind Eraser No Chaser, Elephants, Dead End Friends
4. Birds of Tokyo
The fact that the first two entries into this list are bird-themed bands was purely a coincidence, I promise. While nigh-unheard of here in the states, this band is kind of a big deal among our mates in Australia. While starting out with a well polished but fairly standard alt-rock sound with their first few releases Day One and Universes, (the latter of which is one of my favorite albums ever) they evolved into their own sound with following releases, such as Birds of Tokyo and March Fires, with singles such as Lanterns being one of the most played songs on Australian radio during 2013.
Recommended songs: Broken Bones, Off Kilter, Lanterns
3. Franz Ferdinand
Yes, we've all heard Take Me Out. And yes, it's such a goddamned catchy song and I love it, but there is just so much more to this band. This indie, art-housey, dance rock band has come a long way from simply being a great indie band in the early 2000s. With albums like Tonight: Franz Ferdinand delving into the realm of electronic-infused rock and dance, this bands sound has become very unique and polished when compared to their contemporaries.
Recommended songs: Lucid Dreams, Do You Want To
2. Explosions in the Sky
If you ever watched the TV show Friday Night Lights, or watched the movie Lone Survivor, (which they composed the soundtrack for) you've heard this band's music and possibly never realized it. This Texas based Post-Rock band is probably the most unique band on this list, for one simple reason: they don't have a vocalist, and because of this, their songs don't have lyrics. With three guitarists and a drummer (one of the guitarists plays bass for studio releases), their long, instrumental based songs are written with the guitar in mind. Not in the sense of Van Halen-esque crazy guitar solos mind you, but simple melodies and hooks that let the instruments do all the talking for them. While their most popular release, The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place was quite popular considering the niche nature of the band's music, their recent releases have been just as good and any one of their albums makes great studying music due to their lack of vocals.
Recommended songs: Your Hand In Mine, Remember Me As a Time of Day, So Long Lonesome
1. Queens of the Stone Age
If you know me, or at least pay any attention to my Spotify profile, you'll know that I absolutely adore the Desert Rock outfit Queens of the Stone Age. I'm sure many of you have heard No One Knows, or possibly Go With the Flow, but perhaps the best way to describe the rest of the bands music as a whole is by describing the ideal situation to listen to their music: It's a walk through the woods at night, it's speeding down a flat, empty desert (or in my case, plains) freeway at high speeds, it's being on every drug imaginable, it's pure, unadulterated seduction, it's dying and being brought back to life. After a listen, it probably comes as no surprise that the brain behind it all, vocalist/guitarist Joshua Homme has himself gone through those same situations. This is a band that continually surrounds itself with talent; past guest musicians on records include Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Jack Black (Actor, Tenacious D), Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Alex Turner (The Arctic Monkeys), and even Sir Elton f***ing John. I could go on and on about this band, but I'll stop myself here.
Recommended songs: Burn the Witch, Another Love Song, Sick Sick Sick, Feel Good Hit of the Summer, and if you're driving on any highway faster than 70 mph, Song for the Dead.
So that's my list of bands that are keeping rock music alive. Of course, it's very objective, and there are several bands I wanted to include but didn't make the cut in my eyes, whether they were well known or just not worthy of a Top 5 position. (Especially The Strokes, The Killers, and Brand New, all of whom you should also check out.) Do you feel I've unfairly left a band out? Let me know why, and I'll give their stuff a listen and maybe (probably) do a revised list sometime in the future.
