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Artists in 2010s
Hi!
I used to listen a lot to Sonic Youth in the 90s together with bands like Pavement, Yo La Tengo and Blonde Redhead. Somehow I got into other areas of music and now it seems impossible to find a way back. Which bands and artists are the Sonic Youths of the 2010:s? If you have any ideas, feel free to share them and get me back on track! /Niklas |
sort of nonexistent... but along the lines of abstract sound art, you have people like Michael Pisaro and Graham Lambkin making interesting music nowadays.. individually, as well as in collaborative scenarios. it's hard to think of a modern group or band with the same impact or presence of sonic youth, what about autechre?
on another note, http://glisteningexamples.bandcamp.com/ http://cosmicjams.blogspot.com/2009/...on-run-cd.html http://glisteningexamples.bandcamp.c...-do-volume-one jason lescalleet makes warped sounding music using tape machines, turntables, field recordings, etc. http://erstwhilerecords.com/ discography is littered with gems, playing/recording scenarios where two or more disparate-sounding artists are put together, for interesting results. it's all loosely generalised as electro-acoustic improvisation |
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Niklas, just to clarify, when you say like the Sonic Youth's if the 2010s, do you mean the more dischordant and adventurous end but still melodic and song based rock music?
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as for rock music, deerhoof and wilco are still putting out records.. deerhoof has a series of high quality albums (with super-sounding riffs, dope drumming), spanning the last thirteen years. ever since Reveille came out in 2002
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tthere are many lofi sy influenced bands these days and most of them suck or are just whatever
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Yep. The problem with this inquiry is that it asks an awful lot of band. They have to have that 90s guitar-based indie thing going on, but they have to do it in a refreshing, non-derivative way. It's a tough nut to crack. Many have tried and failed. |
http://noticerecordings.bandcamp.com...ings-2005-2014
Haptic have made some excellent recordings.. here are two examples, though it goes beyond "sy-influenced" into some rich and detailed sound worlds (minimal/drone territory) how about the dead c, or goslings? |
goslings are amazing
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I haven't liked anything I've heard from Goslings, and the Dead C are fantastic but markedly more leftfield than SY.
I'll write a list tomorrow. |
https://youtu.be/sv78Eulq79M - acre thrills
https://youtu.be/DrTV7eP3Id8 - talker us maple made some of the greatest guitar music of the last twenty years, if you're not already familiar |
Toilet & Bowels: I guess I need both ends, both the adventourous part and the melodic part. I mentioned Pavement, Yo La Tengo and Blonde Redhead here above and I guess they also combine these different aspects of music, even though I realise that Sonic Youth have done it in the most original way.
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Ohsees
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https://youtu.be/-LElqwoBOJE - "china steps"
Public Strain is a great album. check out "drag open" or "untogether" the opening track has blazing, droning viola/violins.. john cale-like. the album recalls vu, sy and others -- blatantly. it's beautiful |
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Yeah, Women's Public Strain is absolutely one of the more markedly Sonic Youth-esque albums of the last several years. I don't think it's any more blatant than a lot of other bands who've taken cues from SY (Trail of Dead's Source Tags & Codes is a high profile and at this point very old example, but it's such a transparent grab for the sound of Daydream Nation that it makes Women look absolutely fresh by comparison.) I'm glad someone mentioned Thee Oh Sees, and while I agree that they're a ball bustingly incredible band that can certainly claim SY as an influence, I would also argue that they don't actually sound much like SY at all. At least not in their current incarnation. Perfect Pussy is a tough sell because they got a lot of indiscriminate hype in 2014 just for being a female fronted punk band. I know a lot of people on this forum didn't catch the bug, but their debut full length album really is an impressive and refreshing boundary testing post-punk record. There is a very obvious Sonic Youth influence in their sound, though it took me a few listens of their self-titled lp before I really heard it. It's in the spaces between songs, sort of, and in the moments when they let their hardcore sound stretch out a bit. I don't think they should be written off just because they got some heavy media attention. Their debut was one of my top 10 records of 2014, and they put on an a damn good live show. |
As far as composers and sound collages go, I can't help but point to Ben Frost. He's definitely more of a maximalist than Sonic Youth, but his music has strong melodies that are heavily layered and pushed to the absolute max by multi-instrumentation and extreme volume. It's noise, but it's also anthemic. It's electronic AND organic. It's digital maximalism peppered with elements of analogue minimalism and it's fucking intense as hell. Listen to 2014's AURORA LP and accompanying VARIANT EP if you're interested.
Along similar lines, and another example of digital and analogue hybridizing, is Fuck Buttons, and sister act Blanck Mass. Not a hell of a lot of direct SY or YLT influence... more Boredoms. Fuck Buttons have yet to release an album that failed to make it into my favorite records of that year. They're getting better too, I'd say. Also, 2015's A Year of 13 Moons by Jefre Cantu-Ledesma has some really exquisite guitar based compositions and sounds. It's varied, touching on ambient and shoegaze as well as noise-influenced guitar squalls, but it's all quite beautiful. Doesn't punish like Ben Frost and Fuck Buttons. |
Gnod.
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Infinity Machines is an incredible album! I totally overlooked it, goddamn me! |
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Dude, what. are. you. saying. |
You're a tough nut to crack, p_green.
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I think what he is saying is, and it mirrors what Kim Gordon has said, that the whole 2 guitars, bass, drums, thing is DEAD and BORING.
It is hard to do anything new with the old Rock format, unless it is to meld some other non-rock genre into rock. The kids now hear rock instrumentation and it grates on their ears for it is the sound of every shit ass commercial on TV every fucking movie out of hollywood, etc. I used to feel the same way about folk/acoustic instrumentation, psychedelic "rock", big band music. In the late 70's early 80's those sounds were used to advertise to the old folks, and as a kid I HATED THEM the kids nowadays want to cry everytime they are forced to hear another goddamn The Who track used as a soundtrack to a TV show or a commercial. In 20 years the boom bap of Hip Hop will be heard the very same way.... |
Here's a list of bands (pretty much all rock bands) that at some point in the last 10 years, or now, did a good or great job of blending melody/song writing, with dischord/weirdness/fuzz:
Far Out Fangtooth Times New Viking 7 Year Rabbit Cycle Religous Knives Bardo Pond Degreaser Naked on the Vague Cruel Summer Helen Eat Skull Joshua Jugband 5 Major Stars Aural Fit The Oh Sees (and CastleFace Records) TV Ghost Talk Normal Sic Alps Teenage Panzerkorps The Mantles Tractor Sex Fatality Human Adult Band Wooden Shjips Up-Tight Suishou No Fune LSD March Kurt Vile & The Violators Tyvek Spacin' Home Blitz Dial Mayyors MV&EE Puffy Areolas Ty Segall Magik Markers (Their Drag City releases) Total Control Peaking Lights Kitchen's Floor Pocahaunted Factums Blank Realm Slug Guts Wet Hair White Hills Circle Pit Sky Needle I hope you check them out and enjoy them! |
https://youtu.be/0LoFcPDJvQI
Autechre "Ae" Live Dublin 19/12/14 these guys are making some of their best music, 25 years into their career. check the latter half of the set for some outright gorgeous sound realms. |
Here are some new finnish ones that sound little bit SY (I really love these)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYgMFmr1OQo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBlh9nARFZs |
Thanks everyone for all suggestions! I will check out all the bands you mentioned.
Some of you seem to be skeptical about alternative rock music (2 guitars, bass, drums etc.) and instead talk about electronic music and hip hop. That's ok with me, but then, who are the Sonic Youth of the electronic and hip hop scene then? |
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Dude. I have no idea how to answer that. Like, for real. I'm not even sure where Sonic Youth stands in their own world/worlds. I tend to think of them as the Fab Four of the underground, but I'm not exactly objective. Sonic Youth is, honestly, a pretty big name in music even if they never had a platinum album or top ten single. They made critically acclaimed music for three consecutive decades and kind of influenced everyone who followed in their general genre. So if you're going by that, I suppose a case could be made for Aphex Twin as the Sonic Youth of electronic music. But that just kinda feels like Severain talking about Severian shit. A case could also be made for Autechre, Fridge (way underrated but seminal as hell... Wouldn't have Four Tet without this group), DJ spooky, Black Dog... It's a super weird thing to try to pin down. Sonic Youth themselves had a tremendous influence on electronic and ambient music. But they were never futurists. As for hip-hop, that's even more difficult. As a massive hip-hop nerd and obsessive follower of pretty much all the different variations of the genre, I have no quick and easy answer to the question, "who's the Sonic Youth of hip-hop?" I'm not even sure how to start addressing that question. Easiest answer is probably Public Enemy. But it's not like that's breaking news or anything. |
Fridge were a 2nd tier example of what was pretty wide spread style of music in the late 90s, and speaking of the 90s autechre's 90s music is fairly enjoyable, but ever since confield I've found their music to be the most boring stuff I've ever heard.
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Massive understatement, but you're right. Early SY records ("early" is a bit relative with them, but let's assume you're talking about the '80s material) are more exciting to me on the umpteen-thousandth listen than most of the best new records are the first time around. But I feel that way about Goo as well. And large chunks of both Dirty and Experimental Jet Set. And certainly everything from Washing Mashine - Nurse. (Love Ripped and the Eternal too, but in a different way). But I digress... you're right. Sonic Youth still sounds so amazing that I only have a trivial curiosity about who might be the "new" version of them. Mostly because there is no new SY. If, at any time, there was, it probably would have been a role shared by Unwound, early '90s Pavement, late '90s Modest Mouse and early 00's Radiohead. But no single band has ever come close to being a full-fledged "new/next" Sonic Youth. Quote:
Yes! In fact, I listened to it while driving through a blizzard just ― an hour ago. And I listened to it twice throughout the week. It still sounds more powerful and relevant and glorious than virtually any other record I can think of. It still manages to push more serotonin ("Teen Age Riot"), dopamine ("Cross the Breeze"), and adrenaline ("Eliminator Jr") into my neruoreceptors than any pharmaceutical. I'm more of a Sister kind of guy too. Always have been. Mostly because Sister represents a band in transition, from art-rock infused hardcore and schizo-punk to something far more seamless and unique. Sister shows a becoming the best band in the world. With Daydream, they were already there. They were in top form, and the record works like one uninterrupted epic thought. There's no growth taking place before your eyes on Daydream Nation. So even thought it's a perfect album, I have always leaned toward Sister as my "favorite." But you're totally right. Daydream Nation is still, nearly three decades after its release, every bit as gripping, intelligent and seminal as it ever was. It also puts most music from just about any genre to shame. |
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I claim I still am at least almost as excited about some new records as I was earlier in my life. It is very rare these days, but it happens. Of course I think you just canīt have as strong emotions in the age of 40 as the age of 10 or 20, but I claim I have much stronger emotions than most of the 40 years old people. But I donīt believe I can be excited about totally new music, it has to has some elements from the music I listened in the age of 10-30. About DDN, it really havenīt ever been the biggest SY record to me. I really love it of course, but I donīt think it is even near the greatness of Sister and EVOL. Itīs quite the same level as Goo & Dirty to me. Of course I loved it quite immediately then when I heard it (it was my second SY-album after Goo). |
regarding electronic music, between the original 90s Warp stalwarts (Aphex, Autechre, Boards of Canada, Squarepusher), there should be quite enough music to busy yourself with. that's if you're not necessarily looking for something that sounds like sonic youth, but music or bands that make high quality music who've always been relatively 'under the radar', and who've been somewhat consistent for the last few decades.
you can't go wrong with Aphex Twin, his 00s work alone (Drukqs is peak) is totally worthwhile. you've got the Analord series (2005-06) along with the two Tuss eps (2007), which are pretty much timeless. similarly, there's Cylob, you can find most of his music on Bandcamp/iTunes. there's a certain pure-ness to Cylob's music, and he uses a lot of odd-sounding, microtonal tunings. With Aphex, you have Syro, which is 80% dope. it came out just last year, preceding a massive dump of unreleased tracks onto soundcloud, and two minor eps. Autechre is a strange bird, some people can't stand their music post-Confield, but i believe albums like Draft, Untilted, Quaristice, and Oversteps are their best material. in this way they're similar to sonic youth, where people's opinions/'favorites' vary widely. try out ep7, or lp5.. or amber. each album is good. Boards of Canada, they're not so active, but the music is excellent. not gonna try to 'sell' it or describe it here.. it's some special shit. Mortte Jousimo, you mentioned Beefheart.. have you given U.S. Maple a chance? |
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I don't understand the caveats people have with Autechre. They've always been one of my favorite institutions in electronic music, and I believe Exai was one of their finest records. Hearing someone refer to them as "boring" just does not register with me at all. |
Also, in defense of Fridge, I honestly don't think it's accurate to imply that they were a commonplace group with anordinary sound. I think they're hugely underrated.
Maybe I should say Kieran Hebden instead. Anyone who's heard his work with Steve Reid knows that he's anythjng but commonplace. And like Sonic Youth, his music (depending on which moniker he's working under) combines several genres, including post-rock, electronic, dub, jazz and ambient. Fridge is dope. |
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Hip Hop's a complete joke today. It imploded up it's butt years ago. And don't bother posting a list of lame, parody acts that absurdly try to emulate the greats of yesteryear. |
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Not gonna lie, a lot of today's rap and hip-hop music is total shit. But that's true of every genre. It's true of just about everything, really. Most things are boring and ordinary, whether you're talking about music, film, literature, shoes, websites, automobiles or human beings. So I guess I don't really get why you seem to think hip-hop is somehow unique in this. If conforms to the same bell curve (the very definition of "normal") as anything/everything else. Still, at any given time, those artists that make up the top 5% are absolutely Fucking killing it. In my opinion, hip-hop has generally had a much better decade than most genres, both in germs of quality and quantity of music. |
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my two favorites (acre thrills and talker) are linked (youtube) on the previous page.. |
Hip Hop is the only pop music genre that still creates new sounds and new ideas. Rock music is dead. DEAD. Something new is brewing, which will be neither hip hop nor rock, nor anything else we have ever seen.
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