I seem to stumble on more interesting new things in electronica than in rock
these days. Most of the rock stuff I've enjoyed in the past year or so is
by folks who've been around a good while -- Richard Thompson, Tanya
Donnelly, Frank Black & the Catholics, Bloodthirsty Lovers (featuring Dave
Shouse from the Grifters, who has a sly electronica influence and a drummer
who can mimic drum 'n' bass one second and do Elvin Jones the next), Aimee
Mann, Chuck Prophet, Robbie Fulks and the Iguanas. And there's a New
Orleans band called the Geraniums, all guys in their late 30s-early 40s who
have played in scads of other bands, that sort of blends Van Morrisson, the
Velvet Underground and the Pogues without sounding overly like any of those.
My favorite rock album of the whole year was P.J. O'Connell's, which is
pretty much an NRBQ album w/ P.J. as the lead singer.
I haven't bothered to buy albums by any of the much-touted young groups that
are supposed to be reviving rock or garage rock or what have you. It's fun
to see them pop up on late-night talk shows, as a change from the Jewel
wannabes and the hip-pop posses, but none of the material is especially
compelling. I listen to the college station here a lot and they're bad at
back-announcing so I call and get artists' names when I really like
something, but I can't remember ever calling to get the name of any rock
groups they've played.
