Is There More Rock After Our Adolescence?

By: Carlos Payta (broadcaster and producer of RADIOUNION)

In an interview of Rock and Roll Garage magazine to Robert Plant in 2017, he was asked about a supposed meeting of Led Zeppelin, to which the singer replied:

“It shows you that people don’t have anything else to write about, obviously. And that’s kind of sad. All these magazines and internet platforms should support new music and help new musicians find an audience, instead of dwelling on the old crap all the time. It’s like there’s nothing new and exciting anymore, when in fact there is. So stop living in the past. Open your ears and your eyes. It’s not that hard, right?”

This comment comes from one of the most important rock icons of all time, so, under this challenging premise, it brings me to confirm that we have reached an age where we stop looking and it is not my intention to criticize. But it is our duty as good rockers, to have our security blanket of the rock of our youth, but to also look for something new. So, I’ll recommend something new based on some classic rock bands against some unknown bands or at least from the year 2000 onwards.

My favorite, The Beatles. And I want to recommend XTC, which, although it is no longer new, is very little known and brings arrangements that range from the most sophisticated pop to jazz and even experimental music. Having fans from Sabo Romo from Caifanes to Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree.

My second, The Rolling Stones. Here I would recommend The Strokes, they’re an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, they bring a “bad boy” attitude with the energy of indie rock. Maybe it lacks a bit of blues, but I think it’s a good equivalent.

Black Sabbath. I leave it to the band Sleep, who are “almost-religious” devotees of the Sabbath, and exercise their worship through long, intentionally slow riffs that recall the same Tony Iommi guitar wizardry.

Led Zeppelin. I present to you his adopted sons of Greta Van Fleet, employing a heavy mix of hard rock and blues, plus the band’s voice has risen to prominence due to lead man Josh Kiszka’s sonic similarity to Zep singer Robert Plant.

AC/DC. Just like them, Airbourne is a rock and roll band from Australia. The band formed in 2003. Their sound is often compared to Australian rock legends AC/DC, although they also draw heavy influence from other Australian bands such as Rose Tattoo and The Angels.

Pink Floyd. More inclined to their psychedelic leg, but Tame Impala kicked off their career as explorers of the psychedelic genre, the Australian band spent a decade mutating their sound in fascinating ways. But on their debut album, Innerspeaker, they create a huge, loud album of guitar-rock drenched in swirling psychedelic colors.

Even though they are similar bands, we shouldn’t expect them to sound the same, that’s what’s interesting; they do not deny the influence of these classic bands, but at the same time they create their own sound through their sonic interpretation of the DNA they heard in their musical formation.

If you want to discover more bands similar to your favorites, head over to my Facebook Page “RadioUnión Mexicali” and I will gladly respond with recommendations. See you next time!