August 2004: Who is the best rock band on the planet right now?

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I mean I realise there is hardly ever a definitive answer to this question, but along the lines of past greats like the beatles, led zep, floyd, pixies etc. Who holds the temporary title right now?

After seeing a live show two months ago, I'd say Radiohead (still) and maybe the Strokes who knocked me sideways six months back.

― piers (piers), Thursday, 12 August 2004 07:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Comets on Fire

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 12 August 2004 07:42 (twenty-two years ago)

but along the lines of past greats like the beatles, led zep, floyd, pixies etc. Who holds the temporary title right now?

After seeing a live show two months ago, I'd say Radiohead (still)

You do know you're posting to IM, correct?

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 12 August 2004 07:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Based on the concert I saw 5 days ago, Franz Ferdinand.

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Shellac.

― hmmm (hmmm), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Do Me Bad Things

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Oneida

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah Vic i realise that but i was trying to be inclusive by thinking broadly rather than offering up: Broken Social Scene, Dappled Cities Fly, British Sea Power and Yo La Tengo, though these are some of my faves. Ugh!

― piers (piers), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:22 (twenty-two years ago)

ILM yeah

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:36 (twenty-two years ago)

well people could say any of these bands...but that rock band doesn't = height of relevancy anymore, 4 starters

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Until I see another live performance as good, based on a show I saw awhile back I'll give it to Sleater-Kinney.

― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Acid Mothers Temple. Oneida. Comets on Fire are great too: look forward for their first Italian tour.

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Thursday, 12 August 2004 08:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Embrace, not that anyone on here will believe me, but they're new album is fucking brilliant.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Gear: did you see them play at the Fonda on the One Beat tour back in Feb of last year ?

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:13 (twenty-two years ago)

i'd agree w/ u there - i saw that show (if thats the one you're talking about) and they're probably still whatever one would qualify as being "the best"

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Futureheads

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:14 (twenty-two years ago)

yes indeed, and that coupled with their ATP performance seals the deal. I went into the ATP show a more casual fan of the band, I walked out thinking they couldn't be topped.

― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

woo i wonder if i saw you at the fonda that night..probably not, (but if i did and you were 'round here then i'd hope id have inspired my own Gear! thread). my fave moment included their rendition of Fortunate Son

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 12 August 2004 09:23 (twenty-two years ago)

The Streets

And no arguments on whether or not they count as "rock."

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 12 August 2004 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

A predictable and boring answer, perhaps, but I'd have to go with the White Stripes.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Thursday, 12 August 2004 11:03 (twenty-two years ago)

i'd have to be dull and boring and say the white stripes for me too. the libertines also.

― splooge (thesplooge), Thursday, 12 August 2004 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Shellac.

― mei (mei), Thursday, 12 August 2004 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Well I feel a bit tendentious, but I am going to say Mayhem. Feel free to disagree.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 12 August 2004 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

oneida, acid mothers, strokes

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 August 2004 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Shellac, Oneida, Acid Mothers, Cheap Trick

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 12 August 2004 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

In democratic terms, so far, Shellac are winning. My faith in the world is restored somewhat.

― hmmm (hmmm), Thursday, 12 August 2004 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

uh, i think oneida is winning.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

4-3 oneida over shellac - bring the ruckus!!!

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

The Dragons! (This week, anyway)

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:05 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm always happy to remember the instructions Oneida gave to the sound engineer at their concert in Venice: "It sounds all the same, so turn it up!".

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

oh, marco - i told kid millions "hey from italy" when i saw them in brooklyn.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Next week it will probably be Entombed and Amon Amarth again. And Converge. And Das Oath. And Katatonia. I need some new rock records. That new Comets On Fire didn't do it for me. It wasn't up to my high standards.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

i guess i'll have to get on touch with him soon - we're going to put out a tribute containing a very good contribution from them.
hope they can be back in italy soon.

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:15 (twenty-two years ago)

TEH HIVES

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:19 (twenty-two years ago)

still the Blood Brothers

― Simon H., Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd go woth Mr. Snrub except I don't think Mike Skinner is a band. I still heart the Mekons. But the answer's probably Sleater-Kinney. Or Sonic Youth.

― Not That Chuck, Thursday, 12 August 2004 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Dappled Cities Fly

wtf you mean they're heard-of outside Sydney? Or are you in Sydney, Piers? Fantastic band either way.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:01 (twenty-two years ago)

― Rubberband Man (Rubberband Man), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

No, he's right, it's still Radiohead.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:15 (twenty-two years ago)

argh

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

who is argh, jon? im intriiiiigued.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Argh is my laptop noise and asian flute project

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

shellac are mindnumbingly boring, way too old school for me. i hate that clean sound, the bloodless performances, everything tidy and emotionally bottled-up. yuk. i don't care if you pounce on me, but i scream a very big vote for yeah yeah yeahs. not just 'cos i'm female either. "y control" is fantastic... i also like comets on fire, sightings, mouthus...

― defensive bitch, Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I wouldn't call Sightings a rock band.
Comets on Fire is Mudhoney without the songs.

― sexyDancer, Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Jon, find someone to answer my laptop/monitor question.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Drive-By Truckers or Sleater-Kinney. Or both!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 12 August 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Shellac! Mclusky! Giddy Motors!
!!!

― Shaun (shaun), Thursday, 12 August 2004 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

It's a toss-up between McLusky and The A-Frames.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 August 2004 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Comets on Fire is Mudhoney without the songs? That makes as much sense as saying they are "a slightly gayer Sir Mix-a-Lot" or something. And what's with all the Shellac love? Have they been playing shows or releasing stuff since 1000 Hurts? I mean, I like 'em, but the timing is weird.
Does the question mean the best band live?

― Softly Weeping at the Oki Dog (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

junior senior are a slightly gayer sir mixalot.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 74 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Radiohead.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Friday, 13 August 2004 09:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Full props to the people who nominated The Magic Band, Flaming Lips and The Sadies; however the correct answer is still The Damned.

They may not be as good as they were '77-'84; and Dave may 47 and the Captain 50; but they're still the greatest band on the planet right now.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 13 August 2004 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I vote for Bersuit Vergabarat because a) I think it's true and b) someone had to maybe vote for a group from outside the English-speaking world, "the planet" being somewhat larger than what's defined here

Second place: El Gran Silencio, but I would say that

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I find this thread to be rockist. So someone vote for Outkast.

― shookout (shookout), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Bersuit Vergabarat is a very good mention! (I'm really glad you told me about them btw, I probably would've never heard 'em here in the HEART OF IGNORANCE, er, AMERICA, by my own methods).

I wanted to say Manu Chao yesterday, but Manu Chao's not a band, he's a dude, dude. But yeah, he deserves mention more than lots of these fuxors (especially considering the word "planet" in the thread title).

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

a-frames/intelligence ruleez. but not in august. not in my hood.

fiery furnaces has had the record to beat lately. but when i think rock... i think rock me like a hurricane... as in live and ducking... and so then i have to say that i'm still reeling from the freshness of last night's josephine foster and the supposed's show. (http://www.100songsising.com)

― msp, Friday, 13 August 2004 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Nick: to this thread. Talk to me, babe.

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

You people are letting the heart-choking brilliance of Mick's "Wandering Spirit" blind you to the obvious conclusion that it's still the Stones.

― yawnweiner (briania), Friday, 13 August 2004 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The new Green Day single is insanely terrific, so I'm saying them.

― JoB (JoB), Friday, 13 August 2004 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Caninus:

www.pitbullgrindcore.com

my wife sez Eagles of Death Metal.

― Brian Turner (btwfmu), Saturday, 14 August 2004 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

THINGS IN HERDS

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 14 August 2004 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Darn, font size didn't work. So let me reiterate:

THINGS IN HERDS

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 14 August 2004 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

interpol

― tricky disco, Saturday, 14 August 2004 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Uhm, Blood Brothers are terrible, terrible, terrible live.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Saturday, 14 August 2004 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Now and forever....Killing Joke

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 14 August 2004 03:04 (twenty-two years ago)

batrider, sleater-kinney, the futurians, die! die! die!

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Saturday, 14 August 2004 03:17 (twenty-two years ago)

double dong

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 14 August 2004 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Ghost? (Check "Hazy Paradise" and a couple others on Hypnotic Underworld.)

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 14 August 2004 03:33 (twenty-two years ago)

SLEATER-KINNEY

(notice how all occurrences of SK are hyphenated)

― Mr. Tony Plow (Leee), Saturday, 14 August 2004 04:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Air Conditioning

― Russ (Russ), Saturday, 14 August 2004 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Comets on Fire or Lightning Bolt.

Do the Dead C count as a rock band?

― Ian c=====8 (orion), Saturday, 14 August 2004 05:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Sleater-Kinney couldn't rock if their yawnsome little lives depended on it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 14 August 2004 05:40 (twenty-two years ago)

neither could you, if yours did.

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 14 August 2004 05:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Glad to see the Sadies getting some lurve on this thread, because I find a lot of the bands named here to be atrocious. If you like them, then check out Tangiers : another Toronto band that rock like mad.

Hardly the best in the world though. That would be Mogwai.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 14 August 2004 06:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Sons & Daughters.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Saturday, 14 August 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The Ex!

― Kate Silver (Kate Silver), Saturday, 14 August 2004 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

the futurians - what are they up to now? pink skulls cdr is the last thing i got by them
air conditioning record on white denim is harsh! so good.
NEW EX ALBUM CAN'T WAIT

― brock (brock), Saturday, 14 August 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

air conditioning record on white denim is harsh! so good.

the new record "Weakness" on Level Plane is even better.

― Russ (Russ), Saturday, 14 August 2004 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

the arcade fire brings down the fucking moon, every single night.

and the flaming lips bring up the sun. little darlin'.

― Sean M (Sean M), Sunday, 15 August 2004 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)

http://sk.grumblemutterspit.org/images/pier6263sk3.JPG

― Jimmy Mod, Man About Towne (ModJ), Sunday, 15 August 2004 03:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Make mine the Stooges. especially today.

― Brian Turner (btwfmu), Sunday, 15 August 2004 03:59 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

the pissed jeans
the psychedelic horseshit

― 69, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

I miss Aug 04.

― billstevejim, Thursday, 3 May 2007 03:33 (nineteen years ago)

The New Pornographers.

― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 3 May 2007 05:28 (nineteen years ago)

Rock music sucks.

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 3 May 2007 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

uhhhh... the Black Keys are OK.

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 3 May 2007 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

you suck

― pretzel walrus, Thursday, 3 May 2007 14:53 (nineteen years ago)

thirteen years pass...

I was just thinking the other night “who’s the best band right now?” and it’s got to be either Haim or Big Thief. I know many of you would choose a certain bunch of highly verbose Englishmen but I’m mostly immune to their charms.

― Evans on Hammond (evol j), Saturday, 30 May 2020 15:59 (three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

let's do this ILM

(my answer is Oranssi Pazuzu, obviously)

― imago, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:03 (six years ago)

(also, ignore the word 'rock' in this thread-title if you can)

― imago, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:04 (six years ago)

(also this is a STRICT OPO)

― imago, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:04 (six years ago)

B*Witched

― Mambo Number 5 was a number one jam (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:14 (six years ago)

Does it have to be a band? 'Cause Lingua Ignota would be my pick otherwise.

― pomenitul, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:16 (six years ago)

yeah specifically a band

― imago, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:17 (six years ago)

side-task: which of the suggestions from August 2004 could feasibly still apply now

― imago, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:18 (six years ago)

Ok, then it's gotta be Greta Van Fleet.

― pomenitul, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:20 (six years ago)

For real tho I have no idea.

― pomenitul, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:20 (six years ago)

take my amazing thread seriously you wanton jackanapes

― imago, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:21 (six years ago)

Uncharacteristically close-minded of you to dismiss B*Witched & GVF so readily tbh.

― pomenitul, Saturday, 30 May 2020 16:23 (six years ago)

Yes, Big Thief is the best band right now.

― Charging for Brewskis™ (morrisp), Saturday, 30 May 2020 18:10 (six years ago)

does Bitch Falcon have an album coming out this year?

― brimstead, Saturday, 30 May 2020 18:20 (six years ago)

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