today's guitar lords: pov

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Kurihara
NM Hagerty
Matt Pike
Stephen Malkmus
Ben Chasny

― carbowater, Thursday, 24 March 2005 04:50 (twenty years ago)

that's a very unimpressive list.

― keith m (keithmcl), Thursday, 24 March 2005 05:21 (twenty years ago)

well what's yours then long dong?

― carbowater, Thursday, 24 March 2005 05:22 (twenty years ago)

i don't have one but if you're looking for guitar heroics are you going to pull out a malkmus album?

― keith m (keithmcl), Thursday, 24 March 2005 05:40 (twenty years ago)

i was thinking about this the other day while hendrix's plucked his way through "tax man", "machine gun" and "pali gap". we don't want finger-fucking electric guitarists anymore, we want bands. me, i want a new jimi.

― the rock n roll nigga (the rock n roll nigga), Thursday, 24 March 2005 05:41 (twenty years ago)

andrew wk

― dave q (listerine), Thursday, 24 March 2005 05:44 (twenty years ago)

keith m i am not trying to pick a fight with you. i am talking about TODAY'S guitar lords. "1% of One" is a great guitar jam of today, and there are many others on that album, his other one, and the Pavement albums. I'm not comparing the guy to Hendrix or anything. If there are other great guitar players TODAY I'd like to know. Andrew WK slipped my mind.

― carbowater, Thursday, 24 March 2005 06:03 (twenty years ago)

Well see that confuses things then. 'Great guitar players' is a long way from 'guitar lords'. They're not the same thing. 'Guitar lords' invokes Hendrix, like it or no.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 24 March 2005 06:16 (twenty years ago)

Way to disrepect the anniversary of Randy Rhoads' death, you dicks.

Since all of those chumps listed peaked over 10 years ago, it's safe to recrown a reigning king here:

http://www.experimentaclub.com/fest03/fotos/jad%20fair.jpg

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Thursday, 24 March 2005 07:16 (twenty years ago)

http://www.southernlord.com/images/c.jpg

― willem (willem), Thursday, 24 March 2005 07:25 (twenty years ago)

Good case to be made for that whole southernlord direcktory, also a couple cracklords.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Thursday, 24 March 2005 07:33 (twenty years ago)

Carrie Brownstein

― jmeister (jmeister), Thursday, 24 March 2005 08:31 (twenty years ago)

I second Malkmus. My idea of Guitar lords is more Richard Thompson/Tom Verlaine. Malkmus has that sinewy, winding approach, building unique lines with original tones.

Jeff Tweedy
Ben Chasny
Jack Rose
Tom Carter
Kevin Drumm
Jim O'Rourke
Rafael Toral
Sunn 0)))
Nels Cline

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 24 March 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

Malkmus?? Tweedy?? Bleh. I love their music, but bleh.

At the risk of ridicule i'd say Greenwood or maybe even the Edge (only redeemable thing about the U2)....but not fucking Malkmus.

I saw Slint 2 nights ago so I might hazard to say Pajo....but "guitar lord"? I honestly can't think of anyone along the lines of Hendrix/Page nowadays....

― PB, Thursday, 24 March 2005 16:29 (twenty years ago)

Greenwood is great, as well.

I don't know why people insist on using the Hendrix/Page/Beck/etc. template for the "Guitar Lord."

Yes, those are fantastic guitarists, but isn't it time to try and expand beyond that template? I think Tweedy's solo in Kidsmoke and the tonal coloring on several other Ghosts songs number among the most interesting expressions I've heard in the past 10 years.

I think the key for me is someone's reaction to Neil Young. I idolize his passion, his abstract approach, but many complain of sloppiness and poor tone.

I'd rather listen to Keith Rowe and Derek Bailey. I want to hear a guitar do something I haven't heard it do before.

Malkmus, with his early 70s british electric folk jones and his obvious appreciation for the obscure, comes up with some pretty fascinating parts.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 24 March 2005 16:40 (twenty years ago)

Jason Isbell from the Drive-By Truckers.

For proof, listen to the song Decoration Day.

I saw him play a solo that was the fastest I've ever seen anybody play, with the possible exception of Vernon Reid. Plus he's one of the best singers and songwriters around, too.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 24 March 2005 16:48 (twenty years ago)

Victor Villareal is a guitar lord fo sho. At least on the Owls record. And Ghosts & Vodka too. I've yet to hear his Noyes project with Ryan Rapsys but I'm sure it rips too.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 24 March 2005 16:49 (twenty years ago)

Mick Barr.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 24 March 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

Victor Villareal! Absolutely. His Ghosts And Vodka project is the best representation of his playing. I love that record.
Noyes is very laid back, but still has his signature on it.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 24 March 2005 18:00 (twenty years ago)

Kurt Rosenwinkel

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 24 March 2005 18:04 (twenty years ago)

Ichiro Agata!

(xpost - intrigued about Sunn O)))) (or whatever they're called) now.

Even Wilco fans (who I know) straight up state their love of his Neil Young-ish sound. Jonny Greenwood at least has had an influence, even if now seems he wasn't that interested in becoming one of the 'greats' in that typical geetar band sense.

Ummm.. Kaki King? Fennesz? ok, I'm just pulling these outta my ass now.

― lazy lurker, Thursday, 24 March 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

i've never heard neil young criticized for bad tone. what are you refering to?

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 24 March 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

Rafael Toral
Christian Fennesz
the one guy (you know who) in Hot Cross
Andrew WK
the non-annoying guy in Deerhoof

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 24 March 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

Keiji Haino

― Jena (JenaP), Thursday, 24 March 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

http://www.edromanguitars.com/rock/buckethead/buckethead.jpg
BUCKETHEAD SIGN GUITAR

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 24 March 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

Re: Neil Young & Tone
I know a lot of guitar players who can't stand Neil Young. These are the same guys who criticize Jimmy Page for being "sloppy" and Jimi Hendrix for being "out of tune." They went to Berkeley and they can whistle Charlie Parker solos and they've proudly transcribed dozens of Steely Dan guitar solos.
So in that mindset, it's easy to see why they would criticize Neil Young's playing and tone.

Christian Fennesz definitely.
Richard Bishop to the list.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 24 March 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

ok.

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 24 March 2005 19:25 (twenty years ago)

Derek Trucks is pretty amazing. He'd be in my top 5, I think, along with Nels Cline. After that, I'd have to give it some more consideration.

― JC-L (JC-L), Thursday, 24 March 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

Munehiro Narita
Nels Cline
Raoul Bjorkenheim
Mick Barr
Muhammed Suicmez

― DV$, Thursday, 24 March 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

No way Jason Isbell belongs here. Forget what's on record -- there's this technology now that allows for multiple takes -- and see them live. He was the most uninspired of the three of them, though he did make all the right facial gestures and had the sudden knee-bending down pat. I agree that he writes memorable songs but he's no guitar lord.

― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 24 March 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

ROY MONTGOMERY

― These Robust Cookies (Robust Cookies), Thursday, 24 March 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

Jack White. He's great. Fuck you.

― PB, Monday, 28 March 2005 00:19 (twenty years ago)

Trey Spruance
also head nods to Nels Cline (underrated) and Jack White (over-attacked).

― John Justen (johnjusten), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:24 (twenty years ago)

bernard butler from the tears.

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 28 March 2005 09:24 (twenty years ago)

There aren't any. It's just not done anymore, as far as I can see. It's a shame, I guess.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 28 March 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

bernard butler , johnny marr , graham coxon , john squire .
forget about the ibanez-wankers and metal-masturbators

― j.la, Monday, 28 March 2005 10:44 (twenty years ago)

Malkmus is a very inventive guitarist for sure.
Ira Kaplan from Yo La is teh don.

Tweedy is awesome on Ghost. I didn't realise it was him doing the solos until I saw them live. Nels Cline was awesome too - a killer combo.

Ben Chasny, hell yeah. And all the post-Fahey wooden guitar type dudes: Jack Rose, Steffo Basho Jungans, Glenn Jones. Jones is the most accessible, less technically gifted than the other two (by his own admission) but he comes up with some sweet melodies. Jungans is probably the most interesting of the three in that he's able to go far beyond the folk and raga thing and do a tribute to Tangerine Dream that involves harmonics and soundbox drone. Incredible.

Here's an unusual one - Stevie Jackson from Belle & Seb. He's pretty economical, after all B&S are hardly a guitar heavy band, but like Robbie Robertson he does some very clever, deceptively simple parts, and his twisty new-wave solo on Stay Loose is the business.

― stew, Monday, 28 March 2005 11:17 (twenty years ago)

bernard butler , johnny marr , graham coxon , john squire

Add Jonny Greenwood and that was going to be my list. I'd also include James Dean Bradfield if I could extend my list to six (go on, mock all you like)

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 28 March 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

Mike Doughty's guitar work is underrated.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Monday, 28 March 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

John Frusciante and Jonny Greenwood, when he does play guitar.

― Roz, Wednesday, 30 March 2005 14:59 (twenty years ago)

Ira Kaplan seconded, the man can s h r e d.

― -the-night-watch- (-the-night-watch-), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 15:07 (twenty years ago)

Howe Gelb

He can do it all - rough and tumble country picking, flash blues soloing, Neil Young meets Sonic Youth in the desert for a showdown fuzz fests, off beam Magic Band go hardcore shit...

And he plays some nice piano too!

― Stew (stew s), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

Bloor Van Denbeamish of Spittum in Throatum.

― Harry Klam, Wednesday, 30 March 2005 18:33 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

Mick Barr, yeah. Anal magic.

I'll second Michio Kurihara!

― MESTEMA (davidcorp), Monday, 24 October 2005 11:01 (nineteen years ago)

Richard Youngs. The new Ilk album rules.

― Paul Konerko, Monday, 24 October 2005 15:11 (nineteen years ago)

Andrew WK is an interesting choice to me, since I don't really even think of him as a guitarist. Although I guess on the albums he records most of that stuff himself, my images are all frozen in by live performances where he has backup dudes in Hawaiian shirts freeing him up to spazz out, work the crowd, clutch the mic and so forth. He's fabulous either way, but I'm intrigued/confused by this move to give him some sort of virtuouso status. (Anyway, it's his keyboard playing where he really shows chops...)

My vote's for Carrie Brownstein. Tremendously communicative and clear, with fire and spit to spare.

― Doctor Casino, Monday, 24 October 2005 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

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