"As long as the Husker Du sound never gets revived, I don't give a flying fuck where music goes. If these indie rock bastards made me stop listening to my favorite band (because they tried to sound l

The obvious example here is Gang of Four. When I came across Gang of Four three or so years ago (I'm only 17 so forgive me for not being a "longtime fan") they sounded fresh, innovative, and were above all, fun to listen to. Entertainment was one of my most listened-to albums of the time, and I couldn't quite find anyone that sounded JUST like them...there were people who were of course influenced by them, but nothing over-the-top in its obviousness.

Now, whenever I turn on the TV or radio, there's a 90% chance that I'm going to hear a band using a dance/disco beat (i.e. bass drum kicks as quarter notes) with some form of jangly guitars over top and a vocalist imitating Mark E. Smith or David Byrne. When I listen to Entertainment now, it doesn't sound fresh...it just sounds boring. It sounds like every other band that has taken that sound and made it into complete shit, and it's just not fun to listen to anymore. I'm absolutely sick of hearing it.

I hope that made sense. Surely others must feel the same way (I can't be the only one, can I?)

husker du's real children are all the avril/matrix girl pop rocker types. before you cry PABULUM, i don't think this isn't a fuzzy case of "influence" but real actual hearable songwriting practice: the modal droney open string/pedal point space-filling stuff (more cleanly done in sugar i guess) is at the center of all those songs. i think the goo goo dolls are probably the middle link to the wider world here. maybe i'm nuts but the line seems pretty clear.

This was really, really, really hilarious to me before I figured out what you meant. (And even after that, "I Love A Man In A Uniform".)

and i can't think of how that could be misread to be that funny! que?

(xpost Tim OTM)

..not the time signature, although it has that time signature by default.

Again, I can only think of "To Hell With Poverty" qualifying off the top of my head.. there are definitely a few more, but even "I Love A Man.." isn't a disco/house 4/4 beat.. nor is even "Is This Love?" from what I can remember from it.

Not to mention Soul Asylum (who pretty much everybody pegged as a Replacements/Husker hybrid when they first came out). And, um, Nirvana.

dr. bill that's a funny thing to shout into a crowded theater but i still don't think many bands have been actually "influenced" by Go4 at all! they may say so but the practice just doesn't bear it out.

I don't see how this statement can possibly hold up. I mean, Gang of Four were a great band, but there were many other great post punk bands at the time and there are many great bands now. There are so many bands right now influenced by them who have lots of great songs, hooks, etc. (some of them even catchier/better etc!).

would that be ok?

I dunno, "Somebody to Shove" has always sounded like a pretty heavy Bob Mould rip to me. I think Soul Asylum's a more logical intro point of HD sounds into the mainstream than the Goo Goo Dolls, who sound more like the Replacements IMO.

(And actually now that I think about it, even Bob didn't do the chaos thing much post NDR. The last few HD albums are very controlled noise-wise, and Sugar's got a bit of it but it's generally pretty clean.)

Spandau Ballet were better than Gang of Four anyway.

I'd have you flayed alive for this comment, but the sad truth of the matter is that my wife would agree with you.

Don't let the hipsters ruin the music that's precious to you. I know it's hard. Just don't let it happen. You're bigger than them.

Er... multitracking was figured out at least 50 years ago, if not earlier.

I don't get it. I think there's just a movement towards a dancey,scatchy,funky sound that's completely independent of intense adoration and conscious aping of Go4.

Yeah buddy!