Live:
Soundgarden. They rock hard, Cornell's vocal stamina is mindblowing. They are insanely tight yet don't sound like they're just doing the album--live has a different sound. I didn't see them before their breakup/hiatus as I was 9 years old when it happened, but growing up they became my fav band. I've seen them four times since they reunited. I was at their second show after reuniting... the Lollapalooza pre-show at a club called The Vic here in Chicago. It was a divine experience--what I imagine seeing Led Zeppelin would have been like for many of you who were too young to see them in the '70's. The last show I saw of theirs was early this year at the Riviera Theatre. Beyond amazing. Hearing their new songs was a real treat!
Radiohead
Seen them twice. Both times they killed.
Muse
Seen them twice also. I didn't like their most recent album, and the album before that wasn't horrible but not great either. Everything through Black Hole and Revelations was absolutely stellar. Good guitarwork, great singing, and a very original sound that was poppy yet dark and musically intelligent. It absolutely translated live, and their showmanship was nothing short of amazing.
Jane's Addiction: never cared much for their studio work. Live? Holy cow! Even now, their energy is ridiculous. Navarro is a totally underrated guitarist and an amazing performer. Perry Farrell is borderline crazy but really gets the crowd going. You can see how he influenced Scott Weiland's frontman style. I always see Janes when they come around.
Red Fang. Saw them at Subterannean here in Chicago. Killed it. The energy was amazing. People stagediving and getting absolutely rowdy in a packed house. They rocked hard!
Pearl Jam. The consummate rock touring act. They play hard, they play long, and they play sincere.
O'Brother. A newer band out of Atlanta that's slowly growing and has been an opening act on some bigger names (Thrice, Circa Survive, etc). They really bring it. This was that rare band that I hadn't heard of and went to just to meet a friend who happened to be going to their show at Beat Kitchen. Walked out with the CD, wanting more, and totally blown away. They are definitely a band to look out for. They're on Manchester Orchestra's label but don't let that fool you. These guys ROCK.
Self Evident: Math rock. Very good at it. The bassist in this band is very good and is likely the biggest guy in any given room he happens to be in. Almost sounds like Weezer-ish vocals with way more interesting music.
Studio:
Tool (still waiting on a new album!)
Mastodon. Seen them live and they just aren't as tight. Studio, they are amazing. Love their music.
Intronaut (haven't seen them live yet but hear they're very good).
Soundgarden. I still think King Animal is the best album to come out this year, followed rather distantly by ...Like Clockwork.
O'Brother. I'm really excited for their growth. The singer has a great voice and the band has a unique sound that's some parts Kyuss, some parts Pelican, some parts
Radiohead, and some parts even Tool with the occasional southern sound. Dark yet strangely uplifting. Guitar work is not technical but it's just unique sounding hard rock.
Power chords. Single coils through fuzzboxes. Cranked LOUD.
I was not terribly impressed with The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here and AiC has been one of my favorites for a very long time. Their last album was very good. I wish they'd let Will Duvall actually be the singer instead of just being Jerry's harmonist. This album sounds like a Cantrell solo record.
Listened to Winery Dogs. Not my thing. People say Kotzen sounds like Cornell. I think he sounds more like Tom Cochrane, which isn't actually a bad thing by any stretch. The music doesn't really sound inventive or, for lack of a better term, soulful and heartfelt to me. I'm not a shred head and I've always thought Portnoy is one of the most technically gifted, soulless players out there. His sound and style turns me off. Give me Neil Peart or any of the old fusion guys, or Danny Carey over him any day. I never really like '80's hair metal either and can't stand Dream Theater as a whole, so there ya go. Just not my thing. Always thought they were everything that was wrong with prog rock.
