The Rock and Roll Futures (301)
As we intend to make this website a constant work in process, we though it would be useful to discuss the future bands/artists who will become eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many of these artists are still recording and/or performing and thus adding to their impending legacy. They will be in our future lists so please feel free to vote so that we can rank them accordingly when they become eligible.
Something Corporate is a great name for an Emo Band, though we never really thought that was a label that suited them. This group was a very slick and polished band that arguably were more of amalgamation of Elton John and Alternative Rock. They did not make a huge splash commercially but might historically become more significant than those who outsold them.
A New York City Cult band, Soul Coughing was an Experimental Rock band that was very difficult to categorize. Were they a Post Grunge Band, or a Noise Rock band, or a strange combination of both? Regardless of what label they did or did not have, their fan base was a solid one and though they are from a Hall of Fame contender, they did make…
Sparklehorse was basically the one man operation of Mark Linkous who may have delivered the most introspective and morose songs of recent memory. The music of Sparklehorse was laden with antidepressants and internal conflict, yet there was a hypnotic beauty to the music. To the shock of few, Linkous committed suicide like so many in Rock has. It is possible that one day the music of…
From Toronto, the very difficult to categorize band, “Stars” may have found a way to blend the retro Soul of Marvin Gaye, with the Post Punk of New Order. The result was a surprisingly beautiful sound that though did not sell a lot of records, pleased all of those who bought it. It is not exactly a Hall of Fame resume, but they did leave a…
In the first few years of the new Millenium, Starsailor was a major player in the post Brit-Pop musical landscape in the United Kingdom. The critics loved them, they put on a decent live show, and they had a series of hits. The problem for this discussion, and my God, we are getting tired of typing this; they did not make it in the United States,…
One of the best bands to ever come out of Wales, Stereophonics captured the U.K. market with their straight ahead attack of Rock and Roll. They have (and as of this writing continue to have) a long list of hit albums and singles but again, this is the case of another band of the United kingdom that failed to become a commercially viable entity in the…
Founded as a side project by Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Jim Root, Stone Sour is arguably a softer version of the latter band, in that Taylor’s vocals aren’t nearly as aggressive. This does not take away that this was a very good Alternative Band in its time, but Slipknot members are not going to get inducted twice, if they do at all!
Sugar Ray started out as a Funk Metal/Alternative Metal Band, but their true success was when they created a slickly produced Alternative blend of Pop. Their songs were a little gimmicky, but it worked for them. Sugar Ray had enough Alt appeal to work for some of that group, and the pretty boy good looks of lead singer Mark McGrath gave them an instant female fan…
Trying to figure out just who started the EMO genre is proving a bit difficult. Sunny Day Real Estate has been given credit by some for that origin, as their debut album took the Post Grunge and brought melodic sounds to it. The band did not last long, but they have been pointed out by many current EMO bands as a group that influenced them. Although…
Initially a contemporary Christian Rock band, Switchfoot transitioned into a very solid Rock band with a lot of mainstream appeal. As they hit it bigger a few years after the Grunge/Alternative boom was over, the band did not face the backlash that other bands with a similar sound faced only a half-decade before did, and with other Christian Rock bands who had successfully crossed over before,…
One of the most successful all women groups of the New Jack Swing era, SWV (Sisters with Voices) had a solid run throughout the 1990’s. Originating from Gospel, the group embraced a funky R&B sound and rivaled En Vogue as the top urban all female act of the early 90’s. They scored multiple hits on the R&B charts but there are serious doubts that the trio…
Whether or not you think T.I. should be in the Rock and Roll of Fame, or any Hip Hop Hall of Fame for that matter should be noted as like it or not, this is a man who had a five year stretch on top of the charts. Now what that means to the generations coming up remains to be seen, but he should not be…
There are bands that we have discussed that are painted with an Emo brush and it isn’t exactly the case. With Taking Back Sunday, there is no doubt that this is an Emo Band.
Perhaps known best for being one half of Black Star with Mos Def, Talib Kweli is one of the most cerebral rapper of the modern era. Kweli was exceptionally skilled, socially aware and critically beloved, though not necessarily commercially successful. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will not come calling, though the Hip Hop Hall of Fame might, though that might be a long shot…
Comprised of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, the Comedy/Metal duo of Tenacious D may have been considered a joke in some circles, but to others they were not just funny, but they were damned good. Unlike other comedian/musicians, Tenacious D had musical chops, and could their own in the musical spectrum with their operatic style approach to Metal.
The All-American Rejects were one of many bands in the 2000’s to capitalize on the pop-punk sound, and had three top ten hits (Dirty Little Secret, Gives You Hell & It Ends Tonight), while doing it. While they were a successful and fun band, they were not exactly innovative, even by their own admission. Any chance that the All-American Rejects will depend on how well their…
Kim Deal should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in some capacity, though we do not think that her post Breeders project, The Amps, will be the way in which she enters Cleveland. With only one album, which although was very good, the Amps were a nice footnote to her stellar career, but not much more than that.
Virtually impossible to categorize, The Avalanches were a virtual smorgasbord of Electronic based music out of an unlikely place (Australia). Although they had one very critically respected album, they did not do much else and one acclaimed (yet relatively unpurchased) album does not a Hall of Fame career make.
The Ben Folds Five called themselves “Punk Rock for Sissies”. As funny as that self deprecating comment was, the Ben Folds Five were a solid entry to the Alternative Pop genre. They performed without a lead guitar and showcased Jazz influenced music. They were an exceptional live band, and often the true power of their music failed to capture itself in the recording studio. Despite their…
Named after the 1947 death of Elizabeth Smart (nicknamed the Black Dahlia), the Black Dahlia Murder describes their musical style as Melodic Death Metal. That sounds pretty accurate, and though this genre has proven to have a place in the musical landscape, it is not one that has shown it has a place in Cleveland.