OFF: (waaaaay OFF) Scene Report Alternarock USA 2001

mark von bargen mark.von-bargen at GENIE.CO.UK
Mon Dec 10 17:32:12 EST 2001


Doug,

A coule of answers for you below.

Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Pearson" <jasret at MINDSPRING.COM>
To: <BOC-L at LISTSERV.SPC.EDU>
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 9:38 PM
[snip]

> Alien Ant Farm - the first of many rap/metal-damaged acts of the night.  I
> thought that stuff was going to be replaced by bubblegummy stuff like
Blink
> 182 or Smashmouth, but it's still going strong!  Does anyone outside the
> USA listen to this stuff (surely not in the UK)?  Boring, singer's "dorky"
> affectations between songs weren't amusing.
YES!! AAF had a mega hit in the UK a couple of months back with Smooth
Criminal. Whether you like the music or not, it was a really clever move and
the video was an excellent parody of Michael Jackson. Not sure if there was
a message there such as 'We'll cover your song as a hit single but we'll
take the piss out of you  in the video'. Turned my 4 year old daughter into
a metal fan for a few weeks so it was fun. [more snip]

> Sum 41 - Canadian commercial punk rockers sorta like that other band with
a
> one-syllable-word and a number for their name.  Redeemed (IMO) by their
> sense of humor, dropping in Iron Maiden licks for one of their outros, and
> the singer being a geniune snotty Canadian.  Not bad, but no No Means No,
> that's for sure!
Only really heard the single Fat Lip by these but again it was a big(ish)
hit in the UK. The video segued with that track that has the twin lead
guitar break which was also quite fun if you don't take life too seriously.
>[snip again]
> System of a Down - these guys have one song that's being played to death
on
> commercial radio right now (the one with the line about "I cry when angels
> deserve to die" or something), and were at least fairly interesting, with
a
> lot of weird changes and low-key subsections in their (you guessed it!)
> rap/metal-type songs.  Probably a band that people into "neo-prog" (i.e.
> longer songs, lots of dynamics/time signature/key signature changes) along
> the lines of Tool would like.
Interesting group. I've heard them described as Armenian/Americans. There is
a definite link with Tool as I've seen them praising each other to high
heavens on a number of occassions. More likely to have a long career than a
major 'one-off mega hit'. Perhaps the song that you are talking about is
'Chop Suey'. That's the one thats doing the rounds in the UK just now.
> Linkin Park - every other band of the night had a four piece
> guitar/bass/drums/singer lineup (a couple of the singers played second
> guitar), but these guys added a rapper (in addition to the singer) and a
> DJ, who's actually the main reason I'm posting this message here.  Mostly,
> the DJ seemed to play "backing tracks" (keyboards & percussion) for the
> band to play along with (pretty lame IMO), but occasionally, he'd spin
> records with synth effects on them.  And damned if some if his
between-song
> synth sounds didn't sound frighteningly like the parts between songs
> on 'Space Ritual' (only with less delay)!!!  Obviously, that was the best
> part of the band.  So don't be surprised if you play Hawkwind for a High
> School kid, and he asks, "whoa dude, who's their DJ?".
 And the answer is Andy Dunkley!!
[snip]



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