Introduction. Coming of age in 1976, I became an avid fan of punk rock & new wave music, buying every record I could afford and seeing every show I could manage. But, by the early 80's, the original punk movement was all but dead. Many of the key bands - like the Sex Pistols - had broken up, while other important figureheads (Elvis Costello, Talking Heads) had migrated to more sophisticated (and traditional) musical venues. The faithful, meanwhile, disappeared underground to spawn hardcore punk - an artistic dead end, if ever there was one.

I grew excited, though, by the increasing popularity and diversity of what was called (at the time) "post-punk" music. In retrospect, the Sex Pistols' John Lydon had officially kicked off the post-punk era in 1978 with the maiden release from his new band, Public Image Limited. On Tom Snyder's Tomorrow TV show, Lydon claimed of rock and roll, "It's dead, it's a disease, it's the plague, it's been going on far too long, it's history, it's vile." Finally, he sneered, "They play rock and roll at airports!"

A whole generation took Lydon's pronouncement to heart and, by following his musical lead, created some utterly original rock music. Ironic, huh? Picking up where the punks left off, bands like REM, Sonic Youth, the Minutemen, Husker Du, the Replacements, the Pixies, and the Smiths drew on the same D.I.Y. ethic as punk rock. But, they expanded its musical horizons far past the fast-and-loud aesthetic of progenitors like the Ramones and the Buzzcocks. Through the rest of the 1980's, this "modern rock" (as it came to be known) just seemed to get better and better, and the possibilities seemed limitless.

When Nirvana broke big in '91, the world finally made sense. Newly christened "alternative rock," the music made by Kurt Cobain and his compatriots from Seattle (and beyond) was, in fact, just the tip of a massive iceberg, an upswelling of young musicians and independent labels truly sick of (or indifferent to) what had become of mainstream rock - including the music made by once and former punks. (Ladies and gentlemen, Sting!)

Within a few years, however, that world came crashing down, crushed by the weight of its near total absorption by the media, the major labels, and middle class. Post-punk, post-modern, modern rock, indie rock, alternative, whatever... You can call a genre of music "alternative," but I gotta ask - alternative to what? By the late 90's, the fringe had become the mainstream - normal, popular, unsurprising. To be a mainstream artist, then, became an act of rebellion, and crass commercialism could be construed as a brave radicalism. (Ladies and gentlemen, the Hives!)

So, you'll have to forgive me if my recommendations are a little light on bands from the last 10 years (and counting). When the bracing alternative rock of Nirvana devolved into the lame metal sludge of Limp Bizkit, I nearly stopped listening to new music. The rockers sounded tuneless, the rappers sounded pissed off, and the rap-rockers... well, you get the picture. And the punk revivalism of Green Day? Been there, done that.

To my surprise and delight, the 21st century introduced a new generation of tight, no-nonsense garage rockers epitomized by bands like the Stokes, the Vines, and the White Stripes. Those were exciting times: even Green Day proved me wrong with the best, most original album of their career (American Idiot, 2004).

I've come to think of that movement (in essence, the third wave of punk rock) as the last great rock revolution - until the next one. The problem was, it spawned a literal legion of bands, but few amounted to much more than imitators of the Stokes, the Vines, and the White Stripes. So, I shut the door for good.

See, by 2005 I had collected thousands of records spanning 50 years of rock 'n' roll - more than half of them released during the post-punk era. I had accumulated enough music to hold my attention for the rest of my life, and I felt comfortable entrusting the future of rock to a younger generation still rapt with the illusion of their own potential.

Besides, many of the "modern rock" bands profiled herein were already ensconced in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Modern had become classic, alternative had become mainstream, punk had become product. Malcolm McLaren (and Marshall McLuhan) would be proud.

So, that's it for me - no more new music! Think I'm jaded? Tired? Bitter? Old and in the way? Say so! Drop me a line...

Randy Anthony

Here we are now, entertain us!

The alternative rock Bookshelf

• Alternative Rock: The Essential Listening Companion (Dave Thompson, 2000)
• Goldmine Price Guide to Alternative Records (Tim Neely, 1996)
• Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo (Andy Greenwald, 2003)
• Our Band Could Be Your Life (Michael Azerrad, 2001)
• Rolling Stone's Alt-Rock-A-Rama (Scott Schinder, 1996)
• Spin: 20 Years of Alternative Music (Will Hermes, 2005)
• Spin Alternative Record Guide (Andy Weisbard, 1995)
• The Trouser Press Record Guides (Ira Robbins, 1983-1997)

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Alternative Rock On The Web

• All Music Guide
• Alternative Music Review
• Q Magazine
• Trouser Press
• Google

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Feedback

Your witty comments, impertinent questions, helpful suggestions, and angry denials are altogether encouraged. Submit feedback via email; submissions will be edited and posted at my discretion.

April 13, 2003. Hello, to answer your question - no, I don't think your old and in the way. Coming from a 15-year-old, this should be an avid compliment to you... You have a valid point about Limp Bizkit - to sum up your basic idea, they suck. However, I'm not so sure you have explored your avenues quite enough. I myself am a dedicated fan of the Foo Fighters. They are so similar to Nirvana, it feels like you are being plunged back to the early 90's. David Grohl - their lead singer - was in Nirvana, and they produce music, in my opinion, far more evolved than Nirvana. Kurt Kobain was a pioneer, but David Grohl is his successor. He had time to cultivate knowledge about how alternative rock is played and has had several years extra to perfect it. Say what you want about what Nirvana would be like today if Kurt Kobain was still here - how music would be much better - but he's not. So, let's look at the people who are.

Also, if your interested, listen to a few songs by the Goo Goo Dolls (lead singer is John Reznik). He has a parallel modicum of talent to any one from the early 90's and late 80's.

But, basically, I agree with your point - most music today is not as good (mainly because the most popular artists are rap, hip-hop, and pop). However, I think many rock bands are still producing great music. So, there I disagree with you. I'm not just a naive little kid. I've done my research and explored other eras of music, and I have found this one to be a pretty good. The 80's though, they were horrific! - Tommy Pickles

Randy Responds: Thanks for your feedback - nice to know I'm not too old or too in the way! My website is still in its infancy, and I haven't written about many bands that I love - the Goo Goo Dolls included. I'm a huge fan of Superstar Carwash and A Boy Named Goo, and I like most of their other albums, too.

I also like the Foo Fighters, too, though I've never purchased any of their albums. I suppose I compare them to Nirvana, and - like 99% of the bands who ever existed - they come up short in comparison.

I'm still listening to new music, but it's just so hard to keep up these days - so many bands, so many media outlets, so many crappy albums to weed through to find the good ones. Among the artists I'm currently enthusiastic about: the Donnas, the Vines, PJ Harvey, the White Stripes, Weezer, the Wondermints, and the Original Sinners (featuring Exene Cervenka of X).