Look, I'm not saying rock and roll needs to be resurrected because I'm not saying rock and roll died. What I am saying is that mainstream rock and roll sucks big time, worse than ever. And people complaining about puppets singing over beats need to get a bit realer. The day the Fray is the equal of Shit Robot is the day I may give you five seconds to state your fucking case.
But I am also saying that last year was one of the worst years ever for rock and roll. It just wasn't happenning. And while new releases by Van Halen, the Fall, Fucked Up Heartless Bastards, Screaming Females, and Cloud Nothings might not be enough to say 2012 is gonna be a better year than 2011 in the long run, it is definitely enough to say IT MAY WELL BE A BETTER YEAR FOR ROCK AND ROLL IN THE LONG RUN!.
Van Halen releases good album shocker. It really isn't bad and I've been prime to jump all over it, but Restless Bastard is like alt country rock owing more to Lone Justice than to Wilco."Got To Have Rock And Roll" foes one song, a crunch country blues.
The Fall never changes except on the fringes and Ersatz GB is poppier on the fringes but hard as fuck in the center. And Mark E. Smith needs to get to nyc, I haven't seen the band in years.
Fucked up do the best 15 minute single of the year (it is circling my # 1 s of 2012 as we speak) and both Cloud Nothings and Screaming Females do Albini proud.
So, is this the year of rock and roll? If Pissed Jeans would release their new album, maybe…