LeftyBassist.com

Seems like there's a revival of the classic rock sounds I recall from my HS days in the mid 70s. Greta Van Fleet is a Zep clone, and The Struts are really fun imho:

https://youtu.be/Yi_QEATjgYM

What do you guy think of this trend if it is a trend? Yes it's derivative, and yes I am an old guy reflecting on my glory days such as they were, but I gotta admit I dig it if it's done well.

I’ve seen both bands live. The Struts are more of an 80s “butt rock” thing but really good. Saw them open for Foo Fighters. Surprisingly good match!
Anyhow, I don’t think those older rock sounds have ever left. They were prevalent through the whole grunge thing with Soundgarden channeling bands like Motörhead, etc.
Newer indie bands are doing it too. It’ll never go away. As long as there’s a new twist on it, it’s all good.

And don’t forget the black crowes who were as much a Stones/Faces clone as GVF are a Zep clone.

I liked Greta Van Fleet when I first heard them, in spite of myself. I say that, because it was obvious they were ripping off Led Zeppelin. But as I've pretty much despised 99% of the insipid crap commercial radio has tried to force feed me over the past decade, GVF at least offered a welcome sound. But when I keep reading articles about how they're the future and they're the only band left to save Rock and Roll", I have to laugh. Is this how far music's fallen now that we have to look to a blatant ripoff band to "save" rock and roll? IMO, they're only this decade's Led Zep ripoff band, as were Kingdom Come, Zebra, Whitesnake, etc. before them.

I only listen to freeform radio and WFMU these days. It's opened up my world to dozens of great young original artists. And not just rock either. Classic rock stations in my area play the same fucking 12 songs over and over, so I'm done with classic rock until they get back to playing deeper cuts or other artists not named Guns and Roses...or Led Zeppelin.

That^^

If your gonna sound like someone before you, Led Zep is a good band to copy! I am happy that these bands have a classic tone, I always Dug Lenny Kravitz for that, I thought he was a genius as he sounded like himself but the whole band had a classic vibe.

There have been many many bands who have obviously been influenced by Led Zep that I liked. Soundgarden, for one. But the major difference I hear between Soundgarden and GVF is they took their influences and created something their own with it. I don't hear that with GVF...yet.

I'm all for it.

Execution >> originality.

I think it's that in so many families nowadays, both parents are having to work full-time, their kids spend more time with grandparents and so get into older record collections.

Originality most often comes from aiming to copy and missing by some distance.

It will be refreshing when a younger generation influenced by the Cure, Talking Heads, Joy Division etc start forming bands.

Couldn't agree more.

I'm trying not to cringe reading comparisons between GVF and other bands that I don't consider to be clones.

I've listened to two GVF songs - Highway Tune and When The Levee Breaks, er Curtain Falls. I hear a band that's trying as hard as they can to sound like Zep without actually covering their songs. (Maybe I should hear more songs from them.(?))

Can't say that about the Crowes. Definately can't say that about Soundgarden. Influenced by other bands, sure. Copying other bands? I don't hear that.

I've been recently exploring other sounds, but I'm sure I'll always like rock. Not sure if this qualifies, but one album that's been in heavy rotation for me is Alabama Shakes' "Sound and Color." They're derivative, but they're also adding their own sound. And color.

Eh, doesn’t really matter anyway, whether you use the term “clones” or not, they’re all pretty transparently channeling their influences. I love all the aforementioned bands but none of them are particularly original.

I need to correct my comment above. I reread Peter's comment and he didn't lump Soundgarden in with GVF. Quite the opposite:



+1



I agree with "channeling their influences" and "not particularly original."

But the degree to which a band is copying another matters to my ears. The degree to which GVF sounds like another band is great; much greater than the Crowes. It's why I hear "Highway Tune" once and don't care to hear it again.

I'm not saying it should matter to anyone else, though. To each is own and more power to them.

I've noticed that in many ways rock music is youth music. That's not to say it's only young people who play it (it better not be for my sake haha!), but it tends to be discovered young and the musicians and listeners who really push it forward en masse are the under 35 crowd.

So very often this mosaic of artists often starts from a similar place (liking classic rock, or garage, or punk, or shoegaze, or synth pop, or whatever) and takes it from there. So I think it's quite common for new people, coming from the same motivations, can end up playing similar music. Once in a while, something quite different is invented. For example, by 2002 the very last thing I would have ever imagined was a new interpretation of the blues, but then came the White Stripes. Now guitar/drum roots duets are common.

All very true. The 40+ somethings are rarely dictating the trends in music, especially rock. The only genre I can think of off hand that seemed to be more welcoming of older musicians was/is Americana, but even then it was spear headed by younger bands like Mumford & Sons. But rock has always been youth-oriented, and if you're older you're more likely to be accepted in other genres like Jazz (or the aforementioned American or Folk).

Hey, if you've been around as long as I have you've pretty much heard everything . So it comes down, once again, to the question of whether or not an artist can take something familiar and make it their own. I'm currently loving a band out of Brooklyn called Charly Bliss. They were clearly influenced by 90's alternative bands like The Breeders, Belly, and maybe even a touch of Cyndi Lauper thrown in.