Musician said Arctic Monkeys are the “last great guitar band”, but pointed to newer groups that are catching his attention
Damon Albarn is one of the rare cases of a music artist who succeeds with more than one project, one being totally different from the other. After having conquered the world with the blur, the vocalist and guitarist co-founded the gorillaz with the cartoonist Jamie Hewlettin an innovative visual concept.
Now 55 years old, the musician can already be considered a veteran. Still, he seems to be keeping an eye on new trends in rock — even though they’re lacking in the mainstream.
In an interview with the producer’s podcast Rick Rubin, Broken Record (via Louder), Albarn initially reflected on a specific band: the Arctic Monkeys. For him, the quartet led by Alex Turner can be defined as the last great “guitar group”.
“I feel like there’s a little more excitement with the guitar music again. That can’t be a bad thing because she’s become so sterile. For me, the last great guitar band would have been Arctic Monkeys. I don’t know if there’s been anything this good since then.”
But that means damon be a nostalgic? Not quite the case. He is excited about music in general, not necessarily rock, and sees bands “with enormous potential” precisely because they are willing to change the rules of the game.
“Now there are bands with enormous potential. Really, they took apart the guitar music and remade it in a different way. There are some fantastic new mutations of the genius of that.”
Young bands nominated by Damon Albarn
Perhaps the coolest moment of the interview occurred in the sequel, when Damon Albarn indicated a number of new “guitar bands” that appeal to him. The musician from blur It is gorillaz cited alternative names, but which are beginning to emerge.
“I really like the Wu-Lu band, they seem really cool. There’s one I found somewhere in the US countryside, but I can’t remember the name of it. You have bands like Yard Act who seem to be getting better and better. Obviously they’re not new, but I still see them as emerging bands like the Sleaford Mods, brilliant. There’s a lot of good language being used again, not this generic rock shit – I hate it, I like poets and guitars.”
Get to know a little about the sound of the groups mentioned below.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
