Although we may not have a definitive scene like Detroit circa 2000, there are still several cities hosting their own take on high-decibel garage rock.
Since summer (travel season) is giving us almost no music news, why not check out some great bands from different cities across the US?
Starting with a no-brainer, San Fran has a long, storied history of fostering great artists and great music scenes. Today, there are several bands that call the Golden Gate city home who have a flair for old-school g-rock with a touch of psychedelia. If you haven't given them already, these bands are worth a listen:
Band: The Oh Sees Sounds Like: Beach rockers on a mission.
Thee Oh Sees have gone by a wide variety of names (The Ohsees, OCS, Orange County Sound) and have gradually honed their stoner beach romps into catchy odes to late-night surfing and bonfires. The band has a throw-back sound that would fit right in with the garage rock movement of the '60s, and one of the coolest music videos I've ever seen. Just be warned if you're prone to seizures.
Song: "Meat Step Lively"
Band: The Fresh & Onlys Sounds Like: An indie rock band set on fire
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Like Thee Oh Sees, the Fresh & Onlys have personalized their brand of rock so that it doesn't really seem to fit neatly into one genre. The band has an airy quality that most indie-rock bands try to pull off, but their songs have a little more urgency and rawness than you'll find from Arcade Fire.
Song: "Waterfall"
Band: Ty Segall Sounds Like: Garage rock on drugs. Lots of drugs.
Ty Segall seems to be a worshiper of all things '60s and hazy, as demonstrated by his walls of sound that assault you in each of his songs, mixed with some head-turning (or shaking) music videos and lyrics. The band's motto seems to be in the mindset of “just rock, dude” and that's exactly what they do.
Song: "Where Your Head Goes"
John Grimley writes The Oil Slick blog for GuitarWorld.com.
