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October 1, 2008 8:09 AM Subscribe
I *love* krautrock. What modern bands might I like?
I really enjoy krautrock. I like the repetition, the screechiness, the chopped feel, the garbled lyrics and pseudo-electronica sound. My favorites are Can, Harmonia, NEU!, Faust and of course all the krautrock-influenced Bowie albums. I am medium on Kraftwerk and Eno, although I really like Another Green World.
What modern bands should I look into?
I am pretty familiar with the music of the 70s, so I am not really looking for 70s krautrock suggestions unless you have something obscure that just can't be missed. I grew up listening to ministry and wu-tang if that gives you any indication of how my musical taste lean.
(I don't like MGMT.)
I really enjoy krautrock. I like the repetition, the screechiness, the chopped feel, the garbled lyrics and pseudo-electronica sound. My favorites are Can, Harmonia, NEU!, Faust and of course all the krautrock-influenced Bowie albums. I am medium on Kraftwerk and Eno, although I really like Another Green World.
What modern bands should I look into?
I am pretty familiar with the music of the 70s, so I am not really looking for 70s krautrock suggestions unless you have something obscure that just can't be missed. I grew up listening to ministry and wu-tang if that gives you any indication of how my musical taste lean.
(I don't like MGMT.)
You'd probably like middle-period Stereolab, especially Transient Random Noise Bursts with Announcements, which has one track that's almost a direct rip-off of Neu!'s HalloGallo.
American Analog Set has some krauty moments, specifically "Foxes Through Fences" off Know By Heart, and "The Hatist" off The Promise of Love.
For some reason, La Mia Vita Violenta by Blonde Redhead reminds me of Can.
Then there's "Spec Bebop" off I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One by Yo La Tengo. And "Mar" by Seekonk off Pinkwood.
posted by LionIndex at 8:32 AM on October 1, 2008
American Analog Set has some krauty moments, specifically "Foxes Through Fences" off Know By Heart, and "The Hatist" off The Promise of Love.
For some reason, La Mia Vita Violenta by Blonde Redhead reminds me of Can.
Then there's "Spec Bebop" off I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One by Yo La Tengo. And "Mar" by Seekonk off Pinkwood.
posted by LionIndex at 8:32 AM on October 1, 2008
Krautrock is just so cool at the moment - Everyone is name dropping it, although a lot it is just that - name dropping.
1. you might like a few of the songs on the new Portishead Album (well except it doesn' thave screechy vocals) and is kind of pop at the same time.
2. maybe some LCD Soundsystem that has that utilisies metronomic drum beats. explores some of the Disco/Krautrock overlap.
3. Fujiya & Miyagi - are often cited as Krautrock influenced - But they really aren't that good. its more electronic pop.
4. the last two Sonic Youth albums Sonic Nurse and Rather Ripped - have a metronomic fell with guitar freaekouts..
5. Stereolab (any of the albums that are not too dippy).
6. Zongamin maybe? (the 2003 album)
posted by mary8nne at 8:32 AM on October 1, 2008
1. you might like a few of the songs on the new Portishead Album (well except it doesn' thave screechy vocals) and is kind of pop at the same time.
2. maybe some LCD Soundsystem that has that utilisies metronomic drum beats. explores some of the Disco/Krautrock overlap.
3. Fujiya & Miyagi - are often cited as Krautrock influenced - But they really aren't that good. its more electronic pop.
4. the last two Sonic Youth albums Sonic Nurse and Rather Ripped - have a metronomic fell with guitar freaekouts..
5. Stereolab (any of the albums that are not too dippy).
6. Zongamin maybe? (the 2003 album)
posted by mary8nne at 8:32 AM on October 1, 2008
7. Electrelane - No Shouts, No Calls - this album is really good. and reminds me of some of that older 70s stuff in a way. odd melodic
posted by mary8nne at 8:36 AM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by mary8nne at 8:36 AM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
Black Moth Super Rainbow has a lot of Krautrock in its sound, but tends to be a little sloppier and psychedelic than cleaner, tighter fare like Fujiya & Miyagi. BMSR-collaborators Octopus Project are great, too.
posted by activitystory at 8:42 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by activitystory at 8:42 AM on October 1, 2008
I like Krautrock and three bands (which for whatever reasons I don't particularly like) that seemed influenced by Krautrock are Porcupine Tree, Secret Machines and Cul de Sac.
posted by Falconetti at 8:51 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by Falconetti at 8:51 AM on October 1, 2008
Legendary Pink Dots aren't new, but they're still around, and they're hugely influenced by the German psychedelic movement.
Also, a lot of the stuff on Beta-lactam Ring Records will be up your alley. It's all experimental, psychedelic, progressive, and electronic, and almost all of it is influenced by Krautrock to some degree or another. They're also very good about posting song excerpts and stuff like that. From their roster and your description of what you like about Krautrock, I'd think you'd especially like Volcano the Bear, Christus and the Cosmonaughts, Earthmonkey, Un Festin Sagital, LSD March, Seven That Spells, Uw Hypotheekadvies, and possibly Green Milk from the Planet Orange, Anakrid, and Girlfriends. A lot of this stuff is instrumental to varying degrees, but like I said, they've got sound samples of everything up there.
posted by infinitywaltz at 9:02 AM on October 1, 2008
Also, a lot of the stuff on Beta-lactam Ring Records will be up your alley. It's all experimental, psychedelic, progressive, and electronic, and almost all of it is influenced by Krautrock to some degree or another. They're also very good about posting song excerpts and stuff like that. From their roster and your description of what you like about Krautrock, I'd think you'd especially like Volcano the Bear, Christus and the Cosmonaughts, Earthmonkey, Un Festin Sagital, LSD March, Seven That Spells, Uw Hypotheekadvies, and possibly Green Milk from the Planet Orange, Anakrid, and Girlfriends. A lot of this stuff is instrumental to varying degrees, but like I said, they've got sound samples of everything up there.
posted by infinitywaltz at 9:02 AM on October 1, 2008
I'm texting my boyfriend who used to host a Krautrock radio show right now t0 ask him, but I can also say Deerhunter and Octopus Project are good suggestions.
posted by fructose at 9:03 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by fructose at 9:03 AM on October 1, 2008
Underground hipsters have been name-dropping Krautrock constantly for more than a decade. It's not an "at the moment" thing really. Julian Cope's definitive Krautrocksampler is a 90s book. Most of the Krautrock classic reissues happened in the 90s. Ciccone Youth's "Two Cool Rock Chicks Listening To Neu" is from the 80s.
+1 for Stereolab, especially between 1993-1995.
There are elements of Krautrock in some Sunburned Hand of the Man.
Two related 90s bands with an element of the Can rhythm section are Moonshake (who are probably named after the track on Future Days) and Laika.
posted by galaksit at 9:16 AM on October 1, 2008
+1 for Stereolab, especially between 1993-1995.
There are elements of Krautrock in some Sunburned Hand of the Man.
Two related 90s bands with an element of the Can rhythm section are Moonshake (who are probably named after the track on Future Days) and Laika.
posted by galaksit at 9:16 AM on October 1, 2008
Oh yeah. The Chap. Especially their earlier albums "The Horse" and "Ham". The current album, "Mega Breakfast", is a bit more sparse on the rock element.
posted by galaksit at 9:38 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by galaksit at 9:38 AM on October 1, 2008
Tussle, a mostly drums-and-bass (but not "drum & bass") group from San Francisco, knock out some pretty hypnotic grooves that owe quite a bit to NEU!'s more accessible tracks. Tussle's a bit reminiscent of ESG, too, though they lack vocals.
Speaking of ESG, and this might be a stretch, there are probably some groups from the late 70s Factory Records scene, like A Certain Ratio, that might work for you. From there, on to the Fall ("I Am Damo Suzuki," for instance), This Heat, and early Cabaret Voltaire.
Related to Moonshake and Laika in some way that I don't recall is Pram, though I have to admit that it's been something like 15 years since I heard them, so I don't know if it's appropriate to recommend them.
posted by cobra libre at 10:01 AM on October 1, 2008
Speaking of ESG, and this might be a stretch, there are probably some groups from the late 70s Factory Records scene, like A Certain Ratio, that might work for you. From there, on to the Fall ("I Am Damo Suzuki," for instance), This Heat, and early Cabaret Voltaire.
Related to Moonshake and Laika in some way that I don't recall is Pram, though I have to admit that it's been something like 15 years since I heard them, so I don't know if it's appropriate to recommend them.
posted by cobra libre at 10:01 AM on October 1, 2008
Seconding The Secret Machines, whose next album comes out in two weeks. They are definitely loud, repetitive and often pseudo-electronic sounding, with a lot of layered guitar effects. And they put on some great concerts, too. One of their EPs has a cover of Harmonia's "De Luxe" (it's track #34 on that little embedded player on the page I linked to). I'd also give a listen to the tracks "First Wave Intact" and "Dreaming of Dreaming" for a similar sound.
Also The Rum Diary, who have been classified as "post-rock" but I don't really know what that term means. Lots of crashing drums and indecipherable lyrics. Give a listen to "Back In the Hardcore Days" and the ten-minute jam "The Sunken Fields."
Also Holy Fuck, who don't have lyrics but do a lot of wild, electronic-sounding jams. They toured with M.I.A. this summer.
Mogwai might also be what you're looking for, although I really don't know much about them (I've been meaning to check out some of their albums for a while now...)
posted by Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam at 10:14 AM on October 1, 2008
Also The Rum Diary, who have been classified as "post-rock" but I don't really know what that term means. Lots of crashing drums and indecipherable lyrics. Give a listen to "Back In the Hardcore Days" and the ten-minute jam "The Sunken Fields."
Also Holy Fuck, who don't have lyrics but do a lot of wild, electronic-sounding jams. They toured with M.I.A. this summer.
Mogwai might also be what you're looking for, although I really don't know much about them (I've been meaning to check out some of their albums for a while now...)
posted by Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam at 10:14 AM on October 1, 2008
Tortoise's music also bears some krautrock influence, though I'd sooner liken them to a clockwork Modern Jazz Quartet.
I've never gotten around to reading his Krautrocksampler, but Julian Cope's Head Heritage site strikes me as a good place to look, if you can handle his rather hyperactive prose style. For example: Chrome.
posted by cobra libre at 10:15 AM on October 1, 2008
I've never gotten around to reading his Krautrocksampler, but Julian Cope's Head Heritage site strikes me as a good place to look, if you can handle his rather hyperactive prose style. For example: Chrome.
posted by cobra libre at 10:15 AM on October 1, 2008
I tend to like music that slides into the psych side of Krautrock revival.
Bands like: Wooden Shjips, Black Mountain, Racoo-oo-oon, Pocahaunted, Acid Mothers Temple, Oneida… Other bands that I've heard good things about but haven't heard: Naked, Holy Fuck, Circle, Audionom, Cloudland Canyon.
Suggestions that I'd second: Stereolab, This Heat, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Laika.
You might also dig Asa Chang & Jun Ray's Hana album. It's pretty quiet though.
Coincidentally, most are mentioned in this ILX thread.
posted by klangklangston at 10:49 AM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
Bands like: Wooden Shjips, Black Mountain, Racoo-oo-oon, Pocahaunted, Acid Mothers Temple, Oneida… Other bands that I've heard good things about but haven't heard: Naked, Holy Fuck, Circle, Audionom, Cloudland Canyon.
Suggestions that I'd second: Stereolab, This Heat, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Laika.
You might also dig Asa Chang & Jun Ray's Hana album. It's pretty quiet though.
Coincidentally, most are mentioned in this ILX thread.
posted by klangklangston at 10:49 AM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'd definitely recommend Holy Fuck. In the same vein, you might like Icy Demons, especially this song.
posted by thisjax at 11:39 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by thisjax at 11:39 AM on October 1, 2008
Battles might be worth a try: they're electronic-ish with slightly strange, repetitive rhythms.
posted by chorltonmeateater at 11:43 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by chorltonmeateater at 11:43 AM on October 1, 2008
Some of The Sea & Cake, particularly the last couple of albums.
posted by rhizome at 11:51 AM on October 1, 2008
posted by rhizome at 11:51 AM on October 1, 2008
Expo '70. Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound. Also, seconding Seven That Spells.
A few bands from the '70s you may have not explored: My Solid Ground, Sperrmull, Lucifer's Friend, Nightsun, and Jeronimo.
posted by medeine at 12:09 PM on October 1, 2008
A few bands from the '70s you may have not explored: My Solid Ground, Sperrmull, Lucifer's Friend, Nightsun, and Jeronimo.
posted by medeine at 12:09 PM on October 1, 2008
If you like the "motorik" sort of Krautrock: definitely the first few Stereolab EP collections (and Transient Noise Bursts), and the last couple of Unrest albums.
(If you can find the Unrest "Cath Carroll" EP, there's a 35-minute-long motorik jam called "Hydro" that's great for driving.)
posted by xil at 12:11 PM on October 1, 2008
(If you can find the Unrest "Cath Carroll" EP, there's a 35-minute-long motorik jam called "Hydro" that's great for driving.)
posted by xil at 12:11 PM on October 1, 2008
There are a number of Nurse With Wound CDs you might enjoy (and an equal number you wouldn't), but it's been so long since I listened to them (or heard anything new) that Rock'n'Roll Station is the only one that springs to mind (though seek out the 2xCD "Second Pirate Session" edition). Oh, and "Musical Pumpkin Cottage."
posted by K.P. at 12:16 PM on October 1, 2008
posted by K.P. at 12:16 PM on October 1, 2008
Response by poster: Thanks for your help everyone! Of course, any more suggestions welcomed.
posted by milarepa at 12:19 PM on October 1, 2008
posted by milarepa at 12:19 PM on October 1, 2008
Already mentioned but must be seconded: Oneida's newest album Preteen Weaponry hits all my krautrock pleasure spots like nothing else in recent memory.
posted by anazgnos at 12:48 PM on October 1, 2008
posted by anazgnos at 12:48 PM on October 1, 2008
I second Electrelane. Axes isn't their most accessible, but strikes me as the most like what you're looking for.
posted by pullayup at 1:02 PM on October 1, 2008
posted by pullayup at 1:02 PM on October 1, 2008
Liars (Drum's Not Dead)
Jackie-O Motherfucker
Trans Am
Lots of stuff on Kranky Records is that droney type sound.. Doldrums.. Labradford..
posted by citron at 1:08 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
Jackie-O Motherfucker
Trans Am
Lots of stuff on Kranky Records is that droney type sound.. Doldrums.. Labradford..
posted by citron at 1:08 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
I have both Liquid Liquid and Suicide on a mostly-Krautrock mix and they fit in quite well.
posted by wemayfreeze at 2:38 PM on October 1, 2008
posted by wemayfreeze at 2:38 PM on October 1, 2008
Caribou / Manitoba, and track down his live stuff.
When I went to a Manitoba concert in Winnipeg (!), the soundboard guy played an all Can playlist over the speakers before the opening act, and as soon as Caribou started playing with his live band, I understood.
posted by sleslie at 3:03 PM on October 1, 2008
When I went to a Manitoba concert in Winnipeg (!), the soundboard guy played an all Can playlist over the speakers before the opening act, and as soon as Caribou started playing with his live band, I understood.
posted by sleslie at 3:03 PM on October 1, 2008
Kling Klang are an amazing band from Liverpool. All keyboards and a drummer, and as you might have guessed from their name are massive Kraftwerk fans. In fact they are currently in the process of being sued by Kraftwerk (for robbing the name of their studio for their band)
posted by djstig at 3:27 PM on October 1, 2008
posted by djstig at 3:27 PM on October 1, 2008
Cul-de-Sac
posted by Joseph Gurl at 1:29 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by Joseph Gurl at 1:29 AM on October 2, 2008
My boyfriend is telling me to tell you to check out Turing Machine's first album, but only that one. Apparently the second is bad.
And I personally will second Trans Am and moments in the American Analog Set's ouevre.
posted by ifjuly at 11:40 AM on October 2, 2008
And I personally will second Trans Am and moments in the American Analog Set's ouevre.
posted by ifjuly at 11:40 AM on October 2, 2008
CIRCLE. They may call themselves the "New Wave of Finnish Heavy Metal" - and they are, in some of their incarnations - but dear god, do they play some gorgeous krautrock as well. Cloudland Canyon is definitely worth a try. And, uh, I second every other band that klangklangston mentions, as well as Cul de Sac, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Expo 70, etc. (While I love Chrome, and you should listen to them, they're not krautrock.) Along the kraut-psych intersection, you might want to look at everything from Skullflower's "Extreme Fucking Boredom" and other stuff on the drone spectrum to groups like Kinski, Paik, ST 37, F/i (oh, actually, defintely them), and a lot of the rest of the Terrastock crowd.
posted by ubersturm at 3:09 PM on October 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by ubersturm at 3:09 PM on October 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by uandt at 8:26 AM on October 1, 2008