What Indie Band Goes Best With 70's Rock?

April 12, 2009 7:02 PM

Who Are The Journeys and Joni's Of Today?

I am doing a 70's music show for a local radio station next week, and I am thinking that a cool theme would be pairing an iconic 70's artist with an indie band or current band that obviously sounds like/was influenced by/would be one of those "if you like X, then try Y" bands.

I want to play them back-to-back to juxtapose the old with the new, blah blah blah.

What I'm hoping the Metaverse will come up with is great rock analogies for this set, i.e. say the Doobie Brothers paired with Kings Of Leon, or Yes with The New Pornographers.

I'd love your suggestions and if anyone's interested after this post, the show airs 10 - Noon EST here: wscafm.org next Monday, 4/20/09. Show's called Raised on Radio.

posted by Lipstick Thespian to media & arts (76 comments total)

Bruce Springteen -----> Arcade Fire
posted by billysumday at 7:09 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]

Joni Mitchell --> Joanna Newsom
posted by nonmerci at 7:11 PM on April 12 [5 favorites]

The Allman Brothers --> Kings of Leon
posted by nonmerci at 7:12 PM on April 12

CSNY --> Fleet Foxes
David Bowie --> Destroyer
posted by tealsocks at 7:16 PM on April 12

Yes --> Muse
Sandy Denny --> Alela Diane
posted by grabbingsand at 7:16 PM on April 12

Bob Dylan -> Bright Eyes
Pink Floyd -> more recent Radiohead
Pink Floyd again -> Animal Collective

And I don't know what you consider "current," but literally every grunge band is completely derivative of Black Sabbath and early Led Zeppelin.
posted by drjimmy11 at 7:19 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]

Of Montreal - influenced by David Bowie and Queen. Kevin Barnes (the mastermind of the band) admits he's hugely influenced by Bowie ("So Begins Our Alabee"), and the Queen influence is obvious ("Wraith Pinned to the Mist..."). I strongly recommend the albums The Sunlandic Twins and Satanic Panic in the Attic -- better than their more recent albums.

Mika - clear disco influences in "Relax, Take it Easy," and Queen influence in "Grace Kelly" (which he alludes to in the lyrics: "so I tried a little Freddie").

MGMT's Kids strikes me as faintly influenced by Stevie Wonder.

Goldfrapp's album Seventh Tree from last year is really brilliant throughout and seems to have a strong '60s-'70s influence. Caravan Girl -- has a '70s vibe to it, right?

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a British pop star with a great song called "Me & My Imagination" that's pretty blatant disco. (I don't know if this is insufficiently "indie," but the song was written up in Pitchfork Media.)
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:21 PM on April 12

Oh, and there are tons of bands that are imitating Talking Heads -- two really blatant examples are Yeasayer and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Also Of Montreal, Hot Chip, Architecture in Helsinki.
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:24 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]

One more: St. Vincent seems influenced by Joni Mitchell -- and is certainly worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as her.
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:28 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]

Arcade Fire is too droll to be The Boss. Bruce Springsteen --> The Hold Steady.
posted by Roman Graves at 7:31 PM on April 12 [6 favorites]

Leonard Cohen -> Jens Lekman

(Jens is a little obscure maybe, but SO worth checking out)
posted by drjimmy11 at 7:38 PM on April 12 [2 favorites]

Wow - wait, Of Montreal = Queen? Okay, here's my two cents:

So Begins Our Alabee - to me sounds WAY more like early Devo than anything Queen ever did, and the Wraith song (which I love) sounds way more (to me anyway) like the Kinks' A Well-Respected Man.

I also always thought that Of Montreal copped a ton from late-period Beatles music.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 7:39 PM on April 12

My Chemical Romance <- Queen all the time, and sometimes T-Rex ("Teenagers")
posted by drjimmy11 at 7:42 PM on April 12

Oh man, Muse totally = Queen to my ears. This is such a fun thread y'all! Keep 'em coming!
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 7:46 PM on April 12

Pink Floyd -- > early Mercury Rev
Brian Wilson -- > Panda Bear
Bruce Springsteen -- > Marah (absolutely, especially the album Kids In Philly) and The Constantines
Thin Lizzy -- > Early Danko Jones
Black Sabbath -- > Black Mountain's first album (skip the first track)
Captain Beefheart -- > Man Man
Beach Boys -- > Miracle Fortress
Rolling Stones -- > Deadly Snakes

Leonard Cohen -> Jens Lekman

I completely disagree with this and would say Jonathan Richman -- > Jens Lekman. Herman Dune would also be an excellent one for Richman.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 7:48 PM on April 12

Early Police+Early REM+moments of Rush-->Pinback
posted by umbú at 7:50 PM on April 12

For Leonard Cohen I would suggest a single track by Morphine: In Spite of Me.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 7:56 PM on April 12

Leonard Cohen --> Smog/Bill Callahan to me.
Black Sabbath --> Dead Meadow
posted by tealsocks at 8:01 PM on April 12

Yeah, not so much on the Leonard Cohen = Jens Lekman. Way more in line with the Jonathan Richman/Herman Dune way of seeing that. Plus also and also, too - Jonathan Richman and Herman Dune are completely awesome.

MORE!
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:03 PM on April 12

oh, and omigod - HOW DID I MISS A BAND LIKE MARAH? I'm slapping my head over here! They are fantastic!
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:05 PM on April 12

Don't know who the contemporary equivalent of Journey is, but if your concepts allows, you can play Petra's Haden's a capella cover of Don't Stop Believin'.

(I actually think there's just as much Thin Lizzy as Springsteen in The Hold Steady. And I hear lots of Hall & Oates in Phoenix.)
posted by neroli at 8:17 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]

Here are some examples of the bands I mentioned:

Miracle Fortress (Beach Boys)
Panda Bear (Brian Wilson)
Black Mountain (Black Sabbath)
Constantines (Springsteen)
Man Man (Captain Beefheart)
Mercury Rev (Pink Floyd)
Danko Jones (Thin Lizzy)
Jens Lekman (Jonathan Richman)
Herman Dune (Jonathan Richman)
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 8:18 PM on April 12 [2 favorites]

Wow - wait, Of Montreal = Queen?

Yes. Listen to The Sunlandic Twins -- it's all over the place.

I only mentioned "Wraith" (not "Alabee") as a Queen influence. Just picture Freddie Mercury singing it.

Would I ever mistake one band for the other? No. But there's an influence.

You're also right that OM is influenced by the Kinks. Also the Beatles and Prince and a lot of other people. OM is pretty derivative, but they're still interesting because they're like a kaleidoscope of a lot of really awesome people from the past.
posted by Jaltcoh at 8:18 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]

Okay, bonus points for anyone with good pairings for the following songs:

- indie equivalent of Miracles, by Jefferson Starship (Red Octopus album).
- indie equivalent of All Good People, by Yes
- indie equivalent of Hello, It's Me by Todd Rundgren
- indie equivalent of anything Blondie ever did

Have at it, minions! Ahoy, ahoy!
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:21 PM on April 12

'Graceland' era Paul Simon-----> Vampire Weekend
posted by piedmont at 8:24 PM on April 12 [2 favorites]

Neil Diamond or Scott Walker----> Adam Green (except Green's lyrics are way more fucked up)
Pure Prairie League (or maybe Allman Brothers or maaaaybee Doobies)----> Blitzen Trapper (at least on Wild Mountain Nation, haven't heard the newest)
Cheap Trick--------> Sloan
Can---------> Dungen
Wham!-----> Junior Senior (I know Wham! is from the '80s, though)
Joy Division------> Interpol
Steve Miller Band ------> The Raconteurs
Beach Boys----> Panda Bear
Joan Jett-------->Peaches
Various sides of the Beatles--------> Elephant 6 bands
Queen and Thin Lizzy-----------------> The Darkness
Peter Gabriel ---------------------> TV on the Radio
Early T. Rex--------------> Devendra Banhart
ELO------> Daft Punk (sorta)
Nick Drake ----> Elliott Smith


Boyfriend disagrees with both Jens Lekman assessments above and throws out Morrissey instead.

I can't take credit for all of these. A lot are ones I've heard from various people in my own past radio station discussions.
posted by fructose at 8:33 PM on April 12

Songs: Ohia (Neil Young)
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 8:33 PM on April 12

Styx--->Decemberists
or are they Boston? I can't tell.
posted by apostrophe at 8:37 PM on April 12

Midlake (a band I love) -- > America (a band I hate)
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 8:37 PM on April 12

Dude, I was totally gonna throw out there Vampire Weekend and Graceland-era Paul Simon, but also The Unicorns.

Boyfriend adds: Captain Beefheart---> Old Time Relijun

The most important question is, what is the 70's precursor of the Jonas Brothers. The Osmonds?
posted by fructose at 8:39 PM on April 12

Van Halen------------------>Red Hot Chili Peppers

I know Van Halen was really at the tail end of the seventies, at best.

There's not an obvious resemblance in sound, but I think the role Van Halen played in its time was very similar to the role the Chili Peppers have played in theirs. Same kind of "party band," same cheesy/zany strutting machismo, and the same types of people were drawn to Van Halen as are drawn to the Chili Peppers.
posted by jayder at 8:54 PM on April 12

Marissa Nadler (Vashti Bunyan and other female "Folk" singers with distinctive voices)

I'm no Blondie fan but I'll throw out Goldfrapp's Strict Machine and Ooh La La to your challenge.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 8:55 PM on April 12

I've never heard that Rundgren track before and could only find a live version on youtube. For whatever reason, I immediately thought of Langhorne Slim singing his song Lord. However, I don't know why. I don't think it's a good match. :)
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 9:02 PM on April 12

Beach Boys --> The Fleet Foxes (the video's full of goats, even)
Jethro Tull --> The Decemberists's latest
Bruce Springsteen - The Hold Steady
David Bowie --> Bobby Conn
Donovan - Devendra Banhart
Neil Young - Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter
posted by hydrophonic at 9:26 PM on April 12 [2 favorites]

Porcupine Tree has a lot of Pink Floyd and Yes in it. I can't find an exact match for "All Good People" right now, but I know it's in the Porcupine Tree catalog somewhere. "Pure Narcotic" is the closest I'm going to get tonight.
posted by baho at 9:28 PM on April 12

'Miracles' --> 'Roscoe'
'I've Seen All Good People' --> 'My Girls'
posted by carsonb at 10:04 PM on April 12

AC/DC --> Jet
Black Sabbath --> Wolfmother
Joy Division --> Editors, White Lies
posted by Bodd at 3:29 AM on April 13

I can see a bit of Blondie in some of Ladyhawke's stuff. She moves a little like Debbie Harry in that video, too.
(Although I think no one can ever duplicate Debbie Harry in her essence!)

And I can also see Fleetwood Mac (and Stevie Nicks) influences in Bat for Lashes' stuff (which is also somewhat reminiscent of Kate Bush's stuff)... e.g. her latest single (Stevie Nicks-ish lyrics and "aura" (the whole mythical folksy thing)... and a Fleetwood Mac-esque rhythm section and melodic line).
posted by aielen at 3:38 AM on April 13

Led Zeppelin --> Mars Volta
Neil Young --> Chad VanGaalen
Black Sabbath --> Black Mountain
Creedance Clearwater Revival --> My Morning Jacket
Beach Boys --> Pinback
posted by mannequito at 4:22 AM on April 13

aielen, isn't that Bat For Lashes song a cover?
posted by mannequito at 4:23 AM on April 13

mannequito - no, it isn't... what song were you thinking of, though?
posted by aielen at 4:30 AM on April 13

thought it was a cover of the Elton John song; I was wrong
posted by mannequito at 4:45 AM on April 13

New Pornographers --> Shocking Blue
Fiery Furnaces --> Sparks ca. Kimono My House (suggested by boyfriend; I disagree)
My Brightest Diamond --> early Kate Bush
Polysics --> Devo
She & Him --> Linda Ronstadt

...and anyone who thinks Conor Oberst is fit to polish Dylan's shoes needs their head examined.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:53 AM on April 13

Siouxsie and the Banshees ---> Yeah Yeah Yeahs
posted by electroboy at 5:58 AM on April 13

Oh, also

early Neko Case --> Emmylou Harris
posted by pxe2000 at 6:09 AM on April 13

Another:
Elvis Perkins in Dearland --> The Band
posted by pxe2000 at 6:25 AM on April 13

Robin Hitchcock-->pre-prog Decemberists
posted by umbú at 6:28 AM on April 13

Okay, bonus points for anyone with good pairings for the following songs ... - indie equivalent of anything Blondie ever did

Goldfrapp!!!

Especially their song "Ride a White Horse." It's like a sequel to "Heart of Glass." (Other great Goldfrapp songs: "A&E," "Happiness," "Road to Somewhere." And I already mentioned "Caravan Girl.")
posted by Jaltcoh at 6:39 AM on April 13

Exile-era Rolling Stones -> Deadstring Brothers
posted by goethean at 7:44 AM on April 13

The Band -> The Gourds
Kraftwerk -> Aphex Twin
Pink Floyd -> The Orb
Big Star -> The Posies or Teenage Fanclub
posted by snofoam at 9:35 AM on April 13

Rilo Kiley -> Fleetwood Mac.
The Clash -> Exploding Hearts
Thin Lizzy -> Ted Leo
Gram Parsons -> Ryan Adams
posted by brgale at 12:53 PM on April 13

Of course, it seems as if most of these answers are musically based, rather than discussing cultural impact or popularity. As I said above, The Exploding Hearts sound a lot like the new Clash to my ears, but they definitely don't have the kind of impact that the Clash did. Not that I know who does.
posted by brgale at 12:56 PM on April 13

This thread is all about sound-for-sound. I'm basically trying to set up a cool two hours of show where I can play really recognizable 70's music right alongside current bands who sound like them, or have taken huge cues from them as inspiration.

The music should be as similar as possible to really show off the comparison.

So far the set includes:

Starship Trooper (Yes) with The Dark Is Rising (Mercury Rev)
something by Led Zeppelin with something by Wolfmother
something by Black Sabbath mixed with something by Priestess or possibly Black Mountain
CSNY with Fleet Foxes
Brian Wilson/Beach Boys with either Panda Bear or Miracle Fortress (great suggestions, both and THANK YOU)
definitely some old Bruce with The Hold Steady

and I'm really loving the upthread comparisons for both Gram Parsons and the Band - I'd never heard of Elvis Perkins prior to this thread and now I'm a huge fan.

Keep 'em coming, folks - this is one of the most fun things I've ever posed in Askme.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 1:02 PM on April 13 [1 favorite]

Definitely seconding Thin Lizzy -> Ted Leo
posted by dhammond at 4:08 PM on April 13

Joni Mitchell -> Laura Marling

At least to my ears.
posted by kjs4 at 6:51 PM on April 13 [2 favorites]

Good call, kjs4 - best Joni option yet! We still need a Journey, though! Get to work, people!
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:42 PM on April 13

Joel Plaskett sounds like mid- to late- 70's Rock
posted by swellingitchingbrain at 7:00 AM on April 14

Springsteen --> The Hold Steady

You probably won't even notice the changeover between "Born to Run" and "Stuck Between Stations"
posted by Mr. Anthropomorphism at 8:28 AM on April 14

hey, anyone ever notice that the bassist for the Hold Steady looks a hell of a lot like Jim from The Office? Just sayin'.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:16 AM on April 14

Anything from the 70's -> Lenny Kravitz
posted by snofoam at 9:20 AM on April 14

Can/other krautrock -> Julian Cope circa Jehovahkill
posted by snofoam at 9:22 AM on April 14

Also Moonage Daydream -> Safesurfer by Julian Cope
Steely Dan -> Pandy Fackler by Ween
posted by snofoam at 9:26 AM on April 14

Hey all - anyone still looking at this thread - I posted a thank you note to the users who added their two cents for the show up on Metatalk. Thanks again for everything - the show was 100 percent from start to finish.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:57 AM on April 20

The Black Keys sound like ther are still in the '70's. In a good way.
posted by no_moniker at 11:05 AM on April 20

ther = they
posted by no_moniker at 11:07 AM on April 20

According to Carl Newman himself, The New Pornographers were brought about to recreate the sounds of Cheap Trick (yeah, yeah, citation needed).
posted by converge at 11:35 AM on April 20

Rush + Santana = The Mars Volta
posted by The World Famous at 11:59 AM on April 20

I'm just curious if anyone else finds Spoon to be like '70s Billy Joel (at least on "The Underdog").
posted by batmonkey at 1:17 PM on April 20

For those of you in who come across this page in the future and would like a link to the MetaTalk post that Lipstick Thespian mentioned, here you go. (Final playlist available there too.)
posted by painquale at 4:05 PM on April 20 [1 favorite]

Velvet Underground >> Brian Jonestown Massacre
posted by Brian B. at 7:09 AM on April 21

indie equivalent of All Good People, by Yes

2080 by Yeasayer
posted by jokeefe at 9:51 AM on April 21

Seconding Jethro Tull and the Decemberists. Thick as a Brick/Hazards of Love.
posted by jokeefe at 9:52 AM on April 21

Neil Young - Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter

Absolutely. Tell Me Why/Station Grey perhaps?
posted by jokeefe at 9:53 AM on April 21

Dang, the show's done already! I guess I should actually try to read Ask more often.
posted by jokeefe at 9:54 AM on April 21

LT-- perhaps do a Part II? *bats eyelashes*
posted by jokeefe at 9:54 AM on April 21

Okay, why isn't anyone comparing Jesse Sykes to Marianne Faithful here or even Stevie Nicks? I'm just not getting the Neil Young here - especially when there's Magnolia Electric Co., Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Strand of Oaks.....
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 11:35 AM on April 21