First-round voting set to close Sunday at midnight. By James Montgomery Foo Fighters Photo: MTV News The Foo Fighters entered the 2011 Musical March Madness tournament as the top seed in the meaty Midwest region, and, so far, they’ve lived up to that high billing, totally dominating their over-matched first-round opponents, 16th-seeded the Damned Things . Vote for your favorite bands now over on the Newsroom blog. With voting on opening-round matchups set to close Sunday at midnight, the Foos hold a commanding 73-27 lead over the Damned Things (who were rallying the troops early) , all but ensuring them a spot in the second round of our tournament. And though they’re poised to move one step closer to hoisting the championship trophy , the Foos remain remarkably nonplussed about not only their title hopes, but the entire MMM bracket, for that matter. “That sounds like exercise or something,” Foos frontman Dave Grohl replied when asked about Musical March Madness. “And ‘bracket’ sounds like ‘brisket’ to me. Sort of makes me want to eat something.” It bears mention that Grohl said this one day after the Foo Fighters kicked off the South by Southwest Music Festival with a raucous surprise set at the Austin, Texas, BBQ shack/venue Stubb’s , which probably explains why he had brisket on the brain. But still, with a field of competitors that still includes heavyweights like 30 Seconds to Mars , Linkin Park and Panic! at the Disco , you’d think the Foos would a least be looking ahead to the tournament’s later rounds. But, again, you’d be wrong. Instead of looking forward, the Foo Fighters are looking backward. Seems, if anything, their Musical March Madness success has stirred up some painful childhood memories — certainly a first in the illustrious two-year history of the tourney. “[It] makes me think of walking down the hallway in high school and being called ‘f–‘ by all the jocks,” guitarist Chris Shiflett said, laughing. “You now what though?” drummer Taylor Hawkins added. “If you saw a picture of Chris in high school, you’d understand.” Will the Foos survive to stir up more bad thoughts for Shiflett? Or will they be felled by one of their fellow titans? Well, that’s really up to you, isn’t it? Voting is now open in all first-round matchups over on the Newsroom blog and closes Sunday night. May the best band win, even if it pains them to do so. MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament is back! Voting on all first-round matchups continues until Sunday, at which point we’ll move on to the second round of the action. All winners are determined by your votes, so if your favorite act made the cut, it’ll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, it’s gonna be a war. Related Photos Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness
Iconic show’s ’90s host says he’s excited to bring back a ‘trustworthy’ place for fans to find new music. By Ryan J. Downey Matt Pinfield Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images “120 Minutes,” two of the most beloved hours in alternative-rock history, is returning to the airwaves. MTV2 will air a brand-new monthly version of the trailblazing music program with a weekly online counterpart dubbed “120 Seconds” on MTV Hive . Both will be hosted by Matt Pinfield,
Iconic show’s ’90s host says he’s excited to bring back a ‘trustworthy’ place for fans to find new music. By Ryan J. Downey Matt Pinfield Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images “120 Minutes,” two of the most beloved hours in alternative-rock history, is returning to the airwaves. MTV2 will air a brand-new monthly version of the trailblazing music program with a weekly online counterpart dubbed “120 Seconds” on MTV Hive . Both will be hosted by Matt Pinfield,
Iconic show’s ’90s host says he’s excited to bring back a ‘trustworthy’ place for fans to find new music. By Ryan J. Downey Matt Pinfield Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images “120 Minutes,” two of the most beloved hours in alternative-rock history, is returning to the airwaves. MTV2 will air a brand-new monthly version of the trailblazing music program with a weekly online counterpart dubbed “120 Seconds” on MTV Hive . Both will be hosted by Matt Pinfield,
Lauren Alaina, Casey Abrams and Scotty McCreery also get great notes from the judges singing songs from their birth years. By Gil Kaufman “American Idol” top 12 Photo: FOX It was an evening of surprises on “American Idol” Wednesday night (March 16). From the first song by grunge icons Nirvana to a show-closing gospel throw-down on a tune by Heart, leading contenders Pia Toscano, Jacob Lusk and Casey Abrams continued their winning ways, while teen Lauren Alaina appeared to get back in the groove after an off week. The theme this week was songs from the year you were born, and first up was Naima Adedapo, who worked up Tina Turner’s comeback hit “What’s Love Got to do With It.” Slinking down the steps in one of her signature colorful getups, Adedapo struggled a bit to find the melody over the rocked-up, percussive track produced by Rodney Jerkins. The performance had plenty of attitude but failed to really show off Naima’s range. In his first attempt at live feedback , Steven Tyler blasted off, whooping it up and telling the singer she had a “sorcerer’s grasp for melody.” Jennifer Lopez admitted that she gave Naima a pass last week on her pitchiness, but said she was starting to worry it was not a one-time thing and encouraged Adedapo to kick it up a notch. Randy Jackson agreed, saying it was just kind of a mess and all over the place. Another 1984 baby, bearded rocker Paul McDonald , went with Elton John’s subtle ballad “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.” Sounding even more hoarse than usual, McDonald tried to get the crowd behind him while he did his rag-doll dance and croaked his way through a bland version of the song, always seemingly half a beat behind the tempo. Lopez could sense Paul’s struggle with a cold, but said his star quality overwhelmed it, though Randy was not as charitable, saying Paul was pitchy but still found a way to put his unique spin on the song. “But get the notes right!” Randy added, as Steven opined that McD defines “a cool dude in a loose mood.” Thia Megia is one of the babies of the bunch, born in 1995, the same year the Disney movie “Pocahontas” was released, featuring “Colors of the Wind” by Vanessa Williams. Backed by a gently plucked acoustic guitar and a string quartet, Megia came off a bit pageanty with her long, golden dress as she sang the song’s corny lyrics, but once again her vocals were incredibly clear and precise for someone her age. For Randy, the singing was just OK, but his real problem was the predictable, safe nature of her song choices from week to week. Though he praised her vocals, Steven wondered, “Is that song who you think you are?” Resident rocker James Durbin , born in 1989, went with Bon Jovi’s “I’ll Be There for You,” not exactly the Jersey band’s most notable hit. Doing his best Axl Rose-meets-Jon Bon snarl, Durbin worked the stage like an arena-rock veteran, swinging his mic stand, leaning in for some shoulder-to-shoulder with the guitar player, doling out audience high-fives and ending it all with a rock jump and what host Ryan Seacrest referred to as “JV pyro.” You knew Tyler was gonna dig it. “I got leftover sandwiches under my bed older than that, how do you do that?” he marveled at Durbin’s young talent, while warning him to avoid getting too poppy. Jennifer said a great performer makes you want to sing along with them, and she said JD is definitely one of those singers. Haley Reinhart was born in 1990 into a musical family, and she paid homage by getting back in her R&B groove with a swing at “I’m Your Baby Tonight” by Whitney Houston. Producer Ron Fair’s funked-up, new-wave arrangement seemed to throw her at first, but then Haley laid into a Christina Aguilera-like groove, growling and emoting her way through the song, which fit her style way better than last week’s detour into country territory. In what is emerging as her signature sweet putdown, J.Lo told Haley she looked beautiful and has a beautiful voice but that she seems tense and unsure onstage. “Do what you feel, don’t force anything, do what comes naturally,” she counseled. Jackson said Haley’s hopscotching from style to style is making it hard to pin her musical personality down. Stefano Langone (1989) was right in the pocket with Simply Red’s soul-stirring “If You Don’t Know Me by Now.” He confidently sang the goopy ballad as if working the crowd at a wedding (or office karaoke party), showing off the range, emotion and vocal clarity that earned him a wild-card berth. “The best performance of the night so far!” Randy raved, handing out an Olympic-gymnastics-style 10-10-10 rating. Steven loved the phrasing, and Lopez said it was the perfect song choice that could win him the whole thing — as long as he locked eyes with her a bit more while he performed. After emerging as a potential winner a few weeks ago, Pia Toscano (1988) also knows what works, which is why she chose Houston’s “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.” Working her magic over the thumping disco-lite track, Toscano gave it her glitter-ball best, tossing up emotion and solid vocals but falling a bit short in the stagecraft department. “You are why this show is called ‘American Idol,’ ” Tyler said, clearly impressed with Pia despite what he referred to as a “retro” arrangement. Jennifer was psyched to hear PT try out an uptempo song for once, and Randy put the other 11 singers on notice that Toscano is in it to win it. Bullfrog-voiced country crooner Scotty McCreery (1993) stayed firmly in his lane with Travis Tritt’s “Can I Trust You With My Heart.” He was, once again, spot-on, coming off as a seasoned country veteran with all the right shading and phrasing to deliver the song’s emotion. But you have to wonder: How many weeks can he essentially do the same thing and still advance? It felt to Lopez like he pushed his vocal range out a bit more with this song, and the panel agreed that he’d shown enough growth to justify another week in the game. Born in 1989, Karen Rodriguez went diva with Taylor Dayne’s other hit, “Love Will Lead You Back.” Wearing a kind of “Austin Powers” silver space miniskirt, Rodriguez had passion and again threw in some Spanish lyrics, but in the words of ex-judge Simon Cowell, it all felt a bit louche hotel lounge. It started rough for Randy, who said it was better than last week but still not all that. Jennifer sensed some fear at first, but praised Rodriguez for sticking to her guns and attacking the song. “If you are nervous about certain notes, don’t go there,” she said. “As a professional, you never have to. Never expose your weaknesses; play to your strengths.” After a second trip this season to the hospital , unlikely hirsute sex symbol Casey Abrams (1991) notched a couple of milestones on Wednesday night when he played electric bass while performing the first-ever song by grunge gods Nirvana on the show. He transformed the nearly untouchable “Smells Like Teen Spirit” into a dark-funk rave-up, busting out his best crazy eyes and screeching and screaming a bit more than usual, while putting lots of energy into the bizarre, horn-laden cover of the modern-rock classic. “You’re so crazy and you’re so talented,” said Tyler, who knows of what he speaks. “That’s the goop that great stuff is made of, and you got it.” Randy said he appreciated Abrams’ willingness to take risks and put art before commerce and always switch things up. The other 16-year-old finalist, Lauren Alaina (1994), was also battling the flu and a poor performance last week. She dug into “I’m the Only One” by Melissa Etheridge, putting some of her deep-voiced country sass on the tune and putting up some powerful, nuanced vocals, despite her illness. After singing along during the performance, Lopez gave Alaina props for sticking to the frame of the song while putting her own imprint on it, and Randy said if that’s how she sounds with a cold, she should have one every week. The final slot of the night belonged to Jacob Lusk (1987), who went way off the path by choosing the ballad “Alone” by female rock duo Heart. After a tentative opening, he exploded into the chorus, throwing down his gospel power and vibrato into the tune, which got a bit frantic at times but definitely highlighted his intensity. Randy appreciated the attempt to step out of his comfort zone, even if the vocals went a bit wobbly in the middle and nodded to Jacob’s decision to go subtle instead of bombastic at the end. The show opened with Tyler, Lopez and Jackson announcing that proceeds from the sale of the second weekly “Idol” download album would go to the Red Cross’ efforts to help the people of Japan in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami . Thursday night’s results show will feature the return of last year’s winner, Lee DeWyze, who will be on hand to sing his new single, “Beautiful Like You,” along with the Black Eyed Peas, who will perform their latest, “Just Can’t Get Enough.” Who did you think killed it Wednesday night? Let us know in comments below! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” every Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Video was shot in Japan one week before the earthquake and tsunami. By Jocelyn Vena The Black Eyed Peas Photo: Chris Gordon/WireImage It seems that all of Hollywood and the music community are banding together to help those affected by the tsunami and earthquake in Japan. Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are just two examples, with Gaga and her little monsters raising more than $250,000 for relief efforts, and fellow pop star Katy Perry donating funds from her tour merchandise. Now the Black Eyed Peas are getting in the game. They hope that their music video for their track “Just Can’t Get Enough” will raise awareness and funds for those who need help. The guerilla-style video was shot over three days in Japan one week before the country was hit by the natural disaster. “It was the easiest video I ever shot because it was us living our lives,” Fergie told ” Entertainment Tonight .” “I love that it’s showing a true perspective of how it can sometimes be lonely on the road away from our loved ones. It also demonstrates the love and connection we have with Japan. Our heart goes out to all of the Japanese people who have been affected by this natural disaster.” The video will reportedly display the message, “This video was filmed in Japan one week before the earthquake. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the people of Japan. We love you,” according to AceShowbiz.com . The clip closes with a call to arms and a request to donate to the Red Cross. “It was an amazing moment in time because Japan has always been my favorite place on the planet,” group member Taboo explained about the video, which will premiere Thursday. The band will also perform on “American Idol” that same day to premiere the track. “It was great to do our video there. God bless the Japanese. Our love goes out to them,” Taboo said. Related Artists Black Eyed Peas
Band celebrate premiere of their new documentary, ‘Back and Forth,’ with a secret show on Tuesday night. By James Montgomery Dave Grohl performs at Stubbs on Tuesday Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images AUSTIN, Texas — Dave Grohl doesn’t do South by Southwest … too many bloggers and not enough headbangers for his liking. And really, at this point in his career, there’s no reason for him to change his mind. After all, he’s basically been one of the biggest rock stars on the planet for close to two decades now, first as the kit-smasher for Nirvana and then as the mastermind of the Foo Fighters, so there’s not much left for him to prove. Music industry schmooze fests aren’t exactly his kind of party. He prefers the company of Lemmy. Which is why it was sort of strange to see Grohl and the Foos stride onstage at venerable Austin BBQ shack/venue Stubb’s on Tuesday night to play a SXSW show. But then you realized that this was no ordinary South By showcase — it was the de facto post-party for the band’s new documentary, “Back and Forth,” which premiered earlier in the night as part of the SXSW Film Festival (which is probably why, after strapping on his guitar, Grohl bellowed into the mic, “We’re f—ing movie stars, yeaaaah!”). And in honor of the occasion, the Foos decided to play their forthcoming Wasting Light album in its entirety. Whether the folks in the audience liked it or not. So for the next hour, Grohl and Co. barreled through Light, taking nary a break to address the crowd. Starting with the slipstream guitars of “Bridge Burning” and chugging all the way through to album-closing “Walk,” the Foos delighted in not only exploring the crags of their latest effort — the surging squall of “White Limo,” the spiky fretwork of “Dear Rosemary,” the elastic drums and chords of first single “Rope” — but in wringing as much emotion as possible out of its softer moments, most notably on the standout “I Should Have Known.” It started out hushed, with Grohl delivering the opening lines like an expert dramaturge, then gradually built on wooshing surges of synth before finally growing into a growler, with guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear crunching chords and drummer Taylor Hawkins bashing away behind the kit. “And that’s the new record,” Grohl announced at the conclusion of the set, and whether or not the SXSW rabble truly got it is largely beside the point. There’s a reason Grohl declared last month to NME that the Foos’ new album is “sequenced like a setlist” … because it truly is. Of course, he wasn’t about to wait around and take the audience’s temperature. Because as soon as those words left his lips, Grohl spat “… And this isn’t!” and lurched into one of the band’s biggest hits, “One by One.” With the band thundering behind him and the crowd really, truly into it for the first time all night, Grohl took it upon himself to finally address the SXSW crowd (or as he called them, “You industry mother—-ers, you f—ing nerds”), and then spent the next hour trying his hardest to win them over. Or convert them. He bashed through hits like “Everlong,” “Learn to Fly” and “The Pretender,” attempted to coax a sing-along from the crowd during “My Hero” (and, unsatisfied with their efforts, declared, “You clearly need to do more shots”), headbanged majestically on “Times Like These,” and, finally, with set-closing “Best of You,” may have succeeded in his efforts. Because as the Foos left the stage, even the industry mother—-rs and the f—ing nerds were cheering. And Grohl smiled, knowing that, even though it’s not his kind of party, he and the Foos had not only kicked off the SXSW Music Fest, they’d conquered it too. Related Videos MTV First: Foo Fighters’ ‘Rope’ Related Artists Foo Fighters
Band celebrate premiere of their new documentary, ‘Back and Forth,’ with a secret show on Tuesday night. By James Montgomery Dave Grohl performs at Stubbs on Tuesday Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images AUSTIN, Texas — Dave Grohl doesn’t do South by Southwest … too many bloggers and not enough headbangers for his liking. And really, at this point in his career, there’s no reason for him to change his mind. After all, he’s basically been one of the biggest rock stars on the planet for close to two decades now, first as the kit-smasher for Nirvana and then as the mastermind of the Foo Fighters, so there’s not much left for him to prove. Music industry schmooze fests aren’t exactly his kind of party. He prefers the company of Lemmy. Which is why it was sort of strange to see Grohl and the Foos stride onstage at venerable Austin BBQ shack/venue Stubb’s on Tuesday night to play a SXSW show. But then you realized that this was no ordinary South By showcase — it was the de facto post-party for the band’s new documentary, “Back and Forth,” which premiered earlier in the night as part of the SXSW Film Festival (which is probably why, after strapping on his guitar, Grohl bellowed into the mic, “We’re f—ing movie stars, yeaaaah!”). And in honor of the occasion, the Foos decided to play their forthcoming Wasting Light album in its entirety. Whether the folks in the audience liked it or not. So for the next hour, Grohl and Co. barreled through Light, taking nary a break to address the crowd. Starting with the slipstream guitars of “Bridge Burning” and chugging all the way through to album-closing “Walk,” the Foos delighted in not only exploring the crags of their latest effort — the surging squall of “White Limo,” the spiky fretwork of “Dear Rosemary,” the elastic drums and chords of first single “Rope” — but in wringing as much emotion as possible out of its softer moments, most notably on the standout “I Should Have Known.” It started out hushed, with Grohl delivering the opening lines like an expert dramaturge, then gradually built on wooshing surges of synth before finally growing into a growler, with guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear crunching chords and drummer Taylor Hawkins bashing away behind the kit. “And that’s the new record,” Grohl announced at the conclusion of the set, and whether or not the SXSW rabble truly got it is largely beside the point. There’s a reason Grohl declared last month to NME that the Foos’ new album is “sequenced like a setlist” … because it truly is. Of course, he wasn’t about to wait around and take the audience’s temperature. Because as soon as those words left his lips, Grohl spat “… And this isn’t!” and lurched into one of the band’s biggest hits, “One by One.” With the band thundering behind him and the crowd really, truly into it for the first time all night, Grohl took it upon himself to finally address the SXSW crowd (or as he called them, “You industry mother—-ers, you f—ing nerds”), and then spent the next hour trying his hardest to win them over. Or convert them. He bashed through hits like “Everlong,” “Learn to Fly” and “The Pretender,” attempted to coax a sing-along from the crowd during “My Hero” (and, unsatisfied with their efforts, declared, “You clearly need to do more shots”), headbanged majestically on “Times Like These,” and, finally, with set-closing “Best of You,” may have succeeded in his efforts. Because as the Foos left the stage, even the industry mother—-rs and the f—ing nerds were cheering. And Grohl smiled, knowing that, even though it’s not his kind of party, he and the Foos had not only kicked off the SXSW Music Fest, they’d conquered it too. Related Videos MTV First: Foo Fighters’ ‘Rope’ Related Artists Foo Fighters
Band will introduce video live on MTV from a fan’s house Thursday at 7:54 p.m. ET, followed by live stream on MTV.com. By MTV News Staff The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage We have two healthy servings of Foo Fighters news this week: First, the worldwide premiere of the video for the Foos’ “Rope” (the first single from their upcoming seventh studio album, Wasting Light ) will air live at 7:54 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday, March 10, on MTV and MTV.com (followed by premieres at 8 p.m. ET on MTV Hits, mtvU and VH1.com). To celebrate the release of the video on Thursday, the band is set to invade the home of a super-fan in the Los Angeles area, along with MTV News’ James Montgomery, to introduce the video live and answer fans’ questions. Immediately following the on-air premiere, the band will stay on for an additional Q&A session live-streamed on MTV.com. Fans can submit questions through MTV.com, via Twitter (@MTVNews using hashtag #askfoos) or on MTV’s Facebook page. And for the second piece of news: The Foo Fighters are coming to the Woodies for the first time. The legendary band will perform “Rope” during the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards show, airing live from Austin, Texas, on March 16 at midnight on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU. The Woodies will be hosted by “Community” funnyman Donald Glover and feature sets by Wiz Khalifa, Sleigh Bells, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All and Two Door Cinema Club. Among the presenters at the show are Matt & Kim, Lupe Fiasco, Dev, Chiddy Bang, Skylar Grey and “My Life as Liz” star Liz Lee. MNDR will serve as the show’s house DJ. The night before the Woodies, a new Foo Fighters documentary will premiere as part of to the SXSW Film festival. Directed by Academy Award winner James Moll (“The Last Days,” “Running the Sahara”), the movie charts the entire career arc of the band, from the cassette demos leader Dave Grohl recorded during his time as Nirvana’s drummer through their rise to the top of the rock world. The 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards will air live on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU on Wednesday, March 16, at midnight (ET/PT) from the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. For more information — and to vote for the winner of the “Breaking Woodie” award *#8212; check out Woodies.MTV.com . Related Photos Road To The Woodies 2011 Woodie Awards Nominees Related Artists Foo Fighters
Clearly, something is happening, and just in time for the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind, in Bigger Than the Sound. By James Montgomery Arcade Fire’s Win Butler Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images In January, fresh off a year in which albums by mainstays like Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance stiffed, and efforts by up-and-comers like MGMT mystified, we published an article that wondered, rather matter-of-factly, “Is Rock Dead?” At the time, it seemed a perfectly reasonable thing to ask. After all, for all intents and purposes, rock music was dead in 2010: Nickelback’s Dark Horse was the year’s best-selling rock album (even though it was released in November 2008), lumbering bands like Alter Bridge, Disturbed and Shinedown continued to dominate radio, and even the chart-topping successes of indie acts like Vampire Weekend and Arcade Fire were dismissed as little more than flukes: They only reached #1, the argument went, because there were no hip-hop or pop albums released that same week. And with absolutely zero big-ticket rock releases on the horizon, things were looking equally bleak for 2011. But in the six weeks since we originally published that article, something pretty amazing happened: Rock proved that, much like Jason Voorhees, it can be drowned, stabbed, dragged to hell and cryogenically frozen, but it cannot be killed. At the end of January, the Decemberists’ The King Is Dead inexplicably debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart. Last Sunday, at the 53rd Grammys, the Arcade Fire shocked pretty much everybody ( except, it should be noted, me ) by besting Eminem, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry to win Album of the Year . On Monday, we learned there would be a brand-new Radiohead album arriving in our inboxes in less than a week. Couple all that with a fantastic new album from Bright Eyes ( The People’s Key, go buy it), the Foo Fighters’ hotly anticipated Wasting Light (which reteams former Nirvana mates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic with producer Butch Vig ) and new albums from the Strokes, Death Cab for Cutie, Coldplay and Blink-182 looming on the horizon — not to mention genuinely great releases from new bands like Warpaint, Smith Westerns and Yuck — and, all of a sudden, rock music doesn’t appear to be dead at all. This isn’t meant to be some “Rock Is Back!” piece (I think we reached critical mass on those sometime around 2002), but it probably could be. Rather, I’m hoping it comes across as nothing more than the blissed-out rejoicings of a long-suffering rock fan. Because, to be perfectly honest, that’s the only angle I’m taking this week. I have worked at MTV News for nearly seven years now, and in that time, I’ve watched as rock and roll lost its grip on popular culture. Bands came and went, nostalgia acts did their victory laps, and nobody — outside of me and a few others — took notice. Rock had been lapped by the likes of Eminem and Lady Gaga, and it didn’t look like it was ever going to overtake them. Maybe it never will. And I don’t care, because, for the first time in a long time, I can unequivocally say: Damn, it feels good to be excited about rock music once again. And given the circular nature of things, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of rock’s last great uprising: the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind, which quickly thrust the genre back into the spotlight and kept it there for most (OK, like, seven years) of the decade. I’m not suggesting that the Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year is a watershed moment on par with Nevermind overtaking Michael Jackson’s Dangerous atop the Billboard chart (as it did in January 1992), but, shoot, it could very well end up that way. Nor am I expecting that, by year’s end, I’ll be writing laudatory pieces about the return of rock. But again, I very well might be. That uncertainty is key, because it contains within it a shred of hope. You never know. And for the first time in a very long time, I can almost trick myself into believing that. Clearly, something is happening, that much is certain. Maybe it’s just natural evolution, or the stars aligning, or just my blind optimism, but in 2011, rock music appears to finally be pulling itself out of its watery grave, machete in hand, ready to cut down innocent campers. And, man, does it feel good to write something like that. It’s been a long time coming, after all. Do you think rock is on its way back? Let us know in the comments!
