Vinyl Me Please Essentials

wmeugene said:
Yeah, it's not a super serious micro-genre and I dont get why it would set someone over the edge. Joe's description is dead on. Wilco's work post-Sky Blue Sky has sort of settled into this consistent hue of atmosphere and adventurousness (or lack therefore of) that can be described as Dad rock.

I'm a dad of two, the descriptor is not an insult to Dads in the world, it is mildly amusing and conjures up an appropriate image of the band's main demographic at this point.
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See, here is where the Stan in me comes out.

Wilco (the Album) thorugh Ode to Joy are no less (fill in your adjective of critical adulation here_________________), than: Mitski's Puberty2/Be the Cowboy or Julien Baker's Turn Out The Lights or Big Thief's Two Hands or Julia Jacklin's Crushing or Lucy Dacus' Historian or Better Oblivion Community Center or Waxahatchee's Out in the Storm or Hop Along's Bark, Your Head Off Dog or Courtney Barnett's' Tell Me How You Really Feel..

But, because its Wilco its "Dad Rock".
 
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TenderLovingKiller® said:
Look at us, a bunch of middle-aged dudes discussing “Dad Rock” in between sips of coffee while we should be working.

Also, for those wondering; this all started as a conversation about The Roots potentially being one of the great band/groups of our generation so it is still on topic. Trust me.
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This is way more important than anything I'm expected to do at work today.
 
The Commish said:
I guess most broadly my issue with it is that it has become a short-hand derisive term in the lexicon that, as an admitted stan of Wilco, sets my teeth on edge because its suggests/ascribes a milquetoast quality to the sound that is completely unfair.

But from a non-stan standpoint - its the ONLY micro-genre where its kind of acceptable to profile the age/sex/etc. of the audience as the primary identifier of the "sound". I think we all agree that is not appropriate everywhere else, but here it gets a pass.

I guess the combo of stan+ my own perceived hypocrisy baked into it....makes me go 👹 every time.
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100% agreed. I can see the argument for Sky Blue Sky through The Whole Love being described as "dad rock" or "unadventurous" (though even the latter album has a few out-there tracks), but their last three have been anything but.
 
BjorgenFjorgen said:
100% agreed. I can see the argument for Sky Blue Sky through The Whole Love being described as "dad rock" or "unadventurous" (though even the latter album has a few out-there tracks), but their last three have been anything but.
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You mean like "Bull Black Nova" off The Whole Love? Its as "adventurous" as anything Radiohead has done since Amnesic.
 
BjorgenFjorgen said:
100% agreed. I can see the argument for Sky Blue Sky through The Whole Love being described as "dad rock" or "unadventurous" (though even the latter album has a few out-there tracks), but their last three have been anything but.
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I get it somewhat, but even the adventurous moments on those albums are in that Wilco-esque groove that, to me, has become what I imagine as Dad Rock for Gen X'ers and Millenials. I get that part of this is a tribute to Wilco that they've created a sound that is so uniquely them. The term "hue" best describes it for me. It all feels part of the same template, even if it is different shadings and tempos.

FWIW, I'm in the Being There through A Ghost is Born can do no wrong camp (and YHF is a top 5 album of the 2000s), I think Sky Blue Sky is very good to excellent and everything that has followed has been good, but diminishing returns for me.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
I think it used to mean “shitty” rock music your dad listened to (preface: if you like any of the following groups please don’t take it as an insult and I actually enjoy some of this stuff too.) Artist like Journey, Chicago, Doobie Brothers, Styx, etc...but the term has evolved to represent like pleasant indie rock from career indie rock bands. It only feels like a slight to certain folks IMO because it congers up comparisons to the aforementioned groups and regardless whatever you think of Wilco and The National I would assume most would not include it in the same vein as Foreigner.
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I immediately associate Steely Dan w dad rock
 
The Commish said:
See, here is where the Stan in me comes out.

Wilco (the Album) thorugh Ode to Joy are no less (fill in your adjective of critical adulation here_________________), than: Mitski's Puberty2/Be the Cowboy or Julien Baker's Turn Out The Lights or Big Thief's Two Hands or Julia Jacklin's Crushing or Lucy Dacus' Historian or Better Oblivion Community Center or Waxahatchee's Out in the Storm or Hop Along's Bark, Your Head Off Dog or Courtney Barnett's' Tell Me How You Really Feel..

But, because its Wilco its "Dad Rock".
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Co-signing this.

I was a rabid Uncle Tupelo fan and have followed Wilco since the beginning. They have evolved in many ways (among other things, it has been rewarding to watch Jeff mature from a somewhat fragile, insecure punk to an elder statesman) and for me personally, would have to the be most impactful band of the past 25 years - but that may also be largely due to the fact that their career has spanned most of my adult life. Would also put Radiohead in the running - and, while they don't tick all of the boxes, Built to Spill has to be right up there (again, for me personally). I am in full agreement that Wilco's recorded peak was 'Being There' to 'A Ghost is Born' (the latter being my favorite). I have been largely underwhelmed since then, but would put their current live show up against anyone else. Wilco is and has been plenty adventurous, and "dad rock" feels like a bit of a cheap shot.

Oh, and yes, I too am a dad...hell, my oldest daughter had seen Wilco three times before her fourth birthday (at age 13, she is probably close to 10 Wilco shows and counting)...but I also listen to all types of music.
 
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BjorgenFjorgen said:
100% agreed. I can see the argument for Sky Blue Sky through The Whole Love being described as "dad rock" or "unadventurous" (though even the latter album has a few out-there tracks), but their last three have been anything but.
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I think Sky Blue Sky was "out there" in how straight-laced it was in relations to everything that had preceded it. I remember being hugely disappointed upon my first listen and then at some point it clicked that SBS was almost their comedown/hangover record and once the expectations about what they were going for made sense to me I was able to enjoy it a great deal. Outside of a few songs on each album not withstanding, it was the last time any of their albums as a whole has really click with me. I think Tweedy is a genius but works best with a musical foil, Jay Bennett early on and Jim O'Rourke later. Since Jim left I haven't found them to be as dynamic. Not to say anything they have done is bad, far from it, other bands would kill to release a string of albums as good as Wilco's post-SBS output has been.
 
Ethos99 said:
Wait guys, wait... Where are we on The Decemberist, and the Avett brothers?
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The Avett Brothers, like RHCP, are a band that score well on multiple criteria but comes up short for me in the totals. And have only existed for about 60% of the timeframe under discussion. Give it another 10 years and see what happens? Maybe put My Morning Jacket in this bucket as well?
 
Ethos99 said:
Wait guys, wait... Where are we on The Decemberist, and the Avett brothers?
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I'd say Avett inhabits a corner of Dad Rock, but having seen them live, their audience skewed both younger and more female than I think could be classified as Dad Rock.

The Decemberists always struck me as a bit too quirky and folky to fit in the Dad Rock canon.

And before someone rages, I know I'm making gross over-characterizations and that everybody can listen to these groups, hardcore rap, and death metal without being confined to a label.
 
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