Can Coldplay save rock ‘n’ roll?
Perhaps the more significant question is: Does rock need saving?
Mainstream rock ‘n’ roll certainly needs help. With sagging audiences everywhere and pop’s current domination on the charts, the format could use some heroes — a lineup of important bands that can take the baton from dwindling acts like U2 and Dave Matthews and run with it.
It’s likely too big a task for even the mighty Coldplay, which releases its latest CD, “Mylo Xyoto,” on Monday. The British behemoth famously talked about becoming the biggest band in the world, and it could very well achieve that nebulous goal.
But this is bigger than one band. It’s about the decline of an American art form, the passing, perhaps the snuffing even, of a generational torch. Coldplay looks to be the last of a dying breed — the guitar-wielding bands that pack arenas and stadiums on all continents while releasing infectious new material.
Where is the next Rolling Stones or Bon Jovi, the next Springsteen or Eagles? Surely there will be another rock behemoth. But what’s taking them so long to be heard?
It seems a wall has been built between the music-buying public and its beloved rock ‘n’ roll. There always will be a new trend pulling us away — the innovative hip-hop circus of an ensemble like Odd Future, the understated acoustic movement of alt-heroes Mumford & Sons, the electronic-influenced pop of Lady Gaga. And the plentiful distractions have taken us further away from the classic rock set-up of guitar, bass, drums and vocals.
Cruise down the FM band, and you’re more likely to hear a drum machine than a live kit, an auto-tuned synthesizer instead of a tuned-by-ear electric guitar. And as these sounds take over our world, kids ask for turntables and laptops instead of basses and guitars in those influential music-learning years.
What are the kids listening to these days? Sure, the Foo Fighters packed a noisy Pepsi Center earlier this month with their FM-friendly jams. But for every time you read about Dave Grohl and his big-guitar rock group, you’ll hear the sounds of Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Kesha five or 10 times.
It’s not just that pop is any more attractive than it used to be. It’s that rock isn’t giving us reasons to get excited — to dress up for a concert like we might for Gaga or to organize a girl’s night out like we might for Taylor Swift. Whereas rock was once irrepressible and irresponsible, it’s now sane and sterile, a place where risk has been replaced with safety.
But while mainstream rock suffers and loses audience share, its indie- rock brothers and sisters are thriving. Merge Records act the Arcade Fire won the biggest Grammy of the year, and groups such as Death Cab For Cutie, Foster the People and the Decemberists continue to grow their audiences to slowly fill the gap left by R.E.M.
But we’re still looking for the next big rock ‘n’ roll voice — and we’re not going to find it on “American Idol.” It might seem superfluous, the idea of a modern rock spokesperson, but it’s not. Think about those who came before: Mick Jagger, Thom Yorke, Roger Daltrey, Zach de la Rocha, Roger Waters. Chris Martin is fine for the moment, but once he’s tired of the game and resting lazily on his haunches — a la Bono and the boys — who do we have left?
And he’s no rebel to begin with. Rock needs controversy, salaciousness, rude political statements that end up defining moments and movements.
While Coldplay has been, at times, too wrapped up in being “important,” they got most of it right. Melody is king in their songs, but they rarely forget about the electric guitars — even if they are a piano-centric band. The politics are there, too — right on frontman Martin’s sleeve.
Most important, Coldplay goes along with the times. Just as U2 made a misguided attempt at electronic music with “Pop,” at least it tried. With Coldplay’s last album, the band rocked a remix of the bombastic ballad “Lost” with hip-hop kingpin Jay-Z — an experiment that worked surprisingly well.
With “Mylo Xyoto,” the band enlisted R&B queen Rihanna for the new single “Princess of China,” a clear attempt at luring in valuable listeners from the pop market. While it’s not as savvy a collaboration as “Lost,” it’s a fascinating listen — hearing one of pop’s most recognizable voices dueting with man-of-the-moment Martin.
The move was smart, but it was also desperate. It is rock’s saviors asking for help and swallowing their pride, making a minor concession in hope of world domination. But such transparent measures can last only so long, especially when we’re looking for something original and memorable.
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com;
Rock’s last gasp
As pop stars continue to rule the charts and arenas, choosing sugary synth beats over tasty guitar licks, rock acts are starting to fade away. But the house that Chuck Berry, Journey and Def Leppard built still has a few vital bands creating new music and keeping the sagging genre alive.
Here are five of those bands not called Coldplay. — Ricardo Baca
1. U2:
Yep, they’re the band Coldplay yearns to be. But with an aging fan base and a musical style that is sounding more and more out of touch, how long can the legendary Irish group keep the flame alive?
2. The Rolling Stones:
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stones, and everybody assumes that Mick, Keith and the boys will hit the road for a commemorative tour. While they’re still electric performers, their output of the past 20 years remains questionable.
3. Dave Matthews Band:
This touring juggernaut is known for its audience-friendly ticket prices and bang-for-your-buck concert run times. And to paraphrase the bro-movie “Dazed & Confused,” the band keeps getting older while their fans stay the same age. Not a bad strategy.
4. Foo Fighters:
Dave Grohl is a rock god, and he’s catered his songwriting to the masses via modern rock-friendly hooks and big, dumb choruses you can sing along with. His band now fills arenas and headlines festivals and is poised to become the next Bon Jovi.
5. Bon Jovi:
Speaking of! These guys give hair metal a bad name anymore, but their excursions into country, soft rock and pop have kept them relevant — and popular. Of course it doesn’t hurt that singer Jon Bon Jovi’s smile still sparkles like it did when they were “Slippery When Wet.”
