What defines the past 10 years in music? What NEW band or genre will be remembered? Pop crap (including mainstream rap/hip-hop) and EMO bands? 20-30 years down the road, the teens of today will look back and do everything in their power to forget these 10 years.

I’ve been kicking these thoughts around the past few weeks and still, nothing has jumped out at me saying “HEY GRAEME, YOU’LL STILL LOVE US IN 20 YEARS!” Now, with that said, that could be contradicting, because some great albums came out from bands/artists of previous decades, but no artist or band really stood out that wasn’t around in the 70s, 80s & 90s.  Is it the fact that I’m getting older and not “understanding” the younger generation, or is it the simple fact that new bands are a dime a dozen, locked up in their girlfriend’s jeans crying about failed relationships that they never came close to having? You tell me!

I go through my iPod, Pandora & Last.FM playlists and sure, I have some favorite all time albums that have been released in the past 10 years that could be considered their “best” so far even! Bands I can think of that had great albums: No Doubt, The Prodigy, Tricky, Poe (yes, she released an album, and it was great), Tool, Incubus, David Bowie, Weezer (who gained more popularity than they did in the 90s!), Slipknot (breaking in to mainstream just before 2000), (hed)p.e, Nine Inch Nails, Blink 182, Green Day, Hoobastank, NoFx, System of a Down.  Sure, there are other ones that I didn’t name, but I think you get my point… hopefully, maybe… or phuck, stop reading this already!

There are a few bands that I enjoy that have come around since 2000: OPM, Tubring (formed in 92, but became popular in the undergound last past few years), The Dresden Dolls, Gym Class Heros, The Matches just to name a few.  Don’t get me wrong, these bands are good, in my opinion, but I know they don’t/won’t DEFINE the decade.  I could be wrong, but I don’t see it happening, and it’s nothing against the bands, but they are underground more than mainstream.

Why has this happened? The decline of record sales? The whores of the record companies wanting profit over substance? The internet and social networking sites? Who knows, but bands like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Lady GaGa, Panic! At The Disco will have short short shelf lives.  No offense to those artists, even if some are emo (and it’s just cool to hate emos, isn’t it?), but unless they really pull something out of their assess, they’re not going to make it another 10 years.

With that said as far as the “new comers,” the decade also brought together the “Super Groups,” and as I’m writing this, maybe this will be how I remember the decade.  Bands like A Perfect Circle (forming in 1999, first album in 2000), Audio Slave (Can’t stand em, but they made an impact), Velvet Revolver, The Transplants, Hellyeah, and StoneSour (yes, they were around pre-00, but the debut album came out in 2002) had some good runs and some good/great breakups, but when you think about it, those artists were already around, made a name for themselves, and attempted to gain a following with their name.  Some Super Groups made some songs that will be classics, others will fade off to our memories, but like “breakthrough” artists, I won’t be able to say “this Super Group” defined the decade.

When all is said and done, maybe I am getting old.  Hell, I may be 28, but the way my body acts sometimes, I feel 78, and maybe I’m not “hip” with the younger generation, or the younger generation needs to get out of their girlfriend’s pants, get in between their girlfriends legs rather, and let their balls drop!

What happened to rock and roll?  Was it flushed down the toilet like a bad twoop? The world may never know.

Anyway, here are three videos I’ve been watching non-stop at the moment.

The Prodigy’s “Warrior’s Dance – uncut”

Nine Inch Nails and The Dillinger Excape Plan – “Wish – Live 3.2.09″

Fantomas – “Mike Patton & Dave Lombardo Freakin’ Out – Live”

The two videos I’m including not only have the bands change the music that differs from album to hearing it live, but also show bands that can bring a stage show to further the way their music can be perceived by the fans.

(1st Video) Mr. Bungle was never shy on bringing the fans a stage show along with their music.  Masks, outfits and mindless banter made Mr. Bungle’s that much better. Off their self-titled album, Mr. Bungle, this version of ‘Squeeze Me Macaroni’ definitely is different than the album version and their stage show brings something to the fans they probably wouldn’t see elsewhere anytime soon.

(2nd video) Nine Inch Nails has been around 20 years this year, and after this upcoming tour with Jane’s Addiction, Trent Reznor is going to take a step back from NIN for a while and work on other projects. But one thing Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails never took a step back from was bringing the fans something to remember. NIN’s live band members bring their own style to the live show as well as the crazy antics and light show they’ve always been known for. Here they bring Coldplay Dillinger Escape Plan on stage to change things up on the song ‘Wish’ off of NIN’s Broken.

NIN: Wish live with The Dillinger Escape Plan – Perth, 3.02.09 [HD] from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

Here is a extremely fast look at how a custom Emo Jesus is made. IT may be boring for most to watch, but we don’t care!

Copyright recordings, music and lyrics reproduced by kind permission of Take Me To The Hospital/Cooking Vinyl – for original performances by The Prodigy, check-out the official channel at www.youtube.com/prodigychannel.

And

Copyright the recordings, music and lyrics reproduced by kind permission of Nine Inch Nails – for original performances by Nine Inch Nails, check-out the official channel at www.youtube.com/ninofficial