Who are the modern Rock Bassists today that I should listened to? !

[AuntieBeeb]

Originally Posted by xUptheIronsx

going along with the "demise of music" vien that some of the responses have taken, I think another issue is much of the music today is being made by one person on a computer...like a "home studio" setting or Garage Band. Someone who is more of a computer technician than a musician. Then when it is time to tour and play, musicians are found to tour, but are playing the computer generated bass lines (or guitar/drums...whatever). Having people write like this has homogonized the role of each instrument within the picture. it isn't 4-6 people bringing their view to the palette...it is one person, who might be well versed on one instrument, but not on the others writing to showcase that instrument.

In this situation, i have noticed that bass and drums suffer the most. We have music with VERY pedestrian input from the rhythm section because it is about the vocal/main melody line or soloist.

I know EXACTLY what you mean. Unfortunately our latent martyr complexes are always being encouraged by the general ignorance* of people who still believe the bass is "the least important instrument."

That said, it does depend on the band. I'm currently gigging occasionally with a guy who recorded his album with only him and his brother playing/singing all the parts. For the gigs, he recruited a few of us to play the bass, keys and guitar parts, but is really happy for us to put our own spin on the songs as he "trusts us to know our own instruments better." In a show of shameless self-pimping, observe the contrast between the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8qLUpZJhXo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffutbIEjKWs
If only we were always given such freedom to invent!

*From my old flatmate: "Why do you bother putting new strings on if they've not broken?**"
**I play rounds, before the flat-fans pounce on that one.

[cfsporn]

+1 for Esperanza Spalding. Not only does she play Jaco bass lines while singing Wayne Shorter's horn parts, but she prevented Justin bieber and Drake from getting a Best New Artist Grammy. Plus, I have tons of respect for any black woman who rocks an Afro.


Chris Whatshisname from Muse is pretty good, as is Juan Adalante, but he isn't really new.

[medniss]

Originally Posted by skulletwhip

Stu Brooks of Dub Trio

Brian Cook of Russian Circles

Trevor Dunn (been around a long time and still doing new stuff.)

Nick Theineman of Young Widows

I can't wait to hear new Tomahawk with Trevor Dunn on bass.

[ronlitz]

There has been no rock music released in the last few years with a bass line that anyone will remember or care about ten years from now.

[mcm]

None

[IronLung1986]

These sorts of topics invariably devolve into everyone lamenting the perceived disappearance of "real" bass playing. Well if that's how you see it, stop complaining and BE the difference. We all have a great opportunity to turn heads at the bars and clubs where we play because people aren't expecting to hear prominent bass parts. There's nobody on the radio to outshine us. It's easy to be unique if you have a solid skill set and some confidence in your style.

[zachoff]

The last bass player I saw that really blew me away was Murry Hammond of the Old 97s.

As far as metal stuff goes, Troy Sanders of Mastodon and Jeff Matz of High on Fire are probably my favorites.

Juan Alderete is also super awesome.

[pbass2]

Originally Posted by giorob815

There aren't any. Some guys can hold a bit of a groove, some metal guys have great speed, but no one of my, or near my, generation can hold a candle to the classic masters of Rock. Quite simply, you don't have to be a good musician to be a 'rock star' anymore. You can be a multi-millionaire bass playing hero and not read a single note or know where to find it on your bass nowadays. Welcome to mediocrity.

Edit: There are good bassists out there, but no future bass gods; which is how I took your post.

It's even more true with guitarists in most modern rock. Seems like they get to a certain level of technique and then it just stops. I'm sure there are exceptions, but they are, well, the exceptions by a long shot....

Interestingly though, I think the bass in a lot of modern rock is far more interesting than much of the guitar playing!

[zachoff]

Originally Posted by pbass2

It's even more true with guitarists in most modern rock. Seems like they get to a certain level of technique and then it just stops.

I saw Rob Zombie a couple months ago and can say that John 5 is an awesome guitarist... Performer, instrumentalist, and writer. So are the guys from Mastodon, so is Matt Pike, so are the sorta spacey metal guys from bands like Russian Circles and Pelican. I'm sure there are guys who are great players in other kinds of music, but that's the stuff I know and listen to.

Problem with these threads is people spout off about how modern music sucks and it's just not true. There's more music out there, right now, than there has ever been. So do you have to sift through some crap to find gems? Sure you do, but to say there's nothing out there displays either ignorance or unwillingness/inability to look for it.

[jmattbassplaya]

I can't be the only one reading the majority of these responses with a slight question mark above my head. A lot of these guys who are being mentioned aren't very modern and have been in the game at an international level for more than a decade now.

[pbass2]

Originally Posted by zachoff

I saw Rob Zombie a couple months ago and can say that John 5 is an awesome guitarist... Performer, instrumentalist, and writer. So are the guys from Mastodon, so is Matt Pike, so are the sorta spacey metal guys from bands like Russian Circles and Pelican. I'm sure there are guys who are great players in other kinds of music, but that's the stuff I know and listen to.

Problem with these threads is people spout off about how modern music sucks and it's just not true. There's more music out there, right now, than there has ever been. So do you have to sift through some crap to find gems? Sure you do, but to say there's nothing out there displays either ignorance or unwillingness/inability to look for it.

I should clarify, that I'm thinking mainly of what is typically labeled "indie" rock these days, previously often called "modern rock". I know nothing of current metal for example, and as I don't enjoy it, I don't seek it out. So yes, I'm "ignorant" of some genres as you so graciously point out.

[zachoff]

Originally Posted by pbass2

I should clarify, that I'm thinking mainly of what is typically labeled "indie" rock these days, previously often called "modern rock". I know nothing of current metal for example, and as I don't enjoy it, I don't seek it out. So yes, I'm "ignorant" of some genres as you so graciously point out.

There's a lot of interesting guitarists and bassists in indie rock as well... I'll totally admit that I'm pretty ignorant to radio rock because I generally don't listen to FM radio. If I judge today's music by what my kids are listening to, it's all gone electronic... But I know otherwise.

On another note... Just because someone isn't schooled and technically amazing doesn't mean they aren't interesting. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Pete Townshend are three from the "golden age" of rock that aren't all that schooled or technically amazing but wrote some of the most amazing songs in the history of rock & roll.

I dunno. Like I said before & this isn't generally pointed at you... You were just the last to respond as such & that's why I quoted you. Good music and good musicians are out there. You just need to search for it because radio and the music industry in general jumped the shark years ago.

[pbass2]

Originally Posted by zachoff

radio and the music industry in general jumped the shark years ago.

I concur!

[benjamin_danger]

Originally Posted by muljoe

Not sure if this guy falls in to rock bassist....but this is my fav band. Every musician I've ever showed them to is blown away by them. Still haven't caught much traction. The bassist is pretty groovy....and by pretty, I mean really groovy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkcZdhamaew

Wow. They have a really cool sound.

[benjamin_danger]

Originally Posted by tfernandez

As stated before, Dan Briggs. this guy is insanely good. Plus he actually writes out all his parts IN NOTES and uses classical composition methods when writing his bass lines for Between the Buried and Me, and his new jazz fusion project, Trioscapes.

Trioscapes "Blast Off" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ARb9_YWKFo
Between the Buried and Me "Viridian" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jiclPmM0RM

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed listening to them.

[BenBL]

The bassist for Fitz and the Tantrums is excellent, along with one of my heroes: Jack Lawerence of the Raconteurs, the Greenhornes and the dead weather. The dude for foster the people has some good lines so does the bassist for the arctic monkeys. Another favorite of mine is ska bassist streetlight manifesto in particular. I'm done.

[ghostrider]

Red hot chili peppers- Flea

[Tupac]

Originally Posted by ghostrider

Red hot chili peppers- Flea

Who's that?

[Colla10]

I know, I know... we are talking bassists. But how about drummers?

Want some superhuman timing for breakfast? Watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQR2nzu3vkc

[ghostrider]

Originally Posted by Tupac

Who's that?

Some random dude that plays bass once and a while for this random band