I would kind of regard Fargos 91 - 99 bass & drums 2 piece kings godheadSilo as early proponents of this kind of vibe, like hyper glory metal about ghosts and bikes & rainbows. Dunno, sick band though.
Ponytail is on the borderline but perhaps too indie rock to fully make the cut. Need New Body had the aesthetic but musically were too eclectic. Mai Shi “Run To Your Grave” is rainbow rock taken into full anthemic 2000s indie rock territory. I think a lot of music is almost rainbow rock.
For those unfamiliar with RR it may be worth connecting the dots to some post-RR acts that crossed over into the relative mainstream: sleigh bells, 100 gecs, maybe stuff like TNGHT (also duos)
That’s a good point, and not totally wrong, but though all those acts were in one way or another influenced by the sounds of rainbow rock, none of them checked every box, if that makes sense? Roughly speaking, proper rainbow rock seemingly is sealed in the 2000s. Maybe?
Definitely! RR was a special thing (and tbh geocash, extreme animals and Dan deacon are my main reference points)…more just suggesting I think they kind of served as an avant garde in discovering some sounds that became more popular through those other artists and even like death grips, rustie, some “hyperpop” today. So if the uninitiated like any of those things, dig up some rainbow rock!
oh man, having so many flashbacks. I do have a question though, was the New York Times' "Ben Jones Tours the House He Rented for Art Basel" video the official end of Rainbow Rock?
In northeast PA in 2004, we called this phenomenon "costume-rock" and welcomed it with open arms. Has any other underground micro-scene produced such quality legacies beyond those formative days? From Mammal to Japanese Karaoke Afterlife Experiment to Football Rabbit...
Japanese Karaoke Afterlife Experiment. That’s that cutty shit! I think there is major crossover between costume rock and rainbow rock, but maybe a certain sense of melody is needed for rainbow rock? I have no idea, really—this is a fake genre
I would kind of regard Fargos 91 - 99 bass & drums 2 piece kings godheadSilo as early proponents of this kind of vibe, like hyper glory metal about ghosts and bikes & rainbows. Dunno, sick band though.
For sure. Them and Ruins must’ve been big influences on Lightning Bolt
Yeah, they laid out the template for them for sure.
Someone was asking me over the weekend what genre DD/MM/YYYY was, and this would have helped orient them....if they also read your blog.
What are your thoughts on the following? in or out of canon?:
Ponytail
Need New Body
Man Man (loose extension of nnb)
Les Angles Morts
Hella (Maybe The Advantage had more of the visual aesthetic?)
Mae Shi
What's Up
RIP Kevin
Ponytail is on the borderline but perhaps too indie rock to fully make the cut. Need New Body had the aesthetic but musically were too eclectic. Mai Shi “Run To Your Grave” is rainbow rock taken into full anthemic 2000s indie rock territory. I think a lot of music is almost rainbow rock.
For those unfamiliar with RR it may be worth connecting the dots to some post-RR acts that crossed over into the relative mainstream: sleigh bells, 100 gecs, maybe stuff like TNGHT (also duos)
That’s a good point, and not totally wrong, but though all those acts were in one way or another influenced by the sounds of rainbow rock, none of them checked every box, if that makes sense? Roughly speaking, proper rainbow rock seemingly is sealed in the 2000s. Maybe?
Definitely! RR was a special thing (and tbh geocash, extreme animals and Dan deacon are my main reference points)…more just suggesting I think they kind of served as an avant garde in discovering some sounds that became more popular through those other artists and even like death grips, rustie, some “hyperpop” today. So if the uninitiated like any of those things, dig up some rainbow rock!
No doubt! The long tail of rainbow rock is everywhere
Geocash changed my life
oh man, having so many flashbacks. I do have a question though, was the New York Times' "Ben Jones Tours the House He Rented for Art Basel" video the official end of Rainbow Rock?
The genre made duos big again. By big, I mean really niche. I remember Pink and Brown, who I think were originally from Providence.
I saw Dan Deacon one SXSW play an amazing day show for like, 10 people. Glad I still have that Cystal Cat 7", I think the B-Side is even better.
In northeast PA in 2004, we called this phenomenon "costume-rock" and welcomed it with open arms. Has any other underground micro-scene produced such quality legacies beyond those formative days? From Mammal to Japanese Karaoke Afterlife Experiment to Football Rabbit...
Japanese Karaoke Afterlife Experiment. That’s that cutty shit! I think there is major crossover between costume rock and rainbow rock, but maybe a certain sense of melody is needed for rainbow rock? I have no idea, really—this is a fake genre