Greta van Fleet

(Note: I know that Anthony Fanatano has been reported to have ties to the "alt-right," and that he has both fierce attackers and champions regarding his politics; whatever the case, what he says in this video has merit.) I find Greta van Fleet somewhat interesting, but I also feel guilty for liking music that sounds so totally retro. At the same time, they may just be just be a bunch of kids in their early to mid 20s who happen to love '70s hard rock and do a pretty good of sounding like some mixture of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy and Rush (only in the vocals re: Rush.) But they actually remind me of the Cult circa ELECTRIC or early Soundgarden, except that both those bands had sense of irony or at least self-awareness about looking back on their influences and Greta van Fleet seem to have none. They definitely are not at the point where they deserve rockist garbage like "wow, this band is bringing real music back - I haven't heardrock this great since the '80s" comments on a video for a crappy acoustic cover of "Rolling in the Deep." [www.youtube.com]

I have been meaning to check those guys out. Interesting album covers, I will give them that.

I can't say I get them at all, it's like Zeppelin all over again for me (not a good thing to me) but as someone who loved the retro sounds of the early 2000s - White Stripes (yes, I know Zeppelin also but...), Strokes, Libertines, Exploding Hearts, I do know that every generation throws a hero up the pop charts ...........and kids are digging them for a much more simpler (and purer) reason than I like new music like Royal Blackouts Coastal Fever.......

I found Greta von Fleet appealing for the length of "Highway Tune," but now that I've listened to their whole EP on Spotify, hearing such a direct rip-off of Led Zeppelin for an entire half hour has little charm for me. I'm reminded of the rock critic character in Marlon James' novel A HISTORY OF SEVEN KILLINGS who says he liked the Black Crowes' SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKER much better when it was originally called STICKY FINGERS. But at least they have the taste to cover Fairport Convention. (I feel similarly about the Strokes and their lifting from the Velvet Underground and Television.)

I had a co-worker/cubicle-mate who was barely out of high school, who used to drop lines around me that didn't register, including addressing me as "Rabbit." When I finally asked him about this, he grinned at me in a cocky way and said, "Didn't see 8 Mile, did ya?"

I knew of the film and its basic plot, but no, I hadn't seen the film. But I answered, "No, but I saw the original."

He blinked at me, and eventually said, "8 Mile isn't a remake."

"Sure it is," I responded. "The original came out twenty years ago. It was called Purple Rain. Replace Eminem's character with Prince's, and it's the same damn film." (I was going to add, "Except with a vastly superior soundtrack," but I chose to leave that out.)

And if you want to see a mash-up of ROCKY, 8 MILE & PURPLE RAIN, but featuring a white female rapper as the protagonist, check out this summer's OK indie film PATTI CAKE$.