Janis Joplin & Amy Winehouse
Turbulence. Soul. Stimulants and abuse. Those are a few of these ladies favorite things. And though Joss Stone may want to claim the throne of the fallen psychedelic soul diva, she hasn't ingested the necessary dosage of MDMA to be considered heir to the Pearl Queen's throne.
Electric Light Orchestra & The Flaming Lips
Always ones for a big show, epic orchestration and off-kilter lyrics, ELO and The Flaming Lips share a passion for space oddity. With just the right mixture of synthetic nonsense, mischievous guitar riffery, and upbeat sing-song lyrics (samples 1 & 2), both of these lighthearted troublemakers have found hold in some of rock's more experimental pop niches.
The Band & Wilco
Sometimes it's the simple things we need to appreciate the most. Both of these harworking bands-made-good share a love for updating that tried and true Americana sound through their own unique voices. I can't hold it against The Band for their Canadian roots, as their internalization of American folk and soul produced some of the most recognizable classics from the late 60's and 70's. And Wilco can't get any more American, hailing from the 'nois, with records built to examine their own nearly Mid-western psyches.
Pink Floyd & Radiohead
It's tough enough to stay on the charts for over ten years, let alone doing it with progressive, weird-as-fuck music. That sort of feat takes a rare breed of creativity that leave even the doldrums of pop clamoring for another innovation. Both Yorke & Waters were known in their own right for lyrics that questioned the social climate and probed the empty spaces left by mainstream culture.
Cream & The Black Keys
It's all about dirty, straightforward blues. It's in the idea that simplicity, big hooks and heavy rhythms can produce something groundbreaking. The Black Keys tip their hand of influences with a tribute to bluesman Junior Kimbraugh with Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbraugh. Similarly, Eric Clapton and his Cream penned spades of blues standards throughout their 3 year stint- indulging in everything from Robert Johnson to T. Bone Walker.
Bob Dylan & The Roots
Both Bobby and boys from Illadelph have a knack for diagnosing the ailments of their day in song. They both are known for busting out a medical kit of supplies including scalpel, guitar, gauze, and a list of demands- all aimed at undermining social order and hierarchy in the search for a more perfect voice of the people.
Led Zeppelin & The White Stripes
Generally speaking, I consider comparisons to Led Zeppelin to be blasphemous at worst and highly suspect at best. But for the past 10 years, Jack White and his "sister" Meg have been churning out gnarled black-and-blue garage rock, folk balladry and blues send-ups that echo only one predecessor. They have the same reverence for the black American songbook, the same criminal instincts for plundering that songbook, and the same ability to stay on the charts while staying honest in their pursuit of musical purity. I once heard Robert Plant say that Led Zeppelin was successful because they were able to distill all the best of what had come before them and make it their own- that mantle has passed on to the next forward thinking traditionalists, The White Stripes.
