Greta Van Fleet

[Boots]

I didn't see a thread for this group. Whether you like them or not, they're one of the most talked about bands these days.
They're getting huge amounts of airplay on most FM stations and their videos are in constant rotation on Stingray and most other music channels.
The people who like them are saying it's proof that rock isn't dead. Other people dismiss them because they sound too much like Led Zeppelin.
I like what I've heard from them so far.

http://youtu.be/aJg4OJxp-co

[Space Suicide]

They're an alright band but not something I would listen to.

If your gimmick is sounding like a long lost 1970's Led Zeppelin song cool but it's a pretty one note experience for depth.

I don't hate them.

[Maximilian]

They're extremely derivative but I won't knock them, because they're young guys rocking out with guitars. Perhaps, they'll change and evolve like the bands they are influenced by did.

The main thing is I hope they trigger other young bands to start up and bring rock back into the mainstream. It's been too long.

[tremolo]

Good musicians, but their music is so derivative it feels like i’ve heard all of their songs before, just performed by these other guys that used to call themselves Zed Leppelin or something like that.

I hope they find their own sound, but they are given so much attention already I doubt it will happen.

[GulDukat]

If you want to listen to something retro that doesn't totally sound stuck in the past, check out Black Country Communion--Joe Bonamassa (guitar), Glenn Hughes (vocals and bass), Jason Bonham (drums) and Derek Sherinan (keys). Good shit.

[GulDukat]

Finally got around to checking out GVF--yes, they definitively rip-off Zeppelin, but their songs are quite good. And they are super young, real young. Let's see where they go.

[elevenism]

I think they fucking kick ass. And I guess I think they kick ass BECAUSE they rip off Led Zeppelin and do it SO incredibly well. I just wish they'd admit it; the kid claims his big influence is Steven Tyler.
I swear to god you absolutely could have told me that some of their tracks were unreleased zeppelin demos and I would have believed it, if the production quality was a little lower.

[tremolo]

Derivative as fuck.

The kids know what they’re doing with their instruments, I just wish they stopped listening to their parents’ records and find influences somewhere else so they come up with their own stuff instead of doing the same thing that others did better when it was actually relevant.

There’s a lot of potential there. I guess time will tell.

[Krazy]

First time entering this thread, never heard of them other than seeing this thread title. I heard them for the first time yesterday in the radio, and immediately thought Led Zeppelin.

Like others have said, they are pretty good for some reason. And I usually hate rip off bands. Definitely have an interesting future to see if they can create their own sound.

[Maximilian]

Still doing the Led Zep thing, but that's fine with me:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=hurQgJXtpKI

[GulDukat]

Pitchfork trashed the new album, which should surprise precisely no one.

http://loudwire.com/pitchfork-greta-van-fleet-review-album-rock-fans-respond/

I'd give the new album a 3/5. Very derivative, but an enjoyable listen.

Oh, and fuck Pitchfork.

[Space Suicide]

Pitchfork trashed the new album, which should surprise precisely no one.

http://loudwire.com/pitchfork-greta-van-fleet-review-album-rock-fans-respond/

I'd give the new album a 3/5. Very derivative, but an enjoyable listen.

Oh, and fuck Pitchfork.

I don't disagree with their review. However I find the over the top insults and smarmy style of some of their written reviews total dreck.

[GulDukat]

I don't disagree with their review. However I find the over the top insults and smarmy style of some of their written reviews total dreck.It wasn't a review so much as trolling in the guise of a review. The Allmusic review, while critical, was much more fair and professional.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/anthem-of-the-peaceful-army-mw0003211112

[Mantra]

Pitchfork is just trying to pretend they still have teeth. Way back in the day, they built their brand on their aggressive writing style, ruthlessly trashing any band they thought deserved it, regardless of whether they were considered "royalty" or not. They may have pissed a lot of people off, but at least they had an authentic voice. But Pitchfork in 2018 is nothing more than a vacuous PR outlet, a hollowed out shell of what they used to be. The final nail in the coffin was when they got bought out by fucking Conde Nast. Their reviews are just a stream of paid-for puff pieces meant to maintain their buddy-buddy relationships with gross PR boutiques. All those old writers jumped ship years ago. Mark Richardson was the last decent writer who has hanging on there, and even he finally bailed recently.

Which is why this Greta Van Fleet review just reeks of desperation. The views expressed in the review itself are obviously correct, but the very existence of it on that website just screams out: "Everyone, look! We've still got some of that old scathing style left in us." You just know that they only decided to go after GVF because they are some of the lowest hanging fruit in the entire world. Why did they even bother reviewing this bullshit at all? This is a novelty act that no one takes very seriously, not even a lot of their fans, so there's no real consequence to Pitchfork trashing them. It's the most toothless "takedown" ever, a performative gesture intended to broadcast to their aging readership that they've still got it. The whole thing is pathetic.

[onthewall2983]

I don't have much a horse in this race, but if they're still being accused of ripping off Zeppelin in 10 years' time so be it. I say let them grow into their boots a little before being so definitive in stamping them as such.

[halo eighteen]

I don't have anything of note to say about GVF aside from them being some pretty talented kids from not far from here who are admittedly gimmicky af, but I find it hilarious that anyone actually gives a shit about Pitchfork. They've been trash since 1999 (https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5799-the-fragile/).

[GulDukat]

I will say one thing about the new GVF--put me in the mood to listen to some real 70's rock, i.e. Deep Purple's Stormbringer. I don't think I'll be having the new Greta Van Fleet disc on constant rotation.

[GulDukat]

I don't have anything of note to say about GVF aside from them being some pretty talented kids from not far from here who are admittedly gimmicky af, but I find it hilarious that anyone actually gives a shit about Pitchfork. They've been trash since 1999 (https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5799-the-fragile/)."Obnoxious" is far too weak a word to describe that review.

[Space Suicide]

They've been trash since 1999 (https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5799-the-fragile/).

https://i.giphy.com/media/jQmVFypWInKCc/giphy.gif

Morons.

[Mantra]

I actually kind of like that fragile review, even though that was my favorite album at the time I came across it and I thought a lot of the points it was making were kind of stupid. It may be over the top, but it feels like a distinctive piece of writing. I don't agree with the opinion, but I respect how thoroughly he tosses out any pretense of "objectivity" in music journalism (something that has always struck me as nothing but a myth) and instead just tries his best to express his extremely subjective opinion in an entertaining, striking way.

Music journalism is kind of a joke of a writing genre, mostly totally bland and pointless, but the rare people who are able to make it worthwhile are those who use it as a means of self-expression, kind of like how Hunter S. Thompson's journalism is way more interesting than any other forgotten sports writer of his era. At a certain point, people have to understand that good culture journalism isn't about seeing your own opinion validated, or about fucking "objectivity." The best writers use it as its own artistic medium. The only thing I care about is, by the end if the review, feeling like I got to know this writer, got to understand their sense if taste, who they are as an actual person in the world, where they're coming from. To me, that's good writing.

[Krazy]

EDIT: Eh, never mind. Drifting here.

[Space Suicide]

I actually kind of like that fragile review, even though that was my favorite album at the time I came across it and I thought a lot of the points it was making were kind of stupid. It may be over the top, but it feels like a distinctive piece of writing. I don't agree with the opinion, but I respect how thoroughly he tosses out any pretense of "objectivity" in music journalism (something that has always struck me as nothing but a myth) and instead just tries his best to express his extremely subjective opinion in an entertaining, striking way.

Music journalism is kind of a joke of a writing genre, mostly totally bland and pointless, but the rare people who are able to make it worthwhile are those who use it as a means of self-expression, kind of like how Hunter S. Thompson's journalism is way more interesting than any other forgotten sports writer of his era. At a certain point, people have to understand that good culture journalism isn't about seeing your own opinion validated, or about fucking "objectivity." The best writers use it as its own artistic medium. The only thing I care about is, by the end if the review, feeling like I got to know this writer, got to understand their sense if taste, who they are as an actual person in the world, where they're coming from. To me, that's good writing.

It reads like a pompous jerk trying to be pretentious in his joke delivery.

[GulDukat]

It reads like a pompous jerk trying to be pretentious in his joke delivery.It's one of those reviews where the writer is not so much interested in informing their audience about the merits of an album as they are in trying to show how clever they are in their takedown.

[zecho]

I wouldn't use Brent DiCrescenzo as an example of music journalism. He's universally considered to be among the worst; the Armond White of music reviews, if you will. That said, Pitchfork was trash then and is still trash now. At least they have a point saying GVF is derivative, you should read their review of Diet Cig. The writer did a character takedown instead of an album review because she's friends with the drummer's ex. She should have been fired over it, but instead the head of Pitchfork tweeted theater the band deserved it.

[GulDukat]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine (of Allmusic.com) writes for Pitchfork and he is an excellent writer, knows a lot about music and is fair.

[chuckrh]

Just watched GVF on SNL. Colour me not impressed (thanks to Paul Westerberg).

[BrokenSpiral]

I’m not impressed with them, either. The musicians are pretty talented. I can’t stand the singer kid for some reason. Watching him sing just annoys me. I’m just not into the carbon copy thing, I guess.

[kel]

just watched snl. i don’t get it.

[ImTheWiseJanitor]

just watched snl. i don’t get it.

That was my first time ever hearing them, and I too, don't get it.

[richardp]

Those SNL performances were like the equivalent of buying a Led Zeppelin shirt at Walmart.

[brotha52]

SNL performance reminded me of Pearl Jam's first appearance.
They should be forced to watch 100 hours of The Mars Volta performances and then go on tour opening for the only needed Zeppelin cover band.

https://youtu.be/q-EakzxmO-o

[theimage13]

Never heard of them before now. Watched 45 seconds of SNL video.

Might check back in five years.

[bobbie solo]

Just watched the SNL performance. Band is def. tight, especially for a group of very young dudes. Black Smoke Rising was the better song. Sure, it's Zeppelin worship, but that's fine consdering the state of mainstream rock music in 2019. I'd rather these kids fill the nitch for commercial rock airplay than the modern butt rock bands that poison a station like Octane on Sirius, or the dancey pop bands like Imagine Dragons and their ilk that are everywhere now. I am much more insulted by the clothes Greta Van Fleet were wearing the music itself. You want us to take you seriously, but how can I when you're so young and clearly trying WAY too hard with those getups? Just dress normal, wail away on your instruments and kick ass.

[GulDukat]

Anyone here old enough to remember the band Kingdom Come? Listening to their 1988 debut tonight. They were like the GVF of the 80's--shamelessly ripping off Led Zeppelin too.

[Maximilian]

I liked their first EPs but I thought the debut album kinda sucked. I also think their stage presence is awful: the singer acts and dresses weird (not the cool kind of weird) and the guitarist reminds me of a kid rocking out in front of the mirror with a tennis racket.