Will Southern Rock Rise Again?

Where are the likes of a Jim Mangrum and a Ruby Starr today? Or the likes of such groups as Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band? Do these kind of groups even exist anymore? Groups such as Black Oak Arkansas and Molly Hatchet can still be found touring from time to time, albeit with slightly altered line-ups. Will southern rock rise again? If the following video of the Kings of Leon performing “Pistol of Fire” live on Later… with Jools Holland is any indication, southern rock is appealing to an entirely new generation:

I also found this video of the late Warren Zevon performing “My Shit’s Fucked Up” live on Later… with Jools Holland:

Later… with Jools Holland is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. It has been running without a break since 1992 as part of BBC2‘s late-night line-up, usually around 11PM, and features a mix of both established and new musical artists, from solo performers to bands and larger ensembles.

Author: urbangraffito

I am a writer, editor, publisher, philosopher, and foole (not necessarily in that order). Cultural activist and self-described anarchist.

11 thoughts on “Will Southern Rock Rise Again?”

  1. Jools Holland is a national treasure here in the UK. He’s done a lot over the years for live music and to bring on new music, as well as breathe new life into some old farts (sorry about that mixed metaphor there, chaps!) And his own Big Band is a tremendous live act in itself. He’s on BBC Radio2 as well – see http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/holland/biography.shtml

  2. Urban , I really don’t know anything about the current state of play of Sourthern US rock. You might be right: new things often just pop up where you don’t expect them.
    For instance in jazz. Two great minds & musicians, Ornette Coleman and Julius Hempill were born in .. Fort Worth / Texas.

    Live music.

    You know about my mind. How it actually works.
    Amongst rock / pop addicts I start talking about classical music or jazz. And, yes, be sure the other way around. Not exactly the way you get popular, as they all are still back to back.

    Great live recordings. You will find the CDs anywhere in the garbage bin or the bargain shelf. I told my wife to foresee those records to be played in the crematorium in case I would die, all of a sudden.
    Just two absolute masterpieces:
    – Jazz : Albert Ayler’s ” Fondation Maeght Nights” , recorded in St Paul De Vence.- just buy volume #2. Listen for instance to ” For J. Coltrane”.
    – Classical Music. Janaçek’s Intimate Letters performed by the Alban Berg Quartett. On EMI.

  3. whatever, i figured a 14 year old child talent playing Zappa only is a more interesting & fun topic than southern rock. To whomever cares, I recommend looking her up: ABIGAIL SIN, Singaporean Pianist plays Zappa, on the “internets”, you won’t be dissapointed!! She rocks harder with her piano than a lotta old meatheads like the allman brothers!

  4. i’m listening to her playing RDNZL and Peaches and it’s tops!!!!!! Zappaheads, get her recoooooooooooooord!

  5. Later…with Jools Holland is an amazing thing. Unfortunately we’ll never have anything like that in the States. Network television wouldn’t know what to do with it and MTV doesn’t play music anymore.

  6. [quote comment=”597″]Later…with Jools Holland is an amazing thing. Unfortunately we’ll never have anything like that in the States. Network television wouldn’t know what to do with it and MTV doesn’t play music anymore.[/quote]

    There was an NBC program out of New York in the late 1980s called ‘Night Music’ with David Sanborn and, not surprisingly, Jools Holland (where did you think he got the idea for his show anyway?). Being primarily a jazz player, Sanborn often seemed out of place along side his rock oriented guests. View this attached link to see how badly Sanborn interacts with Warren Zevon (who had to call in musicians at the last minute that had played on his album because “Sanborn couldn’t play anything besides jazz” according to his biography: I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYRI2Re5dmo

  7. Most of the new ‘Southern Rock’ bands sound like country bands with borderline heavy metal guitar tones. The thing that make bands like The ABB, MTB, stand out was combining musical styles *compositionally*.

    My favorite of the ‘new’ Southern bands are FreeWorld & Mofro. They both have much heavier influences from old school Soul than Country.

    (tried to post before but it never showed up.)

Comments are closed.