Geddy Lee shares his favourite modern bands: “They’re really strange”
Most bands that are considered to be among the greatest of all time were forged in the 20th century. The Beatles spread Beatlemania across the globe in the 1960s. The Stones embodied the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle in the same era. Fleetwood Mac unveiled their magnum opus to the world in the late 1970s. But the 21st century has produced just as many talented musicians, and Geddy Lee has named his picks for the best of them.
Taking up the microphone for Rush back in the late 1960s, Lee was one of those artists who was forged by the music scene of the previous century. The prog-rock outfit found success by the 1980s, with essential works in the genre like ‘Tom Sawyer’ and ‘The Spirit of Radio’. Decades later, they remain an essential name in prog-rock, one of the genre’s most successful exports.
It may have been decades since Lee was most immersed in the rock and roll lifestyle, but he has kept his finger on the pulse when it comes to modern music. Or, at least, a close friend of Lee’s has. During a conversation with Terrorizer magazine, the multi-instrumentalist explained, “I have a good friend who turns me onto music, and that’s probably the best thing a person can have in their life.”
“They’ve got their ear to the ground,” he added, “And my ear has been away from the ground for quite a while now.” Despite having his own ear away from the ground, Lee has picked up some solid recommendations from this friend, starting out with Seattle-born folk rockers Fleet Foxes. “A really talented band,” Lee enthused, “They’re really strange.”
It makes sense that Lee would admire the sound of Fleet Foxes, with their slightly weird yet wonderful harmonies and approach to folk. He suggested that they manage to tread the line between “fantastic vocals” and “delicate playing”, a feat he suggested is difficult to achieve. Fleet Foxes are perhaps the softest name on Lee’s list, his other picks veering further into his rocking roots.
His next pick was Foo Fighters, who he described as a “great contemporary rock band”. Formed by Dave Grohl following the end of Nirvana, Foo Fighters quickly became one of the biggest modern rock bands in the world, filling stadiums with the sound of ‘Everlong’ and ‘My Hero’. It makes sense that Lee admires the project, with his own penchant for rock.
The former Rush vocalist’s final pick was Queens of the Stone Age, who occupy a similar position in the modern rock realm. Amassing millions of streams and drawing similarly huge audiences to their live shows, they have become one of the biggest guitar bands of the modern age. Though Lee’s response showed that he still has an interest in modern music, his picks seem to represent the biggest players in their respective realms rather than delving into more obscure or intriguing new names.
It makes sense that Lee admires the work of Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, both of whom exist within the rock sphere that he once occupied, and that he enjoys the stranger offerings of Fleet Foxes, but there are countless other bands to be discovered and platformed, many of whom are making much more interesting music.
