The New Guitar Solo Canon

Lately, I've submerged myself in fuzzed out, psychedelic guitar sounds from around the world. I have one record from an old Nigerian group that sounds like a spaced out version of the Allman Brothers. Another album comes from a band called Group Doueh out of Western Sahara. Their self-produced record, released by Sublime Frequencies, is only available on vinyl (which makes sense considering that the recording is so lo-fi it makes Times New Viking sound polished) and it shakes and wobbles with Hendrix-esque guitar licks. For a band isolated in this unpopulated North African region, they have no business sounding this Western. Of course this has always been my interest in global music—finding lost sounds and tones that are utterly foreign, yet strangely familiar.

Listening to all of these groups has reminded me how appropriate guitar-driven rhythms are during the summer. Overdriven, clean, slashing, it doesn't matter. Crunching guitars just sound so much better in stale heat and hot winds. As a testimony to the flexibility of the instrument, you can easily identify countless musicians or bands from just a couple opening chords. There is list after list of the most recognizable guitar tones in the music business. They all read something like this: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Tom Morello, blah blah blah, Slash, ugh. The beautiful thing about the guitar is that there is no end to this list. Whether artists are revolutionizing the instrument or just capitalizing on a single produced sound, the opportunities to create distinct tones seem endless. So for kicks, here're a couple of artists that we should keep in mind next time we talk about unmistakable guitar kingship.       
 
Dinosaur Jr.: This is by far the easiest band to add to the list. J Mascis is considered by many to have one of the most distinctive guitar sounds in rock—from the way "Little Fury Things" bursts open with its extended crunching solos to the more subdued melancholy of a song like "Start Choppin'." What's even more impressive is how complimentary the guitar tones are to Mascis' voice. This is probably best illustrated on "Freak Scene," with Mascis singing in his indifferent drawl over layers of churning guitar and a blistering outro. Simply put, the guitars match the vocals unbelievably well and few bands have that luxury.

The Exploding Hearts: Guitar Romantic is so undeniably genuine that it even manages to win over the most disaffected hardcore scenesters. Everything about the band should be contrived: the wise ass, childish lyrical themes, and the completely indulgent pop guitar. But somehow their only proper record avoids all artifice, creating a sound that could fit right in in 1970s new wave power-punk. There are so many musical elements that make Guitar Romantic enjoyable, but the bouncy melodies are most noticeably propelled by the guitar work of Terry Six. Every song on Guitar Romantic features at least one ripping solo, with particular attention given to "Throwaway Style," "Rumors in Town," and "Modern Kicks." Incidentally, Terry Six was one of the only members to survive the band's tragic auto accident in 2003. Three years later, Dirtnap Records released Shattered, a second disc of rarities and unfinished tracks added to the original Guitar Romantic lineup. Even on that album, Six's jangly, poppy guitar stands out. There's no way of mistaking the lead in to the title track with Six strumming alongside some giddy cowbell. Few bands have ever been as irreverent, hedonistic, or catchy as the Hearts. And don't expect that changing any time soon.

The Feelies: I don't know why the Feelies never really broke into the mainstream. Maybe if they had released their debut album Crazy Rhythms 10 years later than they did, they could have ridden Pavement's coattails to indie nerd success. But hell, it doesn't really matter. How can you fault a band for going against the grain and creating a sound distinctly separate from the mesh of its counterparts? Even though the band is classically known for its overextended percussion section, what really catches my ear is the frenetic, multi-layered guitars. Bill Million and Glenn Mercer go from melodic to spastic in the blink of an eye. On "Loveless Love," guitar stabs build up until at about the 1:45 mark, they let loose in an interweaving duel. The band likes to alternate between percussion breakdowns and isolated guitar picks to create suspense. "Crazy Rhythm" undergoes a cowbell/bass drum solo for a solid 40 seconds before the guitars come back in to tie it together to the rest of the song. Like most of their songs, it's odd, charming, and enjoyably delirious.

Les Savy Fav: I don't have the same kind of affection for Les Savy Fav as I do for Dinosaur Jr. or the Exploding Hearts. But I'm nonetheless completely drawn in by the band's muscular, echoey guitar tones. When Seth Jabour isn't selling fragrances (http://stereogum.com/archives/quit-your-day-job/quit-your-day-job-les-savy-fav_006203.html) he's creating gorgeous melodies that have just enough edge to keep up with Tim Harrington's bombastic yelps. "We'll Make a Lover of You" and "Our Costal Hymn" are perfect examples of Jabour steering the direction of the band. He provides so much bulk in just a few repeated strokes. Jabour's contributions to the band are even more apparent on Les Savy Fav's newest release, the audience friendly Let's Stay Friends. Just listen to "Patty Lee" and tell me the guitar isn't the most memorable thing about the song. Well, with the exception of Harrington screaming, "Back before Babylon, shit was cool!"

This list will always be a work in progress. Which gives us the right to kick some people off who have held posts for too long, or whose music we don't really give a shit about. In the end don't worry. You won't hurt Slash's feelings. There are things he cares about more than making your top 10 guitar sounds list. You know, like winning a Grammy or something.