Let me first say that American bands are in no way the best in the world. The best are most definitely British. However, there are some American bands, in my opinion, that stand out because of their innovation, musical talent, or lyrical genius.
Flick rocks. They're from Missouri and sound a lot like Radiohead and the Boo Radleys. Look for their great album THE PERFECT KELLULIGHT and their debut EP, both of which are quite good.
Dandy Warhols are a bunch of pissing druggies, but I like them all the same. They redefine American classic drug rock while sounding like Britpop's finest on their 1997 release Come Down.
Better Than Ezra are from New Orleans, birthplace of jazz, but they show no trace of jazz in their music. Their first two albums are in the vein of REM, jangly alterna-rock. Their third, How Does Your Garden Grow?, is a little more adventurous and consequentially better.
Sunny Day Real Estate are Seattle's emo finest. They broke up in 1995 after their 2nd album, but reunited for 1998's How It Feels to be Something on, which was highly praised by fans and critics alike. I don't have it, but I hope to get it soon.
Sense Field write better lyrical songs than any band I know. "Different Times" is a true classic. Look for their GREAT album BUILDING.
The Gufs are from Milwaukee. Lead singer Goran Kralj has probably THE BEST male voice in rock music today. The song "Crash (into me)" is the band's contribution to modern rock radio, but fans of the band know that "Smile" is simply one of the best love songs ever.
Toad the Wet Sprocket are a band I've just rediscovered. For awhile I had written them off as a pop band. Well, they've broken up now, but both FEAR and DULCINEA are classic alterna-rock albums that belong in anyone's collection.
REM are the godfathers of American alternative rock music, and they never cease to amaze fans and critics. They have ELEVEN albums out, and all of them earned high praise from audiences around the US. Led by Michael Stipe's easily identifiable voice and Peter Buck's jangly guitar hooks, a modernized REM remains a force in American rock today.
Fuel are my hometown band. They have 2 EPs and an album out, though the EPs are quite a challenge to find....and I personally prefer them over the album. Rock fans around the globe know the hit "Shimmer"; I'm just glad I got to hear it before production lessened the true quality of the song. Still, songs like "Ozone" and "King for a Day" prove that Fuel really rocks.
eels are GREAT. They have 2 albums, Beautiful Freak and Electro-Shock Blues...both are miserable yet amazing in their own right. Rock fans who like "Novacaine for the Soul" need desperately to check out the entire debut eels album, it's great.
Remy Zero rock. The song "Prophecy" is timeless. And their second album VILLA ELAINE is one of the very best releases of 1998--and possibly the single best American album of said year.
Dovetail Joint. Though many people may not be familiar with this band and their college hit "Level on the Inside," I think it's great. Still looking forward to their debut album due out in early 1999.
Elliott Smith. The guy's got a great voice and amazing lyrics to back it up. Those of you who think he was a one-trick pony after "Miss Misery" came and went with its Academy Award nomination are mistaken, cos Elliott has a few great albums, the most recent two being Either/Or and XO.
Madder Rose. Ithaca's finest indie rock faves. They've got 3 albums...Bring It Down, Panic On, and most recently, Tragic Magic, all of which had several hit songs on college radio. Mary Lorson has one of the best female voices in modern rock today.
Letters to Cleo. Speaking of girls, Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo has a wonderful voice herself, and a few great albums to boot. Though the albums have tended to decrease in quality since 1994's Aurora Gory Alice, they still manage to put out a bunch of hits with each new album.
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