How long does it feel since the 2010s? A hop-skip-and-a-jump? A lifetime? Well, that era knew nothing of the COVID-19 pandemic or the oncoming wildfires that would dominate our news streams today. Instead, it was a simpler time.
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Despite the perhaps lovely naiveté of the moment, the 2010s had a lot of good music. It was something of a transitional stage for popular (and indie) songs. The internet and social media were rounding into form and people’s tastes were becoming more and more fractured.
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No matter, there were a lot of rock groups satisfying our cravings for great songs. Below are five examples that we’re positive will rock your heated socks off.
1. The Walkmen
Founded in 2000, this East Coast band called it quits in 2013 only to form a comeback a decade later this year. But in its heyday, the band was a force. One of the group’s most essential releases comes via an iTunes live session (technically in 2009) when the group was on fire. It set the stage for the group’s next two albums, Lisbon in 2010 and Heaven in 2012.
2. Tacocat
Formed in 2007 in Seattle, Tacocat, which played Coachella a decade later, released its most recent album in 2019, This Mess is a Place, via Sub Pop. One of the band’s most popular songs is the 2012 track “Crimson Wave.” There was even talk on social media that Katy Perry stole some shark imagery from the band.
3. Pickwick
Pickwick is fronted by the big-voiced singer Galen Disston. The group, which formed in the fertile Seattle area in 2008, has worked with indie darling Sharon Van Etten and released popular indie songs, including, “The Round.” Perhaps lesser known than the others on this list, Pickwick is no less formidable.
4. Sallie Ford
One note from Sallie Ford and you think she’s the greatest rockabilly singer of all time. Ford’s Portland-born band, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside formed in 2007 and continued until 2013. They performed on the Late Show with David Letterman and earned praise from the Avett Brothers. She has a number of instant classics, but “I Swear” below is atop the list.
5. The Coathangers
Formed in 2006 in Atlanta, this punk rock band has released four albums in the 2010s, including their recent, The Devil You Know, in 2019. Comprised of guitarist Julia Kugel-Montoya, bassist Meredith Franco and drummer Stephanie Luke, the group is formidable, buzzy and magnetic.
Photo by Helen Moga / Courtesy Sub Pop
