Photo: James Looker/Photoshot (Getty).
Bands come and go, but our love for them lasts forever. For whatever reason, certain music groups are great at making an entrance, but even better at fading away into the night. The following list compiles several musical talents that may or may not have officially called it quits, but have seemingly dropped off the map even though they are still capable of a comeback. Come home, bands. We know you’ve got some hits left in you.
8 Bands That Are Due For A Resurgence:
The Strokes
You can’t blame them for trying new things (especially guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr., whose solo career may have surpassed the original band in terms of quality tunes), but if their latest EP, titled Future Present Past, is any indication, the past is where it’s at. All these guys need to do is throw together a new album in the same vein as their first two (or even three) and it’s resurgence time. Oh, and please no more “+ The Voids,” Julian Casablancas. It’s just noise and you know it.
Incubus
Remember the 1990s/early 2000s? Of course you do. The internet and Jimmy Fallon remind us of that period in time every damn day as if we could have possibly forgotten that 20 years ago existed. Of course, in terms of Incubus, they appear to still dwell there, as they haven’t released a number-one single since 2008’s “Love Hurts” (which, let’s be honest, was pretty weak). With rumblings of a new album having come and gone, we can only hope it wasn’t all hot air. We can’t go back to slumming it with brother band Audiovent.
Audioslave
Now Audioslave we can get behind. Part Soundgarden, part Rage Against the Machine, and all rock, this is the first band on the list to have officially called it quits back in 2007. Lead singer Chris Cornell seemed to be the focal point of the breakup, leaving the band with the following statement: “Due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently leaving the band Audioslave. I wish the other three members nothing but the best in all of their future endeavors.” However, since then, both he and guitarist Tom Morello have expressed interest in either getting the band back together, or releasing previously recorded tracks from the first three albums never heard by the general public. Either way, a glimmer of hope is better than nothing.
Dispatch
These guys haven’t technically had any number-one hits, but you likely remember them well for songs like “Out Loud” and “The General.” After all, you learned them on acoustic guitar in college to try and impress girls. It didn’t work, but still, you tried. In any case, their 1997 album Bang Bang put them on your radar, and you’ve been waiting for more tunes like that ever since. With another album in the works after a looong hiatus/breakup back in 2002 through 2011 (they released one new album since then, but you’ve likely never heard it), hopefully we get some more groovy tunes for a whole new generation to strike out in pursuit of charming the ladies with.
DMX
OK, the title of this post refers to “bands,” but we’ve been waiting on the eighth studio album from this artist for awhile now (bankruptcy has a way of gumming up the works). Nevertheless, it will happen, and apparently both Kanye West and Dr. Dre will be featured. If that’s not a recipe for resurgence success, what is? Plus, with nostalgia all the rage these days and DMX apparently killing it at retro-rap concert REWIND, which seeks to represent “quality music of past decades,” y’all gonna be losing your minds soon if everything shakes out the way it very well could.
Foster the People
They only formed in 2009, so perhaps saying they are due for a comeback is jumping the gun a little. But seriously, what happened to these guys? Was “Pumped Up Kicks” that good of a song that it just couldn’t be surpassed? Short answer: yes, probably. It was voted “Rock Song of the Year” at the Billboard Music Awards back in 2012, and since then the band has only released one more album, titled “Supermodel,” back in 2014 which, by comparison, fell on deaf ears. With the relatively recent loss of bassist Cubbie Fink last year, it’s shape up or ship out time for this indie pop trio duo.
The Bravery
Speaking of great bands that simply fell off the map, The Bravery hasn’t released new music since 2009, and yet hasn’t officially broken up. They have been on “hiatus” since 2012, but since then every member of the five-piece dance-rock band have begun pursuing work with other bands including Morrissey and Weezer. Someone really needs to remind these guys how much we miss them. Well, maybe not the UK. A legal battle with their label prevented both their second and third albums from being released across the pond. Come to think of it, that could very well be why things fell apart.
Jet
Aussie rock bands are the best. AC/DC. Wolfmother. (Eh, two examples should do.) This one’s a stretch for sure considering these particular Aussie rockers broke up back in 2012 and have shown no signs of getting the band back together, but I still hold out hope for one reason. A reason that absolutely no one backed me on. Oh well, a guy can dream.
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