Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Garage rock revival2000

Second genre

Post-punk revival2001

Head to headGarage rock revival vs Post-punk revival
Garage rock revival: heaviness 4, melody 7, speed 7. Post-punk revival: heaviness 3, melody 8, speed 5.Heaviness4 / 3Melody7 / 8Speed7 / 5
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

The two revivals ran simultaneously and are frequently confused - this one looks to 1965, the other to 1979.

Both are sung cleanly, but post-punk revival is a little slower: 120 to 160 bpm against 140 to 180. To hear the difference, play The White Stripes next to Interpol. They share a root in rock, and garage rock revival came first, by a year. New York appears in the origins of both.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Garage rock revival4
Post-punk revival3
−1
Speed
Garage rock revival7
Post-punk revival5
−2
Melody
Garage rock revival7
Post-punk revival8
+1

Garage rock revival

2000 · Detroit / New York / Stockholm

Where it sits

Rock › Rock and roll › Garage rock › Garage rock revival

In short

A reaction to nu metal and radio pop: crisp guitars, plain production, narrow suits. It put guitar rock back on festival bills in the 2000s.

How it sounds

  • Deliberately plain production: few tracks, raw guitar tone, no click track.
  • Short riffs from blues or 1960s garage, wrapped in pop structures.
  • A strict visual code - a colour scheme or a uniform for each band.

Key acts

  • The White Stripes
  • The Strokes
  • The Hives

Start here

The pickThe Strokes - Is This It. Thirty-six minutes without a gram of fat.

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Post-punk revival

2001 · New York / United Kingdom

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk › Post-punk revival

In short

The same basslines and the same chill, revived every ten years with contemporary production.

How it sounds

  • Melodic basslines up front with sharp, dry guitars.
  • Dry drums, often with tribal toms and closed hi-hats.
  • Cold production with large-room reverb on the vocals.

Key acts

  • Interpol
  • Editors
  • Fontaines D.C.
  • IDLES

Start here

The pickInterpol - Turn On the Bright Lights. Post-2001 New York, in sound.

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