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Half a Century of Exile On Main Street

Half a Century of Exile On Main Street

The classic album made in exile takes an inevitable journey to Main Street where it remains relevant fifty years on

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Chris Zappa
May 31, 2022
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Garage rock experienced a revival around the turn of the 21st century.

Interpretation of what constitutes “garage rock” is as varied as the bands classified under the umbrella of the genre’s largely ambiguous label. Suffice it to say, lovers of garage rock have an affinity for music that is unpolished, unpretentious, and above all, raucously honest.

This particular category of rock is not about polish or shine, instead, it roars wild in its inelegance, its aim to conjure sounds which, at least on the surface, exhibit an overall lack of typical industry standard glossy production quality.

In the ’60s, bands like The Kingsmen, the Troggs, and even The Guess Who were considered garage rock and, fittingly, those bands started in actual garages. Mom and Dad left the family station wagon in the driveway to make room for drum sets and amplifiers, and unfiltered sound emerged, defiantly strong and decidedly raw.

Four decades later, in the early 21st century, a husband and wife duo from De…

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