BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
What makes a good front man?
To me a great front man needs to have a few specific traits. Being a talented singer is a plus, as is being charismatic, getting the crowd into the show, being a larger than life presence, being someone who demands your undivided attention, the front man is the conductor of energy, the pulse of the show. A front man should be untouchable. They should march to the beat of their own drummer and bring something genuine and magical to the table. There is big responsibility to the power of being a front man. That’s why the greats are great and the rest are forgotten.
The idea of the front man has been revolutionized by guys like Morrison, Mercury, and Cobain that all had their own distinct style of being a frontman. Sometimes the best criteria for being a front man are to throw the criteria out the window and start from scratch. As time went on, more icon front man would come and go. We’re talking Plant, Waters, Jagger, Cooper, Tyler, etc. etc. Then we have modern giants like Dave Grohl, James Hetfield, Maynard James Keenan, Trent Reznor, Marilyn Manson, Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland, Axl Rose, and so on and so on. They have been plenty of quality performers to make their mark on the front man legacy. It might not seem as obvious as it is, but it’s not just all in retrospect.
Over the next two weeks I’m taking on the task of making my list of “Top Front Men Under 40”. While some modern greats are getting awfully close to “the big four oh”, there is still plenty of youth in rock. I’m going to narrow it down to my own Top 20. This is all just one music fan’s opinion. You’re more than welcomed to share your own list. I’m sure that despite the hours of time put into this list that I missed one or two obvious choices. It happens.
Three honorable mentions that made the short list, but not the final list is the 29 year old Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, 39 year old Sam Endicott of The Bravery, and the 34 year old vocalist of both The Kills and The Dead Weather Alison Mosshart. I’m a fan of all three for different reasons. Mosshart was the one that was closest to making the list if anyone’s keeping track at home. Without further ado, here’s my list!
(Alleged Ages as of: 9/18/2013)
20. Julian Casablancas
[Age: 35 – Birthdate: 8/23/78 – Band: The Strokes] The Strokes are one of my favorite bands from the 00’s. I love the throw back garage rock style, but it’s often done in a really uninspired and lame way. The Strokes brought a whole new life to the sound and became one of the biggest bands out there in the progress. Julian Casablancas’ voice works perfectly for this style of music. One gripe about the guy is that he just stands there. He’s almost an anti-performer. He was hilarious in his work with SNL and on his solo album, but he just seems bored sometimes. You’ll be hearing a great tune, but then he looks sleepy. How is the fan supposed to react when the performer isn’t?
19. Patrick Stump
[Age: 29 – Birthdate: 4/27/84 – Band: Fall Out Boy]
Fall Out Boy is not my thing. I’ve honestly tried to give them a fair chance, but I just couldn’t connect to it. That doesn’t mean I can’t recognize an impact. Patrick Stump and Fall Out Boy definitely made and still make an impact. Stump’s personal journey is an inspiring one for me so I’m a fan of his for that, but he’s also great at getting the crowd to join forces as one mass of rock solidarity. I might not like the music, but his presence has caused me to watch more Fall Out Boy than I would have ever really wanted.
18. Hayley Williams
[Age: 24 – Birthdate: 12/27/88 – Band: Paramore] If you’d have asked me if Haley Williams would be on my list of best front men last week then I’d have laughed at you. I didn’t expect this, but I wanted to be fair and open minded. I’ve listened to Paramore, but I didn’t get the mass appeal. It’s good, but not mind blowing. Then I saw them perform live on TV and it all made sense. Williams is hot and all of that, but she’s one helluva performer. She takes the crowd by the collar and sings right into their proverbial face. Why would anyone complain about that? She’s also the youngest person on this entire list. She has her whole life of rocking in front of her.
17. Tunde Adebimpe
[Age: 38 – Birthdate: 2/25/75 – Band: TV on the Radio] Tunde Adebimpe is one of my favorite vocalists right now. TV on the Radio has come a long way from “Ok Calculator” until now. Tunde’s voice is explosive and makes his band’s work even more great than it already is. He’s done a little acting now and seems to be a really cool and chill guy. If he was as energetic performer as he is a great artist, he’d be close to the top of this list.
16. John Mayer
[Age: 35 – Birthdate: 10/16/77 – Band: Solo, John Mayer Trio] John Mayer is one of the best modern rock guitar players out there. I’ve made the joke to friends that “John Mayer is METAL”, but it’s pretty much true. He’s got a blues rock thing going for him that would make him comparable to be today’s Clapton. He’s THAT good. He’s got an okay voice and is an outgoing guy, but it’s that guitar work that brings the owes and ahs.
15. Brody Dalle
[Age: 34 – Birthdate: 1/1/79 – Band: The Distillers, Spinnerette] I’m a big fan of Brody. She’s everything you’d want in an aggressive female front. She’s Joan Jett-like, but I’m certain she’d rip Jett’s arms off and beat her with them just for shits and giggles. She’s a dominate figure with tons of appeal. Her voice is said to be “harsh”, but it’s emotive and gets at you.
14. Adam Levine
[Age: 34 – Birthdate: 3/18/79 – Band: Maroon 5] I like Adam Levine well enough. He’s got a great voice and seems like a cool guy. People naturally like him and he’s becoming a bigger name with each project he takes on. He’s done some acting now, he hosts a major reality show, and his band is still out there pulling in thousands in some of the biggest music venues in the country. He’s steadily building up his name and legacy while still putting out relevant music. I could only imagine how much bigger Maroon 5 could be if Levine focused ALL of his energy in music.
13. Chester Bennington
[Age: 37 – Birthdate: 3/20/76 – Band: Linkin Park] I pride myself on the fact that I’ve been to TWO Linkin Park concerts and have NEVER seen Linkin Park perform. It’s just not my thing. Chester is still a great singer though. He has tons of fans and has a natural coolness to him that makes him a strong front man. He’s gotten past the awkward “new guy on the scene” thing a long time and has seemingly settled comfortably into the status as one of the top guys around right now. Along with the massive hits he’s put out with Park, he’s been recent tapped to be the new vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots. After having Scott Weiland as the helm for so long, they wouldn’t add just anyone to the mix.
12. M. Shadows
[Age: 32 – Birthdate: 7/31/81 – Band: Avenged Sevenfold] I didn’t get into Avenged Sevenfold at start. I thought “Bat Country” was a fun song, but something about “Seize the Day” bothered me. I eventually realized it was because it reminded me too much of “November Rain”. After listening to it again, a few years after its popular release, it all made sense to me. Avenged Sevenfold is awesome. It reminded me of Guns N’ Roses. Bands don’t just do that. They made some epic rock tunes that are meant for arenas. A lot of this is thanks to M. Shadows. He’s still young and has plenty of time to grow even more and put out what I’m thinking will still be his best work. Avenged Sevenfold might not be for everyone, but the voice of Shadows is something to be appreciated by all.
11. Davey Havok
[Age: 37 – Birthdate: 11/20/75 – Band: AFI] Davey Havok is an extravagant person. His voice carries like the wind. As the lead vocalist of AFI, Havok has been around for a while. Over twenty years to be exact. They’ve gone through many phases of looks and sounds, but the one constant is Havok’s magnetism. In 2006 MTV executive Amy Doyle called the band "one of the most compelling live rock bands today." The woman was not wrong.
Next week: The Top 10!
What frontman under 40 do you think will be in the Top 10?
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