SNL officially announced the first three musical guests for their upcoming 38th season earlier today, beginning with Frank Ocean on September 15, followed by Mumford & Sons and Muse. Ocean is a strong opener, so to speak, though SNL has always had a tendency to book worthwhile guests near the beginning the year, like Radiohead in 2011. It’s the middle of the season where things usually take a turn for the worst. Do we need to talk about Lana Del Rey again? Good. To prevent THAT from happening this year, here are 10 bands and artists, who haven’t been on the show before, that SNL should book.
There was all of one rapper who performed on SNL last season: Drake. That simply will not do. I’d be shocked if G.O.O.D. Music wasn’t booked for the upcoming year, but considering Kanye’s already been on the show, they’re disqualified. I’ll have a few, much needed rap suggestions throughout, but let’s begin with an old pro who one’s of the greatest New York artists of all-time and just released a solid new album: Nas. You know who performed on SNL in 1994, the year Illmatic came out? Tony! Toni! Toné!, UB-40, Crash Test Dummies…but not Nas.
SNL could use a sloppy, ambitious punk band that sings with their hearts on their sleeves and their hands wrapped tightly around a cold beer. It’s been 26 years since the Replacements were on the show, and I’m sure if you ask nicely enough, Titus Andronicus won’t try to get banned.
If you put out an instant classic like R.A.P. Music, you deserve to be on not only SNL, but every late night show.
SNL rarely dips their proverbial pen into the, um, proverbial nostalgia ink, despite their audience being largely made up of kids who listened to bands like NOFX in the 1990s. Fat Mike & Co. are releasing their 12th (!) album in September, so why not book them? You’ve already gone down the Green Day and blink-182 well, SNL, or if not NOFX, how about Taking Back Sunday? It has been 10 years since Tell All Your Friends…
So, yeah, maybe I’m biased, but Bloom is REALLY good. Beach House is also an excellent live band and wouldn’t have any trouble adapting to SNL‘s infamously unforgiving soundsystem.
New York-based band? Check. Adored by fans and critics alike? Check. About to release a new album? Check. Have a hit under their belt? Check. Of any of the groups on this list, Grizzly Bear is the most likely to perform at Studio 8H this year. And if they don’t, well, I’m sure Karmin’s available again.
Not a single member of Wu-Tang Clan has been on SNL, which is especially disappointing knowing how funny GZA and RZA are. So let’s propose RZA doing double-duty this year. He could host, promoting his upcoming film The Man with the Iron Fists (November 2), and perform, too, one song from the Iron Fist soundtrack (maybe with the Black Keys or Kanye?) and one from Enter the 36 Chambers with special guests Ghostface, GZA…OK, I need to stop before I get too excited for this idea that’s never going to happen.
Because at some point, they’re going to put out a non-Tron new album, and I want it NOW NOW NOW.
I’m afraid to do research on this, but when was the last time SNL booked a female musician who both shrieks and shreds?
/does research
I went back to 2004 before giving up. It’s been awhile. That is a travesty. Hire St. Vincent NOW, despite the fact that I’m breaking my own rule because she’s touring with David Byrne in the fall, and he appeared with the Talking Heads in 1979. Whatever. Get on it, SNL. Portlandia has.
Worth it for the mental image of Kenan Thompson hugging Chad Kroeger.
AND CAN YOU SAY DUET WITH AVRIL???
