Who'll be the new Husker Du?

Husker Du - the name evokes mystery, mythology and head-scratchings followed by the occasional "Hmmm" upon listening to the Minnesota trio's body of work.

Nowadays, the band is no more, with Bob Mould currently soldiering on with solo work and activism (and his own blog to boot).

But what of the contenders? Who would carry the torch that the Huskers once held in a genre that I would call "Adult Punk"?

Were Husker Du responsible for the rise of pop-punk (or was it punk-pop) and it's derivatives - adult-Alternative, emo and the ilk? We may debate this until the cows come home. The fact of the matter is what band would fit in with the likes of Husker, Soul Asylum, Urge Overkill and the Afghan Whigs?

Nirvana may come to mind if it weren't for that sad day in April 1994 when Kurt Cobain decided to permanently go solo. For all it's rage, the band made itself surprisingly accessible to the general public that many clones have sprung up. That phenomenon always was, is and ever will be neither new or special in the realm of pop muzak, but in the era of super-sized fast-food muzak production, people wanted more of that sound and that vibe.

Like any other indie band, Husker Du didn't cater to the taste of fast-food muzak junkies - they seemed content with doing their own thing on their own terms.

Do other bands have what it takes to be the next Husker Du? Allow me to roll off the following that I know...

1. Green Day - SoCal power trio. Started life as your average "ponk" band. Recent offering "American Idiot" showcased mature and political themes;



2. Blink-182 - Another SoCal power trio. Started life as a rambunctious "ponk" band. Started getting a bit more serious with "Adam's Song" on "Enema of the State". Epynominous last offering started to touch on adult angst;



3. Good Charlotte - Started off as your average emo-glam-punk outfit. Latest release "Chronicles of Life and Death" is seen as a foray to the dark side;



4. Sum-41 - Started life as Ajax, ON "ponkers" with a taste for hip-hop and hair metal (see video for "Fat Lip/Pain for Pleasure"). Nearly got asses blown off in Congo. Experience led to latest offering "Chuck";



5. Billy Talent - Named after fictional guitarist "Billy Tallent" in "Hard Core Logo". Both punk and screemo, they posses serious, yet acessible sensibilities.

By the way... I think that a Husker Du box set is long over-du, don't you think.

Trust me... you do.

Next up: who'll be the new Paris Hilton? Stay tuned.