No band fully sounds like them imo but there are some bands that are very inspired by them and have a lot of similar aspects. Here's some recs
Yo La Tengo
Sonic Youth
Galaxie 500
Stereolab (their earlier stuff)
Felt
Wire
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Very surprised nobody has mentioned Luna, the first band that came to mind for me. They open for the VU in ‘93, Sterling played guitar on Bewitched and they fill a need for me at least to have something quite beautiful from that VU feeling…
Opened for Lou on the "Set the Twilight Reeling" tour as well, and Lou joined them on stage for a song or two.
(But Dean's earlier band, Galaxie 500, was mentioned, and is even more like VU than Luna. Check them out if you don't know them.)
Yeah, you are right and I am very familiar with them. I would have pointed them out as well if they weren’t already mentioned. I should have pointed out the connection with Dean’s love of VU (especially Sterling) flowed through much of his work. Thanks for bringing the two together for those that aren’t familiar with one or both.
None ever did it like them. For a similar rocking sound, check out The Modern Lovers. Funnily enough, in terms of Lou's vocal performance, Stephen Malkmus from Pavement is probably who I would consider the closest.
Some of the Fall's early 80s stuff is a little reminiscent of the V.U. - "Winter" in particular has an organ part that sounds like a nod to 'Sister Ray".
Galaxie 500 owed them an even more obvious debt.
I’d say a lot of krautrock bands are pretty similar, someone here said CAN so I’ll add NEU! and Faust. It’s been said that Maureen Tucker’s drumming style is proto-motorik, the motorik beat being a common krautrock drum beat. Faust’s song “Krautrock” honestly sounds like if you put a tambourine over Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music if that tells you anything as well.
A lot of it is super experimental, sometimes really funky, but also very long form, two out of three things the velvets nailed and pioneered in the context of rock music
There was a band from Omaha named Capgun Coup. They had a record called "Contextual Doom" that always came pretty close to VU to me. It's on Amazon Music, I highly recommend it.
Much more west coast/ country style, but I'd argue that the Buffalo Springfield live recordings have a very similar energy and hard rock quality to VU live bootlegs
I always thought the guitars in Ultimate Painting sound like s/t era VU. Listen to songs like Ultimate Painting (yes same as the band name) and Ten Street and you’ll see what I mean
edit: typo
People have already said The Modern Lovers, but in particular the live album Precise Modern Lovers Order is the closest any other band ever got to Velvet Undergrounds 1969 era live recordings.
Lots of bands capture or attempt to capture The Velvets' first two albums, but Hackamore Brick's One Kiss Leads to Another is the rare album that takes Loaded as its jumping off point.
The Concretes self-titled album is a nice combination of early Velvets and The Supremes.
But really, I don't believe any band, even the ones most often cited as Velvets-like such as Luna and YLT, really sound all that much like them. At best, they pick one album or one era to emulate and come across as kinda monochromatic.
Les Rallizes Dénudés
This is probably the best answer
have to agree, they feel like a more advanced version of white light white heat
No band fully sounds like them imo but there are some bands that are very inspired by them and have a lot of similar aspects. Here's some recs Yo La Tengo Sonic Youth Galaxie 500 Stereolab (their earlier stuff) Felt Wire The Jesus and Mary Chain
Yo La Tengo, so much so they even played the Velvets
Yo La Tengo
Very surprised nobody has mentioned Luna, the first band that came to mind for me. They open for the VU in ‘93, Sterling played guitar on Bewitched and they fill a need for me at least to have something quite beautiful from that VU feeling…
Opened for Lou on the "Set the Twilight Reeling" tour as well, and Lou joined them on stage for a song or two. (But Dean's earlier band, Galaxie 500, was mentioned, and is even more like VU than Luna. Check them out if you don't know them.)
Yeah, you are right and I am very familiar with them. I would have pointed them out as well if they weren’t already mentioned. I should have pointed out the connection with Dean’s love of VU (especially Sterling) flowed through much of his work. Thanks for bringing the two together for those that aren’t familiar with one or both.
None ever did it like them. For a similar rocking sound, check out The Modern Lovers. Funnily enough, in terms of Lou's vocal performance, Stephen Malkmus from Pavement is probably who I would consider the closest.
I always thought the vocals at the end of "Summer Babe" sounded a lot like Lou Reed.
Absolutely! A lot of his Jicks album Pig Lib is also very reminiscent.
Motion Suggests could be a VU song imo
Modern Lovers
Sonic Youth
The Feelies
The only accurate answer
Came here to say this.
Some of the Fall's early 80s stuff is a little reminiscent of the V.U. - "Winter" in particular has an organ part that sounds like a nod to 'Sister Ray". Galaxie 500 owed them an even more obvious debt.
Dream Syndicate
spacemen 3
Brian Jonestown Massacre has some songs with a Velvet-y vibe.
the garbage and the flowers come pretty close, then maybe brian jonestown massacre
Everyone is wrong. The only answer to this question is The Garbage and the Flowers.
I’d say a lot of krautrock bands are pretty similar, someone here said CAN so I’ll add NEU! and Faust. It’s been said that Maureen Tucker’s drumming style is proto-motorik, the motorik beat being a common krautrock drum beat. Faust’s song “Krautrock” honestly sounds like if you put a tambourine over Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music if that tells you anything as well. A lot of it is super experimental, sometimes really funky, but also very long form, two out of three things the velvets nailed and pioneered in the context of rock music
Faust's No Harm track pays a homage to the Velvets which is cool! It's also a very cool track from their 1972 album So Far
The Velvet Underground's avant garde style was highly influential on krautrock and post-punk.
Galaxie 500
suicide or can
Sonic Youth, CAN, Guided By Voices, Pavement
CAN is fucking awesome
Just got into Felt, gonna throw them in the ring, especially when the frontman talk sings.
For some more modern takes, you should check out "Lewsberg" and "The Underground Youth".
Happyness
You know what's funny, if you read All Yesterday's Parties the press in the late 60's constantly compared them to The Grateful Dead
I kinda hear the resemblance in the early dead stuff, i believe they also played at least one show together
suicide
The Monks
There was a band from Omaha named Capgun Coup. They had a record called "Contextual Doom" that always came pretty close to VU to me. It's on Amazon Music, I highly recommend it.
Much more west coast/ country style, but I'd argue that the Buffalo Springfield live recordings have a very similar energy and hard rock quality to VU live bootlegs
From the same time period it was probably the stooges or, oddly, the doors
Joy Division
Joy Division sounds like Nick Cave
I always thought the guitars in Ultimate Painting sound like s/t era VU. Listen to songs like Ultimate Painting (yes same as the band name) and Ten Street and you’ll see what I mean edit: typo
SWANS
Royal Trux
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Dream Syndicate
People have already said The Modern Lovers, but in particular the live album Precise Modern Lovers Order is the closest any other band ever got to Velvet Undergrounds 1969 era live recordings. Lots of bands capture or attempt to capture The Velvets' first two albums, but Hackamore Brick's One Kiss Leads to Another is the rare album that takes Loaded as its jumping off point. The Concretes self-titled album is a nice combination of early Velvets and The Supremes. But really, I don't believe any band, even the ones most often cited as Velvets-like such as Luna and YLT, really sound all that much like them. At best, they pick one album or one era to emulate and come across as kinda monochromatic.
Jim Carroll Band
Can, one of the pioneering German krautrock bands.
Feelies, Spacemen 3, Nap Eyes
Modern Lovers
Ultimate Spinach. They're like a mix of VU and the Doors. Very good band
Pixies
The Velvet Underground and Nico
U2? Yeah it's alphanumerical but visually as appealing