Bands I am Unable to Survive Without
Ever since I purchased my mp3 player (Creative Nomad Zen 20GB for those interested) music has become even more important to me than before. Basically it's because I no longer have to pick and choose what to listen to. I have almost my entire collection at my fingertips, so why should I choose? Standing at the cd cabinet for 10 minutes in the morning before work, trying to figure our what cd's to bring are a thing of the past. As a result though, when I don't have my mp3 player things aren't good. Luckily, that's pretty rare, but so is smallpox and when it hits you, its rarety is a small comfort.
So, with over 350 albums available to me at any given time, it must be hard to pick out favorites right? Guess again. Behold, the list of Bands I Am Unable To Survive Without:
Pearl Jam
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a Peal Jam fanatic. At present, I have all of their studio albums, and 9 concert cd's spanning 3 tours on 4 continents. The number of concert cd's I have is limited only by my budget and my ability to store them all digitally. If I could, I'd have an mp3 player of nothing but live Pearl Jam. My wife can't understand why I need so many concert albums, but I know them like the back of my fucking hand and they're all indispensible. I know that in Verona, there's this amazing cowbell part on "Hail, Hail", that in Philly, Eddie can't concentrate because of women flashing him, and that in Brisbane he fucks up "Rearview Window" to the point where it become an entirely different song. I hated Pearl Jam when I first heard them, mostly because "Alive" was played way too fucking much. Then I saw them on MYV unplugged and I was completely blown away by their intensity. I even tried to grow my hair long like Eddie in college. The resemblance was less than striking. I first saw them in concert with my best friend Dennis, his now-wife Kathy and Kathy's brother Jay in 1998. It was, quite possibly, the greatest concert I have ever seen. Every fucking part of that band was left on stage by the time they were done. They were having such a great time playing, that it was hard to not be excited. I've seen them since then, but nothing matched that show (in their defense, the last time I saw them was at the end of the tour where a number of their fans were crushed to death at a European music festival, so their spirits weren't as high). My simple answer as to why I need so many live albums is because this band absolutely comes alive when they're on stage and each performance is like a new facet of their talent. Quite possibly the biggest influence on my love of music since Zep. Speaking of...
Led Zeppelin
The greatest rock band of all time, no question. In 1987, when I started listening to Led Zeppelin, it was a cool drink of water in a desert of hair bands. I was never into bands like The Police, The Pretenders or any of the great bands that came out of the 80's, choosing instead to listen to old Clapton, Cream, Blind Faith, etc. Then my friend Ed Gable forced a dirty, near-broken tape of Zeppelin "Four" (or "Runes" take your pick) on me. I was hesitant, because I had been in a long running Clapton-Page feud with a friend of mine. I listened to it, and it was if my whole world changed. This band grabbed hold of me and has yet to let go. The distinct parts came so well together, that it's hard to tell where one part of the song ends and another begins. Except for Bonzo's drums. He hit those drums so hard, it wakes up the primitive part of our brains that remembers what it was like when Gods walked the Earth. Even now, some 20+ years later, when I listen to their live stuff ("How the West Was Won" is an amazing set of discs) I know that there isn't anything like them out now, and there probably won't be again. I can only hope my kids accept me pushing my dirty, near-broken Zeppelin cd's on them.
Better Than Ezra
I bought BTE's first album because of "Good" (It was good, living with you whuh-oh) and thought it was OK. Then Friction Baby came out, it fucking blew my socks off and subsequent albums have blown my socks off to increasing degrees. BTE is one of those bands where the music takes second place to the lyrics. I mean, the music is good, and although the results are often mixed, they're not afraid to experiment with shit, but the lyrics are fucking amazing. I don't know why their songs connect with me so much, but when I hear ones like "Beautiful Mistake", "WWOZ", Under You", "Live Again" and "Briefly" I get all choked up. The grandaddy of 'em all is "R3wind". 3 minutes and 7 seconds of musical perfection about a mixed tape being the only artifact of a failed relationship. I know there may be those of you who can't relate because, to you, making cd's is better than making mix tapes, but to you I say this: Bite me. Making mixed cds is too goddamned easy. Drag and drop some songs onto a GUI and let the program tell you how much time is left? Screw that. Give me a pen and a pad, a calculator and a list of songs anyday, and I'll give you a work of art. I once made a 120 minute mixed tape for Linda that made her cry, so poignant it was. It took me 27 days and I failed out of 3 classes but it was worth it. I love my mp3 player with its playlists and ability to play music based on whatever criteria I want, but nothing matches the soul of the mix tape. Maybe that's why I love the BTE song so well, who knows, but see how much one song gets me going? Multiply that times 4 albums worth of BTE songs and you get an idea as to why I love the band so much.
Patty Griffin
While BTE chokes me up, Patty Griffin can actually bring the tears. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever heard a more honest singer. Her first album, "Living With Ghosts" was an amazing pairing of her voice and her guitar and nothing else. The songs are amazing and bring out sympathy for characters that you would expect more in books or films. "Flaming Red" the second effort rocked the fucking house. Her third album "1000 Kisses" and her latest joint "Impossible Dream" get back to the more stripped down roots of her first album, with the same eye towards amazing storytelling and sheer emotional manipulation. I always, always, always get choked up when I hear either "Making Pies" or "Long Ride Home" and I sing like a fucking banshee when "Wiggly Fingers", "Useless Desires" and "Poor Man's House" come on. Seeing how I work in a cubicle, I'm sure my officemates have come to hate Patty Griffin, but screw them.
Bruce Springsteen.
What can I say about Bruce? He has a catalog of music that's absolutely staggering, an ability to tell stories about how shitty and wonderful America is all at the same time, and when he yells "Do I have to say his name? Do I have to speak his name?" when introducing The Big Man, I want to scream "Nooooooo" at the top of my lungs. Some of the best live music I have comes from Bruce and the men and women of the E Street Band. I don't see that changing any time soon.
Eminem
Personally, I've never found Eminem's music offensive, but mostly because I could care less about the opinions of most people regarding anything, so why the hell should I care what some rapper thinks about women or homosexuals? Shit, my dad has said things far more offensive about both groups, and I'm making ribs for that fucker this weekend. Plus, I've never actually felt that Eminem actually believes everything that he's saying, much like Chappelle probably doesn't believe everything that goes down on his show. In both cases, small nuggets of belief are grossly exaggerated for the sake of entertainment. The thing about Eminem is, and just listen to his songs on the 8 Mile soundtrack as proof, is that he could be rapping about a fucking pastrami sandwich and it'd be the catchiest, sickest track about that sandwich that you've ever heard. The man has skills, pure and simple, and as his production skills catch up to his rapping skills, I think you're looking at someone who is going to be able to have as much influence on the rap world as a one Dr. D-R-E. With other material from 2Pac, Mos Def, Jigga and Kweli out there, it's hard to say if Eminem is the best outright rapper, but no rap album I own gets me going like the Eminem Show. Belive that.
On the Mountain
Technically this isn't a band, but an annual mixed music cd put out by KMTT, a Seattle radio station. I look forward to this compilation more than I do Christmas, because the bands on these cds are so amazing, and their performances are so casual and wonderful. I have discovered a whole bunch of amazing new artists through these cd's, and that, despite what those cigar chomping, cock sucking corporate radio bastards might have you think, is exactly what radio is all about. Plus, it gives me happy memories of coming home on a beautiful Seattle afternoon, with the Mountain Music Lounge playing on my radio.
And this is just a sample, not even touching on bands like The Indigo Girls, Sarah Harmer, American Hi-Fi, Incubus, Seven Mary Three, Kanye West, MC Frontalot and dozens of others that make up my personal musical landscape. To get into them all would take time I don't think I have, and an attention span I know you don't have. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I hear a mix tape calling.
So, with over 350 albums available to me at any given time, it must be hard to pick out favorites right? Guess again. Behold, the list of Bands I Am Unable To Survive Without:
Pearl Jam
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a Peal Jam fanatic. At present, I have all of their studio albums, and 9 concert cd's spanning 3 tours on 4 continents. The number of concert cd's I have is limited only by my budget and my ability to store them all digitally. If I could, I'd have an mp3 player of nothing but live Pearl Jam. My wife can't understand why I need so many concert albums, but I know them like the back of my fucking hand and they're all indispensible. I know that in Verona, there's this amazing cowbell part on "Hail, Hail", that in Philly, Eddie can't concentrate because of women flashing him, and that in Brisbane he fucks up "Rearview Window" to the point where it become an entirely different song. I hated Pearl Jam when I first heard them, mostly because "Alive" was played way too fucking much. Then I saw them on MYV unplugged and I was completely blown away by their intensity. I even tried to grow my hair long like Eddie in college. The resemblance was less than striking. I first saw them in concert with my best friend Dennis, his now-wife Kathy and Kathy's brother Jay in 1998. It was, quite possibly, the greatest concert I have ever seen. Every fucking part of that band was left on stage by the time they were done. They were having such a great time playing, that it was hard to not be excited. I've seen them since then, but nothing matched that show (in their defense, the last time I saw them was at the end of the tour where a number of their fans were crushed to death at a European music festival, so their spirits weren't as high). My simple answer as to why I need so many live albums is because this band absolutely comes alive when they're on stage and each performance is like a new facet of their talent. Quite possibly the biggest influence on my love of music since Zep. Speaking of...
Led Zeppelin
The greatest rock band of all time, no question. In 1987, when I started listening to Led Zeppelin, it was a cool drink of water in a desert of hair bands. I was never into bands like The Police, The Pretenders or any of the great bands that came out of the 80's, choosing instead to listen to old Clapton, Cream, Blind Faith, etc. Then my friend Ed Gable forced a dirty, near-broken tape of Zeppelin "Four" (or "Runes" take your pick) on me. I was hesitant, because I had been in a long running Clapton-Page feud with a friend of mine. I listened to it, and it was if my whole world changed. This band grabbed hold of me and has yet to let go. The distinct parts came so well together, that it's hard to tell where one part of the song ends and another begins. Except for Bonzo's drums. He hit those drums so hard, it wakes up the primitive part of our brains that remembers what it was like when Gods walked the Earth. Even now, some 20+ years later, when I listen to their live stuff ("How the West Was Won" is an amazing set of discs) I know that there isn't anything like them out now, and there probably won't be again. I can only hope my kids accept me pushing my dirty, near-broken Zeppelin cd's on them.
Better Than Ezra
I bought BTE's first album because of "Good" (It was good, living with you whuh-oh) and thought it was OK. Then Friction Baby came out, it fucking blew my socks off and subsequent albums have blown my socks off to increasing degrees. BTE is one of those bands where the music takes second place to the lyrics. I mean, the music is good, and although the results are often mixed, they're not afraid to experiment with shit, but the lyrics are fucking amazing. I don't know why their songs connect with me so much, but when I hear ones like "Beautiful Mistake", "WWOZ", Under You", "Live Again" and "Briefly" I get all choked up. The grandaddy of 'em all is "R3wind". 3 minutes and 7 seconds of musical perfection about a mixed tape being the only artifact of a failed relationship. I know there may be those of you who can't relate because, to you, making cd's is better than making mix tapes, but to you I say this: Bite me. Making mixed cds is too goddamned easy. Drag and drop some songs onto a GUI and let the program tell you how much time is left? Screw that. Give me a pen and a pad, a calculator and a list of songs anyday, and I'll give you a work of art. I once made a 120 minute mixed tape for Linda that made her cry, so poignant it was. It took me 27 days and I failed out of 3 classes but it was worth it. I love my mp3 player with its playlists and ability to play music based on whatever criteria I want, but nothing matches the soul of the mix tape. Maybe that's why I love the BTE song so well, who knows, but see how much one song gets me going? Multiply that times 4 albums worth of BTE songs and you get an idea as to why I love the band so much.
Patty Griffin
While BTE chokes me up, Patty Griffin can actually bring the tears. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever heard a more honest singer. Her first album, "Living With Ghosts" was an amazing pairing of her voice and her guitar and nothing else. The songs are amazing and bring out sympathy for characters that you would expect more in books or films. "Flaming Red" the second effort rocked the fucking house. Her third album "1000 Kisses" and her latest joint "Impossible Dream" get back to the more stripped down roots of her first album, with the same eye towards amazing storytelling and sheer emotional manipulation. I always, always, always get choked up when I hear either "Making Pies" or "Long Ride Home" and I sing like a fucking banshee when "Wiggly Fingers", "Useless Desires" and "Poor Man's House" come on. Seeing how I work in a cubicle, I'm sure my officemates have come to hate Patty Griffin, but screw them.
Bruce Springsteen.
What can I say about Bruce? He has a catalog of music that's absolutely staggering, an ability to tell stories about how shitty and wonderful America is all at the same time, and when he yells "Do I have to say his name? Do I have to speak his name?" when introducing The Big Man, I want to scream "Nooooooo" at the top of my lungs. Some of the best live music I have comes from Bruce and the men and women of the E Street Band. I don't see that changing any time soon.
Eminem
Personally, I've never found Eminem's music offensive, but mostly because I could care less about the opinions of most people regarding anything, so why the hell should I care what some rapper thinks about women or homosexuals? Shit, my dad has said things far more offensive about both groups, and I'm making ribs for that fucker this weekend. Plus, I've never actually felt that Eminem actually believes everything that he's saying, much like Chappelle probably doesn't believe everything that goes down on his show. In both cases, small nuggets of belief are grossly exaggerated for the sake of entertainment. The thing about Eminem is, and just listen to his songs on the 8 Mile soundtrack as proof, is that he could be rapping about a fucking pastrami sandwich and it'd be the catchiest, sickest track about that sandwich that you've ever heard. The man has skills, pure and simple, and as his production skills catch up to his rapping skills, I think you're looking at someone who is going to be able to have as much influence on the rap world as a one Dr. D-R-E. With other material from 2Pac, Mos Def, Jigga and Kweli out there, it's hard to say if Eminem is the best outright rapper, but no rap album I own gets me going like the Eminem Show. Belive that.
On the Mountain
Technically this isn't a band, but an annual mixed music cd put out by KMTT, a Seattle radio station. I look forward to this compilation more than I do Christmas, because the bands on these cds are so amazing, and their performances are so casual and wonderful. I have discovered a whole bunch of amazing new artists through these cd's, and that, despite what those cigar chomping, cock sucking corporate radio bastards might have you think, is exactly what radio is all about. Plus, it gives me happy memories of coming home on a beautiful Seattle afternoon, with the Mountain Music Lounge playing on my radio.
And this is just a sample, not even touching on bands like The Indigo Girls, Sarah Harmer, American Hi-Fi, Incubus, Seven Mary Three, Kanye West, MC Frontalot and dozens of others that make up my personal musical landscape. To get into them all would take time I don't think I have, and an attention span I know you don't have. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I hear a mix tape calling.
posted by Brandon at
7:22 AM
