So here it is finally, the start of the blog that I promised two weeks ago. I apologize for the delay in posting, getting through all five hundred seventy four songs in the A's took longer than I expected. I would be set if I could listen to my iTunes at work, but unfortunately that just isn't allowed. The A's took a while but were an interesting start to this experiment that I call a blog. I came across exactly what I was hoping to, bands that I had loved in the past and had slightly different feelings about in the present. The A's where very eclectic, just as I expect the rest of my iTunes catalog will be. I will attempt to write at least a paragraph for each artist, but for the artists who only had one or two songs I may only get a sentence or two before I can't say anymore. With all of that being said, I will start into the main body of this post. As I go along and talk about each band I will post videos for some of the artists with a substantial presence on the A's.
A.R. Rahman is up first, that name should be familiar to people who have seen the surprise hit "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman was the producer of all of the music for the movie. I only have two songs off of the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, "Jai Ho" and "O.....Saya". These songs are the two that stood out from the rest for me. "Jai Ho" has a very Bollywood feel to it, as it was mean to, and "O....Saya" has a slightly different feeling as it features rapper M.I.A on the track. I still enjoy both songs quite a bit, and they make me want to watch the movie again and realize that for some reason I still haven't purchased this movie on DVD.
The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere) are next up on the list. The A.K.A.s are a band that I discovered partly due to the first A.K.A.s track on my iTunes "Christmas in Hollis" a cover of the classic Run DMC song "Christmas in Hollis Queens." I liked their cover of the song a lot, but didn't really explore this band further until seeing them open for Anti-Flag back on 2004's "Rock Against Bush" tour. I really enjoyed their set and purchased their CD at the show. I really enjoyed that CD for a long time after the show and then for the years following the show. In that space of time I saw the A.K.A.s live four or five times and met and became friends with the band, getting lead singer Mike Ski's phone number. I became good enough friends to get them to come on my radio show "Radio Sabotage" the day after their second album dropped. The first album "White Doves, and Smoking Guns" is something that I enjoy still, my enjoyment of the album hasn't changed. It's just fun keyboard laden dance punk with a socially conscious message weaved throughout the entire album. Their second album "Everybody Make Some Noise!" is just as enjoyable. It's the same keyboard laden dance punk that I enjoyed on the first album. That being said it's not as good as their first album, but it's still fun. The A.K.A.s will always have a special place in my heart because of the relationship I developed with this band, and how well they treated me in giving me not just one but two separate interviews on my radio show.
Next up is Aaron Goldberg with a very nice smooth jazz piece. I can't say much more about it than that, because I can't for the life of me remember when or why I put this song on my iTunes. I don't listen to a whole lot of jazz, I don't hate it but it's never really been my style. It's a very up tempo piece that would be quite enjoyable as elevator music.
Abaddon of Venom is a band left over from the days when I was obsessed with all things Metallica. The only Abaddon of Venom track I have is part of a compilation of Industrial bands covering Metallica songs. Listening to their cover of Metallica's 1982 classic "Whiplash" is making me regret ever purchasing this album. As they say hindsight is 20/20, I was obsessed with Metallica at the time and wanted all things Metallica including cover compilations. I really can't say anything else about this song besides the fact that it's not a good cover.
Another compilation track is next in Acceptance's "So This is Christmas" from the "A Santa Cause: It's a Punk Rock Christmas." The track is a cover of the John Lennon classic "Happy Christmas (War is Over), a very beautiful song. Acceptance doesn't add much to the track, just an overproduced reproduction of the song. The original track was a very sparse acoustic guitar, light bass, and drums, Acceptance's version is a cover in every sense of the term. They don't really try to make it their own, they just electrify the guitar and add more production. The song is enjoyable enough, and still something I usually listen to around Christmas time.
Adam and the Ants' "Antics in the Forbidden Zone" is next on the track list. Adam and the Ants was a band I added to my iTunes because I wasn't really familiar with their work and had heard good things. I listened to the album and it was enjoyable enough, but not really something I'd want to listen to on a consistent basis. That really hasn't changed, the album is enjoyable enough, but not something I could find myself listening to on a regular basis. Without even looking up the release date I can guess that this album was released in the late eighties. It has that classic British, Clash influenced, eighties band sound. The song structure, the guitars, the vocals all of it. I could be completely wrong about all of this, but these are the impressions I got from listening to this album.
The next artists only has three songs, but they are three really good ones. The Adverts are a great British punk band, and one that, as of re-listening to their songs, I regret not having explored much further than these three songs. I realize now that I would like to get a least on Adverts album instead of having two songs off of a Punk Compilation Box Set ("No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion"), and a song put on my computer by my older brother as part of his wedding party/reception music play list. "Gary Gilmore's Eyes," "One Chord Wonders," and "Bored Teenagers" are all really good songs, and something that I always enjoy listening to, and all three are songs that I would play on a consistent basis on my radio show.
Steven "Big Mouth" Tyler and Aerosmith follow The Adverts on the iTunes catalog. Aerosmith is a classic band that have been around almost as long as The Rolling Stones. This particular album is a Greatest Hits album that contains only songs recorded before 1980. It's got all of the classic Aerosmith songs everybody knows like "Sweet Emotion," "Same Old Song and Dance," and "Walk This Way." This is all I need of Aerosmith album wise, it gives me all the songs I like without having to suffer through any of their later stuff from the 90's. I still enjoy these classic songs, and respect them for their impact on the musical landscape. But I can only listen to Aerosmith for so long, about one greatest hits album should do it.
Next up is a band that my opinion changed of not too many years after I purchased the one and only album I have from this artist. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that the band following Aerosmith on the list is AFI, the kings of Scene (Emo) rock. I purchased this album at a time that I was listening to the radio a lot, and this band was just starting to break big with their album "Sing the Sorrow." I enjoyed their sound as I was into bands such as Used at the time. I don't enjoy their sound nearly as much as I did back then. Davey Havok's voice just isn't particularly appealing, in his high nasally voice. An artist that I started to realize how much I dislike when I first hear and saw the video for their next album "Ms. Murder." They are basically the original 30 Seconds to Mars.
Next on the track listing is Against Me!, a band with a very large presence in the A's with four albums worth of songs. Against Me! is a band I discovered through the "Rock Against Bush" compilation. That compilation led me to buy "Searching for a Former Clarity" and that led to me delving into their back catalog and purchasing "Reinventing Axl Rose" and "As the Eternal Cowboy," and then their newest album "New Wave." Against Me! had a great sound, and lyrics that really appealed to the angst ridden teenager who was pissed off with what George W. Bush was doing. I really identified with the political message and social consciousness of the lyrics. Now that I'm twenty three I don't feel nearly as angst ridden as I was back in 2004. That being said, I still enjoy Against Me!. I enjoy the music and Tom Gabel's ruff and gravelly voice. I enjoy their lyrics still, because most of their lyrics aren't just about George W. Bush, their about our society as a whole. Against Me! have just released a new album "White Cross," and I plan to purchase it in the very near future and add it to my iTunes. Against Me! are a band that I will continue to listen to.
Aisha Duo is a lot like Aaron Goldberg, nice smooth jazz that I have no memory of how it got on my iTunes. The two songs are very nice pieces, very pleasing and soothing to the ears. Featuring what I believe is Marimbas the songs are nice pieces to read to or have on in the back ground at a wine and cheese party. Again jazz isn't really my thing, but I don't mind listening to it every once and a while.
After Aisha Duo comes soul legend Al Green. I enjoy soul music every once in a while, I love the beautiful voices that accompany most soul music. Al Green is included in this description, he has a wonderful voice that really makes the songs sparkle. What else can I say about Al Green that hasn't already been said? The four songs I have go along the classic themes of musicians such as Mr. Green with songs like "Let's Get Married," and "So In Love With You." Songs about love sung with such beauty that you can't help but enjoy them.
I enjoy Alanis Morissette's singles that everyone knows and can sing along to, but the Alanis song that I have on my iTunes is her hilarious cover/reimagining/ parody of Fergie's "My Humps." The song is slowed all the way down to be a slow crooning ballad about Allanis' "lady lumps." The result is hilarious, and makes you realize just how ridiculously stupid Fergie's lyrics are. I highly suggest this song for a good laugh.
Next is one of my favorites, and a band that I've listened to on a very consistent basis over the years since my discovery of Alkaline Trio. Alkaline Trio have a great punk/alternative sound mixed with dark humor and puns. I discovered Alkaline Trio after hearing for a couple year that they were the best undiscovered band. So I purchased their most recent album at the time "Good Mourning." Alkaline Trio is band that I listen to whenever I'm having a bad day or I'm in a bad mood, the music fits those days and moods perfectly. The lyrics are a big part of what makes this band so great, lyrics such as "You Crashed your car through my front door. I pulled you from the wreckage. You told me that you missed me. But you meant with the grill and hood!" from songs like "Fatally Yours" are the epitome of why I love the lyrics of this band. Even balled style songs such as the acoustic "Blue in the Face" are just as great with lyrics such as "you can't breathe without coughing in daytime, neither can I. So what do you say, your coffin or mine?" They started adding in keyboards and synths into their newer albums starting with "Crimson." Which makes the music more arena and radio worthy, but not quite as good as the older albums such as my favorite "Maybe I'll Catch Fire." I have every album that this band has released to date and plan to continue following their future releases. Their early releases were definitely a lot punkier than their newer stuff and as you go album by album you see the evolution in their sound.
Alternative TV is next, another band from the "No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion" box set. I don't know much about this band beyond this song. "Action Time Vision" is a good song and a great representation of the UK's punk scene in the 1970's.
Another one song band is next in ? and the Mysterians. Not really sure why iTunes decided to put this band in the A's, I guess it ignored the question mark, just going with and as the start of the band name. The song is the classic "96 Tears," which is a great song with the classic keyboard garage rock sound of the mid sixties. A great song that has been used a lot over the years. A song given to me by my older brother as song for his wedding reception/party. I've always liked this song, and still do.
Next is the party animal himself Andrew W.K. Andrew W.K. is an artist I've enjoyed ever since I first saw the video for "Party Hard," and was introduced to him by my older brother not long after his first album "I Get Wet" came out. He took me to see Andrew W.K. live and it was one of the best concert experiences I've had. I can still remember how crazy the crowd went when he started playing, and then proceeded to invite the crowd up on stage. The stage filled with concert goers Andrew W.K. and his band disappear behind the large crowd on stage, but the music never stops. I've had an Andrew W.K. t-shirt since before his second album "The Wolf" came out in 2003. I've seen Andrew W.K. three times, twice in concert, and once as a motivational speaker. I can't help but get hyped when I hear his music, his music about partying makes you want to get up and join him and never stop the party as he sings.
Next is just a thirty second electronic beat created by Andrew Williams. Andrew was playing around with his new keyboard and made a beat with it and sent it to me. I saved it and added it to my iTunes. It's just a fun little thing to listen to on occasion.
Next is a band that was a big part of my life for many years, a band that I used to love to display my enjoyment of just for the reactions. Anti-Flag was my favorite band for several years. As with the rest of the Rock Against Bush movement and my listening to political music, it was a time when I was maybe a little more angst ridden and unhappy with what George W. Bush was doing. I really loved their political message and the fast punk sound that they played. A few years later I've found myself not having the same fervor for Anti-Flag as I did when I wore an Anti-Flag jacket every winter and fall. I still enjoy their music, just not as much as I did back then. I will always be willing to see them live, I've seen them live five or six times now and they always put on a great high energy show. I just don't quite identify with their lyrics and themes as much as I used to. They have become a little redundant in my opinion, every song is about corporate America and how bad Nationalism is. I wouldn't mind them going back to what they did on their first few albums, mix it in with fun little songs like "Drink Drank Punk," "Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, You Suck!" Fun songs that don't really have much to do with anything politics, just fun. I have almost all of the Anti-Flag albums except their newer releases. I will always have a place in my heart for Anti-Flag because of they were a piece of a big part of my life so far.
Aphex Twin is next up on the list, and is probably the strangest of the artists in the A's. Aphex Twin is an artist who uses synthesizers, samples, and other electronic music equipment. The songs are very odd electronic beats and samples. It's a bit hard to describe without hearing it, if you've ever heard a group like The Crystal Method then you have a basic idea. Aphex Twin seems to be a more complicated and intricate Crystal Method. Like where Crystal Method got their influence. It's enjoyable enough, wasn't a huge fan when I first was given their albums and took a listen. I enjoyed Aphex Twin more this time around, maybe because my musical tastes have broadened or evolved since the first time I hear the music.
Another band off of the Industrial Tribute to Metallica album mentioned above is next in Apoptygma Berzerk's cover of "Nothing Else Matters." This is a pretty awful cover of a great song, the metallic back beats and synths just ruin the song. The high pitched voice backing vocals don't help either. I seem to remember this being one of my favorite covers off of the album but this is a great example of how much my musical tastes have evolved since my obsession with Metallica back in the late 90's.
Next is another artist who I hear after hearing their song in a movie. April March's "Chick Habit" appears at the end of Quentin Tarrentino's "Death Proof." This is just a great catchy song that is a lot of fun. I really like listening to this song.
Next up on the list is The Aquabats. The Aquabats are a great third wave ska band. Their music is just so much fun and so very silly. The only album in my iTunes is considered their best, "The Fury of the Aquabats." Travis Barker of Blink 182 was the band's drummer when this album was recorded. With the crazy themes and lyrics of their songs, it is not hard to believe that the leader of the band the "Bat Commander" is the creator of "Yo Gabba Gabba." The Aquabats were a band that I started listening to on recommendations from other people who enjoyed third wave ska. I was on a big third wave kick for a while and the Aquabats were one of the main focuses of that kick. I don't really listen to third wave as much anymore, but the Aquabats are a band that I can make an exception for. Especially when I need a good laugh, I can put on songs like "Cat With 2 Heads," "Super Rad," or "Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates."
The Arcade Fire are a band that really skyrocketed in popularity with the release of their album "Funeral" back in 2004. Their sound is just wonderful, incorporating so many different musical instruments and styles. The music is most definitely influenced by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, and that's part of the reason The Arcade Fire appeared with him on stage in Ontario a few years ago. The music is just so melodic and will arranged, and very artistic at the same time. I saw them a few years ago on the Waterfront in Louisville, and the concert was spectacular. They are just great musicians, I enjoy listening to "Funeral" just as much as I did when it first came out in 2004. A lot of people didn't like "Neon Bible" as much but I think it is just as good. It's got a different sound and that's why I like it, it's not just "Funeral" part deux.
Another one track wonder with the next artist Archie Bell and the Drells. "Tighten Up" is a fun classic R&B song from the 1970's which everybody to "do the Tighten Up." This was a song put on my computer by my older brother for his wedding reception/party, but I still enjoy the song.
Next up are British indie darlings Arctic Monkeys. The Arctic Monkeys got some popularity and notice from the critics with their debut record "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not," and the song "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor." The album came out in 2006, but I didn't get it until September of last year. I had heard "I Bet..." but hadn't really explored beyond it until I heard the good reviews for their new album "Humbug." My impressions of the band hasn't really changed, just my perspective on the two albums side by side after listening to them back to back. Their debut is a great garage rock indie record, the songs are a lot of fun, "Humbug" is a slight change of form and a little more grown up. Both albums have their charms, and you can definitely hear the Josh Homme influence from producing the album. The debut definitely feels like the hard partying youthful record, about wanting to get with girls and attacking your critics. Songs like "Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But..." are a direct swipe at critics and hangers on, with the chorus stating that "All you people are vampires. All your stories are stale. Though you pretend to stand by us. Though your certain we'll fail!" Their follow up "Humbug" is a more mature record with a lot of songs about long lost love and that one woman. Songs like "Cornerstone" finds lead singer Alex Turner seeing the face of his love in different women, and asking if he can call them her name. To good albums.
The Ark are a Swedish glam rock band, I have only heard one of their songs and it is the song that is in my iTunes catalog. "One of Us is Gonna Die Young" is a catchy up tempo song about wanting to be with someone, and living life to the fullest while you can. It's a song that's just as enjoyable as when I downloaded it a few years ago. It's just a fun song to listen to.
At The Drive-In are a band that I discovered up recommendation from my older brother, he figured that I would enjoy them because I like the band that they eventually became The Mars Volta. Lead Singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Lead Guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez left the group to form The Mars Volta. At The Drive-In have a fast, loud, aggressive style, but with melody and sudden tempo and rhythm changes thrown in for good measure. The music is just powerful aggressive music with psychedelic lyrics and themes. This is a band I wish I had been able to see live because from all indications they put on an amazing live show. I especially enjoy their most acclaimed album "Relationship of Command."
Up next is another "Rock Against Bush" song, this one by the Ataris. I was never a big fan of The Ataris, but this is a nice melodic acoustic song. I don't have much of an opinion on it beyond that.
Next up is Minnesota based rap group Atmosphere featuring an MC named Slug and a DJ named Ant. The rap is very aggressive and in your face, and at the same time dark. Slug opens this record rapping about how he's been treated being a white rapper, rapping "In the Days of Kings and Queens I was a Jester. Treat Me Like a God? No they Treat me like a leper." He raps about trying to find a balance. All the songs seem to play off of some part of his life, his relationships and his depression. It is a great indie rap record that I enjoy just as much as when I purchased it several years ago.
Atom & His Package is the last artist to have multiple tracks in the A's. Atom & His Package is one man using synthesizers and music sequencers to create fun songs about silly things in his life, and his daydreams, and crushes. This particular record is a live album of his last show ever, and features an accumulation of songs from all of albums. The songs are all really high energy songs that are lots of fun and make you want to dance. The songs aren't just silly though, they're smart about it. Atom is actually a High School Physics teacher in Pennsylvania. I love Atom & His Package just as much as I did when my older brother introduced me to the song "Punk Rock Academy," almost ten years ago. If you've ever heard Totally Michael or Math the Band both sound a lot like Atom & His Package. Just fun music.
Authority Zero's "Revolution" is a song off of the "Rock Against Bush" compilation. It's a song about personal accountability. The chorus goes "if you wanna revolution, you gotta make a difference on your own." It's a good song, and one that I used to open up my radio show "Radio Sabotage for awhile.
Autopilot Off is another band off of the "Rock Against Bush" compilation. The song "I'm Thinking" is your typical pop punk song, typical guitar riffs and vocals. A song reflecting on youth, and how we used to feel "invincible." I apparently didn't think to highly of this song back when I first got this compilation back in 2004, because I wasn't even aware that this song was on the compilation. It's still forgettable, I forgot what it sounded like even though I just listened to it yesterday.
The Avengers are the second to last track in the A's. The Avengers' "We Are the Ones" is a fun 70's Punk Song exclaiming "we are not Jesus, we are not fascist, we are not communist, we are the ones." This is a song I got from the "No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion" box set. I enjoyed it the first time I heard it and I still like it, but don't have much opinion on it beyond that.
Finally we have Aztec Cameras rounding out the A's. The song is "Oblivious" and is a up tempo 80's underground pre-new wave song. It is a fun song that I hadn't noticed on my first listen through of the box set "Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the 80's Underground." It is a song I don't know a lot about and don't have much opinion on besides that.
Well that is it for the A's folks. If you stuck around to the end of this post and read the whole thing then Bravo! I know I wrote a lot, but five hundred seventy four songs (1.2 days of music) requires a lot of writing. I hope to have the B's finished within the next two weeks, please feel free to leave comments and spread the link around to your friends if you think that they would enjoy reading this blog.
