Thursday, April 21, 2011

Special K

In an attempt to keep the writing spirit burning hot, I'm not waiting to write the next blog post. The K's went really quick, partly due to the fact that the K's only featured seventeen artists compared to the J's twenty seven. Having fewer artists doesn't always mean that the playlist will be shorter than the previous, but it is the case here. The K's were just under twelve hours of music, and the J's were about nineteen and a half hours of music. The majority of the artists featured in the K's contribute at least one album to the playlist, with just over half of the artists having at least one full album on the playlist. The K's started off really well for me, because they started with a band that I've been enjoying for a little while now.

The K's are started off by The Kaiser Chiefs, and Indie Rock band out of England. The band has released three full length albums to date, and gained popularity almost immediately after the release of their debut album Employment in 2005. Employment sold over three million copies, and launched the band into the eyes of the mainstream. The album featured on this playlist is their third album, Off With Their Heads. There are also two of the singles from Employment featured here, "I Predict A Riot" and "Everyday I Love You Less And Less." Kaiser Chiefs play a brand of upbeat keyboard infused rock and roll. The guitar sound is a lot cleaner sounding then most rock bands, with a lot less distortion than some of their rock contemporaries. The keyboard comes in and out of the songs, usually providing some electronic or synthesized accompaniment to the main body of the song. Rick Wilson's vocals add the finishing touch. He sings with a very pronounced British accent, unlike some of his British contemporaries who attempt to downplay their accents. His voice fits very well with the style of the music, and it's hard to imagine anyone else singing for this band. I was first introduced to The Kaiser Chiefs by my older brother when he gave me the songs "I Predict A Riot" and "Everyday I Love You Less And Less." I like those songs quite a bit, but for a long time I never really looked any deeper into the band. I heard the single "Ruby" off of their second album Yours Truly, Angry Mob back in 2007, but again I didn't look any further. Then in 2008 they released Off With Their Heads. I was listening to the new music that had just come into the radio station and I came across the album, and I really liked what I heard. The music is just a whole lot of fun, and the first single off of the album "Never Miss A Beat" is a fun song to play on Guitar Hero. Kaiser Chiefs took a hiatus for a while, but a new album should be coming out soon and I look forward to it. In the mean time, I will start getting more into their first two albums. The Kaiser Chiefs are a definite recommendation, especially to fans of bands like Bloc Party and other British Indie bands.

Kaiser Chiefs "Never Miss A Beat"



The artist who follows The Kaiser Chiefs is one of the most controversial rappers of 2010, where he was constantly harangued by media critics. I'm speaking of course of Kanye West. Kanye West started his career as a producer, gaining fame for his production of Jay-Z's The Blueprint. His fame continued to grow as he continued to produce hit tracks for the top R&B and Hip Hop artists. Kanye had aspirations beyond being just a producer, and in 2004 he released his debut album The College Dropout to critical acclaim. The album launched him from the fringe of the mainstream right into the spotlight, and his ego was ready for it. Beyond the album, Kanye began to make a name for himself through his braggadocios nature. The next year West released his follow up album Late Registration, once again to critical acclaim and a platinum record. Late Registration put him even further into the public eye with its singles, "Gold Digger," "Heard Em' Say," and "Touch The Sky." The song "Gold Digger" heavily sampled Ray Charles' "Gold Digger" and the video heavily featured Jamie Fox as Ray Charles. He faced his first big controversy in 2005 when during a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina he went off script and declared "George Bush doesn't care about black people," on National Television. Two years later he released his third album Graduation, and like the two before it the album went platinum. The single "Stronger" received heavy rotation on MTV. The song heavily samples Daft Punk's "Harder Better Faster Stronger" and the music video is based off of the famous anime Akira. In 2008 as auto tune started gaining popularity in rap and pop music, West released his fourth album, 808 Heartbreak. The album, which featured no rapping, featured West singing with auto tuned vocals. In 2010 he released what many critics declared to be his masterpiece in My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy. West's music traditionally features a lot of samples from classic soul artists, but has grown to include other influences as he's gone along. His songs are usually about money, women, or himself. That is part of the problem for me. He's a good musician, his albums are good but his personality gets in the way of me truly liking him. His singles are great, and the albums are solid but his boasting gets a little old after a while. If Kanye talked a little less about Kanye it would be a whole lot better. He's good but not somebody I listen to a lot.

Kanye West "Stronger"



After two long paragraphs and two artists with large contributions, we have Karsh Kale. Karsh Kale is an Indian American musician who mixes traditional Indian music with American house and techno music. The two songs featured here come via the music samples from Windows Vista. The songs feature an interesting mix of traditional Indian drums mixed with a pulsing techno beat. I hadn't listened to the songs featured here before this blog. I didn't know who Karsh Kale was, and I usually just skip the music that comes with Windows because I usually don't like it. The songs featured here are a very interesting mix, and enjoyable. I just probably won't be coming back to them anytime soon.

Following Karsh Kale on the playlist is one and done artist Kate Bush. Kate Bush is a British Singer/Songwriter who gained fame in the 1980's and became one of the best selling female acts in British history. The song featured here, "Running Up That Hill," comes to the playlist via Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. The song features a trotting beat that stays constant through the entirety of the song, with electronics/keyboards mixed overtop. It's style is similar to the popular 80's New Wave movement. Bush has a beautiful voice that really helps make the track more than just another New Wave track. I wasn't familiar with Kate Bush before the box set, and I hadn't listened to this song since my initial listen. It's an interesting song, but not something I'll come back to a lot. If I ever need music for an 80's themed party though, this would be a good addition to the mix. If you liked Bat For Lashes, you might like Kate Bush.

Coming after Kate Bush we have another band who despite contributing a full album I know nothing about. The Key Party came to my iTunes via my younger brother's backed up iTunes being stored on my external hard drive. According to the notes featured on CD Baby for the album Hit or Miss (the album featured on my playlist), the band started as a concept by band leader Darren Gains. According to the notes Gains took inspiration from the idea of a key party in which people gather together and put their keys in a bowl, two sets of keys are drawn and the owners of the keys go off together and have sex. Instead of keys he put different musical concepts that came to mind into a bowl and picked them out. The main concept featured on this album is that there are no drums on the entire album. The rest of the album is a mix of acoustic and electric guitar with some horns thrown in. Gains singing is in a style similar to Tom Waits, it's got that same croon to it. I wasn't familiar with The Key Party before this blog, and the album was interesting. It is an interesting concept for a band, and I applaud Gains for trying something new. I enjoy the music, but I don't think it is something I would listen to with any kind of consistency.

The Key Party



One of the largest contributors of tracks on the playlist come next, The Killers. The Killers are a rock band out of Las Vegas, Nevada who gained fame in 2004 with the release of their debut album Hot Fuss. The band plays a synthesizer heavy brand of dance rock driven by the vocals of Brandon Flowers. Songs such as "Mr. Brightside," "Smile Like You Mean It," and "Somebody Told Me" became huge pop hits. The songs feature traditional rock rhythms infused with synth lines and punctuated by Flowers' croon and shout vocals. Since gaining notice and fame in 2004 the band has become one of the largest mainstream rock bands of the past decade. The bands first two albums Hot Fuss and Sam's Town both went platinum and their third album Day & Age went Gold. The band really knows how to write a catchy pop song, and their albums have a lot of catchy pop tunes to choose from. Some of my favorites have to be the three previously mentioned along with songs like "When You Were Young," "Human," and "Spaceman." The band show's it's influence from 80's synth pop in its music, but it shows its inspiration to artists like Elton John in its fashion. The videos for "Human" and "Spaceman" feature Flowers wearing outfits with lots of feathers attached to the shoulder pads. I first heard The Killers with the release of Hot Fuzz and the radio play that followed. I purchased the album and enjoyed it quite a bit. I went on to add their next two albums to my iTunes as well. They're a really fun pop rock band, and a great listen when you need up beat motivating music.

The Killers "Spaceman"



Starting out a string of three one and done artists is Killing Joke. Killing Joke were an English rock band that formed in England at the tail end of the 1970's. The band played a musical style that many have described as an early version of Industrial music. The band featured a sound similar to post punk, but with a few more electronic touches. The main focus of the music is the guitar, drums and bass just like most bands, but there are tinges of electronic instrumentation in the background. What really stands out in this band is Jeremy Coleman's vocals. The vocals sound very electronic and sound very computerized. I'm not a big fan of the vocals. I hadn't listened to this song much before this blog, maybe only once or twice when I was listening to Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. I haven't missed it, I'm not a fan of this song. It almost seems like it could be a song from the Industrial Tribute to Metallica compilation. Skip this song unless you're a fan of Industrial Music.

After Killing Joke we have Killswitch Engage covering the Heavy Metal classic "Holy Diver." The song "Holy Diver" was originally performed and made famous by Ronnie James Dio, a Heavy Metal legend who lent his amazing voice to bands such as Black Sabbath and Rainbow before going solo with his own band. Killswitch Engage are a Metalcore band out of Massachusetts who are credited as a founding band of the Metalcore movement. As previously stated this track is a cover of "Holy Diver," but not a very good one. The band does their best to stay true to the original, but there is no comparing to the original. This cover is alright up until the point where it goes into the guttural growl that unnecessarily permeates most of main stream metal today. I don't like that vocal style a good 95% of the time, and this is one of those times. That ruins what was a decent cover.

The third one and done artist of this block is Kimmie Rhodes. Kimmie Rhodes is a singer songwriter from Texas who was written songs for some of country music's biggest names, from Willie Nelson to Waylon Jennings. The song featured here is a duet with Willie Nelson off of one of her fifteen solo CD's. The song is a tender love ballad with Nelson and Rhodes picking on their acoustic guitars. The song features the two urging "love me like a song." It's a very beautiful and simple song. I wasn't familiar with Kimmie Rhodes before this blog, and I hadn't heard this track before. I believe it either got on my iTunes as a part of the music samples provided by Windows Vista or as a song put on my iTunes by my older brother for his wedding celebration party. I like the track, it's a tender acoustic ballad. I probably won't come back to it, but I'll enjoy it when it comes up if I'm listening to my iPod on shuffle.

Our next artist on the K's is The Kings of Leon. The Kings of Leon are a rock band out of Tennessee who despite forming in 1999 didn't achieve international commercial success until the release of their fourth album Only By The Night in 2008. The band plays a country and blues infused brand of rock and roll, often called Southern Rock. This sound has gradually evolved more towards the alternative arena rock side of rock and roll, but there are still Southern Rock influences apparent. The band gained minor attention in the states in 2003 when they released the song "Molly's Chamber" as a single off of their debut album Youth And Young Manhood. The album gained huge attention in the United Kingdom, but very little in The United States. They released two more albums, again with great success in the United Kingdom but very little in the United States. It wasn't until the release of Only By The Night that the band broke through. The single "Sex On Fire" is the one that helped them break through, and the follow up single "Use Somebody" solidified their mainstream status. I first heard Kings of Leon back in 2003 when I heard the song "Molly's Chamber," but like the rest of America I didn't pay much attention to them. Then in 2008 I came across Only By The Night in the stack of new music for the radio station where as Program Director I listened to all incoming music. I really liked the album, it was really catchy. I added the album to my collection and continued to enjoy it. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I began to see them blowing up. I had stopped listening to alternative rock radio a few years back, so I hadn't heard "Sex On Fire" or "Use Somebody" before I got the album in for the radio station. I really enjoy their catchy alternative rock with a country twang, I've considered exploring the rest of their discography, but there was usually something I wanted more at the time. I'm not sure if I'll explore their discography, but I'll enjoy what I have heard until then.

Kings of Leon "Sex On Fire"



Next we have a one and done artist, The Kingsmen. The Kingsmen are a one and done artist in two different senses, they only have one song on this playlist and they only had one hit song. The Kingsmen gained fame in 1963 with the release of their cover of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie." The song is in the garage rock style of the 1960's. The song's arrangement is probably one of the most well known in music, almost everybody knows the opening guitar line and the keyboard infused garage rock of the song. One thing most people aren't familiar with about the song is what the actual lyrics to the song are besides "Louie, Louie." Lead singer Jack Ely's vocals are so unintelligible that people believed the lyrics were dirty, the confusion caused the song to be banned by the State of Indiana. This gained the song even greater popularity with the public. Today the song is so widespread that there is hardly a person born in the last forty years who doesn't know "Louie Louie." I've heard the song probably hundreds of times over the years, and it's always enjoyable.

Following The Kingsmen is another band who came to popularity in the 1960's. The Kinks were a British rock band who came to popularity at the height of The British Invasion in the mid 60's. They gained international attention with the release of the single "You Really Got Me." The song is a rock song infused with R&B influences which was The Kinks' signature sound. The band experimented with its sound more and more over the years, moving more towards hard rock. Their move into the edges of the hard rock genre has led some people to call them one of the original punk rock bands. They have several singles that have become so deeply infused into popular culture that they are instantly recognizable to even the most casual music fan. Their songs "All Day And All Of The Night," "Who'll Be The Next In Line," "Tired Of Waiting For You," are all classics that have found their way into all the different parts of our culture. I've been listening to The Kinks since I was young, my Dad was a fan so I became one as well. I really enjoy their music, and I will for the foreseeable future.

The Kinks "You Really Got Me"



Next up we have the first of the final two one and done artists on this playlist, The Klaxons. The Klaxon's are a British indie band who has been classified by some as being part of a small genre called New Rave. Their songs tend to be slightly psychedelic in nature with influences from 90's rave music. The song featured here is a remix of their song "Atlantis To Interzone," done by The Crystal Castles. The original version is an upbeat indie rock song with a high pitched blaring electronics that sounds like an alarm going off. The Crystal Castles mix takes this siren sound that was intermittent before and makes it constant. The siren serves as the backing music to make the mix into the in your face abrasive style of The Crystal Castles. Both versions of the song are good, but both are very different. The mix is more of a electronic almost rave song, while the original is an indie dance rock song with electronics interlaced. I first heard this song when my older brother gave me the song on a mix CD. I liked the remix, and didn't hear the original version until almost a year after. I wasn't hugely fond of the original song at first, but now I like both. I also enjoy The Klaxons' song "Golden Skans." Fans of The Crystal Castles should check out this mix.

The final one and done artist of the K's is The Knack. The Knack rose to fame in 1979 with the release of their debut album Get The Knack, which featured the hit single "My Sharona." The band gained instant fame, with "My Sharona" going to number one on the billboard music charts. The song featured what is probably one of the most recognizable bass and guitar lines in popular rock. The song featured here was the second single off of the album "Good Girls Don't." The band never again released anything that reached anywhere near the success of "My Sharona." I have been listening to "My Sharona" for a long time and I've always really enjoyed it. I hadn't really heard "Good Girls Don't" before listening for this blog, but I like it. It's a good rock and roll song, very pleasant and features a chorus worthy of rock radio. The Knack made some good songs, but I probably won't be going much beyond "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't."

The final three artists on the K's playlist all contribute full albums to the playlist, the first is Korn. Korn is a Nu Metal band based out of California who rose to popularity in 1998 with the release of their third album Follow The Leader. Follow The Leader featured the breakout single "Freak On A Leash," which helped the album go to number one on the Billboard charts. The band plays a toned down brand of hard rock, that is designed to appeal more to the mainstream. The instruments are tuned down a step or more, which makes the sound itself slightly lower in key. The strings are looser on the guitar which helps to accentuate the slapping sound you hear from the bass lines. The songs also draw influences from hip hop, which can be seen in a few of the songs where lead singer Jonathan Davis attempts to rap. I really liked Korn back when I was in middle school, much to my parent's chagrin. Their lyrics tend to be explicit and feature violent themes. I really liked "Freak On A Leash" and convinced my parents to allow me to have a censored version of the album. As I've continued to hear Korn over the years I've liked them less and less. They've just gotten worse over the years, putting more and more effects on Jonathan Davis' vocals. I hadn't really listened to Follow The Leader since High School, and I'm glad. After listening to the album again for this blog, I really don't like it. It's not my style of music anymore, and shows me how much my musical taste has improved since middle school. The songs just don't impress me anymore. Given the option to buy this CD today, I would pass.

Korn "Freak On A Leash"



After an albums worth of regret from listening to Korn, we have the electronic pioneers Kraftwerk. Kraftwerk were a band from Dusseldorf, Germany that formed in 1970 and pioneered the sound that has became the basis for modern electronic music. The band's music features simple, repetitive, computerized beats. All instrumentation is electronic, and the vocals were consistently sung through a vocorder or with computer software. The sound was revolutionary when the band debuted back in the 70's. They used the latest musical technology of the time, incorporating a Minimoog synthesizer into their music. The band was named as an influence by many post punk, new wave, and techno artists. I first heard Kraftwerk from my older brother who was a fan. He gave the album featured here, Computer World, to my younger brother and that is where I got it from. I thought their music was interesting, but not much beyond that. Listening to it again for this blog, I can appreciate their music more. I enjoy the simple nature of the music, and all that it has done for the electronic music that has followed in its wake. I recommend Kraftwerk to anyone who enjoys Electronic music and wants to explore its roots.

Kraftwerk " Computer World"



The final artist on the K playlist is the Palm Desert, California band Kyuss. Kyuss was a band that played a style of hard rock that many people call Stoner Rock. The Stoner Rock sound featured metal songs that tended to be more mellow than normal metal songs, and incorporate psychedelic rock, blues rock, with more melodic vocals. Kyuss was a great example of this style of music. The band gained critical acclaim with the album Blues For The Red Sun, the acclaim for the album was one of the first times the Stoner Rock label was applied. The bad experienced turmoil with their record label and then with each other, and this ultimately led to their break up. Guitarist Joshua Homme left the band to form Queens of the Stone Age, taking several members of Kyuss with him. I first heard Kyuss when my older brother gave me this album for my birthday. He knew that I liked Queens of the Stone Age, so he thought I might like Kyuss. I wasn't a fan of their music when I first listened to them. I like them more now than I did then, but I'm still not a big fan. The slow, mellow pace just doesn't work for me and John Garcia 's voice tends to sound a bit too much like "new" James Hetfield for my taste. Their music is enjoyable, but I like Queens of the Stone Age a lot more. Fans of Widespread Panic and similar bands might enjoy Kyuss.

Kyuss "Green Machine"



That will do it for the K's folks. They went by pretty quickly, with only one or two regrets. The K's really helped me to see how much my musical tastes have improved over the years. I hope you enjoyed reading the K's, the L's should be out soon. Please keep commenting, and be sure to "like" Alphabetical Music on Facebook.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

J-town

Another week has passed and it is now time for yet another blog post. This time I'll be going over the bands featured on the J playlist. The J's were over two times as long as the I's, where as the I's featured only eleven artists, the J's featured twenty eight artists. The playlist was also eleven hours longer than the I's. Coming off of such a short playlist made the J's seem like they took a really long time to get through. In truth they didn't take much longer than any playlist to get through. The J's were full of Hip Hop, soul and funk, and that made the playlist very enjoyable. Forty eight percent of the playlist was occupied by Hip Hop, Soul/Funk/R&B, which is also very different from the I's which featured none of these genres. That being said let us get this post started.

First up is a three song demo from a band that used to play here in Louisville, KY. Jack's Lament, formerly Exeventu, was a hardcore/metal/progressive rock band fronted by a close friend of mine. The band plays a mix of styles, with each musician bringing in a range of styles to the mix. Lead singer Andrew Williams, vocals and rhythm guitar, came from Punk Rock roots. Williams began his musical career playing with the Southern Indiana Punk Rock Band Yelling At The Sun. Michael Ping, lead guitar/backing vocals, came from more of a metal background. Joseph Yabo, drums, idolized complicated and intricate drumming from drummers like Virgil Donati and music from bands like Blink 182. Ryan Holman, bass, had more of a Nu Metal background, enjoying bands like Sevendust. The band prided itself on its intricate, complicated songs, songs would occasionally switch time signatures in the middle of the song. The songs tend to be a little too intricate for their own good. They wanted to show their talent, but tried to do so a little too much. Less intricate arrangements would have made the sound better. I enjoyed seeing them live when I went to support them, and have since become friends with the other members of the band. They were all good musicians, the songwriting needed work. The band disbanded back in 2007.

Next up are the last two tracks off of the Get Him To The Greek Soundtrack mentioned in the I's. These two songs are by Jackie Q, a Katie Perry like pop star featured in the movie. Jackie Q was based around pop star Katy Perry, and was Aldous Snow's ex-wife just like Katy Perry is Russell Brand's wife. Her songs were sugary pop songs with a raunchy side. They were meant to parody Perry's songs which are innocent enough for radio play but have deep sexual undercurrents (see "Peacock"). The songs here do a similar thing, with Jackie Q referring to her genitals as a Stradivarius Violin in "Supertight." In "Ring Round" she sings about her "dirty poesy." There are music videos for both of these songs, taken from the movie, and they're both very funny. I enjoy the parody, the songs are fun to listen to.

Jackie Q "Ring Round"


After Jackie Q we have a one and done artist in The Jags. The Jags were a British rock/ power pop band from Great Britain. The song featured here is "Back Of My Hand," a catchy pop song. The song features a catchy chorus and light and pleasant strums of the guitar. The song is very much in the style of power pop that became popular in the 80's, upbeat music with catchy lyrics. I first heard this song from my older brother when he put it on my computer as part of the mix of music to be played at the party celebrating his wedding. I liked the song then, it's a fun song, but I forgot about it after the party. I've listened to is here and there over the years, even occasionally playing it on my radio show, but not with any consistency. I will probably continue with this pattern in the future, it's a single song that's easy to skip over but a pleasant listen when it comes up in shuffle. Fans of Brit Pop and Power Pop should like this song.

Following The Jags we have the first artist to contribute a full length album to the play list. Jah Roots were a Reggae band based out of Springfield, Missouri until they broke up in 2009. Jah Roots plays reggae in the style most American's are accustom to, the popular style out of Jamaica. Jah Roots' songs are about subjects such as love, smoking weed, Zion, and police hating on Rastafarians. I came across Jah Roots when I was attending the Cincinnati Punk Festival to see The Frankl Project. I liked what I heard live, and they were selling their CD for cheap so I purchased it. Upon listening to the entire album I wasn't as impressed, it got really old after just a few songs. I occasionally used the title track "Crucial" on my radio show when I was looking for something to go along with a section of 3rd Wave Ska. The band musically is good, and achieved some success even playing with Damien Marley. The only problem is I just can't get into them. I'll stick with Bob Marley for my Reggae fix.

Jah Roots "Crucial"


The Jam, an English Punk/Mod band contributes three songs to this playlist, all three are from the two compilation box sets previously mentioned in this blog. The band played fast and angry like punk but didn't dress like their contemporaries, preferring nice suits to ripped clothes. The trio gained great success in their five years together, and still hold the spot of having two of the top selling imports in Britain. The songs are fast paced rockers very reminiscent of their punk contemporaries, but also incorporating the styles of popular rock. I first heard of the Jam from my older brother who was a fan, but I didn't actually listen to them until I started looking into Punk back in 2004. I respect their impact on punk and future artists, but I haven't really explored beyond these songs. With so much music out right now that I enjoy I just don't have the time to delve deeper into their catalogue. I enjoy the songs, but not enough to really pursue their discography.

Next up we have the largest individual contribution to the J's with The Godfather of Soul James Brown. James Brown was a Soul/ R&B artist who gained popularity in the 1960's and became the most popular soul singer in the world over the next four decades of his career. Later in his life he became more known for his arrests and bad behavior. Before that though, he was called "the hardest working man in show business." He was known for his feverish dancing and soulful vocals. His backing band was always top notch, his rhythm section was legendary. Just being part of his band gained Funk artist Bootsy Collins his fame. Brown provided the groundwork for funk bands like Parliament Funkadelic and their peers. His music was so widely loved that even as his career declined with the rise of Hip Hop, he was kept in the public eye through sampling. James Brown is now the most sampled artist of all time. His grooves make perfect beats for hip hop songs. I grew up listening to James Brown, so I am very familiar with his music. I knew his most famous songs the best, but I knew some of the less popular ones as well. I contribute listening to James Brown at an early age for my enjoyment of classic soul singers. I will continue to enjoy James Brown for some time to come, and I will continue to respect his influence on music.

James Brown "Get Up Offa That Thing"


A one and done artist follows James Brown to separate to two soul artists on this playlist. Jane's Addiction is an Alternative Rock band based out of Los Angles, California. The band gained popularity at the very end of the eighties and the beginning of the nineties. Jane's Addiction were one of the first bands of the 90's alternative style to gain wide popularity. The song featured here is probably one of their most well known, "Jane Says." The song is pretty simple, featuring guitarist Dave Navarro just strumming a few chords over and over again. There is an interesting hint of Steel Drums in the background of the song. This song is pretty simple, and not particularly remarkable, the thing that makes it better is Perry Farrell's vocals. He has an interesting voice that compliments the music well. I have been aware of this song for a long time now, it was played constantly on "Alternative" rock radio as I was growing up, and is still played on "Alternative" rock radio occasionally. It's an alright song, but one I'm tired of.

After Jane's Addiction comes Janelle Monae. Janelle Monae is a R&B/Soul artist who is currently based out of Atlanta, GA. Monae mixes classical strings, jazz, and hip hop with soulful R&B. She is known as much for her voice as she is for her style. Monae always wears a tuxedo, preferring people to focus on her music instead of her looks, she likes the classy look and the simple black and white colors. Her signature hair style features her long hair brought up and puffed on the top of her head in what some call a bouffant. She was discovered by Big Boi of the rap duo Outkast, who gave her a role in Idlewild, and then recommended her to Sean "Diddy" Combs. She was then signed to Bad Boy Records, and her career was launched. Bad Boy Records released her first EP Metropolis: The Chase Suite in 2008, it didn't receive much public attention despite the song "Many Moons" being nominated for a Grammy. In 2010 she released her first full length album The ArchAndroid to critical acclaim, and yet another Grammy Nomination for the song "Tightrope." The album also gained a much larger popular following, vaulting her career and getting her a performing spot on The Grammys and The BET Awards in 2010. Both albums are concept albums influenced by Monae's love of science fiction. The albums are based around an android named Cindy Mayweather and the city of Metropolis. In the first album Mayweather falls in love with a human which means she's promptly scheduled for disassembly by the human powers that be. In The ArchAndroid she becomes a Messianic figure trying to lead the Androids, who are second class citizens, to equality. The albums are loosely based around Fritz Lang's famous 1927 silent film Metropolis. The underlying themes are the same, social inequality, prejudice, and social class. I first heard about Janelle Monae while reading an article on Artists to Watch in Spin Magazine last year, and then I heard "Tightrope" and I was hooked. Monae's music and image was a breath of fresh air in an overdone and oversexed R&B genre. Her voice is powerful for such a small women, and full of such emotion and soul that you can't help but love it. Her energy is amazing and infectious. I saw her live at a theater with the crowd sitting down, the crowd was on their feet and at the stage within the first 60 seconds of her performance. She is a wonderful dancer on top of being a great musician, and any fans of classic soul and James Brown should check out Janelle Monae.

Janelle Monae "Many Moons"


We have one of two one and done artists, who come before our next significant contribution, next. Japan was a New Wave rock band from Great Britain who gained some popularity in the late 70's and early 80's. The song featured here is "Ghosts," and is fittingly eerie sounding. The electronics help contribute to this feeling, there is a really cool almost plucking sound of strings. It's a very atmospheric song, and that is what makes it interesting. I wasn't familiar with this song before I heard it when listening through the compilation box set Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. It was one of the tracks that stood out though. I really liked the haunting melody, and it is what made it stand out for me. I haven't come back to it much since then, but only because I usually like to listen to whole albums and not individual songs. I recommend this to New Wave fans who haven't heard this song.

The next one and done artist on the J playlist is Jason Gleason (formerly of Further Seems Forever). This is another song off of the compilation A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas. The song entitled "Sleigh Bells and Wine," is a slow song in a Lounge Music style. The song is just a simple arrangement of a piano and xylophone with some pretty guitar work thrown in the middle for good measure. It's a song about loneliness at Christmas time, with Gleason singing "the loneliest Christmas, is one without you." It's a nice little song, but not great.

Our next artist is Jawbreaker who, besides sharing their name with a candy, contribute the next full length album to the playlist. Jawbreaker was an influential punk rock band active from 1986 to 1996. The band is credited as having had a large influence on the "emo" movement of the 90's. The music itself has rich flavors of punk rock, with similar driving rhythms and a similar guitar sound. The band's vocals on its first albums were usually raspy, but on the album featured on this playlist has much crisper vocals. The album featured here is Dear You and was the bands Major Label debut, so it is more polished then their previous albums. The thing that separates this band from their punk peers is more complicated song structures throughout. The lyrics usually touch on subject such as depression, "I Love You So Much It's Killing Both Of Us," and disillusion "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault." Some songs deal with social issues and ambition, but more seem to focus on the depression of growing up and out growing what you used to love. I was introduced to Jawbreaker by my older brother who gave me the song "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault" on mix CD. I liked the song and had heard rave reviews from punk fans, they recommended Dear You as Jawbreaker's best album. I really like this album, it's just a very well produced album with lots of great songs. I've listened to this album several times in the years since I purchased it. I will continue to, Jawbreaker is probably one of my favorite punk bands.

Jawbreaker "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault"


We have another one and done artist up next with Jeff Buckley. Jeff Buckley was a singer/ guitar player who gained notoriety for his cover versions of famous songs at Manhattan venues. He started his career as a guitar for hire in Los Angles before gaining his notoriety. He signed a major label contract with Columbia records and found some musicians and put out his first and only full length album. Buckley tragically drowned in 1997. Several songs he had recorded were released posthumously, and posthumously he has gained even more fame for his songs like the cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."The cover featured here is the aforementioned cover of "Hallelujah." It is a beautiful cover that gives the original a run for its money. Buckley has a beautiful voice, and the sparse nature of the cover being just vocals and guitar makes it even more beautiful. I like this cover a lot, I like Cohen's version better, but this is really good.

Next up we have Jefferson Airplane as another one and done artist. Jefferson Airplane were a psychedelic rock band out of San Francisco in the 60's. The band's lyrics included many drug references and was more mellow sounding then some of their contemporaries. Songs like "Need Somebody To Love" feature lyrics referencing Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland. Lyrics reference a white rabbit and a queen. White Rabbit has in the past been used as a reference to heroin. Anybody who has ever listened to a Classic Rock radio station should know this song. I've heard this song countless times over the years, and I like it. It's a great example of 60's psychedelic rock.

Jesus and Mary Chain are the band following Jefferson Airplane on the J's. Jesus and Mary Chain were a Scottish Alternative Rock band which gained popularity in the 80's. The band was fronted by a pair of brothers who handled the songwriting duties. The band's music tends to have a simple but driving drum beat with guitars interwoven with each other. The songs are very catchy, especially songs like "Head On" which is one of the two songs featured here. I really like the way the guitars weave in and out of the song and on top of each other. I wasn't familiar with Jesus and Mary Chain before I got these songs, I had heard the name but not the music. I am more familiar with "Head On" and have used it on my radio show before. I had hardly listened to the other track, "Just Like Honey," featured here. I will probably come back to "Head On" from time to time, it's a good/catchy rock song.

Following Jesus and Mary Chain is an album by my Uncle Jim Parker. The album entitled Close To Home is a CD full of songs written and played by my Uncle on his acoustic guitar. The songs are all very intimate, sparse arrangements featuring only my Uncle and his acoustic guitar. The songs focus on themes from his life, the challenges that he and his wife have faced and his family growing up. The songs are all very beautiful, and very emotional. All of these songs feel very personal for me, all of them have to do with people that I love very much. The song "Smile On The Inside" is a tender ballad to my Aunt who was diagnosed with Cancer several years ago, it's an anthem about keeping a positive attitude that things will get better. It's a very pretty song, and my Uncle's voice is instantly recognizable to me because his singing voice sounds quite a bit like his speaking voice. I really enjoyed this entire album, it made me feel close to my family.

Jim Parker "Smile On The Inside"


Following my Uncle Jim is another Jim, Jimmy Buffett. Jimmy Buffett is the King of Chill, singing songs about escaping to a beach and having a good time. His backing band is the Coral Reefer Band, and he has built up a dedicated following of fans who travel large distances to see his shows called Parrot Heads. He plays a his version of country music which has been called Gulf and Western. The songs are fun songs that are perfect for a warm summer day on or off the beach. I grew up listening to Jimmy Buffett, usually in the form of The Danny Morgan band. My Dad is part of The Danny Morgan Band and they're based out of Florida and play a lot of Jimmy Buffet and similarly themed songs. I enjoy Jimmy Buffet and his style of chill country party music.

Jimmy Eat World is the next band to give a significant contribution to this playlist with two albums. The band was one of the forerunners of the modern "emo" movement, which like the band mixes pop punk with indie rock. The music is usually more melodic with more heartfelt and emotional lyrics than its punk rock roots. The songs feature lyrics about falling in love, "A Praise Chorus," or positive encouragement in songs like "The Middle." The song is basically one big pep talk, urging her to be herself no matter what others think. Singing "it just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride. Everything will be just fine, everything will be alright." Emo originally evolved from hardcore, with emo meaning Emotional Hardcore, it shifted at the end of the nineties to the melodic indie rock of bands like Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional. The label was then applied derivatively to popular bands who were disliked by the traditional rock listener. I first heard Jimmy Eat World through their album Bleed American which was released in 2001, and was reissued as a self titled album after September 11th. I really enjoyed their melodic rock, and I also enjoyed it when they went slightly heavier for the follow up album Futures which featured the single "Pain." I still enjoy these songs, they're well written songs with some catchy melodies and lyrics. They're not something I listen to a lot, but I do want to continue to listen to them.

Jimmy Eat World "The Middle"


Following Jimmy Eat World is "The Queen of Rock and Roll" Joan Jett. Joan Jett is best known for her work with her band The Blackhearts. She plays a hard, fast paced brand of rock and roll that is considered by a lot of punk rock fans to be part of the punk genre. Her songs are driven by hard, drum driven songs like her punk contemporaries, but they tend to have more of a melodic touch to them. They are written in such a way to appeal to more people than your average punk band. Songs like "I Love Rock & Roll" and "Cherry Bomb" feature very repetitive choruses that are easy to sing along with. I first heard Joan Jett years ago, I heard "I Love Rock and Roll" and liked it quite a bit, and still do to this day. When I started getting into punk rock I got further into her music and enjoyed it quite a bit. I have a lot of respect for Joan Jett, paving the way for future female punk rockers and still touring constantly at 60+ years old. Fans of Riot Grrrl bands who haven't explored its roots should check out Joan Jett.

Joan Jett & Blackhearts "I Love Rock and Roll"


Another one and done artist comes up next, this time it is Joe Jackson. Jackson is an English pop/rock musician who helped bring New Wave to The United States. His most well known song, "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" is featured on this playlist. As the title implies it is a song about seeing a past love stepping out with someone new and realizing you still have feelings for them. It's a fun pop rock so that has been played extensively on the rock radio of the 70's and 80's and now on Classic Rock stations. The song has the same classic pop rock feel to it that some of Elvis Costello's work has. I've heard this song numerous times over the years, and did and still do enjoy it.

After Joe Jackson comes "The Man In Black" himself, Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash is a classic and hugely influential artist who's musical career spanned and influenced several genres. He known mostly for his country and western songs that influenced styles like Rockabilly. He gained notoriety over his career for being an "outlaw." A lot of this came from attitude and his drug use. He famously showed an indifference towards the Government when they blamed and sued him for causing a forest fire. Cash was also well known for his multiple marriages, which was still very scandalous during the 50's and 60's. Some of his most famous songs are "Ring of Fire" and "Folsom Prison Blues." His most famous performance was when he performed a free concert for the inmates of Folsom Prison. As he grew older his career began to decline, but in the late 90's and at the end of his life in 2003 he regained his popularity with several CD's of covers of popular rock songs. The one that garnered him the most attention was his 2002 cover of Nine Inch Nails' Industrial Rock classic "Hurt." The video coupled with his earth weary baritone just dripped emotion and sorrow. The cover was so good that Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor admitted that it was "his song now." I grew up listening to Johnny Cash, I remember listening to a vinyl recording of "Ring Of Fire" on my turntable. Johnny Cash was an amazing artist who left a large presence on the music world.

Johnny Cash "Hurt"


Next up is Johnny Halladay. Johnny Halladay, often called the French Elvis, is the most popular French artist in modern history. Halladay has sold over 100 million albums in his 50 year career. He plays a style of music not too far from Elvis, but he used more keyboards than Elvis. The song featured here "Joue Pas Le Rock and Roll" features what sounds almost like an early synthesizer, the keyboard sound is less piano and more electronic. It's a fun song that's pretty catchy even if you don't understand French. I wasn't familiar with this song or Halladay before listening to this song for the blog. It was put on my computer for my brother's wedding party, but I don't remember ever hearing it. I like it, but I probably won't be coming back to it anytime soon.

Johnny Thunders has already been featured in this blog once for being in the band The Heartbreakers, this time it is for a solo song. As mentioned in the H blog, Johnny Thunders was a member of The New York Dolls before leaving and forming The Heartbreakers. He released some solo work as well, and this is one of those songs. The song featured here is "You Can't Put Your Arm Around A Memory." The song is more melodic than his punk rock roots, and is more of a song of loss. As the title implies Thunders is missing someone and trying to just remember them isn't enough for him. I like the song, but I wasn't familiar with it before this blog and the compilation box set No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion. It's a fun song, but not one I'll be coming back to anytime soon.

After Johnny Thunders we have Journey. Journey are staples of the Arena Rock sound, the soaring anthems that made bands like them famous. Their music has sold over 80 million copies worldwide, they even have a certified Diamond record in their discography. The band's song "Don't Stop Believing" is the number one selling song of all time on iTunes. Their songs "Don't Stop Believing" and "Anyway You Want It" have become classic rock radio staples, and also staples for drunk karaoke singers. I don't recall the first time I heard Journey, but I've heard the two previously mentioned songs a lot over the years. I've heard them often enough to know most of the words despite never owning a Journey album or actually following Journey. They're a great example of 70's and 80's arena rock.

Coming after Journey is Joy Division. Joy Division were an English rock band often credited as being one of the creators of the Post-Punk movement in music. The band members, led by Ian Curtis, were inspired by the punk rock movement of the early and mid 70's. The band was initially called Warsaw, was initially more punk rock oriented. Then the band began to slow their songs down. When they began to slow their songs down they started to garner more attention, and changed their name to Joy Division. The music at times had a sparse quality to it, but had a sonically filling quality to it. Their songs were usually driven by the bass lines of Peter Hook, over circling drum beats. Despite their name, Joy Division's lyrics were anything but joyous. Curtis suffered from crippling depression, he had a troubled marriage and was diagnosed with epilepsy. His lyrics often dealt with sorrowful themes and loss of control, which was most likely influenced by his epilepsy diagnosis. The sorrowful lyrics and the dark sound of the music inspired the Goth movement that would follow several years later. His epilepsy made performing difficult, and Curtis would often have seizures in the middle of a show and they band would have to stop. Eventually Curtis' problems became too much for him, and he tragically hung himself at the age of 24. The rest of the band went on to form New Order and achieve great commercial success. I first started getting into Joy Division back in 2007 after seeing the Ian Curtis biopic Control. I had heard of the band before, and I think I had heard maybe one or two song but not until seeing the movie did I decide to really check them out. I purchased the album Substance back in 2007 and I have been enjoying it ever since. Joy Division were an amazing band, and it's sad that we'll never get to hear more than the two LP's the band put out. I really enjoy the sparse sound, and the way the band's music resonates sonically. They're songs are sad and lonely, but really good. Curtis was a great singer, and his death was tragic. Fans of The Cure, Interpol, or The Editors should check out Joy Division if you haven't already.

Joy Division "She's Lost Control"


Following Joy Division we have British New Wave rocker Julian Cope. Cope gained popularity in the mid 1980's with the song "World Shut Your Mouth," the song featured here. The song comes to this playlist via the compilation box set Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. "World Shut Your Mouth," is a fun little pop rock song. For a song telling people to Shut Up it is really up beat and full of fun. Usually these songs are angry yells at people who have criticized the band, this song is the opposite of that trend. It's very much in the style of 80's pop rock, with the soaring sonic sound and upbeat pace. I wasn't familiar with this song before the compilation box set, and hadn't listened to it again in the time between purchasing the box set and listening to it for this blog. It's an enjoyable song, it's something I wouldn't mind hearing occasionally but not consistently.

The final artist to contribute a full album to the playlist is Jurassic 5. Jurassic 5 were an Alternative Hip Hop group out of Los Angeles, CA. The band featured four MC's and two DJ's, and they produced a brand of Hip Hop that was meant to be an answer to current hip hop trends which had began to lean towards Gangster Rap. The MC's would trade off, dipping in and out to rap a verse here and there. Usually on the chorus all four MC's would go together. The group also featured legitimate DJ's who actually were given their own tracks on a couple albums to showcase their skills. The band often touched upon themes dealing with their life in Los Angles and also speaking on what they thought was wrong with the current state of hip hop. The band's line up was something almost unheard of in the modern world of Hip Hop. Not since the 1980's had there been a popular rap group. Rap had shifted more towards the solo artist, and away from the multiple MC lineup popular in the 80's. The multiple MC style had been made popular by groups like Run DMC, N.W.A. and Public Enemy. I first heard Jurassic 5 back in 2001 when the song "Great Expectations" was featured on the video game Matt Hoffman's Pro BMX.I really liked that song, my older brother then burned me their EP and their 1999 Major Label Debut Quality Control. I really liked that album, I hadn't liked a lot of hip hop before that but this album changed that. I then went out and purchased their next album Power In Numbers in 2003. The album featured the single "What's Golden." I really liked the way the MC's played off each other and switched it back and forth. My favorite of the group was Chali 2na, his deep bass baritone was so interesting. His voice is probably one of my favorites in hip hop. I was sad when they broke up in 2007 after releasing their fourth album Feedback. I will continue to enjoy Jurassic 5 for a long time, they're one of my favorite hip hop artists solo or otherwise.

Jurassic 5 "Quality Control"


The second to last artist on this playlist is credited as Justice vs. Simian, but this is not entirely accurate. The song featured here is "Never Be Alone," and it is actually a remix of a song by the band Simian. Simian were an electronic rock band from Great Britain, their song "We Are Your Friends" was remixed by the French Electronic Music duo Justice. The song was submitted to a remix competition by Justice, and credited as Justice vs. Simian. The song is a cool electronic song, it's up beat electronic rock with even more electronics put overtop. The song is sped up quite a bit from the original version, making it more of a dance song. I got this song from my older brother in a mix CD that he gave me, I liked it and still do. It's a fun fast paced electro dance song.

Rounding out the J's we have Justin Timberlake's song "My Love" remixed by DFA. The original version was a slower ballad that featured electronic programming overtop a pulsing beat. The remix speed up the tempo, and adds some strings to the background and a driving bass line. Justin Timberlake's singing is kept intact. It's an interesting mix that comes from the aforementioned mix CD from my older brother. I like the remix a lot more than the original, but I'm still not too fond of Justin Timberlake's style of music.

That's the end of the J's. The J's felt like they took longer, but they had some amazing artists in there. There were one or two I regretted, but I was still a fan of most of what was in my library for J. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post, and I'll do my best to have the K's up soon. I'm already almost finished listening to the K's so I should have a new post up within the week. Stay tuned and be sure to "Like" this blog's Facebook Page.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Look Me In the I's

The I's are up next, and they will be the shortest blog post that I've written for one of the letters. The I's time wise were a little under ninety minutes shorter than the H's, but the I's featured nine fewer artists than the H's. There are 11 artists that make up the I's, and anyone who has read this blog knows that that means that this post will be about 13 paragraphs long. The I's featured interesting variety, but mostly inside the rock genre. There were no other genres represented here, not a single R&B, Hip Hop, or Country song to be found. Even though this playlist stays within one broad genre, the bands in here were different enough in their musical styles to make the playlist interesting. Like the G's, the I's start out with a bunch of one and done artists. After the first five tracks featuring one and done artists, there is only one other one and done band featured on this playlist. That being said, let's move onto the main body of this post.

Ian Dury & the Blockheads are the one and done band that starts out the I playlist. Ian Dury is a British New Wave/Punk musician. Ian Dury & the Blockheads play a fun almost playful style of music. This particular song "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll," is a fun little romp dedicated to you guessed it sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The guitar work on this song makes it feel like a few different songs, the beginning lick, and the one played during the chorus make it feel almost like a funk song. Then in the verse and the bridge of the song, it almost sounds like something you'd hear from 2nd Wave Ska bands like Madness. I find information on a lot of the artists I'm less familiar with on Wikipedia. Sometimes it's just to remember details like where they come from, but it isn't hard to figure out where Ian Dury is from. His voice, even while singing, has a heavy English accent. I like this song a lot, it's one of the tracks that really stood out for me on the compilation box set No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion. I just really enjoy the guitar on this song, and Dury's accent makes me think of Monty Python so that's a plus. I recommend this track for fans of British Rock and Roll.

Iggy Pop contributes the next one and done track to the I's. Iggy Pop is well known for being the lead singer of the influential punk band The Stooges. The Iggy Pop song featured here is "Lust For Life," one of his most well known songs. The song is known as much for its drumbeat as it is for the lyrics. The opening drum beat has been imitated several times over the years, and is what makes this song instantly recognizable, before Iggy even starts singing. The song was a collaboration between Iggy Pop and David Bowie, with Pop writing the lyrics and Bowie the music. The song has been all over pop culture for years, especially in the last few years when Royal Caribbean Cruises started using it for their commercials. The song has to be edited for the commercial, because of the drug and alcohol references and such lyrics as "I'm just a modern guy, of course I've had it in the ear before." Despite the fact that this song has been overused in television commercials, and film, I still really like this song. Iggy Pop is an amazing performer, and knows how to make some really good music.

Following Iggy Pop is the San Francisco Indie Rock band Imperial Teen. Imperial Teen features several members from other popular indie bands, and its vocalist Roddy Bottum is the keyboard player for Faith No More. Then band features some really interesting Boy/Girl harmonies that makes their music very enjoyable. The song here "Lipstick," is a fun song in which Bottum asks "why you gotta be so proud? I'm the one with lipstick on." I wasn't familiar with the band before my older brother put the song on my iTunes for the party to celebrate his wedding, and I didn't listen to it after either. Upon listening to it for this blog, I enjoyed it. It's a simple but fun little song with some very nice harmonies. I like the song, but I probably won't come back to it unless it comes up on shuffle. This is only due to the fact that most of the time when I'm looking for something to listen to I'm looking for multiple tracks, usually an album.

After Imperial Teen is In Memory covering the Christmas classic "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year," for A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas. The band plays a pop punk version of the song, the lyrics don't change from the version that ever body who has sung Christmas Carols knows. The song is a good one, but this version doesn't do much for me. It's just your typical pop punk song, nothing unique musically or vocally. It's a decent pop punk song, but very forgettable. This album is one that would I be looking at it today I would not pick up again. I liked it alright back when I got it, but I'm not as big a fan anymore.

Next up is a track from the regretted and much maligned compilation The Blackest Album: An Industrial Tribute To Metallica. This time it is In Strict Confidence covering "Sad But True." This is yet another electronic and programming based industrial cover. This one isn't any better than the last, the original music is hardly recognizable through all of the electronics. Even the vocals have effects put on them to make them sound more electronic. The lyrics are the most recognizable part of the song, if there weren't lyrics I wouldn't be able to tell you what song they were covering. Avoid.

Following that horrible one and done, is the first artist to contribute at least 1 full album to this playlist, Incubus. Incubus contributes four albums to the playlist, and make up 40% of the tracks on the playlist. Incubus came to popularity in 1999 with the release of their album Make Yourself, the album featured the singles "Drive" and "Pardon Me." The album went double platinum and broke the band into the mainstream. The follow up Morning View was also very well received, and went double platinum as well. The band plays a mix of styles, and incorporates so many different styles they are hard to put into one genre. The band mixes rock with funk, heavy metal, hip hop, and electro. The mix of styles makes for a interesting sound, and is part of what appealed to me when I first heard the band back in 2000. The band features the normal guitar, bass, drums, singer combo but augmented by the inclusion of a DJ. The band toned it down for Morning View including more ethereal and nature based sounds, with some traditional Japanese Instruments. I first heard Incubus when Make Yourself started getting radio play, I liked it and bought the album. I enjoyed the different styles represented from track to track, and I also liked the change of style from album to album. The band fell off a bit with their last two releases A Crow Left Of The Murder and Light Grenades but they were both still enjoyable albums. I hadn't listened to Incubus much since Light Grenades was released in 2006, but I still enjoyed them. The songs are still good, and a great mix of styles. I may start coming back to them more often when I'm looking for something to listen to.

Incubus "Nice To Know You"


Following Incubus is Infant Sorrow, the fictional band featured in the movies Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek. The band is led by an enigmatic, misguided, party boy named Aldous Snow, played in both movies by Russell Brand. Snow is supposed to be a parody of the rock star stereotype, of rock starts as hard drinking, hard partying people who have lots of sex. Snow is a ridiculous, over the top personality who's only interest seems to be women and having a good time. He parodies fellow English rocker Bono as well, producing a song called "African Child" which is supposed to show how much he cares about the children in Africa. The song is horribly misguided, and features a video showing just that. The songs featured here are all off of the soundtrack for the movie Get Him To The Greek. The songs most commonly feature themes having to do with sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The songs are clever jokes, songs like "The Clap," and "Furry Walls" really stand out. Get Him To The Greek was a decent movie, but the music from the movie is a whole lot of fun. I really like these comedic songs, they are tons of fun.

Infant Sorrow "Furry Walls"



Next up is the second band to represent Sweden, The (International) Noise Conspiracy. The band plays a politically charged brand of garage rock. The band features Dennis Lyxzén, who is well known among the punk rock community as the lead singer of the influential punk band Refused. Upon Refused breaking up, Lyxzén formed The (International) Noise Conspiracy. The band's lyrics tend to be left leaning, and in line with Lyxzén general Socialist political leanings with a few Anarchist views mixed in. Lyxzén's vocals go from a steady measured croon, to a screaming that sounds almost like he's losing his voice. The musicianship is part of what makes this band so good, the bass on songs like "T.I.M.E.B.O.M.B." has a bit of a funk feeling to it. The keyboards are also a really nice addition to the songs, providing just one more layer for an already solid song. I first heard The (International) Noise Conspiracy from my older brother, who had given their debut album The First Conspiracy to my younger brother. I didn't pay close attention to them then, but when I began to explore punk I came across the band again. I liked what I heard, and I still do. I recommend the band for fans of bands like The Refused, The A.K.A.s, and Tsunami Bomb.

The(International) Noise Conspiracy "Black Mask"


We move back to the U.S.A for the next band on the playlist, New York City's Interpol. Interpol released their debut album in 2002, featuring a style of music that was classified as post-punk revival. The band often features songs with heavy snare, intricate guitars, and a heavy bass line. The band's musical style, plus lead singer Paul Banks' vocals, led the band to be compared to post punk heroes like Joy Division. Their debut album Turn On The Bright Lights drew critical acclaim, and got the band enough attention that 2004's follow up Antics was a certified Gold Record. The bands lyrics tend to be more on the darker side, sung in a very serious manner. I first heard Interpol with the release of Antics, I liked the singles "Slow Hands" and "Evil." I then got a hold of their debut and enjoyed that as well. Their third album Our Love To Admire was a bit of a stumble, but still good. Their latest release Interpol is more of a return to form, and is a good album in its own right. I've been enjoying Interpol pretty consistently over the years, never really falling away from listening to their music. I have to believe that the influences apparent in Interpol's music, helped me discover my enjoyment of bands like Joy Division. Fans of bands like The Editors or She Wants Revenge should enjoy Interpol, they all have similar sounds but Interpol is the best of the three.

Interpol "Evil"


Our final full album contribution comes from a band from Louisville, KY called (intheclear). (intheclear) are an alternative rock band who play a style of music similar to popular rock bands such as Stained, Chevelle, and Three Days Grace. Their music fits very well in this genre, as it doesn't sound that much different than any of the previously mentioned bands. Lead singer Andy Paul has a decent voice, but the band itself isn't very distinctive musically. I have seen the band perform live a few times around Louisville. I've never gone to a show to see the band, I've only seen them while supporting friends; bands, but I'm not a fan. The only reason I have this album is because during my Freshman year at The University of Louisville, I wrote for the Louisville Cardinal Newspaper. My first assignment was to do a phone interview with the band who were at the time on the road promoting their debut EP Dirty Cheese And Hoody Theives. I was given the album to familiarize myself with their music. The band featured several alumni of the University of Louisville's School of Music, so they had a campus connection. I wasn't a fan upon my first listen and I'm still not, but I listened to the album and wrote the story. If you like Chevelle, Stained, or Three Days Grace check them out, but otherwise avoid.

(intheclear) "True"


The final artist of the I's is the Heavy Metal heavy weight Iron Maiden. The song featured here is one of their most well known (and controversial) songs, "Number Of The Beast." Iron Maiden were part of the new wave of Heavy Metal bands that emerged at the end of the 70's and gained popularity at the start of the 80's. The band plays that classic heavy metal sound that was started by bands like Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy in the early 70's. The song starts out with guitar with heavy effects that give it a bit of a mesmerizing feel. The vocals of Bruce Dickinson is what really allows this track to be one of the great Heavy Metal tracks of the 80's. Dickinson's vocals go from a low key to a powerful yell that makes the track what it is. The band was branded as being "Satanic" by American Catholic groups because of this song, but the band claims the song is about a dream primary song writer Steve Harris had. The band features the mascot "Eddie" a demonic corpse like figure who has appeared on almost every album released by the band. I have been a fan of this song for several years now, it's a Heavy Metal Classic.

Iron Maiden "Number of the Beast"


That will do it for the I's. The I's were short and sweet, and featured a few things I hadn't listened to in a few years, and a few bands I've listened to consistently. I've been posting pretty consistently lately, and I'm attempting to keep up the pace. I'm about half way through the J's right now, so hopefully I can have something written up and posted soon. Please keep commenting, and be sure to "Like" my facebook page.

Monday, April 4, 2011

What The H?

Keeping the train rolling, here come the H's! I've been a lot more productive than usual lately, so this is going to be my third post in three weeks. I'm hoping to take advantage of this productivity by striking while the iron is hot, and continuing to provide you fine people with new blog posts. The H playlist was as interesting as the previous playlists, further solidifying in my mind how diverse my iTunes catalog really is. The H's featured a lot of interesting diversity, featuring artists from around the globe. The playlist features artists from Sweden, Mali, Great Britain, Denmark and the United States. The H's were pretty easy to get through, it didn't feel like a chore to finish because of all of the great bands. This playlist is shorter than the G's, featuring two fewer artists than the G's. This playlist featured a few one and done artists, but mainly featured bands that had at least one full album. So pull up your chair, you're going to be here for a little while.

The H's didn't start off on a great note, and this is thanks to the first track being from one of the much maligned Metallica tribute albums. This time it's Habeas Corpus covering Metallica's "Fight Fire With Fire," on the Overload: A Tribute to Metallica compilation. Now having maligned this album, this is probably one of the better songs on the album. I'm still not a fan of this cover, but it is a lot better than most of the previous entries. The song is a pretty close tribute to the original, but once again it is ruined by the inclusion of the standard hardcore/metal growl. The deep guttural voice, that's supposed to be maniacal/scary. If I had to choose a song to listen to on this album, this would be the one I chose.

Next up is Habib Koite and Bamada, the second artist to represent Africa in my iTunes catalogue. Koite's songs feature beautiful guitar work over more traditional African rhythms. The guitar work sounds a bit like something you would hear if you were listening to Flamenco music from Central or South America, and can also sound bluesy at times. The guitar is the instrumental focal point and complements Koite's voice very well. Koite sings in Bambara, which makes these songs even more interesting from my perspective. I really enjoyed the two songs included on this playlist, and I am happy that Microsoft decided to include these two songs with Windows Vista. I really like the mixing of traditional African rhythms and Latin guitar work. It makes for a really interesting and culturally diverse mix of songs. I grew up listening to all sorts of music, including traditional African choirs and other musicians. So I have an appreciation for how great African music can be. I hadn't listened to these songs before this blog, but I'm glad I did.

Next up is The Hands. The Hands are a band that I wasn't familiar with before this blog, despite the fact that the playlist features the entire album The Hands. This band got on my iTunes when my younger brother backed up his iTunes library on my external hard drive, which when later connected to my computer imported parts of his iTunes library onto mine. The Hands are a band out of Seattle that play an interesting mix of Garage Rock, Blues, mixed with some Soul and Funk. As I said before I hadn't listened to this album before listening for this blog, but I enjoyed the album. The band reminds me of New Zealand Garage Rockers The D4. They have that same Garage Rock sound that I enjoyed in The D4. The vocals are fun and at times feel a bit reminiscent of Mick Jagger. The guitars are very much in that Blues infused Garage Rock style. I enjoyed this album quite a bit, and I'm glad that it came to be on my iTunes playlist. I will definitely listen to this album again in the future. I really don't know them well enough to write much more than that.

Normally I'd put a video here, but I couldn't find one


The one and done that follows The Hands is the country music great Hank Williams Sr, and his song "Tennessee Waltz." This song is probably one of Hank Williams' most well known songs, and has been covered by quite a few country artists that followed in his wake. This is your classic drinking and crying country music song, a song about losing your sweetheart. Williams sings about losing his sweetheart the night they were playing the "Tennessee Waltz." It's a sad song full of regret and loss, and an example of country music at its finest. Williams is often regarded as one of the most important country artists of all time, and it was songs like this one plus the thirty four other singles he released in his 29 years of life, that established this reputation. I don't enjoy most country music, but I do enjoy classic country. I enjoy the classic artists like Hank Williams Sr. and Merle Haggard a whole lot more than I will ever enjoy modern artists like Alan Jackson or Garth Brooks. Fans of modern country music who haven't checked out Williams really need to.

Hank Williams Sr. "Tennessee Waltz"


Following Hank Williams is a one and done artist, Happy Mondays, coming to the playlist via Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. The song is a big change of pace from the previous track, where as "Tennessee Waltz" was a slow and sad song, "24 Hour Party People" is an upbeat party track. The track features a funky bass line with heavy keyboards helping to bolster the tracks' party atmosphere. It's a fun song that is a great example of Alternative music in the late 80's and at the beginning of the 90's. The keyboard heavy dance rock track was a popular style and allowed the band great success in their native England. This track is fun, but wasn't one of the songs that I most remembered from the compilation box set it was featured on. I like the song, and wouldn't be opposed to revisiting it in the future.

Next up is another classic artist appearing as a one and done, and this time it's Harry Nilsson. The track featured on the playlist, "One," is probably one of his most well known songs. The songs features the famous opening lyrics "One is the loneliest numbers that you'll ever do. Two can be as bad as one, it's the loneliest number since the number one" The song was made popular by the rock band Three Dog Night, but Nilsson's was the original. The song is all about feeling alone, Nilsson sings about how worse things are since his loved one has left him. The song is a very sparse arrangement, featuring only a keyboard played to sound like the busy signal on a phone and Nilsson's vocals. It's a sad, depressing song about loss, but it's a really good sad/depressing song about loss. I have enjoyed this song for a long time and will continue to enjoy it, it's a classic.

Following Harry Nilsson we have the classic rock band Heart. The core members of Heart are sisters Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson. Over the years Heart has released songs in a variety of genres including, Hard Rock, Folk Rock, and Pop Rock. The sisters' most famous songs are more in the hard rock genre. The songs "Crazy On You," and "Barracuda," are probably their most famous songs and are the two that appear on this playlist. The thing that really stands out to me about Heart isn't just their great arrangements, but Ann Wilson's vocals. She just has such a wonderfully powerful voice that really makes their music stand out from other hard rock acts featuring great musicians. She has a wonderful range, because she can go from the pleasing/ calming voice to a powerful scream. Her voice alone doesn't make these songs great, but it really stands out to me. I have always been a fan of powerful female rock vocals and have always enjoyed these songs. Heart has sold over thirty five million records in their career, and helped shape the careers of bands like R.E.M., Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam. Heart are an essential for any hard rock fan's library.

Heart "Crazy On You"


The Heartbreakers follow Heart on the playlist. The Heartbreakers were part of the first wave of Punk Rock back in the mid seventies and featured the famous punk musicians Johnny Thunders of The New York Dolls and Richard Hell of Television. The band plays that classic sound popularized by The Ramones, it's simple, melodic and to the point. The songs weren't overly long as was punk's style, the three track featured here are all 3 minutes or under. I became aware of The Heartbreakers when I started exploring deeper into Punk Rock about seven years or so. The names Johnny Thunders and Richard Hell came up quite often, and I liked The New York Dolls and Television. The songs here came from No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion. I like this more melodic style of punk rock. I like The Heartbreakers and recommend them to fans of The Ramones.

Next up we have another band that comes to this playlist via my younger brother's backed up iTunes catalog, this time it's The Heavenly States. The Heavenly States are an American rock band the plays a mix of traditional indie rock mixed with varying instrumentation. The band likes to experiment with different arrangements and different forms of percussion. The songs are good, and can be very beautiful at times. I didn't know this band before they came to be on my playlist, and I hadn't listened to this album before this blog. The songs featured here are from the album Delayer, the album that started gaining the band more attention and a larger following. I enjoy the low key, pleasant sound that the band produces. The album is a good listen, but not something I probably would have purchased had it not been imported to my iTunes. I don't know much about this band beyond this, so I can't write much more about them.

The Heavenly States "Roses"


Following The Heavenly States is the first band to represent for Sweden on this blog, The Hives. The Hives are a Garage Rock band out of Sweden who gained popularity in 2001 with the revival of Garage Rock. They burst onto the scene around the same time as bands like The Vines and The Strokes. The play a high energy brand or rock and roll backed up by a self confident swagger. The band gained fame for their high energy rock, and the song "Hate To Say I Told You So" was the song that got it noticed. The band actually formed in 1993, but didn't release the song until 2000. The band was featured on heavily on MTV and their award shows. They have been consistently rated one of the best live performances for their showmanship. I became aware of The Hives back in 2001 when they began to gain popularity with "Hate To Say I Told You So" off of their album Veni Vidi Vicious. I wasn't a huge fan upon first listen. I liked "Hate To Say I Told You So," but I wasn't too keen on the rest of the album. Upon further listen though, I began to enjoy the album and this led to the purchase of their next album four years later. Their music is fun and full of great energy that oozes from the songs. The songs are perfect music for physical fitness, the upbeat songs keep you motivated to keep going. I look forward to new material from The Hives in the future.

The Hives "Main Offender"


The Hives are followed by Hole. Hole is a band that gained popularity in the 90's with songs like "Celebrity Skin." The band is fronted by Courtney Love on vocals and rhythm guitar. Many people forget that Courtney Love was a legitimate rock star in her own right, they focus more on her marriage to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and her drug problems. Courtney hasn't helped herself over the years, becoming more known for her crazy drug fueled rages than for her music. Despite all of her problems and all of the negative press over the years, Hole was a great band. They are often cited as one of the best bands of the 90's. "Celebrity Skin" is probably their most well known song, the song which features the lyrics "when I wake up in my makeup, it's too early for that dress" is featured on the album of the same name. The band released three records in the 90's starting out very much a punk rock band, then moving a bit more towards grunge, and finally pop punk. Courtney Love has a really good voice, and the songs are well crafted pop punk songs. I have been listening to this album for awhile now, it was in semi constant rotation in my dad's car. I would listen to it on the way to school or on car trips. I really like this album, it's probably one of the best albums of the 90's. Fans of bands like the Distillers should like Hole. After listening to this album again for this blog I realized how much of The Distillers' sound is influenced by Hole. I enjoy Hole, and will attempt to associate them with Courtney Love rather than her drug fueled antics.

Hole "Celebrity Skin"


Holly Golightly is the one and done artist who follows Hole on the playlist. Holly Golightly is a singer/songwriter from the United Kingdom. She has put out music in a wide range of styles from folk to R&B. The song featured here is "Box Elder," a song with a more rock and roll sound. The song features fuzzed guitars over Golightly's melodic voice. I'm not sure how this song came to be on my iTunes, but my guess is my older brother since he is a confessed Holly Golightly fan. I had heard a little Holly Golightly before this song got put on my iTunes, but not a lot. I had heard a couple of her songs as a solo artist and a couple from when she was a member of the band Thee Headcoatees. I've liked what I've heard from her, and I've considered checking further into her music, but I've never followed up on it.

Next up is The Hoodoo Gurus, and Australian pop punk band popular in the 1980's. The band gained popularity in Australia and abroad, becoming popular on College Radio in the 80's. The song featured here is taken from Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. The song is titled "I Want You Back," and it is an interesting mix of pop punk and country. The guitar on the song to me is very reminiscent of the guitar sound you would hear on a country western song. It's just has a similar tone to the country genre. I like this song, I wasn't familiar with the Hoodoo Gurus before this compilation. Now thanks to the compilation and listening for this blog, I am more familiar with Hoodoo Gurus. I probably won't explore further into their music, but I'll enjoy this song.

The next group is The HorrorPops, a pop punk/psychobilly band from Denmark. The band plays rockabilly inspired punk rock, prominently featuring a stand up bass. The stand up bass is what really gives the songs their rockabilly feel, and the lyrics which tend to be about darker themes are what makes the band a part of the psychobilly genre. The band features Patricia Day on Vocals and her husband Kim Nekroman (formerly of the Psychobilly band Nekromantix) on Guitar. I first heard the HorrorPops through Warped Tour, the annual traveling festival that features many popular and up and coming punk/ pop punk acts. I was between bands I wanted to see, and sat down in the auditorium of Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati and they happened to be playing. I enjoyed the show, it was a lot of fun watching the band performing, it was different then most of the other shows there, with the stand up bass and two go-go dancers. I looked them up and found the song "Miss Take" and I really liked it so I purchased the rest of the album. I enjoy the album quite a bit. I really love the sound of the standup bass mixed with the punk rock genre, it's a really interesting mix. The HorrorPops are more pop punk than some of their Psychobilly counterparts, so if the genre interests you they are a good place to start.

The HorrorPops "Miss Take"


Hot Chip makes a one and done appearance as the next artist on the playlist. Hot Chip is an English Electronic Dance music band. Their Wikipedia describes them as an Electronic Indie band, which is also a fair description of their sound. Their sound mixes traditional instrumentation for indie rock with electronic programming. The mix of programming and live instruments make for a fun combination. The song featured here, "Over and Over," features a steady beat with guitars and programming interjected overtop. The song while being a dance tune, has a bit of a laid back feeling giving credence to the lyrics "laid back, laid back, laid back... I'll give you laid back." The lyrics really fit this song, the song is pretty repetitive and features lyrics like "the joy of repetition really is in you." I became familiar with Hot Chip when my older brother put this song on a mix CD that he made for me. I liked the song right away, and I still do. Despite liking the song, I wasn't sure about a whole CD worth of Hot Chip so I never explored any further. I may eventually, but for right now this song is enough for me.

The Hot Hot Heat follow Hot Chip, and contribute two albums to this playlist. Hot Hot Heat are a indie dance rock band out of Canada that gained popularity at the beginning of the 00's with their album Make Up The Breakdown. The band features indie rock laced with keyboards and synthesizer lines. The band is sometimes considered a forerunner of a genre that would come to include bands like The Killers. The songs are very radio friendly, featuring choruses that are easy to sing along to and pleasing melodies. The radio is how I first heard Hot Hot Heat, I heard their first hit single "Bandages" and bought Make Up The Breakdown. The rest of the album is full of similar dance friendly indie rock. I liked the band enough to purchase the follow up album Elevator. I enjoyed them quite a bit at the time, but my enjoyment has diminished a little since first purchase. Their songs are all enjoyable and catchy, but they just don't do it for me the way they did back when they were new. This may be due to the over abundance of similar sounding bands that followed in their wake. I probably won't click on these albums to often when searching for something to listen to.

Hot Hot Heat "Bandages"


Hot Water Music is the second to last one and done artist to appear on this playlist. The song "Kill The Night" comes to this playlist via Rock Against Bush Vol. 2. Hot Water Music is a Florida pop punk band that formed in the early 90's. The band featured dual vocalist over tight guitar and drum work. The drumming shows bits of jazz influence in its rhythms. The vocals and guitar remind me a bit of Bad Religion mixed with some Alkaline Trio. I like this song, but it never really stood out to me on a compilation full of memorable songs. I like the song, it's guitar work is what helps this song stand out a bit from other 90's punk bands. The similarities to Alkaline Trio help as well. This song wasn't a song I had listened to since my initial listens, and one I probably won't come back to in the near future.

Next up is the British Punk band Huggy Bear. Huggy Bear were part of the feminist punk movement of the early 90's, bands in this genre were referred to as part of the Riot Girrrl movement. The band featured a mix of men and women, mainly featuring Chris Rowley on vocals with Jo Johnson and Niki Elliott backing. The girls do get their turn to sing lead on a few songs like "Facedown." The band gained popularity in Europe and The USA, but unlike their American counterparts refused to sign with a major label. The band released a few EP's and split albums before releasing the first full length album Weaponry Listens To Love, which is the album featured here. The band features an interesting arrangement, that feels very avant-garde among their punk contemporaries. Their songs featuring varying rhythms and drum beats over stop and start guitars. I became aware of Huggy Bear through my older brother who gave me Weaponry Listens To Love. Initially I didn't really like the album, really only liking the song "Immature Adolescence." For the longest time that was the only song I would listen to, I would occasionally play it on my radio show as well. Thanks to this blog, and having to listen to the album again to complete it, I have a greater appreciation for the entire album now. I like this band a whole lot more than I used to, and I appreciate their contribution to punk and the Riot Grrrl movement. Fans of bands like Bikini Kill should like Huggy Bear.

Huggy Bear "Her Jazz"


The final one and done artist on this playlist is the American Rock band The Human Beinz. The Human Beinz formed at the end of the 60's and gained popularity for their cover of The Isley Brothers' song "Nobody But Me," which is the song featured here. The song is a song all about boasting, the lyrics boast that nobody can dance like the singer. The song goes on to list several different popular dances of the time, each time repeating that nobody can do it like he can. The song is a well known classic that has been featured throughout pop culture over the past forty years. I like this song, and I have for a long time. It's a fun song that is easy to sing along to.

The final artist of the H playlist is the Minnesota band Hüsker Dü. Hüsker Dü were a band that gained notice in the 80's but never achieved mainstream success. The band started as a hard core punk band, but eventually moved more towards melodic rock. The band is routinely cited as a bridge between hardcore and alternative rock, and as a developing influence on alternative rock. Their most acclaimed album is Zen Arcade which is one of the albums featured here. This album really shows the bridge that the band created between hard core and melodic rock. The songs feature fuzzed guitars and shouted vocals, but also feature a steady melodic bass line. I was introduced to Hüsker Dü when I started getting into punk rock, they were well loved among those in the punk community. Hüsker Dü are very similar to Huggy Bear for me. Like Huggy Bear, I wasn't a big fan of Hüsker Dü upon first listen. Listening to them again today, I have a greater appreciation for Zen Arcade. I can appreciate the bands legacy and influence more acutely now. Hüsker Dü aren't a favorite, but they're a good listen.

Hüsker Dü "Something I Learned Today"


That will do it for the H playlist. Thanks for taking time out of your day to read another one of my long blog posts. I really appreciate all the comments and support, please keep the comments coming. If you like my blog then please join my Facebook Page, for updates on new posts. The I's will be up soon, there are only 11 artists for the I playlist.