So here they are, the E's, after a four month hiatus they're finally finished. It felt good to get back into the project that is this blog. I have to admit I missed it, even though it can consume copious amounts of my time. Hopefully this post won't be too far off of the previous writings you've been enjoying.
The E's were an interesting mix of artists covering many different musical styles, subject matters, and decades. I enjoyed the E's, they were a good playlist to get back into the groove with. There were a lot of multiple album artists on this playlist, and fewer one and done artists than in previous playlists. As anyone who has previously read this blog knows that means fewer paragraphs, and fewer paragraphs are exactly what I need to get back in the groove. A long post like the D's would have made it really hard for me to get back into the groove. The F's had 20 different artists as compared to the D's which had 51 different artists. So that's 23 paragraphs compared to 53 for the D's. One of those multiple album artists start us off in the E's.
The Eagles of Death Metal are first up for the E's. The Eagles of Death Metal are a band that formed back at the end of the 90's, but didn't release its first full length album until 2004. The band mainly consists of lead singer and guitar player Jesse Hughes and Joshua Homme, of Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss, fame, these two are the core of the band and record most of the music themselves. The Eagles of Death metal sound nothing like Death Metal, the name according to their Wikipedia article comes from a description of the band Vader by Joshua Homme. The Eagles of Death metal are a really fun band to listen to, their songs are dirty, sleazy rock and roll songs. The songs are almost always a fast up tempo romp, usually about girls, partying, or the devil. You can hear a heavy blues influence in their music, especially in songs like "Bag O' Miracles," and "Flames Go Higher." The Eagles of Death Metal don't say anything earth shattering, their lyrics aren't profound, there is no deeper meaning to their lyrics. Their songs are just pure unadulterated fun. I really started to get into this band when I first heard "I Want You So Hard (The Boy's Bad News)," the song is great and the video is hilarious sleazy fun. I've been enjoying everything this band has put out since then. I really recommend this band to anyone who's a fan of sleazy blues infused rock, or Queens of the Stone Age. This is a band that I will continue to follow for a long time to come.
The Eagles of Death Metal "Don't Speak (I Came to Make a Bang)"
The next artist on the playlist is the one and done artist Echo & The Bunnymen with "The Cutter." This song is a very interesting song that comes to this playlist via the compilation box set Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the 80's Underground. I had heard of Echo & The Bunnymen before but I had never heard any of their music before listening to this compilation, and again for this blog. The song is an interesting one, very much in the 80's new wave style similar to the Cure. The song opens with a very interesting faintly Middle Eastern string section, and is driven by the bass as the song goes on. It's an enjoyable song, and the string section in the background are what makes this song stand out to me from all of the other 80's band who had a similar sound. I don't know if I'll look deeper into Echo & The Bunnymen, but I enjoy this song.
Eddie and the Hot Rods come up next, on the playlist via the compilation box set No Thanks!: The 70's Punk Rebellion. This song doesn't feel particularly punk to me, and I'm not sure why it is on this compilation. The song "Do Anything You Wanna Do," had a similar message to a lot of punk rock bands of the 70's but that's where the similarities end for me. The song has a message of not wanting some old government official telling them what to do and how to live. The song is a good one, and I like it but it feels out of place on the compilation. It's a nice classic pub rock song, work checking out for fans of 70's rock and roll.
Next up is Eddie Cochran, the classic rockabilly artist who would come to influence much more famous musicians such as The Who and The Beatles. Cochran imitated the styles of his fellow rockabilly artists such as Elvis Presley. His song has that classic rockabilly style guitar and rhythm that any fans of Elvis should recognize. The vocal style is very similar as well. "Summertime Blues," is a classic song that captures the feelings of the youth of the time, and a song I have heard many times over the years, and one that I've always enjoyed. If you like Elvis, you should enjoy Eddie Cochran.
Eddie Floyd is Eddie number three on this playlist, and the third different musical style of the Eddies. Floyd is a wonderful singer and song writer who was a part of the Motown scene and influenced bands like The Temptations. Floyd spent a good portion of the 60's writing for other artists like Wilson Pickett, and Carla Thomas. Floyd got popular when he recorded the song "Knock On Wood," and song he wrote for Otis Redding. "Knock on Wood," features a horn section that has become one of the most iconic horn sections in modern Soul music. This song has been covered many times over the years by some of the most famous artists of the preceding decades. I've been familiar with this song and especially with the horns on this song for a long time, and it's something I've always enjoyed. Anybody who likes one of the cover versions of this song should check out the original song, it's a good one.
Next on the list is the British rock band The Editors. The Editors are a band that I picked up and began listening to thanks to my job as Program Director of WLCV. Their single "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors," came across my desk when I was reviewing music for the stations. I really enjoyed this song, and looked further into the band. I was happy that I did, I really enjoyed the album An End Has a Start, which featured "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors." I enjoy the vocals of Tom Smith, the really complement the music. His vocals make up tempo songs sound more melancholy, and make for an interesting contrast. The lyrics in the songs aren't particularly upbeat either. His voice reminds me a bit of Ian Curtis of Joy Division, and the music itself carries similarities to Joy Division. The lyrics are full of interesting lines that seem almost like Tom Smith is giving you advice, featuring lines like "every little piece of your life, it'll mean something to someone," in "The Weight of the World," and "how can you know what things are worth, if your hands won't move to do a day's work?" in "When Anger Shows." Fans of indie rock and Joy Division should definitely give this band a listen.
The Editors "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors"
The next artist brings us back to 60's Soul with Edwin Starr's "Agent Double-O Soul." The song is a reference to the popular James Bond films of the time. In the song Starr claims to be a secret agent of soul. The song is a fun soul song, one that I heard through a video shown during my Music Industry class in my Senior year of College. I enjoy this song, and so should any fan of classic 60's Soul and Motown.
The Eels are next on the playlist, and take up a good chunk of the songs on the playlist (15%). The Eels are an interesting band that I had heard good things about for a few years before finally checking them out. I found the double album "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations," in WLCV's music library and gave them a listen. I very much enjoyed this double album, and explored further with the album "Shootenanny." The songs are more often very melancholy and deal with personal pain suffered by singer/songwriter Mark Everett. The songs are beautiful in their melancholy mix of folk, pop, country. The songs are really great for when you're in the mood for something mellow, something not too loud or fast. There are some more upbeat songs, but those also are very depressing. The first one on "Blinking Lights" is "Trouble With Dreams," in which Everett proclaims "the trouble with dreams is they don't come true, and when they do they can catch up to you." The music is great and the lyrics are great for matching that gloomy feeling that comes over people when there is bad weather outside that keeps them from enjoying the day. The Eels are a band that I would definitely recommend picking up and checking out, especially for fans of The Smiths or Tom Waits.
The Eels "Beautiful Freak"
After The Eels we have the Japanese band Electric Eel Shock. This band is a loud fast garage rock band with tinges of metal in their music. Their music is full of loud fuzzed out guitar riffs with a driving beat to back them up. Their songs often deal with issues such as Metal and "rocking." The guitar solos are very much in the style of solo you would hear from a Heavy Metal band, but the rest of the music is fuzzed out blues infused garage rock. My older brother introduced me to this band many years ago, and I've been enjoying them ever since. Their songs are loud and fun, their lyrics are usually a mix of Japanese and English and contain playful lyrics about how "rock and roll can rescue the world." I would recommend this band to anyone who likes Eagles of Death Metal or have heard similar Japanese bands such as Peelander- Z. I will continue to enjoy this band, as should anybody else who enjoys garage rock and metal.
The Electric Eel Shock "Rock and Roll Can Rescue the World"
Next up is another song off of the previously mentioned and lamented industrial tribute to Metallica. This time it is Element covering "Nothing Else Matters." Just like the rest of the album this is a terrible version of a classic Metallica song. The song is full of computer generated beats and synth lines that seem out of place anywhere near Metallica. I just can't enjoy this song, and as I have with the previous songs, I strongly urge you to avoid "The Blackest Album: An Industrial Tribute to Metallica." Next Song.
Elton Montello is the one and done artist who comes next. The song is an interesting one, it has an interesting mix off 70's punk, most likely taken from Brian James who played guitar for the British Punk rockers The Damned. There's also a saxophone playing in the background throughout much of the song, and that mixed with the punk influence makes for an interesting combination of punk, jazz, and popular rock. I wasn't familiar with this song before hearing this song. I'm not sure how the song came to be in my library, but I'm guessing I got it from my older brother. It's fun, and worth a listen.
Next up is an artist I've been enjoying more and more over the years since I first started listening to him. Elvis Costello is a legendary musician who has been a large presence in music since he came onto the scene in the 70's. He's one of the most diverse musicians out there today, he's put out thirty albums in 34 years. That is a huge output of music, he seems to be able to change styles without any trouble. He's been described as "pop encyclopedia," by critics. I really love his voice, and his lyrics are smarter and deeper than most pop musicians can ever hope to be. He has had several bands over the past decades, releasing records with The Attractions and The Imposters. He was ranked #80 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 100 greatest artists of all time. Anyone who's a fan of rock and roll should be listening to Elvis Costello, he's awesome.
Elvis Costello "Pump It Up"
Elvis Presley is up next on the list. Elvis Presley is a classic rockabilly artist that any self respecting music fan should instantly recognize whenever his music is put on. He is often called the King of Rock and Roll, he became an international sensation with his fun rockabilly music and swiveling hips. His swinging his hips were considered scandalous and for a long time whenever he appeared on television they would only shoot him from the waist up. His Tennessee home, Graceland, is a huge tourist draw to this day. His music influenced rock music for generations to come. His music has been used in countless television commercials and movies, there is also a large number of Elvis impersonators who make a career off acting in the exaggerated manner that he became infamous for in his later years. As many people know, he died at the age of 42 after years of drug abuse. His songs are among the most iconic songs ever produced by an American musician, he had one of the largest imprints on American pop culture of any entertainer in history. I have always enjoyed his music, and I have been listening to him for as long as I can remember. I think I will always enjoy Elvis' music.
The next artist on the playlist, Eminem, takes up 25% of this playlist. Eminem is one of the biggest, most popular, and most controversial artists of the past decade. Eminem is the best selling rap artist of the past decade, every album he puts out seems to go instantly to number one on the charts. He has surrounded himself in controversy over the years due to his lyrics' subject matters. He has been the favorite whipping boy of parents and other groups who feel his music is a bad influence on the children who listen to it. He has also been accused of racism and homophobia. He was accused of racism after an unreleased demo that he made when he was first starting out was leaked. The song features Eminem going after an African American girl who broke his heart, and the lyrics delve in to racial attacks. In several of his songs he has used derogatory language directed at the homosexual population. In each case of controversy he has met it head on and overcome it, he addressed the homophobia accusation by doing a duet with Sir Elton John at the Grammys in 2001. He also addressed the racial issue in the song "Yellow Brick Road," rapping "But I've heard people say they heard the tape and it ain't that bad
But it was I singled out a whole race and for that apologize." A lot of his songs also tend to have misogynistic overtones. This is another source of great controversy regarding Eminem. I think a lot of this probably comes from the chaotic relationship with his mother that he has detailed in several of his songs. A lot is probably exaggerated, but it seems like he resented his mother and that leaked over to women in general. I think Eminem is very talented when he wants to be, when he is serious his slow is so quick and intelligent that he has almost no equal.
Eminem "No Love"
The English Beat's "Mirror in the Bathroom" is up next on this playlist. The English Beat were a 2 Tone ska band out of England who gained popularity in the 80's with songs such as this one. Mirror in the Bathroom is probably the most well known song by The English beat, people who are more well versed in ska and punk rock are probably just as familiar with several other songs than the casual fan. This is a song that I have really liked for a long time. I really love everything about this song, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys English Punk rock or Reggae.
Next is another song of one of the two much maligned and regretted Metallica Tribute albums. This time the cover is by the band ENGRAVE and comes off of the "Overload: A Tribute to Metallica" album. Like the other covers on this album, this song is more musically close to the original song. While the music is similar to the real thing, the vocal once again don't do it for me. The lyrics are just the same guttural growl that you seem to hear from every single metal band coming out these days. I am not a fan of this vocal style as you might have guessed, so I don't recommend giving this song a listen unless you like that style of vocals.
The Epoxies are the third to last band featured on this playlist. The Epoxies play a synthesizer heavy brand of rock and roll, all of their songs feature prominent syth lines. Roxy Epoxie's voice was what really stood out for me when I first listened to this band. Her voice has a slightly deeper tone to it that somehow makes it feel a bit more theatrical. A lot of the band's music and live presentation involves theatrics so this is probably on purpose. I heard this band on a compilation originally and decided to check out the album the song featured in the compilation came from. I wasn't that impressed with the rest of the album, it was good but not great. I like it now a bit more than I did 6 years ago when I originally purchased the album. My musical taste has gained a few more electronic/synthesizer based bands and I can now enjoy this a bit more. I like it more, but it's still just average.
The Epoxies "Synthesized"
As we near the bottom of the playlist, Eve 6 come up next. Eve 6 is a Southern California rock band that gained some fame and popularity at the end of the 90's and in the early 00's. Eve six plays an upbeat pop rock style of music, with witty lyrics usually dealing with girls, relationships, and partying. I first heard Eve 6 on the radio back at the end of the 90's when Alternative Rock stations began playing their first hit single "Inside Out." I liked the song so I bought the album, but I quickly grew tired of the band. I gave the album away to my younger brother. Then their second album "Horrorscope," came out and my interest was renewed. "Horrorscope" just has a lot of fun and catchy pop rock songs. I regained enough interest in the band that I purchased the follow up LP to "Horrorscope." The follow up "It's All In Your Head," is fun but seems a bit more serious and mature. That may sound odd to say it wasn't as good because it was more serious, but that's the way I felt. I can appreciate the more mature sound now, but it's still not as good as "Horrorscope." Fans of 90's alternative rock should definitely give Eve 6 a listen.
Eve 6 "Promise"
Rounding out the E's is the Portland, Oregon band The Exploding Hearts. The Exploding Hearts played at 1970's influenced style of punk rock mixed with a bit of power pop. They drew heavily on 1970's English punk rock. The band begin gaining popularity on the West Coast and were even featured on the cover of a couple magazines. Unfortunately tragedy struck the band when on the way back from a concert in San Francisco the band got into an accident that resulted in the deaths of 3 of the 4 band members. They were all in their early 20's. The band only released one album, 2003's "Guitar Romantic." I was introduced to the band a few years ago by my older brother, and I have been enjoying them ever since. I featured the song "Modern Kicks" on my radio show several times. Any fan of 1970's British punk rock should check out The Exploding Hearts.
The Exploding Hearts "I'm a Pretender"
That brings an end to the E's and marks the official return of Alphabetical music. I enjoyed the E's, there were a lot of artists who I've been listening to for a long time, and still enjoy quite a bit. I will try to get the F's out in a timely manner, but my new job may hamper this. Stay tuned for new posts please.
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