Ain't Nothing But a G Thing

Here we are again, time for you to read another long blog post. This time, it's for the G's. The G's were as interesting as usual, lots of variety mixed with a few things I was not too fond of. There are several artists who I've listened to pretty consistently over the past few years, but there were a few who I hadn't really listened to much less thought about in the past few years. This post will be slightly shorter than the previous post. As anybody who has read even one post on this blog has already figured out, the length of the post depends on the number of artists in the letter's playlist. The F's had twenty nine artists and thirty two paragraphs, the G's had twenty two artists so this post will contain twenty four paragraphs. So sit down, and make sure you've set aside some time, because you're going to be here for a while reading this and watching the videos.

The G's start out with what can best be described as a two and done artist, Gang of Four. Gang of Four contribute two songs to this playlist, but both are from different compilations. The first "To Hell With Poverty," comes from the compilation box set Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground, and the second "Love Like Anthrax" comes from the compilation box set No Thanks: The 70's Punk Rebellion. Gang of Four are considered post-punk by those looking to define their genre, they play punk rock mixed with different musical styles like dub reggae. Their songs, as you might have been able to guess from the title of the first song "To Hell With Poverty," are politically and socially motivated. They write songs about social issues and the problems with the political system. I wasn't really familiar with this band before getting these box sets, but I liked their songs upon first listen. When I moved on to other music, I forgot about these songs for a bit. I was happy to hear them again for this blog. I probably won't seek these songs out, but I look forward to them coming up again when I put my iPod on shuffle. Fans of post-punk should definitely check out Gang of Four.

The next artist is the first artist on the playlist to have the presence of an entire album on the playlist. Garbage is a band out of Madison, Wisconsin who gained mainstream success with their debut album, which went double platinum after its release in 1995. The band was formed by Butch Vig, producer of Nirvana's Nevermind, who along with his two other band mates convinced Scottish singer Shirley Manson to sing for them. The band plays an interesting brand of Alternative Rock that shows influences from bands like Blondie and Siouxsie and the Banshees. I first heard Garbage with the release of their fourth album, 2005's Bleed Like Me, and the single "Why Do You Love Me." I had heard of Garbage before this, but had never bothered to check them out. Shirley Manson and Butch Vig were names I was familiar with but I hadn't heard their music. Some long time Garbage fans weren't big fans of Bleed Like Me as it was even more pop oriented then their previous albums. I liked the album, enjoying Shirley Manson's vocals quite a bit. Listening to it again six years after its release I still enjoy it, but I'm not sure if I were to hear it today for the first time that I would purchase the album again. Honestly I had forgotten about this album before listening to it again for this blog. I had scrolled past it on numerous occasions, but had never bothered to click on it. I recommend Garbage for fans of the 90's brand of Alternative Rock, Blondie, or Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Garbage "Bleed Like Me"


Our first one and done artist, Gatsby's American Dream, follow Garbage on the playlist. Gatsby's American Dream appear on this playlist courtesy of the compilation A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas. Gatsby's American Dream are an indie rock band out of Seattle, and for this compilation they did their own version of the A Charlie Brown Christmas classic "Christmas Time Is Here." The song is an interesting one, very sparse and this is a good thing in my eyes, too often bands try to take classics we all know and love and do big over produced versions. I like this version, the vocals are the main focus and the backing chorus is a nice touch that reminds you of the original. It can't match up to the original song that we all remember from our childhood, but it's not a terrible version.

Gatsby's American Dream are followed by yet another one and done artist, Gene Vincent. Gene Vincent was one for the pioneers or rock and roll and rockabilly music. He began performing in the late 1950's with his band The Blue Caps. The band featured that classic rockabilly style of guitar mixed with stand up bass and sparse drums. You can hear the blues and country influences in the music, and in the way he sings. I've always enjoyed classic rockabilly, and I can definitely hear the beginnings of the genre in this track. The genre that would spawn influential artists such as Elvis Presley and Eddie Cochran. I enjoyed this song, and so should anybody who is a fan of Rockabilly.

Next up is a band similar to Gang of Four in the fact that they have multiple tracks on this playlist contributed by compilations. Generation X are a British Punk Rock band who formed in the late 70's. Generation X never really achieved mainstream success and broke up after releasing two albums. The band while punk rock in their overall sound took influence from British pop music too. Their songs weren't as rough or loud as their punk counterparts, this was due to the pop sensibilities of the song writers. Lead singer Billy Idol would go on to commercial success as a solo artist, his most famous songs being "Dancing With Myself," and "White Wedding." Billy Idol became known for his scowl and his spiked bleach blond hair. Idol's music as a solo artist is very similar to the music that he made with Generation X. So if you like Billy Idol than you should like Generation X, and this is the case for me. I like "Dancing With Myself" and "White Wedding" quite a bit, they're probably two of my favorite 80's songs. I hear "White Wedding," on alternative radio stations to this day. I enjoy these songs and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

The Germs are up next on the playlist with the song "Lexicon Devil." The Germs were a Los Angles Punk rock who formed in the late 70's and had a significant influence on punk acts that followed them despite only releasing one album. The band is very highly regarded among those in the punk rock community, often held up as an example. The band disbanded just a few years after forming and after only one album due to the suicide of lead singer Darby Crash. I first heard of the band when I was becoming more interested in punk rock back in 2005, and often heard The Germs were a good band to check out for those looking to delve deeper into the genre. I like "Lexicon Devil," it's a really good punk song, and one that I will come back to again when I want to hear good punk rock music.

The Get Up Kids make an appearance as a one and done artist on this playlist with the song "Lion And The Lamb," off of the Rock Against Bush: Volume 1 compilation. The song is a low key song, not fast like a punk song but not slow like a ballad might be. It's kind of a mellow sounding song about war and its causes. The band not normally political, most likely wrote this song just for the compilation. The song is a pretty good one for a style of music that I don't listen to very often. The band is often considered part of the "emo" movement that started with Jimmy Eat World in the 90's. The song is enjoyable, but not one I listen to consistently.

The first artist with a significant contributions to the playlist (14%), is Girl Talk. Girl Talk is a DJ based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania named Greg Gillis. Girl Talk specializes in what are called mash-ups. He takes songs from multiple artists and "mashes" them together to create a brand new song. He takes a mix of pop, hip hop, country, alternative, and classic rock to make his tracks. For instance the track "Triple Double" off of his new album All Day starts off with a mix of Phoenix's "1901" and Ludacris' "How Low." The track starts with Ludacris rapping over "1901," and then when he gets to the chorus of "How Low Can You Go?" it is immediately followed by the Phoenix lyric "Fallin, Fallin, Fallin." Girl talk has gained national attention for his mixes, partially due to their high quality but mostly for the fact that he doesn't pay for any of his samples. He samples 373 artists on the album All Day and didn't pay one of them for use of their songs citing "fair use." In order to get away with this, he has been giving away his albums for free. He has offered his last two albums as pay what you feel it's worth, meaning you can download it for free or give him a few bucks for it. I was introduced to Girl Talk by my older brother back in 2006 when he first started gaining national attention for his album Night Ripper. My brother burned me Night Ripper and I've been hooked ever since. I love the mixes he creates, the samples that he puts together makes songs I wouldn't normally like ("How Low") and makes me want to listen. I look forward to his next release whenever that may be. In the mean time, I would love to be able to go see him live for the third time. His concerts are just one big sweaty dance party, and tons of fun! I recommend Girl Talk for anybody who really liked Danger Mouse's mash up of The Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album.

Girl Talk "Triple Double"



Next up is Los Angles soul artist Gloria Jones and her classic soul song "Tainted Love." The song was made famous by the band Soft Cell but Jones recorded the original. The song is a wonderful example of classic soul at its best. Her voice is beautiful and she has a great backing band. It's a song all about a toxic relationship, she sings about running away from the relationship, she says she needs to "get away from the pain." She sings "Once I ran to you, now I run from you." It's a song about a touchy subject that wasn't talked about a lot back in 1964 when she released the song. I have a soft spot for classic soul, I don't usually seek it out but enjoy it thoroughly when it comes on.

Next up is another artist with multiple albums on this playlist. Gnarls Barkley are a hip hop collaboration between New York DJ/Producer Danger Mouse and Atlanta Rapper/Soul Singer Cee Lo Green. Cee Lo gained notoriety in the 90's for being part of the Atlanta rap group Goodie Mob, a group considered innovative for their time. Danger Mouse as has been mentioned previously on this blog gained attention with his mash ups, and produced the Gorillaz album Demon Days, which will be talked about later on in this post. The two joined forces in 2006 to release their first album St. Elsewhere. The album is a mix of Cee Lo rapping and singing over Danger Mouse produced beats. The album featured the radio smash hit "Crazy." The song was named the song of the year by Rolling Stone Magazine. The album also produced the singles "Smiley Faces," and a cover of the Violent Femmes classic "Gone Daddy Gone," neither of which gained much popularity on the radio. To this day whenever "Crazy" comes on everybody around you will start humming or singing along. The success of Gnarl Barkley led to the sparking of Cee Lo's solo career as a soul artist. I first heard Gnarls Barkley the same way most people did, by hearing "Crazy." The song is a spectacular example of hip hop and soul done right, and is insanely infectious. I really liked the song so I purchased the album, and I was not disappointed. The rest of the album is full of great songs, there really isn't a bad track on the album. The follow up album was The Odd Couple and it was another album just full of great songs, but not quite as good as St. Elsewhere. I look forward to the release of more music from these two gifted musicians.

Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"


Another one and done artist, The Go-Betweens, follow Gnarls Barkley on this playlist. The Go-Between were an Australian Indie Rock band formed near the end of the 70's that gained moderate popularity in Australia and abroad. The song on this playlist is "Cattle And Cane," and is one of their most well respected songs. The song was named one of the Top 30 Australian songs by The Australian Performing Rights Association. The song is a good one, it's got a nice simple sound and is a good listen. I wasn't familiar with this band at all before getting this song from the compilation box set Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. It was not one of the songs that stood out upon my first couple listens to the box set, and I wasn't familiar with it until this blog. I doubt I'll pay it much more attention after this, but at least I'll recognize it better if it comes on when I put my iPod on shuffle.

The Go Go's are up to bat next. The Go Go's were an all female New Wave rock group that formed at the end of the 70's and gained popularity in the 1980's. Their debut album went double platinum. launching their career to its highest point. The Go Go's are considered to be one of the best all female rock bands, and according to their Wikipedia article they were the first all female band who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to reach the top of the Billboard charts. The song is a fun new wave pop rock song. It has fun vocals and a good musical arrangement. Their sound paved the way for other New Wave bands who would come along with a similar sound, and you can hear the New Wave style that would become en vogue later in the 80's. I like this song, it's a fun song to listen to and something I enjoy when I comes on. I can't say that I was very familiar with it before the blog, the song was put on my computer by my older brother for the party to celebrate his wedding. I recommend this song to fans of New Wave music.

Next up is an interesting group in The Go! Team. The Go! Team mixes several genres together to form their unique brand of indie rock mixed with hip hop. Lead vocalist Ninja switches back and forth between singing and rapping while being backed by live instruments. The band also employs samples and guest performances to complete this unique style of music. Their hip hop style is closer to the old school style of the 80's and early 90's than today's hip hop, and the live instrumentation routinely employs distorted guitars over lively up tempo drums and varied accompaniment. I first heard The Go! Team back around the time their album Proof of Youth came out back in 2007. I had been reading good things about The Go! Team in music magazines and decided to check them out. I popped down to Ear X-tacy and gave the album a listen. I really liked the first song, the first single, "Grip Like A Vice" so I purchased the album. The rest of the album isn't quite as strong as the opening track, which is a powerful song about how powerful women are. Guest rapper Lisa Lee raps lyrics like "it's a women's world, you've got to give it what you got," and " fly girls, and if you're ready to rock, to help me turn it out?" This for me is probably the best song on the album, and it's such a fun song it is hard to match. The rest of the album is good, but not great. The songs are generally high energy and fun to listen to, but get a little old halfway through the album. I like the album well enough to come back to it occasionally, but not consistently.

The Go! Team "Grip Like A Vice"


Next up, breaking up the larger contributors, is another song off of the much maligned and regretted The Blackest Album: An Industrial Tribute To Metallica. This time the artist destroying a classic Metallica song is Godhead. A band, unlike most of the others, that I have actually heard of. The fact that I have heard of them before doesn't make this song any better. The song is completely electronic, the programming tries to sound a bit like instruments but it doesn't work. There are live instruments in the band, but they're drowned out by the programming. I'm not a fan of this song at all, avoid it.

Next up is a band that I've been thoroughly enjoying for several years now, Gogol Bordello. Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy Punk band that formed in New York City at the end of the 90's. The band features a cadre of foreign nationals, mostly from Russia and the Ukraine, only two of the nine members of the band are from the United States. The band plays punk rock infused with traditional gypsy music, prominently featuring an accordion and fiddle. Lead singer Eugene Hutz is a Ukrainian immigrant, and brings the influence of his world view to the music. The songs routinely switch between English, Portuguese and Russian. Their songs are high energy, and make you want to get out of your seat and dance. This high energy is translated to their live show, where they are known for their frantic high energy performances. The music gets the crowd riled up and the band follows suit, the band is known for riding a bass drum over the heads and hands of their crowd. This is a band that I first heard when I watched them perform on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. They performed the first single off of their third album Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, "Start Wearing Purple." "Start Wearing Purple," has become probably their most well known song to casual observers, and was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Everything is Illuminated. Eugene Hutz has also appeared in several feature films including Everything is Illuminated. I really enjoy their high energy culture infused brand of punk rock. Their songs are infectious and hard not to sing along to. I had the pleasure of seeing them perform live, and would do so again in a heartbeat. I love the cultural mix that comes out in their music. With their most recent album they added a Brazilian influence to the mix, that makes for even more interesting music. Eugene Hutz moved to Brazil before the release of their last album Transcontinental Hustle, and the move is what inspired the album. I recommend Gogol Bordello for fans of cultural music and for fans of bands like Flogging Molly.

Gogol Bordello "American Wedding"


Next up is the first "virtual" band to grace this playlist, The Gorillaz. The Gorillaz is the project of former Blur front man Damon Albarn and comic book artist Jamie Hewlett. The band consists of animated band members 2D (lead vocals, keyboard, rhythm guitar), Murdoc (bass), Noodle (lead guitar), and Russel (drums). The band plays a mix of styles including: alternative rock, pop, hip hop, and electronic music. The hip hop aspect comes from guest spots by indie hip hop artists such as Del the Funkee Homosapien, and appear as what are called "rap demons" born from Russel. The band gained popularity in 2001 with the track "Clint Eastwood," a slow almost plodding song. The song sounds a bit monotone, featuring the high pitched voice of Damon Albarn as 2D. The track is simple, but that doesn't mean it's bad. The song is repetitive, purposely so, but is broken up in the middle by a rap from Del the Funkee Homosapien. It's a really great mix or styles and the song is a great one. Their style has evolved over the course of their three albums, but has retained some consistency in sound, there is always a mix of slow songs and dance worthy songs. Their second album Demon Days featured similar songs to their debut Gorillaz but not so much so that it was just a repeat. The album and its single "Feel Good Inc." are widely considered to be the bands best work. Albran and Hewitt have created a whole virtual universe for the band, their music videos form the basis of a story about the band that is continued in videos produced for their website and as promos for the albums. There is a story behind this "virtual" band. For instance Noodles disappears from the band in the video for "El Manana", so Murdoc creates a Cyborg version of Noodles out of Noodles' DNA to replace her. There is an entire back story for the cyborg, which I won't go into here but if you're interested you can find it at Cyborg Noodle. I heard the band for the first time back in 2001 when I saw the video for "Clint Eastwood" on MTV. I liked the song a lot, purchased the debut and my love for this band has grown from there. I will enjoy Gorillaz for a long time, and look forward to more music from them. I would recommend Gorillaz to fans of Blur and Indie Rap.

Gorillaz "Feel Good Inc."


Next up is the one and done artist Gossip. Gossip is an indie rock group out of Olympia, Washington. The band plays a mix of dance punk, and indie rock. The band consists of lead singer Beth Ditto, Brace Paine on guitar, and Hannah Blilie on drums. The band plays an upbeat style of rock, with some of the ferocity of punk music mixed in, hence the dance punk label. The band has become an icon in the LGBT community for their music and staunch defense of LGBT rights. The song included on this playlist is the title track off of their breakthrough 2006 album Standing In The Way Of Control. The song is a song that I have been enjoying since my older brother gave it to me. The song features powerful vocals by Ditto which really enhance the musical aspects of the song. I will continue to like this song for the foreseeable future.

The beloved Classic Rock group Grand Funk Railroad follow Gossip on this playlist. The track featured here is their most popular track "We're An American Band." This classic track is an ode to their fans, the band sings about how critics have panned them yet they are loved by audiences. The song is a classic and is very much in the popular rock style of the 70's. I've been familiar with this song for a long time, and I've enjoyed it for just about as long. As I grew older and gained a greater appreciation for the history of rock and roll, I gained even more appreciation for this song. This is probably one of my favorite classic rock songs.

As we enter the bottom quarter of the playlist we have Green Day following Grand Funk Railroad. Green Day are a California punk rock trio that began their career 1987 playing underground clubs in Berkley, California. They were part of a punk scene nick named "snot core," and they gained a large underground following inside this movement. They started gaining notoriety after the release of their second album Kerplunk in 1992, and gained such a large following that they were signed to a major label. The band released their third album Dookie in 1994 on Reprise Records. The band gained an even larger following with this critically acclaimed album, but were considered sellouts by many of their long time fans from the "snot core" scene. The band went on to release Insomniac which also gained wide popularity, but the band lost the public's interest and began to decline. They were losing relevance in the eyes of the music public. The band's popularity rebounded and the skyrocketed with the release of 2004's American Idiot. The album was a sharp change in style for the band, the album was full of serious and politically charged themes. The band had previously showed no interest in politics, their early music had been labeled "snot core" in reference to their youth and often immature themes. American Idiot produced their greatest chart success to date, debuting at number one. The songs are all centered around the life of a character named "The Jesus of Suburbia," and featured several tracks that were much longer than your standard Green Day song (2 songs were over 9 minutes long). The band then released another politically charged "rock opera," 21st Century Breakdown. The albums sound is very similar in style to American Idiot. These two albums renewed their mainstream popularity, and inspired a Broadway musical. I first started listening to Green Day when my older brother gave me Dookie for my birthday. I wasn't so hot on it at first, because I was really big into Metallica at the time. A number of years later and after hearing their songs on the radio for years, I checked the album out again and liked it. I enjoy the pop punk style of Green Day, they know how to write a catchy radio oriented rock song. I enjoy Dookie quite a bit, and I like American Idiot a lot too. I wasn't as big of a fan of 21st Century Breakdown, but it's still a good album. Anybody who likes Blink 182 and Sum 41 will most likely enjoy Green Day.

Green Day "When I Come Around"


Following Green Day we have a one and done artist from the compilation box set Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground, Green On Red. Green on Red were a new wave/psychedelic rock band from Arizona who formed at the end of the 70's, but were most active in the 80's. The song featured here is the title track off of their second album Gravity Talks. The song prominently features the keyboard, a style common to a lot of psychedelic bands from the time. The vocals aren't spectacular, but they fit the song well. I don't know much about this band, and wasn't familiar with this song before the compilation and the blog. It wasn't a stand out song on the compilation for me. It's enjoyable but nothing special.

The final one and done artist, and the second to last artist on the playlist, is Guitar Wolf. Guitar Wolf is a Japanese Noise Punk Trio. The band formed near the end of the 80's, and have become known for their loud, heavily distorted, guitars and aggressive vocals. The track featured here is a cover of the Eddie Cochran classic "Summertime Blues." I like this song and it's loud and aggressive style, but if not for the lyrics it would be very hard to determine what the song was a cover of. I first heard of Guitar Wolf through my older brother, who put this track on my computer, and then as part of a compilation of Japanese bands. While I enjoy this song, the difficulty of finding any Japanese music, outside of the most popular bands, in the US has made it difficult for me to even attempt to dig deeper into this band. I like this song, and so should fans of Japanese rock and roll and noise rock.

The final artist to grace the G's is The Gun Club. The Gun Club were a punk rock band that mixed blues and rockabilly influences. This mix created the roots of a genre of music that would come to be known as psychobilly. The band is one of a group of bands credited for creating the Hollywood rock and roll scene. I first heard of The Gun Club from my older brother, who was a fan, and he gave me their debut album Fire of Love. I like this album, it is an interesting mix of styles. I have heard some modern psychobilly, and it's interesting to hear what is sort of an early version of the genre. The songs are great at really letting their genre influences shine through. You can hear a lot of blues in their slow songs, and then when they speed it up you hear a lot of rockabilly influence. Despite having this album, I hadn't really listened to The Gun Club in depth before this blog. I like the album quite a bit, and am sorry that I hadn't listened to it in depth before now. I'm not sure if I'll delve deeper into this band's Discography, but I'm not opposed to the idea.

The Gun Club "She's Like Heroin To Me"


Well that will do it for the G's, I hope you enjoyed this post. Please leave me comments with thoughts, suggestions, and even corrections if you think I got something wrong. Comments let me know you're reading this, so please be kind and leave one.

The F's Are Here!

Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the blog post for the letter F. I took me longer to get this finished than I anticipated, I had hoped to have this finished and posted a good 2 weeks ago. I unfortunately got busy with work and a road trip, so despite having finished listening to the F's about 3 weeks ago I am just now getting around to writing up this blog post.

The F's were interesting, a lot of familiar songs from the one and done artists and some great artists with a large presence in the list. The F's were very easy to get through listening wise, there weren't really too many artists or songs on the list that I found myself having changed my preference for. The F's had alternative arena rock and indie dance techno, and everything in between. We start of the F's with the first eight tracks being from one and done artists before we finally get to the first multiple track artist.

The first of the one and done artists who populate the top of this list is The Faces with the song "Ooh La La." The title isn't familiar to most people, but the song should be. The chorus of this song is one of the more well known choruses of the past 30 plus years. The band also featured musicians who have become some of the biggest names in music over the last four decades, including Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. "Ooh La La" features the iconic chorus "I wish that I knew what I knew now, when I was younger." The song is a song of regret about past relationships, Stewart sings about women using you and abusing you. The song has been featured on multiple movie soundtracks over the years, and that is also how it came to be on my iTunes. I got this song off of the soundtrack for the movie Rushmore. I have always liked this song, Rod Stewart's voice mixed with excellent guitar work really make this song stand out. It feels a bit odd because the song seems really up beat for a song about regret and bitterness. I think I will continue to enjoy this song for a long time.

Faith No More comes up next. Faith No More have been hailed as one of the most influential bands of the 80's and 90's, their influence can be seen in a lot of alternative metal and even rock-rap. Their most famous song is "Epic," which still has a presence on alternative rock radio twenty two years after its release. I really like that song, but the song that I have on my iTunes is the first of their tracks to gain popularity and be played on MTV. The song is called "We Care A Lot," and features a thumping bass line as the driving force behind the song. Fan's of the song "Epic" who have not explored the earlier records of Faith No More may not initially recognize this song as a Faith No More song. This is due to the fact that this track was recorded with the band's original vocalist, who was replaced in 1988. The song is a lot of fun, and a track that I enjoy quite a bit. The song, like several of Faith No More's songs, has a bit of a comedic vibe to it. They sing about how they care about the everything from the police to the Transformers. They also sing that "it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it." I think I will continue to enjoy this song for quite some time.

Faith No More "We Care A Lot"


The Fall song "Bingo Master," follows up Faith No More on this playlist. The Fall are a British punk band that has never really caught the public's ear, and is not known to the majority of music fans born from 1990 on, but despite this they have put out 28 studio albums since their formation in the 70's. This track comes from the compilation box set "No Thanks: The 70's Punk Rebellion." The song has that classic 70's British punk, and starts off slowly before breaking out in the chorus. The song is a fun one, and one that I wasn't very familiar with before this compilation and the before this blog. The lyrics are strange, but interesting. I definitely recommend this band for fans of bands like The Damned.

Next up is the first of two songs in a row from the compilation "A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas." This particular song is "Yule Shoot Your Eye Out," by Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy are a band commonly associated with the "emo" genre of music that gained popularity back in the early 2000's. I was never a big fan of Fall Out Boy and the style of music that they represented, but this is a nice song. It's not really your typical cheery Christmas song with lyrics about the ending of a relationship singing lyrics like "don't come home for Christmas, you're the last thing I wanna see underneath the tree. Merry Christmas, I could care less." The song is mainly just singer Patrick Stump on Acoustic guitar, with a second acoustic guitar accompanying him. It's not an unpleasant song, but not a song that I would listen to year round.

The next one and done from "A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas," is Far featuring Chino Moreno. This song is a cover of the famous 1984 song done for Band Aid. The original features the popular artists of the time coming together to sing a song who's proceeds went to organizations providing aid to Africa. The song featured the following artists: Linda Ronstadt , Adam Clayton (U2) , Phil Collins (Genesis), Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats), Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), Chris Cross (Ultravox), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Paul Young, Tony Hadley, Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran), Simon Crowe, Marilyn, Keren Woodward (Bananarama), Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Jody Watley (Shalamar), Bono (U2), Paul Weller (The Style Council, and previously The Jam), James "J.T." Taylor (Kool & The Gang), George Michael (Wham!), Midge Ure (Ultravox), Martyn Ware (Heaven 17), John Keeble (Spandau Ballet), Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet),Roger Taylor (Duran Duran), Sara Dallin (Bananarama), Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama), Sting (The Police), Pete Briquette (The Boomtown Rats), Francis Rossi (Status Quo), Robert 'Kool' Bell (Kool & the Gang), Dennis Thomas (Kool & the Gang), Andy Taylor (Duran Duran), Jon Moss (Culture Club, former member of Adam and the Ants), Rick Parfitt (Status Quo), Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Johnny Fingers (The Boomtown Rats), David Bowie, Boy George (Culture Club),Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood),Paul McCartney, Stuart Adamson (Big Country), Bruce Watson (Big Country), Tony Butler (Big Country), Mark Brzezicki (Big Country).** This version of the song is more in the alterative hardcore style. The song goes from a nice sweet song to a bit of a louder/harder sound. It is not as good as the original, but I've heard worse covers.

The Fastbacks were an American rock band the formed at the end of the 70's. The band featured a mixed line up with two women and two guys forming the band. The song on my iTunes is "In The Summer," a fun song with female vocals in a style very close to punk rock, with slightly more pop sounding guitars. I had heard this song on occasion before listening to it again for this blog. I believe it was put on my iTunes by my older brother for his wedding party. I enjoyed this song when I listened to it again for this blog, it's a great summer anthem, and ode to the fun and freedom experienced by a lot of people in the summer time. I would recommend this for punk fans and fans of female fronted rock bands.

Next up is the most vulgar song of the F playlist, in Fear's "I Love Livin In The City." The song is a punk rock song featuring lines like "my ass smells just like the sewers," and also features lyrics about "crabs crawling on my balls." The song is all about the plight and poor conditions of those who live in the inner city, and the attitude of people who live in the city's suburbs compared to reality. It's a quick aggressive song meant to be controversial and provoke a response. It's a good song, and one that I've been enjoying for many years now, and will continue to do so.

The final one and done artist, before the beginning of the artist blocks, is The Feelies. The Feelies are a band out of New Jersey who play a style that sounds like an early version of a lot of modern indie music like Bloc Party. The guitar work is what stands out in this song, there in a wailing guitar that overshadows the backing music. The rest of the song doesn't feel particularly remarkable to me, the vocals are pleasant and so is the song itself, but it doesn't really stand out in my mind. A good song, but not memorable.

The first artist to have a sizable presence on the F playlist is Canadian singer songwriter Feist. Feist came to popularity with the release of her 2006 album The Reminder, which featured the singles "1,2,3,4," "I Feel it All," and "My Moon My Man." Her songs are all very melodic songs that prominently feature her vocals. She tends to write up beat songs about relationships and personal experiences. On her previous album the song "Mushaboom," was a track about what she wanted her future to be like. Her songs are always very enjoyable and fun to listen to. Her vocals are a big part of what makes these songs so good, she sings with a very distinct melodic style that is instantly recognizable to anyone who is a fan of her music. I first heard Feist in 2005 when I saw the video for the song "Mushaboom," on MTVu. I liked the song, but didn't really start paying attention to her until The Reminder. I enjoy her songwriting style, the arrangements she chooses and her vocals. Her slower songs aren't as much fun, but are still good in their own right. Feist is also a member of the Canadian rock collective Broken Social Scene. I would definitely recommend Feist to anyone who is a fan of the female singer songwriter genre, and to fans of folk rock. Feist is an artist I will be listening to for a while.

Feist "I Feel is All"


Next up is Filter, a 90's alternative rock band out of Cleveland. The band gained popularity in 1990's with the songs "Hey Man, Nice Shot," and "Take A Picture." The band featured a former member of Nine Inch Nails and started out as a industrial rock band, but moved more to the alternative rock side of the genre as the progressed. Their songs are loud and fast, featuring a mix of vocals being sung and shouted. You can hear some of the industrial influences in their music, but the music more sounds more like a slightly harder version of the Alternative rock of the 90's. I liked "Take A Picture" when I heard it played on Alternative rock radio in the 90's early 00's so I purchased the album Title of Record. The rest of the album is pretty good, and I liked it when I bought it. I am not as big of a fan now as I was then. The songs are good, but my musical taste has shifted enough to where they aren't something that I would listen to with any kind of consistency. I still hear "Hey Man, Nice Shot" all over movies and video games, and I enjoy the song. The band is just not something that I would ever want to look deeper into.

Filter "Hey Man, Nice Shot"


Fischerspooner is up next for the F playlist. Fischerspooner are an electro pop duo out of New York City. The duo uses programmed beats and synthesizer lines to make fun and interesting dance music descendent from groups such as Kraftwerk. The duo are the core of band, but the band has had up to twenty members. The other 18 members were all dancers and back up vocalists. The band was formed by the classically trained musician Warren Fischer and video artist/ theater performer Casey Spooner. Their musical style while remaining electronic, has changed from album to album. Their debut album #1 was described by many as being an example of electro clash, a rejecting of the current dance music trends and infusing electronic music with modern art. Their second album, Odyssey was a bit more mainstream and featured actual live instruments, the band said this was due to being signed to Capitol Records. Their third album Entertainment is still much more danceable and pop infused than #1 but not quite as much as Odyssey. The first single off of #1 "Emerge" has been used in TV and video games over the past few years and remains one of their most well known songs. I first heard Fischerspooner through this single, and then when my older brother gave me the entire album. The album is hard to get into if you're not used to this type of music like I wasn't at the time. Upon listening to the album again over the years I have grown in appreciation for the album. You know that the album isn't going to be your usual dance record when the first song opens up to the sound of someone blowing smoke, which slowly turns more electronic with each additional breath. I enjoy Fischerspooner's music and the artistic styling that they put behind the music and their stage show. Their artists in more senses of the word than just music, they make the art of their music physical with their stage show. I look forward to Fischerspooner's next album, and hope that I can see them live again sometime in the near future.

Fischerspooner "Emerge"


Another Metallica cover from the two previously mentioned Metallica tribute albums is up next, this one is by a band called Fist and is off of Overload: A Tribute to Metallica. This is yet another track that makes me regret ever purchasing these albums. This one features the same style of guttural singing/yelling that I have maligned in my previous posts about this album. The music doesn't save this cover either. It's not a good cover musically ever. I don't like the guitar sounds, and the whole song just doesn't work for me. Steer clear of this album.

The Flamin Groovies provide us with the next one and done contribution to this playlist. The Flamin' Groovies were an American rock band out of San Francisco who formed in the late 60's. The song that is on this playlist is their most well known song "Shake Some Action." The band incorporated elements of 50's rock and roll and bits of the genre that would later become power pop in the 70's. I like this song, it's a fun song that's easy to sing along to and enjoy. I wasn't familiar with this song before my older brother put it on my computer for his wedding celebration party. It's a song that I've enjoyed each time I've heard it and one which I will continue to enjoy.

Fleetwood Mac are the next artist to grace this playlist with their recorded musical presence. Fleetwood Mac formed in London in the late 60's, and since then have become one of the most influential and respected bands of the last forty years. So many artists have named Fleetwood Mac as a major influence. Their songs are easily accessible rock and roll, and a perfect example of popular rock and roll in the 60's and 70's. Their songs are iconic, and have been spread throughout popular culture. They have been featured in movies, on TV, and have been covered by numerous musicians over the years. I enjoy their music when I hear it, but I've never had a huge desire to dig deeper into their music. They are just a band that I can listen to when they come on, but not a band I listen to consistently.

Next up is Flight of the Conchords, a comedic folk music duo from New Zealand. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement make up this comedic duo. The duo has gained a lot of attention over the past five years with a radio show on the BBC and then a television show on HBO. The episodes were centered around the songs that they had already written. The songs don't have any common themes, and are written much like a standup routine set to music. There are songs about David Bowie in space "Bowie in Space," and a racist dragon "Albi the Racist Dragon." Their songs are completely ridiculous, and that is part of what makes them so funny. I first heard Flight of the Conchords when my younger brother begin watching the HBO series. I thought the show was ok, but I like the songs a lot more. The songs are hilarious and a great listen when you need a pick me up or a good laugh. I would recommend them to fans of comedy music, and stand-up comedy.

Flight of the Conchords "Albi The Racist Dragon"


Flogging Molly follows Flight of the Conchords in the F's. Flogging Molly are a Los Angles based Celtic rock band. The band infuses traditional Irish music into rock and roll music with a punk influence. The band's members are mostly American, but lead vocalist David King was born in Dublin, Ireland before moving to Los Angles in his 20's. The band features traditional Irish fiddle and penny whistle along with the standard rock and roll guitar, bass, and drums. The songs most often focus on events in Irish history, and traditional Irish tales. I first heard Flogging Molly through their most well known song "Drunken Lullabies." I really liked that song and the song that follows it on the album "What's Left of the Flag." For years I didn't bother to explore further than those songs, but when I finally did I was glad I did. I enjoyed the mix of traditional Irish music with punk rock, and I still do. The majority of their songs are fast paced songs that make you feel like getting up and dancing. There are songs that involve drinking like a lot of people expect from Irish music, but the majority are about things like the Irish struggle against the English crown, and the period of history when Irish people were sold into slavery in the Barbados islands. I enjoy them quite a bit and have seen them live a good three or four times. Fans of Gogol Bordello and similarly heritage infused music should definitely check out Flogging Molly, and anybody who is already a fan should definitely check them out live.

Flogging Molly "Rebels of the Sacred Heart"


The artist who follows Flogging Molly was all over the popular culture of 2010 and was named one of Spin Magazine's Artists of the Year. Florence and the Machine are a band formed by vocalist and songwriter Florence Welch in England. The band features rotating musicians who back up Welch's vocals. Her style of music incorporates several styles, the most noticeable is soul music mixed with some rock and roll. Her vocals mixed with these influences are something really special. Her song "Dog Days Are Over," was featured in the trailer for the 2010 movie Eat Pray Love. I enjoyed "Dog Days Are Over," and had been hearing nothing but good things about her 2009 debut Lungs so I finally decided to purchase the album in February, and I'm glad that I did. Her songs can be sweet and tender and then raise in to a powerful cacophony. I will continue to enjoy her music and this album for a long time, and look forward to her next album.

Florence + The Machine "Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)"


The one and done Fongus is the next artist to make an appearance on the F's and also the second artist from the Overload: A Tribute To Metallica album much maligned above. Once again it's the vocals that ruin the cover for me. The vocals are obviously done by someone using English as a second language, their first language being Spanish. Honestly I would rather hear the song in Spanish, it's not that his accent ruins the vocals, it's his accent mixed with the echoing reverb on the vocals. The musicianship is pretty close to the original, but the vocals make this another bad cover. Steer clear.

Next we have one of the most popular rock bands of the past decade, The Foo Fighters. Foo Fighters feature Dave Grohl, formerly of Nirvana, on vocals and guitar and have grown from just Dave Grohl's project to one of the biggest bands of the late 90's and 00's. They have one three Grammys for Album of the Year and have been nominated six times. The band has become a staple on rock radio and in arenas around the world. Dave Grohl has become one of the biggest rock musicians in rock and roll, and has several side projects alongside the Foo Fighters. These projects include Them Crooked Vultures (with Joshua Homme and John Paul Jones), Probot, and has provided guest drums for Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal, and Tenacious D. I first heard Foo Fighters through alternative rock radio, and I grew to really like their songs quite a bit. Their songs aren't the most insightful or the most powerful, but they are very good/solid songs. Dave Grohl and company know how to write for their audience, they know how to write a good radio hit. I enjoy The Foo Fighters and I will continue to do so.

Foo Fighters "The Pretender"


Next up is a one and done in The Four Tops. The Four Tops are one of the most influential and well respected doo-wop/R&B groups of the Motown era. The song featured here is one of their most well known songs "Reach Out (I'll Be There)." The song has the classic Motown sound that you would expect from a group like this and features great lyrics telling the subject of the song to reach out and take his hand, that he'll be there when he's needed. I enjoy Motown as a genre, and this song and group is no exception.

Next up is a band that I've been enjoying quite a bit ever since seeing them live back in 2009, Foxy Shazam. Their music and their raucous high energy show made me buy their album and I've been enjoying them ever since. Foxy Shazam put an amazing energy and power into their performance that really comes through in their music. Foxy Shazam plays a mix of post hardcore, soul, and glam rock. Their songs are frequently humorous in nature, and feature extravagant lyrics and themes. Front Man Eric Nally is the primary song writer for the band and was recently tapped to write songs for the artist Meatloaf's new album alongside former Darkness front man Justin Hawkins. Their second album Introducing is the album that introduced me to the band, and is my favorite of the two that I own. The debut comes out fast from the start and hits you right away and doesn't really let go until the end. Their third album, and their major label debut, is a good album, but it just doesn't feel the same as their previous album. It doesn't have the same fierce energy. The band is has began to gain mainstream recognition, they were named a band to watch by Spin Magazine and had their song "Unstoppable" featured in ads for the Super Bowl and for EA Games NHL 11. I will continue to enjoy their music for the foreseeable future and look forward to seeing what they do next.

Foxy Shazam "A Dangerous Man"


The Chairman of the Board follows Foxy Shazam on the F playlist. Frank Sinatra is one of the most popular and iconic figures in music. His songs are often regarded as timeless classics, and his song "New York, New York" has been the anthem for New Yorkers for fifty years, and is the song most often used to represent New York City in movies and TV. Frank Sinatra was considered the King of Swing, and was not only a famous actor but was an accomplished actor as well. I have always enjoyed Frank Sinatra, and this is probably a good thing since I hear his music several times a day playing in the lobby at work. I quite enjoy swing music, and Frank Sinatra made some of the best swing music ever produced. I will continue to enjoy Frank for a long time.

The Frankl Project are a punk band, with occasional Ska undertones, based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. The band consists of three High School friends Jake Tippy, Joe Frankl, and Paul Schroder who came together to perform an explosive brand of punk mixed with Ska. Their music is fast and loud just like punk should be, but they also know how to write a song, including breakdowns to switch up the pace. The songs almost always deal with political issues that inspire the band to speak through their songs. Songs like "Soap Box Soldier," are where they are at their best. I have been listening to this band for a long time. Jake and I had been friends in school, and even when we went to different schools we kept in touch. I enjoy the Frankl Project quite a bit and have seen them perform around Cincinnati several times over the years, and have gotten to know Joe and Paul and see an awesome live show. Any fans of melodic punk rock and bands like Defiance Ohio should check out The Frankl Project.

Frankl Project "Tail End of a Movement"


Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish group who came to radio popularity in 2004 with their single "Take Me Out," which appeared on their debut record. Franz Ferdinand take their name from historical figure Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, who's assassination sparked the first World War. The band plays a catchy, fun, brand of rock and roll. Their songs are often upbeat, with a up tempo drum beats and quick guitars. Singer Alex Kapranos' Scottish accent is very audible in his singing style. Franz Ferdinand are also very art inspired, using art as an theme for several of their album covers and music videos. I first heard Franz Ferdinand through the radio and their hit single "Take Me Out." I liked the song quite a bit so I purchased the entire album, and I was not disappointed. The album is full of great songs, and anybody who liked "Take Me Out," should like this album. I listened to the CD for a while and then moved on to other things until Franz Ferdinand came back onto the scene with their second album in 2005. This album was very similar but featured a slight evolution of style from their first album, and I enjoyed it just as much as their debut. I lost a bit of interest in Franz Ferdinand when they took four years to release their third album, I had discovered a lot of new music in those four years. I never purchased their third album, but I did enjoy the single "Ulysses." "Ulysses," was a bit different then their previous songs, featuring the keyboard much more heavily than in past songs. The songs features the keyboard playing a slightly more robotic sound. I like this band, and will for quite some time. I recommend this band to fans of British rock and roll.

Franz Ferdinand "Do You Want To"


The Frisk, a one and done artist, appear next on the F's via the Rock Against Bush Vol. 1 compilation. The Frisk were a punk band out of California featuring former members of The Criminals and AFI's bass player on drums. The song is a good one, and probably the song I remember most (from a band I hadn't previously heard of). The song is a quick one, and I especially like the guitar work in this song. Other than the interesting guitar work, it's kind of your standard pop punk song. The song seems to have a political undertone, but it's not readily apparent up first listen. The song doesn't have the edge of a lot of older punk rock, but it's still good. I like it, and would recommend it to fans of AFI.

From First to Last are up next, appearing via the A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas!" From First to Last are often described as being a post hard core band, but would probably be described as part of the "emo" movement by detractors. The band switches back and forth between melodic singing and a less melodic yelling of the vocals. The song is a play off of the Christmas staple "12 Days of Christmas," replacing the classic Partridge in a Pear Tree with "My first pair of Saucony's." The song isn't particularly good, it's really hard to understand what the lyrics are whenever the singer does his guttural yell. Fans of this style of music would probably enjoy this song, but I'm not one of them and would recommend skipping this song.

Our final one and done artist of the F's is another from one of the much maligned Metallica tribute albums that are in my iTunes library. This cover of Metallica's "Creeping Death" is done by the band From The Depths. This cover isn't any better than the other terrible covers, once again the instrumentation aspect isn't the worst part of the song, the vocals are. The singer sings with this raspy hiss that is just not enjoyable at all. It feels like he's trying too hard to sound scary and evil by putting on a fake "demon" voice. It ruins the song completely, avoid this song.

Our second to last band of the F's is the Toronto, Ontario band Fucked Up. Fucked Up are a hardcore band who started gaining the attention of music magazines in 2006-2007. They were seen as an answer to post hardcore and a return to something closer to the original sounds of Hardcore. The band members all go by pseudonyms, the lead singer's being "Pink Eye." Pink Eye provides the band with a sound that helps it stand out. His strained yelling/singing make an interesting combination with the more melodic music. The band has an interesting mix of styles, and unique song titles like "Black Albino Bones," and "Crooked Head." My older brother first introduced me to this band back in 2006-2007 when he gave me their debut album Hidden World. The band was a sound I wasn't really familiar with, and I found them interesting. I still find them interesting, they're not one of my favorite bands but are a good listen. If you're a fan of classic hardcore than I suggest you check out Fucked Up.

Fucked Up "Crooked Head"


We end the F's with the classic punk band Fugazi. Fugazi formed in Washington D.C. in 1987. Fugazi featured Ian MacKaye on vocals, and was an intentional departure from his previous work as a hardcore punk artist. Fugazi featured more classic punk sounds, but also incorporated reggae and an odd start and stop song structure. This can be heard very clearly in their most well known song "Waiting Room," which features a complete four second pause twenty one seconds into the song. Ian MacKaye is also well known was being one of the people at the forefront of the Straight Edge movement that advocated clean living free of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. It was antithetical to the common view of the "punk rock" lifestyle which featured excess and hedonism. Ian MacKaye is was also in the well known hardcore band Minor Threat. I like Fugazi, but for a long time I hadn't explored past "Waiting Room," but in High School and starting college, I was very interested in Punk Rock and explored some of the bigger bands of the genre. Fugazi was one of those bands, and I got the album 13 Songs. The album features "Waiting Room," which is my favorite Fugazi song, but the rest of the album features twelve other great tracks. I would suggest Fugazi to fans of Rancid and people interested in exploring punk rock.

Fugazi "Waiting Room"


That brings the F's to a close, and I am glad for it. This took longer than I had expected due to lack of motivation brought on by working close to 40 hours a week, and not wanting to write on work days. I enjoyed listening to the F's, there were a lot of great bands in the F's and also some not so good ones. I hope to have the G's up a whole lot sooner than the F's, so stay tuned. I hope you enjoyed this post, and fell free to leave comments, comments let me know people are reading these posts.