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.