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.