After a little over a month and a half the post for the S's is finally here. It took me a while to get around to writing the S's, a lot of the gap between posts was taken up by my shoulder surgery. I had shoulder surgery to repair a torn muscle in my shoulder, and the recovery had me leaving Louisville and staying with my parents for two weeks. While I recovered from surgery I didn't really have any desire to write, so even though I finished listening to the S playlist a few days before my surgery, I am just now getting around to writing it. It didn't help that the S's have the largest number of artists of any playlist so far. The S's contained 71 artists and just under two days worth of music. The large number of artists meant a long post with a lot of writing, and that was a daunting task. The M's were 26 pages on Microsoft Word and there were 14 fewer artists on that playlist. So if you remember how long that post was, you can imagine how long this one will be. I'll insert breaks, like I did for the M's, every twenty paragraphs. That being settled, let's get to the S's.
Starting off the S playlist is Sahara Hotnights. Sahara Hotnights are a garage rock band from Sweden who rose to popularity at the end of 90's and beginning of the 00's. Their rise to popularity was a precursor to the rise in popularity of other Swedish bands like The Hives and The (International) Noise Conspiracy. The band was formed around the end of 1991 and the beginning of 1992, and in 1995 the band won a battle of the bands competition in which they were awarded studio time. The resulting tracks resulted in a 1997 EP that caught the eye of music executives, and the band was signed to an independent Swedish label. The band's success continued when in 1999 they released their full length debut C'mon Let's Pretend, the album received two Grammy Nominations. The band then became part of the influx of Swedish bands popular in America. The band plays a sound that has been described as a mix of The Ramones, Blondie, and Nirvana. The band's vocals and lyrics are well harmonized and the guitars are fuzzed out and crunchy. The music isn't overly complicated but it is a lot of fun to listen to. I first heard Sahara Hotnights through my older brother, he gave me a few tracks and I liked what I heard. I was a big fan of the catchy yet raw feeling to a lot of their music. I only have the four tracks featured here, but on many occasions I have said to myself I need to expand and buy full albums. I have yet to get around to doing so. I really like Sahara Hotnights and would definitely buy full length albums if I can ever recall to do so. I recommend Sahara Hotnights to fans of bands like The Donnas, The Soviettes, Tsunami Bomb, or The Hives.
Next up we have The Saints, a punk band from Australia who have been largely ignored over the years. The Saints started in the mid 70's and released their first album (I'm) Stranded in 1977. The band came about around the same time as The Ramones and featured a very similar guitar sound to The Ramones. The guitar sound of bands like The Ramones has been described as "buzz-saw" guitar. According to their Wikipedia, the band was actually the first non US punk band to release music. The band began as a group of friends playing rock and roll influenced by artists like Elvis, and The Stooges and mixing in a little Ike &Tina Turner for good measure. The band was largely ignored in Australia, in part due to the demonizing of punk rock by the media. The band was only singed after sending a copy of their single "(I'm) Stranded" to a small British label. The single was shared with major label EMI records and the band was signed by EMI Australia. The debut album (I'm) Stranded gained modest success as did the follow up album Eternally Yours. The original line-up of the band split in 1979 over disagreements on the musical direction of the band, the band had been moving more towards pop punk and pop rock and certain members didn't like the change. The band was eventually inducted into the Australian Recording Industry's Hall of Fame in 2001. The band went through many lineup changes after the split of the original line up, the only constant member being lead singer-songwriter Chris Bailey. I first heard of The Saints through my older brother who put the song "(I'm) Stranded" on an MP3 CD for me, and then I started reading about them in the punk rock forum on Myspace.com sometime around 2006. I was interested in the band so my older brother gave me a copy of the album Eternally Yours. I listened through the album and I really liked what I heard, I was especially a big fan of the opening track "Know Your Product." The song was a manifesto against advertising and the wild and ridiculous claims made in advertising. The opening lines are "got some great new brand of smokes, cool your head and clear your throat, keeps you young and so in touch!" and that's followed by lyrics about advertising lying. The song for me is really driven by a great horn section backing the already high energy and attitude laden lyrics. The rest of the album is really good too, but that song has always stood out for me. I really like The Saints, but I have yet to explore beyond this album.
The Saints "Know Your Product"
After The Saints we leave Australia and come back to the United States with the classic duo of Sam & Dave. Sam and Dave were an American Soul/R&B duo who were active for over twenty years, but had their greatest success in the first decade of their career in the 60's. Sam and Dave are one of the most successful Soul acts of the 60's. During their tenure at Stax Records in the mid and late 60's only Aretha Franklin had more hits. The duo is credited as helping to coin the term Soul to describe their genre of music, the song "Soul Man" is the song credited with helping coin the term. The duo has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, and won numerous Grammies during their career. The duo's songs have become iconic pieces of American Music History, songs like "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Comin' " have been used in numerous movies and television shows over the last four decades or so. I can't recall the first time I heard Sam and Dave but I was pretty young. I grew up listening to songs like "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Comin' " and I continue to listen to these songs today. I really love the call and response style the duo employs, and I love the play between the duo's differing vocal ranges. These songs are just a whole lot of fun and so upbeat you can't help but move in your seat while listening to them. I will continue to enjoy Sam and Dave for a long time to come, these songs are classics.
Following Sam and Dave is another Soul/R&B artist, this time the artist is Sam Cooke. Sam Cooke was an American Soul Singer-Songwriter who gained fame and success in the mid 50's and remained popular until his death in the mid 60's. Cooke was credited as a pioneer of Soul Music, gaining his initial success near the end of the 50's. His influence was felt throughout the Soul genre, and he eventually came to be known as "The King Of Soul." Some of his best known songs and biggest hits were songs like "You Send Me," "A Change Is Gonna Come," and "Wonderful World." Over his brief ten years of success he had 29 Top 40 hits. The song featured here "When I Fall In Love" is a slow love song, it's a beautiful and tender ballad. Cooke's voice really makes the song, the amount of emotion and soul he puts into his voice really makes for a tender and beautiful song. The song isn't the same upbeat Soul tune that a lot of Sam Cooke songs were but it's still a really good song. I can't recall when I first heard Sam Cooke, but many of his songs are classics and so I've probably heard them here and there over the years from my Dad, movies, and TV. I really enjoy Sam Cooke's vocals and it is what really makes this song for me. I will continue to enjoy Sam Cooke whenever I hear his music.
Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs are up after Sam Cooke. The band, led by Sam the Sham, was an American rock band who gained popularity in the mid 60's with the song "Wooly Bully." The band played a classic style of Rock and Roll with some Hispanic influence and campy stage performances. The band played in costumes inspired by Yul Brynner's portrayal of The Pharaoh in The Ten Commandments. The song is a fun, campy, song with exaggerated vocals and a nonsense chorus. The music itself was pretty simple, it was mostly your standard rock and roll backing rhythms with a little saxophone thrown in for good measure. I've never really been familiar with the group, only becoming aware of them when my older brother put this song on my iTunes as part of the sound track for his party celebrating his marriage. I don't recall the song being played then and I can't recall really listening to it before this playlist. It's an amusing song, and one that I won't mind coming back to on occasion just for the camp value of the song.
Up after Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs we have a band with a much shorter name, Saosin. Saosin are an American rock band based out of Newport Beach, California. The band got its start back in 2003 and in its brief 8 year existence has had a good deal of turmoil. The band replaced their lead vocalist after their first EP, and after releasing two full length albums parted with their replacement singer in 2010. The song featured here is "Mookie's Last Christmas," a song written by the band's original lead singer. It's a nice little pop punk tune with not a whole lot to distinguish it. It's got your standard pop punk break down and the standard chord progressions, even the vocals are pretty standard for the genre. The song isn't anything special, I forgot about it before listening to it again for this blog. It comes from the compilation A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas. The song is a little darker and more depressing than most Christmas song, according to the Wikipedia article the song was written about the death of a band member's father. It's nothing special, but it's not terrible.
The first multiple album contributing artist comes up next, The Scissor Sisters. The Scissor Sisters are an American Pop/Disco/Rock band based out of New York City. The Scissor Sisters formed in 2000 when original members Jake Shears and Baby Daddy moved to New York City. Both were heavily involved in the LGBT community and moved to New York for its LGBT friendliness. The two played as a duo with Shears singing and writing lyrics and Baby Daddy composing the music. They added Ana Matronic as a second lead singer when they played a LGBT club she ran events for. The band recorded a two song demo which was largely ignored in the US but gained minor attention in the UK. The band was signed to an English Indie Label, and began gaining popularity for their dance/disco cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." The band released their self titled debut in 2004 and gained international success, but their greatest success was still in the UK where the album went Platinum. Their follow up album Ta-Dah moved the band even further towards the club music/disco side of their music and gained them even greater success, scoring the band their second number one record in the UK. Then in 2010 they released their third album Night Work which wasn't quite as successful, peaking at number 2 in the UK. The band is known as much for their catchy disco revival pop songs as they are for their over the top performances and sexually explicit lyrics. The band's lyrics tend to deal with sexual fantasies, hedonism, and LGBT issues. For example "Take Your Mama" is about coming out of the closet to family members, and "Filthy/Gorgeous" is about transsexual prostitutes. Musically the band takes heavy influence from artists like The Bee Gees, Elton John, Blondie, and David Bowie. Vocally Shears' singing tends to be very high pitched ala Barry Gibbs or richer ala Elton John. Ana Matronic occasionally gets her own solo songs and when she does she makes the best of them in songs like "Kiss You Off," a song about getting out of bad relationships. A relationship where your partner isn't treating you how you deserve to be treated, and then telling your ex to kiss your ass. I first heard the Scissor Sisters around 2004 with the release of their self titled debut. I really liked "Take Your Mama" it was really up beat and a whole lot of fun. I started hearing more about Scissor Sisters and I kept listening to a couple of songs so eventually in 2005 or 2006 I purchased the album. I really liked the entire album, it was full of fun pop dance anthems. I was also glad to hear of their success, there aren't enough openly LGBT friendly bands in the mainstream. I enjoyed the album and then purchased Ta-Dah shortly after that, and once again I enjoyed an album full of fun pop dance anthems. There are occasional ballads thrown in for good measure, but most of the songs are ones that make you want to move. The bass lines tend to be on the funkier side, with quick tempo drum beats and synth lines laced through everything. I bought Night Work in 2010 shortly after its release, and once again enjoyed it. The Scissor Sisters are just pop at its best, and better than 98% of Top 40 artists. The Scissor Sisters are a band I will enjoy for a long time.
Scissor Sisters "Take Your Mama"
A one and done artist follows The Scissor Sisters, and that artist is Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Screamin' Jay Hawkins was an American musician who rose to popularity in the later part of the 1950's with his song "I Put A Spell On You." Hawkins became known for his operatic voice and performances that were often very theatrical due to the fact that Hawkins was also an actor. Hawkins never matched the success of "I Put A Spell On You" again, but continued to produce music and contribute guest spots until his death in 2000. The song "I Put A Spell On You" has become one of the best known rock/soul songs of the past 50+ years. Hawkins' operatic vocal work has become iconic and inspired Rock and Roll and Soul artists alike. I can't remember the first time I heard the song "I Put A Spell On You," but I was pretty young. I remember growing up hearing this song a lot, and I've always enjoyed it. The purely expressive and almost maniacal sound of Hawkins' voice has always been a favorite for me. Very few voices can match the iconic sound of Hawkins' vocals. I can't see myself ever getting tired of listening to this song.
Another full album contribution follows Screamin' Jay Hawkins, this time it comes from Screeching Weasel. Screeching Weasel are an American punk band from Chicago who have had a 25 year career filled with frequent lineup changes and break ups. The band first formed in 1986 after founding members Ben Weasel and John Jughead saw a Ramones show. The band recorded their debut album in one night for 200 dollars and were on their way. The band gained attention in the punk community quickly, and got to open for Operation Ivy in 1988. The band broke up shortly after that in 1989, reforming few years later in 1991. The band then recorded a few more albums and toured extensively before breaking up again in 1994. The band came back together again with a few lineup changes in 1996 and this time they recorded their highest charting album, an album that made a list of rising bands but didn't do a whole lot in the mainstream. The band was no longer touring and performing live during this time and it lead to the bands break up in 2001. The band has reunited briefly two times since then with Ben Weasel and John Jughead being the only constant members, but when the band reformed in its latest incarnation in 2009 Jughead was not included. Screeching Weasel took major influence from bands like The Ramones and Black Flag and those influences are readily apparent in their music. The music is fast paced and the songs are short, and Ben Weasel frequently imitates the vocal style of the Ramones. The band has also been cited as a major influence by many current pop punk bands like Green Day, Blink 182, and Less Than Jake. The band's songs tended to be about things like girls and mental problems. The songs were usually quick and to the point, and often humorous. I first heard of Screeching Weasel back when I started to get into Punk Rock around 2004-2005. I heard their name mentioned numerous times, and my older brother included the several songs on a mix CD he made for me. The songs were my first exposure to Screeching Weasel, songs like "I Wanna Be A Homosexual," and "Kamala's Too Nice." I really like Screeching Weasel's quick pace, and I really enjoy Ben Weasel's vocals. The songs are just a lot of fun and being so quick very easy to listen to. For a couple years I used the song "Radio Blast" as the opening song for my radio show at U of L. I burned the album Kill The Musicians from the radio station, a collection of rare songs, B-Sides, and Live versions of their material. There are so many good songs on the album, and I've listened to it several times over the years when ever I'm in the mood for something quick and aggressive. I've considered purchasing other albums, but for the time being this is the only one I have and I enjoy it quite a bit.
Screeching Weasel "I Wanna Be A Homosexual"
There are two one and done artists before the next full album contribution, the first being Seal. Seal is a British singer-songwriter who rose to fame at the start of the 90's. He received his initial fame from appearing on another artist's track, and then gained success with his self titled 1991 debut. Most of Seal's success came in the UK until the release of Val Kilmer's 1996 Batman Forever. A remixed version of his 1994 song "Kiss From A Rose" was released as the lead track from the movie's soundtrack. The song became a number one hit internationally and earned him a Grammy in 1996. The song features Seal's soulful croon prominently over an assortment of strings and woodwinds. I first heard Seal around 1996 with the release of the movie's soundtrack, I really liked the song. I liked the soulful vocals and the beautiful musical arrangement, and received some generous ribbing for admitting this to others. I'm not as big of a fan of the song now, but it's still an enjoyable enough song. Seal's vocals are beautiful, but the lyrics are a bit over the top and cheesy. It's an enjoyable enough song, but not something I would want to listen to with any kind a frequency.
After Seal is another one and done artist, Second Hand Jive. Second Hand Jive are a relatively obscure band with a small cult following. I couldn't find any information about the band other than a Facebook fan page. According to the biography included on the Fan Page the band formed in 1994, and the band was a musical collaboration between University of Alabama students. The students enjoyed playing together so much that each left their other bands to play together. The band played extensively around Alabama, especially Tuscaloosa. The band began their first national tour the next year in 1995, and after recording a self titled debut and touring for four years the band split in 1999 to pursue other projects. The band reformed in 2001 and have been releasing occasional recordings and playing infrequent live shows ever since. This track comes to the playlist due to the fact that my Parents purchased a Dell Laptop for me when I went to College, and according to the Bio the band's songs have been included on Dell Computers since 2002. It's a nice little acoustic version of a song called "Lucky," and mainly features just acoustic guitars accompanied by light harmonica. The song has a bit of a country flavor to it, mainly due to the Southern twang of the vocalist. It's an enjoyable song, but not particularly memorable.
The next full album comes from Serj Tankian. Serj Tankian is a singer-songwriter, poet, visual artist, actor, and political activist. Serj Tankian rose to fame with his band System of a Down, a band he formed with friends who had attended the same Armenian High School as Tankian. The band gained huge international success, and Tankian became recognized for his distinctive operatic voice. It was this distinct operatic voice that led to him being named one of Hit Parade's Top 100 Metal Vocalists Of All Time. Over their career Serj became well known for his efforts to educate people about the Armenian Genocide that occurred during the first World War. He educated his fans on how The Ottoman Empire systematically tried to get rid of the Christian Armenian population in forced marches and general massacres. After gaining huge international following with System of a Down the band went on hiatus in 2006 and Tankian released his debut solo album Elect The Dead the next year. The album, met with mixed reviews, featured songs very similar to the material he had been performing with System of a Down. Tankian called on film directors to create music videos for each track, the songs "Empty Walls" and "The Unthinking Majority" were released as singles. The songs received moderate play on MTV. Tankian's voice reveals what was most likely classical vocal training in his youth. His voice is very big, very operatic. He knows how to really express himself and work with the music he is singing to. His songs both with System of a Down and as a solo artist tend to deal with Political Activism and Societal Problems and injustices. Musically the music is loud and hard, very much in the style of Heavy Metal. The influence of his Armenian roots shines through frequently in interjected musical elements featured in many of his songs with System of a Down. I first heard of Serj Tankian when I became a fan of System of a Down in 2001 with the release of their second album Toxicity in 2001, and I instantly became a big fan of Serj. His vocals are spectacular, I love is huge operatic vocal performances. He is also a great poet and lyricist. I remained a fan of System of a Down and when they split in 2006. I was disappointed, but I still wanted to hear Tankian's solo album. I went to an event at the University of Louisville in which they were playing the album in its entirety by showing the videos made for each of the songs. I had already heard and seen the videos for "Empty Walls" and "The Unthinking Majority" and I really liked those songs, so I was excited. I was disappointed by what I heard. It just didn't have the same feeling as a System of a Down record, and I had hoped for something a little different than System of a Down. The album felt like a collection of System of a Down B-Sides. I eventually burned the album from the radio station. Now that I've listened to it again a few times over the years I enjoy it more, but it's still not quite as good as his work with System of a Down. I really like Tankian's voice, and I admire his dedication to charity, and political activism. I will enjoy Tankian as lead singer of System of a Down and as a Solo artist for years to come.
Serj Tankian "Empty Walls"
After Serj Tankian is the fictional band Sex Bob-omb. Sex Bob-omb is the band of the title character of the comic series Scott Pilgrim. The series has gained a large following in the comic universe over the years and this following led to the film adaptation Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and that movie's soundtrack is where these songs come from. The songs are written and performed by Beck. The music features heavy distortion over hard hitting drum beats. Vocally Beck's vocals are a distorted version of his standard vocal styling. The songs tend to be quick fuzzed out stompers about girls and relationships, and as Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) yells at the beginning of "Threshold" Sex Bob-omb is here to "make you think about death, and get sad and stuff." I first heard these songs when I saw the movie Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World in theaters. I really liked the songs played by Sex Bob-omb in the movie and I also enjoyed the other songs from the movie so I purchased the movie when it came out on DVD and then I later purchased the soundtrack. The songs by Sex Bob-omb are a lot of fun, and really good for songs that are part of a movie soundtrack. I will mostly be enjoying these songs in the context of the movie, but I will also enjoy them individually on occasion.
Following Sex Bob-omb is the classic British Punk band Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols were an English Punk Rock band formed in response to the American Punk Rock movement and bands like The New York Dolls and The Ramones. The Sex Pistols came about when Malcolm McLaren began managing members of a band called The Strand. Members of the Strand frequently hung out at his clothing shop Sex. When the Ramones came about in 1975 and after briefly managing The New York Dolls McLaren sensed a trend he could latch onto, so he changed the name of his shop to Sex and began selling "S&M inspired anti-fashion." He kicked the lead guitar player of The Strand out of the band and lead singer Steve Jones moved to guitar. McLaren found John Lyndon on the street and convinced the band to take him on as the lead singer, the band agreed despite members commenting that he was an asshole. The band began playing at pubs around different English Universities and built up a following of fans who embraced the fashion sold by Sex. As the band became more and more popular they became more and more controversial/infamous with mainstream British society. The band was harassed for their controversial look and political lyrics dealing with themes about not conforming and hating British society's deference to the Royalty. The band gained a large following and helped spawn the British punk scene that followed, influencing artists like Billy Idol and Siouxsie Sioux. The band only released one album and broke up in 1979 but their influence has spread far and wide since their time and they have come to be considered as one of the seminal bands of the Punk Rock movement. I grew up listening to The Sex Pistols, usually just hearing songs like "God Save The Queen," and "Anarchy In The U.K." I always really liked those songs so when I started really getting into punk around 2004-2006 I picked up Never Mind The Bollocks: Here's The Sex Pistols. The album is full of classic punk rock songs, and The Sex Pistols were a good band despite being pieced together by a shop owner who just wanted to sell his shop. I enjoy the raw simplicity of the music and the attitude and the sneer of Johnny Rotten which comes through in every track. It's great early British punk rock.
Sex Pistols "Anarchy In The UK"
The next two tracks on the playlist come from British Punk Rockers Sham 69. Sham 69 were a British Punk band that formed around 1976 and released four albums before their break up in 1980. Sham 69 was much more working class than many other punk British Punk bands of the time, with most of the other punk bands having Art School backgrounds. This working class/blue collar attitude made them very popular among the Skinhead movements, both right and left wing. The band also included chants as backing vocals, chants like those heard at Football matches. The band's live performances tended to be out of control with violence erupting between the Skinhead factions very frequently. The band stopped performing live after one such concert in 1978. The band enjoyed some minor chart success but never achieved the same level of notoriety as many of the other English Punk Bands. The songs tended to be political, focusing on issues of the working class. One of the songs included on this playlist, "If The Kids United," is a great example of this philosophy. The song's chorus features a chant of "If The Kids Are United, They Will Never Be Divided." I first heard of Sham 69 when I began exploring deeper into punk rock. I had heard about them but didn't actually hear any of their music until my older brother gave me the box set No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion. The songs were two of the songs to stand out for me, I really liked the chanting backing vocals in "If The Kids Are United." The music isn't groundbreaking, they generally feature your standard three punk rock chords, but the songs are still really good overall. I enjoy these songs, but I'm not sure if I'll explore further. For now I will continue to enjoy these two songs.
The next few songs come from the popular 60's pop girl group The Shangri-Las. The Shangri-Las were formed in Queens, New York in 1963 by two sets of sisters. The group all still in High School gained some initial success with their pop tunes, and this led to them being offered a record deal a year later. Since all members were minors (15, 16, and 17) the contract was signed by their parents. The group quickly gained popularity with the song "Remember (Walking In The Sand)" which went to #5 in the US and #14 in the UK. After that they had a number one hit with "Leader Of The Pack," which went to #1 in the US. The groups background and lyrical themes led them to be perceived as the "bad girls" of the girl group genre. Their lyrics tended to be more street smart, and deal with themes on bad boys, love, and running away with your boyfriend. They broke up in 1968 after the record label folded and they couldn't find success on a new label. They enjoyed a resurgence of popularity when several of their tracks were reissued in the UK, and they reunited for a few one off shows but remained broken up long term. They are frequently cited as one of the best groups of the girl group era. I first heard The Shangri-Las through my older brother who is a big fan of the girl group genre. He gave me all of these tracks, and I really enjoy all of them. The lead singer playing off the backing harmonies works really well, and the bad girl themes are really fun too. I enjoy girl groups, probably not as much as my brother, but I enjoy them none the less.
After The Shangri-Las is the band She Wants Revenge. She Wants Revenge is a duo based out of the San Fernando Valley in California. The duo both had extensive solo careers covering a wide variety of genres before coming together in 2006 to form She Wants Revenge. She Wants Revenge instantly gained popularity with songs like "Tear You Apart" and "These Things" getting frequent play on MTV and MTVU. The band draws on many musical influences which has led to a bit of trouble classifying them, musically they are electronics/synthesizer based with drum machines and synthesizers over live guitar work. Vocally they've been compared to Joy Division and Interpol due to the monotone baritone used by both singers that is very similar to that of Joy Division's Ian Curtis. This electronic sound has been classified as Post-Punk Revival and Dark wave, Dark Wave being 80's New Wave music which featured darker lyrical content. The lyrics of She Wants Revenge tend to deal with love, troubled relationships, sexual themes, and violent imagery. Songs like "Tear You Apart" are good examples of this. The band has released three albums to date, each a little different but keeping the same general musical theme. The songs tend to feature dance music style, New Wave, programming and beats, but the vocals in their dark baritone give the music a darker tone than most dance music. I first heard of She Wants Revenge back in 2006 with the release of their self titled debut. I really liked the song "Tear You Apart" and I burned the album from the radio station when we got it in. I thought the rest of the album was OK, not great. I listened to it a few times and a few tracks like "Tear You Apart" and "These Things" stood out. Listening to it again over the years I've enjoyed it more than that initial listen, I like the mix of dance music programming with sullen baritone. I've listened to this album a few times over the years, but not with any kind of regularity. This is likely to continue into the future, I may listen to the album here and there but not frequently.
She Wants Revenge "Tear You Apart"
Another full album contribution is up next, this time it is from Shiny Toy Guns. The Shiny Toy Gun are an American indie rock band out of Los Angles. The band formed in 2002 but didn't release their final version of their first album until 2006 due to the fact that they rerecorded it each time they moved labels, which was twice. The album gained them some attention in the alternative rock community with three songs charting on the Alternative Music Charts, and the album got nominated for a Grammy. The band lost the Grammy for best Electronic/Dance Album to the Chemical Brothers. After the first album original female vocalist Carah Charnow was replaced with current female vocalist Sisely Treasure. The band released their second album in 2008 and had two of the singles chart on the Alternative Chart. The band plays a mix of alternative guitar rock and dance music, they feature live instrumentation with keyboards and synthesizers mixed in throughout. The vocals tend to be the male and female leads taking turns, playing off each other, and harmonizing together. I first heard of Shiny Toy Guns back in 2006 with the release of the final version of their debut album. I saw the video for the album's first single "Le Disko" and I liked the song. The song featured heavy synthesizer use and featured the vocals of Carah Charnow exclusively. I liked the song but not enough to buy the album, and I forgot about the band until I saw their second album Season Of Poison at the radio station in 2008. I downloaded "Le Disko" from iTunes and then added the album to my iTunes. After my first listen I wasn't a fan, I still liked "Le Disko" but the actual album was not very good. I just didn't like the songs, the arrangement was too bland, featuring your standard "alternative rock" guitar. The vocals are ok, but again nothing special to make them really stand out. I didn't listen to them again, aside from "Le Disko" on occasion, and upon listening to the album again for this playlist my opinion hasn't changed. I'm still not a fan of the full album, it's just too mellow dramatic and not very good. I think I'll stick to "Le Disko" and skip the rest, I suggest you do the same.
Shiny Toy Guns "Le Disko"
After Shiny Toy Guns we have two songs from our next artist, The Shirelles. The Shirelles were an American Pop Girl Group who formed in New Jersey near the end of the 50's. The members came all went to High School together and got to audition for a friend's Mother's small record label. The label got one of their songs licensed by a larger label, but they didn't start to have real success until around 1960. The song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" shot to number one on the pop charts and made them the first all female group to do so. The band also became a hit in the U.K. scoring several hits there as well, later during the British Invasion bands like the Beatles covered their songs. The band scored several hits with songs like "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "Baby It's You," and "Dedicated To The One I Love." Despite their success their career effectively came to an end in 1964 when they were involved in a legal battle with their label. The result meant that they were still bound to a label that they had parted company with. They recorded a few more songs but those barely touched the charts, the last charting song being in 1967. The band features the classic girl group style of a lead vocalist backed by three other female vocalists singing harmony. Their arrangements at time tended to be very string heavy and this became part of their signature sound. I can't say when I first heard The Shirelles, I probably heard a cover version of one of their songs before I heard the originals. There is a very real possibility that I did not listen to the Shirelles' version until around 2006 when my brother put the songs on my computer for the party celebrating his wedding. I enjoy girl groups, and these songs are great examples of the genre. They've got that classic interplay of voices and very pretty musical arrangements. I like these songs.
Next up we have one track from the American hard core band Sick Of It All. Sick Of It All formed in Queens, New York in 1986 during a period that was considered to be a decline in the hardcore scene. The band got signed to an indie label and released their album in 1987. The album achieved minor success outside of the hardcore scene, their second album released in 1992 gained them more attention. The band's second release in 1992 got the signed to a Major Label, they released their major label debut album in 1994. The band achieved minor success with the label, releasing one more album on the label before going to Fat Wreck Chords in 1998. The label released their next three albums before dropping them. The band plays the furious paced style of punk rock that is standard in Hardcore. Like a lot of other Hardcore bands of the time the vocals alternated between screaming and your standard punk growl. The instrumentation isn't anything groundbreaking but works well for the genre. I first became aware of Sick Of It All when I got this song on the Rock Against Bush Vol. 2, compilation. It wasn't a song that really stood out for me, and I've never been a humungous fan of hardcore. It's a good song, but not that different from your standard hardcore sound.
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BREAK!!!
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Up after the break is another shitty cover of a Metallica song. This time it is by the band Sickness. I couldn't find anything about Sickness on Wikipedia so this will be nice and sweet. The song is a cover of the Metallica song "The Eye Of The Beholder" from their classic album ...And Justice For All. The cover completely butchers the song. The vocals alone are enough to ruin this song, as I've mentioned numerous times on this blog I can't stand that guttural growling vocal style that seemed to get really popular in the late 90's and early 00's. Musically the cover is OK, but nothing spectacular since they don't really vary from the original. The only problem musically is the addition of the double bass to the drums, there is no double bass in the original and the double bass does not add to the song in a good way. It's just bad from the start, and then a second higher yelling voice comes in on the chorus. Skip this song, avoid it like a Sickness.
Another one and done artist follows Sickness on the playlist, that band is Silos. Silos are an Alternative Country/ Country Rock band that was formed in 1985 in New York City. The band was a partnership between two core musicians who then filled the rest of the band in around themselves. The band was signed to an independent label and released their debut in 1986. The album was warmly received by critics, as was the album that followed the next year. The band's second album gained them the attention of RCA Records and the band released their Major Label debut in 1990 to warm reviews. Shortly after that the partners split, with one member buying the rights to the band name and continuing on. The song featured here is "Holding On To Life" and is a nice Country Rock song. The guitar work on the song is very reminiscent of the guitar work that would later become the signature sound for the band Cake. The song then moves into the main body with a female vocalist harmonizing and the rhythm section becoming more prominent. There is a certain country music twang in the vocals, it's a style very common to a lot of rock bands that infuse their music with Country influences. It's an enjoyable song, one that I wasn't familiar with before this blog. I'm guessing this song came with my computer, because I don't recall ever adding it to my iTunes. It's a nice song with a great Country Rock feel, I like the guitar work because it reminds me a lot of Cake who I enjoy. Probably won't come back to this often, but won't mind hearing it in Shuffle.
The Silversun Pickups follow Silos, contributing two full length albums and an EP to this playlist. The Silversun Pickups are an American Rock band who began in 2002 in Los Angles. The band gained a following in the LA club scene which gained them the attention of Indie label Dangerbird, and lead to the band's debut EP Pikul in 2005. The band released their full length debut Carnavas the next year, the lead singles being "Lazy Eye" and "Well Thought Out Twinkles." The album gained them mainstream attention with both singles gaining Mainstream Alternative Radio play as well as rotation on MTV and MTVU. The band toured extensively both nationally and internationally with bands like Muse and the Foo Fighters. The band followed the success of Carnavas with the release of 2008's Swoon. The album was well received, and debuted at #7 on the charts. The album was led by the single "Panic Switch" which received heavy radio play as well as MTV and MTVU play. The band is known for their style of looping and overdubbing heavily distorted guitar on top of a crisper guitar sound. Their musical sound is frequently compared to The Smashing Pumpkins. The band is also known for lead singer Brian Auberts ethereal and breathless vocal style. Their songs range from straightforward mid tempo rock to slow delicate ballads. I first heard The Silversun Pickups back in 2006 around the time Carnavas was released. I heard the song "Lazy Eye" when I saw the video on MTVU, and I really liked what I heard. After hearing the song a few more times I picked up Carnavas. I really liked the album, every song was a good one, and I listened to it on repeat for quite a while. Then in 2008 I heard the single "Panic Switch" and I was once again a big fan. I bough Swoon when it came out and I was not disappointed, it was another album full of great fuzzed out mid tempo rock songs. I really enjoy the heavy fuzz of the overdubbed guitar mixed with prominent bass lines and Auberts breathy swooning vocals. The Silversun Pickups are just really pleasant to listen to, they can get heavier at times but not so heavy that it's drastically out of character. Silversun Pickups are music for when you're in a good mood. I plan to continue listen The Silversun Pickups for a while, and look forward to hearing new music from them. Fans of Modest Mouse and Smashing Pumpkins will probably enjoy The Silversun Pickups.
Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye"
After The Silversun Pickups and before our next full album contribution is a band called The Sinners. I couldn't find any information on The Sinners except a Facebook fan page, but the only problem is The Sinners isn't a particularly unique name. I'm guessing this is the right band. The Sinners were a Swedish Rock band that formed around 1983. The band achieved some moderate success in Sweden and abroad in Europe. The band released their first full length in 1986 and toured through Sweden extensively and in also toured in France. The band was apparently named Sweden's best rock band in 1992 and also nominated for a Grammy. The song featured here is a cover of the song "Barbed Wire Heart," I can't find a name for the original artist. The song is a really nice classic rock style song, very much in the style of early rock bands of the psychedelic era of the mid 60's. It's got really nice harmonies on the chorus, and nice instrumentation. I wasn't familiar with this song before this blog, even though the song has been on my computer for 5 years. The song came from the party for my brother's wedding five years ago. It's a pleasant song, and enjoyable but I don't think I'll be coming back to it often.
Following The Sinners is Siouxsie & The Banshees. Siouxsie & The Banshees were a British avant-garde/punk/ post punk band from Britain who started around 1977. The founding duo of Siouxsie Sue and bass player Steven Severin played a spur of the moment/impromptu set during a Sex Pistols show in 1976, but didn't start performing as Siouxsie & The Banshees until the next year. The band was initially part of the punk scene but quickly moved away from punk. They began playing clubs regularly and gained a large following but wouldn't sign to a label until they got their desired creative control over their music. Shortly after signing with Polydor Records in 1978 the band released the single "Hong Kong Garden," which was unusual in its featuring of the xylophone but still reached the Top 10 in the UK. The band released their first album the same year and their second the following year. Their third album was where they found their greatest success, the album peaked at #7 on the UK Charts. The band had a hard time keeping guitar players and would frequently call on the services of The Cure's Robert Smith to fill in. The band released eight more albums, almost everyone received high critical praise and adoration. The band disbanded in 1996 after Polydor Records dropped them in 1995. Siouxsie & the Banshees have been cited as one of the greatest post punk bands of the 70's, and as a huge influence on the Goth Rock movement and bands like The Cure. Siouxsie & the Banshees liked to explore different musical styles and each record had its own flavor and influences. Siouxsie & the Banshees have been cited as a major influence on bands like Radiohead and The Gossip. The album featured here is a collection of singles from the band that I picked up from the radio station several years ago. I had heard a lot of praise for Siouxsie & the Banshees and I was really interested in hearing their music so I picked up this CD from the radio station. I put it on my computer and listened to a couple tracks and wasn't really big on what I heard so I put it on the backburner to listen to later. It wasn't until probably a year or two ago that I finally really listened to the album, this time I was more impressed. I really enjoyed the different styles at work, and the dramatic feeling the music exudes. I enjoy how much effort the band put into making their music diverse and rich. I really enjoy Siouxsie Sue's voice and her voice and the arrangement behind her feel like an early version of Bat For Lashes. I can definitely see a lot of Siouxsie & the Banshees influence in Bat For Lashes' music. I seem to enjoy this album more each time I hear it, so I will definitely keep listening to it.
Siouxsie & the Banshees "Hong Kong Gardens"
In between full album contributors is the one and done artist The Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Mercy are an English Gothic Rock band that gained popularity in the 80's. The band started out as a joke in 1979, according to the biography on Wikipedia the founding members Gary Marx and Andrew Eldritch started the band out of a desire to hear themselves on the radio. The duo released a single in 1979, but the band didn't flesh out its lineup until 1981 when they added a guitar player and Eldritch moved to lead singer and guitar player and was replaced on drums by a drum machine he named "Doktor Avalanche." The band began playing at Universities around England the band released several singles and an EP that found success in the Indie charts before releasing their first full length album in 1985. The band split shortly after the release of the record, with founding member Gary Max citing an inability to work with Eldritch. Eldritch continued on with the other band members and with a continually rotating cast of musicians released two more Sisters of Mercy records in 1987 and 1990 respectively. The band then became embroiled in a dispute with Time Warner Records over royalties, and the band stopped recording new material in protest. The band has continued as a touring act, but have not recorded any new material since the dispute. The song featured here "This Corrosion" starts off with some hymnal singing very much in the style of their name, and then quickly breaks into a synth heavy tune with a steady beat. The bass line pulses while the guitar comes in and out over top. Over all is Eldritch melodramatic baritone. I hadn't heard of The Sisters of Mercy before hearing this song on Left of the Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. It's an interesting song, very dramatic and theatrical. The beat is steady and the synth is pretty standard eighties Goth Rock. The song wasn't one I remembered well from the Box Set, but it had a faint air of recognition when I listened to it for the blog. That recognition may be due to hearing a lot of similar sounding 80's New Wave/ Goth Rock bands. It's an alright song, but not something I would look deeper into.
The next artist contributes several albums to the playlist's, that band is Sleater-Kinney. Sleater-Kinney were an American rock band who formed in Olympia, Washington but were based out of Portland, Oregon for the majority of their run. Sleater-Kinney formed in 1994 as part of the riot grrrl movement happening in Olympia at the time. Riot grrrl was a movement that advocated girl power, it encouraged girls to come to the front at shows and express themselves musically. Sleater-Kinney founding member Corin Tucker had formerly been a part of the band Heavens to Betsy, one of the original riot grrrl bands. The band released their self titled debut in 1994 and quickly gained a following among the last remnants of the riot grrrls. They began gaining more popularity with their 1996 follow up album Call The Doctor and its follow-up 1997's Dig Me Out. This popularity led to the band touring with Pearl Jam after the release of 2002's One Beat. Their last album The Woods was the culmination of their rise into mainstream popularity, the album was a departure from their usual sound opting more for a classic rock inspired album. Their music tended to be stripped down and featured themes dealing with gender roles, feminism, anti-war sentiment, and consumerism. A great example of these lyrical theme is the song "Youth Decay" from the album All Hands On The Bad One. The song's features lyrics with themes of an abusive father, a Dad claiming "she's got her Momma's mouth" and also makes mention of being good at playing dead. Musically the arrangement tended to feature lightly distorted higher tone notes with Corin Tucker's high intense warble cutting through everything. I first heard Sleater-Kinney around 1996, my younger brother was given the bands third album One Beat. We both really enjoyed this album, but after that I didn't really listen to much Sleater-Kinney. I heard about them here and there in music magazines but I didn't really start listening to them again until my Dad got The Woods in 2005. I eventually burned the album from my Dad and enjoyed Sleater-Kinney once again, and enjoying that album inspired me to go and burn All Hands On The Band Ones and Dig Me Out from the radio station. I really enjoyed both albums, both were really good albums and they made my appreciation for Sleater-Kinney grow. After enjoying those albums quite a bit I found One Beat lying around my younger brother's old room and put that in my iTunes as well. I really enjoy Sleater-Kinney's music and Corin Tucker has one of the coolest, most unique voices in Rock and Roll. I will enjoy Sleater-Kinney for a long time, and hope that they reform. In the mean time I'll check out founding member Carrie Brownstein's new band Wild Flag.
Sleater-Kinney "You're No Rock and Roll Fun"
Following Sleater-Kinney is Sleigh Bells, one of the breakout bands of 2010. Sleigh Bells are a noise rock band from Brooklyn, New York. The band comprising of Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss got its start in 2008 due to Miller casually mentioning a project he was working on to Krauss and her mother while he was waiting on their table. Miller formerly of the band Poison The Well mentioned he was looking for a female vocalist for a new project, Krauss' mother volunteered her. The two started playing together and quickly gained the attention of rapper M.I.A who signed them to her N.E.E.T. Recordings label. The duo quickly recorded a debut EP, this EP gained the attention of notable publications like The New York Times, Pitchfork, and The Guardian. The band released their full length debut Treats the next year to very positive reviews from the music media. The band toured music festivals and gained even more of a following. Several of their songs from Treats were licensed out for commercials for Gossip Girl, EA Sports FIFA 12, and MTV's Skins. The duo gained attention for their unique sound, a sound that was widely praised for its originality. The groups sound consists of Miller programming hip hop style beats and over top Miller plays heavily distorted guitar. The guitar style is usually a mix of hardcore and metal influences. Over top all of this Krauss sweetly sings with a light and sweet voice providing great contrast to the heavy beats and guitar playing behind her. I first heard of Sleigh Bells when I read about them in Spin Magazine in 2010. The duo was getting a lot of hype, and the way their sound was described intrigued me. I checked them out and instantly liked what I heard. The lead single "Tell 'Em" starts out the album and helps the album to come out swinging. The huge drum beats with the loud fuzzed out guitar riffs come strong and Krauss ties it all together. I purchased the album and I was not disappointed with the rest of the album, every song was strong some not as much as other but all good. I've been listening to Treats with great frequency for the past year and I don't plan to stop anytime soon. This album, this band, is too good to step away from for very long.
Sleigh Bells "Riot Rhythm"
There are two one and done artists before the next full album contribution, the first being The Slits. The Slits were a short lived British Punk band who formed near the start of the British Punk Movement in 1976. The group started out as an all girl Punk Band but had several lineup changes in their brief history, so they weren't always all girls but were usually billed as such. The group came together and got a quick start. By 1977 the band was supporting The Clash on their White Riot tour, a tour that also included The Buzzcocks. On their 1979 full length debut The Slits quickly move away from the loud raw sound of punk rock and began experimenting with reggae rhythms, and scratchy guitars, producing a more polished sound. The band's lyrics tended to express anger or desire to make mischief, one the songs on this playlist "Typical Girl" is a denouncement of gender roles and stereotypes. As the 80's began the band started to play music that was a bit more avant-garde, the band released a few singles, a tape of demos, and a second full length album in 1982. The band broke up shortly after the release of their second album. Despite their brief career The Slits are widely revered in the punk rock community and were one of the bands that had a large influence on the riot grrrl movement of the early 90's. The bands importance was very apparent after the death of lead singer Ari Up and the large outpouring of sadness after her death from cancer in October of 2010. I first heard of The Slits when my older brother made me an MP3 CD back around 2003-2004. The Slits were on the mix CD, but the song didn't really stand out for me at the time. I heard a lot about The Slits over the next few years as I began exploring Punk Rock, but I didn't really explore their music. My older brother gave me No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion and the box set included The Slits' song "Typical Girl," I like the song, but with so many songs it was hard to remember all of them. I enjoyed this song when I listened to it again for this blog. I really like the song lyrically, and Ari Up's vocals are really good. The Slits are a band I should have looked further into but never did.
The second one and done artist before the next full album contribution is Sly and the Family Stone. Sly and the Family Stone were an American Funk Rock band formed in 1967, and considered revolutionary for their time. Sly and the Family Stone started when brothers Sly and Freddie Stone combined their respective bands together. The band started gaining attention quickly when they released their 1968 single "Dance To The Music," from there the band went on the score a number of Top 10 hits, and be a great crossover success. The group featured a multi-racial line up and also featured women instrumentalists, both of which were revolutionary in the 60's and early 70's. Most of the time bands were strictly one ethnicity, and in rock and funk women were typically backing vocalists or providing visual accompaniment. The band's sound reflected its integration. The band's vocals were typically Gospel styled vocals, and musically they played a mix of funk and rock and roll. The bass lines were bouncy but fuzzed out. The band also featured wild costuming and tight leather outfits. Sly and the Family Stone went until 1983 when Sly Stone was arrested for Cocaine Possession, he went to rehab and ended the band. I'm not sure when I first heard Sly and the Family Stone, but I was pretty young I imagine. My Dad is a big fan of 70's Funk and Soul so I probably heard the group a few times while growing up. The song featured here, "Higher," is a really fun Funk Rock song. I enjoy the different dynamics at play in the music, and the range of influences present. Sly and the Family Stone are a fun listen.
The Smashing Pumpkins are up next with their Greatest Hits CD Rotten Apples. The Smashing Pumpkins are an Alternative Rock band based out of Chicago. The band led by lead singer and guitar player Billy Corgan began as a duo and a drum machine in 1988, filling out their lineup soon after. Initially a Cure style Goth rock band, the style changed with the addition of a drummer who only played Jazz and had little experience with Alternative Rock. The band quickly gained a following in Chicago, they released several singles which quickly sold out. The band was tumultuous from the start with Corgan attempting to control the process in order to get the sound he wanted. The problems really started with the recording of their 1991 debut Gish. In order to get the sound he wanted Corgan played all of the bass and guitar lines himself. As if that didn't cause enough tension drummer Jimmy Chamberlin developed narcotic and alcohol addictions, Corgan was suffering from depression and living in a Parking Garage, and guitar player James Iha and bass player D'arcy Wretzky went through a nasty breakup. The album and the EP that quickly followed gained the band enough attention to be signed to the major label Virgin Records in 1991. The band started gaining more attention after the release of their second album Siamese Dream in 1993. Much to Corgan's chagrin some of the attention came due to the popularity of the Grunge movement in Rock. The band began drawing comparisons to Pearl Jam and Nirvana. The band broke with its second major label album, selling over four million copies and debuting at #10. The album also drew more towards the mainstream, much to the ire of other popular indie bands who widely criticized the band. The single "Cherub Rock" addressed this criticism, and became one of the band's most popular songs. The band went back into the studio and released their most successful album Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in 1995. The album was a double album containing twenty eight songs, it produced five singles. Four of the singles, "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "1979," "Zero," and "Tonight, Tonight," were certified Gold. The band toured extensively and were considered one of the most popular rock bands of the time, even appearing in an episode of The Simpsons. The band parted ways with drummer Chamberlin after he and the touring keyboard player overdosed on Heroin while on tour in Ireland. The keyboard player died, and Chamberlin was arrested for possession. The Smashing Pumpkins moved to a more electronic based Goth Rock sound with their next album in 1997, but went back to more straightforward rock with 1999's Machina/The Machines of God. When the album failed to achieve the same success as their previous albums the band called it quits in 2000. The Smashing Pumpkins are widely regarded as one of the best Alternative Rock bands of the 90's and their popularity is still very evident. Songs like "Cherub Rock" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" are still in heavy rotation on Alternative Rock Radio. Corgan's lyrics tend to be very dark and full of sorrow, in large part to the fact that Corgan was constantly battling depression throughout the band's career. This depression came through in the music and lyrics and songs like "1979" are frequently used in movies when a character is facing a challenge, and is having a sad introspective moment. Corgan came to be seen as controlling and tyrannical for his attempts to control every piece of the band and his tendency to record all the guitar and bass parts himself. The band reformed around 2006 with Corgan the only remaining original member. I first heard The Smashing Pumpkins through Alternative Rock Radio in the 90's. I heard all of the songs previously mentioned in the paragraph on the radio and became a fan of what I was hearing. I liked the songs but never bough any albums, and then I stumbled across a copy of the Best of CD Rotten Apples at my local library in the early 00's and burned the CD for myself. I really enjoy this best of album, there are so many good songs. There are of course the songs that everybody knows from Alternative Rock radio, but there are also lesser known songs and it is a great representation of the different eras in their music. I still sing along to The Smashing Pumpkins whenever I hear their songs on Alternative Rock Radio, they were a great 90's Rock band.
Smashing Pumpkins "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
After a long paragraph like that there is a bit of a break with the one and done artist The Smithereens. The Smithereens are a New Jersey based American Rock band who got their start in 1980. The band made up of three High School friends started playing together and then added a vocalist and second guitar player. They played in relative obscurity until their song "Blood and Roses" was used in the soundtrack for the movie Dangerously Close. The song gained moderate play on MTV and was featured in a few 80's TV shows. The group's musical style was a 60's Power Pop/Garage Rock inspired sound that drew criticism for sounding too much like The Beatles. The band had its greatest success in 1990 when their new album broke the Top 50 on the charts. The band still tours regularly. The band's sound is very much 60's retro, with a lot of similarities to bands like The Kinks and Elvis Costello. I hadn't heard of The Smithereens before hearing "Behind The Wall of Sleep" on Left of the Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. Even after hearing it I didn't remember it when I listened to it again for this blog. It's a good song that would be right at home in the 60's, but it would be at home as your standard 60's rock song not as a standout track from the era. It's a forgettable song, but not because it's terrible just because it's pretty standard.
The Smiths are up next, contributing two albums to the playlist. The Smiths were an English Alternative Rock band that formed in 1982 with Morrissey on vocals and Johnny Marr on Guitar. The band quickly added a drummer and a bass player, and began playing local clubs. According to Morrissey the band's name was a response to the complicated names of New Wave bands of the early 80's (i.e. Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark) and Smith being the most plain and common last name. The band released their first single in 1983 but it was largely unsuccessful despite being championed by British DJ John Peel. Their next single "This Charming Man" fared better, reaching #25 on the British charts. The band released their self titled debut the next year gaining them even more attention, the album went to #2. The band released several individual singles before the release of their next album Meat Is Murder in 1985. The album was decidedly more political in nature then their debut and dealt with themes such as pro-vegetarianism, and anti-corporal punishment. The band also added a wider range of musical styling into the CD. The CD was their most successful, and the only one that reached #1 on the charts. Despite their chart success the band still wasn't considered widely popular in England, they stirred up a lot of controversy so opinions were split. The band released two more moderately successful albums before they broke up in 1987 due to tension between Morrissey and Marr, the tension was over Marr working with other musicians. The band achieved even greater success after their break up and developed a large cult following in the indie rock community. They are now seen by many as one of the most important Indie Rock bands of the 80's. The band's songs have been featured in movies and on TV over the years, helping boost their cult status. Morrissey went on to have a successful solo career and Johnny Marr worked with numerous different musicians over the years offering his services to a large range of artists. In 2007 Marr joined Modest Mouse. Morrissey and Marr's contributions to the music are both cited as the reason for the band's success. Morrissey's breathy vocals mixed with Marr's acoustic style guitar lines and his prominent melodies. I first heard of The Smith's from my brothers, both of whom were fans and shared the band's music with me. I really enjoy The Smiths, their songs are really well written. Songs like "This Charming Man" are Indie rock classics. I can't see myself not enjoying The Smiths anytime soon.
The Smiths "This Charming Man"
There are two one and done artists on the playlist before the next full album contribution, the first being Smoke or Fire. Smoke or Fire are a Richmond, Virginia based pop punk band who got started in 1998. The band originally called Jericho changed their name to Jericho RVA after a 70's Christian band of the same name asked them to stop using the name. The band still faced criticism for their new name with Christians calling it blasphemous, so after their 2003 EP got them signed to Fat Wreck Chords the band became Smoke or Water. The band released their first full length in 2005, releasing two subsequent albums in 2007 and 2010 respectively. Their sound is pop punk, with quick punk rock style guitar work but with harmonized vocals in the chorus of the song. I first became aware of Smoke or Water around 2005-06 when I picked up a Fat Wreck Chords sampler CD at the Van's Warped Tour. I didn't really remember this song specifically, it has a sound very similar to a lot of the other bands on Fat Wreck Chords. I enjoy the Fat Wreck Chords sound less than I used to, this song included.
The second one and done artist is Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles started as a doo-wop group formed by Robinson with four of his friends, but two of those friends were quickly replaced by Robinson's cousins. One of the cousins was drafted into the Korean War in 1956 and was replaced by his sister. The band, then called The Matadors, made an impression on Detroit songwriter Berry Gordy who agreed to manage the band. Gordy also founded the group's record label Motown Records. The group became The Miracles and began by recording a single written by Gordy, but the single failed to chart. The group's next single was written by Gordy and Robinson and cracked the Billboard Hot 100. As the Motown Label's sound began to develop in 1960 the group scored their first big success when their single "Shop Around" reached number one on the national R&B charts. The band went on to produce a large number of charting singles over the next few years and they became a National sensation by 1965. The members of the Miracles also achieved success writing songs for Motown label mates. In 1965, the popularity of Smokey Robinson as the group's front man led the group the change their name from The Miracles to Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. The group experienced a decline in popularity in the late 60's but then struck again with their most successful single "Tears of a Clown." In 1971 Smokey Robinson left to concentrate on his family and being Vice President of Motown Records. The band added new members and briefly reunited with Robinson near the beginning of the 80's but ultimately disbanded. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles are widely regarded as one of the greatest groups of the Motown Era. I grew up listening to Smokey Robinson, my Dad had several albums and so they were always around. I really love Smokey's voice, his voice is iconic. As stated on previous posts I have a soft spot for Soul and Motown and The Miracles are a big part of that soft spot.
After Smokey Robinson & The Miracles comes Social Distortion. Social Distortion are an American Punk Rock band who in 1978 formed in Orange County, California. The band was put together by front man Mike Ness who decided to start the band after being inspired by British Punk and Blues Rock like The Rolling Stones. The group changed members a few times before releasing their first single in 1981, the song was featured on a local radio show the frequently played Orange County punk bands but otherwise failed to draw much notice. In 1983 the band released their full length debut Mommy's Little Monster, and began to draw the notice of the National Punk scene. The band toured constantly and Ness developed a heroin addiction that would lead the band to go on hiatus in 1985 while Ness went into rehab. In 1986 the band reformed and began playing shows again, and two years later released their second album. The album debuted the new sound that would become the band's signature sound. The new album had a very pronounced Country/Western flavor and to the band eventually being labeled as "cow punk." The album got them even more national attention and after leaving their original label they signed a major label contract with Epic Records. The band's major label debut came with their self titled 1990 album, the album was more successful then both previous albums. The band then released Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell in 1992. The album, featured on this playlist, became their most popular album to date. The band released their follow up in 1995 and then went on hiatus after two years of touring in 1997. During the hiatus Ness struck out as a solo artist. During the hiatus the band's original rhythm guitar player Dennis Danell died of a brain aneurysm. The band reformed in 2000, touring constantly and not releasing their next album until 2004's Sex, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll (also featured on this playlist). The band released their most recent album in 2011. Social Distortion is well known for their Country/Western flavor mixed with Orange County Punk. I first became aware of Social Distortion around 2004 when I heard the lead single "Reach For The Sky" from 2004's Sex, Love, and Rock 'n' Roll. I really liked the mix of rockabilly, country, blues, and punk so I purchased the album. I was a big fan of the album, I like the mix of styles and especially enjoyed Ness' vocals. Ness' voice has a gritty solid quality to it that I really like. Social Distortion are dismissed by a lot of original punk fans but they are a great example of the evolution that came from the original punk sound. A few years later I found a copy of Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell at the radio station and added it to my iTunes. I liked that album a lot too, maybe a bit more than the previous. Both albums have a lot of great songs, and I don't listen to Social Distortion a lot, but I do enjoy them from time to time.
Social Distortion "Ball and Chain"
Once again there are two one and done artists before the next full album contribution, this time the first of the two is The Soft Boys. The Soft Boys were a short lived British pop/post punk/ neo psychedelia band that first came together in 1976. The band featured several lineup changes during their first couple of years before finally releasing their one and only album in 1980. The band broke up right after the release of their first and only album. The group played a style that was a mix of psychedelic rock and folk rock, and this sound led them to be associated with the neo-psychedelia music scene. I hadn't heard of The Soft Boys before I was given No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion, and I didn't remember the song when listening to it for this blog. It's an interesting song, very pop oriented and not really punk. It's an enjoyable song that doesn't really fit in with the rest of the box set in my opinion. It definitely has a bit of a psychedelic rock feel to it that's enjoyable but not particularly memorable for me.
After The Soft Boys come Something Corporate. Something Corporate are an American Rock band based out of Orange County California. The band came together in 1998 when three members of a previous Orange County band added two guitar players to form Something Corporate. The band quickly recorded a few demos and gained the attention of major label MCA Records and their subsidiary Drive-Thru Records. The band released their debut EP in 2001 and their full length debut in 2002. The band achieved moderate success and charted on the list of 200 Hot Bands. The band achieved more success with their second album in 2003. The album debuted at 24 and after touring behind the album for a year the band went on Hiatus in 2004. Lead singer Andrew McMahon left to work on his side project Jack's Mannequin and achieved success with the group. The group reunited in 2010. The song featured here comes to the playlist from the compilation A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas, and the song featured is "Forget December." The song is about missing the memory of previous Christmas family gathering, and expressing loneliness and regret over being alone on Christmas. The song it very much Radio Rock, the music isn't overly complicated and the lyrics fit well with the "emo" movement popularized by bands like Dashboard Confessional. McMahon's vocals are very emotional and expressive, and the song is enjoyable for what it is. I've never been a big fan of Something Corporate, and this song doesn't change my mind despite the fact that I enjoy it.
Up next and contributing three full albums to this playlist is Sonic Youth. The Sonic Youth are an American Alternative Rock band who came together in 1981 in New York City. Sonic Youth came together when lead singer and guitar player Thurston Moore and bass/guitar/vocalist player Kim Gordon met in New York. The two started as a duo and after a few performances added guitar player Lee Ranaldo and after briefly performing as a trio with the members rotating on drums the band added a permanent drummer. The band was signed as the first act on the brand new label Neutral Records which was owned by the leader of Ranaldo's previous group. The band identified with the DIY ethic of the punk scene and in 1981 produced a six song EP of loud and tumultuous Noise Rock. The band began touring the country soon after its release, touring behind Noise Rockers Swans. The band released their first full length album in 1983, the album as with the EP was largely ignored by all but a few in the New York media. In 1984 the band went to Europe for a brief tour and enjoyed some moderate success, but the band was still being widely ignored and criticized for their loud abrasive and atonal sound. They received rave reviews from English Papers and this led to popularity back home as well. In 1984 they released their second album and Moore and Gordon married. The album was dismissed as arty and pretentious by New York press, but found success in the UK. The band left their label and signed with SST Records, an influential Indie Label. The band released the album Evol in 1986, and its release catapulted the band into the national eye. The album was also a softening of their abrasive atonal sound, it featured much more melodic material than any of their previous releases. The band finally was noticed by larger publications and began receiving positive reviews. Their next album in 1987 continued their exploration into pop based songs with experimental guitar work layered overtop. They left SST and signed with a label that used a major label for its distribution. Their next album 1988's Daydream Nation was widely hailed as one of the best albums of the year and led to the band signing with Geffen Records who released their 1990 album Goo. The popularity of Goo led to being signed to Major Label DGC in 1991. The band continued to rise with 1992's Dirty and 1994's Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star which became and would remain the band's best charting album until 2009. The album peaked at #34 and led to the band headlining Lollapalooza in 1995. The band began independently releasing some of material which became more experimental, and began featuring a three guitar line up when Gordon moved to guitar for a brief period. They have continued to have consistent success over the years and are widely hailed as one of the greatest Alternative Rock bands of their time. I first heard of Sonic Youth before I can actually remember hearing a song and knowing that it was Sonic Youth. My Dad had a copy of Dirty but I don't remember it until probably sometime around 03' or 04'. While in college I developed a greater interest in Sonic Youth, and I found 2006's Rather Ripped at the radio station. I became a fan of the album, it was a more melodic Sonic Youth album and featured less noise rock than many of their previous albums. I frequently featured the Rather Ripped song "Incinerate" on my radio show. From there I took Dirty from my Dad and added Sonic Youth as well. For me Sonic Youth are hit and miss, I tend to enjoy their more melodic tunes a bit more than their noise rock side. There are some really good tracks on their experimental songs but I just enjoy the melodic songs more. I like Moore's voice a lot, it fits the melodic music very well. I plan to continue to explore Sonic Youth.
Sonic Youth "Incinerate"
The Sonics follow Sonic Youth on the S playlist and contribute three songs. The Sonics were a Tacoma, Washington band who were part of the garage rock movement of the early and mid 60's. The band played mainly around the West Coast, playing original compositions mixed with covers of songs like "Louie, Louie" and "Have Love, Will Travel." The band suffered several lineup changes, including changing lead singers, before the lineup that fans call the classic lineup came to be. After the new lineup was set the band began to do more national touring and recorded three albums before breaking up in 1968. The band has been cited as a major influence on the Punk genre that would come in the next decade, the band was known for their wild/unconventional style. I first heard The Sonics from my older brother. He put a few Sonics songs on a mix CD he gave me, I enjoyed them on the mix CD but never looked further. He then put a couple of songs from The Sonics on my iTunes for his Wedding Celebration. I enjoy The Sonics, they've got that classic fuzzed out garage rock sound that I enjoy. The vocals are good and very much in the style of garage rock, varying between melodic singing and brief yells. The Sonics were a good band and I enjoy these songs, but I don't know that I'll be exploring any further anytime soon.
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BREAK!!!
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After the break we have and album from the band Sound Track Of Our Lives. Sound Track Of Our Lives are a Swedish Rock band who got their start in 1995. The band's early success was mostly domestic, touring Sweden and doing a few European tours as well. Most of the information on the band starts after 2002 when they released their breakthrough album Behind The Music. The album broke the band onto the world scene and earned them a 2003 Grammy Nomination for Best Alternative Album. After the album started to become popular, several of its songs were featured in Video Games and on TV Shows. The band toured the US with Oasis in 2002. The band has since released two more albums, neither of which met the same success as Behind The Music. The band plays a mix of garage rock, folk rock, and general Alternative Rock. The vocals are applied with effects to give them an additional harmony. The vocals at time are reminiscent of bands like The Eels and Flaming Lips. I hadn't heard of Soundtrack Of Our Lives before this album was put on my iTunes by my younger brother backing up his hard drive on my computer. Even after that I hadn't listened to this album before this blog. It's a good album, and a pleasant listen. The songs are well written and the vocal work is something I'm a fan of. I enjoy the album, just not enough to look further into this band.
Soundtrack Of Our Lives "Sister Surround"
The next two tracks come from The Soviettes. The Soviettes were a Minneapolis, Minnesota band that formed in 2001. The group was put together by a member of the Minneapolis band Dillinger Four who's girlfriend was looking for band members, so he asked the two female musicians to join her band. The three ladies started playing together with Dillinger Four's drummer and released their first EP just a few months later. After the release of the EP they found a permanent drummer and signed with Adeline Records to release their debut full length album LP. After touring for a year the band released their follow up in 2004 with LP II. The album got the notice of Fat Wreck Chords and the band was signed to the label in 2004. Shortly after joining Fat Wreck Chords the song "Paranoia! Cha-Cha-Cha" was released as part of the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 compilation. In 2005 the group released their third and final album LP III. The band went on hiatus in 2006, but permanently dissolved shortly thereafter when members moved away from Minneapolis. The Soviettes' style is considered pop punk. Their music features quick burst guitar strums overtop a steady rhythm from the drum and a driving bass line. Each band member took turns singing and each one provides backing vocal on the tracks. Their tracks tend to be quick and aggressive but very accessible to casual fans of the genre. I first heard of The Soviettes when I heard "Paranoia! Cha-Cha-Cha" on Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1. I really liked the song, I liked the female lead and I really enjoyed their quick aggressive style. I added the track "Multiply and Divide" when I picked up a Fat Wreck Sampler. The Soviettes are a lot of fun to listen to, and I've considered looking further into their music on several occasions but have yet to do so.
Following the two tracks from The Soviettes is an album by Spank Rock. Spank Rock is from Baltimore originally but the group now resides in Philadelphia. Spank Rock began in 2006 when MC Spank Rock and his producer XXXChange put out Spank Rock's first Full Length album YoYoYoYoYo. The album was very warmly received by music critics and led to the group touring with M.I.A. and Beck in 2006. Spank Rock's style of rap is generally described as "Dirty" or "Porn" Rap. The lyrics tend to be very sexually explicit in nature and feature lyrics that tend to be overtly explicit, sometimes to the point of offensiveness. The genre is defined musically by bass driven beats, and this is true for Spank Rock but XXXChange's beats tend to be heavily electro funk and dance influenced. The genre is heavily influenced by the Baltimore Club scene that Spank Rock came up in. Since the release of YoYoYoYoYo in 2006 several of Spank Rock's songs have been featured in Video Games and on TV shows. I first heard of Spank Rock through my older brother, he gave me YoYoYoYoYo. I was initially intrigued by the sexually explicit lyrics since most rap is a little more subtle. After listening through it a few times I really enjoyed it, the beats are really well done and the lyrical content makes for an interesting conversation piece. Spank Rock is not for the prudish or those with delicate sensibilities.
Spank Rock "Rick Rubin"
After Spank Rock comes another full album contribution, this time from Sparklehorse. Sparklehorse was the project of multi-instrumentalist and singer Mark Linkous who began performing as Sparklehorse in 1995. Sparklehorse began several years after Linkous' previous band Dancing Hoods broke up in 1988, after failing to break into the mainstream. Over the next seven years Linkous performed under various monikers and provided guest spots on other artists' records. In 1995 after settling on the name Sparklehorse he released Sparklehorse's debut LP Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot. The album gained the attention or College Radio stations and the English band Radiohead. Sparklehorse opened for Radiohead on their European tour. In 1996 while on tour with Radiohead Linkous overdosed on a combination of anti-depressants, valium, alcohol, and heroin while in his London hotel room. Linkous collapsed on top of his legs and his legs remained pinned under him until he was discovered unconscious nearly 14 hours later, and when the paramedics straightened his legs he went into cardiac arrest and was legally dead for two minutes. Doctors saved his legs and his life, but the resulting surgery led to Linkous being confined to a wheelchair for six months and never regaining full strength in his legs. Out of the incident came his second album Good Morning Spider, the album featured a very somber tone and references to the hospital and the nurse who saved his life in the song "St. Mary." In 2001 he released his critically acclaimed third album, the one featured here, It's A Wonderful Life. The previous albums had for the most part consisted of Linkous doing all of the instrumentation and vocals, It's a Wonderful Life was much more collaborative. The album featured appearances from artists such as Tom Waits and PJ Harvey. Sparklehorse's fourth album Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain was a collaboration with DJ Danger Mouse, Christian Fennesz, and Steven Drozd, the album was well received and the song "Don't Take My Sunshine Away" got radio play. Sparklehorse's final album was released in 2009 when Linkous teamed up with Christian Fennesz, an ambient-music/electronic artist, to create In The Fishtank 15. The album was a four song EP with beautiful dreamy melodies that were very atmospheric. In 2010 Linkous committed suicide while staying at a friend's house in Knoxville, Tennessee. While personally Linkous was very troubled his lyrics were very surreal, almost happy at times. His songs made references to celestial bodies, smiling babies, and other surreal metaphors. After his death a great outpouring of grief was expressed by the music community and artists such as Patti Smith and Tom Waits. In 2010 a few month after the suicide of Linkous the album Dark Night of The Soul was released. The album was written with Danger Mouse and featured collaborations with artists such as Wayne Coyne, Iggy Pop, and Black Francis of The Pixies. Linkous' music tended to vary from very somber country to electronic driven rock, always with Linkous' tender voice wafting over top. I first heard of Sparklehorse through my older brother who gave the album It's A Wonderful Life to my Dad. I listened to the album with my Dad several times and liked what I heard, but forgot about it a bit as I started exploring Punk rock. I heard about Dark Night Of The Soul last year and was interested in it so I took It's A Wonderful Life from my younger brother, who had taken it from our father. I really like this album, Linkous was a fantastic musician and a superb song writer. His songs are full of tenderness and emotion that oozes out of the music. I will definitely be coming back to this album again, and I really need to go pick up a copy of Dark Night Of The Soul.
Sparkle Horse "It's A Wonderful Life"
A one and done artist follows Sparklehorse and proceeds the next full album contribution. The track featured here is by a band called The Spew. After a brief search of Wikipedia and Google I couldn't find any information on The Spew, so we'll just get straight to the track itself. The track is a cover of the Metallica classic "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and comes to the playlist by way of the much maligned Blackest Album: An Industrial Tribute To Metallica. This song isn't particularly good, especially musically. The music is just electronic programming made to sound like the original, but the electronic programming that is representing the guitars are just fuzzed out glitches, and the back beat is monotonous. The vocal style is alright, it has a interesting maniacal whisper quality to it. I'm not a big fan of the song, but it's better than some.
After The Spew comes the debut album for the band Spinnerette. Spinnerette is the project of the former front woman of The Distillers, Brody Dalle. Dalle began performing with Tony Bevilacqua, a fellow former member of The Distillers in 2007, and quickly filled out the lineup with artists who had previously played with bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Pearl Jam. The band released its first EP in 2008 and began touring. The band started playing large festivals right away due to Dalle's fame as a part of The Distillers. The band's self titled debut was released the next year to generally warm reviews. Musically Spinnerette plays a variety of styles but stays in the Rock wheelhouse. Dalle seamlessly moves from New Wave style Rock to more grunge twinges. Throughout all the different styles displayed on Spinnerette one thing remains constant, Dalle's ability to write really good hooks and catchy lyrics. I first heard of Spinnerette through my Sister-In-Law Trisha, she mentioned she wanted to see Spinnerette who were playing that night. After hearing how much she liked the band and that Brode Dalle was the front woman I decided to check them out. After hearing a few track I picked the album up. I enjoyed the album quite a bit, it felt a lot like a Distillers record and I was a fan of The Distillers. I had the album on repeat for the next week or two, and I've come back to it occasionally since then. I enjoy the different song styles, but I also like that it doesn't veer too far away from Dalle's core sound that she established in The Distillers. It's a good album and I would definitely consider picking up a new album when one comes out.
Spinnerette "Ghetto Love"
Ssion comes up next, contributing three albums to this playlist. Ssion was started by Lewisport, Kentucky Native Cody Critcheloe while still in High School in 1996. When he graduated from high school he moved the group to Kansas City where they quickly became known for their extravagant live shows. The shows frequently featured band members in costume. In the original line up of the band, the band featured two female singers playing off of Critcheloe's lead vocals. The female vocalists would frequently wear costumes while playing live. In 2003 Ssion released the Minor Threat EP on Version City Records and shortly after released their full length debut Opportunity Bless My Soul. The band started to gather attention around Kansas City both for Ssion's music and for Critcheloe's artwork. In 2003 Critcheloe provided the artwork for the debut album of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Ssion self released a few EPs before signing to Sleazetone Records in 2008 and releasing their second album. In 2008 the band released Fools Gold. Fools Gold marked a change in sound for Ssion. Where Opportunity Bless My Soul had been very guitar driven punk with a dance edge to it, Fools Gold was much more electronic dance/club music with a punk edge. Critcheloe was getting more and more recognized for his art and was tapped to direct music videos for artists such as The Gossip, Cansei De Ser Sexy, and Peaches. In 2009 Critcheloe also released his own film, the film titled BOY was made up of Ssion music videos to create what has been described as "the gay, punk rock equivalent of Forest Gump." In 2010 Ssion began a Kickstarter.com campaign to raise money to record a new album. In 2011 the band released their new album BENT. The album was even more electronic dance oriented than Fools Gold, and was led by the single PSY-CHIC. Ssion's music is always very dance oriented no matter what the incarnation. In its early stages the music was very dance punk, as its evolved the group has moved to more keyboard and programming heavy dance music. Critcheloe's lyrics typically deal with LGBT themes and often contain sexual innuendos. The songs are almost always playful and light hearted and almost always danceable. I first heard of Ssion when my older brother became friends with Cody Critcheloe around 1997. I heard his friend had a band and was living in Kansas City, but I didn't I actually hear the band until closer to 2003. My brother included the song "Ride That Snake" on a mix CD for my Dad. I really liked that song, it was frantic, full of energy, and infectiously catchy. That song and the song "Don't Celebrate" were the only Ssion songs I knew for a long time, then around 2007 or so I found the band on Myspace.com and began listening to a few of the songs that would become 2008's Fools Gold. I really liked what I heard and I found the album at my local record store the next year. I loved the album, it was full of so many great dance songs and tons of fun. After enjoying that for a long time I got a copy of Opportunity Bless My Soul from my younger brother. That album was also really good and I couldn't wait for more Ssion. I was excited when they announced their new album in 2011 and when they put it up for free download on their website I downloaded it. The songs on BENT are just fun, lots of really fun dance songs. I really enjoy all of Ssion's music and I look forward to hearing more. Fans of Fischerspooner or Peaches should enjoy Ssion.
Ssion "Heaven"
After that nice long paragraph on Ssion this one on the band Standstill will be a lot shorter. The song featured here is the song "I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Clause," and comes to the playlist from the A Santa Cause: It's a Punk Rock Christmas. The band on the song is listed as Standstill and I believe it, I just couldn't find any information on the band. There is a band from Spain with that name, but this song is much too American Pop Punk to be that band. So I'm just going to go off the song itself. The song itself is a play off of the Christmas classic "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause."The song is a fast paced pop punk song about a kid waking up on Christmas morning and sneaking downstairs only to see his Dad kissing Santa Clause. The song is meant to be funny and featuring such humorous lines as "he's much further in the closet than my toys." Eventually near the end of the song it describes both the kid's mother and father having a three way with Santa Claus. The band is quick to qualify that this isn't a bad thing repeatedly singing "not that there's anything wrong with that." It's a fun pop song for the Holiday Season and probably one of my favorites from the compilation.
After Standstill comes a full album contribution from the band Static-X. Static-X are an industrial metal band based out of Los Angles, California who began playing together in 1998. The group, led by Wayne Static, were signed to Warner Bros. Records and soon after released their debut album. The album is the band's most popular to date, the record went platinum in large part due to relentless touring. The band followed the album with Machine, the album featured here, in 2001. The album was another success for the band, but failed to reach the success of their debut. The band then released their third album two years later. The band has released three more albums since then, none of which have achieved the success of their debut. Musically Static-X takes on a lot of the elements common to Industrial Metal. The band uses heavy distortion, electronic keyboards, pounding bass riffs, and the vocals are fast paced and aggressive. Static-X's songs also often make use of samples and synthesizers to give the music the "evil" feeling the band is going for. Unlike most metal bands Static-X rarely features guitar solos. I first heard Static-X when I saw them open for Megadeth sometime around 1999 or 2000. I recall their debut album being pretty new, and the band mentioning it as their new album. I liked the band and considered buying their debut album but decided against it. A few years later I heard a couple songs off of their second album Machine and I purchased the album. I was really big into Metallica and Megadeth at the time so they fit in the Heavy Metal niche I was exploring. I listed to the album quite a bit that year but forgot about it after that. Occasionally out of curiosity I would come back to the album, and each time I found myself liking it less. When I listened to this album again after several years so I could write this post I wasn't impressed. I'm not a fan of the industrial metal genre. I'm not a huge fan of Industrial as a genre nor am I a big Metal Head. The songs are sludgy and the tuning is so low that the guitar sometimes feels like it's just playing the bass high on the neck. I'm not a fan of Static-X anymore, but I did want to review everything and this is included in that umbrella.
Static-X "Black and White"
Another one and done artist graces the playlist before the largest contributor to the playlist, that band is Steel Prophet. Steel Prophet are a Connecticut based power metal band that formed in the late 80's. The band plays a style of metal that draws influence from bands like Iron Maiden. To date the band has released six studio albums. The song featured here comes from Overload: A Tribute To Metallica, it is a cover of the song "Fade To Black." This cover is probably one of the better covers among the two compilation CD's I have. The cover is musically solid and the vocals are actually good, they aren't James Hetfield but their pretty good for a cover version. I still regret purchasing this album, but this is one of the few bright spots on these compilations. That being said I still won't listen to it again anytime soon.
After Steel Prophet is the largest contribution to the S playlist, Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!). The tracks are the audio-book of I Am America (And So Can You!), with Stephen Colbert narrating and a full cast of voice actors. The book was published in 2007 as an extension of the character portrayed by Colbert on his Comedy Central Show The Colbert Report. On The Colbert Report, Colbert plays an exaggerated version of a Conservative Pundit. The show is meant to parody the big Conservative Personalities that are prominently featured on channels like Fox News, people like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. The book was meant to be an extension of his character on the show, parodying the books put out by the previously mentioned pundits. Colbert has described his character as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high status idiot" and that is readily apparent throughout the audio book. Colbert narrates his thoughts, denouncing books, expressing his "fear of Koreans," and his belief that "baby carrots are trying to turn me gay." The book covers a range of topic such as family, education, sports, religion, and the mainstream media. He delivers his beliefs on each topic, usually denouncing the norm and telling us how it should be. Colbert was nominated for a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for the audio book, and was named as one of the most influential people of 2006 by Time magazine. Colbert has become so influential that just by encouraging his fans to vote for something, that poll or competition gets a huge surge in responses. Colbert calls his fans "The Colbert Nation." His influence has become large enough that he was asked to host The White House's Correspondents' Association Dinner. I first became aware of Colbert when he was a correspondent for The Daily Show. I really liked him on The Daily Show and I also really enjoy him after he got his own show in 2005. His parody is ridiculous and over the top, but in a really hilarious way. This audio book is a great extension of his character and is extremely funny. I would love for him to publish another book, but in the mean time I'll feed my appetite with this book and his TV show.
Stephen Colbert
After Stephen Colbert is an album from the band Stereo Total. Stereo Total are a duo based out of Berlin, Germany. The duo got their start around 1993 as part of the Berlin easy listening scene, eventually getting signed to Bungalow Records. In 1995 the band released their debut LP, the one featured here, Oh Ah!. The CD like all that would follow was very playful and featured a large range of musical influences as well as several different languages. Lyrically their songs tend to be sung in one of three languages: German, French, and English. The vocals for these lyrics tend to be light hearted and playful. Musically they draw on influences from synth-pop, New Wave, and Pop Music along with a certain style that has been described as "retro-hip." This "retro-hip" designation refers to their tendency to play music in the style of 60's psych and garage rock. The band has found most of its success in Europe, with several of their songs being used in commercials around Europe. They've also achieved some minor success in the US and Japan. I first heard Stereo Total back around the beginning of the 00's. My older brother made a mix CD for my Dad that featured the song "C'Est La Mort." The song is a really poppy/happy song with fairly simple lyrics. The lyrics, in French, roughly translate to something like, "it's like this, it's like that, you live, you die." I was a really big fan of this song, but I didn't know how to get any others for a long time. Finally a few years ago I was able to get a copy of Oh Ah! from my older brother. I really like the rest of their songs as well, they're all a whole lot of fun to listen to. I enjoy the switch between the different languages, and it's interesting to hear a German women sing in French. I enjoy this album still, and will for a long time.
Stereo Total "C'est La Mort"
Following Stereo Total is an album from the band Steriogram. Steriogram is a pop rock band from Auckland, New Zealand who got their start in 1999. The members of Steriogram were already friends when they came together in 1999 and began playing around Auckland. The group toured New Zealand, taking even the smallest gig just to get attention. The group released their first EP shortly after forming, and released a second EP two years later. The song "White Trash" from their second EP is the song that brought everything together for the band. The band had been a standard melodic rock band before "White Trash," that changed due to the positive response the rapping provided by the drummer received. The rapping was so well received they moved the drummer to the front to focus on rapping, and added a new drummer. The song "White Trash" also got them a record deal after a Capitol Records Executive found the music video for "White Trash" online. The band signed with Capitol Records in 2002 and went to work on their debut album Schmack! which was released in 2004. The song became a hit after it was featured in an iPod commercial the same year. The band is one of the most successful in New Zealand history, and are still very popular there. Their music tends to be high energy rock with a punk/funk influence but pop hooks permeate the sound. The group switches back and forth between traditional vocals, which sound a bit like Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, and their "rapping." The rapping isn't quite rapping in the sense most people think of, it is in reality rhyming while talking really fast. Their isn't the same flow or melody that you hear with a lot of rappers. It's just a quick nasally speed rhyming. I first heard Steriogram around 2004, I'm not sure if it was on the radio or from the iPod Commercial. I thought their music was a whole lot of fun so I picked up Schmack! at the local record store. I thought the record was alright, I wasn't a huge fan. I enjoyed the single "Walkie Talkie Man" and a couple other songs, but overall I wasn't particularly impressed. I listened to the album a few times, and it was enjoyable enough, but I put it away shortly after purchasing it. I didn't come back to it again until this blog, and I'm not sorry that I waited so many years. The songs just aren't that good, and the rapping is not that good. They're fun songs but not good ones.
Steriogram "White Trash"
After Steriogram comes a one and done track from Stevie Nicks. Stevie Nicks is an American Singer Songwriter who rose to fame in the early 70's when she joined the band Fleetwood Mac with her then boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham. With the addition of Nicks and Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac's second album launched the band's career. Before joining Fleetwood Mac both Nicks and Buckingham had been dating and playing music together for several years. The two got a brief record deal as a duo but when the album failed to chart they were dropped. Fleetwood Mac became an international sensation and Nicks brought the band its greatest US chart success when in 1976, the song "Dreams," which went to number one and stayed there for 31 weeks. The band continued to produce charting albums, but never got back to number one in the US. After having success with Fleetwood Mac, Nicks decided to record a solo album. In 1981 her first solo album Bella Donna was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. Nicks continued to record and tour with Fleetwood Mac, but drew more and more away from the band and more towards her solo career. Nicks had a number of hit singles as a solo artist, and one of the most recognizable is the song "Edge of Seventeen." The track features a signature chugging guitar line with Nicks' voice booming over it all. The song has become one of Nicks' signature songs and has been sampled by such artists as Beyonce. This song is the Stevie Nick's song that I'm most familiar with, and probably my favorite of her songs solo and with Fleetwood Mac. Nicks' voice just has such power and fierce energy, and it complements the chugging guitar riff very well. I enjoy Stevie Nicks, but not enough to go much further than this song.
Following Stevie Nicks is Stevie Wonder. Stevie Wonder is an American singer songwriter who began his musical career at the age of 11, when he was signed to Motown Records in 1961. His initial recordings failed to chart, but at the age of 13 he scored his first number one hit. The song reached #1 on US Pop and R&B charts. In the two years preceding the success of the single, Wonder released a few more tracks with little success. In 1966 he scored his most popular early hit with "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." The song was the first to feature Wonder as a writer. It was in the 70's when Wonder really started coming into his own. He negotiated a new contract with Motown that gave him complete creative control and larger than normal royalties. Wonder started releasing actual albums instead of collections of Singles and B-Sides and his popularity sky rocketed. Wonder toured with the Rolling Stones in 1972 and was exposed to the international audience. Stevie Wonder's vocals have matured since "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," his voice has matured from a high immature voice to a richer soulful voice. Stevie Wonder continues to have success to this day. Wonder has had more than 30 Top Ten Hits and has won twenty two Grammy Awards. I grew up listening to Stevie Wonder, my Dad was a fan so I became one too. I really enjoy Stevie Wonder, his vocal work is some of the best in Soul/R&B and he is an excellent songwriter too. He has perfected the art of the hook, and produces extremely enjoyable work. I will continue to enjoy Stevie Wonder for a long time.
After Stevie Wonder there are three tracks from the band Stiff Little Fingers. Stiff Little Fingers are a punk band from Dublin in the North of Ireland who got their start in 1978. The group started out as friends playing rock and roll covers, but when they discovered punk rock the focus of the band changed. It was suggested to them that they write songs about what is commonly referred to as "the Troubles," a period of tense conflict dealing with socio-political and religious differences of the people of Northern Ireland. Some in Northern Ireland wanted to be constitutionally independent, and no longer be a part of Britain. The group quickly recorded the song "Suspect Device" and sent it out to record labels. Famous British DJ John Peel got a hold of the song and played it on his show repeatedly. These repeat plays grew the band's popularity and led them to sell thirty thousand copies on the first pressing. The band recorded their full length debut in 1979 after agreeing to a contract with Island Records. The album reached number 14 on the UK charts and was certified Silver. The band continued to consistently release new albums, releasing their second album in 1979 and their third album in 1981. After their third album several members of the band left, but the group continued on and recorded their fourth album in 1982. The band's sound had changed away from punk and many members felt disillusioned, the band would break up in 1983. The band reformed five years later and since reforming the band has released an additional five albums. I first heard of Stiff Little Fingers from my older brother, he was a fan so he gave me a few of their songs on mix CD's. I really like their music, "Suspect Device" is one of my favorite punk rock songs. Their music is simple but it's passionate and thoughtful. On many occasions I've considered looking further into Stiff Little Fingers, but I have yet to do so. I will enjoy these three songs for now, and if I ever get around to getting more I'll enjoy those too.
On the playlist following Stiff Little Fingers is The Stone Roses. The Stone Roses were an English Alternative Rock band based out of Manchester who got their start in 1983. The band began rehearsing and eventually sent out a demo in 1984, the demo got them their first gig. The first gig was a great indicator of where the band would eventually go, they opened for Pete Townshend. The gig received very favorable press reviews and the band was interviewed shortly after the gig. The interview led them to book more shows and hire a manager, who then set up a record label to produce their material. The next year in 1985 they released their first single and booked their first international gigs, touring Sweden. The band wasn't satisfied with their debut recording so it was shelved, and after some turmoil the band had a different line up come 1986. The band became notorious in Manchester for organizing a graffiti campaign to advertise the band, and the notoriety led to greater success. The band continued to play around Manchester until finally releasing their full length debut in 1989. The album was released to warm reviews and peaked at number 32 on the charts. The band began touring more nationally and also booked TV appearances. The band would release one more album in 1994 before breaking up. I first heard of The Stone Roses when my older brother gave my Left of the Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground, and then when I heard the same song "She Bangs The Drum" on Guitar Hero. I liked the song, the vocals had a bit of a Replacements feel to them and the musicianship was solid. The song definitely has that 80's Alternative feel to it, but not in a bad way. I enjoy the song, but being a single track I won't come back to it much outside of Shuffle.
The next full album contribution to the S playlist comes from our next band, The Stooges. The Stooges were a punk rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan who got their start in 1967. Lead singer Iggy Pop had played in several bands around the area while in high school, but he wasn't satisfied with just imitating other musicians. He was apparently inspired after watching a Chicago Blues drummer to create "a whole new form of blues music." The band began booking shows around the area, and started opening for the MC5s. The band started out very experimental, playing with walls of feedback and homemade instruments. As the continued to play the band gained a reputation for their raw live performances. Pop became infamous for routinely rubbing hamburger meat or peanut butter on his bare chest and even purposely cutting himself with shards of glass. The band was signed to Elektra Records in 1968, and the band released their self titled debut the next year. The album was generally dismissed by critics and the public in general. The band continued to tour constantly, and in 1970 the band released their second album Fun House. Fun House saw the addition of a saxophone into the mix, and the album was an attempt to capture the raw manic energy of their live performances. Like their debut album Fun House was poorly reviewed and not well received by the general public. By this time the band members had developed serious heroin habits and this led to their stage performances becoming even more erratic, and on occasion Pop could hardly even stand he was so high. The band went on hiatus in 1971, and the future of the band was in doubt after they were dropped by Elektra Records. In 1971 shortly after the band went on hiatus Pop met and befriended Glam Rocker David Bowie. Bowie got The Stooges signed to Columbia Records and the band came back together to record and release Raw Power in 1973, with David Bowie producing. Just one year later in large part due to Pop's still large heroin addiction. After breaking up Iggy Pop went on to have a successful solo career, releasing such classic rock songs like "Lust For Life." Since the band broke up they have been cited as one of the most influential bands of the punk rock movement, and are often credited as being one of the first punk bands. The album Fun House is often cited as The Stooges best and most influential album. I first heard The Stooges through my older brother who was a big fan. As I started getting into punk rock he gave me Fun House. I was instantly a fan, the album is just so raw. The raw energy that exudes from this album is hard to deny, and Iggy Pop is a great rock vocalist. I've continued to listen to this album often over the years, it's too good not to. I've considered purchasing other Stooges albums, but everyone tells me Fun House is the best so I've stuck with that. The Stooges are the original punk rockers.
The Stooges "1970"
After The Stooges comes three songs from the band The Stranglers. The Stranglers are an English pub rock band that got its start in 1974. The band quickly gained attention as a forerunner of English punk, in large part due to the loud and aggressive performances. Another reason for the association was because the band opened for Patti Smith and The Ramones on their UK tour. The band was well received by the public, but not the punk rock community. The punk rock community thought they were too old, too proficient with their instruments, and their lyrics were seen as too intellectual. The band continued to find success with the public despite criticism for their lyrical content. The band continued to steadily produce music, and as the band continued their music took on new influences with each new music era. The band has moved away from straight punk into new wave and even electronic rock. The band has had twenty three Top 40 singles and seventeen albums in the UK's Top 40. The band featured the keyboards very heavily, which in the 70's was very uncommon. The bass lines were more melodic than your standard rock bass lines. The band's vocals had strong hints of their accents. I first heard of The Stranglers when I received No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion from my older brother. The box set contained three songs, all three are good but I didn't remember them before this blog. The songs have that classic English Pub Rock sound that comes from playing small venues. I enjoyed these songs, but I won't be coming back anytime soon.
A one and done artist follows The Stranglers and proceeds the next full album contribution. Strike Anywhere are a Melodic Hardcore band from Richmond, Virginia. The band came together in 1999 after the breakup of lead singer Thomas Barnett's previous band. The band started gaining greater attention in 2003 when their songs began to be featured in the Tony Hawk video games. The inclusion of their songs in the video games has lead to larger shows, and greater exposure. The band plays a style of melodic hardcore very similar to early Rise Against. Melodic hardcore is characterized by the fast and aggressive tempos of Hardcore mixed with catchy melodies, and emotional vocals. Thomas Barnett's vocal vary based on the tempo of the song, when the song slows down his vocals become more of your standard punk rock singing, when the song speeds up his vocals become a loud aggressive shout. Lyrically the band's songs tend to deal with issues such as: police brutality, anti-capitalism, women's rights, animal rights, and globalization. The band has been featured on many political compilations, including Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 which is where this song comes from. The song is a plea for people to open their eyes and take action and provide justice to the oppressed. I became aware of Strike Anywhere with the inclusion of the song "Refusal" in the video game Tony Hawk's Underground. It wasn't until I heard the song "To The World" on Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 that I really began to pay attention to Strike Anywhere. I really liked "To The World" it was really emotional and earnest, and I became a fan of Strike Anywhere. I really enjoy Barnett's vocals, his voice fits the genre perfectly and he delivers his lyrics well. On many occasions I decided I was going to check out more Strike Anywhere, but usually I get distracted by some other artist I've just discovered and forget to check out more. I still want to check out more, and hopefully I can remember to do so in the future. If you like Rise Against you'll probably like Strike Anywhere.
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BREAK!!!
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After the break the playlist starts back up with a multiple album contribution from The Strokes. The Strokes are a Garage Rock revival band from New York City. The Strokes got their start in 1999 when lead singer Julian Casablancas got together with several high school friends and his college roommate to start a band. The band quickly put together a full set of original songs and recorded a demo. The demo gained the attention of Rough Trade Records in the UK and the band was able to release its debut EP in 2001. The EP gained the attention of larger record labels and after a brief bidding war the band was signed to RCA in 2001. Later that year the band released their debut LP Is This It to critical acclaim and strong sales. The album's strong reviews, five starts in Rolling Stone, led to a large worldwide tour that included such countries as Japan, Australia, and a large portion of Europe. The album was hailed as a classic album of brilliant garage rock revival pop rock, and was named in the Top 5 best albums of the '00's by several large music publications. The album went triple platinum. In 2003 The Strokes followed their wildly successful debut with Room on Fire, another well reviewed album of catchy garage rock. Even though the album was widely praised it failed to even get close to the success of Is This It, only going Gold. The band once again hit the road doing extensive international tours with bands like The Kings of Leon opening for them. After a couple years of extensive world tours the band released their third album First Impressions of Earth in 2006. The album was met with mixed reviews and poor sales, despite a strong debut in the Top 10 of the US charts. After another year of extensive touring the band took a hiatus in 2007, and the members moved on to side projects. After two years apart, and a Julian Casablancas solo album, the band came back together in 2009 to began working on a new album. The band didn't play a live show until 2010 and the new album Angles wasn't released until the beginning of 2011. The band has been hailed as one of the best bands of the '00's and are considered part of the garage rock revival that included bands like The White Stripes and The Liars. Musically the band's guitar sound tends to be quickly picked notes over raspy fuzzed vocals from Julian Casablancas. The band's guitar sound became one of their signatures. I first heard of The Strokes back around 2001 with the release of Is This It, the song "Last Night" was receiving extensive radio play and the band was getting a lot of buzz in music magazines. I liked "Last Night" as a single, it was a really well written song. I also enjoyed the album's second single "Someday," both songs were really good and I decided to check out the rest of the album. I got a copy of Is This It and I was impressed with what I heard, the minimalist production style really gave it a feel of being recorded in someone's garage and the music was very well written. I enjoyed that album for a while and then purchased Room on Fire in 2003 on the strength of the lead singles "12:51," and "Reptilia." I liked this album as well, but it wasn't as good as Is This It. This difference may be in large part to just how strong their debut was, and how new it sounded. The new album was what you expected and while that was good it didn't have the same impact as the debut. The album is really good, with a lot of strong songs but it just didn't feel the same as Is This It. I stayed a fan of the band, but when they released First Impressions of Earth in 2006 I decided against picking it up. I wasn't that impressed with the lead single "Juicebox" so I passed on the album. I will always enjoy Is This It and this is the best Strokes album for me. This band is something I will enjoy for a while.
The Strokes "Last Night"
After The Strokes we have two tracks from the band Strung Out. Strung Out are a California based band who started playing in 1992. The band achieved local success and recorded an EP that got them signed the same year. The band was signed to Fat Wreck Chords, one of the first bands signed to the brand new label of NOFX front man Fat Mike. The band released their full length debut in 1994 with its follow up coming two years later. The band went on to release four more albums in an eight year period, releasing albums in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004 respectively. The band has toured extensively throughout the US and is best known for their musical style which blends punk rock with elements of Heavy Metal. Their songs tend to be fast and heavy, and the guitar work is very consistent with Heavy Metal. The opening licks on the song "No Voice of Mine" sound very much like a guitar riff that Guns 'n' Roses might have used. The attitude is very punk rock though, they sing about political injustice and social equality. I first heard of Strung Out when I heard the song "No Voice of Mine" on the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 compilation in 2004, and then again on a Fat Wreck Chords sampler a few years later. The songs are an interesting mix of punk and metal, and the vocals work well. That being said it's not something I would listen to consistently, it's good but it can sound too much like Alternative/Nu Metal at times. It's just not something I would really listen to beyond the two songs featured here.
Following the two songs from Strung Out is a song from the band Sugarcubes. The Sugarcubes were a short lived alternative rock band from Iceland who began in 1986. The band came together in 1986 shortly after the birth of lead singer Bjork's son with the guitar player of The Sugarcubes. The Sugarcubes began gaining attention outside of Iceland with the release of their 1988 full length debut. The album was highly praised, and lead singer Bjork was especially praised for her impressive vocal work. The singles from the album made it onto the UK charts and made the rounds on US College Radio. The next year saw the band's follow up album, an album not as well received in large part due to the larger prominence of second vocalist Einar Orn Benediktsson. The band began touring internationally and were well received, but at the conclusion of the tour in 1990 the members began pursuing other projects. The band released their third and final album in 1992 and after some minor touring the band disbanded. Lead singer Bjork had become very popular by that time and this led to a successful solo career that has continued to this day. Musically the band played a brand of post punk that took influences from bands like The B-52's and The Talking Heads. What really made the band stand out was the lilting warble of lead singer Bjork. Bjork's quirky costuming and powerful voice led her to influence many of the female vocalists that would follow, artists like Bat For Lashes. I wasn't familiar with Sugarcubes before getting this song from the Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the 80's Underground box set. I was familiar with Bjork before hearing this song, but more as a name and not very much as a singer. I didn't really remember this song when I listened to it for the blog, but it's a good song. I really like Bjork's vocals, and they're what stands out the most in this song. Musically the song isn't particularly distinctive, it's your standard 80's post punk backing track. Bjork's lilting warble are what makes the song stand out from the background of 80's rock. It's a nice song and it makes me interested to hear a song or two from Bjork's solo work, but not enough to purchase a full album from Sugarcubes or Bjork.
Up after Sugarcubes is the band Sugarcult. Sugarcult are and American pop rock band are based in Santa Barbara, California. The band came together when three classmates formed a band and began playing around Santa Barbara, they quickly added a second guitar player to complete the lineup. The band hit the ground running with a huge amount of productivity. The band released an album every year for the first three years of their existence. The band caught their break with the release of their 2004 album which allowed them to play the main stage at the Van's Warped Tour. The band then toured with Pop Punk heavy weights Green Day on their 2004 American Idiot tour, and later that year they began touring with Blink 182. Several of the songs from the album were featured in big name video games released that year, and also got them play on MTV. In 2009 the band went on hiatus, and has yet to return from the hiatus. Sugarcult are known for their hook heavy songs with big choruses that are easy to sing along to. I first heard of Sugarcult around 2004 when I started hearing a few of their songs on the radio. I wasn't particularly familiar with them, I wasn't a big fan of the song I heard. This song comes to the playlist from the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 compilations. It's just your standard pop rock song, it's got the big hooks and the sing along chorus. It's not a style I'm particularly fond of, and this song doesn't make a case for me changing my mind.
The next artist up on the playlist is Suicidal Tendencies who contribute a full album to the playlist. Suicidal Tendencies are an American Punk/Thrash Metal band from Venice, California. The band started in 1981 as a punk band. Originally intended as only a party band, the band quickly gained notoriety and became a serious project soon after. The band began playing around the area and gained much of their attention from their attitudes and the violence that occurred at their shows. In 1982 a local publication named them as the Worst Band/Biggest Assholes," but by the next year they had gained a larger following and were voted Best New Band. The band was also speculated to be involved in gang activity around Venice and all this attention plus new demo recordings brought the band to the attention of Frontier Records. The band released their self titled debut in 1983, and it immediately exposed the band to the national audience. The song "Institutionalized" was put into heavy rotation on MTV and the band was complimented for the "fast, furious, and funny" lyrics and vocals of lead singer Mike Muir. The album contained themes of alienation, depression, nonconformist ideas that were presented in an intelligent yet funny manner. This style of lyrics and vocals would continue into their next recording which was released in 1987. The band toured nationally behind the MTV support and became increasingly notorious for their fans' violent behavior, at one show at a California Theater the fans tore up ten rows of seats. The band went on to release a more metal oriented album the next year, and another the year after in 1989. Lead singer Mike Muir had been steadily been replacing the original band members with more Metal oriented musicians, and the band stripped away most of its punk/hardcore sound. Their 1989 album brought them even greater exposure and eventually went Gold. They released their next album in 1990 and the album went Gold and is considered by many fans to be their best work. The band members began exploring projects outside of the band, and didn't release another album until 1992. The album, The Art Of Rebellion, is the one featured here. The album saw a new sound from the band, one that incorporated more elements of funk, alternative metal, and progressive rock. The band began to become disturbed with their success and so they released an intentionally hard to access album in 1994 that eventually led to their break up in 1995. The band came back in 1997 and continues to tour to this day. Musically the band started out punk and continuously added more elements of Thrash Metal with each album, creating more complex song structures. The band is revered among Thrash Metal fans. I first heard of Suicidal Tendencies back around 2006 or so, I had heard some good things so when I found The The Art Of Rebellion at the radio station I decided to add it to my iTunes. I listened to it a couple times and enjoyed what I heard, I liked the mix of Thrash Metal and punk and I also enjoyed the humorous lyrics that sometimes accompanied songs. I frequently played the song "Accept My Sacrifice" on my radio show, a song that opens with Muir quipping "stand by stomach, here comes banana." I've come back to the songs a few times over the years, but I'm only a casual fan of this band. Their songs can be entertaining but not for more than an occasional listen.
Suicidal Tendencies "Accept My Sacrifice"
As we get close to the end of the S playlist we have the one and done band Suicide. Suicide are an American electro-punk duo who began playing in New York around 1970. The duo of Alan Vega and Martin Rev began playing a minimalistic style of music featuring keyboards with synthesizer effects accompanied by simple drum machines. Alan Vega's vocals tended to be murmured and nervy. The band was one of the first to advertise themselves as punk, and came up playing with bands like The New York Dolls. As part of their image the duo would dress as "street thugs," and play very confrontational live shows influenced by Iggy Pop. After working in the New York punk scene for seven years they released their self titled debut album in 1977. The band released its second album three years later in 1980 and like their debut it was well received by critics, and has been cited as an influential record by current artists such as MGMT, She Wants Revenge, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Radiohead. The band has been active on and off over the years, releasing their third album in 1988, their fourth in 1992, and their fifth in 2002. I hadn't heard of Suicide before my older brother gave me No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion a few years ago. I didn't really remember this song from that initial listen, and hadn't listened to it since that initial listen. Upon listening to it again I find that I like this track. This track has a very Stooges feel to it while at the same time adding the element of drum machines and synthesizers. The mumbled vocals actually work really well for this musical style. It's a good track and I would definitely considering checking out more songs by Suicide.
After Suicide comes the playlists second to last multiple album contributor, that band is Sum 41. Sum 41 are a Canadian Pop Punk band from Ontario who came together in 1996. The band was started by lead singer/guitar player Deryck Whibley who recruited the rest of the band members from around the community and other local bands. The band started in 1996 as a NOFX cover band, but two years later they had moved to original material and began recording demo tapes. The band was signed to the major label Island Records in 1999, and released their debut EP Half Hour of Power the next year. The EP went Gold in Canada and gained the band a larger audience. The next year in 2001 the band released their debut album All Killer, No Filler and behind the popularity of the lead single "Fat Lip," the band topped the Modern Rock charts in the US and Canada. The two singles released next also charted well with "In Too Deep" peeking at #10 and "Motivation" peaking at #24. The album is the band's most successful to date having peaked at #13 on the US charts and #9 on the Canadian Charts, and was certified Platinum. All Killer, No Filler featured light hearted and party themed lyrics, alongside a few more serious relationship songs. The band toured for the next year and then in 2002 they released the album Does This Look Infected? to mixed reviews. The album was bit of a change of sound for the band, and featured a slightly harder sound than their debut and more serious lyrics. The album was not quite as successful as its predecessor, it was certified Platinum in Canada but only achieved Gold in the US. After two years of extensive international tours the band released 2004's Chuck. The band once again had moved towards a heavier sound, and once again the album failed to achieve the success of its predecessor. The band released their next album in 2007, the album debuted at #1 in Canada and the US but ultimately failed to achieve sustained success. The band is still touring extensively and have just released their newest album in 2011. The band's genre has been disputed due to the varying styles between albums. The first album was very pop punk with lighter melodies and a more playful attitude. The next two albums saw a darkening of the band's attitude and a heavier sound. While the first album was very much in the style of early Blink 182, Chuck was much closer to bands such as Papa Roach. I became aware of Sum 41 with the release of All Killer, No Filler in 2001, I had heard "Fat Lip" on the radio and seen the video on MTV and liked the song. I was just getting into early Blink 182 at the time and I liked the similar sound. I played the album for the next year and quickly bought Does This Look Infected? the next year. I bought the deluxe edition and I thought the DVD, featuring the band members on tour pranking each other, was funny. I still liked Papa Roach at the time, so I didn't mind the slightly heavier sound of the album. By the time I got to Chuck in 2004 I had started to sour on Papa Roach a bit so I didn't enjoy their Papa Roach style guitar so much. I grew less of a fan with each album and by 2007 when they released their next album I had lost most of my interest in the band. I haven't really listened to much Sum 41 since about 2004-2005, my musical tastes have been changing and I just put them to the side. All Killer, No Filler is still a fun Pop Punk album, but I could probably due without the other two. I don't anticipate ever purchasing another Sum 41 record.
Sum 41 "Fat Lip"
The next track is the fourth to last artist and the second to last one and done track. This track is a remix and I don't know who does the remix. The remix artist is simply labeled as Super Mario Brothers, and the remix is of the iconic theme songs from the video game of the same name. It's not a particularly good remix of the songs. For the most part it's just the original music from the video game with a light drum beat behind it and some of the game's sound effects added in here and there. I got this remix from my younger brother who got it from a friend back around the end of the 90's. I thought it was amusing back then but now not so much. The remix is just boring, I like the classic theme songs and the in game music in context of the game. This remix is just that with a light drum beat and not very good.
After that remix we have the final one and done artist of the playlist, The Supremes. The Supremes were an American Female R&B group from Detroit Michigan who got their start at the tail end of the 50's. The Supremes were signed to Motown Records in 1960, and by the mid 60's had established themselves as the label's premier act. With Diana Ross providing lead vocals they had a string of #1 hits, and were renamed Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1967. The group is to this day America's most successful vocal group, they had twelve number one singles on the Billboard charts. The group paved the way for the success of the R&B/Soul musicians who came about in the 60's and 70's, and helped put Motown Records on the map. Diana Ross left the group in 1970 to pursue a solo career, despite this the group continued on in various incarnations until about 1977. The Supremes are usually one of the first names mentioned in discussion of the Motown era in the 60's. I grew up listening to The Supremes and for as long as I've been able to appreciate good music I've been a fan. They have that classic girl group R&B sound, and they sang some of the best songs of the Motown era. I have a soft spot for classic soul/R&B and The Supremes are a large part of that soft spot.
The second to last artist on the playlist is The Swingin' Utters. The Swingin' Utters are an American Punk Rock band from Santa Cruz, California. The band started in 1987 playing local club shows in the punk scene and had a good following by the time that they signed with Fat Wreck Chords in 1996. The band is considered to be part of the "punk revival" of the 90's, taking many of their musical influences from British Punk bands like The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers. The groups influences go beyond just punk as they have demonstrated with their more recent work. As the band continued to play they began adding elements of Country and Folk music, and this evolution in sound is very close to bands like Social Distortion. The band has released seven albums to date. The album featured here, Swingin' Utters, is their fifth album and was released in 2000. I first heard of Swingin' Utters around 2006-2007 as I was exploring punk rock. I heard their name thrown around and when I noticed this album at the radio station I decided to pick it up and give them a listen. I probably listened to the album once or twice before putting it up for something else. It don't recall the album very well so I'm not sure if it was just that I didn't like it or I just got distracted by some other new music. After listening to the album again for the blog I have more of an impression of the band. The album is a good one, full of great punk songs with some Country flavor. The vocals for me at times sound a bit like Mike Ness of Social Distortion and at other times I hear a bit of Greg Graffin of Bad Religion in there. It's an enjoyable album and one I'll probably come back to when I'm in the mood for punk rock.
Swingin' Utters "Pills & Smoke"
The final band on the S playlist is also the final multiple album contributor, System of a Down contribute five albums to this playlist. The band is an Armenian-American Rock band from Los Angles California who started around 1994. The band was formed by lead singer Serj Tankian, guitar player Daron Malakian, and bass player Shavo Odadjian, all of who attended the same Armenian High School. The band added a friend of Malakian on drums and began playing around LA. The band recorded its first demo tape in 1995, they recorded another demo the next year, and a third the following year. All of the demos were recorded on cheap home equipment, the band didn't release any professionally recorded material until a 1997 collection of songs about the Armenian Genocide in 1915. The demo tapes gained them a following in LA and they soon began playing well known LA venues such as The Viper Room. It was at one such show that famous rock producer Rick Rubin became a fan of the band. The band kept in touch with Rubin and sent him a newly recorded demo tape at the end of 1997. The band was signed to Columbia Records in 1998. That same year the band released their self titled debut album, the album enjoyed some success and the songs "Sugar" and "Spiders" began to receive radio play. The band began opening for Metallica and Slayer. By the time the band released their next album Toxicity in 2001 they already had a large fan base. The album was a hit and debuted at number on American and Canadian charts and went Multi-Platinum. The album featured politically charged and violent lyrics and after the attacks of September 11, 2001 the lead single "Chop Suey!" was removed from the rotation on many radio stations, but still was aired frequently by MTV. The band continued to achieve success with their second single "Toxicity" and the third single "Aerials." The band went back on tour to promote the album. Late in 2001 several unreleased tracks were leaked onto the internet, the band claimed they were unfinished tracks. In 2002 they released their third album Steal This Album which featured finished versions of the previously leaked tracks. After another two years of touring the band recorded a follow up album to Steal This Album, a double album released in two parts six months apart in 2005. Mesmerize was released in the first half of 2005 and went to number one worldwide. The album sold almost a million copies just in its first week, sales were driven by the Grammy winning track "B.Y.O.B." a song that questioned the tactics of American Army Recruiters. At the end of the year the second part of the album titled Hypnotize was released. Once again the album debuted at number one. The two albums displayed a shift in the band, the previous albums had featured lyrics and vocals by Tankian, and Tankian sharing songwriting credits with Malakian. On the double album Malakian wrote most of the music and lyrics and took a greater role providing more lead vocals. The band appeared in the 2006 film Screamers a film meant to create awareness of The Armenian Genocide, Tankian's grandfather was interviewed about his experience during The Genocide. The band is also shown meeting with Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert in an effort to get the US to recognize the Genocide. In 2006 the band announced a hiatus, Tankian went on to release two solo album and Malakian released an album with his new band Scars On Broadway. In 2011 the band announced that they were reuniting and announced a new international tour. System of a Down are best known for their Heavy Metal style of rock and mixing it was multicultural influences of their heritages. Their lyrics are often politically charged criticizing societal wrongs and political hot button issues such as the War In Iraq. I first heard System of a Down around 1999 or 2000 when my older brother played their self titled debut for me. At the time I was really into Metallica and I ignored him and this "not Metallica" band he was trying to play for me. Then I heard "Chop Suey!" in 2001 and I paid attention this time. I became a really big fan of the song and I bought Toxicity that same year. I became a huge fan of the album and had it on repeat for several months. I purchased Steal This Album the next year and enjoyed that too. Shortly after that I purchased their debut album. That album just made my admiration for the band grow and they quickly became one of my favorite bands. I was excited when Mesmerize/Hypnotize came out in 2005 and picked up each album shortly after its release. I liked both albums a lot, but I wasn't as big of a fan of Malakian singing lead vocals. I still listen to System of a Down from time to time, and I still really enjoy System of a Down. When they release new material I'll most likely pick it up.
System of a Down "Sugar"
Whew! That's the end folks! It took me a long time to get this post written, but I'm happy to finally have it done. This blog post is a monster I know, and thank you for taking the time to read all the way through it. This post is my longest yet at 37 pages in Microsoft Word and just barely under 26,000 words before I finish this paragraph. The S playlist was a big one, but the T's have about 20 fewer artists. I hope to have the T's out within the next week or two, but as usual that is subject to change. Thank you for reading, please leave comments to let me know you're reading.
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