zz.Bands I plan to review some day
Submitted by JAMOOL on Thu, 01/31/2008 - 04:19
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- Aphex Twin - I first heard the Richard D. James Album in 2004, and it seriously warped my mind. His music is very cerebral and his style's often imitated but so far unmatched. His discography however is so long and convoluted that doing a full review page would be pretty tough considering all the different monikers he recorded under, and I only find the major releases to be particularly interesting.
- Beastie Boys - As a 7th grader opening his ears to popular music, I bought Hello Nasty the instant I saw the awesome Intergalactic video and quickly amassed most of their releases. I used to particularly like the Check Your Head/Ill Communication era but now think Hello Nasty is the best. I'll review them if I pick up interest in them again - I felt their last rap album was subpar, but their new instrumental one was pretty good. I always wondered what would happen guys like this once they hit 40.
- Bloodhound Gang - A pretty small discography, and there's not much to say about them, but their music is just juvenile enough to be entertaining. I grew up on One Fierce Beer Coaster, which I still would say is a pretty solid album.
- The Books - Although their sound is mostly based on guitar and violin, their cut-and-paste style and use of gratuitous use of vocal samples always piqued my interest. A couple of talented guys with some really great tracks ("Tokyo", "Getting The Job Done").
- Boredoms - As much as I love the later incarnation of the band, the early releases are pretty tough to digest, and counting the Super Roots series there's a lot of stuff to review. So far I would say that some of their stuff is amazing, some of it incomprehensible, some downright unlistenable, but always intense and full of energy.
- Brian Eno - I don't know if I'll ever review all of his various albums and collaborations, and I find a lot of the straight-up ambient stuff boring, but I'm a huge fan of his four 70's vocal albums. A lot of people talk about his contribution to electronic music and what not, but I'd say his contributions to New Wave were even better.
- Can - I probably could write this page now; Can were my favorite band for nearly a year or so, and I find the Tago Mago/Ege Bamyasi/Future Days trilogy to be the best 3-album streak ever. Immensely talented and way ahead of their time. There's still nothing like it. A long discography but I feel that I know it all pretty well.
- Cardiacs - I doubt anyone would read a Cardiacs page, but they were one of the few bands that absolutely floored me on the first listen. Unfortunately obscure but well worth seeking out - thanks to the internet they're slowly gaining more recognition. Sing to God is currently my favorite album of all time.
- Chemical Brothers - I used to be a huge fan of the Chems and still listen to them occasionally. Their early work will always be what they're known for, but they still can write some of the best dance floor filler in the biz.
- Cornelius - Along with Cardiacs, one of my biggest musical discoveries of the last two years. A man of many different styles, he's a blast to listen to, and his last two albums are fascinating and totally unique. He may be one of the only artists I can think of who brands his music with certain sounds and samples, thus ensuring that any fan can identify one of his remixes. This one may be coming soon. His earlier band, Flipper's Guitar, may be coming a lot later.
- Daft Punk - One of the more widely recognized and praised dance acts, I've always thought they were a great singles band but listening to their albums always felt like running a marathon to me. I will recognize Discovery as being pretty damn good though, and their recent live shows (encapsulated on Alive 2007) have been amazing.
- Daler Mehndi - Punjabi pop sensation. His singles are great, and I like his later infusion of Indian rhythms with electronic music. His voice is amazing and very uplifting. This is the only Bhangara music I've ever listened to, so I won't have too much to say about the type of music (like anyone is going to read it anyway).
- David Bowie - I've only listened to about 5 of his albums, but I do enjoy the man's work, particularly Station to Station and Low. A full page would probably be a while, but I've always found this man to be interesting and have heard a lot of good things about his recent work.
- Deathray Davies - This Texas-based indie band was one one of my favorites through high school. John Dufilho (the main creative force of the band) is a talented songwriter who can always be counted on for a good rock tune. Sadly the band's name seems to be their only way of getting any publicity.
- Deee-Lite - They're not a whole lot more than their one hit, but they're a decent dance group with a small discography, so I'm giving them a shot. The singer of the band (thanks to the video) was the first girl I ever had a crush on, way back when I was in 3rd grade. Groovy!
- Denki Groove - A Japanese techno group who claims their influences to be YMO and Kraftwerk, so you know they've got good fundamentals. They have some of the catchiest techno tracks I've heard. I've three albums so far from different points in their career and it's interesting to see their sound evolve.
- Elvis Costello - Will long be a "work in progress", but he's a great songwriter, and his first two albums are seriously excellent. So far I've liked all the albums I've heard.
- Falco - Sort of a guilty pleasure, the man's actually written a few catchy tunes in his day. I doubt any of his albums will score above three stars, but all combined I'd say there's a pretty bitchin' mix CD in there.
- The Fall - I've only listened to six of the band's 25 or so albums, but I do like what I hear. A very groove-based band with drunken ramblings where the vocals should be. Oddly addicting and very forward looking. Mark E. Smith is a true singularity on the face of music.
- Fatboy Slim - He was a big part of my youth, but as the years go by it's hard to find anything I still like about this guy. He's really a guilty pleasure, but I often find myself getting sick of him halfway through a song. Still, his discography is small so I'll probably tackle it someday.
- The Feelies - Their first album is essential, and their alt-country second album is surprisingly good. I really wish this band had recorded more in their 80-86 period.
- Frank Zappa - I don't know if I'll ever have a complete Zappa page but I can get a decent start. I'm not a huge Zappa fan - some of his albums are exhausting as he seems to release everything that comes to his head, and he comes off as a smug asshole most of the time (plus I don't like most of his lyrics), but he's done some really interesting things and is rightly considered a genius by many.
- Gary Numan - His early albums are great, and his later ones are all pretty decent, but I'd bet there's a big middle chunk that'll be missing for a while. I've been a big fan for a few years, and for a New Wave star he's made quite an admirable comeback.
- Genesis - Depends on when I want to delve into the less good Collins-era albums. I was a huge fan of the Gabriel period and some of the Collins albums (Trick of the Tail, Abacab). I don't really feel like writing long reviews for this band but hopefully will be able to explain why I like the Gabriel albums so much.
- Terry Hall - An interesting personality with a fantastic voice. He was the lead singer for the Specials, Fun Boy Three, and the Colourfield, after which releasing solo albums. There's only about 2-3 albums of material for each of these, so it shouldn't be tough. Probably will get put into different pages.
- Haruomi Hosono - I've got a small start on the YMO solo page. Hosono's work seems too vast and hard to find to get a complete finish on, but I do think the guy's a musical genius. I've never been floored by any of his albums, but I do find them fascinating. His work in the late 70's and early 80's was truly pioneering.
- The International Noise Conspiracy - Recommended by a friend, their brand of pop-punk was good enough to make me buy four of their CDs. Don't much like them anymore, but they're solid.
- The Kinks - But only their early period for now, which contains some really great albums that would even rival the Beatles. Listening to their post-Muswell Hillbillies albums seems like it would be a chore.
- The KLF - Including the JAMs and all their other spinoffs (The Timelords, 2k). I think Chill Out is a masterpiece, but their other stuff is just dumb pop music that WAS ahead of its time, but only led to things like Jock Jams. At least they don't try to hide their lack of musical talent, and I find some of the stories associated with these guys to be fascinating.
- La Dusseldorf - Klaus Dinger's post-Neu! band is a welcome addition to any Krautrock fan's collection. Heavy on the jamming and were one of the few kraut bands to have a real positive vibe throughout. Nothing but major chords here, man.
- LCD Soundsystem - One of my favorite bands of recent times. Murphy's style of dance-pop is so well-executed that I don't think he'll ever make an album that won't score at least in the "good" range. Instead of basing his sound on modern dance music, he takes a step back and models it after bands like Talking Hands and The Fall. Sound of Silver is my pick for Album of the Year 2007.
- Lo-Fidelity Allstars - I bought their CD when I was 13 and have been following them ever since, which is easy since they don't release a heck of a lot.
- Max Tundra - I'll do this page when he releases a third album. His compositions are always unique and he's sometimes a blast to listen to.
- Modest Mouse - My friends are crazy about this band, and I have to admit they're pretty great. I've listened to all their five studio albums pretty heavily, as well as the excellent B-side collection Building Nothing Out of Something. Like pretty much all Mouse fans I think their early-to-mid jam-heavy period was really something special, and that The Moon and Antarctica is a modern-day classic.
- Negativland - Some of their stuff seems tough to review since they've never been about music, but they've always been pretty interesting. Sometimes deadly boring, too. I've listened to enough albums to throw up a small page, but I doubt I'll do it for a while. I think they're fantastic when they're just having a laugh like on U2 EP, but when they try actual social or political commentary it just comes off as smug and condescending (except their critiques on the music industry, which seem to be pretty spot on).
- Neu! - A small discography, but their three original albums are all at least good, and I'd consider '75 to be a masterpiece. This one shouldn't take too long.
- Nine Inch Nails - I don't think Trent's a brilliant songwriter (and he's a pretty atrocious lyric-writer), but like everyone who grew up in the 90's, I think Downward Spiral is pretty neat, and his music has always been interesting.
- Orbital - I went on a huge Orbital kick in high school. To this day I still think that nobody writes techno hooks as good as these guys do, and their albums from Orbital 2 to Middle of Nowhere ranged from great to amazing.
- Polysics - Manic, over-the-top Japanese New Wave band. If that sounds awesome to you, do yourself a favor and look them up. I have a lot of respect for these guys.
- The Presidents of the United States of America - Their first album was a big part of my youth. I still think it's a pretty great one. I have all the Presidents albums now and can say they're all a bunch of fun, and each one has a few scatted gems.
- Radiohead - Of course they're on my list. They just have too much talent for me to ignore them, and I couldn't argue with anyone who claimed them to be the best band of the last 20 or 30 years.
- Rip Slyme - Japanese rap band with one seriously talented DJ. Pretty much all of their 15 or so singles have been great, and their albums are consistently enjoyable. "Funkastic" currently holds the record for the most plays according to iTunes.
- Ryuichi Sakamoto - The YMO solo page has a start, but I'm missing a lot of his discography. He's a talented composer, and even today he's been pretty forward thinking. I have a feeling this one will always be a work in progress...does ANYONE actually have a copy of Life???
- Scooter - This is the worst band I can say I'm actually a fan of. They've had some pretty good hits and their energy is hard to resist. They have a couple of good early albums, but other than that I'm sure they'll live in the lower half of the rating scale. One of the few bands today to have almost no talent whatsoever - the MC is notoriously bad, and almost all their music is sampled. And I like these guys?!?
- The Sea and Cake - I found this band searching for Cake on Kazaa four years ago, and as a result bought seven CDs. And they say filesharing is bad for CD sales? Their minimal early period is charming and unique, and the later period produced some pretty great singles. Plus the drummer is amazing.
- Silver Apples - This was truly the first electronic pop band, releasing their debut album back in 1968! I think their first album is sort of a lost classic. I don't know if I'll review the 90's releases alongside their two original albums, but either way I should do a page on them soon.
- Squarepusher - I used to like this guy a lot, mostly because of his excellent Hard Normal Daddy album which combined glitch electronica with jazz fusion. I've heard all his major releases and will probably write a page once I collect all the EPs.
- Stan Ridgway - I've heard his first four solo albums, and so far I've liked all of them except for Black Diamond. His style of playing a different character or telling a different story on every song is unique - I wish more songwriters had a style like that.
- Sting - I have to admit I've heard all his albums, and really like one of them (Bring On The Night). Seems to be universally hated for the same reason as Phil Collins, but I'd say Sting is a lot better, and much more adventurous musically.
- Sufjan Stevens - Probably won't get around to his pre-Michigan work for awhile, but I have to agree with those who say he's one of the best new songwriters of the 21st century. Like most other people I got swept up in the hype behind the Illinois album and I've been a fan ever since.
- Talking Heads - Awesome New Wave band with a couple of really great albums. Fantastic live, too. Easily one of the best dance bands around. Their first four or five albums are all pretty great, and Byrne's neurotic vocals and paranoid lyrics are hard to resist.
- Thomas Dolby - I think his first album, Golden Age of Wireless, is a brilliant piece of New Wave, but his later stuff seems more divided.
- Wall of Voodoo - Not a whole lot to review here, but I do really like the band (at least the Stan Ridgway era - I haven't heard the Andy Preiboy albums), especially Call of the West.
- XTC - One of the best pop bands of all time. I really feel they deserve a spot right next to the Beatles in terms of songwriting. I have a pretty good knowledge of all their albums so this page should be coming soon.
- Yes - They've a few great albums, some that are pretty good, a few that are bad, and a bunch I haven't listened to yet. I really like their riff-heavy brand of prog, and it's hard not to be blown away by the band's talent.
- Yukihiro Takahashi - Again, I've a start on the YMO solo page. Out of all the ex-YMO members, he's probably the easiest as he didn't do 10000 collaborations all on different labels. So far I've been enjoying his solo work.
Author Comments:
Here's a list of bands that someday, I plan to review, along with a few comments on them. If you see a band you like here, feel free to post a comment and I'll review it sooner.
Glad to see you'll be writing articles on Aphex Twin and Underworld (the latter being one of my favorites bands ever).
Indeed, UW are just fantastic. I've been into them for nearly 10 years, when I was just a kid listening to Beacoup Fish every day on his paper route. dubnobass and Everything, Everything were pretty much the soundtrack to my last two years of high school. It'll probably be hard to be real objective ;)
Heheh...I've only been listening to them for the last 3 years. I actually still need to listen to Everything, Everything as well 100 Days Off. I haven't heard their earlier synth-pop stuff either.
This is how I'd personally rank the other albums:
-Dubnobasswithmyheadman - 10/10
-Second Toughest in the Infants - 10/10
-Beaucoup Fish - 9/10
-Oblivion with Bells - 8/10
I absolutely love A Hundred Days Off. I didn't think very much of it until I recently relistened to it and realized how fantastic it really is. There are 10 great tracks without a filler. The best for me are: Two Months Off, Little Speaker, Dinosaur Adventure 3D and Luetin, although as I already said all of them are great. Even that guitar interlude is good.
Oblivion With Bells is also growing on me with every single listen, and I kinda changed my mind - I think they can function very well (or even better) without D. Emerson.
I'd also love to do an Orbital list, although I want to do some others first. I wanted to start with Mouse On Mars, what do you think abou them? I think they're great, especially their early stuff.
The problem for Underworld is that their early stuff is so great that any album they put out that's just 'good' would be a disappointment. I bought AHDO when it came out and it took 2-3 years before I really started to like it. It's much more subtle than their previous work. OWB I feel is pretty great as well. I think the biggest reason why most UW fans think the band has 'lost it' since Emerson left is because they don't get to hear all the good stuff. I admit the Riverrun series got off to kind of a rocky start (although "JAL to Tokyo" still rules), but the second and third releases were fantastic, taking the band in a direction we haven't really heard before. There's a number of really great but unreleased tracks floating out there that for some reason weren't on OWB, the kind that are just as good as their early work. They're still a band to be excited about.
Orbital should be coming soon. I don't listen to them so much anymore but I really really thought that a few of their albums were just fantastic. I was very excited for the Glastonbury live collection, and the performances were ace, but the sound quality's a little off. I think I might relisten to all their albums again soon.
As for Mouse on Mars - I've only listened to Vulvaland, which I didn't really get into yet - it seems like a nice album, but it's subtle. I do have the Von Sudenfed album and I really like it. I've heard a lot of great things about them so no doubt I'll be picking up their albums soon.
Cheers for the comments on some of my TMBG stuff - hope to see some reviews of their albums from you at some point soon :-)
It's coming, but their discography is huge (I have pretty much everything that's ever been available), and besides all I would do is rave about how great the early stuff is.
It's now done...check it out :)