My Top 40 at 40!

Recently, and by recently I mean yesterday February 2^nd, which just happens to be my day of birth, a buddy of mine threw down the musical gauntlet.  I have briefly and succinctly paraphrased the challenge below:

Top 40 Artists of your life. Not simply a list of 40, but a ranking from 40 to 1. You have to do it. It must be done. It’s your personal Hall of Fame. This is your preference, your jukebox, regardless of genre or generation. This isn’t educational or time relevant. It’s YOUR Top 40 of all time.

This did indeed get the blood rushing and made my musical pants go a little crazy.  I started to brainstorm a list (and by brainstorm I mean immediately sat down and pounded out 40 names, clarified his initial challenge, perused my list again, and started typing the first sentence you read. 

The initial list was not a difficult as I thought.  The ranking of 1-40 took a little bit of time as did my annotations (those are in my tiny, little head) as to why the band/musician made the list.  The list that lies before you is organic in nature and I believe it to be fairly finite to the time that it was written.  The list is not to be likened to a doctoral thesis, packed with statistics that verify the respective placement, resourced with renowned critical fawning, or any type of research other than my ears and their time on earth. 

Be mindful of the fact that there are only 40 spots on this list.  I can tell you that there are probably some glaring omissions on this list.  Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, Waylon, Willie, and the boys, did not make the list as well as a litany of other great, well deserving artists.  This list is completely subjective and the omission of anyone is not meant to be a form of disparagement.  It is quite simply a list of bands/musicians that I have loved over the years and also value their contributions to the musical world. 

The final piece of the musical puzzle for this list was really a late night revelation.  I realize it has only been a moment or two since you began reading this but I actually have been running the various scenarios of greatness in my head all night.  And then it hit me, the true measure of an artist’s greatness is my personal commitment to that particular artist. 

•  How much of myself have I invested in the artists? 
• What percentage of their catalog do I own? 
• Would I take the time to see them live if the following were aligned:
  • They are still alive
  • They band is still together
  • The venue was geographically conducive to seeing them live
  • The cost of the ticket did not require me selling my 1^st born child.  Although at 15 years of age and being really good at being 15 I would be willing to barter for a really good show right now.

Oddly enough, this revelation did not greatly alter my original list, there were a few additions and subtractions of artists and then the harrowing process of ranking them, with reason, was underway. 

No musicians were harmed in this list.  Of course, egos might be slightly bruised if they ever happen to stumble upon this little read blog and realize their spot on or omission to the list.

So, I give to you my Top 40 at 40!

1. The Beatles
2. Bob Dylan
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. The Rolling Stones
5. Led Zeppelin
6. The Who
7. Pink Floyd
8. Tom Petty
9. The Eagles
10. Eric Clapton
11. Elton John
12. Jimi Hendrix
13. The Doors
14. U2
15. Metallica
16. Pearl Jam
17. Van Morrison
18. Billy Joel
19. R.E.M.
20. Rush
21. Lynryd Skynyrd
22. Simon & Garfunkel
23. John Mellencamp
24. Stevie Ray Vaughan
25. Prince
26. Nirvana
27. Uncle Tupelo
28. Eminem
29. Nine Inch Nails
30. Beck
31. The Dave Matthews Band
32. Rage Against the Machine
33. Robert Earl Keen
34. N.W.A
35. The Black Crowes
36. The Beastie Boys
37. The White Stripes
38. Ryan Adams
39. Ben Harper
40. Joe Purdy

 

Great music awaits!

You should be listening to Broken Bells!

Broken Bells is the self titled debut album of the mash up of in demand producer Brian Burton (Gorillaz, The Black Keys, Beck) who is also known as Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley) and James Mercer (The Shins).  In 2004 the two met and decided to work together and four years later they actually got together and began recording.  You can’t rush greatness folks!  The album was released in March 2010.  The music has an experimental edge as well as a  melodic, trippy kind of vibe.

With spacey beats and rubbery tempo, Burton pairs the, at times edgy, falsetto of Mercer to carefully crafted songs.  Melodies and an abundant amount of hooks are effortlessly infused with the trippy style that has repeatedly set Burton apart.  The album is truly a collaboration that utilizes the strength of both involved.  Vibrant beats and promising lyrics morph into a sonic landscape that draws you in. 

Key Tracks:

The Ghost Inside, The High Road, The Mall and Misery, and Trap Doors

Check out Broken Bells at www.brokenbells.com

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGqKFxMqI_E

Great music awaits!

Mixed Tape Monday: Numbers

Welcome to another installment of Mixed Tape Monday, where I will WOW you with my whimsical list of wonderful music which is brought to you by the wonder of the World Wide Web. 

Today’s topic is Numbers:

Song:             One

Artist:              U2

Album:            Achtung Baby

Song:              16 Days

Artist:              Whiskeytown

Album:            Strangers Almanac

Song:              Seven Nation Army

Artist:              The White Stripes

Album:            Elephant

Song:              Angel Dream (No. 2)

Artist:              Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Album:            She’s the One

Song:              Say Hello 2 Heaven

Artist:              Temple of the Dog

Album:            Temple of the Dog

Song:              40 Oz. To Freedom

Artist:              Sublime

Album:            40 Oz. To Freedom

Song:              Seven Bridges Road

Artist:              Steve Young (Popularly covered by the Eagles)

Album:            Rock Salt & Nails

Song:              One for the Cutters

Artist:              the Hold Steady

Album:            Stay Positive

Song:              99 Problems

Artist:              Jay-Z

Album:            The Black Album

Song:              Dash 7

Artist:              Wilco

Album:            A.M.

Song:              Nine Bullets

Artists:            Drive-By Truckers

Album:            Pizza Deliverance

Song:              Little One

Artist:              Elliott Smith

Album:            From A Basement On the Hill

Song:              60 Feet Tall

Artist:              Dead Weather

Album:            Horehound

Song:              9 Crimes

Artist:              Damien Rice

Album:            9

Song:              40 Dogs

Artist:              Bob Schneider

Album:            Lovely Creatures

Song:              One Road to Freedom

Artist:              Ben Harper

Album:            Fight for Your Mind

Song:              1000 Bpm

Artist:              Beck

Album:            The Information

Song:              One Last Dance

Artist:              Badly Drawn Boy

Album:            Born in the U.K.

Song:              Ten Thousand Words

Artist:              The Avett Brothers

Album:            I and Love and You

 Song:              17

Artist:              Cross Canadian Ragweed

Album:            The Purple Album

Read, review, and respond.

Great music awaits!

You should be listening to The Black Keys!

The Black Keys are the amazing bluesy, rocking dynamic duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney.  They formed in 2001 in Akron, Ohio and have been compared to another bluesy power duo known by the name The White Stripes.

Their debut album, The Big Come Up, was released on 2002 and followed up with Thickfreakness in 2003.  2004 saw the release of Rubber Factory.

Much like other artist of today, The Black Keys music has gained commercial recognition from T.V. shows, commercial advertising, and the silver screen. 

 T.V. Shows:

• The O.C.
• Big Love
• Rescue Me
• Dexter
• Sons of Anarchy
• One Tree Hill
• Gossip Girl
• Entourage
• Friday Night Lights

 Advertisements:

• Sony Ericsson
• Victoria’s Secret
• American Express

Movies:

• Cloverfield
• School of Rock
• Zombie Land
• Black Snake Moan
• RocknRolla

Their fourth album, Magic Potion, was released in 2006 along with the EP Chulahoma.  In 2007 they released the Danger Mouse produced Attack & Release.  This was the first album that they released that was produced in an actual studio.

The Black Keys Discography:

• The Big Come Up
• Thickfreakness
• The Moan (EP)
• Rubber factory
• Magic Potion
• Chulahoma (EP)
• Attack & Release
• Brothers (Set to release May 2010)

The boys have toured with bands such as Pearl Jam, Beck, and Radiohead.  In addition to both critical and commercial success, they have quite a few fans that are in the business.  Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Josh Homme (Them Crooked Vultures & Queens of the Stone Age), Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), and Kirk Hammett (Metallica) have all gone on record extolling the greatness of The Black Keys.

Top 5 The Black Keys Songs:

1. Oceans& Streams (Attack & Release)
2. Set You Free (Thickfreakness)
3. Girl Is On My Mind (Rubber Factory)
4. I Got Mine (Attack & Release)
5. Strange Times (Attack & Release)

Musically, there is a raw, emotional connectivity that is heavily influenced by the blues.  The amazing thing about the group is how much sound they can produce between the two of them. 

Check out The Black Keys at www.theblackkeys.com.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHeF2lFO3IQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nWJ-e9pLSs&feature=related

 Great music awaits!

You should be listening to Beck!

Beck is one of the most consistently eclectic and innovative musicians to emerge from the musical cauldron of the 90’s.  With a diverse array of influences and an ever changing body of work Beck Hanson is one of a handful of relevant musical refugees from the 90’s. 

He was discovered in 1991 during one of his club performances in Los Angeles.  Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore caught a backyard performance by Beck and touted his greatness.   1994 saw the release of Mellow Gold, his major label debut.  The album was a hit and the single “Loser” went to #1 on the Billboard chart.  His next release Odelay established him in the industry with both critical and commercial success.  The album won two Grammy’s

Beck discography:

• Golden Feelings
• Stereopathic Soulmanure
• Mellow Gold
• One Foot in the Grave
• Odelay
• Mutations
• Midnite Vultures
• Sea Change
• Guero
• The Information
• Modern Guilt

Listening to him, you can hear pop, folk, hip hop, blues, funk, R&B, country, rock, and world music.  On wax, he is a musical chameleon yet uniquely original. He combines sounds and textures that would not sonically seem a fit but he makes them exciting and alluring. It’s as though he is resolute to recognize no musical limitations. 

Top 5 Beck Songs:

1. Loser (Mellow Gold)
2. Strange Apparition (The Information)
3. E-Pro (Guero)
4. Dark Star (The Information)
5. Sexx Laws (Midnite Vultures)

The first time I saw Beck was the Guero tour where he had the puppet show.  It was a great show and incredibly entertaining.  The second was at my beloved Austin City Limits Music Festival. 

This blog is not meant to break new ground by spreading the word on the musical greatness of Beck nor is it assuming that everyone has or has not heard of him. 

Check Beck out at www.beck.com

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQdpU0qgv7Q

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzJXPEMDyMg

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2pl_mjprKU&feature=related

Great music awaits!

Concerts

We hear a song, purchase/download some music; it raises our awareness of the band and then we become a fan.  The concert is the culmination of our musical inclinations.  It is the holy grail of the musical experience.  At least, in our mind, it is. 

The concert is the musical equivalent of craps (the game of chance, not Jack in the Box 2 for $1 greasy tacos passing through your bowels)

Some nights go like this:

You purchase your ticket with the expectation that it will be musical bliss and a night to remember.  You get there, fight the crowd, listen to the mediocre, at best, opening act, and wait impatiently for the headlining show.   After what seems like an eternity, out stumbles the drunk/high lead singer, forgets the words to your favorite song, becomes enraged at the crowds displeasure and walks of the stage giving you the double fisted one finger salute. 

While other nights go like this:

You show up at some little dive barbeque joint and begin to think the show has been canceled because there are only four cars in the parking lot.  You go in, order some food and a beer, take you pick of the abundantly available tables and notice two chairs on the stage and a couple of guitars.  You take a seat, sip your bear and out strolls the singer and his buddy and the play for several hours, come sit down and thank you for coming to the show and take your request and play it before the night is over.

I’ve regaled you with some stories of concerts from my past and touted the greatness of Austin City Limits Music Festival but today, I’m going to chronologically list the concerts, to the best of my recollection, I’ve attended over the years.

Year	Band
1983	Quiet Riot
Interesting Facts
7th grade, first concert to attend and broke my ankle that afternoon after being chased by a large classmate who took off his belt and began swinging it at me.  I left the hospital on crutches and planned on going to concert while my mother drove along beside me screaming at me to get in the car.  Being 12 and disabled, mom won and I missed the concert.  I did, however, get the t shirt as a consolation prize from my buddy who I gave the ticket to.
1985	Def Leppard
Interesting Facts
My first official concert that I actually got to attend.  Reunion Arena in Dallas, TX.  Oddly enough, I do not remember much about the concert other than it kicked much 14 year old musical butt.

1985-1989

Tom Petty Stevie Nicks Elton John Don Henley White Snake Tesla The Cult Metallica

Interesting Facts

This period was the high school years and while there are funny stories, time has blurred the lines a bit. One concert I went to with a group of girls and as soon as we got to Starplex Amphitheater, they all had to go to the rest room.  So, they opened the passenger door and all took turns squatting in the parking lot under the shroud of secrecy that was the afore mentioned door.  Don’t worry ladies; your identity is safe with me. Another concert had some of the above mentioned girls and on the way home we got lost and drove around through an amazing fog which we likened to the moors, a Sherlock Holmes reference at the time, and eventually made it home.  Some of attendees were really upset with the turn of events. White Snake concert we bought tickets from scalpers and got totally ripped off but thought we were so cool because we were seeing White Snake. Metallica was an amazing show and the first time I had seen mosh pits and thoroughly enjoyed the frantic pace of the music.  Some fans really enjoyed the show and started lighting the lawn on fire and once security came out, the fire just seemed to move to another location.

1989-1992

Travis Tritt Shenandoah Various country acts at Billy Bobs

Interesting Facts

Some of my buddies were really in to country music and I would often tag along because I had nothing else to do and wanted to make some new female acquaintances. The Shenandoah concert was particularly memorable, not because the concert was good, in fact, I never actually saw them.  I got kicked out of the bar because I was 18 and using a fake ID to buy beer.  My buddies, of course, stayed and watched the show.  The crushing event of the night was that the girl I took to the show also stayed inside and I sat alone in the back of my friend’s truck for several hours.  The night was not a total loss, because I drank all of the beer in the cooler while sitting in the parking lot of Billy Bob’s.

1993-1995

Lots of local acts in the musical mecca of Denton, TX Rush

Interesting Facts

The Rush show stands out for two reasons:To procure the tickets for this concert, my buddy and I left Denton very, very early on a Saturday morning after a very, very, late Friday night to go to Lewisville Mall to get tickets.  We arrived way too early and drove to Braums and got a double order of biscuits and gravy.  While this might not read as funny as it was, we were way hung over and those biscuits and gravy were the magic elixir that restored our health. Night of the concert we pick up our dates, have dinner and head to Dallas.  There is mild drinking, as colleges kids are known to do, and before you know it, we are on the floor of Reunion Arena basking in the glory of Rush.  On the way home there is some conversation of the concert and the girl that I took begins to nod off a bit and then suddenly hurls into and on the door.  We stop and ask if she is ok and she looks at us as if nothing happened and denies what is clearly on her chin, clothes, seat, floor, and of course door.  We get home she gets out like nothing happened.

1995-2005

The Dave Matthews BandMetallica Linkin Park Beastie Boys Pat Green Willie Nelson Jack Johnson Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen Beck G. Love & Special Sauce Merle Haggard Tori Amos Korn Chevelle Robert Earl Keen

Interesting Facts

All pretty good shows and some artist like Dave Matthews and Pat Green I’ve seen multiple times.  The one stand out concert story is this:A group of folks went to see Willie Nelson at Lone Star Park which is an outdoor horse track.  His stage was set back a bit and there were risers and bleachers that elevated the fans to better see the stage.  I am walking up, wearing loose cargo shorts and minding my own business, when I feel something moving up my leg and heading north central.  I look down and there is an older woman with her hand up my shorts grabbing my junk.  I jump up and swat at her as if she is some form of annoying insect and she looks up, smiles with what teeth she has left and says “Oh, excuse me” as if she had accidently bumped into me as were passing on a sidewalk.  She then turned and walked away as if nothing had happened.

2006-Present

Pearl JamBen Harper Foo Fighters Tom Petty Beck G. Love & Special Sauce Wilco Son Volt Drive-By Truckers State Radio Brett Dennen Bruce Springsteen B-52’s Robert Plant & Allison Krause Joe Purdy Cross Canadian Ragweed The Killers The Tragically Hip The Eli Young Band Pete Yorn Bob Schneider James McMurtry Kris Kristofferson Merle Haggard

Damien RiceDonovan Frankenreiter Arcade Fire The Shins Okkervil River Mason Jennings The Black Keys Ray LaMontagne Queens of the Stone Age Bob Dylan Willie Nelson Van Morrison The Toadies The Killers John Mayer Steve Earle Bjork Iron & Wine Walt Wilkins The Dead Weather The Raconteurs Lucinda Williams Erin Ivey Amos Lee

Interesting Facts

The majority of these artists have been seen at the Austin City Limits Music Festival which is an annual pilgrimage for me.  Some artist I have seen both at ACL and their own headlining tour.

So, there you have it, a little stroll down concert memory lane.  Let me know about some of your favorite or at least memorable concert experiences and who is a must see when they roll through town.

Great music awaits!

Guilty Pleasures!

Today we are going to talk about guilty pleasures.  Musically, that is.  Monday’s blog got a lot of great reaction and so today we are going to bare our soul and let loose our dirty little musical secrets.  Clearly, we have some love for David Cassidy and Howard Jones. 

Several people readily admitted that they did/do listen to some of the music that resides on the list of music you should not listen to.  The majority of those people also admitted that they listened to it when it was new and fresh and did not have the open disdain that might be associated with it today. 

However, we all have hidden secrets that we keep hidden deep on our iPod or tucked away on an unmarked CD.  There are also songs that we are connected to that we will roll the windows down, open the sun roof, or drop the rag top and crank up the tunes.  What are the songs that you will sit in the car, risk being late, and listen/sing until it is over?  What are the songs that you clandestinely listen to but do not or would not openly lay claim to? 

For today’s blog, we will have three; count them, 1, 2, 3 categories:

1. Top(car, not clothing) down & loud
2. Sit in car and be late
3. Guilty & A Little Ashamed

Below are some of my guilty musical pleasures:

Artist	Song	Category	Own CD
R.E.M.	It’s the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)	Top Down & Loud & Sit in Car	Yes
Bon Jovi	Blaze of Glory	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	No
Elton John	Little Jeanie	Sit In Car	Yes
Cinderella	Don’t Know What You Got Tell It’s Gone	Sit In Car	No
Corey Hart	Sunglasses at Night	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	No
Tom Petty	Break Down	Top Down & Loud	Yes
Violent Femmes	Blister In the Sun	Top Down & Loud	Yes
Van Halen	Right Now	Sit In Car & Guilty & A Little Ashamed	Yes
Stevie Nicks & Don Henley	Leather & Lace	Sit In Car & Guilty & A Little Ashamed	Yes
Styx	Renegade	Top Down & Loud	Yes
Foreigner	Juke Box Hero	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	Yes
Journey	Wheel In the Sky	Top Down & Loud	Yes
Beck	Loser	Top Down & Loud	Yes
Butthole Surfers	Pepper	Top Down & Loud	Yes
The Cult	She Sells Sanctuary	Top Down & Loud	Yes
Elton John	Tiny Dancer	Top Down & Loud & Sit in Car	Yes
Faith No More	Epic	Top Down & Loud	Yes
Fine Young Cannibals	Good Thing	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	Yes
Five For Fighting	Superman (It’s Not Easy)	Sit In Car & Guilty & A Little Ashamed	Yes
Gin Blossoms	Hey Jealousy	Top Down & Loud	Yes
Grateful Dead	Touch of Grey	Top Down & Loud & Sit in Car	Yes
David & David	Welcome to the Boomtown	Sit in Car	Yes
Billy Squier	The Stroke	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	Yes
Charlie Sexton	Beat’s So Lonely	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	No
The Moody Blues	The Voice	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	No
Glenn Frey	Smuggler’s Blues	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	No
REO Speedwagon	Time for Me To Fly	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	No
Night Ranger	Sister Christian	Guilty & A Little Ashamed	No

Great music awaits!