I am a freshman Computer Science and Business major at Lehigh University. In my spare time (I have that?) I enjoy singing and more importantly for you, reader, listening to kick-ass music. My taste is pretty broad; there are only two genres I'd say I'm not a fan of: ska and country (I'll delve into that in another post though). I like to think I'm somewhat of a hipster, so tell me any songs I should be knowing before they are cool and I'll definitely. Next semester I am planning on starting a show on my local college radio station, WLVR. Check them out; there are some sick shows on the station. Obviously I have to bump two of my closer friends on the station, Tevin and David.
Anyway, enough about my backstory; thats not what this blog is about. It's about music and other words related to it. Time for...
My Top 10 Favorite Artists of All Time and Space!
Honorable Mentions: Yeasayer and Brad Sucks
It pains me that these didn't score higher. Yeasayer is such a fantastic band that it seems almost criminal to have it not make the cut. Brad Sucks also is very talented and also has a great model for how he shares his music (expect a blog post this in the future). Since they aren't in the top 10 I won't talk about them much, but make sure to check them out. My selected songs are "Blue Paper" on Fragrant World and "Making Me Nervous" from I Don't Know What I'm Doing.
10. Cake
Originally in my 1st Top 5 list of my life, but new discoveries kicked it all the way down here. Cake is a good example of a band that does more for the world than just write music. Cake is very environmentally conscious, and they constantly talk about world problems and try to address them head on. For example, they created their own recording company and by using solar technology run their studio entirely on solar energy. When not focusing on social and environmental concerns, Cake makes some very interesting and awesome music. Their lead singer John McCrea often just speaks the lyrics and has a great voice in it. Additionally the use of trumpet is fantastic. Their most well known song is "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" on Comfort eagle, but here's "Moustache Man from their latest album, Showroom of Compassion.
9. Eels
"Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" is fuckin right. Eels is a very talented band that has that late 90s alternative rock sound mixed with a bluesy, gravely voice of their lead singer, E. One thing that amazes me about Eels is that their studio recordings are almost identical to their live shows. Not only does this showcase how little they tamper with their original sound, but it also is a testament to how talented the entire group is. They have a wide range of styles that change each album. Featured on the soundtracks of Shrek, Scream 2, Holes, Road Trip, and many other big movies, you've probably heard of Eels whether or not you actually know it. Today I'll share one of my favorites, "If You See Natalie" from their album Blinking Lights and Other Revelations.
8. Broken Bells
The result of James Mercer and Danger Mouse (swoon) together in a room doing musical things is the project known as Broken Bells. Featuring Danger Mouse's classic instrumentals and Mercer's great voice and quality lyrics, Broken Bells is easily one of my favorite bands to show people. Their first self-titled album has so many good tracks that I can't think of one I don't like to listen to. It has the expected Indie style of the two musicians as well. It contains their most well known song, "The Ghost Inside" and the music video features Christina Hendricks (great choice). Their latest album which was released within the last month, After the Disco, brings a more poppish twist to their style and sounds rather similar to the Bee Gees (which is solid). From that album, here is "After the Disco".
7. The Strokes
The Strokes have composed some of my favorite songs of all time. Julian Casablancas has an amazing voice and their baselines are very catchy. While they have kept their same style through all of the albums, you can definitely see a positive growth from their first album to their last. While most people claim that their latest two albums, Angles and Comedown Machine are not as good as earlier works, they contain my two favorite Strokes songs, "Machu Picchu" and "Fast Animals" (I'm counting this one as being on Comedown Machine since its only a variation on the original song "Slow Animals"). The Strokes have cemented themselves as one of the most popular modern rock bands. Their most popular song is probably "Reptilia" from Room on Fire, but I'm sharing my favorite, which is "Fast Animals".
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Past me would have thought it's a crime for RHCP to be this low on the list. When I started really listening to music in middle school, Red Hot Chili Peppers were the first band I really picked up and went along with. They were number 1 in my mind until new number 1 came and bumped them down. Its been like that ever since, and hopefully RHCP stay up on this list high enough that past me wont kill me if he ever discovers time travel. Anyway, my choice for them is relatively self explanatory. They are so talented and they have shaped the way people view modern rock music. I was so excited that they finally got their time to come back for the latest super bowl, but Bruno Mars ruined that kinda. They have so many well known songs I couldn't name a specific one you must have heard of, so I'll share one you might not have: "Sir Psycho Sexy" from my favorite album of all time, Blood Sugar Sex Magic.
5. TV on the Radio
What happens when you cross some of the artsiest people in Brooklyn with my Top Ten list? You get TV on the Radio. These Brooklyn artsy types have a very jazzy and soulful style, and lead singer Tunde Adebimpe has a beautiful voice. I was showed this band by my fellow high school hipster Jess. One day she hands me a playlist, and the second track plays "I Was a Lover" from Return to Cookie Mountain. I'm instantly hooked. Their music videos are also something to be mentioned. Originally, many of the members worked on stop motion film in art school, so some videos are done in that fashion. The song I'll share displays that. "Second Song", the first song off of Nine Types of Light uses this technique.
4. Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an internationally known "virtual" band that combines great lyrics with amazing beats. Spearheaded by the main man of the 90s british band Blur, Damon Albarn and about ten others create the fictional story behind the band. They intertwine hip hop and rock and feature plenty of lesser known rappers like MF Doom and Deltron 3030 in their songs to create their unique Gorillaz style. They have two very popular songs, "Feel Good Inc" and "Clint Eastwood" from Demon Days and Gorillaz ablums respectively. Their songs are also great canvases for remixes. Im going to share my favorite; Kids With Guns remixed by Hot Chip.
3. The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols are so indie it almost hurts. These Portland natives epitomize what it really means to be hipster by their late 90s grungy style and their early 2000s indie rock transition. Their vocalist Courtney Taylor-Taylor (male singer by the way) utilizes his well developed falsetto and Bass 1ish normal range to have an impressive total range. The Dandy Warhols are also the composers of one of my favorite albums of all time, Thirteen Tales of Urban Bohemia. Every song on that album is a good one, and you can tell major planning went into the sequencing of the songs for maximum artistic effect. Their most well known song is probably "We Used to Be Friends" on Welcome to the Monkey House. The song I'll share about them is called "Plan A" from the same album.
2. Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is one of the most talented musicians I've ever listened to. His albums are so varied, and he's skilled in playing so many instruments. His arrangements and lyrics are so powerful and evoke so many feelings that every song is an experience. His achievements include composing his own symphony, The BQE (which is fantastic by the way) and making the ever-wanted #2 spot on this list. His most well known song is probably Chicago from his album Illinoise, which was also the first song I heard by him back in high school. I was captivated by the orchestral backing and the great vocals. I will share my favorite movement from his symphony, Movement III: Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise!
1. Beck
Beck has firmly held the spot of my favorite artist since my sophomore year in high school. I first heard "E-Pro" while playing Rock Band and had to find more. His varied styles show his musical talent and he has a bad-ass, don't care about anything but the music attitude that a dedicated musician should have. His most recent album, Waking Light, is a good example of this change from his earlier album, The Information. Waking Light has a very folky tune that makes it a much softer, calmer sound, while the Information fits the Indie Groove/Experimental style better. Most people have heard his classic 90s anthem, "Loser" so I'll share my favorite, lesser known song "Nicotine and Gravy" from Midnite Vultures. The album is very 80s pop-ish, and talks about the inner workings behind the classic nightlife, party-hard scene.
That's it for my top 10 list. What's yours? The best way to discover new music is to share yours, so do so in the comments if you wish. Thanks for reading and commenting, I can't wait to get this blog off the ground and every view and comment helps.
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