There is nothing more I miss about having a steady cash flow than being able to buy concert tickets. Living in New York City and being subscribed to every major live music event database on the Internet and receiving email's daily about all the amazing concerts and musical event's going down in NYC and knowing I won't be able to attend any of them is straight torture. Not only do I not have the funds to attend but I have ample amount of free time to think about what I'm missing out on. I always thought that by this age I would have a decent enough paying job that would allow me the finical freedom to see all the live music that I wanted to see. Needless to say things have not worked out as planned. Music mean's a lot to me, with out the presence of music In my everyday life, I would be lost. Especially lately since spending days on end alone. I am either on my way to a job interview or sitting Indian style on my bed emailing and attaching, emailing and attaching. The only thing that keeps me going is my music. In fact, I would say that my headphones are on for about two thirds of my day. I guarantee hearing loss is in the cards for my future. Since it is apparent that I have an obnoxious amount of free time on my hands, I find myself researching the hell out of music. I am never satisfied with the amount of music on my iPod. I feel as though nowadays if you want to find good music, really good music it takes some research. There are so many amazing artist's out there that hardly get the recognition they deserve and it's a shame. So, I have taken the time to compile a list of some of my personal fav's that in my opinion are extremely underrated. These bands are from all different decades and genres. I think I compiled quite an amazing assortment of talented musicians, to say the least. I'm listing a few of my personal favorite songs from each band, but don't feel limited to my choices, you'd be wise to check each band out in their entirety.
Kaledeicioscope / Fairfield Parlour
aka : The Sidekicks & The Key
(English Psychedelic Rock)
Eddy Pumer - guitar
Steve Clark - bass & flute
Danny Bridgeman - lyrics
Peter Daltry - vocalist
I came across this band after reading an article about the "Underground Psychedelic Rock band's of the 60's and 70's", to my surprise there was a rather lengthy list of band's I had never heard of before. It took me a good week to get through all the band's mentioned in this article, it was definitely time worth spending. I generated another playlist of around 200 song's from musician's that I had no idea existed before I read this article. Which goes to show you, the more you read the more you know. Kaledeicioscope (Fairfield Parlour) was one of my favorite's out of the list.
A few of my favorite tracks:
"Flight from Aishya"
"Tangerine Dream"
"Please Excuse my Face"
"White Faced Lady"
"Jenny Artichoke"
The Names
Post punk - New wave
1978
Michel Smordynia - vocals & bass
Marc Deprez - guitar
Christopher den tandt - jazz
I came across this amazing band mainly because I am a huge fan of the band Joy Division and the genre of new wave in general. The Names were considered Belgium's own "Joy Division" mainly because of their use of experimental guitar sounds. The band was actually picked up by a record label while performing in an event organized by Joy Division. They released their first New wave single entitled "spectator's of life" and went on to drop a couple more notable releases entitled "night shift" and "calcutta" The Names didn't stick around for a long time, they caught the tail end of the new wave scene and broke up for quite a bit and requited in 2009 to drop a new album, which i personally like better than their older tracks. They broke up again eight months after they released their album entitled "Monsters next door" so i am pretty sure this might be their last.
No specific song on this album is better than the rest, I love the whole album in its entirety.
"Monster's Next Door" Release dated: April 2009
Joy Division
Post punk
Known for their contributions developing a sound and style that eventually pioneered the post punk movement of the late 1970s.
Ian Curtis - vocals & occasional guitar
Bernard Sumner -guitar & keyboards
Peter Hook - bass guitar & backing vocals
Stephen Morris - drums & percussion
Joy Division was known for it's self built synthesizers and the unique six string bass played by bassist Peter Hook. Ideally anyone who appreciates the electronic music genre should know who the band Joy Division is. I have so many favorite song's from this band, perhaps you may know them by their most popular single "love with tear us apart" but that one song does not do them justice, it is definitely worth checking out their complete discography.
A few of my favorite tracks:
Disorder - Unknown pleasure
Digital - Substance
Glass - Substance
A means to an end - Shadow play
A later date - An ideal for living
The Posies
90's Indie Pop
Core Members:
Jon Auer & Ken Stringfellow
I definitely think The Posies were one the most under appreciated Indie band's of the nineties. They have several great songs, but I have two favorite's in particular.
"Dream all Day"
"Burn and Shine"
Nina Simone
Pianist/ vocalist
Classical music, jazz, blues, folk, R&B and Gospel
Nina Simone is a classic vocalist, everyone should be familiar with at least one of her many songs. Her voice is absolutely hauntingly full of soul and emotion. When I listen to Nina Simone I feel as If i can actually feel the word's of her songs burning from within me as she's sings them. Her song's come from an undeniably honest place. An African American women living during a time of discrimination and uncertainty. Like most famous female vocalist and songwriters, Nina Simone seemed to be constantly suffering from a broken heart. No one sing's heart ache quite like Nina Simone, I have definitely had a few crying session's to a few of her tracks more time's than id like to admit.
A few of my favorite tracks:
"Love me or leave me"
"Go to hell"
"Born under a bad sign"
"Don't Let me be Misunderstood"
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RJD2
producer, singer & musician
Ramble John "RJ" Krohn
I could have not made it through my senior year of college without RJD2's feel good track's. Every thursday night religiously,RJD2 was on blast while I was applying my makeup getting my pre- game on and gearing up for the evening's main event. His song's just sound like a good time in general, this is a statement that is rejected or disputed by anyone. When i listen to RJD2 it just reminds me of college and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I can almost smell the hall ways of my dorm building when i listen to RJD2. I can almost taste NYC circa 2009 & NYC had a very special, sweet taste at the time period in my life.
A few favorite tracks:
"The horror"
"Ghost Writer"
"A beautiful Mind"
He released an album in 2010 entitled "Colossus" which is also worth checking out.
The Velvet Underground -
American Rock Band
Band Members:
Lou Reed
John Cale
Sterling Morrison
Angus Maclise
Maureen Tucker
Doug Yule
Walter Powers
Willie Alexander
I am almost positive that a lot of people my age have no idea what The Velvet Underground is and even those who say that they have heard of it are confused as to what it really is and that Andy Warhol involvement actually had little to with it. I truly believe people see the words "Velvet Underground" on a canvas tote with Andy Warhol's famous banana print being sold at the MET gift shop and think to themselves the "Velvet Underground" that must be what they call that banana painting! I don't think people have any idea who or what was actually behind the Velvet Underground, aside from maybe Andy Warhol's involvement. Few people even know that it is actually a band and that Andy Warhol's only involvement was organizing and managing the band. Out of all the members of the band the most successful and notable members were definitely Lou Reed and John Cale who went on to have very successful solo careers. I am also a giant fan of Lou Reed's music dependent of the the Velvet Underground. I am not a big fan of Andy Warhol so I may give him less credit on his involvement than he deserves but after all it is my blog.
A few of my tfavorite racks:
"Candy says"
"Chelsea says"
"Coney Island steeplechase"
"Pale blue eyes"
"Venus & Furs"
"I'm waiting for the man"
My favorite album of their's was their debut album: 1967 "The Velvet Underground & Nico", which failed in it's popularity but went on later to be named the 13th most influential album of its time.
 |
| There's that damn banana again, at least the truth has been revealed... |
Til Tuesday:
80's New Wave
Band members:
Aimee Mann
Robert Holmes
Joey Pesce
Michael Hausman
I absolutely love this band and mainly because of the song that made them famous, I am completely aware of how lame I may sound for admitting that, by the way. I am truly just a sucker for new wave. I also love that this band's music video for it's famous single "Voices Carry" was one of the first video's to become a staple on MTV, the new television channel that was dedicated to music. I am talking about VERY early MTV, when MTV was just getting starting ... and ... actually focusing on music. This band had a few other single's beside's "Voice's Carry" (my favorite).
Favorite collaberation:
"The other end" ft Elvis Costello / Aimee Mann
Tears for Fears:
New wave - Synth pop
Roland Orzabal & Curt Smith (vocals)
Ian Stanley - keyboard
Manny Elias - Drummer
I can honestly say that I listen to Tears for fears at least once a day, I absolutely love this band. Some of you might recognize them from their contrubtion of the song "Head Over Heals" to the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Tears for Fears however was around years before Jake Gylenhall had anything to say about it. The band didn't get much recognition until they released their third single "Mad World". The album that really put them on the map was "Songs from Big Chair", which was an album full of hit singles, five to be exact. Although I am a fan of their earlier not as successful album's as well, I can't deny that their album Song's from Big Chair is my favorite indefinitely.
A few favorite tracks:
"Suffer the children"
"Pale edition"
"Everybody want's to rule the world"
"Head over Heals"
"I believe"
Hole
Hard Rock/ Alternative - Pop Infused
Courtney Love & Eric Eralandson
People seem to hate Courtney Love, they need to seriously get over that. She didn't kill Kurt Cobain it's about time people quit being weird about it. I love Kurt Cobain and Nirvana just as much as the next guy my own father even has a copy of Kurt's suicide letter plastered on our garage refrigerator because he believes it is one of the most beautiful, honest things that has ever been written. Both Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love were equally as gifted and equally insane .. this is what made them such an epic duo and most likely the reason why they fell in love in the first place. There is no need for people to take sides in the matter. I could care less what anybody has to say, I absolutely love Courtney Love and I love Hole. Over the course of Courtney's involvement producing and performing in Hole she became a mother, mourned the death of her husband and battled a serious on and off drug addiction, I couldn't imagine any song that she was behind could have been anything but honest, emotional and prolific. The band didn't get much recognition until they released their critically acclaimed album entitled "Live through this". I love it all to be honest, I wouldn't have my Courtney Love any other way.
A few favorite tracks:
"Violet" - Live through this
"Malibu" - Celebirty Skin
"Dolls Parts" - Live Through this
"Asking for it" ft Kurt Cobain
"Burn Black"
"Petals"
"Gutless"
"Innocence was our fire
We told the truth
I miss the sweet boys
In the summer of their youth"
We told the truth
I miss the sweet boys
In the summer of their youth"
- Petals
My favorite verse..
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