Your favorite Music
How bout a diversion.
I am curious, who is your favorite musical artist and why?
For extra credit, What was their best piece of music.
I know MR. did a similar post on this but I am just curious on a basic level.
As a side line, What is on your I-Pod (If you have one)
September 13th, 2005 at 8:21 am
Lots of music and lots of artists…… I expressed mine in an earlier post, but as a general comment, and this is probably because of age and “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, I think the current music and artists lack something….. Maybe it has to do with the music produced now: which is exactly that, “Produced”…. The music industry has gone full circle and is back to the days before artists wrote, recorded, produced, and promoted their own projects….
It’s back to non-talented producers and record execs that control the finances and the output……
Sad, Sad, Sad….. ‘cuse me while I put “Gimmie Shelter” on the the CD and crank it to 10……
September 13th, 2005 at 12:35 pm
I actually think there’s lots of good new music. The problem is that most people aren’t exposed to it. Commercial radio is now all about playlists that target certain demographic groups and record labels try to promote the artists that will be the next smash hit, which means the ones that appeal to the most people — and by targeting such a wide audience you are really setting the bar at MEDIOCRE.
My favorite radio station is KEXP — they are a local station but they also stream online — I encourage you to listen for an hour during the day (they have speciality-genre shows at night). They play a very wide variety of diverse music, new and old. Almost all of the new artists that I’m into were first heard on KEXP.
Now the “iPod” question is tough, because my iPod has 1090 songs in it right now. Here’s how I’ll answer the question… I’ve made a Smart Playlist in iTunes, where the criteria are “Added in the last 10 months”, “My Rating > 3 stars” (out of 5). Here are the artists who have at least one song meeting that criteria: Aqualung, The Arcade Fire, Beck, Citizen Cope, The Decemberists, Dogs Die in Hot Cars, Earlimart, Elliott Smith, Fountains of Wayne, Fruit Bats, The Futureheads, Johnny Cash, Kanye West, Mary Gauthier, Michael Penn, Neko Case, The New Pornographers, Of Montreal, The Pernice Brothers, The Shore, Spoon, Sufjan Stevens, Ted Leo & The Pharamacists, and William Shatner (!!).
I can’t possibly name a single favorite artist — it would depend on what day you ask me. Here’s a few of my all-time favorites: The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson, The Beatles, Ben Folds, XTC, Beck, and Radiohead.
September 14th, 2005 at 6:37 pm
I agree with TTop; good new music does exist. (He’s introduced me to some of it. (Thank you sir.)) I’ve found new Progressive Rock on Aural Moon, “The Net’s Progressive Rock Garden” — so the infrequent station ID blurb sez. I highly recommend it if you’re into Prog.
I’m not so good at “favorites” questions. I like too many artists in many different styles to be able to pick from them. In general, I gravitate towards Prog. Here’s an incomplete list from old to new favorites:
The Beatles, Yes, King Crimson, ELP, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Rush, Moody Blues, Genesis, Kaipa, Spock’s Beard, Porcupine Tree, Bozzio-Levin-Stevens
iPod I have not, although I must say the new iPod Nano is looking sweet.
September 18th, 2005 at 11:37 pm
Jek: I have known you too long, I know not to put you on the spot for one musical act, I was more curious what you were into now days. You and I share the leaning toward Prog, Altho mine is more 70’s 80’s.
You Listed Bozzio-Levin-Stevens, Some Bio Please. I am assuming the Bozzio refers to Terry Bozzio Former Zappa Alum.?
TTop:Thanks for some new artists to look into.
After hearing from more of you I will put mine up.
Thanks for playing along.
September 19th, 2005 at 12:02 pm
My two big favorite new albums of the year are Illinois by Sufjan Stevens (you can hear him perform live versions of a number of the songs here in KEXP’s archives) and Picaresque by The Decemberists (live tracks here).
September 21st, 2005 at 10:33 pm
Yes indeed that is Terry. The Levin is Tony Levin, probably best known for his studio and live bass work for Peter Gabriel. He also has been a mainstay of King Crimson since the 80’s. Otherwise, he’s done tons of session work including John Lennon and Pink Floyd. I’m not as familiar with Steve Stevens. Maybe HuskySooner knows a bit more about him. As for Bozzio-Levin-Stevens, both Black Light Syndrome and Dangerous Situations are great albums.
September 22nd, 2005 at 3:37 pm
I’ve never heard the BLS stuff. The older stuff of Steve Stevens that I’ve heard puts him in the hair/glam metal category, but doubtless he’s changed somewhat if he’s working with Levin and Bozzio. My favorite Bozzio collaboration is “Polytown” with David Torn and Mick Karn.
I agree it’s too hard to pick just one. I’m definitely on the Porcupine Tree bandwagon, however. Jek introduced me to “Picaresque” by the Decemberists (thanks Jek!). It’s pretty far afield from my usual tastes but it’s really, really outstanding.
Some favorites I can think of right this moment: Porcupine Tree, Rush, King Crimson, Trey Gunn, David Torn, Mick Karn, David Sylvian, Pink Floyd, Living Colour, Tool, Suzanne Vega, Jack Bruce, Soundgarden, James Brown, Steely Dan, Bill Bruford, Zep (don’t kick me off, Mrambler). Plenty of guilty pleasures, too, though I’d probably not consider them “favorites.”
September 22nd, 2005 at 6:39 pm
“Jek introduced me to âPicaresqueâ by the Decemberists”, ah and we come full circle — I introduced Jek to that album earlier this year 🙂
September 26th, 2005 at 1:16 am
Ok Bloggers:
I thank you for some new artists to look into, i have checked a lot of them out while listening to my satellite radio while traveling the highways and byways( I guess that was the subconsious reason for this post)and have been enlightened to some new music.
But on the whole I will have to defer to our learned host MRambler on the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”
I’m Just not hearing music being created, I’m hearing a lot of gimmicks and production tricks done mostly by computer.
Now don’t lynch me yet, This is not absoluety a bad thing I just don’t get that
music for the sake of music feeling, I guess i’m getting music for the sake of money and album sales. Some of the best things that I heard were from the older artists that are doing new stuff.
Remenber our saying MR and Jek, “We don’t play the music you want to hear, We play the music you NEED to hear”
As for my pick, Jimi Hendrix The finest piece of work by him, Litle Wing.
September 26th, 2005 at 10:32 am
TTop, I thought you might have turned Jek on to that CD, as it’s somewhat outside his realm, too.
Little Wing is bass player hell (good song, though). I can hear Jek laughing.
September 26th, 2005 at 10:58 am
What satellite station is playing The Decemberists, Spock’s Beard, Porcupine Tree, and Sufjan Stevens? Last time I looked, the satellite line up didn’t include any stations with new prog (not that all of those are prog, but I’ve heard 3 out of 4 of them on Aural Moon).
And HuskySooner, I laugh indeed! The Hendrix version doesn’t even have the triplet section. Perhaps you’d prefer playing “The Two Horse Polka”? 🙂
September 26th, 2005 at 12:15 pm
Just as I was changing my mind on all the new music and artists coming out because of all these excellent comments, J.J. comes to my defense!…….
“Stop helpin’ me, Boy” – Jed Clampett to Jethro Bodine (Not Tull)….
Although, I do find myself “Living in the Past”, musically, on occasion…. Well, maybe a little more than occasionally…..
September 30th, 2005 at 6:23 pm
Well. I have to disagree with the ‘Can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ way of thinking. Progressive rock taught me a way of opening my mind to new music. Time signatures, instruments, etc. I couldn’t get enough. Still can’t. I’m listening to KC right now, Larks Tongues. Saying that, I listen to a great deal of new music. My favourites are of course, KC, old Genesis,(pre Potato Head Genesis), Yes, Tull, Kate Bush,etc. But . . . I adore Incubus, Tool, SG, STP (in their day), ok, so it’s new music to me. Hey, I’m old. Har.
I adore Levin, my favourite bassist. Seeing him live, talking to him, christ. Bruford is my favoutite persussionist, damn, he has so much fun. Have you ever seen him play? Wow. Incredible. Fripp, well, what can you say?
I do have to hear Porcupine Tree. A friend has only sent me clips of him playing their tunes. I have a feeling I shall like them.
Thanks, MR. Terribly interesting site. Ring me.
October 2nd, 2005 at 9:08 pm
Jek:Sirius has a channel called garage, that has some new prog.I must admit that of the 4 you listedthe only one I have heard on there is the decemberists.
BTW Sirius has a stones only channel The new album “A Bigger Bang” I must say is pretty cool I’m Getting a Exile/Sticky Fingers vibe from it.