ANYWAY!
I feel like mentioning a band per letter in the alphabet for no real reason. I asked and was given a task, but I am having more trouble writing it than I thought I would. I just need a little bit to orchestrate my thoughts into something pure and streamlined.
A:
ANATHALLO - - FLOATING WORLD
I was shown this band by an old coworker. They are VERY pretty and VERY talented. This album can be a great background to any pre-battle. I picture armies getting ready with long swords and shields. To be clear, this band DOES NOT sound medieval. I just picture medieval warfare for some reason.
B:
BATTLE OF MICE - - A DAY OF NIGHTS
One of the heaviest albums I own. There is nothing horribly technical about it, but lyrically it causes me to shudders and fear for my life. The vocalist jumps between having a little-girl-esque-voice to screaming like a banshee. I do recommend this album for to anyone freshly out of a relationship. It just works so well.
C:
CONTROLLER.CONTROLLER - - HISTORY
Again, a coworker showed this to me. I hate that I love this album for how catchy it is. I really do think this short 6 song 7 track EP is all I will ever need. With that said, this short EP is in my top picks of all time. It is fun, but dark.
D:
DEERHOOF - - EVIL
I WANT TO TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THIS ALBUM. It is just so weird! I do not even know where to start writing. I saw a video for a song somehow, and I fell in love. As much as I recommend most things this band has done, I always go back to this album and think "DAMN! Those are some sweet jams!" Basically, take jazz and mix it with pop. Now, throw over the most stereotypical Japanese sounding singer over everything and you are NO WHERE NEER AS AWESOME AS YOU SHOULD BE.
E:
THE END - - WITHIN DIVIDIA
Remember just about where I said Battle Of Mice was the heaviest thing on this list? The End is the most chaotic. Think Dillinger Escape Plan with less apparent orchestration.
F:
FINAL FANTASY - - HE POOS CLOUDS
From one side of the spectrum to the other, Owen Pallett is a multi-instrumentalist from Mississauga, Ontario. Final Fantasy was the pseudonym that he used for a while before he just decided to stick with his own name. It is at least interesting to think one Canadian boy came up with every sound heard on this album.
G:
GRIZZLY BEAR - - SHIELDS
If you follow the independent scene at all, you know this album. It has a very interesting flow and it really does feel like it is from a different decade. I always liken it to something like Steely Dan.
H:
HORRORS - - STRANGE HOUSE
70's inspired punk done today! Incredibly British and incredibly grimy. Do not look too hard into this band: The fan base is mildly disappointing, to say the least.
I:
IKARA COLT - - BASIC INSTRUCTIONS EP
My God it is the fastest five songs you will ever hear if you do not already know this band you are missing out they are so good oh my God and so punk it is great!
J:
JOSE GONZALEZ - - IN OUR NATURE
Great acoustic almost-folk. Very traditional feeling. Just nice to throw on. It also contains very poignant lyrics. I am going to drop the coworker line again, because I have to give special credit to the girl who showed me this album. It really did change the way I view the boundaries on composing music.
K:
KING COBB STEELIE - - DESTROY ALL CODES
This album is a weird combination of jazz and electronica. Mostly instrumental and all amazing, Massive Attack is probably the closest to finding a band that fits the hole in music this band fills. They have many good albums, but this is the one I listen to the most.
(song is not from the album. Still good, though. I tried... Really I did...)
L:
LIFE LIKE ROCKETS - - EP
LOCAL PUNK DONE RIGHT.
M:
MAPS AND ATLASES - - TREES, SWALLOWS, HOUSES
Bands like this make me wonder why anyone bothers with anything ever. Even if you do not like the frantic barage of sound, you have to aknowledge the musicianship. The lead guitar player is the lead singer, for fuck sakes.
N:
NOTHINGFACE - - SKELETONS
Nu-metal from the turn of the century. I hate lumping all of it together, but "like Slipknot but not Slipknot" describes this album so well. They were of the blunt lyrics and ideas school of thought, which made their songs fun to learn to understand. It was a bit too bad that the singer would say something important then follow it up with "... FUCKING FUCK!" It kind of ruined their credibility.
O:
ONETHIX POINT NEVER
I do not have an album. If you have one, please share. I saw them (him?) open for Sigur Ros a little while ago. I was blown away by the use of sounds and loops to create something beautiful. Great stage show, great sound, great ideas.
P:
PILATE - - SELF CONTROL AT LIFE'S SPEED
I will admit that the first time I heard ANYTHING by this band, I mistook it for a Radiohead song I did not have. I saw this band a few years ago, and I had a great time. Horribly depressing and a very oppressive sound. I will say they are amazing musicians. It was too bad that they were forced into so many name changes.
Q:
QUICKSAND - - MANIC COMPRESSION
A classic album in my books. This is the second of two albums that this band had. They broke up shortly after this release in 1994. I did get to see them on a reunion tour a year or two ago. It was very good, and they looked very old. Old, but they still had it. I lost my voice from trying to screech along.
R:
ROSESDEAD - - STAGES
I will not even write much. If you are around my age, into heavier music and from the KW; you at least know this album.
S:
SPARTA - - WIRETAP SCARS
One would thing that this would be a hard letter to choose for. The letter S has so many amazing choices. Sparta was, however, one of the main reasons I felt like doing this list because I want people to know about this album, but I never know how to point people towards it. Pretty, punky, bizzare, amazing. Those are just a few descriptors for it. I could also bring up the fact that it has one of the most powerful endings ever orchestrated. It has one of the most punishing opening songs to. GRAHHH I'M GUSHING. I think I will listen to this song for a while before I continue writing.
(................)
(back)
T:
TEAM SLEEP
This is basically Deftones with a bit more electronica mixed in. Not as musically heavy, but quite the emotional roller coaster.
U:
U.N.K.L.E. - - PSYENCE FICTION
I just really love this album.
V:
VEX RED - - START WITH A STRONG AND PERSISTENT DESIRE
This band did one album ten years ago and then vanished, as far as I can tell. Quite the album, however. Interesting use of electronics and hard rock. There seemed to be an emergence of bands all trying their hand at the nineties industrial metal movement almost a decade later. This album stands out from all the crowds because the singer had such a different way of singing. the flash meant that this band never started to be horrible, which they could have become if they delayed their exit.
W:
WEAKERTHANS - - RECONSTUCTION SITE
I have put off doing this album for much of the same reason I put off writing about the Sparta album mentioned earlier. It is so good, but I just do not know what to say. HORRIFICALLY DEPRESSING BUT MIX COUNTRY AND PUNK. That is all you will get from me.
X:
XX
That is a lot of X's in a line...
This band has gotten a lot of press surrounding their Coexist album. They are very good and very minimalist. I will not say much because it has all been said before.
Y:
YELL THE BURDEN - - PANGENESIS
Remember what I said about Maps & Atlases? SAME. The drums are ridiculous, when you take into account that everything is single kick. Everyone else is so incredibly on time that it almost does not seem possible. PLUS THEY ARE FROM CAMBRIDGE! Great Scott, they are fantastic.
Z:
ZEUSE - - SAY US
Sixties rock today! Incredibly tight! I really can't say much more.
,.<>)**%:
!!!
EVERYBODY DANCE! Now be angry. DANCE IT OFF! And repeat. Indefinately.
I AM AFFILIATED WITH YOUTUBEMUSICSUCKS.COM.
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