Pearl Jam
Wilco
R.E.M.
The Flaming Lips
The Arcade Fire
I went strictly with the "band" element. While there are other "artists" that I like more (Ryan Adams, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, etc.), these are the bands that I would pay the most money to see right now.
It seems we always end up talking when I mention BDS.
I saw them live last month and had the oppritunity to hang out with the guys all day before the show.
Great songs, Great guitar playing, and Great GUYS!
I remember a guy who I used to be good friends with until I moved away played saxophone on one of their recordings. I don't know if his work or the song itself were ever used but he was pretty friendly with Davy Knowles. Said he's a cool guy.
I genuinely don't think I'll ever forget seeing him playing at a Tsunami Benefit in early 2005 in the Isle of Man. I'd probably never want to hear an album of it but live he blew me away. Hearing him in a tiny little pub made it all the more cool
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
How has nobody mentioned MUSE yet?! I just finished watching their live from Wembley stadium dvd a while ago, unquestionably one of the best live acts on the planet right now.
Um... I'd question it.
Paul
'06 - London, Dublin, Reading
'07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
'09 - London, Manchester, London
'12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
Lights and sounds and balloons does not constitute 'good live act'.
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'
Muse are intensely laboured and bland. All the attempts in the world at being "weird" (which they aren't) won't change the fact that the vast majority of the songs sound the same, a description I normally detest but quite relevant for muse.
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
Muse are intensely laboured and bland. All the attempts in the world at being "weird" (which they aren't) won't change the fact that the vast majority of the songs sound the same, a description I normally detest but quite relevant for muse.
The claim that the "vast majority of songs sound the same" is utterly ridiculous, Supermassive Black Hole sounds nothing like Hysteria, which sounds nothing like Plug in Baby, which sounds nothing like Apocalypse please etc etc. I expected a better argument than that from you!!!! Why do people have such a problem with saying, it just doesn't float my boat?!
Whoah whoah whoah! I didn't mean to start an argument here! Just meant that people shouldn't say a band is "Unquestionably" great live (or unquestionably anything else for that matter) when other people have obviously questioned their live show. It's selling opinion as fact, and that's bad bad bad!
Paul
'06 - London, Dublin, Reading
'07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
'09 - London, Manchester, London
'12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
The claim that the "vast majority of songs sound the same" is utterly ridiculous, Supermassive Black Hole sounds nothing like Hysteria, which sounds nothing like Plug in Baby, which sounds nothing like Apocalypse please etc etc. I expected a better argument than that from you!!!! Why do people have such a problem with saying, it just doesn't float my boat?!
Because the reason why it doesn't float my boat is the similarities in their stuff. The keys in New Born seem to crop up in a ton of their songs with barely any variation. I'm not saying ALL their songs sound the same, I'm saying a lot do. Considering that sound doesn't float my boat, I don't want to hear it a couple of times every album.
Also, Knights of Cydonia was the most ridiculous song of 2006. Radiohead meets Queen is a horrific idea and one that should never have reached fruition.
Just my opinion.
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
Whoah whoah whoah! I didn't mean to start an argument here! Just meant that people shouldn't say a band is "Unquestionably" great live (or unquestionably anything else for that matter) when other people have obviously questioned their live show. It's selling opinion as fact, and that's bad bad bad!
Well yeah I see where you are coming from, but if you strip it down to what a live show is, what would you expect from an amazing band? A huge catalog of popular songs? Stage presence? Excitement (gulp?!), A high level of musicianship? I'm sure it's entirely possible that there are performers out there that I don;t like, but that they are amazing at what they do. Muse are that type of band in my opinion. You might not like their flamboyant style, the singers voice, the type of music etc, BUT that doesn't mean that they are not amazing at what they do.
Because the reason why it doesn't float my boat is the similarities in their stuff. The keys in New Born seem to crop up in a ton of their songs with barely any variation. I'm not saying ALL their songs sound the same, I'm saying a lot do. Considering that sound doesn't float my boat, I don't want to hear it a couple of times every album.
Also, Knights of Cydonia was the most ridiculous song of 2006. Radiohead meets Queen is a horrific idea and one that should never have reached fruition.
Just my opinion.
Where do the keys in New Born crop up in other songs? I genuinely don't think I've noticed that. And by a lot, really what are you saying? I don't think any of the singles they've released have been particularly similar.
Knights of Cydonia rocks with concrete balls! Do you ever wonder if sometimes you just don't 'get' something? I know I do, but I'll at least give credit where it is due for musicianship and stage presence and stuff. I know plenty of people find bands like Tool and Radiohead to be boring, but you can't really fault their musicianship.
Well yeah I see where you are coming from, but if you strip it down to what a live show is, what would you expect from an amazing band? A huge catalog of popular songs? Stage presence? Excitement (gulp?!), A high level of musicianship? I'm sure it's entirely possible that there are performers out there that I don;t like, but that they are amazing at what they do. Muse are that type of band in my opinion. You might not like their flamboyant style, the singers voice, the type of music etc, BUT that doesn't mean that they are not amazing at what they do.
I'm gonna join the crowd here, and say that Muse aren't my Cup-o-Tea. I'll give you that they're good at what they do, but I feel it's pretty superficial - all their music has a kind of cold, metallic sheen, like it's been produced to within an inch of its life, and their stage show is geared more towards spectacle than substance.
More petty personal reasons to dislike them include the (super)massive overhype machine that the British press ran for them over the last two years, and the fact that Matt Bellamy inhales like an asthmatic donkey in between lines.:p
Smokey Robinson constantly looks like he's trying to act natural after being accused of farting.
Well yeah I see where you are coming from, but if you strip it down to what a live show is, what would you expect from an amazing band? A huge catalog of popular songs? Stage presence? Excitement (gulp?!), A high level of musicianship? I'm sure it's entirely possible that there are performers out there that I don;t like, but that they are amazing at what they do. Muse are that type of band in my opinion. You might not like their flamboyant style, the singers voice, the type of music etc, BUT that doesn't mean that they are not amazing at what they do.
But it does. If I don't like several aspects of the live show I won't be amazed and I won't class it as amazing... There is no fact in music, only opinions. That's why it's an art and not a science. There's no point arguing over it.
Paul
'06 - London, Dublin, Reading
'07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
'09 - London, Manchester, London
'12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
I'm gonna join the crowd here, and say that Muse aren't my Cup-o-Tea. I'll give you that they're good at what they do, but I feel it's pretty superficial - all their music has a kind of cold, metallic sheen, like it's been produced to within an inch of its life, and their stage show is geared more towards spectacle than substance.
More petty personal reasons to dislike them include the (super)massive overhype machine that the British press ran for them over the last two years, and the fac that Matt Bellamy inhales like an asthmatic donkey in between lines.:p
Haha! I know what you mean about the inhaling!
I also get where you are coming from in terms of them seeming 'cold' - they would never be one of the bands that I would listen to if I was feeling overly emotional, but they do have their place. Sometimes music doesn't have to be about personal stuff, sometimes I think it can just exist for the sake of art. I think that's why the press leapt all over them, because they are doing something that nobody else is really doing at the moment. One of the things I really like about them is that they are gloriously overblown, and that their ambition is far beyond what most bands these days have. To me that is exciting, and what's more, they went on to prove everyone wrong when they were originally dismissed as a Radiohead clone.
But it does. If I don't like several aspects of the live show I won't be amazed and I won't class it as amazing... There is no fact in music, only opinions. That's why it's an art and not a science. There's no point arguing over it.
Bah, credit where it's due. Even just for their musicianship.
Where do the keys in New Born crop up in other songs? I genuinely don't think I've noticed that. And by a lot, really what are you saying? I don't think any of the singles they've released have been particularly similar.
Knights of Cydonia rocks with concrete balls! Do you ever wonder if sometimes you just don't 'get' something? I know I do, but I'll at least give credit where it is due for musicianship and stage presence and stuff. I know plenty of people find bands like Tool and Radiohead to be boring, but you can't really fault their musicianship.
I'm not questioning their musicianship at all. CLEARLY they are capable musicians. I am questioning whether or not they make good music. The notion that some music fans have that music is entirely subjective and people can't say it's bad is just rubbish. I think Muse are boring, just as you think they aren't. To me, they ARE bad. It's not that I don't get them, it's that I don't like what I get from them. You do. That's fine.
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
Also, Knights of Cydonia was the most ridiculous song of 2006. Radiohead meets Queen is a horrific idea and one that should never have reached fruition..
I've been saying this EXACT same thing to a lot of people for a long time. I mean, GALLOPING HORSES?..... for fuck's sake people.
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'
I know plenty of people find bands like Tool and Radiohead to be boring, but you can't really fault their musicianship.
I can't fault people who do Rubik's cubes for fun for their patience, just as I can't fault Muse's musicianship.
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'
I'm not questioning their musicianship at all. CLEARLY they are capable musicians. I am questioning whether or not they make good music. The notion that some music fans have that music is entirely subjective and people can't say it's bad is just rubbish. I think Muse are boring, just as you think they aren't. To me, they ARE bad. It's not that I don't get them, it's that I don't like what I get from them. You do. That's fine.
Cool, so long as you aren't knocking the musicianship.
I do kind of disagree with you about the notion of 'getting' something. When I think how my musical tastes have evolved over the years, I'm very open to the idea that music can catch you out when you least expect it. The only time I really tend to fully dismiss a band is when they are musically stunted shite like Fall Out Boy.
Cool, so long as you aren't knocking the musicianship.
I do kind of disagree with you about the notion of 'getting' something. When I think how my musical tastes have evolved over the years, I'm very open to the idea that music can catch you out when you least expect it. The only time I really tend to fully dismiss a band is when they are musically stunted shite like Fall Out Boy.
What if I think Muse is musically stunted shite?
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'
Cool, so long as you aren't knocking the musicianship.
I do kind of disagree with you about the notion of 'getting' something. When I think how my musical tastes have evolved over the years, I'm very open to the idea that music can catch you out when you least expect it. The only time I really tend to fully dismiss a band is when they are musically stunted shite like Fall Out Boy.
Well I like Fall Out Boy. I think they're harmless, catchy fun. Now I know you feel vindicated about Muse because now you think I have crap taste in music. I wouldn't take that line of thinking though because I don't have crap taste in music and could extol the virtues of a million obscure, arty bands and musicians that would be a true indication of my tastes but that would make me sound like a pompous, pretentious idiot so I won't. I just feel that while FOB are hardly great, meaningful, complex art (much as I feel Muse aren't), I derive great enjoyment from them. Of course, I listen to a ton of extremely complex and artistically laudable music so it doesn't much matter. Music is music and is there to be enjoyed. This is where Muse fail for me.
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
The Tragically Hip
Wintersleep
Pearl Jam
Wilco
The Weakerthans
honorable mentions:
Drive-By Truckers
The Constantines
Radiohead
Cuff the Duke
U2
R.E.M.
Arcade Fire
The National
"I try my best to chug, stomp, weep, whisper, moan, wheeze, scat, blurt, rage, whine, and seduce. With my voice I can sound like a girl, the boogieman, a Theremin, a cherry bomb, a clown, a doctor, a murderer. I can be tribal. Ironic. Or disturbed. My voice is really my instrument."
U2...love them or hate them...they are still one of the most vital relevant bands in music today...I cant wait for their new album and tour
Agreed. I just saw "U2 3D" last week and was thoroughly blown away. The power of their live show never ceases to amaze me. How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was average at best, but now that they've gone back to Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno for the new album, all indications point to a classic album in the works. I'm looking forward to hearing the results.
"I try my best to chug, stomp, weep, whisper, moan, wheeze, scat, blurt, rage, whine, and seduce. With my voice I can sound like a girl, the boogieman, a Theremin, a cherry bomb, a clown, a doctor, a murderer. I can be tribal. Ironic. Or disturbed. My voice is really my instrument."
#1-Pearl Jam 2-any band Neil Young has 3-Modest Mouse 4-U2 5-Blind Melon(not really the album with the new singer,but they are touring playing the old good songs)
1. Wintersleep
2. Wilco
3. The New Pornographers
4. The Shins
5. The National
“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’” - Kurt Vonnegut
Comments
Wilco
R.E.M.
The Flaming Lips
The Arcade Fire
I went strictly with the "band" element. While there are other "artists" that I like more (Ryan Adams, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, etc.), these are the bands that I would pay the most money to see right now.
I genuinely don't think I'll ever forget seeing him playing at a Tsunami Benefit in early 2005 in the Isle of Man. I'd probably never want to hear an album of it but live he blew me away. Hearing him in a tiny little pub made it all the more cool
'06 - London, Dublin, Reading
'07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
'09 - London, Manchester, London
'12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
Seconded.
Lights and sounds and balloons does not constitute 'good live act'.
- the great Sir Leo Harrison
Screw the lights and balloons, these guys are stella musicians and have a sack load of decent songs to go with it.
Exhibit A: http://youtube.com/watch?v=OZR_UkJV-wE
the bass line alone is fucking awesome!
Wintersleep
Kings of Leon
The Audreys
Arcade Fire
I'm not sure what you mean by 'best' and not 'favourite'.
It's difficult to be objective about it. At least it is for me.
Wembley 18/06/07
If there was a reason, it was you.
O2 Arena 18/09/09
The claim that the "vast majority of songs sound the same" is utterly ridiculous, Supermassive Black Hole sounds nothing like Hysteria, which sounds nothing like Plug in Baby, which sounds nothing like Apocalypse please etc etc. I expected a better argument than that from you!!!! Why do people have such a problem with saying, it just doesn't float my boat?!
'06 - London, Dublin, Reading
'07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
'09 - London, Manchester, London
'12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
Also, Knights of Cydonia was the most ridiculous song of 2006. Radiohead meets Queen is a horrific idea and one that should never have reached fruition.
Just my opinion.
Well yeah I see where you are coming from, but if you strip it down to what a live show is, what would you expect from an amazing band? A huge catalog of popular songs? Stage presence? Excitement (gulp?!), A high level of musicianship? I'm sure it's entirely possible that there are performers out there that I don;t like, but that they are amazing at what they do. Muse are that type of band in my opinion. You might not like their flamboyant style, the singers voice, the type of music etc, BUT that doesn't mean that they are not amazing at what they do.
MMJ (Tennessee fire is pure gold)
KOL
Black Keys
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Where do the keys in New Born crop up in other songs? I genuinely don't think I've noticed that. And by a lot, really what are you saying? I don't think any of the singles they've released have been particularly similar.
Knights of Cydonia rocks with concrete balls! Do you ever wonder if sometimes you just don't 'get' something? I know I do, but I'll at least give credit where it is due for musicianship and stage presence and stuff. I know plenty of people find bands like Tool and Radiohead to be boring, but you can't really fault their musicianship.
I'm gonna join the crowd here, and say that Muse aren't my Cup-o-Tea. I'll give you that they're good at what they do, but I feel it's pretty superficial - all their music has a kind of cold, metallic sheen, like it's been produced to within an inch of its life, and their stage show is geared more towards spectacle than substance.
More petty personal reasons to dislike them include the (super)massive overhype machine that the British press ran for them over the last two years, and the fact that Matt Bellamy inhales like an asthmatic donkey in between lines.:p
'06 - London, Dublin, Reading
'07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
'09 - London, Manchester, London
'12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
Haha! I know what you mean about the inhaling!
I also get where you are coming from in terms of them seeming 'cold' - they would never be one of the bands that I would listen to if I was feeling overly emotional, but they do have their place. Sometimes music doesn't have to be about personal stuff, sometimes I think it can just exist for the sake of art. I think that's why the press leapt all over them, because they are doing something that nobody else is really doing at the moment. One of the things I really like about them is that they are gloriously overblown, and that their ambition is far beyond what most bands these days have. To me that is exciting, and what's more, they went on to prove everyone wrong when they were originally dismissed as a Radiohead clone.
Bah, credit where it's due. Even just for their musicianship.
I've been saying this EXACT same thing to a lot of people for a long time. I mean, GALLOPING HORSES?..... for fuck's sake people.
- the great Sir Leo Harrison
I can't fault people who do Rubik's cubes for fun for their patience, just as I can't fault Muse's musicianship.
- the great Sir Leo Harrison
Cool, so long as you aren't knocking the musicianship.
I do kind of disagree with you about the notion of 'getting' something. When I think how my musical tastes have evolved over the years, I'm very open to the idea that music can catch you out when you least expect it. The only time I really tend to fully dismiss a band is when they are musically stunted shite like Fall Out Boy.
What if I think Muse is musically stunted shite?
- the great Sir Leo Harrison
2. Radiohead
3. Kings of Leon
4. Jack White's bands
5. Black Keys/BRMC/Death Cab
The Tragically Hip
Wintersleep
Pearl Jam
Wilco
The Weakerthans
honorable mentions:
Drive-By Truckers
The Constantines
Radiohead
Cuff the Duke
U2
R.E.M.
Arcade Fire
The National
-Tom Waits
Agreed. I just saw "U2 3D" last week and was thoroughly blown away. The power of their live show never ceases to amaze me. How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was average at best, but now that they've gone back to Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno for the new album, all indications point to a classic album in the works. I'm looking forward to hearing the results.
-Tom Waits
tool
mark lanegan
wilco
thrice
1. Wintersleep
2. Wilco
3. The New Pornographers
4. The Shins
5. The National