Music
The Master Archive of Music I Like
Sometime in late 2002, one of my loyal readers suggested I write up a page listing all the music I’m into since (in his opinion) I have good taste. I told him it was a brilliant idea and I’d have to do that sometime. Well, sometime finally came due a couple years later and here it is.
Of course, this not a finished or fully complete list, in fact there are many that I’m missing. It will likely be edited frequently. And, as always, I’m quite welcoming of feedback and suggestions of other bands I should investigate.
My very favorites:
- Candy Butchers/Mike Viola — Widely known as the voice behind the That Thing You Do single, Mike Viola creates sharp-lyricked power pop, although he switched to a quiet, acoustic style for his last solo album. Favorites: Tough Hang, My Heart Isn’t in It, Killing Floor
- Decemberists, The — Obnoxiously literate, sometimes-creepy pop and thus very Katie-friendly. Favorites: Everything on Picaresque, Billy Liar, The Perfect Crime #2, Apology Song
- Deathray — Comprised of two ex-Cake members and, uh, some other guys, they make some pretty enjoyable pop rock. Favorites: Only Lies, Someone After You
- Incredible Moses Leroy, The (lead singer/writer is now in the SoftLights, which have a similar sound) — Quirky, adorable, and sometimes jazzy. This is what it sounds like when a shy guy finally starts opening up. Favorites: Sour, 1983, Fuzzy
- Long Winters, The — My hands-down favorite, or at least tied. Their record label uses the phrases “lyrical intimacy” and “guitar pop” to describe them, and that works for me. Favorites: Blue Diamonds Cinnamon
- Mono Puff — The side project of They Might Be Giants rocker John Flansburgh, Mono Puff is impossible to pin down. It’ll make you dance, it’ll make you scratch your head. Favorites: Since You Joined the Corperation, Back-Stabbing Liar, Poison Flowers, Careless Santa
- Nada Surf — I cannot thank my friend Kevin enough for inviting me a Nada Surf concert, because I fucking love them. They’ve come a long way (baby) since their 1996 hit Popular (which sucked). Their release Let Go is one of my most favorite CDs. Favorites: Inside of Love, No Quick Fix
- OKGO — I was introduced to these delightful boys when they opened for They Might Be Giants. Cheeky, peppy pop that makes you can’t sit still to. If you get the chance to see them in concert, they’re a blast. Favorites: Return, It’s Tough to Have a Crush, We Dug a Hole
- Spoon — My other hands-down favorite. Indie rock from Austin. Incredible arrangements (especially on Kill the Moonlight) that just rock. Favorites: I Turn My Camera On, Stay Don’t Go (possibly my favorite song ever, at the moment), the first song on every album
Also good:
- Apples in Stereo, The — I’ve heard good things about them for ages, and now I finally informed myself of what I was missing out on. Indie with a strong Beatles influence. Favorites: The Benefits of Lying, Seems So
- Ben Folds (Five) — Kickass, piano-based rock. I shouldn’t have to define Ben Folds for you. Favorites: Still Fighting It, Bastard
- Ben Lee — In college I got the chance to see Ben Lee in concert for free because I was on the guestlist. Quite a treat. Anyway, Ben is a delightful singer/songwriter-type who can both rock out and break your heart. Favorites: Chills, Cigarettes Will Kill You, Eight Years Old
- Ben Kweller — Another of the Bens, just as awesome as the others. Favorites: Hospital Bed, Sha Sha
- Bishop Allen — True, I’ve only heard of them because band member Christian Rudder was the funny guy behind thespark.com, but that’s not why I love Bishop Allen. They’re simple, adorable, low-key, and fun. They put on a fun show, too — I was once in an audience of twelve at the student union and they still played like it was a full house. Favorites: Little Black Ache, Charm School
- Dressy Bessy — It’s not a coincidence that they were on the Powerpuff Girls soundtrack, because if the Powerpuff Girls had a band, this is what it would sound like. And I mean that in the most complimentary way. Favorites: Lookaround, Just Like Henry, Jenny Come On
- eels — Their often-dark indie-pop is irresistable. Favorites: Rags to Rags, It’s a Motherfucker, Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues, Last Stop: This Town
- Guster — These guys are total sweethearts, and I’d back that up with evidence, but this is supposed to be short. Anyway, catchy indie rock with acoustic tendencies, great on records and awesome live (they have one hell of a drummer and do great covers). Favorites: Medicine, Barrel of a Gun, Scars and Stitches, Jesus on the Radio
- Harvey Danger — Another one-hit wonder, Harvey Danger’s song “Flagpole Sitta” was a big hit back in 1998. After that, they released a second album and dropped off the face of the earth (although Sean became part of The Long Winters), only to resurface in 2005 with a new album. Alt-pop with a tendency to throw around big words that rhyme with each other. Favorites: Private Helicopter, Meetings with Remarkable Men, Pike St./Park Slope
- Metric — An iTunes find. They call themselves cubist, I call them catchy. Favorite: Combat Baby
- Muckafurgason — Goofy and ecclectic, but they’ve broken up. This depresses me, because Muckafurgason put on a great show. Favorites: Janeane, Dictionary, Part-Time Rockstar, Atari, Lunch
- Pixies — Huge alt rock influence of the late 80s. Damn cool. Favorites: Velouria, Debaser, Gigantic
- Shannon Campbell — The tagline on her website says, “voice of an angel, mouth of a truckdriver.” I say, “rock on.” I think it would be hard for me to not enjoy an folk rockin’ internet geek girl, but I’m not the only one. So check out her mp3 archive. Seriously. And check these out too.
- Shins, The — Mellowish indie pop that’s hard not to like. Favorites: Kissing the Lipless, New Slang
- Spiraling — Formerly known as You Were Spiraling. Also known as awesome. Poppy alt rock. Favorites: The Connection, This is the Road, The L Word 2.0
- Steve Burns — Yes, the guy from Blue’s Clues. (Hey, it was a good show!) He worked with some guys from The Flaming Lips (and you’ll certainly hear their influence) and came out with a really awesome debut. Favorites: Mighty Little Man, Maintain
- They Might Be Giants — I don’t know how to sum up TMBG in a couple sentences. They’re my favorite. Literate, ironic, alternative, quirky, sometimes funny, sometimes educational, often depressing, but always witty, They Might Be Giants have written and published massive amounts of music during the last twenty years, split between traditional records, eMusic releases, and their Dial-a-Song service (718-387-6962 — finally digitized). Favorites: Pet Name, The Bells are Ringing, Birdhouse in Your Soul, Snail Shell, She’s an Angel, Don’t Let’s Start, It’s Not My Birthday, I’ve Got a Match, They’ll Need a Crane
Mostly just when I’m sad:
- Aimee Mann — Folky, mellow, singer/songwritery stuff. Favorites: You Could Make a Killing, Driving Sideways
- Clem Snide — Nasal-voiced, sad, sweet ballads. I love these guys. Favorites: I Love the Unknown, Your Favorite Music, Let’s Explode, Now the Moment’s Gone
- Moxy Früvous — Goofy, “wildly ecclectic,” politically conscious, and fucking talented. Früvous isn’t for everyone, if you get them, you’ll love them. Their albums sometimes indicate a bit of a mood swing, i.e., Bargainville and The B Album are the silly albums, Wood and Thornhill (my very favorite) are the sad ones. Currently on extended haitus. Favorites: BJ Don’t Cry, Big Fish, Sad Girl, Independence Day, Fly
- Rufus Wainwright — Talented singer, something a little different. Moody and slow. Favorites: Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk, Fourteenth Street, Oh What a World
