In the catalog of musical artists whomake you wonder if there’s somethingwrong with your stereo, sit The Flaming Lips, the band about which I have written mostoften on the blog, and, behind Elbow, aremy favorite band of the 21st century. The Flaming Lips make their debut, actually, in the late 80’s, make music for nearlyContinue reading “#698: F is for The Flaming Lips (95, 99, 02, 06)”
Tag Archives: rock
#697: F is for The Fixx
The Fixx stands near the top ofmy list of the greatest 80’s bands, in part because their music doesn’tsound dated–there are no dumbdrum machines, no easily identifiablesynthesizer cliches or sequencers. Their timelessness comes from the key instrumental fact that they were a rock band. They stand outbecause each player, not just oneor two, had aContinue reading “#697: F is for The Fixx”
#696: F is for Finn, Liam and Neil
It seems like it was only a few daysago when I was listening to Crowded House, but it’s been actually about a month and a half. Listening as much as I have been since the start of October, sometimes the experience becomes a bit of a blur. So I went all the way back toContinue reading “#696: F is for Finn, Liam and Neil”
#695: F is for Fine Young Cannibals
I wondered why they buried the single, then I realized that “She Drives Me Crazy”is not on this album. Instead, we’ve got a collection of debut tunes from this Fine Young band of Cannibals, wildly unique in their era, making a kind of soul music featuring one of the most distinctive singers of theday, anContinue reading “#695: F is for Fine Young Cannibals”
#690: F is for Father John Misty (12, 15, 17)
This guy, Joshua Tillman, appears to havehad his big break in rock music as the drummerfor Fleet Foxes. The breakout album he playedon happens to be in my collection, the 2011Helplessness Blues. The drummer’s identity didn’t register with me at the time, nor should it have, as I wouldn’t hear a song byhis adopted monikerContinue reading “#690: F is for Father John Misty (12, 15, 17)”
#689: F is for Fagen, Donald
The Nightfly, circa 1983, was hands down one of the sonically best sounding albums I had ever heard. And of course, there were so manygreat singles from this, his debut solo album, and probably by a long shot his most successful, and I had heard them all on the radio. But it would be severalContinue reading “#689: F is for Fagen, Donald”
#687: E is for Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
My first introduction to progressive rock was likely Yes. But I didn’t know it was prog rock because theyhad hit songs and the complexitywent over my head, or I didn’t hearit as complexity because I was not yet a musician. As a pre-teen, I started listening to Rush, but cameto them via their very firstContinue reading “#687: E is for Emerson, Lake, and Palmer”
#686: E is for Elfman, Danny
I was horrifiedby the A$AP Rocky performance on SNL. No live music. Couldn’t tellyou if he was lip syncing or really singing, and the staging ofwhatever that was, of the dancingor whatever, was nonsensical and sloppy. But what was most horrifying is that I recognized the drummer. Who is that naked torso man with allContinue reading “#686: E is for Elfman, Danny”
#685: E is for Electric Light Orchestra
As a kid, I used to hang outwith my cousins Chris and Nick. In my musical autobiography, I have my cousins to thank for introducing me to two artiststhat would be pivotal in my development as a music fan and a music maker. The first time I ever heard an Elton Johnalbum all the wayContinue reading “#685: E is for Electric Light Orchestra”
#684: E is for Elbow
I have written about this Manchesterband here somewhere in the blog at least on six different occasions, and a little better than ten yearsago, in a similar listening challenge,but with the CD collection, where I vowed not to listen to everything, butto one full album by each artist, I couldn’t help myself. I listenedat thatContinue reading “#684: E is for Elbow”