These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: Music

[alexc]

Here I'll talk about a constant part of my life. No matter what I'm doing, as long as I'm not watching a movie or tv, I have music playing. All the time. IF I'm working or reading or playing a game or riding my bike or driving in my car or hiking through the woods, or posting here, I'm listening to music. I would call this a hoby if it weren't a constant part of my life. Music is always there and I think I would rather die than be deaf, as I love music so much.

My plan is to use this thread to talk about my favorite artists, albums and songs.

I encourage everyone to add their favorites as well.

[alexc]

For today I'm going to share one of my favorite modern bands with you. We'll take a look (and hopefully a listen) to Flogging Molly.

Flogging Molly is an Irish band based in LA and they infuse their Irish songs with heavy rock and punk influences. This is something you'll come to learn about me, I really like artists that mix multiple styles and genres together well.

I've seen the Mollies twice in concert and I have already bought my tickets for their next local show, which is more than three months away.

Take a listen to The Devil's Dance Floor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSwaVvF7rdU

and then switch it up dramatically and go with the slow melancholic Far Away Boys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V72fxBu43Dc

[alexc]

[alexc]

All right, for our journey into music today, we'll look at one of the bands that has had more influence on my musical tastes than just about any other.

Pink Floyd. I was introduced to Pink Floyd in the mid-80's, shortly after Roger Waters massive ego imploded the band for a short time. The first Pink Floyd album I ever heard was Momentary Lapse of Reason and I simply fell in love with the sound. It wasn't until much later that I discovered the trials and tribulations that they went through prior to releaseing the album. It didn't matter thaough as I was hooked, and immediately sought out everything that Pink Floyd had ever created.

My favorite Pink Floyd album of all time is also their most popular, The Dark Side of the Moon. It is without a doubt in my mind a sonic masterpiece that was so far ahead of its time it still hasn't found the correct place to sit in the pantheon of music.

[alexc]

Today we'll take a look at another one of those modern British rock bands that has just recently started gaining some popularity and is about to release their third album Intimacy.

Formed Is Essex, England in 1999, Bloc Party released their first album Silent Alarm in 2005, and their second album A Weekend in the City in 2007. Their third albumIntimacy is coming out on Thursday.

From A Weekend in the City this is Prayer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8oRFcA0mFM

And the new single Mercury:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYdyExUfIbI

[MommyEnterprises]

[alexc]

Well I just got home from seeing one of my favorite bands perform. Wilco is a group out of Chicago that formed in 1994 after the band Uncle Tupelo broke up. Officially designated alternative country, Wilco has a unique mix of country, rock, avatne garde and noise that they incorporate into their music stylings.

Off of their fourth studio album Yankee Hotel Forxtrot this is Jesus, Etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBhj73WtiZU

[alexc]

Today we will have a look at yet another British Rock band this time from Devon, England. Formed in 1994, Muse has quickly grown into an Arena Rock band. Able to fill Wimbeldon Stadium to capacity, Muse is no lobger what one would consider a small band. At least not in England.

Although somewhat less popular in the US than in the UK, they still have quite the following.

One of my favorites by Muse, which also happens to be a great video: Knights of Cydoniahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV1bRfLHA3A

[auntiej]

I love music with all my heart. I listen to a wide variety of music. I love rap, rock, alternative, classic, jazz, blues.... and the list goes on and on. Nothing like listening to BB King get down on the guetar. Or listen to louie Armstrong croon out its a wonderful world.

[alexc]

While I was away this past week, I managed to check out several concerts all by artists and musicians that fall into a bizarre category of music, far from the mainstream. They are all nerd musicians. Everything from nerd rock to nerd rap (nerdcore hip-hop) to nerd jazz was on display this weekend, and I spent a lot of time listening to The Minibosses.

The Minibosses are a rock group that specializes in retooling classical videogame tunes into rock instrumental songs. Everything from the Super Mario Brothers theme song to Halo, these guys have re-written it and done a rock song out of it.

Check out their cover of Castlevania III:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mlQ46H6QII

[workathomemama2]

[alexc]

Ok, one more from the "nerd side" of the street. This one will be a hard choice for a lot of people to listen to as it combines nred themes and rap in a style called nerdcore hip-hop.

M.C. Frontalot from San Francisco has coined the term nerdcore, and is one of the founding fathers of the nerd rap genre. Mixing traditional rap styles with altogether geeky content M.C. Frontalot has found a tremendous following in the gamer-geek culture.

Check out Bizarro Genius Baby for a taste
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmx6Q0YLH8A

[alexc]

The Fleet Foxes are a really new band out of Seattle, having only released a single album, the self titled Fleet Foxes. The album has been heralded as one of the best albums of the year consistently rating in the top 10% of any scoring metric you care to name.

From their only album this is White Winter Hymnal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCzIw4W7fdQ

[alexc]

Tonight I am heading out to see one of my favorite new bands for the first time. TV On the Radio are an ecclectic band out of Brooklyn, New York and they are one of the few bands to really come up with a new sound.

Check out TV On the Radio's Wolf Like Me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUB1xSAAADk

[alexc]

Oh...I found a new band that I had heard of a few years ago, but I had never heard at all. Elbow just won the National Mercury Award, one of the UKs highest music honors, for their new album Seldom Seen Kid. I don't know much about Elbow other than they are a British rock band, and their song Grounds for Divorce is awesome. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwQdpod9BFw