What's your all time favourite band?

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jessie

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« on: July 07, 2009, 09:58:01 AM »
I'm interested to know which bands everyone is listening to? I need to hear some new and good music!

tone

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« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2009, 10:06:01 AM »
Getting recommendations is the only way to find new music for me, so well done for starting this thread!
I'll go with the lesser known people I like in the hope of introducing you to something you've not yet heard.
Scott Matthews has a great cd 'Passing Stranger'
Laura Marling's 'Alas I cannot swim'
Rufus Wainwright's 'Want two' has some amazing songs on it
And a band called Arctic I found on a site called Jamendo have a nice cd called Music for Rain

How about you?
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waspfromipanema

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« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2009, 01:47:32 PM »
Laura Marling?! Oh no, give that one a miss, urghhhh!!! (sorry, I can't stand her!) tee hee xx

Guy

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« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2009, 01:52:52 PM »
Laura Marling?! Oh no, give that one a miss, urghhhh!!! (sorry, I can't stand her!) tee hee xx
Hmm I'm curious now - not heard of her, and already so controversial!  *goes to check her out on spotify...

Captain Andy

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« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2009, 05:16:09 PM »
My favourite band is Mega City Four.
www.myspace.com/megacityfour

Nathan1709

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« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2010, 03:18:00 PM »
Mine changes on a regular basis but today it would have to be either Creednece Clearwater Revival, The Black Keys or The Stooges.

tone

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« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2010, 05:16:33 PM »
Creedence have done some good stuff, but I'm not familiar with the other two.

If we're going for all time favourites, I have to put Crowded House somewhere very near the top of the list. Amazing songwriting. Also Paul Simon, Neil Young, James Taylor... could go on all night!
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Nathan1709

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« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2010, 10:07:20 PM »
I think my all time four top artists would have to be the ones I mentioned as my influences in my introduction post; Neil Young, Townes Van Zant, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, but I love so many bands and different kinds of music that it's impossible for me to say on any given day my 'favourite'.  I could spend hours listing my favourite music and I'd still forget some!

Schavuitje

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« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2010, 08:40:58 PM »
At the moment I can't stop listening to XTC. Apple Venus 1 and 2. Two is a bit rockier than the first but it's a masterclass in songwriting. It's got all types of rythm with fantastic lyrics, masses of counterpoint. Expert writers in my humble opinion  :)
There are holes in the sky where the rain gets in  , but they're ever so small, that's why rain is thin.

Paul

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« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2010, 09:38:47 PM »
My favourite songwriter is Paddy Mcaloon of Prefab Sprout.  Unfortunately new releases are few and far between.  Still, his writing is wonderful!

Paul

kip4

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« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2010, 10:55:30 PM »
Guys (and gals ) right now im loving
queen emily (as seen on jools holland last week )
Sharon Jones and the dap kings
crazy arm
and i forget all the other stuff i'll remember it as soon as i press post lol

hofnerite

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« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2010, 10:22:18 PM »
If I could listen to only one band for the rest of my life it would have to be the Beatles. They have a song for every mood/occasion/age/era, they taught me how to play guitar and write songs.

I am loving KT Tunstall currently, proper talent there, very intelligent melodist.

Super Furry Animals have produced some amazing stuff over the years too and are the best live band I have ever seen, check out some of their stuff, very underrated band.

Apart form those and Noel Gallagher, Richard Ashcroft, Webber/Rice, I don't really connect with any other songwriters. I love the odd song but I can relate to all the above musically if that makes any sense?

tone

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« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2010, 12:08:53 AM »
I don't dispute the songwriting prowess of messrs Lennon & McCartney, but I couldn't choose the Beatles if I was allowed to listen to only one band for the rest of my life. They taught me how to write songs in as much as I learned nearly every single one in my late teens, but I have grown a little tired of their music on the whole, and perhaps more importantly, I feel it's lost some of its relevance. I really wonder how well they'll stand the test of time. My nieces are 11 and 17 and I honestly don't know if they've ever heard of the Beatles, let along know any of the music. They've heard of Elvis though (I hate Elvis btw).

I'll try to illustrate this point with an example. Sgt Peppers/ I am the walrus/ Drive my car/ Strawberry Fields - all great songs, but of their time. They grow weaker with time. Although some McCartney songs are a bit more timeless, I'm thinking Eleanor Rigby/ Long & winding rd/ let it be - but the Beatles to me are summed up by the 60s. Take someone like Paul Simon - his songs have a certain sound, but I don't think they struggle to be relevant today. They're more human I think - and talk about things any generation can relate to. Of course, you could pick holes in these arguments quite easily because there's such a wide variety of songs to choose from, but I think there's a good point in there somewhere.

Sorry if this thread is going wildly off topic, but it struck me as interesting, and I got to thinking about who from the late C20th will still be relevant and popular in the middle of this century.

I also think context is very important. Andrew Lloyd Webber is more likely to stand the test of time than the Beatles in my opinion, because his music is built around a performance that doesn't require his presence or direct input. The Beatles died with John Lennon, but I bet the phantom of the opera or Evita will still be playing in the west end in 30 years time (I hate Lloyd Webber also btw :p )

Similarly, I think our assimilation of American culture since the 1980's puts the Beatles at risk of falling off the map. They were huge in the states, but they're not part of US history or culture, and only a nationalist movement could ever bring them back into focus the way they deserve. When Macca dies, they're likely be a small revival, but I wonder how quickly they'll disappear from the mainstream, and become songwriting legends like Cole Porter or Irving Berlin. Genius songwriters, but no-one listens much to their songs anymore.

The thought has occurred to me - does anyone really care about songwriting any more? I mean, listen to the music that's being pushed by the media and the industry, and it's all focused on sales. The songs are written to make money, not to be good. I'm not saying none of these songs are good, but on the whole, they're utterly forgettable, and will be forgotten quickly. The songwriter is a dying breed with no real mandate any more. Take Rufus Wainwright as an example. The man is a songwriting genius, but he's marginal in terms of success. I don't think any of his songs has ever been in a chart, and he's rarely played on the radio or tv.

I'm rambling now, so I'll stop! But it definitely warrants some discussion. What do you all think?
« Last Edit: September 23, 2010, 12:14:14 AM by tone »
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TNMC

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« Reply #13 on: September 24, 2010, 11:19:45 AM »
I gotta agree with a lot that Tone said, I do find that most of the current songs that do well commercially are  very shallow lyrically, this doesn't make it a bad song and I do write shallow lyrics myself but I also write deeper ones too and I really enjoy songs that make you think. I actually think some of Eminem and Jay-Z lyrics are superb (not a big rap or hip hop fan btw) and at least thet say something. I love the Doors, for me Jim Morrison is what an ideal poet/lyricist should be - enigmatic, thought provoking and off his face. I also love Guns N' Roses, for different reasons, more of an attitude thing and they were fantastic live at Slane Castle. One of my other favourite bands is Fleetwood Mac as far as songwriting is concerned, some of their stuff is brilliant. I could go on for hours here naming bands and artists I love, but sadly nearly all of them are old classics like Pink Floyd, Genisis, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty, Led Zepplin, Thin Lizzy and Neil Young ahh the list could go on and on.
Someone mentioned Later with Jools Holland in their post and I think this is one of the best programs on TV, I love hearing music that I wouldn't normally go for and I lot of music I now like I heard first on that show.
In short my favourite band depends on the mood I'm in or the mood I want to be in!


Liam.