It's kind of high-school-y, but I really wanna know. What's/who's your absolute musical artist?

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Answers

Okay, so I don't really have a favorite band. But I do always have a few CDs on high rotation. Right now those are ones by Pavement, PJ Harvey, Superchunk, and Stereolab. And my friend Tania's old band.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Aw, man. I already made a major typo in the question itself. But that's okay... that's reassuring, right? Grammar and syntax can be RELAXED here.

And I guess tangents are okay, too. (I'm learning as I go, you see.)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

These days, I'm down with Aimee Mann and Matthew Sweet.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

I'm nowhere NEAR cool enough to answer this question in public!

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

I'm just gonna go ahead and post to all the topics. . . I've been listening to a lot of Wilco lately.

And Gwen, as the administrator of this forum, you can edit any post or question by logging on to the administrator page (I run one of these over at dellazine, and often have revisionist-smarts). So if you make typos or get grossed out by any reader comments, you can jump in and tidy up. Or else just let it go natural, it's all good.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Well I like Jimmy Buffett's music an awful lot, but I don't like who he is. I go to his concerts every year, even though I hate how much money he is making off of me.
I also like Barenaked Ladies, and I hear it's not cool to like them anymore, but I do, because they remind me of the guys I used to hang out with in high school; geeky and had no idea they were cool.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

I have much love for Bjork and Radiohead.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

I just love Seal. I don't care if he sang hard core rap, I'd still listen to him.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Matchbox Twenty. I liked them when they were Matchbox 20, too. And I love the Grateful Dead - that's my boyfriend's influence. No Doubt rocks, as do the Dixie Chicks. And one of my all-time favorites is Fleetwood Mac.

Before I go, I do have a confession to make.

I love Eminem. I do. My favorite song these days is "The Real Slim Shady" and I flip around on the radio every chance I get, hoping to hear it. I'm even learning the lyrics.

I apologize to those of you who hate Eminem. I just can't help it, it's like a bad drug habit.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

grateful dead

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

For the past few months I've been all about Holly Golightly and the Headcoatees. A welcome jaded, gritty change from all of the chipmunk-voiced girly-girl bands out there. Let's hear it for bitterness

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Right now A Perfect Circle is on heavy rotation in my car. I will eternally love The Smiths, Morrissey, The The, NIN, The Cure, Tori Amos. I'm a sucker for 80's synth pop, too, like Duran Duran.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Gwen, I love to play Superchunk's The First Part really loud and annoy my husband. Laura Ballance r00lz.

I have too many to name, but lately I've been listening to lots of Knife in the Water, Neal Casal, Babybird and the Charlatans (Charlatans UK for people in the US). If anybody wants an mp3 of Charlatans' Impossible, email me, because you need to hear this awesome song.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

The one I've stuck by the longest is R.E.M., but I listen to a huge number of bands. I'm an addict, I guess. Catatonia is my latest craze. Plus, Madder Rose, Buffalo Daughter (funky Japanese pop), and (oh the shame) Eminem (which is completely indefensible, but that "my palms are too hairy to hide" line really cracks me up). And Lauryn Hill. And Macy Gray. And P.J. Harvey and Hole and Smashmouth and Oh Susanna and Innocence Mission and....

Joanne

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Thanks, Sarahjane!

I don't look down on y'all for liking Eminem. I can't really point fingers because I still listen to Led Zeppelin and other sexist crap. I understand that the music often overrides the lyrics.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

My absolute fave is The Rolling Stones (I'm old. I know.). I just love their decadence. My current ("current" meaning my friend Dave won't say, "Don't you listen to anyone who isn't dead or close to death?") faves are Liz Phair and Lucinda Williams (If y'all don't have "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" by Lucinda, please, please go out right now and make the purchase. I promise you will love and gush over it like I do). I tend to get obsessed with one CD and play it like a hundred times in a row before I move on to something else.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Karen, I do that, too. (play the one cd over and over.)

I saw Lucinda W on the Tonight Show (I was bored, okay?) and I thought she rocked. But I keep forgetting to look for her CDs.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

XTC is the greatest, ever. I am a Zappa fan, too, and there are tons of artists I love, but XTC is the best, by far. Andy Partridge is my hero.

Thanks to Gwen for liking a band I've heard of. Gawd, I feel old when this topic comes up. I knew I was getting too old when I turned on the radio and said, "What is this crap? Street repairs?" and turned it off.

Speaking of which, have you heard that poor sap from Black Crowes trying to sing old Zep tunes? He sounds like he's passing razor blades. I caught a bit of Ten Years Gone, but once he started singing off key, I had to turn it off. It sure gives me a new appreciation for Robert Plant's voice.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Like Sarahjane, I too love some Wilco. Also, Gram Parsons and the Jayhawks and Son Volt and Whiskeytown. Alt-country geeks hooray!

My fave band of late is Le Tigre. They are girls who kick ass and play samplers, but in a punk rock way.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

I refuse to be ashamed...I bought the new Bon Jovi cd today (the day it was released) and will travel into nyc early Friday to see them for free on the Today Show. I also really like Garbage, Matchbox 20, Foo Fighters, Allman Brothers, Toshi Reagon, and Live. Kinda depends on my mood, though.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Come on People, I'm from New Jersey, what did you expect? Does it help my coolness factor at all that my current favorite CD is Donna Hart? I didn't think so.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Hey, Kate: "that's really super, Supergirl."

Is the Black Crowes guy doing this on the radio or his latest album or what? Did you hear that Encomium (or whatever) tribute to Zep album? I kept thinking I wanted to buy it... but then I didn't.

Kathleen: Sharon's from NJ, too. Do you like Bon Jovi? Coz that's the law up there, right?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Ella Mae Morse, Magnetic Fields, Divine Comedy, David Bowie, Beatles, Le Tigre, Abba.....

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

I NEED to listen to Wilco and PJ Harvey. Can y'all recommend the best CD from each? I would be very appreciative. Oh yeah, and I forgot the Old 97s on my list. They are a new fave of mine.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

For Wilco, I would start out w/ Being There. It's more country-rockish than what they are doing now, but it's not hard to make the jump to the more orchestrated pop stuff on SummerTeeth.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

I am so busted...yes, I like Bon Jovi! It really is the law in NJ.

However, I left NJ 12 years ago and while my love of Bon Jovi has lessened some, my obession with all things Bruce only grows. I saw him this past fall in Los Angeles, ninth row center! Without a doubt one of the highlights of my entire life. Brooooooooooooooce!!!

Sharon, Where in the Garden State are you from? I'm from Bridgewater, NJ. Since leaving there I've lived in Virginia, Florida, California, Texas and now West Virginia (I married a Marine.)

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

innocence mission and magnetic fields! too cool. although my real love is just about anything on the 4ad label (cocteau twins, throwing muses). or anything really eclectic, like "polka comes to your haus", various punk bands doing covers of traditional polka music. its a trip!

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

JILL! I have rediscovered 80s music and am enchanted! Check out www.channel1049.com...internet radio from the Bay Area, all 80s with some current stuff thrown in. I listen all the time at work.

I've never been able to answer this question...too many favorites, but here's a sampling: Grateful Dead, David Byrne/Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Dave Matthews Band, Genesis, Stones, Zep, Pink Floyd, Bowie, They Might Be Giants, Phish, Neil Young, B-52s, Stevie Ray Vaughn...that's enough I guess.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

My favorite band! DURAN DU-

Oh, heck, you already know....

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Mermaid Avenue Vol. I and II, by Billy Bragg and Wilco, are also very good for anybody for who likes those guys or Woody Guthrie (the songs are all old Guthrie lyrics that he never made into songs, but Bragg and Wilco set them to music for these records). The song "Ingrid Bergman" on Volumne I is probably one of the most beautiful ever recorded (and I'm willing to arm wrestle over this fact).

Lucinda Williams, my favorite by her is Happy Woman Blues. It's back when she was on Smithsonian Folk Recordings or something like that. Son Volt is also super fine, I especially like Wide Swing Tremelo.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Uhhh...okay....Duran Duran, of course. Adam Ant still has it, too. Sting. I just loved the 80s, though---Senior '86, ya know.

I've discovered Andy Prieboy's original stuff lately, though. He took over for Stan Ridgway as lead singer of Wall of Voodoo, but his best stuff by far is his original works.

***going to the mall now to buy the latest Duran offering, and to take my car to the mechanic...AGAIN***

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

I just want to thank Laura for helping me achieve a higher level of time-wasting.
I'm listening to Channel 1049's streaming feed or whatever you want to call it, and every time a song comes on that I don't have an mp3 of, I find it.

There aren't any good radio stations here in Cincinnati, so I was really glad to have this pointed out. I miss WHFS.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Kathleenc, I'm from West Milford, but live in Bon Jovi's hometown right now (a coincidence, I SWEAR). My brother lives in Bridgewater. I like it there.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

The only PJ Harvey I need right now is "Dry". I love it.

My perennial faves are Beck, Bjork, and Throwing Muses.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

if i have to go out on a limb , i'll say The Go-Betweens. but i'm all about love and i love a lot of bands.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Patti Smith, absolutely. Neil Young, definitely. Counting Crows, usually. R.E.M., always.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

At the moment, I am getting into Saint Etienne- I just bought a sizable chunk of their back catalogue as well as some new singles. I love how some of their early songs sound like the soundtracks to all the cartoons I watched as child.

But fave rave of all time types? It's a combination of Pulp, Serge Gainsbourg, and France Gall, I think.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty are my absolute favorites.

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

I agree with Banana, LeTigre absolutely rocks. Lucinda Williams is also high on the list along with a lot of other "alt-country" bands, but as far as the Mermaid Ave. stuff goes...Wilco's alright but Billy is a weird-lipped genius. His early stuff can make big skinheads cry, check out any Redskins stuff if you can find it. Mule is amazing for more drunken, scary (PBR) country and there will always be a place in my heart for all things Snuff. And sixties soul. And ram

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

Aerosmith---old Aerosmith.

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

Massive Attack, Kruder&Dorfmeister. Oh, and King Missile's rather fun.

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2000

I can't believe no one has mentioned Prince. I mean, come on! Who doesn't have now or had at one time, Purple Rain?

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2000

Prince and Purple Rain, specifically, are more like "institutions" than "faves".

"I may not know where I'm goin', baby/ I said I may not know where I'll be/ But one thing, one thing's for certain, babe/ I know what I want/ And that's to please you, baby, please you, baby -- baby, baby, baby, I want you! Yes, I do!"

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

Bjork. Matthew Sweet. Ella Fitzgerald. Black Sabbath! Louis Armstrong. Aretha (old stuff). Poontwang. Morphine. Dead Can Dance. Personality Crisis. Naked Raygun. Southern Culture on the Skids. Soundgarden.

It's hard to narrow it down to one favorite. It really depends on the mood I'm in, you know?

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

David Bowie, Beck, Morphine, Macy Gray. In that order.

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

Crowded House and The Beatles. Give me quirky lyrics and a bit of guitar action, and I'm a happy girl.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

RE: Prince: "But one thing, one thing's for certain, babe/ I know what I want" - in the movie, the expression on his face when he sings this is worth whatever you paid to see it.

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

By far my favorite band is led zeppelin robert plant is a lyrical genuis and page can just play beyond words

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

Too many to name! Right now I'm listening to Bush, I love them. Next I think I'll pop my Queen cd in there.

-- Anonymous, July 07, 2000

It was a tough call, but there is only one possible answer, based solely on the fact that he has ALWAYS been a part of my life as long as I can remember and will continue to be (hopefully) even though his new album sucks the big one: Bowie, the once and future King.

Favorite band is a tougher call. I listened to the Beatles, Bowie, Duran Duran, the Who, Blondie, Split Enz, the Doors, the VU, and Kate Bush obsessively when younger. I still like them all.

These days there are more choices to make besides "Hate it, wouldn't want to date it" and "Jarvis Cocker is my Boyfriend*"...i.e., thumbs up or down. THere are classifications, because I'm too old to be binary about it anymore. So now there are "Drop everything bands (will hock cat and drag self out of death bed to go see them perform)" and there are "perennial favorites (will buy new product unheard)" and there are "past obsessions that laid the groundwork of influences that now make up my personal taste (see above for a short list)".

Some 'drop everything' bands: the White Lights, the Tender Idols, the Changelings (all local). If / when I get the chance: Pulp, Blur, Duran, Radiohead, Rialto, Blondie, Todd Rundgren.

Apparently I like a lot of music that falls into the "acid jazz' category. Didn't know that's what it was called until Tower Records broke it down for me. THEY say these bands are all acid jazz: Sneaker Pimps, Portishead, Massive Attack, Air, Mazzy Star, Mono, etc.

I have a soft spot for power pop, Britpop (der) and new wave.

You'll shoot me, but I hated "Purple Rain". I used to kinda like Prince prior to Purple Rain Mania. I haven't been able to tolerate him ever since. Or Bruce Springsteen. Or Madonna (though I'm softening my stance on her slightly).

Milla

* La, la, la, Jackie's going to tell me he's got bad grooming habits again but I'm not listening, la la la. My fingers are in my ears...

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2000

Cibo Matto, the Apples in stereo, the Beatles, Rasputina, Sleater-Kinney, etc.

But my *favorite* is Jump, Little Children.

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2000

I keep forgetting to check out Sleater-Kinney. From what I heard of the Apples on Columbia House's website clips, I couldn't like them. I love Cibo Matto, though.

I wish I had more time to find bands to love.

-- Anonymous, July 17, 2000

this summer i haven't been listening to anything in particular, though i guess Marshall Crenshaw has been a big fave over the past few weeks.

but in spring all i could listen to, for weeks and weeks, was the latest Travis disc, The Man Who. Sad and tuneful and perfect.

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2000

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the greatest musical genius of the past thirty years; Rolling Stone's Artist of the Decade (the 90's):

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2000

Oh, Psyber, thanks for reminding me! Whenever I try to think of my fave bands the obvious ones just don't come to mind for some reason! Nirvana is awesome...it really depresses me when I realize that no matter what I'll never see bands like Nirvana and Sublime live!

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2000

First, it thrills me no end that Jackie likes Neal Casal - I grew up with him and am really happy for him and his recent successes. Lately, I've been listening to an awful lot of Aimee Mann (via the Magnolia soundtrack), , Fiona Apple and Macy Gray. My perennial favorites are Bruce Springsteen (total Jersey influence), Jackson Browne, the Counting Crows (I am NEVER sick of August and Everything After), U2, The Cranberries, Natalie Merchant and The Beautiful South.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2000

Jump, Little Children must be a Charlotte-area band. Patricia Cornwell mentions them in one of her novels (Hornet's Nest, I believe). Kewl.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2000

regarding Jump, Little Children-- They're actually from Charleston, but they do play Charlotte a lot. That book makes me laugh, because the way they're presented in their brief appearance is so far off that it's funny.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2000

Uh, this could get long. The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Ramones, The Pretenders, Radiohead, Nick Drake, The Velvet Underground, Joan Armatrading, Talking Heads, Garbage, David Bowie, Tracy Chapman, Aimee Mann, Warren Zevon, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and many more that I can't think of cause it's 4:16 a.m. & I best be getting to bed now.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2000

also: Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, and the Mamas & the Papas.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

Gwen, I read a great review of Sleater-Kinney in the NY Times, but I haven't been able to hear them either....I want to though.

My all time standby in the glovebox - Three Dog Night. My other taste is too goofy to say in public. :D

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

I just got Sleater-Kinney's The Hot Rock the other day and it was such a good investment. Go pick it up!!!

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

Now if I could ever just write these things down so that I'd remember what I wanted when I actually shop for CDs...

Lisa, just say it. Come on. We won't tell anyone. Is it John Denver? Gordon Lightfoot? Jose Feliciano?

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

Gwen, you temptress! I know you're thinking "jeezy creezy, 3 Dog Night is embarrassing enough!" It's all old music: Erasure, New Order, Joni Mitchell, Talking Heads, Ricki Lee Jones, blah, blah

I'm listing these next "artists" just because I know all of you need a laugh: Neil Diamond (hey, he was the Y2K guy for Denver), Def Leopard, The Carpenters (rock!), some bagpipe CD, a couple of accordian CDs, Abba Gold (isn't Curry a guest artist on that CD?), Connie Francis, 5th Dimension, Jackson 5, Cream, Steppenwolf - I know I'm forgetting someone.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

Oh, none of those are so bad. Except Neil Diamond, I mean. He's a loser.

Just kidding!

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

Didn't the Carpenters have a song called "Superstar" or something like that? There was a decent little fuzz-guitar solo at the end of it. I had inherited a Carpenters greatest hits album (LP, vinyl, 33-1/3, remember those?) that had that song on it. So one time I put it on the turntable but played it at 78rpm -sped it way up so it sounded like some sort of shred-metal. My best friend and I were guitarists at the time and we about died laughing at what we had discovered. We laughed about it for days and decided we'd never be as good as this anonymous rock legend. :-)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2000

Gwen, he's a loser but for some reason Denver had him sing in the Y2K new year. Can you believe that? I just died laughing when I saw that on TV. He must have nude photos of someone at City Hall with animals.

Also, if you want to get rid of bugs(and other guests) in the house, put on a bagpipe CD.....

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000

Ha! Nude photos!

I actually love bagpipes a lot.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000

Is that wrong?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000

No, Gwen, that's not wrong.

And as a denizen of Denver, I would love to forget the Y2K celebration (or lack thereof) entirely. Can you say "boring"? Nothing. No big celebration. What celebrating there was looked embarrassing next to citites that actually have their acts together. Neil Diamond, whether we like him or not, is a major star, and he happens to live in Colorado. So I think that's why he was invited. He flew down, did his show, then flew back. He must live around Aspen or Vail.

Anyway, what a dud of a night. Good news: the world didn't end. Bad news: nothing else happened, either.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000

Gwen - bagpipes CD - I'm laughing, but I've got them, so there you go. Paul, really sorry about that NY celebration, guy. Neil Diamond - I'm laughing, but I've also got his best of CD, so there you go, again.

"she's got the way to move me, Cherry!" - woohoo!

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000

Gwen, I have a way cool CD of this guy on the accordian playing Bach. It is unbelievable, how good it is. He's the head of the Accordian Dept or something at University of Berlin (?) ("yes, I'm a classical accordian major, but I minored in Beer Barrel Polkas...")

I'll find the name and post it.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000

Favourite has to be the Go-Betweens. I also love the Pixies , Elvis Costello , Tom Waits , Hendrix , Triffids , Lemonheads , Buffalo Tom , the Fall , Smiths , Richard Thompson , I'd better stop now. I play guitar , I'm from Manchester , I've been in love a few times - what else do you need to know ?

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

KNIFE IN THE WATER, STEREOLAB, TRAIL OF DEAD, SONIC YOUTH, MERCURY REV, JESUS & MARY CHAIN, GANG OF FOUR, YO LA TENGO, PRIMAL SCREAM, REM, BEATLES, STONE ROSES, THE FALL, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, VASELINES, MOGWAI, GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR!..

-- Anonymous, January 30, 2001