More important than money. More important than falling in love. More important than your dog.
(This page has a zillion pictures. Please be patient while it loads.
And don't forget page two, the link is at the bottom.)
David Bowie
General: David Bowie is one of the most versatile musicians ever (and as you've probably figured
out by now, my very favorite). He started out as mod, then folk, soul, moved into glam rock,
a little punk, went into dance beats, experimental, hard rock, soft rock, alternative, heavy metal, pop, haunting melodies, jungle beat,
techno, and basically everything under the sun. He has influenced the music world in enumerable ways as you will soon discover if you
keep reading....
Veruca Salt
General: Veruca Salt were Louise Post, Nina Gordon, Steve Lack, and Jim Shapiro. They
were a really awesome hard rock/alternative band, and were unique in that they had two
lead singers (Louise and Nina).
They broke up around '98 or '99. Nina came out with her solo album in 2000, which was
soft rock and a bit sappy, and overall only ok (the songs that were good were really good, but
the majority of them sucked).
Veruca Salt surprisingly came out with an album the same year,
with Louise as the only original member. It was good, but not as good as their previous
albums.
The Doors
General: The Doors are truly classic rock legends.
Although their musical career was relatively short, ended in 1971 by the death of lead singer
Jim Morrison, Jim's improvised lyrics along with the band's extroadinary instrumentals
combine to make some of the best experimintal, abstract music to date. One of the things
that make the legacy of the Doors so long lasting is people's fascination with the half
crazed, insanely brilliant, poetic frontman. The Doors consisted of Jim Morrison, Ray
Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore.
Radiohead
General: Radiohead are weird. I'm not sure how to describe them. I'm not sure
how to describe their music. It's weird. They're weird. Radiohead is made up
of very shy frontman Thom Yorke, Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brian and Phil
Selway. They are notorious for avoiding the media; they hate the spotlight. They rarely
do interviews, and when they have agreed to them they have tried in the past to get the
interviewer drunk. Their music is eclectic. That's the best I can do, I really can't describe
them at all. Get a back issue of Spin magazine, November 2000. It might help if you're really
interested.
Garbage
General: Garbage is a fantastic band. Their debut is dark alternative rock, with
their second album sounding more electronic, yet still as cool. A third album is coming out soon. The band
is comprised of lead singer (my favorite female singer) Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Duke
Erickson and Steve Marker. Shirley was formerly in a band called Angelfish, named
after a sad childhood incident. The guys from Garabage were looking for
a lead singer, heard Angelfish and asked her to audition. After a grueling audition, the
band was complete.
Cure
General: The Cure are pretty much a gothic 80's band, although they have
released an album (Bloodflowers, I have it) as recently as 2000. They are known
for their huge black hair, make-up and wonderful wonderful music. The Cure is:
Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Perry Bamonte, Roger O'Donnell and Jason Cooper.
I don't have much else to say other than The Cure is an exceptional band and you
should really check them out.
Drain STH
General: Yes! A Swedish all-female heavy metal band! They are seriously cool.
Or rather were. Yes, another of my favorite bands broke up. The split happend up in mid
2000. However, before that happend they had released two albums, Horror Wrestling and
Freaks of Nature. Martina Axen, Flavia Canel, Anna Kjellberg and Maria Sjöhölm had
also won the honor of being the first female band to be
part of Ozzfest. In an intervew with Circus (could have been Hit Parader)
they vented their frustration over smurfs: after a
successful stint in the US, they returned home only to be beaten on the charts by those
pesky little blue people. Apparently there was a smurf craze in Sweden, where someone
would take a hit song and speed up the vocals to make it sound like a singing smurf (sorta
like we have the chipmonks). Anyway, Flavia is planning to start a new band, and Anna and
Martina are starting a band together called Superfix.
AFI
General: I went to Warped Tour a little while back. The first band I saw
was AFI. I didn't know anything about them except I liked what they were playing.
Later that day I bought their latest cd, and I was hooked. After talking to some people
I found out they were from the area. That was cool. Then I found out they were from my
home town. Even cooler. Then I found out the lead singer's brother was in my class. Then
I found out that they had gone to my highschool just a few years before I did,
and some of my older friends had photos
of them in highschool. Then I found out my good friend's mom cleans the lead singer's
teeth and my friend had met him and got his autograph. Very weird. Anyway, AFI is
Davey Havok, Jade Pudget, Hunter, and Adam Carson.
If you like hardcore punk, give them a try.
Placebo
General: When they were first recording Without You I'm Nothing, somehow
a demo tape got around to David Bowie. He fell in love with the song and surprised
the hell out of the band (who were fans of his) and out of the blue asked to sing
with them. I havn't heard it yet, but there is a second version of this song, not on the album,
with David Bowie singing with Brian Molko. The other two members of the trio are Steven Hewitt
and Stefan Olsdal. I can't really describe Placebo's music, but the band has been influenced
by David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Abba, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Smashing Pumpkins
and more.
The Ramones
General: The Ramones are undeniably the godfathers of punk. When they started they
weren't musically "talented" enough to play covers, so they started with original songs
from the beginning. Their first set lasted 17 minutes and included 20 songs.
No one had heard anything like it before. Fast paced songs crammed with politcal
insight and slurred lyrics soon became their trademark. Their favorite hangout and the first place
they played, CBGB's (a club on Bowery Avenue, NY), soon became a mecca for the new
type of undeground music that was evolving, which was eventually dubbed punk rock.
The Ramones were
Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Tommy Ramone, C. Jay Ramone, and later Marky Ramone
and Johnny Ramone. In an interesting side note, I actually named my cat Ramona after them.
Unfortunatly, she reminds people of Barbera Streisand for some odd odd reason.
The Smashing Pumpkins
General: The Smashing Pumpkins were at one time or another: Billy Corgan,
James Iha, D'arcy, and Jimmy Chamberlin. They have had such an odd musical range,
they have definitly changed the face of music forever. Ranging from soft melodies, to
hard rock, to the just plain weird, the Smashing Pumpkins have a sound all their own.
Also, Billy Corgan joined David Bowie for two songs at his fiftieth birthday party celebration
held at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1997.
They are an absolutely fantastic band, and every music fan should have at least one of their
albums.
Orgy
General: Orgy is a farely new band. They came onto the music scene in 1998
with their cover of New Order's Blue Monday, off their album Candyass. Since
then they have released one other album, Vapor Tranmissions. They are a glam
rock, electronic sounding band comprised of Jay Gordon, Amir Derakh, Ryan Shuck,
Paige Haley and Bobby Hewitt. I don't have a lot to say except I really like their stuff.
The Smiths
General: The Smiths were a great 80's band. Their music was absolutely beautiful
and melodic. Their work has spurned many covers by a wide range of bands, and they
have been influences to many. Not everyone liked them, though, and due to Morrisey's
love of flowers and their overwhelming presence at Smiths concercts,
they earned the title "flower wimps". Not a very creative nick name, it seems
their oppisition didn't have the largest vocabulary. Anyway, after the Smiths broke up,
Morrisey set out upon a semi- succesfull solo career, including a concert in 1995 with
David Bowie. Aside from Morrisey, the Smiths were Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce, and Andy
Rourke.
Bjork
General: Hmmm, what to say about Bjork. She is
Icelandic, and people like to make fun of her name. She also known for her outlandish outfits, that only she could get away with. Other than that she is a highly talented singer, with a bizzare yet pleasant voice. She usually sings odd techno music, although
she does not let techno limit her odd music making abilites (translation: not all of her music is techno, although it's usually still weird). I have yet to stumble across a Bowie connection, but I'm sure one will pop up eventually. The guy is everywhere.
Beck
General: Beck's music is a mixture of folksy alternative pop. Beck
came out with his first hit, "Loser" in '94. Ever wondered what the
Spanish part said? Soy Un Pardador (I dont know how to spell it), means "I'm
A Loser". No big surprise, but I'm so dumb I thought he was saying "Soar, Op-en
the Door". The things we learn. Oh yeah, and Beck did a cover of David Bowie's 'Diamond
Dogs' for the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack.
Weird Al
General: The first concert I ever went to, the first celebrity I ever saw
in person was Weird Al. I waited outside for two hours in the rain and was forced
to eat soggy Taco Bell burritos to nourish myself (Taco Bell is gross) while my friend
yelled "Cat Food" for no reason. And even though I wasn't anywhere near the front of the
line I got second row seats! Al put on an amazing concert, he played all his hits, and put
on all of the costumes- even the fat costume! Well, I'm sure you all know who he is, but
if not he sings parodies of other people's songs and makes his own original comedic music.
Weezer
General: Weezer made their break in 1994 with their self-titled debut album.
I personally think its one of the greatest albums ever. Sure it has Buddy Holly and The
Sweater Song, but it also has lesser known songs like No One Else, In the Garage, or
Say It Ain't So. Its simply just great music. Weezer is Matt Sharp, Rivers Cuomo, Brian
Bell and Patrick Wilson.
Iggy Pop
General: Iggy started off as the frontman for one of the greatest punk acts
ever, the The Stooges. However, he later set out on a successfull solo career.
One of David Bowie's biggest hits, China Girl, was an Iggy Pop song first.
David took a brake from his personal music career for a time during the late 70's to help out and
tour with Iggy. The two also decided to kick their heroine addictions, and moved into a flat
in Berlin. Although it wasn't the best place to escape their addictions, it turned out to have
drugs everywhere, the result was a great Iggy Pop album, The Idiot. However, you MUST buy
American Ceasar.
The Beatles
General: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. Yeah,
you know who they are. But did you know that John Lennon and David Bowie were
friends?
Nine Inch Nails
General: Aside from the main man Trent Reznor, past and present members
have included Richard Patrick, Robin Finck, James Woolley, Charlie Clouser, Danny Lohner,
Chris Vrenna, and Jeff Ward.
In 1997 Trent remixed a David
Bowie song, "I'm Afraid of Americans", and did the accompaning video with him. He
remixed a few other songs as well, including "The Heart's Filthy Lesson", an the
pair also played a few gigs together. In my opinion, Nine Inch Nails is one of the best
bands out there.
Alice Cooper
General: Originally Alice Cooper was the name of the band. Eventually it became
the name of the preachers son from a small religous town who fronted the band.
Alice Cooper is known for taking stage theatrics to the extreme. Drawing equally from horror
movies, vaudeville, heavy metal, and garage rock, the group
created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake
blood, and huge boa constrictors. The preachers son was abandond by his friends, his
church, and his parents were ostricised. While all this was unfortunate
it led to one of the greatest Alice Cooper songs (No More Mr. Nice Guy), and one of the
most fascinating careers in music history. Alice Cooper is, Alice Cooper (really
Vincent Furnier), Mike Bruce, Glen Buxton, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith. I named
another of my cats Alice Cooper.
Duran Duran
General: Oh, I absolutely adore Duran Duran! They got their name from
a corny B sci-fi movie, "Barbarella" staring Jane Fonda. Barbarella is a space
age vixen on a mission
to find a scientist by the name of Duran Duran. Apparently John asked his mom what
she thought of the name, she thought it was awful, so they went with it. Duran Duran
were most popular in the 80's and early 90's, but they are still thriving, allthough only
two of the original band members remain. The band was originally John Taylor, Andy Taylor,
Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon LeBon (none of the Taylors are related). Later after
Andy and Roger left another permanent member was added- Warren Cuccurullo. As
much as I abhore pop, Duran Duran's music is some of my favorite. It's not empty meaningless
crappy pop. It's good music that just happens to have a catchy beat. They've also done a cover
of David Bowie's song "Rebel Rebel".
Led Zeppelin
General: Led Zeppelin was an astounding experimental 70's rock band.
Their music amazes me to this day. Not that I was around in the 70's, but still. Led
Zeppelin is Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham. Although Led
Zeppelin is not together anymore, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page still tour together in
a act appropriately titled Page & Plant. Led Zeppelin is like nothing I've ever heard, and if you like
classic rock at all you have have some Led Zeppelin around.
Ready for MUSIC: PAGE TWO?
By the way, I credited all the quotes to the people
who actually spoke them. So in the case of a song quote, the person singing it is not necissarily the
person who wrote it. For example, on the next page there is a Who quote from
My Generation; although Roger Daltrey sung it, Pete Townshend actually wrote it.
You might have heard: I'm Afraid of Americans, Changes, Heroes, China Girl, Let's Dance, Fame, Ziggy Stardust.
Quote: "I'm looking for backing for an unauthorized auto-biography that I am writing. Hopefully, this will sell in such huge numbers that
I will be able to sue myself for an extraordinary amount of money and finance the film version in which I will play everybody."
Era: late 60's to present.
Essential Album(s): Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Earthling, Alladin Sane
Cool Link: Shrine To David Bowie
You might have heard: Volcano Girls, Seether.
Quote: "I'm falling in love my walkman and me, with David Bowie."- Nina Gordon, from the song 'With David Bowie'
Era: early 90's to present (sort of)
Essential Album: Eight Arms to Hold You
Cool Link: Octopus's Garden- A Veruca Salt Webpage
You might have heard: Light My Fire, Break on Through, Riders on the Storm, L.A. Woman
Quote: "I see myself as a huge fiery comet, a shooting star. Everyone
stops, points up and gasps, "Oh look at that!" Then- whoosh, and
I'm gone...and they'll never see anything like it ever again...
and they won't be able to forget me- ever. "- Jim Morrison
Era: 60's to very early 70's
Essential Album: The Doors (self- titled)
Cool Link: The Doors Uncovered
You might have heard: Karma Police, Creep, Paranoid Android
Quote: "Ambition makes you look pretty ugly.... kicking squealing Gucci little piggy"- Thom Yorke from the song, 'Paranoid Android'
Era: 90's to present.
Essential Album: The Bends
Cool Link: Radiohead Palace
You might have heard: Only Happy When It Rains, Stupid Girl, Special, Push It, Androgeny.
Quote: "
I never claimed to be your savior,
I said I had a dirty mouth,
Stop analysing my behavior,
If you're too dumb to work it out "- Shirley Manson, from the song 'Dumb'.
Era: 90's to present.
Essential Album: Garbage (self-titled debut)
Cool Link: Garbage.Net- The Almost Offical Garbage Page
You might have heard: Boys Don't Cry, In-Between Days, Lovesong, Let's Go to Bed, The Walk, Friday I'm in Love
Quote: "Staring at the sea,
Staring at the sand,
Staring at myself,
Reflected in the eyes of,
The dead man on the beach"- Robert Smith, from the song 'Killing an Arab'.
Era: late 70's to present.
Essential Album: Staring at the Sea: The Singles
Cool Link: Offical Cure Page
You might have heard: Enter My Mind
Quote: "My soul is colored red, from all the love I bled,
My crucifixion is complete, complete." -Maria Sjöhölm, from the song 'Crave'.
Era: late 90's to 2000
Essential Album: Horror Wrestling
Cool Link: DrainSTH.org
You might have heard: I dont really know.
Quote: "If you can't stand upon the water, I will see you on the ocean floor... If you can't
stand upon the earth then I will see you on the other side." - Davey Havok, from the song 'The
Lost Souls'.
Era: mid 90's to present.
Essential Album: The Art of Drowning (it's the only one I have at the present time)
Cool Link: Offical AFI page
You might have heard: Pure Morning, Nancy Boy, Every You Every Me,
20th Century Boy.
Quote: "Carve your name into my arm.
Instead of stressed, I lie here charmed.
Cuz there's nothing else to do,
Every me and every you."- Brian Molko, from the song 'Every You Every Me'.
Era: mid 90's to present.
Essential Album:Without You I'm Nothing
Cool Link: The Brick Shithouse
You might have heard: I Wanna Be Sedated, Rock 'n' Roll High School, We Want
The Airwaves, Sheena Is A Punk Rocker, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
Quote: "Do you remember lying in bed,
With your covers pulled up over your head?
Radio playin' so no one can see,
We need change, we need it fast,
Before rock's just part of the past,
'Cause lately it all sounds the same to me" - Joey Ramone, from the song 'Do You Remember Rock 'N' Roll Radio?'
Era: 70's to late 80's
Essential Album: Ramones Mania
Cool Link: Life Styles of the Ramones
You might have heard: Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Tonight Tonight, Ava Adore, Perfect,
Today
Quote: "what if, what is isn't true?
what are you going to do?
what if, what is isn't you?
does that mean you've got to lose?
digging for the feel of something new"- Billy Corgan, from the song 'Apples and Oranjes'
Era: 90's to 2000
Essential Album: Ava Adore
Cool Link: Smashing Pumpkins Page
You might have heard: Blue Monday, Stiches, Fiction (Dreams In Digital), Opticon
Quote: "I went to glam shows and was inspired by Bowie"- Jay Gordon
Era: late 90's to present
Essential Album: Candyass
Cool Link: Official Orgy Page
You might have heard: This Charming Man, How Soon Is Now, Girlfriend In a Coma
Quote: "Girlfriend in a coma, I know, I know:
it's really serious!
There were times when I could have "murdered" her
(but you know, I would hate anything to happen to her)"- Morrisey, from the song 'Girlfriend In a Coma'
Era: 80's
Essential Album: Best of the Smiths, Vol. 1
Cool Link: It's Time The Tale Were Told
You might have heard: I Miss You, All Is Full
Of Love, It's Oh So Quiet, Human Behavior
Quote: "I don't like cellery, but I love to be around people who eat it!"
Era: 90's to present.
Essential Album: Telegram
Cool Link: Official Bjork Page
You might have heard: Loser, Where it's at, Sexx Laws, Devil's Haircut, New Pollution.
Quote: "Whiskey stained buck-toothed backwoods creep, Grizzly bear motherfucker never goes to sleep,
It's just the shit-kickin', speed-takin', truck-drivin' neighbours downstairs" - from the song, 'Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat) '
Era: 90's to present
Essential Album: Mellow Gold
Cool Link: Official Beck Page
You might have heard: Amish Paradise, Yoda,
Smells Like Nirvana, Fat, Eat It, Like A Surgeon, I Lost on Jeopardy
Quote: "So finally, I go over and I open the door, and just as I suspected, it's some big, fat hermaphrodite with a Flock of Seagulls
haircut, and only one nostril. Oh, man, I hate it when I'm right. " - from the song, 'Albuquerque'
Era: 80's to present
Essential Album: Dare to be Stupid
Cool Link: Official Weird Al Page
You might have heard: Buddy Holly, Undone- The Sweater Song, Hash Pipe
Quote: "Only in dreams
We see what it means
Reach out our hands
Hold on to hers
But when we wake
It's all been erased
And so it seems
Only in dreams" - from the song. 'Only In Dreams' (I dont know who sings it).
Era: mid 90's to present
Essential Album: Weezer (the 'blue' album, 1994)
Cool Link: Official Weezer Site
You might have heard: I'm Bored, I Wanna Be Your Dog, China Girl, Raw Power
Quote: "hey little girl I'm almost through
hey little girl I'm almost you,
hey little girl the river runs,
hey little girl the rising sun,
over this sickness"- from the song, 'sickness'
Era: very late 60's to present
Essential Album: American Ceasar
Cool Link: Russian Iggy Pop Page (although
enough of it is in English to be understandable)
You might have heard: I'm not even going to try...
Quote: Reporter: "What do you call your haircut?"
Ringo: "Arthur".
Era: 60's to early 70's
Essential Album: everyone has their own favorite Bealtes album.
Cool Link: Songs, Pictures and Stories of The Beatles
You might have heard: Closer, Head Like a Hole, The Fragile, Perfect Drug,
Quote: "lay my hands on Heaven and the sun and the moon and the stars.
while the devil wants to f**k me in the back of his car.
nothing quite like the feel of something new"- Trent Reznor, from the song 'The Only Time'
Era: late 80's to present
Essential Album: Pretty Hate Machine
Cool Link: The Unofficial Nine Inch Nails Homepage
You might have heard: I'm Eighteen, School's Out, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Poison,
Billion Dollar Babies, Hello Hooray
Quote: "It was hard to be a teenager in 1974. You had to make major decisions,
such as whether you should cut your hair like David Bowie or Alice Cooper!"- Alice Cooper
Era: very late 60's to present
Essential Album: Mascara & Monsters
Cool Link: The Strange Case of Alice Cooper
You might have heard: Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, Girls on Film, Ordinary World,
Wild Boys, Electric Barbarella.
Quote: "
I plug you in,
Dim the lights,
Electric Barbarella,
Your perfect skin,
Plastic kiss,
Electric Barbarella,
Try to resist,
Then we touch,
Hallucinate and tranquilize" - Simon LeBon from the song, 'Electric Barbarella'
Era: 80's to present
Essential Album: Greatest Hits (It's actually just called 'Greatest')
Cool Link: DuranDuran.Co.Uk
You might have heard: Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love,
Good Times Bad Times, What Is and What Should Never Be, Immigrant Song, Black Dog
Quote: "Your head is hummin' and it won't go
In case you don't know,
The piper's callin' you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind" - Robert Plant from the song, 'Stairway to Heaven'
Era: very late 60's to 70's
Essential Album: Led Zeppelin IV
Cool Link: Led Zeppelin
I like the bands on page two just as much as these ones, I just ran out of room.
