To Ron Burgundy: NoMeansNo will get you melodic punk fix hella tastified.
Things that I love for reasons:
Alamaailman Vasarat: Utterly brilliant compositions and musicianship, a near unsurpassed sense for harmony, melody, and dischrod; plus they have the ability to create any dynamic or style of music (while remaining in their own personal and singular style) without the common cruches of guitars, electric basses, synthesizers, and they hardly use any production tricks at all besides making their songs come off totaly crystal clear. Plus, there is really not one bad thing about tracks that layer pump organ, bass trombone, cello, drums, and clarinet, each playing a different part, and the whole thing weaving together flawlessly.
Portishead (Dummy especially fits all these reasons): With the possible exception of a couple Fridge or Radiohead tracks, this is the best produced music in the world. Every tiny detail is pinned down exactly the way the band wants it. Every sample is spot-on, all the vocals and lyrics are just how they should be, matched inch by inch with everything else, and even though they're the front-most element of the music, they don't take up too much space, the beats are perfectly toned and timed, and elements of many musical forms blended together into a form all its own. Perfect goddam trip-hop.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: Nerdyness beyond belief, which somehow doesn't counteract the heavy beyond belief, which somehow doesn't counteract the genius beyond belief, which all serves to benefit the beauty and sheer majesty beyond beleif. Relentless, powerful, intelligent metal that has the perfect balance of feeling and technique, of natural past, cultured present, and distopian future, and of fun and seriousness. This music is simultaneously a wonderful culmination of a lot of things that have happened in the past and a totally new, unique, and authentic form. "The Donkey Headed Adversary Of Humanity Opens The Discussion" is a damn near perfect song.
The Sugarplastic: For anyone who thinks power-pop is too shallow, that indie is too snobbish, that guitar albums are too wanky, or that bad vocals ruin a band: The Sugarplastic proudly say "fuck you!" Ben Eshbach and Kiara Geller will tear apart everything you have ever thought about how a band nobody's heard of can't possibly be one of the greatest bands in the world. They can. And they are.
Eels: Really, E poses a challenge for every other band in the world. Basically, this is: Can you, using less than 15 simple chord progressions, linear melodic patterns, and basic rhythms, create one of the most incredible catalogues produced by any band ever, and wrap it all up with integrity, beauty, and big lessons about life that don't feel like bullshit? Because I can. I've been doing it for a while now. Are you other bands ready to start catching up?
It's fun having good reasons for things.
