Music
My Must-See Bands (Before I Die)
This past Friday night I saw Minus the Bear at the Vic in Chicago. I have been a big, big fan of this band for years now, and until Friday I had never seen them play live. This got me thinking… what other bands are there that I still have yet to see that I still need to?
Those of you who know me personally will know that I am quite the music addict. I easily have over 1000 albums (most of which are an actual CD bought in an actual store), I have a growing collection of vinyl as well, I record my own music, and I have been pretty involved in my local music scene. So of course, it’s also obvious that I’ve seen my fair share of bands play live. Some of my favorites I’ve seen 5-10 times, while there’s a much longer list of bands I’ve only seen once (the list of bands I’ve shared a stage with alone is pretty massive). But, after all these years, there are still plenty of bands that I have yet to see, but absolutely have to before I take my final dirt nap.
So here’s the list, as I see it right now. I’m sure there are others, but for now, these guys top the list.
- Pinback
- The Roots
- Lupe Fiasco
- Iron & Wine
- Bon Iver
Sure, maybe it’s a little obscure. But of all the music I have, these bands still top the list. Does anyone else out there have a list similar to this one? Feel free to share in the comments.
A band you need to hear - This Town Needs Guns
This is my first of many posts to come concerning bands I think are worth checking out. I’ll be doing a post like this once a weekend (hopefully).
So this week’s band is called This Town Needs Guns and they are from Oxford, UK. They are a phenominal band that seems to just be getting started. Their debut album will be released October 13th of this year, in much anticipation after numerous splits and EP’s that they’ve released. I’m currently listening to their Australia/Japan EP, and I have to say I am completely floored by it. The songs are melodic and easily acessible while still containing elements of spazzy rhythms and uncommon time signatures. The guitar work clearly resembles the type of playing style that was made so popular by the Cap’n Jazz/Owls/Joan of Arc guitarists (Tim Kinsella, Victor Villareal, and Sam Zurick). If any of that means anything to you, then you’ll know that this band is definitely worth checking out.
If you’re looking for something new and different from what has flooded the music industry these days, then start with this band. You can’t go wrong.
And I, for one, cannot wait until October 13th. Good work, guys!
