Originally posted on Facebook.
Album - Artist
10. We Brave Bee Stings and All - Thao with the Get Down Stay Down
While this one dwindles toward the end of the album, I felt it deserved a mention. It starts off very strong and is a lot of fun to listen to. It's nothing epic but very catchy and memorable.
9. Alopecia - Why?
Fans of Butthole Surfers, Eels or Beck ought to find Why? quite pleasing. Their seventh album, or rather their fourth, Yoni Wolf's seventh recording under the moniker, is by far their best. No more "it's been done" or "it just doesn't work." It's fresh and it works. Hip-hop and rock do make a good blend... if mixed and portioned correctly.
8. Break Up the Concrete - The Pretenders
They're back.
7. Oracular Spectacular - MGMT
This one requires a second listen. No, not every song is catchy like "Kids" or "Electric Feel" but it's definitely very well put together and all around enjoyable.
6. Dig Out Your Soul - Oasis
They're also back, and taking a bit of their own advice. While underachieving, or trying too hard, on their last album, Oasis has created something both lyrically rich and mature and inspired on the musical side. It's about damn time.
5. Captured in Still Life - Kensington Prairie
The only thing my crush on Rebecca Rowan has to do with her latest project making my list is her voice. While reminiscent of Paula Cole's in some respect, it melds perfectly with her folksy musical style and lyrics that make the worst of days worth seizing.
4.Lust, Lust, Lust - The Raveonettes
Proof of life for alternative rock in it's purest form.
3. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
By far, Fleet Foxes is the best debut of 2008. Seldom does a band of such widespread acclaim have such a wealth of sincerity in their music. There really is not much else to say that hasn't already been said as I am finishing this list a bit late.
2. Canopy Glow - Anathallo
The extra wait due to a delay in release was very much worth it. I can't say what difference the extra four months made, but I was not disappointed at all. Anathallo has lightened their mood quite a bit on Canopy Glow which makes their music only a tad bit more friendly to the general populace. Their style has not faded, their experimental cunning has not dulled and you are still required to the listen to the album from beginning to end. Sorry general populace.
1. Censored Colors - Portugal. The Man
Contrary to popular belief, Sarah Palin is not the best thing to come out of Wasilla, Alaska. Unfortunately the town is now tied to her name, but perhaps if Portugal. The Man keeps it up then the town's reputation might make a turn for the better, at least among fans of alternative and indie rock. Censored Colors is a slight departure from what Portugal. The Man normally produces, but sometimes properties will be altered with refinement.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The 100 Greatest Alternative Bands and Artists
So feeling ambitious, I decided to compile a list of the greatest alternative rock bands and artists of all time. This is my second attempt at compiling such a list. Unlike my first list, this one has more focus, but rather than that focus restricting me, I felt more freedom than I had with my original list. And rather than trying to narrowly define alternative rock and make a list of bands who fit that mold, I made a list of bands that I felt defined alternative music.
My only objective criteria for qualification is that the artist must have released their first album or EP before the year 2000. This is because alternative rock was pioneered in the late '70s and early '80s and thrived in the late '80s and early '90s. Admittedly, I thought of being even more strict with this by making it either 1994, being the year grunge died, or 1995 for the sake of a round number, which would have left out a shit-ton of influential and definitive alternative artists.
Because the "alternative" label is often slapped onto any artist that strays even slightly from conventional pop or rock, it is often hard to narrowly define it. Also, the evolution of alternative music is very often associated with the Punk and New Wave movements and therefore many artists and groups from these movements are often labeled as alternative. So, for the sake of space, time and fairness to artists who have been key players in the development and advancement of the alternative movement, I have excluded the biggies in punk rock and the more rock-oriented (or rather, less pop-oriented) New Wave. Namely, I originally wanted Talking Heads and Devo on the list, but they seemed out of place with the other artists, and quite frankly, no matter where I put them, it didn't seem to do them justice.
After eliminating artists who are clearly punk and New Wave that didn't cross over into alternative, the only thing I had left to go by was my personal knowledge and opinion of each candidate's work. If a band didn't seem to "fit" the overall aesthetic of the list or just didn't seem to quite "deserve" to make it, they didn't make it.
As far as more positive qualifications go, I tried to compile a very comprehensive list that included the major subgenres of alternative music such as grunge, indie, alt-country, alt-folk, Brit-pop, goth rock, math rock, experimental and post-rock. I also included many influential post-punk groups who bridged the gap between punk and alternative, as opposed to those (such as Blondie) who took it the New Wave route.
Finally, I tried to include as many artists from across the English-speaking world, including bands from the United States, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada and Australia. Even one from Japan. As far as order and rank on the list goes, it's very general. In many cases, it's hard to say that any one of these bands is better than another. As a general list, however, I did pay more attention to the artists I placed higher up, and I went nuts trying to decide who I feel deserves the No. 1 spot.
100. Of Montreal
99. Portishead
98. Guided By Voices
97. Sleater-Kinney
96. The Breeders
95. Modest Mouse
94. The dB's
93. Elliott Smith
92. At the Drive-In
91. Eels
90. Superchunk
89. They Might Be Giants
88. Manic Street Preachers
87. The Magnetic Fields
86. Camper Van Beethoven
85. Throwing Muses
84. Shonen Knife
83. The Afghan Whigs
82. Tortoise
81. Social Distortion
80. Belle and Sebastian
79. Robyn Hitchcock
78. Billy Bragg
77. Wall of Voodoo
76. Green Day
75. Kate Bush
74. Sebadoh
73. My Bloody Valentine
72. The Jesus Lizard
71. Hole
70. The Feelies
69. Slint
68. P.J. Harvey
67. Talk Talk
66. Neutral Milk Hotel
65. Wilco
64. 10,000 Maniacs
63. Skin Yard
62. Suicide
61. Cocteau Twins
60. Liz Phair
59. Queens of the Stone Age
58. Blur
57. Midnight Oil
56. Love and Rockets
55. Mudhoney
54. Weezer
53. Suede
52. Siouxsie and the Banshees
51. The White Stripes
50. Foo Fighters
49. Public Image Ltd.
48. Butthole Surfers
47. Violent Femmes
46. Killing Joke
45. Echo and the Bunnymen
44. Yo La Tengo
43. Dream Sydnicate
42. Big Black
41. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
40. Pere Ubu
39. Oasis
38. Björk
37. Tori Amos
36. Gang of Four
35. Nine Inch Nails
34. Radiohead
33. Pavement
32. Beck
31. The Fall
30. Half Japanese
29. Soundgarden
28. Rage Against the Machine
27. Fugazi
26. Minutemen
25. The Stone Roses
24. The Meat Puppets
23. Mission of Burma
22. The Flaming Lips
21. New Order
20. Wire
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers
18. The Damned
17. The Modern Lovers
16. The Smashing Pumpkins
15. Jane's Addiction
14. Daniel Johnston
13. The Jesus and Mary Chain
12. The Cure
11. The Replacements
10. Pearl Jam
9. Dinosaur Jr.
8. The Smiths
7. Nirvana
6. Patti Smith
5. Joy Division
4. Sonic Youth
3. Hüsker Dü
2. Pixies
1. R.E.M.
My only objective criteria for qualification is that the artist must have released their first album or EP before the year 2000. This is because alternative rock was pioneered in the late '70s and early '80s and thrived in the late '80s and early '90s. Admittedly, I thought of being even more strict with this by making it either 1994, being the year grunge died, or 1995 for the sake of a round number, which would have left out a shit-ton of influential and definitive alternative artists.
Because the "alternative" label is often slapped onto any artist that strays even slightly from conventional pop or rock, it is often hard to narrowly define it. Also, the evolution of alternative music is very often associated with the Punk and New Wave movements and therefore many artists and groups from these movements are often labeled as alternative. So, for the sake of space, time and fairness to artists who have been key players in the development and advancement of the alternative movement, I have excluded the biggies in punk rock and the more rock-oriented (or rather, less pop-oriented) New Wave. Namely, I originally wanted Talking Heads and Devo on the list, but they seemed out of place with the other artists, and quite frankly, no matter where I put them, it didn't seem to do them justice.
After eliminating artists who are clearly punk and New Wave that didn't cross over into alternative, the only thing I had left to go by was my personal knowledge and opinion of each candidate's work. If a band didn't seem to "fit" the overall aesthetic of the list or just didn't seem to quite "deserve" to make it, they didn't make it.
As far as more positive qualifications go, I tried to compile a very comprehensive list that included the major subgenres of alternative music such as grunge, indie, alt-country, alt-folk, Brit-pop, goth rock, math rock, experimental and post-rock. I also included many influential post-punk groups who bridged the gap between punk and alternative, as opposed to those (such as Blondie) who took it the New Wave route.
Finally, I tried to include as many artists from across the English-speaking world, including bands from the United States, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada and Australia. Even one from Japan. As far as order and rank on the list goes, it's very general. In many cases, it's hard to say that any one of these bands is better than another. As a general list, however, I did pay more attention to the artists I placed higher up, and I went nuts trying to decide who I feel deserves the No. 1 spot.
100. Of Montreal
99. Portishead
98. Guided By Voices
97. Sleater-Kinney
96. The Breeders
95. Modest Mouse
94. The dB's
93. Elliott Smith
92. At the Drive-In
91. Eels
90. Superchunk
89. They Might Be Giants
88. Manic Street Preachers
87. The Magnetic Fields
86. Camper Van Beethoven
85. Throwing Muses
84. Shonen Knife
83. The Afghan Whigs
82. Tortoise
81. Social Distortion
80. Belle and Sebastian
79. Robyn Hitchcock
78. Billy Bragg
77. Wall of Voodoo
76. Green Day
75. Kate Bush
74. Sebadoh
73. My Bloody Valentine
72. The Jesus Lizard
71. Hole
70. The Feelies
69. Slint
68. P.J. Harvey
67. Talk Talk
66. Neutral Milk Hotel
65. Wilco
64. 10,000 Maniacs
63. Skin Yard
62. Suicide
61. Cocteau Twins
60. Liz Phair
59. Queens of the Stone Age
58. Blur
57. Midnight Oil
56. Love and Rockets
55. Mudhoney
54. Weezer
53. Suede
52. Siouxsie and the Banshees
51. The White Stripes
50. Foo Fighters
49. Public Image Ltd.
48. Butthole Surfers
47. Violent Femmes
46. Killing Joke
45. Echo and the Bunnymen
44. Yo La Tengo
43. Dream Sydnicate
42. Big Black
41. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
40. Pere Ubu
39. Oasis
38. Björk
37. Tori Amos
36. Gang of Four
35. Nine Inch Nails
34. Radiohead
33. Pavement
32. Beck
31. The Fall
30. Half Japanese
29. Soundgarden
28. Rage Against the Machine
27. Fugazi
26. Minutemen
25. The Stone Roses
24. The Meat Puppets
23. Mission of Burma
22. The Flaming Lips
21. New Order
20. Wire
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers
18. The Damned
17. The Modern Lovers
16. The Smashing Pumpkins
15. Jane's Addiction
14. Daniel Johnston
13. The Jesus and Mary Chain
12. The Cure
11. The Replacements
10. Pearl Jam
9. Dinosaur Jr.
8. The Smiths
7. Nirvana
6. Patti Smith
5. Joy Division
4. Sonic Youth
3. Hüsker Dü
2. Pixies
1. R.E.M.
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