Bands That I Like

37 Bob Marley Bob Marley The first rock star that proved you can be from a third-world-country & still conquer the world. If he would have done nothing except "Stir It Up" or Catch a Fire, he would still be known for introducing the world to reggae. Bob had been making waves down on the island of Jamaica (hey- I just realized he was signed to Island Records & he's from an island [isn't that neat?]) with the ska and R&B scene. Marley could mix protest & undeniable pop as skillfully as my previous write-up Bob Dylan. The original Wailers (Peter Tosh, Marley, and Neville "Bunny Wailer" Livingston) started out as a vocal trio in the '60's. Marley would take the band to legendary heights. The band would expand, just like reggae itself, from a simple ska/R&B feel & singles based approach to a whole new expansive groove. Marley would go on to release some of the 70's best music [1973's Catch a Fire and Burnin' , ...

36 Bob Dylan Bob Dylan After almost sixty (!) years on the job, Bob Dylan makes other song-writers look like fresh-new-born-M14-noobs. This man's music & legacy breaks genres, generations, and any other barrier in between. There's a reason Hunter S. Thompson's favorite song was " Mr. Tambourine Man ," I mean come on- has a better song been written? Bob's circle of influence include: Martin Scorsese. Guns 'N' Roses. Oh, & he introduced The Beatles to marijuana (So you can thank him for Rubber Soul ). I could go on... & I will. Bob Dylan is American as apple-pie. He is a melting-pot of everything America has to offer musically: Folk, poetry, Chuck Berry, Texas medicine, blues... all through a voice (love it or hate it) that is oh so signature. He has a discography that is long enough to be its own blog (I'd suggest you see this wiki ). Bob was born Robert Zimmerman and he discovered Woody Guthrie while a young teen in Minnesota bef...

35 Blur Blur The better band of the whole pointless media-fueled British rivalry between Oasis, Blur rocks. You may know this London band (who formed in '88) from their song " Song #2 ", heard in arenas all over the world during sports events. Oasis may have made a more of a footprint with the American audience, but Blur really is the better band. Oasis exploded to an end in 2009. Blur, on the other hand, ended in 2003 with the highly underrated Think Tank , came back and gave us not only a string of great reunion shows during 2016-2018, but also gave us 2015's awesome The Magic Whip . If this whole rock 'n' roll thing were a sprint, Oasis may have won, but it's a marathon, so Blur wins. Most people would know lead singer Damon Albarn from his project Gorillaz, but Blur is a band, and I fuckin' love bands in case you can't tell that by this blog. Shout out to the whole band: drummer Dave Rowntree, guitarist Graham Coxon, and bassist Alex Jame...

34 Blood Orange Blood Orange Devonté Hynes (better known as Blood Orange) is a groundbreaking producer and songwriter. Certain things come to mind when I think of his music: beautifully conceived and composed music, so beautiful you can't help but hear the craft and care that has made Devonté Hynes' music so important. Dev creates music with important themes of identity, both sexual and racial. And to get his view, to hear what he has to say (or sing), what he sees through the eyes of a black East Londoner (now living in New York) is so evident and alive in his music. Dev Hynes is a composer who fits as comfortably in the worlds of R&B, gospel and electronics as he does in the classical world of someone like Philip Glass. One important song, " By Ourselves ," features all of Dev's signature sounds. Dev can move between instruments like Taylor Swift can move through boyfriends. Guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, programming, you name it- he probably pl...

33 Blind Melon Blind Melon This band got their namesake from legendary bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson (not to be confused with Blind Willie Johnson ), Blind Melon came together when the members of the band began jamming in L.A. in 1989. All the band-members were migrants and misfits to L.A. Lead singer Shannon Hoon was from Indiana, guitarist Chris Thorn was from Pennsylvanian, while guitarist Rogers Stevens, bassist Brad Smith & drummer Glen Graham all hailed from Mississippi. The band would sign with Capitol Records in 1991. Hoon would get his taste of fame early thanks in due part to his Indiana roots & his sister who's old friend who happened to be another Indiana native: Axl Rose. That's right, Shannon Hoon would sing back-up on Guns 'n' Roses' " Don't Cry ". 1992 would see the release of their self-titled debut album & give us one of the greatest songs/videos of all time with " No Rain ". Shannon Hoon battled with s...