Bands That I Like

 122 Glen Campbell    Glen Campbell Glen Campbell is a former session guitarist who became one of the biggest stars of the 1960's and 1970's thanks to his sweet & lush country-pop. From 1961 with his debut single " Turn Around, Look At Me " to his final album Adi ós in 2017, Campbell left one of the biggest legacies in country music. My personal favorites are " Galveston " & his cover of " Gentle on My Mind ." Campbell may not be "pure" country but his fusion of country mannerisms with pop melodies & production techniques made him a force to be reckoned with- not to mention paved the way for the likes of John Denver... and dare I say T.Swift? He had a string of top ten hits with songs like " By the I Get to Phoenix ," " I Wanna Live ," " Wichita Lineman ," " Southern Nights ," & probably his best known hit " Rhinestone Cowboy ." He was a successful solo artist from the ear...

 121 Girls   Girls I first became away of this band when I heard their sophomore album, 2011's Father, Son, Holy Ghost . I know I've mentioned hearing a song for the first time & it hitting your soul & every inch of your fiber, making you wonder how you've gone so far in life without ever having heard such an amazing song, something so new but yet so familiar. If there's one thing I like more than that feeling, is when that song that brought you that feeling is the first song off the album. It's as if the band recognizes & says, "Yeah, we know our fans are gonna' love this... Let's not even make them wait- Let's kick the album off with this stomper." As was the way with " Honey Bunny ," the first track off of Father, Son, Holy Ghost . The band mainly consisted of bassist/producer Chet "JR" White and guitarist/singer Christopher Owens. The two met in San Francisco at the California Recording Institute. They forme...

 120 Girlpool   Girlpool And now… for an indie-band with that classic indie-rock sound… but here’s the thing… even though Girlpool might have some of the same dynamics & sounds as any other indie band… the one thing they have that others don’t: originality, voice, and tone. Their self-titled debut EP came out in 2014. And although there’s a case to be said about if a band is even worth listening to if they're not original enough to come up with a title for their first album (instead just being lazy and self-titling it after the band name), those people would be missing out on some great music… but that’s beside the point. What makes Girlpool different is the vocals. It’s like two voices having a conversation… but in harmony! (And in stereo!) The band’s sophomore album was 2015’s Before the World Was Big . Other than being one of the greatest album titles & greatest summarizations of adolescence (other than perhaps Weezer’s “ (If You’re Wondering If I Want YouTo) I...

 119 Gil Scott-Heron   Gil Scott-Heron Gil Scott-Heron’s ‘70s albums were jazzy funk of an intelligence notably lacking in the Age of Disco, and his political wordplay anticipated and pre-dated rap. As a novelist, poet, and pianist, Scott-Heron achieved an arresting synthesis of laid-back soul music- with jazz-fusion embellishment borrowed from Bitches Brew -era Miles Davis- and class-struggle sermonizing. As evidenced by the title track “ Whitey on the Moon ” from 1974’s The Revolution Will Not Be Televised , the singer often leavened his heavy messages with crafty wit, but at his most direct (“ Home Is Where the Hatred Is ”), he could come on with all of the significant fury and force- if a little of the furious noise- of Public Enemy or the Clash. Even though “ Johannesburg ,” off 1975’s From South Africa to South Carolina , gave him FM-radio airplay, Scott-Heron has generally remained a critical and cult success only. Playing with expert musicians, he has made extremel...

 118 George Jones George Jones George Jones is the greatest pure singer in country music- while his East Texas drawl identifies him both regionally and culturally, it doesn’t cloud his remarkably clear and pliant voice, nor does it limit his astonishing vocal technique. But just as important is how profoundly Jones has bound himself to county music tradition, which for him is the religion that saved his life. Jones’ life is by now an open book, but virtually none of it appears in his music. As a child, Jones sang to pacify his alcoholic father. As a teenager, Jones sang on street corners and in honky-tonks to escape his home. Jones sang country music because country was what he grew up with and all that he knew. He tried odd jobs, did a hitch in the Marines, had a couple of messed up marriages, but the only thing he was ever any good at was singing, and singing was the only thing that kept him going. He channeled Roy Acuff and Hank Williams and countless others, but judging f...