The 11 Best Albums of 2015 (so far)

It’s too early in the year to really get a chance to digest which are the best albums, so right now it’s more about which albums I find myself listening to on repeat.

Here are the 11 Best albums of 2015 (so far):

  1. Jamie XX – In Colour
  2. Sleater-Kinney – No Cities To Love
  3. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
  4. Hot Chip – Why Make Sense?
  5. Natalie Prass – Natalie Prass
  6. Title Fight – Hyperview
  7. American Wrestlers – American Wrestlers
  8. Faith No More – Sol Invictus
  9. Susanne Sundfor – Ten Love Songs
  10. Joey Bada$$ – B4.DA.$$
  11. Modest Mouse – Stranger To Ourselves

 

 

 

The 11 Best Songs By Imperial Teen

It’s Faith No More week but that doesn’t mean the Mike Patton gets all the guts and glory.  Let me tell you…he wants them, too; but it’s more about the guts than the glory.  Keyboardist Roddy Bottum may have the second best post-FNM career to Patton; it is just a lot less known since Patton has 50 side projects and is everywhere.  Roddy’s band Imperial Teen has had a decent life of its own and they deserve their own list.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Imperial Teen (listen here):

  1. Out From Inside (Feel The Sound)
  2. Alone In The Grass (What Is Not To Love)
  3. Over His Head  (Feel The Sound)
  4. Don’t Know How You Do It (Feel The Sound)
  5. Year of the Tan (What Is Not To Love)
  6. Shim Sham (The Hair The RV The Baby and The Band)
  7. All The Same (Feel The Sound)
  8. Undone (On)
  9. Balloon (Imperial Teen)
  10. My Spy (On)
  11. 21st Century (The Hair The RV The Baby and The Band)

Buy Faith No More’s new album, Sol Invictus…now!!!

 

The 11 Best Songs By Mr. Bungle

When Mike Patton joined Faith No More, he was wilder and crazier than any other frontman at the time.  He made Axl Rose look like a librarian. Patton was so wild and crazy…that one band could not contain him.  He kept it together for his stint in Faith No More…which by Mike Patton standards was keeping it together.  He unleashed his insanity in his side project known as Mr. Bungle.  Get ready for one wacky playlist.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Mr. Bungle (listen here):

  1. Carousel (Mr. Bungle)
  2. Slowly Growing Deaf (Mr. Bungle)
  3. Retrovertigo (California)
  4. Vanity Fair (California)
  5. Squeeze Me Macaroni (Mr. Bungle)
  6. Pink Cigarette (California)
  7. The Girls of Porn (Mr. Bungle)
  8. Quote Unquote (Mr. Bungle)
  9. Phlegmatics (Disco Volante)
  10. My Ass Is On Fire (Mr. Bungle)
  11. Chemical Marriage (Disco Volante)

Buy Faith No More’s new album, Sol Invictus…now!

The 11 Best Songs By Tomahawk

In the long hiatus between Faith No More albums, the band members kept busy.  The busiest of them all was Mike Patton and his six octave range who released 23 albums and almost 50 guest appearances.  You couldn’t stop him, you could only hope to contain him.  It was inevitable for Faith No More to get back together because Mike Patton was running out of people to play with!  One of the most successful post-FNM projects was Tomahawk, featuring Duane Denison of The Jesus Lizard, Kevin Rutmanis of the Melvins and John Stainer of Helmet.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Tomahawk (listen here):

  1. Stone Letter (Oddfellows)
  2. Rape This Day (Mit Gas)
  3. Capt Midnight (Mit Gas)
  4. Sweet Smell of Success (Tomahawk)
  5. God Hates A Coward (Tomahawk)
  6. Mayday  (Mit Gas)
  7. Sun Dance (Anonymous)
  8. I.O.U. (Oddfellows)
  9. Laredo  (Tomahawk)
  10. M.E.A.T. (M.E.A.T.)
  11. Totem (Anonymous)

Buy Faith No More’s new album, Sol Invictus…now!

The 11 Best Songs By Faith No More

I have been on an extended hiatus…but if Faith No More can find it in themselves to put out a new album, I can devote this whole week to them.  That’s right…it’s Faith No More week.  5 days…5 Faith-based lists.

The 11 Best Songs By Faith No More (listen here):

  1. From Out of Nowhere (The Real Thing)
  2. Midlife Crisis (Angel Dust)
  3. Falling To Pieces (The Real Thing)
  4. Zombie Eaters (The Real Thing)
  5. Digging The Grave (King For A Day)
  6. Kindergarten (Angel Dust)
  7. King For A Day (King For A Day)
  8. Land of Sunshine (Angel Dust)
  9. Underwater Love (The Real Thing)
  10. Be Aggressive (Angel Dust)
  11. The Cowboy Song (Live At Brixton Academy)

Buy Faith No More’s new album, Sol Invictus…now!!!

 

The 11 Most Exciting Bands at Coachella 2010

The lineup for the 2010 Coachella show is out.  And some strange headliners.  Jay-z the first night…okay, I can see it.  Muse the 2nd night…yeah, I guess…may be too commercial for the show…but okay.  Gorillaz the 3rd night.  Gorillaz?  Headliner?  Aren’t they just a novelty act?  Considering you have Thom Yorke (a previous headliner) and the Pavement reunion on the same night…you went with Gorillaz as the headliner…okay…
 
These aren’t necessarily the best bands playing at the show.  These aren’t the bands who might put on the best performances.    And these aren’t even the bands that I think everyone else would be excited about seeing.  These are the bands that I, personally, am excited to see at the show.  Some big reunions (Pavement, FNM, PIL, and SDRE)…and some of 2009’s breakout sensations (Phoenix, the XX, Grizzly Bear).  Should be an awesome show…too bad I can’t go.
 
The 11 Most Exciting Acts I’m Most Excited to see playing at Coachella 2010:
 
1.  Pavement (April 18)
2.  Faith No More (April 17)
3.  Sunny Day Real Estate (April 18)
4.  MGMT (April 17)
5.  Phoenix (April 18)
6.  the XX (April 17)
7.  Grizzly Bear (April 16)
8.  Sly and the Family Stone (April 18)
9.  Vampire Weekend (April 16)
10.  LCD Soundsystem (April 16)
11.  Public Image Ltd. (April 16)
 
Check out the entire list for yourself.

The 11 Best Bands Who Replaced Their Singer

It’s tough to accept a new Alice in Chains album is in stores.  And it’s not really because it’s hard to accept that Layne has been replaced…what is hardest to accept is that it’s finally official that he’s really gone.  He will be missed…but that’s no reason for the band not to go on.  Jerry Cantrell wrote most of the music…and sang on a lot of the songs…so there’s not a very radical departure from their earlier material.  The new singer does a decent job…and the album is overall very respectable to the Layne AIC legacy.

AIC isn’t the first to continue on after replacing their lead singer…here are some of the best…

The 11 Best Bands Who Replaced Their Singer:

1. AC/DC (Bon Scott replaced by Brian Johnson)
2. Van Halen (David Lee Roth replaced by Sammy Hagar)
3. Genesis (Peter Gabriel replaced by Phil collins)
4. Iron Maiden (Dianno replaced by Bruce Dickinson)
5. Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green replaced “eventually” by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks)
6. Deep Purple (Ian Gilliam replaced by David Coverdale)
7. Faith No More (Chuck Mosley replaced by Mike Patton)
8. Judas Priest (Rob Halford replaced by Ripper Ownes)
9. Black Sabbath (Ozzy Osbourne replaced by Ronnie James Dio)
10. lush (Emma Anderson replaced by Miki Berenyi)
11. Killswitch Engage (Jesse Leach replaced by Howard Jones)

Buy the new Alice in Chains now.  Black Gives Way To Blue.