Music survey

  1. Madonna
  2. Jen Foster
  3. Rogue Traders
  4. Dar Williams
  5. Coldplay
  6. Zero 7
  7. Tori Amos
  8. Sam Cooke
  9. James Taylor
  10. Prince

What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
“Destiny”

What is your favorite song of #8?
I know it is the world’s biggest cliche, but “A Change Is Gonna Come”. I sing it while I am doing the dishes.

What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?

Are you kidding? I have been a Madonna fan since I was 4 years old. My entire life would have been different if I wasn’t a Madonna fan. It’s my whole philosophy. And maybe - someday, it might be my livelihood (I sort of have a secret plan).

What is your favorite lyric of #5?

"Oh what good is it to live
With nothing left to give
Forget but not forgive
Not loving all you see

Oh the streets you’re walking on
A thousand houses long
Well that’s where I belong
And you belong with me"

How many times have you seen #4 live?

Twice. The first time, I met her in the bathroom but I ran away so I wouldn’t hear her peeing. After the show, she gave me a bear hug. The second time, she autographed my copy of GoF and we talked politics.

What is your favourite song by #7?

It is really hard for me to choose, but “Yes, Anastasia” is a classic, and I find it very comforting. It always reminds me of when I was in Grade 11 and life was perfect.

Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?

Hecks no, they’re an electro-pop band! Also “Casting Aside” is nice and winsome.

What is your favourite song by #9?

Again, very hard for me to choose, but I guess “Shed A Little Light”. I like the gospel-inspired elements and the inspirational lyrics (I can be cheesy sometimes)

When did you first get into #1?

It was 1984, and I was a preschooler in a tutu and cowgirl boots.

How did you get into #3?

My hot Australian gf introduced me to their music. She loved the lead singer, Nat, who has great style and also acted on Neighbours.

What is your favorite song by #4?

“When I Was A Boy” never fails to touch me. The last lines where the boyfriend and girlfriend switch roles and the boy says “I have lost some kindness” makes me cry. When she sings it live I always get soggy.

How many times have you seen #9 live?

Never, although I would love to. I hope I do have the chance someday.

Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?

“The Underdogs” hits close to home; it’s about what it’s like to be queer in high school, but sometimes you can’t even be friends with OTHER queer kids because they are ashamed or in denial.

What is your favorite song of #1?

This is the hardest one yet, as you can imagine. I guess “Liquid Love”, because it’s dreamy and ethereal, but you can dance to it. Plus the lyrics kind of make me think of agape.
How did you become a fan of #10?

Probably by listening to the radio and raiding my (much older) best friend’s CD collection. The more I listened to his stuff, the more I liked it. His songs are just so elegantly crafted. Plus, “Raspberry Beret” reminds me of my beloved bff Ash, who actually had a raspberry-coloured beret when we were in high school.

  1. Polaris
  2. The New Pornographers
  3. Elvis Costello
  4. David Vandervelde
  5. Grandaddy
  6. Califone
  7. Kings of Leon
  8. Pavement
  9. Squeeze
  10. Todd Rundgren

The first song I heard by Califone was Michigan Girls from Quicksand and Cradlesnakes. The phrase “hauntingly beautiful” is one of the most cliched phrases in music, but damn if that isn’t one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs I’ve heard.

My favorite Pavement song is definitely Summer Babe.

Polaris has left a huge impact on my life because Hey Sandy (the theme song to the Adventures of Pete and Pete) was one of the first really amazing songs that I truly appreciated as a kid. The upbeat, alt-rock sound of that song, with its muffled lyrics and hard-driving “Dun Dun Dun!” three-chord guitar riff before the chorus, was drilled into my head over and over again as a kid as an example of what rock and roll is supposed to be, while I watched Polaris play on the Wrigley’s front lawn in the intro of Pete and Pete.

My favorite Grandaddy lyric? Probably, high above the wrecks of ice shelves and dressers/with Crash United sewn on all of my dress shirts/They firefell the roads/and somebody stole your guns/well sir I’m the only one/to give back your stolen guns/I should have been your son. (From Hewlett’s Daughter. ) Probably because Grandaddy was the soundtrack to the summer when I first started smoking pot heavily and I distinctly recall sitting in my room with my friend Nate totally stoned and trying to figure out what that line about the stolen guns was supposed to mean.

I saw David Vandervelde live once at the WIUX culture shock show. I honestly think I felt the same way watching him as the first kids to see the Rolling Stones must have felt, that’s how much raw energy they put into the set. Vandervelde’s voice is sort of a cross between Marc Bolan and Joey Burns of Calexico. I also remember the bass player had a thick mustache with no beard, which I thought was an awesome style for someone so young, and his playing was amazing (they did a cover of Cocksucker Blues and I was utterly blown away by his melodic, fluid blues bass lines on the song.) You should download, or at least preview, Murder in Michigan on iTunes since David Vandervelde is a pretty obscure artist.

Favorite Kings of Leon song would be Slow Night So Long. Man, the screaming energy in that song, and the driving bass line.

Allison is one of the sad songs of all time, so yeah.

My favorite Squeeze song? It’s a tie between Up the Junction and Slap and Tickle. Fuck if they’re not one of the most underrated new-wave bands ever.

I guess I first got into Polaris when I was like 6 or 7 or whenever Pete and Pete was on, since I loved that song to death even back then. It wasn’t until high school that I found out that the band was actually called Polaris, and got their other songs too. She Is Staggering and Waiting For October are great songs and were also in Pete and Pete, though only as background/outro music.

I got into Elvis Costello because my parents played him all the time and I was listening to his CDs at a young age.

Never seen Squeeze live.

There are a lot of words that could describe the New Pornographers but sad isn’t really one of them, so no, there are no songs by them that I think are sad. Watercolors Into The Ocean by Daniel Bejar (Destroyer) is kind of sad but I’m not including that since it’s not part of the New Pornographers.

My favorite Polaris song would be Hey Sandy.

I became a Todd Rundgren fan after listening to Long Flowing Robe from Runt in my soph. year of high school. After that my mom bought me Something/Anything as one of my birthday presents and I really dug it, and after that I listened to A Wizard, A True Star. I really do think Todd Rundgren was the father of electronic music.

  1. Simon and Garfunkel
  2. The Doors
  3. Rufus Wainwright
  4. Oasis
  5. Yellowcard
  6. Sublime
  7. Counting Crows
  8. Jars of Clay
  9. Incubus
  10. Jack Johnson

*What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
“Santeria”

*What is your favorite song of #8?
Their version of “Little Drummer Boy” - amazing dynamics…

*What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
I listened to the Live in Central Park cassette for years. When I first learned to play guitar, it was their songs. Saw them in concert together once (great tour) and saw Art by himself earlier this year - this was the week I found out my wife was pregnant.

*What is your favorite lyric of #5?
“When I am a dad, dad/I’m gonna be a good dad/Do the best you could, dad
Always understood, dad/Taught me what was right, dad/Opened up my eyes, dad
Glad to call you my, dad/Thank you for my life, dad” - “Life of a Salesman”

*How many times have you seen #4 live?
None at all…

*What is your favourite song by #7?
“I’m Not Sleeping” or “Friend of the Devil” (but it’s a cover so it doesn’t count)

*Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
Yeah. His cover of the Beatles “Across the Universe”

*What is your favorite song by #9?
“Make Yourself”

*When did you first get into #1?
Around 1990 - I was 4 or 5.

*How did you get into #3?
I heard a cover of “Hallelujah” in a bar when I was younger, never having paid it much attention before, but I really liked it. A friend of mine mentioned he really liked Rufus Wainwright’s version.

*What is your favorite song by #4?
“Champagne Supernova”

*How many times have you seen #9 live?
Once… and it was grand.

*Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
Not really. Somewhat “People Are Strange” because it reminds me of someone, but not really sad, just kind of reminiscent

*What is your favorite song of #1?
“A Poem on the Underground Wall”

*How did you become a fan of #10?
I worked as a lifeguard and heard “Flake” over and over, but never knew who sang it. My guitarist brought the CD over one day and let me hear it, and I loved it. We played a lot of similar music so I started listening to more and more until it was almost all I listened to…

Brendon Small

  1. Regina Spektor

  2. Barenaked Ladies

  3. The Eels

  4. Electric Light Orchestra

  5. Tom Waits

  6. Charlie Hunter

  7. Bob Dylan

  8. Beck

  9. The White Stripes

  10. They Might Be Giants
    What was the first song you ever heard by #6?

“Two for Blue” off of his self-titled album.

What is your favorite song of #8?

That’s really hard. I love the bizarre lyrics from Midnight Vultures and Odelay, but right now I’d say “Lost Cause” from Sea Change just for the harsh “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” vibe.

What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?

Musically, it inspired me to seek out more female singer-songwriters. As for my life at large, I don’t know. Music doesn’t seem to change my life the way it did as a teenager. (Because at 25 I’m much more mature and grounded.)

What is your favorite lyric of #5?

Oh, come on! It’s Tom Waits, for Og’s sake! Where do you even start? I guess “Time” is the way to go.

Well she said she’d stick around until the bandages came off
But these mama’s boys just don’t know when to quit
And Mathilda asks the sailors are those dreams or are those prayers?
So close your eyes, son, and this won’t hurt a bit

How many times have you seen #4 live?

Broke up before I listened to music, sorry. Must have been fun, though.

What is your favorite song by #7?

You’re killing me here. As much as I love his whole catalog, I go early and say “Girl From The North Country” off of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?

It’s The Eels, folks. Off the top of my head, I’ll go with “It’s A Motherfucker” from Daisies of the Galaxies.

What is your favorite song by #9?

Their cover of “Jolene” or for an original, “Little Ghost” from Get Behind Me Satan.

When did you first get into #1?

After hearing her on NPR and later swiping some albums from my brother. I appreciate her ability to sound as if she became distracted by a sound halfway through a song and fixating on it before moving on, only to forget what song she was singing. But, you know, in a good way.

How did you get into #3?

I think I saw the “Last Stop, This Town” video, or caught the reference to them in Y: The Last Man. I bought Electro-Shock Blues and Daisies of the Galaxy on a whim and loved them.

What is your favorite song by #4?

Easy, “Mr. Blue Sky”.

How many times have you seen #9 live?

Hoping to see them at Austin City Limits for the first time.

Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?

Maybe “What a Good Boy” from Gordon.

What is your favorite song of #1?

“Poor Little Rich Boy” from Soviet Kitch or “Summer In The City” off Begin to Hope.

How did you become a fan of #10?

The same way everyone did. I was a dork who heard a couple of dorks having a blast singing catchy, dorky songs. Hehe… dork.

1:: The New Pornographers
2:: Malajube
3:: Belle & Sebastian
4:: The Pipettes
5:: The Replacements
6:: Rilo Kiley
7:: Neko Case
8:: The Flaming Lips
9:: Feist
10:: The Exploding Hearts

What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
Science vs Romance. On Gilmore Girls, Lane asks Rory whether Rilo Kiley was better pre or post Blake/Jenny breakup and proceeds to play her this song. Jenny Lewis’ overenunciation of everything attracted my ear. For the record, I thought the early stuff was best.

What is your favorite song of #8?
Fight Test. That that, Cat Stevens.

What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
First band I ever truly loved and the only band who has yet to do me wrong. I’ve seen them live half a dozen times and universally love all the side projects and main projects of the members.

What is your favorite lyric of #5?
Now, something meets Boy, and something meets Girl
They both look the same
They’re overjoyed in this world
Same hair, revolution
Unisex, evolution

How many times have you seen #4 live?
Never. The ladies are pretty new on the scene and have only deigned to tour North America once, where they only played the big festivals (and I sure can’t afford tickets to SXSW).

What is your favourite song by #7?
I Wish I Was the Moon

Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
Beautiful

What is your favorite song by #9?
Inside and Out (Bee Gees cover)

When did you first get into #1?
Shortly after the release of Mass Romantic, somewhere around 2000-2001.

How did you get into #3?
They are the favourite band of my boyfriend. The did a tour with The New Pornographers last year and I caught myself up so that we’d both enjoy the show.

What is your favorite song by #4?
Pull Shapes

How many times have you seen #9 live?
I had the opportunity once, but I didn’t take it.

Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
Beats me; it’s all in French. Étienne D’Août sure sounds sad.

What is your favorite song of #1?
No idea. Something between Mass Romantic, Loose Translation, Stacked Crooked and Ballad of a Comeback Kid.

How did you become a fan of #10?
Modern Kicks was on some list somewhere. I listened to it and picked up the rest. I was pretty distraught when I found out they all died.

  1. Allman Brothers
  2. Derek Trucks Band
  3. Gov’t Mule
  4. Santana
  5. the Tangent
  6. Led Zepplin
  7. Traffic
  8. Pink Floyd
  9. Robin Trower
  10. Return To Forever
    What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
    (Led Zepplin) Probably “Heartbreaker/ Livin’Lovin’Maid”

What is your favorite song of #8?
(Pink Floyd) Yeah this is easy :rolleyes: Uhhh “Dogs” ?

What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
(Allman Brothers) I really wish I had cheated and read the questions first. Impossible to say, really. I do remember the first time I heard “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” and realising that music didn’t have to be labeled “rock” or “jazz” or "soul"or anything else.

What is your favorite lyric of #5?

(the Tangent) I don’t pay attention to lyrics much anyway, but especially don’t know any from these guys.

How many times have you seen #4 live?

(Santana) Three, so far.

What is your favourite song by #7?

(Traffic) “Glad/Freedom Rider” from On The Road

Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?

(Gov’t Mule) “No Need To Suffer” (RIP Woody.)

What is your favourite song by #9?

(Robin Trower) “Bridge Of Sighs”

When did you first get into #1?

(Allman Brothers) Hard to say. As near as I can remember, the beginning of time.

How did you get into #3?

(Gov’t Mule) I saw them play a little club in OKC while they were still a side project. I converted the same night.

What is your favorite song by #4?

(Santana) Can I rearrange my list? Damn. Okay how about “Flame / Sky” from Welcome

How many times have you seen #9 live?

(Robin Trower) Twice, once with James DeWar.

Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?

(Derek Trucks Band) No.

What is your favorite song of #1?

(Allman Brothers) Why didn’t I pick easier bands to narrow down? “Elisabeth Reed”, no wait. “Dreams” No, that’s not it. “Jessica” No, " No One To Run With" Screw it, I give up.
How did you become a fan of #10?

A friend in Michigan turned me on to them. One listen to where have I known you before and I was hooked. It didn’t even take Romantic Warrior to convince me. Thanks, Alex.

  1. Led Zeppelin
  2. Beatles
  3. Tom Waits
  4. Neil Young
  5. Metallica
  6. AC-DC
  7. Zappa
  8. Ramones
  9. Public Enemy
  10. Body Count

Questions :

  1. (AC-DC) Believe it or not, Who Made Who from the movie Maximum Overdrive!

  2. (Ramones) Commando

  3. (Zep) They completely changed my concept of what was capable in music.

  4. (Metallica) Probably “Fade to Black”

  5. (Neil Young) Zero

  6. (Zappa) Sooo Many. I will say “Trouble Every Day”

  7. (Tom Waits) “I Hope That I Don t Fall In Love With You”

I gotta go to bed… Here s half…

Joe

  1. Alice Cooper
  2. Joan Jett/The Runaways
  3. Gordon Lightfoot
  4. Queen
  5. Deep Purple
  6. Nazareth
  7. Supertramp
  8. Led Zep
  9. Wednesday 13
    10 Black Sabbath

What was the first song you ever heard by #6

First I remember - “Love Hurts”

Favorite song of #8

“Rock and Roll” but “Stairway” haunts me.

What kind of impact has #1 had on your life?

Huge! I’m in an Alice Cooper tribute band, I hang out on the fansites, I met some of the most important people in my life because of that music.

Fav lyric of #5

All of “Highway Star”

  • How many times have you seen #4 live?*

I wish!

Fav song by #7

“Hide In Your Shell”

Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?

“A Minor Ballad”, “If You Could Read My Mind”.

  • Fav song by #9*

Easy! - “Burn The Flame”!

When did you first get into #1?

Sometime in '73/'74. I was a fan by the time Alice appeared on “The Snoop Sisters”.

How did you get into #3?

A song I heard at camp in about '73 - “Ballad of Big Blue”.

Fav song by #4

“Killer Queen”

How many times have you sen #9 live?

Once, opening for Alice Cooper in '05.

Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?

The whole album “The Runaways” makes me wish I was sixteen again…“Cherry Bomb”, I guess, for that reason.

Fav song of #1

Geez, ask me which is my favorite kid - it’d be easier! Currently I think it’s “Six Hours” off the “Dirty Diamonds” album. No, wait, it’s “Billion Dollar Babies”…Uh, hang on, forgot “Hello Hooray”…and “Poison”…

Oh, nevermind!

How did you become a fan of #10?

They were the freakiest thing out there next to Alice.

  1. Paul Simon
  2. The Beatles
  3. Vienna Teng
  4. Gaelic Storm
  5. Nat “King” Cole
  6. Nickel Creek
  7. Wierd Al Yankovic
  8. Phil Vassar
  9. They Might Be Giants
  10. Peter, Paul & Mary

What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
I heard them perform Reasons Why on A Prarie Home Companion.

What is your favorite song of #8?
That’s When I Love You

What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
His words and music struck a big chord with me, from being just plain fun and clever, to giving me strength and solace when feeling down.

What is your favorite lyric of #5?
In this case, I love the lyric because I love to sing it:
“There may be trouble ahead,
but while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance,
let’s face the music and dance.”

How many times have you seen #4 live?
A whopping four times! Getting to one meant a flight to Chicago, and two others were back-to-back days at the same Orange County festival – a 7-hour road trip each way. They are always playing in the Midwest with side trips further East. For Og’s sake can’t they hit San Francisco more often than every 7 years or so?

What is your favorite song by #7?
Frank’s 2000" TV

Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
The songs of hers that I know are all pretty uplifting, but City Hall kinda makes me sad. I guess you’d have to know the song to know why.

What is your favorite song by #9?
Birdhouse in Your Soul, you’d think it would be one of the two Tiny Toons ones (Istanbul, Not Contantinople or Particle Man) but nope.

When did you first get into #1?
I bought a Granceland CD to get Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes and You Can Call Me Al and was wowed and addicted ever since.

How did you get into #3?
See I knew this girl named Cynthia in high school, she was the pianist for the choir I sang in. Kinda had a crush on her, especially after she played Gershwin’s Prelude #1 on the piano during a break (yeah, I’m a complete geek). Asking her out didn’t work out, but we were sorta friends.
When I heard she’d become a singer/songwriter I sought out her songs, not expecting how superb her music and lyrics were, as well as her voice (I hadn;t heard her sing before-she played the choirs piano).

What is your favorite song by #4?
Piña Colada in a Pint Glass. One day I want to open a bar somewhere in the tropics and name it that.

How many times have you seen #9 live?
None! Ha ha! I’ve been either too poor or too late when they come to town.

Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
She’s Leaving Home. I left my own parents’ home abruptly and hearing the song for the first time, and since, brought up some emotion.

What is your favorite song of #1?
Late In the Evening I can’t listen to that and not smile.

How did you become a fan of #10?
My mother made me. Seriously, she played 10 Years Together for me when I was just a small gnu. I learned all the songs and love the soft harmony.

And I thought I was the only one on the planet who knew about Tim Hardin! :wink:

  1. Tool
  2. At the Drive In
  3. Alice In Chains
  4. Primus
  5. Phil Collins
  6. Royksopp
  7. Umphrey’s McGee
  8. Victor Wooten
  9. Soundgarden
  10. Modest Mouse

*What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
“Remind Me” from the Geico commercial

*What is your favorite song of #8?
If I had to pick, the live version of Sinister Minister

*What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
Not a huge one, they are a band I enjoy and I got into them in High School

*What is your favorite lyric of #5?
How can you just walk away from me,
when all I can do is watch you leave
Cos we’ve shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears
You’re the only one who really knew me at all

*How did you get into #3?
I didn’t really listen in-depth to Alice In Chains until after the death of Layne Staley but now they are one of my favorite bands and got me into a lot of other grunge bands of the era.

*What is your favorite song by #4?
Hmmm that is hard, I don’t think I really could.

*How many times have you seen #9 live?
Didn’t really listen to them till after they broke up, so never.

*Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
“Hourglass”

*What is your favorite song of #1?
hmmm maybe Aenema, just so dark a topic

*How did you become a fan of #10?
I didn’t really become a fan until they had the cd with “Float On” come out, but since then I’ve had their discography and I like pretty much all their songs.

Ok I screwed up and left some questions out:

*How many times have you seen #4 live?
I’ve seen Primus once, but it was the original lineup and they played two full sets.

*What is your favourite song by #7?
"In the Kitchen
*Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
A bunch of them, “Nutshell” and “No Excuses” are good examples.

*What is your favorite song by #9?
Hmmm maybe “Zero Chance”

*When did you first get into #1?
High School around 1999

1. Elton John
2. Moody Blues
3. Pink Floyd
4. Janis Joplin
5. The Doors
6. Patsy Cline
7. Crosby Stills and Nash (with or without Young)
8. Jefferson Airplane
9. Queen
10. Tommy James and the Shondells

What was the first song you ever heard by #6?

Crazy
What is your favorite song of #8?

White Rabbit
What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?

Enormous. Too much to detail. Everything from whom I hang out with to how I decorate my home.
What is your favorite lyric of #5?

“Oh, tell me where your freedom lies!” (The Crystal Ship)
How many times have you seen #4 live?

None. But I did hang out with a guy who (said he) fucked her.
What is your favourite song by #7?

Ohio (Four Dead)
Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?

Comfortably Numb
What is your favorite song by #9?

Bohemian Rhapsody
When did you first get into #1?

September 3, 1973
How did you get into #3?

Tripping in a college dorm.
What is your favorite song by #4?

A Woman Left Lonely
How many times have you seen #9 live?

None
Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?

Tuesday Afternoon
What is your favorite song of #1?

All The Nasties
How did you become a fan of #10?

Lost my virginity during Crimson and Clover (long version).

  1. Shelleyan Orphan
  2. Joy Division
  3. The Cure
  4. Jethro Tull
  5. Dead Can Dance
  6. Bauhaus
  7. My Bloody Valentine
  8. Pixies
  9. Billy Bragg
  10. Natalie Merchant

*What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
Spirit

*What is your favorite song of #8?
Wave of Mutilation

*What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
They are totally “My Band” - no one else I know likes them even though I evangelize them constantly, they are totally obscure, just finding the odd video on youtube made me deliriously happy.

*What is your favorite lyric of #5?
“Severance” - the birds of leaving call to us
Yet here we stand, endowed with the fear of flight

*How many times have you seen #4 live?
Once - and lucky to, at that, living where I do.

*What is your favourite song by #7?
*Strawberry Wine *

*Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
Sure, lots - Charlotte Sometimes always does.

*What is your favorite song by #9?
The Great Leap Forward

*When did you first get into #1?
1990

*How did you get into #3?
Listening to a late-night alternative music show here in SA. Also, buying import albums of the alternative genre with schoolfriends.

*What is your favorite song by #4?
Oooh, hard one - either Moths, The Whistler or Witches Promise. I’ll go with Moths for today.

*How many times have you seen #9 live?
Never

*Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
Better to ask what doesn’t (I mean, Hello!, Joy Division? Music to slit wrists to), but the best/worst in that regard is Atmosphere

*What is your favorite song of #1?
Silent Day

*How did you become a fan of #10?
Friend had a mix tape that included Katrina’s Fair. That sold me (on 10,000 Manics, her old band), and then the MTV Unplugged sessions sorta cemented that. When she left the band and went solo, I followed, and haven’t really liked their Natalie-less stuff. Clearly, she was the reason I liked the band, and I’ve nejoyed her solo stuff almost as much.

  1. Bill Laswell
  2. Mastodon
  3. Bill Frisell
  4. Toumani Diabate
  5. Konono No. 1
  6. Lacuna Coil
  7. Rollins Band
  8. Tool
  9. Mötorhead
  10. Crystal Method

*What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
“Heaven’s A Lie”

*What is your favorite song of #8?
“Parabola” I use a quote from the song as my e-mail sig:
This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality
embrace this moment; remember, we are eternal all this pain is an illusion –

*What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
Nothing life-affirming,

*What is your favorite lyric of #5?
Hard to say. It’s all in some Congolese language

*How many times have you seen #4 live?
Once. He has only appeared the US twice in my lifetime (or his).

*What is your favourite song by #7?
Illumination

*Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
Probably not

*What is your favorite song by #9?
In the Year of the Wolf

*When did you first get into #1?
Mid-80s.

*How did you get into #3?
I read a blurb about one of his projects, Power Tools, in Spin magazine

*What is your favorite song by #4?
Dunno

*How many times have you seen #9 live?
Once

*Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
Nope

*What is your favorite song of #1?
Probably Bullet Hole Memory

*How did you become a fan of #10?
Took a flyer on Legion of Boom after seeing a capsule review in Wired.

Originally posted by Argent Towers,
“My favorite Squeeze song? It’s a tie between Up the Junction and Slap and Tickle. Fuck if they’re not one of the most underrated new-wave bands ever.
Never seen Squeeze live.”

Dont know where you are but you may get your chance. They tour UK in Nov/Dec and US thereafter. Difford and Tilbrook playing together as Squeeze for the first time in 10(?) years, althought he other band members are tbc, I’d really like to see Glenn’s band The Fluffers make up the rest.

www.quixoticrecords.com has the details

Here’s my artists - dont have time for the questions.

XTC
Rufus Wainwright
Steely Dan
Joni Mitchell
Ambershades -my new favourite band
Prince
Squeeze/Glenn Tilbrook
Aimee Mann
Toots and the Maytals
Steve Earle

MiM

  1. Mount Eerie
  2. Raymond Scott
  3. the Screamers
  4. the Magnetic Fields
  5. Excepter
  6. Suicide
  7. the Human League
  8. Big Star
  9. Judee Sill
  10. Gang Gang Dance

*What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
“Ghost Rider”

*What is your favorite song of #8?
Probably “Kangaroo” or “The Ballad of El Goodo.”

*What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
Made me go in a completely different direction with my own music, made me get into recording on tape instead of digitally. Made me think differently about how an artist exists as two different entities “live” versus on recordings.

*What is your favorite lyric of #5?
Lots of weird moans.

*How many times have you seen #4 live?
Never.

*What is your favourite song by #7?
Either “being boiled” or “the black hit of space.”

*Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
No, not really.

*What is your favorite song by #9?
Probably “the lamb ran away with the crown” or “crayon angels.”

*When did you first get into #1?
2003, after he put out his live record.

*How did you get into #3?
There was a guy on a discussion list that had been in the band 20+ years ago and was talking about how they sort of pioneered “synth-punk,” which never took off.

*What is your favorite song by #4?
Tall order. Probably “railroad boy” or “all my little words.”

*How many times have you seen #9 live?
She died about 10 years before I was born.

*Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
No. Most of his stuff is uplifting and bouncy.

*What is your favorite song of #1?
“Great Ghosts,” hands-down. And then “Solar System.”

*How did you become a fan of #10?
I went to see them live because I was really curious about what they would look and sound like after listening to their records, which are some of the most truly alien recordings I’ve heard. I didn’t know if they were boys or girls, human or animal, or even what kind of instruments they were using. When I saw them live, they blew me away with how incredibly tight they were - especially considering that they’re doing really weird, psychedelic, free-form music, they were tighter and more together than a tight funk band, coming out of 10+ minute freakout jams and launching into polyrhythmic grooves on a dime, like it was all locked in together on a psychic level. I’m still not convinced that it isn’t.

  1. Jeff Buckley
  2. Bjork
  3. Midlake
  4. Clare Bowditch
  5. Holly Throsby
  6. Martha Wainright
  7. Emiliana Torrini
  8. Ben Kweller
  9. Broken Social Scene
  10. Cat Power

*What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
Sunny Road

*What is your favorite song of #8?
On My Way

*What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
Very hard to define, but one thing I guess is that he reinforced for me that we should really make the most of our time here, do what makes you happy etc.

*What is your favorite lyric of #5?
A toss up between:
“He says 'I cannot be around you because god knows it hurts
But I cannot be without you ‘cause it’s much, much worse’
So he reels me in and he reels me out again” - Things Between People
Or
“Babe, it’s so hard to be honest
As the crow lies
Babe, I’ve been known to be careless
I’ve made dogs cry” - As The Night Dies
*How many times have you seen #4 live?
Twice.

*What is your favourite song by #7?
“Serenade”

*Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
“Bandits” (more melancholy than sad).

*What is your favorite song by #9?
“It’s All Gonna Break”

*When did you first get into #1?
Approximately 1995-96.

*How did you get into #3?
Midlake was playing at an Artist’s house we were buying a painting from.

*What is your favorite song by #4?
“Which Way To Go”

*How many times have you seen #9 live?
Once.

*Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
Not particularly.

*What is your favorite song of #1?
Last Goodbye or Grace.

*How did you become a fan of #10?
Through radio play.

Fairport Convention
Richard Thompson
Steeleye Span
Beatles
Jefferson Airplane
Pentangle
Peter, Paul, and Mary
Rolling Stones
Jethro Tull
Neil Young

*What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
“Cruel Sister”

*What is your favorite song of #8?
“Gimme Shelter”

*What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
They sort of led me down the path of the music I generally enjoy the most. I’d always leaned toward folk music (Weavers, PP&M, all that), but this British folk rock was a real eye-opener for me. When I first heard their stuff, it was like when I first heard the Beatles, only even more so. I’ve followed bands with connections to Fairport (and they are numerous) for 38 years now.

*What is your favorite lyric of #5?
“Up against the wall, motherfucker”

*How many times have you seen #4 live?
Never

*What is your favourite song by #7?
“Gilgarry Mountain”

*Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
Lord yes. “Long A-Growing” comes to mind as being particularly moving.

*What is your favorite song by #9?
“With You There to Help Me”

*When did you first get into #1?
1969

*How did you get into #3?
Connection to Fairport (Fairport’s bassist started the group). The first album I heard was “Please to See the King,” and it took me a while to warm to it because, well, Martin Carthy should not be allowed near an electric guitar (although he’s one of the best acoustic players out there). But Maddy Prior’s voice finally won me over.

*What is your favorite song by #4?
“I’ve Just Seen a Face”

*How many times have you seen #9 live?
Never

*Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
The guy specializes in sad songs. I guess “The Old Changing Way” and “Beeswing” stand out.

*What is your favorite song of #1?
“Genesis Hall”

*How did you become a fan of #10?
I loved (and still love) “The Emperor of Wyoming.” Then he put out “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” and that clinched it. At the time, I didn’t know he had been in Buffalo Springfield, and wrote most of their best songs (that never got any airplay).

  1. Metallica
  2. Rush
  3. Yes
  4. Genesis
  5. Emerson Lake and Palmer
  6. Judas Priest
  7. Led Zeppelin
  8. Motley Crue
  9. Queensryche
  10. Pink Floyd

What was the first song you ever heard by #6?
“Headed to the Highway” (MTV video)

What is your favorite song of #8?
“Knock 'Em Dead Kid”

What kind of impact has #1 left on your life?
When I first heard Metallica it was a new frontier for me musically. Just when I thought I had heard the hardest and the heaviest, along comes something that totally blows me away. At one time I thought Kiss was the loudest and the hardest there was.

What is your favorite lyric of #5?
Soon the gypsy queen in a glaze of vaseline
Will perform on guillotine
What a scene! what a scene!

from “Karn Evil 9 First Impression”

How many times have you seen #4 live?
Never. I haven’t even gotten to see any of the members perform solo, either.

What is your favourite song by #7
“Achilles Last Stand” (10-minute plus track)

Is there any song by #3 that makes you sad?
The end of “Gates of Delirium” has sort of a melancholy tone to it.

What is your favorite song by #9?
“Empire”.

When did you first get into #1
1984, when a friend of mine was playing a “Kill 'Em All” tape on his boombox. I was instantly hooked.

How did you get into #3?
I heard “Roundabout” on the radio and then heard some of their other songs. I really liked their sound, the long instrumental pieces and the complex styles of playing that I would later come to know as progressive rock.

What is your favorite song by #4?
Probably “Cinema Show”, “Trick of the Tail” or “Entangled.”

How many times have you seen #9 live?
Never.

Is there a song by #2 that makes you sad?
“Losing It.”

What is your favorite song of #1?
Too many to count, but if I had to choose ONE it would probably be “The Call Of Ktulu”.

How did you become a fan of #10?
Radio exposure, most likely. I liked a lot of the stuff off of “Dark Side of the Moon.”