Top 100 Favorite Bands (Method and Commentary)

Method:

I first started by brainstorming as many bands as I could without listing artists that I would never want on my top 100 list.  For instance, you will notice the absence of bands like Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Britney Spears, etc.  This is because I, personally, cannot stand these musical acts.  Some of them I may respect as musicians but on a personal level, I can't stand their music.  I could never have them on my Top 100.

After the brainstorm, I went through the brainstorm and chose all the bands that I decided would be a travesty if they WEREN'T on my Top 100 List.  The number of bands that ended up on this elite list was 106.

So, in this case, I would either need to:

A:  Eliminate 6 bands from the list and then rank them.

------------------Or-------------------

B:  Rank the 106 bands and eliminate the last six.

I decided on approach B as it was a very small number of bands that I needed to eliminate from the elite list.  This is, by far, the hardest and most challenging portion of the process.  It was difficult and a bit disheartening at some of the bands that I had to leave out of the list.

For those of you that are curious, these were the bands that just barely didn't make the cut:

101.  Capital Cities
102.  CAKE
103.  Tool
104.  John Mayer
105.  Johnny Winter
106.  Buddy Rich

Commentary:

In ranking my favorite artists, I started to notice trends in my decision making.  Most notably, the grouping of genres together in the middle and end of the list.  You will notice clusters of 60s rock bands, blues guitarists, and miscellaneous pairings throughout the list.

When doing this ranking, I actually learned a bit about my musical tastes.  What was most surprising to me was how high I had to rank Paramore.  It wasn't until I did this ranking how much I realized I like that band.  Even other bands like blink-182, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Rise Against:  I like these bands a lot!  However, I just couldn't justify ranking Paramore below these bands.  Sometimes it takes a step back to truly see what your real interests are.  And in taking a step back, I realized how much I really enjoy Paramore's music.

I suppose that one thing that someone will come to realize when making a list like this is that it always changes.  When I say that these are my Top 100 favorite musicians/bands, these are my Top 100 at this point in time.  These rankings are constantly changing depending on mood, season, life events, etc.  For instance, for a long time, I considered The Clash as my favorite band.  Now, they're all the way down at the number six spot.  I just don't listen to them quite as much as I used to.  The rankings that you see here are pretty set and won't change much from a day to day basis at this time.

With that being said, I will probably update this list every now and in the form of new posts.  So if you're interested, stay tuned.


The main reason why I wanted to add this commentary is to talk a bit about some of the more obscure acts that appear on it.  So, here they are.

Note:  Half of the videos embedded cannot be watched here due to copyright/ownership reasons.  You need to click on the YouTube button in the player to be redirected to YouTube in order to watch it.

However, the Gary Clark Jr., VaNa MaZi, The New Minstrel Revue, Operation Ivy, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Distillers, and The Vandals one can be watched on this webpage, FYI.

96.  Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Clark Jr. is an up and coming blues guitarist from Texas.  I was made aware of his existence when I saw him perform at the 2010 Crossroads Festival in Bridgeview (hosted by Eric Clapton).  He mixes blues with elements of alternative, rock, r&b, and pop:  drawing small portions of his fan-base from some of the least expected places.  I really like the way some of these elements mix together.  In fact, there are times when he will remind you a lot of The Black Keys.  So, if you really like The Black Keys, you will probably love Gary Clark Jr.  And I'll tell you what, I would take Gary Clark Jr. over The Black Keys any day of the week.

 

95.  Amanda Kitchens

Amanda Kitchens is by far the most obscure artist that I have on this list.  And when I say that she is the most obscure artist on this list, she literally has less page views and song plays on Reverbnation than my fictional band.  I really couldn't comprehend this on the account that SHE ACTUALLY EXISTS!

She's actually the accordion player and co-lead vocalist of the group VaNa MaZi: a band that I will be talking about later on in this commentary.  When not jamming out with VaNa MaZi, she does some jazz singing with a little bit of folk and blues thrown in.  If you like jazz and blues, you should at least give her a listen.  She deserves more attention.

Let's do her Reverbnation page a favor and click this link to visit her Reverbnation page and/or give her a listen via this music player I have embedded for you.

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

91.  The Bravery

They're a pretty cool alternative band from the mid-2000s.  You may have heard of them.  Probably the most exposure they had was the song "Unconditional" which was part of the soundtrack for Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.  They also got some exposure with their song "Believe" but beyond that, you really had to dig around to find out about their other songs like "This is Not the End" or "An Honest Mistake."  Check 'em out.

84.)  Operation Ivy

Operation Ivy is basically Rancid before Rancid existed.  Op. Ivy consisted of Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman who would both go on to start Rancid.  Expectedly, they sound a lot like Rancid, especially Rancid's older albums.  Op. Ivy is much more ska based of a band though.  They only released one record during their existence.  However, Op Ivy will go down in history as an important piece of Punk Revival.

Let me take you back to 1988...(I'm I allowed to say that if I wasn't even alive yet in 1988?  Well whatever...)

73.)  Godspeed You!  Black Emperor

This band is my favorite that the Post-Rock genre has to offer.  Then again, there really aren't very many bands that the genre has to offer.  What is Post-Rock?  Well, just give this a listen.  It's pretty cool.  Godspeed You! Black Emperor have a way of getting inside your mind and rearranging it.  Then they send little men with spears in to etch bizarre thoughts in every crevice that has been exposed to the dawn of the apocalypse...

But in all seriousness, it's pretty interesting stuff.  I would give it a listen.

67.)  The Explosion

The Explosion are another group that I first heard on a Tony Hawk game, this time from Tony Hawk's Underground 2.  I found one of their CDs at a Disc Replay for 2 bucks so I figure I would give it a go.  It's a pretty solid rock album that gets pretty intense at times.  If you like the band Jet, you will probably like The Explosion too.  The Explosion are basically an angrier take on Jet.

66.)  The Vandals

The Vandals are great because they rock but they also pull of the humorous part of the band really well (without being too over the top).  They're kind of like Bowling for Soup except that their humor is way more dry and pretty morbid at times.  When I need a good laugh, this is one of the first bands I turn to.  "My Girlfriend's Dead" is definitely my favorite song by them not only because it's funny but because it's also really relatable.  Give it a listen.  You can watch a funny animation that complements the song very well on this webpage in the player below.

65.)  Sonny Landreth

I've liked Sonny Landreth since I saw him at the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival.  He plays this southern style of rock that's generally mellow and easy going.  He plays guitar really smooth and frequently uses a slide to go from note to note.  I really like his style.

23.)  VaNa MaZi

I just discovered VaNa MaZi this past summer when they performed a few weekends at the Bristol Renaissance Faire.  They certainly don't fall into my typical genre spectrum as their music is very...worldly (the best way to describe it without getting too into it).  But, there's a reason why they make the top quarter of my list; they're really freakin' good!.  I actually talked about them in my post on the Bristol Renaissance Faire Music Scene.  You can also check out their website here, listen to some tunes on their Reverbnation page here, and check out the sassy music video below (man, they should be paying me for all of this promotion).

22.)  The Distillers

Probably the best way to describe The Distillers is if you took Joan Jett and made her completely hardcore punk.  They were only around for a few years but every hardcore punk fan at least knows of them and recognizes Brody Dalle as the coolest punk chick ever!  This shit is awesome!  If you're into punk at all, The Distillers are definitely worth checking out.

19.)  New Minstrel Revue/The Minstrels of Mayhem

The New Minstrel Revue is an Irish folk group that I discovered at the Bristol Renaissance Faire a number of years ago (at the time, they were called The Minstrels of Mayhem).  They deliver Irish folk in its most raw form; just two acoustic guitars (and the recent addition of a violin player).  This band literally makes me feel like I've been taken into a time machine and sent back to ye olde Ireland.  I certainly have no shame in declaring that these guys are my nineteenth favorite.

Here's a funny drinking song to make your day a little better.
(I have no idea who that is playing bass, FYI.  At the Bristol Renaissance Faire, they occasionally have Craig of Farrington join in on bass)

 17.)  She Wants Revenge

You know, I don't listen to these guys a lot.  However, they have lingered on after quite a few years and I still throw them on every now and then.  The thing is, I really like their music.  I just find myself listening more to punk and punk related stuff which is why I often give their CDs a pass when making a selection.  I really ought to listen to them more because I really enjoy myself whenever I do.  I got pretty lucky when I happened to be listening to q101 back in 2007 and the song "Tear You Apart" came on.  Otherwise, I probably wouldn't even know who they are.

I also forgot how...peculiar this music video is.

5.)  Pencey Prep

I learned of their existence because my stage presence idol, Frank Iero, was in this band before joining My Chemical Romance.  Pencey Prep only released one album during their existence.  So why are they all the way up at my number five?  Because the album is fucking awesome!  It's relatable, it has interesting guitar work, it's emotional.  It has just about every aspect I could ever ask for out of an album.  If I ever made a Top 100 list for favorite albums, Heartbreak in Stereo is definitely a contender for the number 1 spot.

Miscellaneous

If you guys are wondering about any of the other bands on my Top 100, whether it's who the band is or why they are ranked the way they are on my Top 100, leave it in the comments.  I may have an unexpected reason that I didn't mention in this commentary or I may have made a mistake.  But, as of now, this is how my Top 100 favorite bands stand.

Cheers!