First off let me say trying to focus and listen as I had intended on a daily basis AND going down the list alphabetically just takes too much work and planning and attention during the day. Also I now feel it does not allow the music time to properly 'absorb' into my psyche (zen master). THEREFORE I'm gonna switch this up to a blog about a "band(s) of the week". Sorry for the dramatic build up and letdown, but it'll still be nice. PLUS I can get to everyone's suggestions faster than waiting until later on in the year when I get to the correct letter. BUT for today.....
ADOLESCENTS
Apparently this band is a punk "supergroup" from the early 80's comprised of other punk bands I have never heard of. I listened intently to their first album aptly named 'Adolescents', and I was pleasantly surprised. Sure its basically what you'd expect from a 1981 punk album, mostly just fast loudness, but there were a few gems in the mix. My personal favorite song 'Amoeba' was featured on one of the Tony Hawk video games, leading to my eventual finding of the album. Other songs like 'Kids of the Black Hole' were entertaining, but this is me mostly keeping an open mind. I was most pleased to hear so evidently the punk influences that early grunge pulled from. Although I am no friend or lover of punk music, I am always drawn to music with energy and very thrashy sounding guitars. Put this on as background noise and learn to love a couple of the songs :)
Aerosmith
They have been called 'America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band', but so has Pearl Jam....and there are better American bands than Pearl Jam, so I must assume there are better American bands than Aerosmith. HOWEVER they're good, very good. What has impressed me the most, was not the guitar work or the drumming or really anything I expected. It was the diversity of Steven Tyler. This guy has fun with his voice and is not afraid to use all the screeches and tones he can find a way to control and string into notes, also he plays the harmonica and piano for the band, and initially played the drums. A talented individual, and I admire talented individuals. My only complaint with Aerosmith is that you are not going to experience anything new from album to album on any great level. Bands like Led Zeppelin and Cream have a way of really mixing up their sound and covering a lot of musical territory, but still making it work together as a whole. Aerosmith does the opposite, but not in a bad way. They've found a way to write some good rock songs and they just keep at it. But yeah they're legends so I can't complain too much, unless I one day play the superbowl half-time show haha.
