There was an awkward moment when I was searching for songs I haven’t yet added to my music collection from my favourite bands and they happened to all be listed under “Punk Rock”. Sure, Punk Rock in modern days does not always mean Punk rock. It generally means a watered down less raw version of it. I mean, Good Charlotte is listed under Punk Rock on Wikipedia for gods sake!
I’m not sure where I was going with that little rant but it did give me the idea to list the bands (and not so much bands) that have been on repeat in my media player for the past few months and my favourite songs by each. In order of how obsessed I am with them currently. Enjoy, or not.
Why do you need to know a list of bands that I listen to? Well, it’s always good to broaden your musical horizon and, well, I felt like it.
1. Heavens to Betsy
A band of which I’m currently consumed with obsession over. Not so much the band members or history but the music itself. Anyway, my favourite song was very hard to choose. It was close between Me and Her from The Monsters Are Real album and Axeman from the Calculated album. Axeman won. The video also has some of my favourite films in it: American Beauty, Ghost World, Heathers and Daria (obviously not a film).
2. Bikini Kill
Straight to the point: my absolutely favourite song ever by this band is R.I.P. from the album Reject All American. There wasn’t a point where I fell in love with this band, that’s why I don’t have much to say about them. It was more of an accumulated adoration.
This version just seems kind of off for some reason.
3. Hole
A popular band. I actually started liking Hole after watching a few documentaries on the life of Courtney Love. She had a few cameo’s in another band I likes music (I honestly just spent half an hour trying to find the song but couldn’t). Anyway, my song of choice is Teenage Whore from the Pretty On the Inside album.
4. The Damned
Not sure if I’ve posted about my new found love for The Damned. (I just checked and found that I semi-have). Though, since then I’ve immersed myself a bit further into their music and here is my current favourite. My favourite album is by far Grave Disorder (with Machine Gun Etiquette a close second). There was a point that I listened to She every day as for my partner to whine incoherently every time he heard it playing.
5. Jack Off Jill
This has been my favourite band for a long time. Thus, I’ve raved on about it enough. Have one of my favourites which I don’t think I’ve presented on this blog before: Angel’s Fuck, Devils Kiss. There are literally no good video’s for this song available for blogger – but it has convinced me that I need to watch all of the Return of the Living Dead films.
6. Babes in Toyland
Another obvious favourite of mine that I just keep going back to. Honestly, tell me if you want some new stuff. Even though I doubt my audience care too much about my music lists. One of my many favourites is Fork Down Throat. This is a song of which I personally don’t like any of the live versions.
7. Mechanical Cabaret
There will always be a little bit of love in my heart for “technically bleepy music” (AKA electronic) as I almost never refer to it. I fell in love with a particular song by this band from the soundtrack of Gypsy 83. The song being Nothing Special.
8. The Cure
A band that is almost always on my top whatever list. But I have a new favourite song that probably doesn’t get the recognition it deserves in my opinion. That song is Fire in Cairo, specifically the studio demo. I’m really into that raw sound lately. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the right version on YouTube so this Peel Session will have to do – but trust me it’s not even slightly as organic.
9. The Cruxshadows
I’m not sure if I’ve posted very much about this band – I feel strange referring to them as a band because they aren’t the typical lead guitar, drums, base guitar type of band. They are definitely, like Mechanical Cabaret, not something people tend to think “Oh, that’s a band Sarah would like.” But none the less I find some of their songs very catchy and they’re great when you’re sick of rock driven screaming, melodrama or depressing melodies (which is pretty much everything else I listen to commonly). I’ll now stop blathering and state that my favourite song is Marilyn, My Bitterness (This one’s version 2 but I’ve yet to realise the actual difference).
Best wishes,
– Sary Walrus
The Walrus Room 