Groove On
Well, I've wanted to do this for a while, but I felt as though I didn't have enough material to work with. Well, whatever. It should still be fun to share some groovy tunes with you fine, fine people. So here some Lucio's Music Recommendations.
Ween
By now, I'm sure everyone who reads this thing has at least heard of Ween or knows who they are, but just in case, I think I'll mention the wonderful band who works the magic of the Boognish.
Gene and Dean Ween (no, they aren't related and no, those aren't they're real names) front the wonderful band that is Ween and they present a style of music that, as far as I can tell, is not capable of being described. Of course by default, most would assume that they would then fall into the category of alternative, but in reality, they are something much more than that. Perhaps the only way I can think of to describe the style of Ween would be "honest". This is the band that, after receiving critical acclaim for their fourth LP, which consisted of many different musical styles centering mainly on rock, went on to do a concept album consisting of only country music. Genius.
In a world of one-hit-wonders and oh so much bullshit all over the radio waves, Ween makes no compromises and plays what feels right, no matter how strange it may sometimes be.
Starting Song: Transdermal Celebration (from the album "Quebec")
With a band like Ween, it's unimaginably hard to pick a starting song, since the band itself has so many different sounds. Ultimately though, I chose this song because it's the first one I ever heard myself, and to date, remains one of my absolute favorites. It's the more serious side of Ween, and the vocals, guitar, bass, synth, and drums are spot on.
Follow-Up Song: Zoloft (from the album "Quebec")
Well, as I said above, if Transdermal Celebration was the more serious side of Ween, this is certainly part of joking portion (or not, with Ween it's hard to tell). Again, it's hard to pick a follow up with a band like Ween, so accordingly, this is the second song I ever heard by them. If you guessed that it's about the medication, well, you're correct, and the song itself makes it seems as though you're riding a rainbow of anti-depressants. A stark contrast to Transdermal Celebration, but if you like both, you're well on your way to Weendom.
The Pillows
The first thing you may notice is that these guys are Japanese, and well, they are. In every sense of the word. So, if you're bothered by not understanding exactly what people are saying when it comes to your music, you may consider stopping now.
I discovered The Pillows through the anime FLCL (aka Furi Kuri, aka Fooly Cooly), and I should state now that it would be a lie to say that I'm not biased because frankly, FLCL is my absolute favorite anime. However, the feel of their music was one of the key inspirations for FLCL, so don't be too quick to brush them off. Their sound is certainly rock, and while I'm sure there is a much more specific genre someone could place them into, I really dislike those precise classifications. What I find most attractive about them is the way they use their instruments. They always consist of two guitars, a bass, and drums, and while they have a sound that is recognizable, they manage to produce some rather varying pieces of work in both mood and instrument setup. I will admit they have a sound that borders on pop, but something about their sound keeps them from being monotonous.
Again, they sing only in Japanese, but if you're pretty open to music, I would highly advise anyone to check them out. They have a great sound, and the emotion and intention shines through, despite the language issue.
Starting Song: One Life (from the single "One Life" or the album "FLCL: Addict"
Unlike the Ween songs, this one was easy to pick, because it is my absolute favorite Pillows song. The short intro is awesome and the progression of the song is very journey-esque (the feeling, not the band). I love Sawao Yamanaka's voice, which has a certain uniqueness to it, and the lyrics, if one ever bothers to look them up, are pretty cool. A great example of The Pillows finest work.
Follow-Up Song: Last Dinosaur (from the album "Happy Bivouac" or the album "FLCL: Addict")
This one was a bit trickier, but I decided on Last Dinosaur because it's an example of one of their higher energy songs, and because I can listen to this one almost as much as I can One Life. This one has a bit more angst in lyrical content (ironically enough) when compared to some of their others, but is a great song with a lot of emotion on Sawao's part and awesome instrumentals. If you've heard these two songs and find that, despite the small language gap, The Pillows rock, I congratulate you.
(By the way, if you listen and/or are curious about their lyrics, click here.
Primus
Last but not least, the sick dementia that is Primus and of worthy note, Primus and Ween are Matt Stone and Trey Parker's two favorite bands. Unless you can handle some absolutely insane music, I would strongly recommend against these guys, but if you can, they're a twisted treat.
Les Claypool fronts the band, and is the primary player in the band that is, consequently enough, heavily bass oriented. Probably one of the best bassists alive today, Claypool's brainchild has a very distinct sound that is very much theirs (which isn't hard to do when you have a six-string bass tuned to ungodly levels and played primarily by tapping and slapping). Their sound is hard to describe, but I would venture to say it's almost metal with heavy funk influence. Again though, bah to categorization. Primus hits hard with heavy percussion on bass and drums and guitar that (ironically enough) is often placed in the background, but which still holds it's own. One of the more appealing characteristics of Primus is the story-telling aspect of Les Claypool's lyrics, and the band has even covered such story-songs like The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band.
Primus is not as easy to like as The Pillows or Ween may be, but they too have a very unique and creative sound that shows through in their innovative and exceptional music.
Starting Song: Tommy the Cat (from the album "Sailing the Seas of Cheese")
This song is just amazing. The bass is absolutely incredible and if anyone even has the slightest bit of musical understanding, Claypool's solo is jaw dropping. Tommy the Cat is a good example of Primus' story telling style, though admittedly a bit hard to understand at times. An all around good song, and despite Claypool's excellent abilities, he doesn't overdo it and the song's arrangement comes off as little more than amazing.
Follow-Up Song: DMV (from the album "Pork Soda")
Again the follow-up was a little hard to pick, but I decided on this one because of it's bass is catchy as hell. The song has some great progression and rarely stays repetitive, and all the instruments play well off of one another. The band does an excellent job of switching roles between both guitar and bass (in terms of lead and rhythm) and the result is something absurd and highly enjoyable. Again, a tricky band to get into, but these two songs do a good job of showcasing Primus' general feel and if you enjoy it, then check them out.
Well, that's all for now. It'd be fun to see some other people consider this, since I'm always in the market for some new music. Next time around, I'll probably have some jazz, since I would venture to guess that more than a few people here would like it, but may not know where to start.
Until next time.
-Black Jack Kidd
Ween
By now, I'm sure everyone who reads this thing has at least heard of Ween or knows who they are, but just in case, I think I'll mention the wonderful band who works the magic of the Boognish.
Gene and Dean Ween (no, they aren't related and no, those aren't they're real names) front the wonderful band that is Ween and they present a style of music that, as far as I can tell, is not capable of being described. Of course by default, most would assume that they would then fall into the category of alternative, but in reality, they are something much more than that. Perhaps the only way I can think of to describe the style of Ween would be "honest". This is the band that, after receiving critical acclaim for their fourth LP, which consisted of many different musical styles centering mainly on rock, went on to do a concept album consisting of only country music. Genius.
In a world of one-hit-wonders and oh so much bullshit all over the radio waves, Ween makes no compromises and plays what feels right, no matter how strange it may sometimes be.
Starting Song: Transdermal Celebration (from the album "Quebec")
With a band like Ween, it's unimaginably hard to pick a starting song, since the band itself has so many different sounds. Ultimately though, I chose this song because it's the first one I ever heard myself, and to date, remains one of my absolute favorites. It's the more serious side of Ween, and the vocals, guitar, bass, synth, and drums are spot on.
Follow-Up Song: Zoloft (from the album "Quebec")
Well, as I said above, if Transdermal Celebration was the more serious side of Ween, this is certainly part of joking portion (or not, with Ween it's hard to tell). Again, it's hard to pick a follow up with a band like Ween, so accordingly, this is the second song I ever heard by them. If you guessed that it's about the medication, well, you're correct, and the song itself makes it seems as though you're riding a rainbow of anti-depressants. A stark contrast to Transdermal Celebration, but if you like both, you're well on your way to Weendom.
The Pillows
The first thing you may notice is that these guys are Japanese, and well, they are. In every sense of the word. So, if you're bothered by not understanding exactly what people are saying when it comes to your music, you may consider stopping now.
I discovered The Pillows through the anime FLCL (aka Furi Kuri, aka Fooly Cooly), and I should state now that it would be a lie to say that I'm not biased because frankly, FLCL is my absolute favorite anime. However, the feel of their music was one of the key inspirations for FLCL, so don't be too quick to brush them off. Their sound is certainly rock, and while I'm sure there is a much more specific genre someone could place them into, I really dislike those precise classifications. What I find most attractive about them is the way they use their instruments. They always consist of two guitars, a bass, and drums, and while they have a sound that is recognizable, they manage to produce some rather varying pieces of work in both mood and instrument setup. I will admit they have a sound that borders on pop, but something about their sound keeps them from being monotonous.
Again, they sing only in Japanese, but if you're pretty open to music, I would highly advise anyone to check them out. They have a great sound, and the emotion and intention shines through, despite the language issue.
Starting Song: One Life (from the single "One Life" or the album "FLCL: Addict"
Unlike the Ween songs, this one was easy to pick, because it is my absolute favorite Pillows song. The short intro is awesome and the progression of the song is very journey-esque (the feeling, not the band). I love Sawao Yamanaka's voice, which has a certain uniqueness to it, and the lyrics, if one ever bothers to look them up, are pretty cool. A great example of The Pillows finest work.
Follow-Up Song: Last Dinosaur (from the album "Happy Bivouac" or the album "FLCL: Addict")
This one was a bit trickier, but I decided on Last Dinosaur because it's an example of one of their higher energy songs, and because I can listen to this one almost as much as I can One Life. This one has a bit more angst in lyrical content (ironically enough) when compared to some of their others, but is a great song with a lot of emotion on Sawao's part and awesome instrumentals. If you've heard these two songs and find that, despite the small language gap, The Pillows rock, I congratulate you.
(By the way, if you listen and/or are curious about their lyrics, click here.
Primus
Last but not least, the sick dementia that is Primus and of worthy note, Primus and Ween are Matt Stone and Trey Parker's two favorite bands. Unless you can handle some absolutely insane music, I would strongly recommend against these guys, but if you can, they're a twisted treat.
Les Claypool fronts the band, and is the primary player in the band that is, consequently enough, heavily bass oriented. Probably one of the best bassists alive today, Claypool's brainchild has a very distinct sound that is very much theirs (which isn't hard to do when you have a six-string bass tuned to ungodly levels and played primarily by tapping and slapping). Their sound is hard to describe, but I would venture to say it's almost metal with heavy funk influence. Again though, bah to categorization. Primus hits hard with heavy percussion on bass and drums and guitar that (ironically enough) is often placed in the background, but which still holds it's own. One of the more appealing characteristics of Primus is the story-telling aspect of Les Claypool's lyrics, and the band has even covered such story-songs like The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band.
Primus is not as easy to like as The Pillows or Ween may be, but they too have a very unique and creative sound that shows through in their innovative and exceptional music.
Starting Song: Tommy the Cat (from the album "Sailing the Seas of Cheese")
This song is just amazing. The bass is absolutely incredible and if anyone even has the slightest bit of musical understanding, Claypool's solo is jaw dropping. Tommy the Cat is a good example of Primus' story telling style, though admittedly a bit hard to understand at times. An all around good song, and despite Claypool's excellent abilities, he doesn't overdo it and the song's arrangement comes off as little more than amazing.
Follow-Up Song: DMV (from the album "Pork Soda")
Again the follow-up was a little hard to pick, but I decided on this one because of it's bass is catchy as hell. The song has some great progression and rarely stays repetitive, and all the instruments play well off of one another. The band does an excellent job of switching roles between both guitar and bass (in terms of lead and rhythm) and the result is something absurd and highly enjoyable. Again, a tricky band to get into, but these two songs do a good job of showcasing Primus' general feel and if you enjoy it, then check them out.
Well, that's all for now. It'd be fun to see some other people consider this, since I'm always in the market for some new music. Next time around, I'll probably have some jazz, since I would venture to guess that more than a few people here would like it, but may not know where to start.
Until next time.
-Black Jack Kidd
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