BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) OUTKAST
Even if you hate hip hop, you’d like Outkast if fully exposed. Many people, like a dumb friend of mine, is quick to regard Outkast as “commercial rap”. Whatever. They are NOTHING like anyone us in music. Big Boi is more of a traditional rapper, but even then he’s a top tier lyricist. Andre 3000 is an alien. His musical mind is on par with Prince. His part of their huge double CD was one of the best albums… screw it… one of the best albums EVER. It’s definitely Top 100 of all time. That may not sound all that impressive, but I am including EVERYTHING. Outkast is one or two more huge albums away from being the black Bill and Ted and saving the future.
(THREE) KORN
Don’t sleep on Korn. Their biggest days were in the mid to late 90’s, but that doesn’t change the fact that they did some awesome stuff and continue to do so. They’re pretty much the grandfathers of nu metal. I know nu metal is a bit passé and beneath a lot of people, but the same can be said for hair metal. If Poison and Motley Crue can carry on with successful tours then a band like Korn is going to last forever as well. I don’t see it that way to begin with. While I’m not blind to the fact that the “Freak on a Leash”, “ADIDAS”, and “Shoots and Ladders” days are far behind us, I really appreciate their recent work. There is probably only two or so albums out of the nine or ten albums they’ve put out. That’s a pretty good track record. I think people need to dust off their oldies and get their hands on the new stuff, especially “Korn III”. It was one of the better albums in 2010, but no one is saying that. Shame.
(TWO) ARCADE FIRE
Arcade Fire is the official sound of conquest. They’re somewhat new, started in 03, yet their sound is already timeless. The band has like a NBA basketball team’s worth of members and they all go balls out. It’s like a wall of sound… great sound. Their biggest it was “Wake Up” because it was in some commercials and got a lot of play, but their albums are great. There aren’t many bands out there right now that I could consider “future legend”, but Arcade Fire is definitely heading in that direction.
(ONE) TALKING HEADS
I am baffled how Talking Heads are as celebrated as they should be. They are easily one of the best bands of all time. Their nerd-rock synth-funk is greatness. Listen to the song “Burning Down The House” and try not to enjoy it. It’s impossible. Same could pretty much be said for most of their music. “Wild Wild Life”, “And She Was”, and “Once In a Lifetime” are just a few of the songs that you’ve heard but didn’t really hear. If you heard it then you’d be all “hell yes, mike! Talking heads are tits!” My favorite is “Psycho Killer”. Great tune that’s just begging for a creepy cover. Get with it!
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