A Music Meme

I've never done one of these, and I just now saw that a friend tagged me to do one. Normally I might not, but it's about music, so what the hell? Now, I can't insert little song clips or anything fun like that because I suck, so if you're interested, you'll have to look the artists up.

So I'm supposed to pick seven artists/songs/albums that I've featured in my life recently. I'm going to pick artists since there are probably 10 times as many songs than artists that I could fill this with:

1. The Kelly Deal 6000: You remember Kelly and Kim Deal from The Breeders? Yeah, it's that Kelly Deal. And her stuff is amazing. Some of it is haunting, some of it is fun. This girl can rock. If you rent the movie "May", her song "When He Calls Me Kitten" is featured on it. It's fractured and beautiful, featuring a de-tuned guitar. I also like "Brillo Hunt".

2. My Brightest Diamond: Shana Roberts is the frontwoman for this group, and she has a voice like no other. She studied opera, and it shows. She can go from operatic to squealing and rocking out in no time. I love "Magic Rabbit", "Dragonfly", and "Freak Out" (super fun dance around in your underwear song). This band has pretty much changed my life.

3. The Decemberists: I realize it's slightly dorky to love a band that does sea shanties and songs about whales. But almost all of their songs are stories. And they're amazing live. Colin's voice is amazing, and they feature quirky little things like accordians. Besides, who doesn't love a band where one of the members will do an a capella version of Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" whilst climbing over fallen drums and splayed out guitars after playing a two hour show? I love "Red Right Ankle", "Sons and Daughters", "And Here I Dreamt I Was an Architecht", "Yankee Bayonet", "California One Youth and Beauty Brigade". Hell, pick up any album, and the songs are great.

4. Mark Kozelek: Lead singer of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters. If you like sad, slow, autumnal music, you'll like him. "Metropol 47" and "Love at First Feel" are my favorites. Also, "Ocean Breathes Salty" by Sun Kil Moon is fantastic.

5. Mark Lanegan: Former front man of Screaming Trees and QOTSA member, his solo stuff is really amazing. The album "Bubblegum" in particular... it features PJ Harvey on a couple of songs. It's slow, sexy, and he has one of those whiskey and cigarettes voices. My favorite songs are "Methamphetamine Blues," "100 Days" and "Some Strange Religion". The whole album reminds me of frosty November mornings. Because I'm an emo dork.

6. Interpol: Call me a pretentious indie hipster, but they're great. Their music is the kind of music that makes you stand on your bed in your underwear with a hairbrush as a microphone and pretend you're a rockstar. Or maybe that's just me. Their music is smart and, well, hip. If you really want to rock out in your skivvies, "Cmere" and "NARC" are good songs for that.

7. Mike Doughty: The former frontman of Soul Coughing, this guy writes lyrics that you'd want a guy to write for you. His lyrics insinuate that he appreciates the quirky/simple/less-noticed things in life. Every album is golden, but "Haughty Melodic" had to grow on me a little. My favorite songs are "Tremendous Brunettes", "Sunken-Eyed Girl", "Unsingable Name", "Down on the River by the Sugar Plant", "40 Grand in the Hole". Hell, who am I kidding? It's all good, good stuff.

Leave me a comment about some musicians I might not know about. I love new stuff! :)