Bar Talk: Top 10 Favorite Bands of All Time...

As stated by Hock, these bands reflect our personal views. I am guessing that most people are going to disagree with my choices for Top 10 Bands but I am willing to deal with that because I dont like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yep. I am drawing a direct correlation between the kind of music I enjoy and the fact that those sandwiches taste awful to me. That said, I give you my Top 10 Favorite Bands of All Time. Ever.


10-Regina Spektor
Russian-born American singer-songwriter and Pianist. This amazing woman has the talent to make magic out of 4 notes and a solid beat with lyrics that transcend the simplistic rhythm of much of todays music. Her ability to intertwine nonsense with metaphor, gibberish with reality, and crackling notes with extreme high pitch opens doors to my imagination I never knew I could have. I have been lucky enough to see her in concert once and though the crowd was probably 25 strong she gave us everything that any music lover could have hoped for.
Favorite Song: Samson



9-Old 97's
"Alt-Country" band from Dallas, Texas, taking their name from the Johnny Cash song, "Wreck of the Old 97", make their way to this list with inspired songs such as "Bird in a Cage" and "Question". (which is possibly one of my favorite two and a half minutes of music ever.) They rock fairly softly but manage to kick out a few classy riffs, with scratchy vocals and an obvious Texan attitude. Rhett Miller, the band's lead singer, has recently stepped out on his own to record a couple of albums. Though, not as good as when with the band, even these are worth a listen.
Favorite Song: Question



8-Jason Mraz
Singer-songwriter with an amazing ability to cover some of the greatest songs of all time and add just a bit of his own touch, usually producing a better sound than the origional. Much of his music has a bit of twang to it, but the real kicker is his voice. I dont know of too many other singers that have the range that Mraz has, and he proves it every time he belts out "Ave Maria". Saw him live at one of the most awkward concerts of my life, (long story) and once the broad shut up it was fucking amazing. He covered "Tiny Dancer" and rocked it out for about 8 minutes. Beautiful.
Favorite Song: Plane



7-The White Stripes
One of the few amazing things to come from Detroit in a very long time, this dynamic duo is about as amazing as simple rock gets. Everything they do can be summed up with that word, "Simple". What the fuck else are you going to classify these two with? I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of "Icky Thump", especially since 89x played the entire CD on the radio a few weeks ago. I didnt get to listen to the whole thing, but man, what I did hear was amazing. Always a great band to listen to when you want to get pumped up.
Favorite Song: Seven Nation Army



6-The Beatles
What can I say? I'm a total sucker for "Abbey Road". Definitely would have loved to see this band live. In fact, this probably would have made one of my all time favorite memories...but alas, I am way too young to have seen them. The first Beatles song that I listened to was "Yellow Submarine" and that was the moment that I fell in love with these 4 Brit-Pop artists with a penchant for long hair, beards, and occasionally going shoeless.
Favorite Song: Lady Madonna



5-Incubus
Here is a band that has gone through many changes over the years. Initially sounding very garage-punk mixed with DJ beats and scratches, moving toward experimental rock after recording "Science", and finally coming into their own with the amazing album "Make Yourself". Though my personal favorites are "Morning View" and "Crow to the Left of Murder", every CD that these guys record is amazing in its own right. Never sticking to what they know, they are constantly evolving and pushing the limits of themselves. I have yet to see them live, but as long as they dont cancel this concert I'll be seeing them this July.
Favorite Song: Southern Girl



4-Andrew Bird
American musician, songwriter, whistler, and multi-instrumentalist, Andrew Bird is pretty much the fucking shit. This is one of the few people who I listen to without any inclination to analyze the lyrics. Though, the times that I have done so have yielded some pretty interesting results. His music is difficult to describe but I will say that every note seems hand-picked, as if the man has put his entire being into each and every moment of music. Bird's ability to whistle is nothing to balk at, as he can reach higher notes than most violins. Next time he comes to town, which wont be soon, I plan on seeing him tripped out of my mind.
Favorite Song: A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left



3-Jamie Cullum
This English jazz/pop pianist and singer-songwriter won me over with his CD "Twentysomething" and etched his way into my top 3 by playing the most amazing concert that I have ever been to, and probably ever will be part of. Amazing vocals, an incredible talent with the piano, and the ability to take a 3 minute song and turn it into 15 minutes of mind-blowing awesomeness are what make Cullum one of my absolute favorites.
Favorite Song: Nothing I Do



2-Damien Rice
Irish Folk singer and general all-around awesome dude. Rice and his former cohort Lisa Hannigan have put together some of the most moving music of our current generation. Generally acting as an activist through song, the duo also has an incredibly deep grasp on the human spirit. Every track reminds me of a moment in my life, and because of that I have a deep respect for Rice's storytelling ability. When the two sing together, it reminds me of an ocean.
Favorite Song: 9 Crimes



1-Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
An American musician immersed in the deepest recesses of Americana. An affinity for the spiritual, Harper and his band are the my all time favorite. Their ability to jam along with Harper's acid tongue completely funk my soul. Though I have never seen the band in concert myself, the few DVD's that I have seen were absolutely amazing. It would seem that they put on a great concert, and I can only hope that one day I will be part of the crowd.
Favorite Song: The Gospel




Honorable Mentions: Modest Mouse, Green Day, Architecture in Helsinki, Rage Against the Machine