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Reply #120 posted 04/14/07 1:32pm

DreamyPopRoyal
ty

avatar

tznekbsbfrvr said:

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

The first time I really took music seriously was when the Backstreet boys came out.
I was in my pre-teens years at the time.

From BSB & *NSYNC, I got absorbed in the little known boyband Dream Street for about a year... they broke up at the end of that year... and I've since had trouble finding an artist to really get into the same way.
Everyone either stuck around for one album, or their later albums I couldn't get into.

Jesse McCartney, now the most famous of the former-DreamStreet members, had been my focal point for the past 5 years, following his career and such.

Then I discovered Prince... and everything changed 4ever... the rest is history still in the making.


yes i knew it!!! when i read the "pop" in ure username i knew it! yes!!!


There's an interesting story behind my u/n... well, kinda.

My original idea was "Slave4PrinceByChoice"... somewhere along those lines, the site wouldn't let me use the word "slave", haha.
At the time, I did like to think of myself as a slave 2 him, but I choose this path myself.

The guy is Dreamy... no doubt about it.
And people tend 2 refer to him like he's pop royalty because he's been there and done pretty much everything and is highly respected in the industry 4 it. And I certainly do have a lot of respect 4 him and when he performs, he casts a spell on me and tends to bring me to my knees, my mouth agape in amazement.

So there you go: DreamyPopRoyalty

I always thought his music (some of it) was pop and I like to call 'pop/rock' my favorite genre in music.
had 2 run away... pride was 2 strong. It started raining, baby, the birds were gone
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Reply #121 posted 04/14/07 2:44pm

EAL

Dio

Black Sabbath

KISS

W.A.S.P

Yoko Ono

The Grates

Van Halen (Dave version)

Judas Priest

Iron Maiden

Motorhead
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Reply #122 posted 04/14/07 6:10pm

Aerogram

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Easy!

All the soul/RnB/funk greats such as James Brown
Aretha, Otis, Pickett, Marvin, Stevie, Sly, O'Jays. Cameo, etc. I like to listen to classic rap from the eighties once in a while but won't touch what's around today.

A lot of the classic rock acts (all the essential stuff from the Beatles to the Stones, Velvet Underground, Hendrix, The Doors, Pink Floyd, etc.), the Clash, REM, U2, etc. Eighties English bands such as New Order, The Cure, Love and Rockets... stuff like Bjork, the Chemical Brothers and the White Stripes. Today's rock sounds especially crap to me, especially when bands try to look all
strange, anguished and rebellious in their videos.

I'm aware I live in the past musically but I really think today's stuff pales in comparison to what has already been recorded and there's only so many hours to explore the vast trove, especially if you add classical music to the the lot. I really regret I don't know jazz and early country more.
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Reply #123 posted 04/14/07 6:57pm

lameless

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Hmm...Prince is really the only artist I listen to on a regular basis. After that, I listen to one or two songs by like 100 different artists, lol. I have songs on my iPod by Diana Ross, David Bowie, John Lennon, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, James Brown, Marc Anthony, Mint Condition, Jodeci, S.O.S Band, and I could go on.

I like different artists for different reasons. Sometimes it's the voice (Marc Anthony, Aretha Franklin), sometimes it's the whole presentation (Michael Jackson, David Bowie), sometimes it's just the music and the way it makes me feel (James Brown).
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Reply #124 posted 04/14/07 7:40pm

Maxx

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EAL said:

Dio

Black Sabbath

KISS

W.A.S.P

Yoko Ono

The Grates

Van Halen (Dave version)

Judas Priest

Iron Maiden

Motorhead

I thought I was the only metalhead around here! Great list Eal!

I'm not sure that I have 10 that I listen to consistantly, but...

- Queen: Mostly their very early stuff. I love how creative they were collectively. Brian May's one of the few guitarists who pulls off being concise and exact in technique while still drinking fully from the fountain of creativity. And Freddie was pretty much as close as we mere mortals will ever get to hearing the voice of God.

- The collected works of epic-rock composer Jim Steinman (which include the first two "Bat Out Of Hell" albums and a string of hits by the likes of Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Celine Dion, and many others): Although I love Queen, nobody on earth does over-the-top, bombastic epic rock like Jim Steinman. Many have tried - all have failed.

- Buddy Guy: Blues master. Period. His guitar playing is just plain gut-wrenching. And his live shows have always been among the most enjoyable concerts I've ever seen.

- Deftones: I'm really not much into the newer metal, but these guys are as good as it gets today. Easily the most creative thing to come from the new era of metal.

- Extreme: Yep. One of those hair bands that everybody loves to hate nowadays. But I loved their entire catalog (all too short in my opinion). Nuno was pretty much the only guitar "god" from that era who was actually rythmic. His riffs were probably what motovated me to play guitar the most. And with their fourth album ("Waiting For The Punchline") I became a big fan of Gary Cherones lyrics and vocal style (sorry Eal - I thought VHIII was fantastic, although poorly produced).

- Faster Pussycat: Go ahead. Laugh it up. I really don't mind. I'll never claim that they were "good". And I'll never try to argue that they were under-rated. But I love all three of their studio albums, and I listen to them all the time. Call it a guilty pleasure!

And how could I forget...

- `Till Hell...: I've been in a handfull of bands throughout the years, but this one was my favorite! It was the only band I was ever in that wasn't out to impress anybody. And we accomplished that goal admirably!

I could probably squeeze a few more in. But I'm tired of typing...
[Edited 4/14/07 19:46pm]
"You've got a million dollar smile, but you can't buy time...
When you're running away, and you're a step behind..."

~Maxx
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Reply #125 posted 04/14/07 8:10pm

questionofu

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Coldplay ...
The only LOVE there is, IS the LOVE WE MAKE ~ Prince
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Reply #126 posted 04/14/07 9:21pm

Snap

okay, i'll answer this one since i rarely make it over to these part of the org

basically...

1. local bands!! -live
2. visiting bands
3. unsigned acts
4. indie artists
5. anything new / unique
6. alternative rock / pop-punk
7. various electronica
8. various jazz
9. prince-influenced artists
10. "jesus freak" music from the '70s

admittedly, a lot of overlap
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Reply #127 posted 04/15/07 12:16am

NDRU

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Not all time top ten, but right now I'm listening to:

John Lennon/The Beatles, Harrison's "Living in the Material" World, even "Ringo" has been spun lately. They're my all time favorites.

Donnie Hathaway--I just discovered him. Amazing talent.

The Kinks--I recently discovered that they weren't just garage rockers but really thoughtful songwriters.

Bob Marley--As big as he is I think he's underrated. I've been covering some of his stuff and it was a good excuse to listen to some.

Elvis Costello--I recently have been getting into him again, especially the reissues. Clever, not always truly inspired, but always well crafted.

Jimi Hendrix--always playing. Even if he never played a guitar solo he'd be one of the greatest

P-Funk--always playing. They're like another form of classical music.

!!!--A recent discovery, fun, upbeat, reminds me of the Clash doing dance music.

Sublime--another rediscovery after several years. A sad talent that was never fully realized. So inspired, he was overflowing with ideas. They weren't all refined, though.

The Replacements--once again, rediscovered. Incredible. thoughtful, sensitive songwriting sometimes masked by a tough stance.
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Reply #128 posted 04/15/07 12:59am

jtfolden

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Most of the spots on this list change from month to month while others stick around forever. This is just off the top of my head, people I've been playing in the last few weeks. It's too late to give reasons for them all but maybe I'll come back and edit them in later:

Joni Mitchell - The one constant, she stands above everybody else and I never tire of her. I think her lyrics are completely unmatched and she's managed to put together some of the most amazing albums I've ever heard.

The other 10:
Rufus Wainwright
Billie Holiday
Robert Palmer
Loreena McKennitt
Scissor Sisters
Olivia Newton-John
Robbie Williams
Enya
JC Chasez
Madonna
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Reply #129 posted 04/15/07 10:19am

thekidsgirl

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I love lots of people other than Prince (just to lesser degrees) smile

Micheal Jackson
Janet Jackson
Incubus
Sade
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
No Doubt
Madonna
Garbage
Shakira
Erykah Badu
Lenny Kravitz
Kudu
Utada Hikaru
Ella Fitzgerald

and the list goes on.....
If you will, so will I
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Reply #130 posted 04/15/07 1:02pm

Tremolina

I regularly listen to Paco de Lucia, because he is one of the best flamenco guitarist around, Nina Simone because she had the greatest voice and so much emotion, Miles Davis because his music is so cool, Jimi Hendrix because he was from another planet, Santana because I pretend I can play along with him...lol, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Moloko, because they have so much energy and many great songs, Joni Mitchell because she is a genius with a voice from heaven.

I admit that's not 10! smile
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Reply #131 posted 04/15/07 5:23pm

lizlampkin

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1) Mint Condition - they are very enlightened talented brothas who can rock, funk and jam! "So Fine!" - FROM THE MINT FACTORY

2) Depheche Mode - (I am pleasantly surprised with the number of people who dig them) I didn't get on board until I heard "Strange Love" for the first time on the radio...I was mesmerized. I went backward and collected everything I could and stayed current from then on. Dave Gahan is sex-ay! It's about the music tho'. wink "I Just Can't Get Enough." - SPEAK & SPELL

3) Cameo - they are my idea of funk! They don't care if you don't love them like you say because they're gonna "Love You Anyway." - SHE'S STRANGE

4) Nirvana - Kurt Cobain could have ruled the world if he stayed with us. I realized that when I was at a homecoming fashion show at (my alma mater) Clark Atlanta University (a Historically Black University), and the opening cords from "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (NEVERMIND) came on and 500 African American students got in a frenzy rocking out and "hi-fiving" so hard that no body remembered that there were models on stage. (Especially me).

5) Sade - it's Sade. "Love is Stronger Than Pride." - STRONGER THAN PRIDE

6) New Edition - From the moment I heard "Candy Girl" (CANDY GIRL), I was in love. Ronnie was my favorite. I wasn't sure about Johnny, but ended up "rubbing me the right way." lol

7) Phil Collins - "That's All" - GENESIS. I know that's a Genesis album and not a Phil Collins album, but "I Don't Care Anymore." - HELLO, I MUST BE GOING.

8) A Tribe Called Quest - "WHAT?" Where do I begin? I'm "Buggin Out" about the "Vibes and Stuff" because you don't have to "Check the Rhime," they've got the "Jazz"...you know the "Scenario." - all from "THE LOW END THEORY" Trust me, I could have gone on and on. I'm corny that way.

9) Robin Thicke - I wanted to put a relatively new kid in there (every one else on my list has been performing since before 1990). "Can U Believe" - THE EVOLUTION OF ROBIN THICKE? This guy has a lot of talent...he could be the male Teena Marie. She gets an honorable mention. "Behind the Groove" - LADY T

10) Isley Brothers - I thought I liked "Shake Your Thang" by Salt N Pepa, "Work to Do" by Vanessa Williams, "At Your Best" by Aaliyah and any song that bit off of "Between the Sheets." I went to an Isley Brothers concert and realized all of those songs were a derivative of their music! Innovators! They knew how to "Go All The Way." - GO ALL THE WAY.
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Reply #132 posted 04/15/07 9:01pm

luv2luvya

avatar

Lately I’ve been listening to:
1)James Brown - My father got me into him & I’ve been hooked ever since

2)The Delphonics - Can we say...Classics! Hey Love...

3)Isley Brothers - They’re a regular on my playlist

4)Cameo - You can’t help but to dance when cameo comes on

5)Lenny Kravitz - Love his style

6)K-Os - Just getting into him...

7)Mary Jane Girls - I could listen to them all day

8)Maxwell - Love him! His music puts me in a good mood & his voice...omg!

9)Jimi Hendrix - Do I really need an explanation here?

10)Sade - Her voice is so damn soothing & sensual

Sorry can’t stop at ten...

***El Debarge, Teena Marie, Force MD’s, Ready for the World
[Edited 4/16/07 17:37pm]
All the other kids would luv2luvya...but you're my little private joy
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Reply #133 posted 04/16/07 12:15am

meow85

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Only ten? Damn, you're not making this easy. In no order:

Backstreet Boys I too have a fondness for BSB, so fuck and you to anyone who deosn't like it. Those Boys were the soundtrack to my middle school years, brought me together with some of my best friends, and introduced me to a lot of things I couldn't imagine myself without now, including the joys of slash, Velvet Goldmine (so, in a roundabout way, Bowie as well) and Prince music. I'll always have a place in my heart for my Boys.

Bowie That man is one of the most intelligent and fascinating rock stars still going. The way he's constantly adapting styles and personae and concepts for whatever fits the trends or his moods is impressive. His lyrics stick in my head for days on end, and have on more than one occasion prompted me to open up an encyclopedia to learn more about the people or concepts or theories he's talking about. Not only does the Dame make some fuckin great tunes, but makes me feel smarter after listening.

The Stones I grew up on Mick and Co. I've got many vivid memories, good and bad, associated with their music. And who doesn't love Keef the Cryptkeeper? And Mick? I'd hit it.

k-Os A lot of popular mainstream rap now is utter shit. Nothing interesting or particularly good about talking about guns and hos and sneakers over a slow beat. Thank God I'm Canadian and get steady exposure to this awesome guy. Lyrically, he's faster than Fiddy and Friends, and sounds like he's actually picked up a book or two in his life. Musically he's all over the place, and I love it. Prince likes the guy too -before the site was shut down he'd featured one of k-Os' vids on it.

Joni Mitchell Because Joni's music is good for the soul. She's the singer-songwriter everybody else wishes they were. She's got an honesty and openness that's rare.

Janis Joplin Janis did not have a pretty voice, but she was such a powerful performer. She made you feel whatever she was singing was all horribly true and happening right now. Her vocals on "Maybe" break my heart every time.

The Beatles Simply amazing. They were one of the rare groups who, in spite of all the infighting, managed to transcend their quasi-boyband (but still excellent!) origins and be taken seriously as musicians. John and George are my heroes.


Three Dog Night Same as the Stones, the music of my childhood.

Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, et al They truly share the title of The Kings of Rock n Roll. Where would popular music be without any of these guys?

T-Rex Unless I missed it, I don't think anyone else has mentioned them yet, and that surprises me somewhat. I'm just starting to get into the group myself, but the more I listen, the more I love.
"A Watcher scoffs at gravity!"
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Reply #134 posted 04/16/07 7:50am

DreamyPopRoyal
ty

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meow85 said:



Backstreet Boys I too have a fondness for BSB, so fuck and you to anyone who deosn't like it. Those Boys were the soundtrack to my middle school years, brought me together with some of my best friends, and introduced me to a lot of things I couldn't imagine myself without now, including the joys of slash, Velvet Goldmine (so, in a roundabout way, Bowie as well) and Prince music. I'll always have a place in my heart for my Boys.


Haha, that's me too. BSB were the first group I really dove into and enjoyed a lot. I don't listen to them so much anymore, but I made a mix of their best (in my opinion) songs so I can listen to them whenver w/o carrying their 5 CD's around. (I own every one released in stores... but wasn't so crazy about their last one)
had 2 run away... pride was 2 strong. It started raining, baby, the birds were gone
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Reply #135 posted 04/16/07 9:34am

thedribbler

Well fuck me! I've always had a dislike for boy-groups and their group dancing always looks very dumb.

Stars like the talentless robbie williams come from that place. People like him embody everything I hate about the record industry.
They make the pop charts pointless and impossible to listen to.
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Reply #136 posted 04/16/07 9:58am

shockadelicaa

avatar

-Love
-Jefferson Airplane
-Led Zeppelin
-David Bowie
-Rolling Stones
-Michael Jackson
-Bob Dylan
-Van Hunt
-(Parliament) Funkadelic
-Arlo Guthrie

and no specific reason...i just listen to whatever makes me feel happy
[Edited 4/16/07 9:59am]
"You could say I'm a terminal case/You could burn up my clothes/Smash up my ride...well, maybe not the ride"
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Reply #137 posted 04/16/07 11:47am

SOMEBODYSSOMEB
ODY

theAudience said:[quote]Not counting Prince or any Associated Artists, name 10 other musical acts that you listen to on a regular basis and why.


I'm genuinely curious about this.

I picked people I am listening to now or If enjoy most of there Music.


Pink - her voice
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - I like the Funk
EWF - need I say more
Elvis Presley - He can make any song sound good.
Madonna - Her songs
Sade - I need her mellowness sometimes
Charlie Wilson and Lionel Riches last albumes- All songs are great on these records
Lenny Kravitz
MJ
Beatles
Eminem
Steve Silk Hurley -Gotta love the house

OK, so I have more then 10.

LL Cool J _ I like his flow
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Reply #138 posted 04/16/07 12:33pm

dag

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Mike Jackson - the voice and melodies
Prince - the funk
James Brown - the funk
Monkey Business - (the funk) czech funky band
Sade - voice, melodies, funk
"When Michael Jackson is just singing and dancing, you just think this is an astonishing talent. And he has had this astounding talent all his life, but we want him to be floored as well. We really don´t like the idea that he could have it all."
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Reply #139 posted 04/16/07 4:59pm

Moonbeam

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Here goes nothing:

1. Björk- Of everyone that I listen to, she seems to have the purest approach and intentions. Her ability to evoke a multitude of different emotions, just from the intonation of a word, blows my mind. She continually challenges herself and her audience and she truly seems like more of a conduit for true art than someone with an agenda. Her videos are always a spectacle to behold and the journey she has taken me on over the past 12 years has not once been predictable.

2. The Cure- My favorite band. They got me through many lonely hours of angst as a pre-teen and teenager, but their emotional palate extends well beyond the infamous melancholy. Yes, the lyrics are often very self-centered, but the isolation, desperation, ecstasy, bewilderment and remorse that drives them are so innately human that their music sounds universal. I love that the breadth of their emotional and music scope is limitless. The colorful space that their music inhabits makes me beam, and their epic sound and melodic bass have made them the most influential artist to me in terms of the music that I myself have composed.

3. Eurythmics/Annie Lennox- Annie is my musical hero. Such a dichotomy of defiant strength and startling vulnerability has gotten me through many tough times. The early Eurythmics records are filled with songs that seem to come straight out of my soul, as if I was born with them already in my mind. I can't think of any music that sounds more naturally home to me. Their fearless experimentation and creative artistry keep me wanting more. Annie Lennox always sounds like her life depends on her performance when I hear her, and she convinces me every time.

4. Janet Jackson- my first childhood crush. I fell for her in her Rhythm Nation period, and her songs in large part paved the way for me to explore music. However, unlike many other "pop" acts, her music has stayed relevant to me. I remember a few years ago, I popped All for You in after having listened to more "serious" music for months at a time, and the exuberance just jumped out of the speakers. It certainly felt like an epiphany that the world needs uplifting, catchy pop songs just as much as it needs more contemplative, sink-your-teeth-into songs. I made a compilation of many of her slow songs a few years ago, and I used to fall asleep to it every night. There is just an inexplicable comfort in her music that comes from having been a reassuring and uplifting presence in my life since I was a child.

5. Madonna- my Michigan sister! Madonna's music is so ingrained in everyone's psyche that it is almost unfathomable to think of a world where it has never been around. She has always been a factor, pushing this or that envelope, embracing or creating this or that trend. But to me, Madonna has always come across as an older sister figure that I never had. I swear I feel like the kid in the "Open Your Heart" video, gallivanting around with her through the streets. Maybe it’s from growing up in Michigan. Her charisma and bravado appeal to me greatly, and strangely, her music comforts me, like its omnipresence is a sign that everything is OK.

6. Blondie- I’ve always had a thing about frontwomen with mojo, and Deborah Harry embodies that concept better than anyone I can envision. Yes, she coyly coos and flirts her sexuality, and yes she is an unbelievably gorgeous sight to behold, but she also brings an intelligence and a sophisticated recklessness to her songs that I adore. Plus, she simply oozes cool. The band’s trepidation never cramped the music, in my opinion, and the fact that every musical style that I love is within their grasp makes it so that I’m always in the mood for something Blondie. Also, “War Child” has a primal chant at the end that never fails to give me chills.

7. David Bowie- My appreciation of David Bowie’s music did not come nearly as naturally as that of the others on this list. At first, I only liked Earthling and a few of his 80s songs. Frankly, his Ziggy persona and outlandish appearance freaked me out. Plus, his vocal craziness didn’t instantly connect with me like Prince’s did. However, the genius slowly sunk its teeth in and hasn’t let go. Bit by bit and era by era, I grew to love his music, and it proved a gateway to other seminal artists for me. If I hadn’t cracked his early 70s material, I may never have been open to contemporaries that I now adore such as Roxy Music and The Velvet Underground. Like Annie Lennox and Björk, Bowie seems to bleed his art. He set an impressive template that few others can compete with, and his infinite vision and evolution are a blessing.

8. Kylie Minogue- After Janet and Madonna seduced with me their pop perfection, there was nothing else that could compete for over a decade. I waded through the 90s without discovering many new artists at all, least of all anyone pop. That all changed in 2002 when the hypnotic pulse of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” instantly grabbed me by the balls and never let go. The unabashed pop stylings of Fever made me seek out her other material, and I was amazed that someone who started out with such awful pop bubblegum could actually evolve and grow into a mature artist. This all was happening as the new org launched, and this thread proved to be one of the first correspondences between my future wife and me. As such, her music has often seemed like a path to the love of my life, and I therefore can’t get enough of it. When Body Language dropped in late ’03 and infused 80s electro-funk into her catalogue, I was a goner for life. Her originally planned concerts in Australia coincided with my first long trip to Australia, and while Tracy and I had to wait 18 months to finally see the shows, it proved to be a true “full circle” moment.

9. New Order- This band is more capable than any other of giving me chills through its music alone. Whether it is the frenetic synth flourish of “Vanishing Point” or just a simple piano progression in “World”, their sound tickles me like no other. The prevalence of the bass guitar as a melodic instrument and the rapid, machine like percussion have set a standard for all others to follow, in my opinion. Also, Barney’s half-floating voice injects the songs with a mystery that draws me in. Like The Cure, they are also capable of an ecstasy few others can touch.

10. Depeche Mode- Synth pop at its finest. Like many others on my list, they could be considered a guilty pleasure, but I have no guilt about being pulled in by the sheer SIZE of their sound (“Never Let Me Down Again”, “Personal Jesus”) and the double-juggernaut of Dave and Martin’s alluring voices. While their sound does not vary as much as that of the other artists on this list, this ensures that I don’t dislike any of their songs, as they all work within a friendly framework in my mind. I find that as a mathematician that electronic music showcases math more visibly than other genres of music, and I can’t think of an artist that exhibits this more than Depeche Mode.
Feel free to join in the Prince Album Poll 2018! Let'a celebrate his legacy by counting down the most beloved Prince albums, as decided by you!
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Reply #140 posted 04/16/07 5:19pm

GangstaFam

Moonbeam said:

Here goes nothing:

1. Björk- Of everyone that I listen to, she seems to have the purest approach and intentions. Her ability to evoke a multitude of different emotions, just from the intonation of a word, blows my mind. She continually challenges herself and her audience and she truly seems like more of a conduit for true art than someone with an agenda. Her videos are always a spectacle to behold and the journey she has taken me on over the past 12 years has not once been predictable.

2. The Cure- My favorite band. They got me through many lonely hours of angst as a pre-teen and teenager, but their emotional palate extends well beyond the infamous melancholy. Yes, the lyrics are often very self-centered, but the isolation, desperation, ecstasy, bewilderment and remorse that drives them are so innately human that their music sounds universal. I love that the breadth of their emotional and music scope is limitless. The colorful space that their music inhabits makes me beam, and their epic sound and melodic bass have made them the most influential artist to me in terms of the music that I myself have composed.

3. Eurythmics/Annie Lennox- Annie is my musical hero. Such a dichotomy of defiant strength and startling vulnerability has gotten me through many tough times. The early Eurythmics records are filled with songs that seem to come straight out of my soul, as if I was born with them already in my mind. I can't think of any music that sounds more naturally home to me. Their fearless experimentation and creative artistry keep me wanting more. Annie Lennox always sounds like her life depends on her performance when I hear her, and she convinces me every time.

4. Janet Jackson- my first childhood crush. I fell for her in her Rhythm Nation period, and her songs in large part paved the way for me to explore music. However, unlike many other "pop" acts, her music has stayed relevant to me. I remember a few years ago, I popped All for You in after having listened to more "serious" music for months at a time, and the exuberance just jumped out of the speakers. It certainly felt like an epiphany that the world needs uplifting, catchy pop songs just as much as it needs more contemplative, sink-your-teeth-into songs. I made a compilation of many of her slow songs a few years ago, and I used to fall asleep to it every night. There is just an inexplicable comfort in her music that comes from having been a reassuring and uplifting presence in my life since I was a child.

5. Madonna- my Michigan sister! Madonna's music is so ingrained in everyone's psyche that it is almost unfathomable to think of a world where it has never been around. She has always been a factor, pushing this or that envelope, embracing or creating this or that trend. But to me, Madonna has always come across as an older sister figure that I never had. I swear I feel like the kid in the "Open Your Heart" video, gallivanting around with her through the streets. Maybe it’s from growing up in Michigan. Her charisma and bravado appeal to me greatly, and strangely, her music comforts me, like its omnipresence is a sign that everything is OK.

6. Blondie- I’ve always had a thing about frontwomen with mojo, and Deborah Harry embodies that concept better than anyone I can envision. Yes, she coyly coos and flirts her sexuality, and yes she is an unbelievably gorgeous sight to behold, but she also brings an intelligence and a sophisticated recklessness to her songs that I adore. Plus, she simply oozes cool. The band’s trepidation never cramped the music, in my opinion, and the fact that every musical style that I love is within their grasp makes it so that I’m always in the mood for something Blondie. Also, “War Child” has a primal chant at the end that never fails to give me chills.

7. David Bowie- My appreciation of David Bowie’s music did not come nearly as naturally as that of the others on this list. At first, I only liked Earthling and a few of his 80s songs. Frankly, his Ziggy persona and outlandish appearance freaked me out. Plus, his vocal craziness didn’t instantly connect with me like Prince’s did. However, the genius slowly sunk its teeth in and hasn’t let go. Bit by bit and era by era, I grew to love his music, and it proved a gateway to other seminal artists for me. If I hadn’t cracked his early 70s material, I may never have been open to contemporaries that I now adore such as Roxy Music and The Velvet Underground. Like Annie Lennox and Björk, Bowie seems to bleed his art. He set an impressive template that few others can compete with, and his infinite vision and evolution are a blessing.

8. Kylie Minogue- After Janet and Madonna seduced with me their pop perfection, there was nothing else that could compete for over a decade. I waded through the 90s without discovering many new artists at all, least of all anyone pop. That all changed in 2002 when the hypnotic pulse of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” instantly grabbed me by the balls and never let go. The unabashed pop stylings of Fever made me seek out her other material, and I was amazed that someone who started out with such awful pop bubblegum could actually evolve and grow into a mature artist. This all was happening as the new org launched, and this thread proved to be one of the first correspondences between my future wife and me. As such, her music has often seemed like a path to the love of my life, and I therefore can’t get enough of it. When Body Language dropped in late ’03 and infused 80s electro-funk into her catalogue, I was a goner for life. Her originally planned concerts in Australia coincided with my first long trip to Australia, and while Tracy and I had to wait 18 months to finally see the shows, it proved to be a true “full circle” moment.

9. New Order- This band is more capable than any other of giving me chills through its music alone. Whether it is the frenetic synth flourish of “Vanishing Point” or just a simple piano progression in “World”, their sound tickles me like no other. The prevalence of the bass guitar as a melodic instrument and the rapid, machine like percussion have set a standard for all others to follow, in my opinion. Also, Barney’s half-floating voice injects the songs with a mystery that draws me in. Like The Cure, they are also capable of an ecstasy few others can touch.

10. Depeche Mode- Synth pop at its finest. Like many others on my list, they could be considered a guilty pleasure, but I have no guilt about being pulled in by the sheer SIZE of their sound (“Never Let Me Down Again”, “Personal Jesus”) and the double-juggernaut of Dave and Martin’s alluring voices. While their sound does not vary as much as that of the other artists on this list, this ensures that I don’t dislike any of their songs, as they all work within a friendly framework in my mind. I find that as a mathematician that electronic music showcases math more visibly than other genres of music, and I can’t think of an artist that exhibits this more than Depeche Mode.

cool list. cool
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Reply #141 posted 04/16/07 9:30pm

ladygirl99

How about my fav ten genres since I don't have ten particular favorite artists really I like many artists equally but differently

Funk
Hip Hop 1978-99
80s Heavy Metal
70s & 80s disco
Smooth Jazz
80s and 90s Pop
60s rock
60s soul
80s electro
90s dance/club
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Reply #142 posted 04/17/07 12:19am

meow85

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DreamyPopRoyalty said:

meow85 said:



Backstreet Boys I too have a fondness for BSB, so fuck and you to anyone who deosn't like it. Those Boys were the soundtrack to my middle school years, brought me together with some of my best friends, and introduced me to a lot of things I couldn't imagine myself without now, including the joys of slash, Velvet Goldmine (so, in a roundabout way, Bowie as well) and Prince music. I'll always have a place in my heart for my Boys.


Haha, that's me too. BSB were the first group I really dove into and enjoyed a lot. I don't listen to them so much anymore, but I made a mix of their best (in my opinion) songs so I can listen to them whenver w/o carrying their 5 CD's around. (I own every one released in stores... but wasn't so crazy about their last one)


I've done the same thing with the mix CD idea. Sadly, it's damn embarassing to be caught with BSB anything on one's person, so mine's not labelled. I'm sad, I know. lol

Seen them twice live too. One the last tour they came through my town, so some fellow old-skool Backstreet fans and I went together. It was....unexpectedly homoerotic, even for them. God love 'em. heart
"A Watcher scoffs at gravity!"
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Reply #143 posted 04/17/07 12:19am

meow85

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thedribbler said:

Well fuck me! I've always had a dislike for boy-groups and their group dancing always looks very dumb.

Stars like the talentless robbie williams come from that place. People like him embody everything I hate about the record industry.
They make the pop charts pointless and impossible to listen to.

Oh you stay out of this. razz
"A Watcher scoffs at gravity!"
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Reply #144 posted 04/17/07 5:58am

thedribbler

meow85 said:

thedribbler said:

Well fuck me! I've always had a dislike for boy-groups and their group dancing always looks very dumb.

Stars like the talentless robbie williams come from that place. People like him embody everything I hate about the record industry.
They make the pop charts pointless and impossible to listen to.

Oh you stay out of this. razz

Where r your manners, young man?
Boysgroups are a bunch of talentless, over-payed, sexless callboys!
[Edited 4/17/07 6:40am]
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Reply #145 posted 04/17/07 6:30am

roodboi

1. Sublime
2. The Cult
3. Willie Nelson
4. Alexander O'Neal
5. Sade
6. Bob Marley
7. George Strait
8. The Smiths
9. The Killers
10. Gene Loves Jezebel
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Reply #146 posted 04/17/07 8:23am

theodore

thedribbler said:

meow85 said:


Oh you stay out of this. razz

Where r your manners, young man?
Boysgroups are a bunch of talentless, over-payed, sexless callboys!
[Edited 4/17/07 6:40am]


omg... if U don't like them don't listen 2 them...
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Reply #147 posted 04/17/07 8:55am

thebunny

Marilyn Manson
Nine Inch Nails
Harry Connick Jr.
John Legend
Matthew Sweet & Suzanna Hoffs (Under the Covers: Vol. 1)
Sting
The Cure
John Mellancamp, Cougar, Mellancougar, Cougarcamp, etc.
Audioslave
Chris Cornell
Men at Work
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Reply #148 posted 04/17/07 9:25am

RumAndRaisin

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1.El Presidente: their just awsome. i really recomend you all listen to them, they say prince is their influence:

www.elpresidentemusic.com

2.T.Rex

3.Daft Punk

4.The Darkness

5.Jamiroquai

6.Queen

7.Michael Jackson

8.Kaiser Chiefs

9.Beatles

10.Adam Ant
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Reply #149 posted 04/17/07 3:39pm

alhiyh

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Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Stevie Wonder

Jack Johnson

John Butler Trio

Mofro

Citizen Cope

Keller Williams


That covers the tops!! Great question!!!
Don't be shy, this won't hurt a bit
Unless of course U don't believe in it
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