I've been dead the last couple of days, sorry. I'm lazy so I'm just going to repost something I cooked up back in 2004 for a blog I used to write for. It's a top five favorite bands thing. I don't think that the bands and/or the order would necessarily be the same today, but it's still interesting.

I'll stop being lazy and have something original to post after the weekend.

Here you go:
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1) Antioch Arrow
This band sounded like snotty punk rock to an extent. Then they sounded like a run-of-the-mill spazz "spock-rock" band but with a singer who sounded like he never really had control of his voice or what he was saying. Then they went goth and made easily the best album to ever be recorded, "Gems Of Masochism." It took me two long years to actually get a real copy of my favorite album. Luckily it was rereleased last year so everyone can get a copy easily and without having to wait like I did. Anyway, it always surprises me when a band can play more than one style effectively; these guys did three perfectly, I think. "Somba" on their album "In Love With Jetts" is my favorite song ever; great keyboards, spazzy like a mug with odd lyrics about talking to the devil, racecars, and going bump in the night. These guys are my favorite band lyrically, they seemingly make no sense until you think for a second and dig deeper into them. Not to mention the singer stutters, lisps, stops at odd times, breathes into the mic and other such tactics which give the lyrics an even more intense and urgent feel. I say Aaron is the best singer ever. "Gems Of Masochism" STILL amazes me when I listen to it. How much do I like this band? I've always said if I get a tattoo it'll be the drawing on the cover of "In Love With Jetts" or the odd picture on the inside cover of "Gems Of Masochism."

2) Indian Summer
First of all, these guys are a VERY, VERY, VERY close second to Antioch Arrow; if you catch me on the right day, I'll say wholeheartedly that these guys were better than Antioch Arrow. I had a bootleg copy of all their songs long before they FINALLY rereleased all of them offically a year or two ago; lucky for me. But even that discography is ridiculously limited, which blows. EVERYONE needs their songs; everyone. I actually just recently aquired a digital copy of their even harder to find live album (I got it from unixpunx and let me say I used to check unixpunx like once a month for it and never saw it and I just randomly checked for the first time in like a six months-a year a few days ago and there it was!) That album is just over-the-top ridiculous. You can hear the Bessie Smith in the backgroud almost the whole time as well as other members of the band (besides the singer) just whispering shit along with the song if you turn it up enough. Nine songs and one more unknown one on the live album. That's it. Ten songs, one of the two best bands ever, done. God I love this fucking band. I used to say to anyone who'd listen, "I'd kill you if it meant I had a time machine to see Indian Summer just once." I mean fuck that getting back together shit. They captured a moment; it would be ruined by a reunion. Speaking of bad reunions:

3) Moss Icon
They did a reunion in Ohio in 2000 that I almost went to. I didn't go for two reasons, although if I remember correctly I told my girlfriend at the time it was because she couldn't go (I was trying to make her feel better I guess.) But the real reason was I found out it was only two of the orginal members NOT including Tonie Joy; so what the fuck was the point. I hear that performance was terrible. Without the album "Lyburnum" I wouldn't have made a lot of mistakes. I'm not sure what that means, but for some reason, it makes sense to me. Jon Vance's ultra-poetic yet absurdly cryptic lyrics still make no sense at times for me while making all the sense in the universe. I still can't be sure what the song "Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly" (an eleven plus minute song about religion) means, but I think I have a good idea and it suits me ridiculously well. "Gravity" is still the song I listen to when I'm down and I want to feel better and probably always will be. I believe "Memorial" to be the best anti-war song ever. After they broke up they reformed into the more ridiculous Breathing Walker which is about as hippy as I'll get in my musical tastes.

4) The Locust
So here's how I got into The Locust, most people don't know this story. I made a HUGE Ebullition order, like $100-$150 after I got a bunch of money for Christmas. They said on their website at the time that their catalog isn't always accurate and things run out and the more things you want, the more alternates you should list so they wouldn't have to send you a credit slip and you'd still get music. I listed the three inch Locust CD as an alternate. I had NEVER heard the band at the time; all I knew was that it was members of Swing Kids. I LOVED Swing Kids at the time so I figured I'd list this as an alternate. I got the Locust CD because something ran out. I put it on and something like twenty minutes and twenty-three songs later The CD was over and I wasn't sure what just happened. I wouldn't be the person I am today without getting that album at that excat time; I'm sure of that. They might be on Anti now (NOTE: I don't think they are under contract with Anti as of now), but I don't care because "Plague Soundscapes" was better than just about any other album in the past two years. Joey Karam might be the best keyboardist on the planet (not just because of the The Locust but for the first Supoena The Past album too.) Great cryptic socially-conscience lyrics, Devo on coke keyboards, one of my favorite drummers and the genius that is Justin Pearson all in one band. Sweet, sweet awesome.

5) My Bloody Valentine
This was the hardest one. Boys Life (just for "Departures And Landfalls"), Mohinder, Le Shok, Page 99, Usurp Synapse, Saetia, and Still Life were all making a ridiculously good case to be number five. But I gotta go with My Bloody Valentine. "Loveless" is easily one of my top five albums. So cloudy and murky with those two beautiful male-female vocals. I still don't know what's going on half the time in that album. It's the hardest to describe album in the history of music I'd be willing to say. Kevin Shields is a genius and he proves it with that record. I wasn't really into them in their earlier stages, but I adore "Isn't Anything" and "Loveless". "No More Sorry" on "Isn't Anything" I've dubbed my scotch song; it just sounds good with Johnny Walker. I don't know what else to say about this band, those two albums (especially "Loveless") are near impossible to describe in terms of sound. You just start sounding like you're contradicting yourself if you try; watch: they're cloudy, catchy, abrasive, comforting, depressing and happy. If they were a place they'd be a murky swamp. You'd be standing in the middle of the dense fog kinda sad that you're in such a yucky place but then kinda happy you're outside because it's such a nice night out and you kinda feel at home with the cherping insects.
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