I challenged Roadbirns to put together a list of her 100 favourite musical artists. I haven’t seen her list yet, but you’ll find mine below. Keep in mind they’re not necessarily what I would argue as for as objective “bests.” They’re just music makers whose work I have personally–and recently–enjoyed. (Selections in bold denote particular favourites. Italicized genres are courtesy of Wikipedia.)
A
- A Tribe Called Quest [hip-hop/alternative rap]
- Air [trip hop/downtempo/indietronica/pop]
- Antony and the Johnsons [chamber pop/dark cabaret]
- Aphrodite [jungle/drum and bass]
- Architecture in Helsinki [avant guard/indie pop]
- Asylum Street Spankers [swing/jazz/dirty blues]
- Au Revoire Simone [indie pop]
B
- Beastie Boys [hip hop/rock/rapcore]
- Belle & Sebastian [indie pop/jangle pop/baroque pop]
- Blue States [electronica/dream pop]
- Boards of Canada [idm/ambient/downtempo]
- Brian Jonestown Massacre [psychedelic rock]
- Bright Eyes [indie rock/folk rock]
- Broken Social Scene [indie rock/baroque pop/experimental/shoegazing]
C
- John Cage [avant-garde/chance/experimental]
- Calexico [rock/indie rock/alt-country]
- Nick Cave [rock]
- Leonard Cohen [folk/singer-songwriter]
- Cranes [alternative rock/dream pop/gothic rock]
D
- The Decemberists [indie rock/indie pop/progressive folk]
- Devo [art punk/post-punk/new wave/synthpop]
- DJ Qbert [turntablism]
- DJ Shadow [hip hop/turntablism/trip hop/hyphy]
- Nick Drake [folk]
E
F
- The Fall [rock/post-punk]
- Feist [pop rock]
- The Flaming Lips [alternative rock/psychedelic rock/space rock/art rock]
- Flying Saucer Attack [experimental/pastoral drone]
- Fountains of Wayne [power pop/alternative rock]
- Freezepop [synthpop/new wave]
G
H
J
K
- Gershon Kingsley [synth]
- Kid Koala [turntablism]
- Konono N°1 [world music]
- Mark Kozelek [slowcore/indie rock/dream pop/singer-songwriter]
L
M
- Manu Chao [fusion]
- mc chris [nerdcore hip hop]
- MC Frontalot [nerdcore hip hop]
- MC Paul Barman [nerdcore hip hop]
- The MC5 [protopunk/hard rock/garage rock]
- Metric [indie rock/indie pop/new wave]
- Midlake [progressive rock]
- Modest Mouse [alternative rock/indie rock]
- Mogwai [post-rock/space rock]
- Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi [world music]
- Muddy Waters [blues]
N
- Joanna Newsom [harp/piano/harpsichord]
- Neutral Milk Hotel [indie rock/indie pop]
- The Notwist [indie rock/indietronica]
O
- On No! Oh My! [indie rock/art pop]
P
- Phish [jam/rock/jazz fusion/progressive rock]
- Pinback [indie rock]
- The Polyphonic Spree [choral symphonic rock]
- The Postal Service [indie electronic/indie pop/idm]
R
S
- Sigur Ros [post-rock/ambient]
- Elliot Smith [indie rock/acoustic rock/baroque pop]
- Spoon [indie rock]
- The Streets [electronica/garage/hip hop]
- String Cheese Incident [progressive bluegrass/country/psychedelic rock/jam]
- Sufjan Stevens [folk/indie rock/experimental]
T
- Talking Heads [new wave/post-punk/art punk]
- They Might Be Giants [alternative rock/college rock/geek rock/children's music]
- Tom Waits [experimental/rock/blues/jazz/folk]
- TV on the Radio [experimental rock/indie rock]
W
Y
Miscellaneous
Whom did I miss? Who shouldn’t have made the cut? If I enjoy all of the above, whom else should I check out?
8 Comments
March 21, 2007 at 23:06
I am intrigued at how many of these coincide with my own musical tastes.
You should check out Massive Attack, 65daysofstatic and The Fugitives.
March 22, 2007 at 06:41
I can’t claim to have as nearly good taste as our host, but here’s who’s on my iPod:
Magneta Lane
She Wants Revenge
Laziest Men on Mars
13th Floor Elevators
Black Rain
The Pogues
Misfits
Devo
Slim Gaillard
Cab Calloway
Talking Heads
The Cardigans
Tom Jones
The Cramps
Sex Pistols
Metric
Fiona Apple
Johnny Cash
Toby Kieth
Liam Lynch
POE
BoA
Leonard Cohen
Splendora
Thursday
The Hissyfits
Ivy
Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys
Peter, Bjorn and John
Queef
Shmorky
The Postmarks
Rolling Stones
The Doors
David Bowie
Queen
The Who
March 22, 2007 at 17:02
I didn’t see the challenge!! Why not??? I check your page frequently and I’ve missed it completely. This, my friend, is RIGHT up my alley. I’m up for the challenge, except I may not put my artists in alphabetical order. I would prefer to reorganize the alphabet entirely.
By the way I want to make a movie. Funny you should mention it. I think I will in the coming weeks. Or maybe not. I don’t know where to begin…hmmm…..
I’ll get back to you on both fronts, right now I have to go finish putting my photo exhibit of dogs in wheelchairs together for my own website.
Speak soon!
Rachxx
March 22, 2007 at 20:56
Sorry for taking so long!!!
Here’s my list, in no particular order. It took about 10 minutes, and I had to leave some music-makers off…. I like so many artists it’s insane. I’ve not checked for repeats, by the way.
Here ya go:
Chad challenged me to list my 100 top bands/ solo artists/ music-makers.
EASY. Here you go, in no particular order:
1. Lyrics Born
2. Prince
3. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
4. Malajube
5. JJ Cale
6. Captain Beefheart
7. Buck 65
8. Amy Winehouse
9. Bonnie Raitt
10. Corb Lund
11. Aretha Franklin
12. Pinback
13. Nikka Costa
14. Feist
15. Beatles
16. Van Morrison
17. Ry Cooder
18. Eric Clapton
19. Franz Ferdinand
20. Blackalicious
21. Lady Sovereign
22. Robert Randolph
23. Gomez
24. Mr. Something Something
25. Moses Mayes
26. Muddy Waters
27. Howlin’ Wolf
28. Jurassic 5
29. Tom Waits
30. Ben Harper
31. Michael Franti
32. Morningwood
33. Shelby Lynne
33. Lateef the Chief
34. Sam Roberts
35. Modest Mouse
36. Nick Drake
37. Pocket Dwellers
38. Tribe Called Quest
39. Primal Scream
40. Red Hot Chili Peppers
41. Stevie Wonder
42. Serena Ryder
43. K’Naan
44. Sweatshop Union
45. Joe Cocker
50. Public Enemy
51. Peter Gabriel
52. Stevie Ray Vaughn
53. Sly and the Family Stone
54. Tower of Power
55. Reverend Horton Heat
56. Sufjan Stevens
57. Beck
58. The Zutons
59. The Meters
60. Shuggie Otis
61. Badly Drawn Boy
62. Marvin Gaye
63. John Mayer
64. Lemonjelly
65. Los Lobos
66. Taj Mahal
67. Keb Mo
68. James Taylor
69. Elvis
70. Sublime
71. James Brown
72. Jamiroquai
73. Moloko
74. Ray Lamontagne
75. Tribe Called Quest
76. White Stripes
77. Anita O’Day
78. Talking Heads
79. The Clash
80. The Killers
81. Manic Street Preachers
82. Basement Jaxx
83. Willie Nelson
84. The Stars
85. Brian Setzer
86. Ani Difranco
87. Lucinda Williams
88. Marc Jordan
89. Rickie Lee Jones
90. Rufus Wainright
91. Bob Marley
92. Arrested Development
93. Joni Mitchell
94. Beastie Boys
95. Digable Planets
96. The Streets
97. Jack Johnson
98. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
99. The Coup
100. Midlake!!
March 25, 2007 at 15:54
I don’t have time to reply with a hundred-long list of my own (being at work and all), but I will shame you for leaving Viper Pilot off your list:
http://users.tpg.com.au/static11/
Not counting a couple of postings to mashup forums, this is technically the press statement announcing Viper Pilot’s first release. Feel loved, young Chadwick. It happened HERE.
-Viper Pilot
March 26, 2007 at 19:14
Hey! There are errors on my list. 46-49 are missing, and there are two 33’s. Woops.
Do you love William Shatner???? I LOVE William Shatner!
That’s all I have to say today.
March 30, 2007 at 11:03
Kirk: I’d known Massive Attack, but thanks for the other suggestions.
Jusius: I certainly don’t claim to have good taste of any sort (as a fellow Goon, you can understand), but I would definitely agree with a lot of your picks, especially Takeshi Terauchi.
Roadbirns: That is some epic diversity. I couldn’t even bring 100 to the table with confidence, yet I somehow reckoned you’d be restrained by only a hunnerd.
March 30, 2007 at 20:30
Please see this post for more information on Viper Pilot.