Countdown to 30: My Favorite Album From 2017

 2017

In 2017, I was very wrapped up in work yet again. For this year, I only have one runner-up.

The very young pop-punk rockers The Regrettes released their debut album, Feel Your Feelings Fool! in 2017 when the lead singer/songwriter Lydia Night was just 16. Despite their young ages, the band was able to channel both punk rock and '60s sounds with some riot grrl elements dashed in.  Night has also stated that she fell in love for the first time while writing and recording the album, giving it the emotional power of first love on top of the power it already had. 

Mike Elizondo produced this album and their follow-up. Having seen them live, I feel like Elizondo did a great job of stepping back to let the band shine. 

Topics range from crushes to empowering songs about acceptance of women as they are, including the bits men might be uncomfortable with. "A Living Human Girl" and "Seashore" both relate to female empowerment, individuality, and acceptance of oneself. "Hey Now" is definitely a song for a crush. Some songs are fast and loud like "Hot" and "Juicebox Baby," while "Pale Skin" is a little slower. 

The Regrettes were just getting started on this album, yet it's still one of the best releases of the year. 

Squeeze released The Knowledge in 2017 and it might be one of my favorite albums they've done. On their 2015 album, Cradle to the Grave, the main purpose was to write a soundtrack album. On The Knowledge, they had the opportunity to explore more topics and musical styles. They write about politics, record collectors and nostalgia. 

"Innocence in Paradise" was the album's lead single and the spiritual title track for the album. The arrangement brings to mind Westerns and desolation. The second single was "Patchouli," a song that reminisces about a simpler time. 

"A&E" and "Rough Ride" conquer social topics, with "A&E" calling for a change to the English healthcare system and "Rough Ride" discussing wealth disparity. "The Ones" is also an exploration of the current state-of-affairs, focusing on fake news and wealth disparity once again. "Final Score" is the sad tale of a man coming to terms with the sexual abuse he experienced as a child at the hands of his coach. 

Much lighter topics can be found in "Every Story" and "Albatross," the latter of which is a fun track about an aging record collector.

With my friend Felicia outside of the former 
Nickelodeon Studios in Florida, 2017.

I've been a fan of Squeeze since high school when my mom would play a cassette of Squeeze tracks in the car. Since then, I've seen them a couple of times and even have tickets to see them open for Hall and Oates this Summer. I have also had the good fortune to interview Chris Difford for Rebeat (online music magazine). When The Knowledge came out, I was sent a review copy. 

I love The Knowledge for a number of reasons. I think the melodies are interesting, I love the serious turn the lyrics took. Yolanda Charles provides fresh but fitting basslines. The album also hit me at just the right time in my life. I was listening to it the same time as I was reading John Green's Turtles All the Way Down, which felt like a very personal book that resonated with my life, and I felt that the mood of The Knowledge was very similar. "Patchouli" will always seem like the perfect soundtrack to that book. It's also just one of my favorite songs on the album, along with "Albatross," "Innocence in Paradise" and "Every Story."

It's been four years since Squeeze released an album. I'm sure there will be another one but if not, this would be a good note to go out on.

Let's see that leaderboard!

Join me tomorrow for my favorite album from 2018.

I've Got This Covered: 12 Times My Favorite Artists Covered One Another and How I Wish the Original Group Would Return the Favor

One of the greatest joys in life for me is when two artists I like are fans or collaborators of one another. I even went so far as to schedule a vacation around a show featuring two of my favorite artists from different bands. This Saturday is Record Store Day, and there are two exciting crossovers of artists I enjoy. A release by Elvis Costello will feature a cover of "Someone Else's Heart" (Squeeze) and a record in support of same-sex marriages will feature Ben Gibbard covering The Beatles "And I Love [Him]." So I have decided to compile a list of some of my favorite crossovers, along with some crossovers I wish would/could happen.

1) Oh Boy! - She and Him/Buddy Holly

It's not my favorite cover of all Time, but I do think it's really cool that this duo covered the great Buddy Holly. It was included on a compilation that also featured some of my other favorites including Florence and the Machine and Julian Casablancas. 

In return, I wish Holly could posthumously record a cover of "I've Got Your Number, Son."

 

2) Mr. Blue Sky - Lily Allen/ELO

Ms Allen has a new album coming out in June, but in the meantime, let's look back at a much earlier piece produced by Greg Kurstin. I actually enjoy this cover, I think it brings something different to the table, even though I love the original piece.

I would like to hear ELO's take on "Back to the Start."

If not a cover by Jeff Lynne's ELO, I would at least love to hear what Jeff Lynne would have done with the production in some of Allen's songs, particularly from the It's Not Me, It's You era.

3) Friends of Mine - of Montreal/The Zombies

One of the most underrated Zombies tunes was covered by of Montreal in their earlier days. It's a fairly literal translation, but somehow Kevin Barnes' voice alone changes the song immensely.

An of Montreal cover by The Zombies is more complicated, since the former have always been a fairly avant garde group, but I think something from the early albums or Lousy With Sylvianbriar would work out. I guess I would most like to hear The Zombies perform the Zombie-esque "Old Familiar Way."

4) This Charming Man - Death Cab For Cutie/The Smiths

The Smiths passed the baton of somber lyrics with a catchy tune to Death Cab For Cutie, and I think it's only fair that the latter did an upbeat cover of The Smiths classic. It was a b-side to "The Sound of Settling," but I think Morrissey could put an interesting twist on "Title and Registration."

5) All Day and All of the Night - Kate Nash/The Kinks

Adding a little dash more punk rock to this classic Kinks track, it can't be said that Nash didn't do anything interesting to this song.

I would like to see The Kinks do a cover of "Birds" somehow. 

The song would become a voyerish story song, which Ray Davies happens to be an expert at.

6) Life's What You Make It - Weezer/Talk Talk

While it beats the "It's My Life" cover by Gwen Stefani, I can't exactly give this cover my seal of approval. I still appreciate the love of Talk Talk that had to have led Weezer to cover one of my favorite tracks by the former band.

Figuring out how to reverse this cover process is probably the most difficult on the list. Even at their poppiest, there is no other band like Talk Talk, and as they progressed, they became even further from the mainstream. And Weezer's sound is so loud and guitar-driven that it's hard to imagine Talk Talk covering them. So I suppose the best thing I can think of would be that in this imaginary world, Talk Talk would cover "Keep Fishin,'" but much more slowly.

7) 2000 Miles - KT Tunstall/The Pretenders

One of my favorite Pretenders songs is also one of my favorite Christmas songs. While the Tunstall version isn't that different, it's still gorgeous, and earns an equal place in my Christmas playlist.

I think Chrissie Hynde could make several Tunstall pieces work for her, but I would most like to see her perform the slide-guitar-heavy "Hold On."

8) Helter Skelter - Rooney & Everybody Else/The Beatles

Know of a song you don't fully appreciate until you see it live? While I never actually saw this performance live, I didn't fully appreciate this Beatles song until I saw two of my favorite bands perform it together live (on a Youtube video). 

It's a tough return cover since two bands I love are featured here, but I would really love to see John Lennon front a Beatles cover of "Faker" by Everybody Else.

9) Think About Your Troubles - Jellyfish/Harry Nilsson

Jellyfish wore their influences on their sleeve while still being unique. Their heartfelt cover of this track from The Point has everything you can hope for in a Nilsson cover.

Nilsson would have been able to do a great version of "Now She Knows She's Wrong."

10) Joanne - Benjamin Gibbard/Michael Nesmith

Hey look, it's the aforementioned cover I traveled to California to witness. Technically this isn't a cover so much as a co-cover and technically, Nesmith has already covered a Gibbard song with The Monkees, but Gibbard has a storied history of covering Monkees songs also, so I would just love to hear Nesmith perform another Gibbard piece, namely "Oh, Woe."

"Oh, Woe" is one of my favorite Gibbard compositions, but I also think Nesmith could bring some of his own melancholy to it, for a beautiful performance.

11) 1000 Umbrellas - The Format/XTC

I got into both of these bands around the same time, so this was pretty cool. Of note: The Format also covered Jellyfish, The Kinks, and Harry Nilsson.

I imagine that XTC could have done something cool with "She Doesn't Get It."

12) Up the Junction - They Might Be Giants/Squeeze

Possibly one of my favorite crossovers simply because of how unexpected it was for me to find it, this is a loving and not altogether innovative cover that nonetheless captures what I love about both of these bands.

I think that Squeeze should cover "Pet Name" as a thank you gift. It already fits their style.

Agree? Disagree? What's your favorite artist collaboration? Let me know! And don't forget to support your local record store Saturday!

Album Review: The Knowledge by Squeeze

Just over two years ago, Squeeze released Cradle to the Grave, which also served as the marvellous soundtrack to the BBC series of the same name. Prior to that, their last release of original material was in 1998. So one could argue that this is the first album of uninhibited songs in almost twenty years.

Now that's not to say Cradle to the Grave was without merit. It was a great piece. But here, we are truly back to Squeeze at their core. Even the cover itself somehow harkens back to the band's earlier days, while truly looking nothing like any of their earlier album artwork. 

The first two tracks on the album have served as the released singles so far. My favorite of the two is "Patchouli," a melancholy tune of remembering a love lost. The intro blends a late '60s sunshine/power pop vibe with some mild country sounds before heading into the vocals. "Innocence in Paradise," the album opener, begins more roughly, but rolls into a soft desert-ready psychedelic track about isolation. Difford's low backing vocals act as the audio shadow of the lone traveller. Both songs are both nostalgic and lonely, but "Innocence" definitely conjures up a visual.

On the third track, Squeeze announce that they are getting political. "A&E" (that stands for "accident and emergency" for those not from the U.K.) tells the story of a man taking his injured wife to the hospital and waiting "all night just to be seen" while "The nurses looked completely drained//but nice as pie and so composed." The narrator goes on to say that he's while he's not a politician, he can see that something is wrong with the healthcare system, and that "Mental health our doctors know//Is underfunded and unexposed." It's certainly an unusual subject matter for a song, but somehow makes the topic sit well inside the song without sounding contrived or stilted.

The political theme continues throughout the album, and is revisited, on "Rough Ride." The song is presented almost as a mini-musical, beginning with a chorus, and separating verses between Glenn Tilbrook and an operatic singer (Cara McHardy). Tilbrook bemoans the classist system, with particular sympathy for the young generation, for whom "Affordable housing [is] an unobtainable dream." The narrator also sings the very resonant line "My children are working all the hours they can//to live in this city we love//But they can't imagine a life like I've had//Either you're rich or it's tough." These verses are contrasted by verses from the opera singer who makes generalizations, and seems to represent the established, out-of-touch wealth. The choice of the opera singer is a smart choice artistically, although musically, it falls to the grating side as it attempts to fit where it doesn't belong. If one can look at it as an art piece rather than a pop song, one could argue that the point is that these ideas don't mesh well, creating the divide in our society.

Possibly the most overtly political message for Americans comes on "The Ones," in which the narrator complains that "Fake news keeps on coming." The narrator continues to discuss how misinformation is shaping our divided societies, a truth that had been becoming more and more evident in the real world. A meaningful sentiment from "Rough Ride" is echoed, "The young are working harder//for less than they deserve." While these are undeniably world issues, I can't help but feel that "The Ones" is as strong a take on American problems as "A&E" is on British ones. But "The Ones" is not without hope, that "the best is still to come" and recommends that we "Take care//Of the ones we love." This is all presented in one of the catchiest tunes on the album, and one of the stronger tracks, which very much beckons to the sound of classic Squeeze without sounding stale.

Another song that rings relevant with the current headlines is "Final Score," a track about a boy who was molested by his coach coming to terms with the abuse years later, and the coach unable to reconcile the thoughts of his sins. Pedal steel wails throughout the tune, giving it spooky country vibes. It's not the strongest piece on the album, but it does tell a powerful and unfortunately not unusual story in our modern world. 

Album closer "Two Forks," echoes "The Ones" seemingly in reference to a domestic partnership this time. The opening line is almost word for word the same, but the sound and subject matters of the songs are completely different. "Two Forks" is about the divide between two people, now separated, who were once close.

Between the politically-charged songs, there are a number of stories being told. "Every Story," sounding every bit the classic Squeeze tune, tells the story of a small community in which gossip spreads like wildfire. Indian harmonium and celesta give "Every Story" the feel of Squeeze circa the early '80s, as does the subject matter. 

On the other hand, "Please Be Upstanding" tells a story that may never have told in the band's earlier years, of a man sinking into depression, possibly fearing his wife is cheating, and learning that he has cancer. The full story is a little unclear, but the raw fear the man feels is exposed throughout, which provides a unique perspective. 

"Albatross" might be the most fun The Knowledge offers us, telling the tale of an old record collector. Bongos separate the song from the fray, but so does the playful nature. The method of storytelling on this particular track reminds me of one of Nick Hornby's characters on Lonely Avenue.  

All the songs on this album have merit. I am surprised by how many are openly political, not just because Squeeze have never been the most political band, but because of the perspective they have on politics. I interviewed Chris Difford earlier this year for Rebeat and I asked if he thought he could still accurately portray the working class, since he's been a musician for so long. Difford said "As one grows older, it’s harder to write in that style." But in listening to The Knowledge, it's clear that though his perspective on life has changed, Difford is not out-of-touch with the young working class. He and Tilbrook now look to them as their children rather than themselves, but they still recognize the struggles. The storytelling has now moved on to be about men their own age, but this keeps the perspectives as fresh as ever. 

The Knowledge is definitely well worth a listen if you're a fan of Squeeze. And if you've never heard of them before, I'd say it's still worth a listen, because the album speaks for itself without any knowledge of the band's earlier work. 

Squeeze are a pop/rock band from London, England.

The Knowledge is out now and can be purchased here.

State of the Music Address: April 2017

It's that time of year again, in which it seems like there's some really good stuff either out or coming out in the music world. Just in case I don't get time to cover it all, let me give you a quick rundown.

-First of all, Michael Nesmith just released Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff, and it's a great read. I'm doing my best to get a review published soon, but in case I don't manage to, I just want to say something about it.

-Lots of albums have been coming out lately. It's been enough in a short space of time that I'm having trouble keeping up with them all. Ray Davies released Americana, Dave and Russ Davies released Open Road, and Feist came out with Pleasure, her first album in six years!

-Procol Harum also came out with their first new album in fourteen years, which I reviewed over at Rebeat.

-Oh yeah, and last month I did an interview with Chris Difford of Squeeze, which was an absolute pleasure.

-7 Inches for Planned Parenthood is currently taking preorders for their exclusive boxed set to benefit the aforementioned Planned Parenthood.

-My radio show, One-Mind Tracks is live every Thursday at 7 and streaming online! This week we're listening to some tracks about May flowers.

-If you're in central Ohio, The Xx are playing in Columbus Friday, and we've got more upcoming shows from Spoon (with Tennis as the opener!), and an arena show featuring the unlikely duo of Tears for Fears and Hall and Oates. Later this summer, there's Deerhoof (at Ace of Cups), The Mountain Goats, and Portugal. The Man.

-As I mentioned briefly, I'm trying to get some reviews churned out quickly, as well as a few "One-Mind Tracks" style articles soon, to co-ordinate with the show. Stick around!

One-Mind Tracks: Love Lost

Valentine's day is over, so we can now fully celebrate the concept of "Love Hurts" without offending the happy couples. So today's playlist is a collection of songs about lost love.

While I Cry by The Monkees
A breakup song to rival any other, this Michael Nesmith-penned piece explores the fact that the protagonist was warned about the female antagonist ahead of time, but was so blinded by love that he just stumbled on.

Here I Sit by The Ronettes
Yet again, a forewarned protagonist looks back on a lost love they should have known better about. Plus there's that extra part where it was co-written by Harry Nilsson based on a dirty bathroom graffiti joke.

Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson
Ingrid Michaelson sings of the intense pain of lost love that allows you only to "keep breathing."

Woke Up New by The Mountain Goats
The poetry John Darnielle brings to a piece is so perfect in this song, and for these emotions, that even if you haven't lost love, you can feel it.

Black Coffee in Bed by Squeeze
The memories, "the hurt and the anger and the joy and the pain" are all discussed in this tale of a former love.

One by Harry Nilsson
Made famous by Three Dog Night, this song, written by Harry Nilsson, represents a cross-section of the late songwriter's interests; sad love songs and numbers. Plus if you're part of my generation, you might remember this song from the episode of "Even Stevens" in which Ren loses her stuffed monkey.

Thank You For Breaking My Heart by Ben Folds Five
One of the most tear-jerking songs on the list, yet it has a somewhat uplifting message "thank you for breaking my heart//now I know that it's in there." Alright, so not very uplifting, but it reminds us that each broken heart just helps us realize we still have a heart to break (just like the Tin Man!).

The End of the World by Herman's Hermits
In a soft and beautiful way, Peter Noone delivers this Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee tune about thinking lost love is the end of the world (just a reminder, it's not).

Photograph by Ringo Starr
If you watch the Concert For George rendition of this song, you will cry your eyes out. Even as a single though, this song is a winner in the category of being sad (unless Morrissey is in the mix, but that's another topic).

She by The Monkees
One of my favorite things about The Monkees is the fact that this song is completely different from the other Monkees tune on this list. Different musical era, different genre and style, and even a different attitude to betrayal and loss.

Last of Days by A Fine Frenzy
A similar premise to "Keep Breathing," this song theorizes that the narrator will be lost without their beloved. I hope they came to their senses.

Walking on Broken Glass by Annie Lennox
Had this playlist been a little less mopey, I would have included The Eurythmics' "Thorn in My Side" instead, but that seemed a little too positive amongst the rest of the songs.

Love is a Bourgeois Construct by Pet Shop Boys
My favorite thing about this song is that the narrator has totally not learned that "Love is a Bourgeois Construct," that's just the view he's pretending to hold, though he still expects his lover and relationship with love return ("so I'm giving up the bourgeoisie//until you come back to me").

Now I'm All Messed Up by Tegan & Sara
Out of all of these songs, this is the one that perfectly captures a feeling in the pit of your stomach, imagining your former lover with someone else.




Any More? I'd love to hear them.

And if you live in the area of Marion, Ohio, be sure to catch most of this playlist Thursday night at 7 on One-Mind Tracks on 97.5 WDIF.

One-Mind Tracks: Self-Love

Just as a word of warning, this post is not G-rated.

When I got the idea to do this compilation, I had completely forgotten that May is National Masturbation Month, but how fitting! There are a ton of songs about love and sex, but a slightly smaller subcategory of songs about masturbation and privates (men like to sing about their boy parts a lot, actually). These are some of my favorite songs about self-love. I've even made you a Youtube playlist!

My Ding-a-Ling by Chuck Berry
I was planing on leaving this novelty tune off of the playlist until I heard this amazing live version. Chuck Berry apparently has an amazing sense of humor, as well as some pretty liberal ideas about sexuality. This song passed the censors of the day because it's "about a toy." Apparently this track got a lot of play on Dr. Demento, and it's not hard (tee hee) to see why. Not only is this song a great introduction to this playlist, but it's a great reminder that this sort of song can be fun, and there's nothing wrong with that.

In Quintessence by Squeeze
"In Quintessence" is not exclusively about masturbation, but it is about a fifteen-year-old boy, so there is the inevitable "In the corner with his book and tissue//all he can do is pretend to miss you//Closes his eyes as he sees her body//pulls funny faces and that's his hobby." It's also a fantastic song, both musically and lyrically.

Billy Liar by The Decemberists
In a similar vein, "Billy Liar" is about a boy's boredom during which he seems to spend a good deal of time with his pants/knickers down. "Billy Liar" comes from an English novel about a boy with an active imagination. Apparently the song character, however, imagines mostly one thing.

I Touch Myself by The Divinyls
Everyone's favorite, blatant song about masturbation can't be left out. The Bens (Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, and Ben Lee) also did a pretty amusing cover of it, but as this playlist shows, men touching themselves is a lot more commonplace anyway.

Captain Jack by Billy Joel
Billy Joel wrote this song about the teens in the housing project across from his apartment, who bought a kind of heroin called "Captain Jack." But because he's Billy Joel, it's not just an accusation or judgement on these teens. He imagines what it's like to be a poor teen, including, yes, the masturbation. It's a pretty depressing song all-in-all, it kind of gives the playlist bad vibes, but I love Billy Joel, so I can't leave this one out.

U + Ur Hand by P!nk
While this isn't really a song about masturbation, this feminist rock-anthem does center around P!nk telling a guy to self-service because he isn't getting anything from her.

She Bop by Cyndi Lauper
It's a nice change to hear a woman sing about self-love, since it almost seems like a pastime reserved for men, at least according to media. But Lauper sings openly about "she-bopping" and is adorable whilst doing so. She also reminds us that "She bop, he bop, a we bop//I bop, you bop, a they bop."

Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol
When I was younger, not only did I used to get Billy Idol and Billy Joel mixed up, but I also argued until I was blue in the face that this was just a fun pop tune. But the more research I do, it's probably about "dancing" with yourself. Especially when you see Idol's body language in the video. Still a great song, and a great addition to the playlist.

Turning Japanese by The Vapors
The internet loves to argue about this one, but at least three of the interpretations have to do with masturbation, so I'm calling it. Apparently it's actually about a guy who loses a girl and is so overcome by grief that he becomes someone else, but Urban Dictionary says otherwise.

Pictures of Lily by The Who
A boy has trouble sleeping until his father gives him a picture to stick on his wall. The implication is that something about this pin-up girl causes the narrator to be able to relax himself. He also says he falls in love with Lily. Pete Townshend got the idea for this song after seeing a picture of Lily Bayliss on his girlfriend's wall.

Pink Thing by XTC
Andy Partridge penned this unusual homage to his penis. In actuality, the song is built to have a dual meaning. Yes, it's about his penis, but hidden beneath that is the fact that it's about his son. You follow me? Because I barely do. Partridge and his wife apparently called their son "pink thing" when he was a baby, and Partridge wanted to write a song about his son without it being cheesy. Thus, he gave it a wax overcoat of being about a penis. It works.

Fingers by P!nk
Trust P!nk to make it on this list twice. Apparently her record company wants to make it really hard to get to this song. That's not coming from research, it's from experience. P!nk was going to include this on I'm Not Dead, then changed her mind, then released it on the platinum version of I'm Not Dead, so you have to buy the whole deluxe album to get it, and then I can't add it to this Youtube playlist because it's only viewable on its own. Anyway, it's about P!nk not getting enough from her boyfriend, so she has to finish the job herself. Very sexy tune, and a perfect wrap for this playlist.


Got any more? I'd love to hear them!

Top 5: Underrated 80s Bands

The 1980s were a time of paradise (or hell, depending on your point of view) for one-hit-wonder bands. Due to the rise of MTV and VH1, bands that previously had no hope for international fame were suddenly finding audiences. The result was that the 1980s had a much broader range of music for the populous to listen to. But a lot of great bands ended up either being "one-hit-wonders," or being completely washed away. Therefore, I would like to present a non-definitive list of five 80s bands that I don't believe got (or get) enough attention.

#5 Bow Wow Wow

Bow Wow Wow were created to advertise a New Romantic clothing line by Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood. Bow Wow Wow are generally considered to be a one-hit-wonder with "I Want Candy," an updated cover of a 60s song, but much of their album work is incredible, and has been an influence on bands like Red Hot Chilli Peppers and No Doubt.

You May Know:

"I Want Candy "

You Should Hear:

"Aphrodisiac "
"C30, C60, C90 Go"
"Do You Wanna Hold Me?"

#4 Siouxsie and the Banshees

Although they kick-started Robert Smith's career, most people today don't really know who Siouxsie and the Banshees are (a customer at the thrift store where I worked decided to buy a best of CD one time, even though he really only listened to rap and soul. I tried to explain the mistake to him, but he had to learn for himself). Nowadays, along with the previous band, Siouxsie and the Banshees seem to have found their home on the Marie Antoinette soundtrack, so perhaps there is still hope.

You May Know:

"Hong Kong Garden"

You Should Hear:

"Kiss Them For Me"
"Spellbound"
"The Passenger"

#3 Split Enz

Split Enz saw many changes in both their lineup and sound before they split up and Neil Finn formed Crowded House, but they never quite got the attention that their music deserved. While I'm not as familiar with all of their material as I'd like to be, they are a splendid group of talented musicians.

You May Know:

"I Got You"

You Should Hear:

"Hard Act To Follow"
"Message To My Girl"
"Bold As Brass"

#2 Squeeze

Although Squeeze got their start in the late 70s and are still active, they produced a lot of great work during the 1980s, and they are underrated. Glenn Tilbrook has a voice rarely duplicated, which adds plenty of personality to their songs.

You May Know:

"Hourglass"

"Tempted"

You Should Hear:

"Points Of View"

"Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)"

"In Quintessence"

 

 #1 Talk Talk

While Talk Talk do have a lot of respect in the modern indie music community (as proven by the well-received release of this year's Spirit of Talk Talk), they never quite gained the clout that their music deserved. Talk Talk began as an incredibly good, but fairly angsty New Wave/New Romantic band, but managed to break free from the oppressions of their record label and produce a type of music that could not be categorized properly, but which had elements of jazz and classical music, and an overall ambient feel. As a fan of both eras of Talk Talk, I can't help but feel that they are one of the most under-rated acts of all time, and certainly during the 80s.

You May Know:

"It's My Life"

You Should Hear:
"Living In Another World"
"New Grass"
"Does Caroline Know"