28. Sonic Youth: The Sprawl
Sonic Youth is one of the most important bands in history. Since emerging from New York's East Village bohemian no-wave scene, they were the original alternative rock band, a decade before the term had been coined. On musical terms, they pushed the envelope with their assymetrical noise rock, strangely tuned modal playing, and literate, psychodramatic lyrics. Behind the scenes, their influence has also been profound; credit them for brokering Nirvana's deal with DGC, which ushered in the alternative rock era. Kim Gordon's songwriting, singing, and bass playing are sometimes overlooked only because hubby Thurston Moore is very much her equal in the band. This doesn't diminish Gordon's talents, which are among the best in rock of any gender. "The Sprawl" is an epic from their last and best indie release, Daydream Nation, from 1988. Opening with a great Gordon rant, it's full of abrasive, staccato playing that builds into an oceanic strange-key jam at the end.
29. Macy Gray: Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak
Macy Gray appeared seemingly from nowhere in 1999 with her debut album, On How Life Is, in 1999. "I Try", which won a Grammy, stood out on the radio, with its early 70's sounding arrangement and Gray's raspy but soulful r&b vocal. The album itself was one of the most self-assured debuts of the 90's; Gray sounded like she had been doing this for years, if not decades. Most late 90's r&b was in a dance/pop vein; Gray had a knack for a solid slow rumination that slowly builds to a crescendo, very old school. She wasn't a purely retro-trip however. "Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak" is a hip-hop/trip-hop inflected funk bomb; and she conjures up some Funkadelic-esque vocals. While Gray cannot be considered "rock" in any way, her appeal to rock listeners was perhaps the biggest for an r&b performer since the 1980's.
30. Mazzy Star: Ride It On
Mazzy Star's lonesome, windswept "Fade Into You" was their biggest hit, which at #47 didn't exactly set the world on fire. However, it was one of the loveliest, most subtly ornate songs on the radio in 1993, and Mazzy Star still has a devoted cult, Essentially the duo of guitarist David Roback and Hope Sandoval plus hired hands, Mazzy Star evolved from Opal, when Sandoval replaced Kendra Smith as Roback's partner. Sandoval's vocals and lyrics were very much the equal of Roback's guitar in the band, and were notable for their eerie, detached, wistfulness. Mazzy Star hasn't released an album since 1996, but Sandoval has released a couple of solo albums, recorded with Colm O'Ciosoig of My Bloody Valentine. "Ride it On" is an acoustic faux-country-folk with one of Sandoval's most luscious vocals, from She Hangs Brightly, their 1990 debut.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sean
Wanda Jackson.
I'm just gonna keep saying her name till somebody listens
2 - uao
That got me laughing, Sean. I just haven't heard Wanda Jackson enough. I'll check her out today, though.
3 - jones violet
Cat Power's "Good Woman" is the saddest song I know, also one of the best, but I can never listen to it because it just breaks my heart.
And yes, Pat Benetar! Glad to see her on the list.
What's your next list going to be?? :)
4 - Sean
Be sure to check out the stuff from the fifties. She went into a brief retirement and came back as a syrupy country singer. That stuff is ok but the stuff from the fifites is white hot rock and roll.
Great list by the way. I was very happy to see the Slits and X on there
5 - uao
Willdo, Sean, thanks for the tip. I realize now as I type this that she was nominated for Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction earlier this year. For that reason alone, her omission is glaring.
Thank god for peer-to-peer.
(note to RIAA, I meant peer-to-peer music fan consultation, not file swapping)
jones--
If I tell, it'll spoil the surprise. But some surprises will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. I'm taking a different approach to music these days.
6 - uao
I was winking with that RIAA comment, btw. But I won't say towards whom.
;-)
7 - BigLug
I suggest Aimee Mann: I would've put her in the top 25, but, unless I overlooked it, I didn't even see her man in the honorable mentions.
8 - Big Lug
er, "her man"? sorry, temporary dyslexia of some kind I guess, or my butterfingered typing skills.
9 - uao
Aimee Mann is one of a whole lot of singers who lurk around the nexis where rock, pop, r&b meet. I couldn't get 'em all in, but she does deserve a mention.
10 - godoggo
I'm pleased to find that there is now a Castration Squad Home Page. I actually never got a chance to hear them (til nowm I guess; we'll see if the video works on my antique Mac), but one cannot deny that they had a very nice name.
Other old LA punks: Alleycats/Zarkons and UXA (like their album a lot, kind of a mix of X, Pistols and Sabbath, with a touch of Doorsiness, although they were barely able to stand the one time I ever saw them).
Oh yeah, and punk/prog/reggae/funk LA allstars Twisted Roots. With the guitarist from the Germs (and some other band that lots of people like)! And the keyboardist from the Screamers! And that hot (in both senses) bassist who married Mike Watt, whatever her name is! And some chick named Maggie on vocals! And a drummer!
But I guess this would really be for a different list. Anyway, I love women. I really need to go get me one.
11 - Scott Butki
Ah, that's better now that you added them.
Thanks.
12 - Guppusmaximus
Come on, Uao.... Where's Patsy Cline??
Honorable Mention of The Carpenters? I guess I will be happy that you mentioned them...
13 - uao
Aww, Guppusmaximus. You know I can't put Patsy Cline on there. Because then people will say "Where's Aretha Franklin?" or "How come no Dolly Parton?"
I didn't know you were a Carpenters fan; I have very mixed emotions about them myself, and waffled on their inclusion, ultimately denying them on the grounds that they were less "rock" than anyone else on the list.
14 - Guppusmaximus
Uao,
Hey...Patsy Cline was Rock in my opinion(Rockabilly) so I don't think people would necessarily question it considering Dolly Parton was Country. Maybe you should've mentioned Mrs. Franklin because R&B was where rock started...
Why Yes, I am a Carpenters fan maybe not the #1 fan(Funny enough I'm a metalhead)Karen's voice was superb and she played drums while singing which in my book is definately ROCK!!
15 - uao
You know another metalhead who is also a Carpenters fan? Tony Iommi.
Maybe Pasty could have gone on, but then it opens the doors for so many others. If Aretha Franklin is included, someone will ask where is Diana Ross, which leads us to Carla Thomas, LaBelle, Mary Wells, et. al.
Then I'd have no room left for Ani DiFranco and LiLiPUT.
Real estate on my lists is very exclusive; Patsy'll have to be a good sport and wait until I get her on another. Same with Karen Carpenter.
But thanks for the ideas; the lists people come up with of names left off are often more interesting than the original list.
16 - uao
I meant "Patsy" not "Pasty" Me and my typing.
17 - BigLug
speaking of the Carpenters--guilty pleasure: "Rainy Days and Mondays" despite the fact, dammit, that they always get me down. Now don't get me started on Abba ...
18 - uao
My guilty Carpenter pleasures are their versions of Carole King's "It's Gonna Take Some Time", Herman's Hermits' "A Kind of a Hush" and Klaatu's "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". I also like "Superstar", but I prefer Delaney and Bonnie's original "Groupie", 'cause it's dirtier.
As for ABBA, I'm a "Chiquitita" "Name of the Game" "On and On and On" and "Summer Night City" man.
But I don't like admitting this stuff when the place is crawling with music critics.
19 - BigLug
um, "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" by Klaatu (the second coming ot the Beatles)? Is that more of a delusionary pleasure? Not there's anything wrong with that ...
20 - uao
"Rainy Days and Mondays" fans ought not be snobs.
;-)
But you're right though; it isn't a guilty pleasure. It's just guilty. :D
21 - BigLug
I felt better when Elvis Costello had mentioned he's a big ABBA fan.
22 - Guppusmaximus
Yeah...Definately "Superstar" especially in that scene from Tommy Boy. You guys are reminding me of that exact moment where David Spade tells Chris Farley that he can change the station when that song comes on...:-)
23 - Baronius
Oddly, this isn't the exact list that I would have come up with - funny how that happens. But I'm glad that Tina Weymouth made it. I wonder if Sheryl Crow will be on this list in 20 years.
24 - BigLug
oops, very sorry uao: Carpenters did cover "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft." Who'd would've thought I'd've thunk it?
Maybe I should've known better: back in the day when the Carpenters had just come onto the scene (as the kid's say), before anyone got a load of Richard's helmet hair or caught Karen's Mega-Meg White drumming skills, their version of the Beatles "Ticket to Ride" caught FM rawk's fancy, and for a while the song, and this mysterious unfrozen-caveman Carpenters group were the epitome on heaviosity.
Again, my apologies.
25 - godoggo
The "comments" count should be reimplemented. It was useful.