old school music meme
I dig this up every couple years. Right now it's because I'm killing time and avoiding doing things I should be doing because I have no fucking motivation and I'm having an existential crisis lol. On a happier note, I do fucking love talking about music all the time so there's that.
List your 30 favorite bands/musicians (in no particular order) without looking at the questions, and then answer the questions using your list.
(But I actually just used my yearly Top 30 from Last.fm, swapping out a couple film score composers that I don't really have anything to say about LOL)
1. Nekrogoblikon
2. Billy Joel
3. Erik Satie
4. VAST
5. Ensiferum
6. Cradle of Filth
7. Korn
8. Tool
9. Nine Inch Nails
10. Finntroll
11. Lady Gaga
12. Marilyn Manson
13. Opeth
14. Immortal
15. Little Boots
16. Amon Amarth
17. Turisas
18. Watain
19. FGFC820
20. Lacuna Coil
21. Ghost
22. Eluveitie
23. Dog Fashion Disco
24. Wardruna
25. God is an Astronaut
26. VNV Nation
27. Infected Mushroom
28. Portishead
29. Porcupine Tree
30. At the Gates
btw can I take a second to lawlz at my music catalog. This also isn't completely accurate cause my iPod doesn't scrobble the way it used to, but I can admit it pretty much sums up my year.
ALSO HEY EASTER EGG, I WAS FEELING AMBITIOUS SO I LINKED EACH BAND TO A SONG I REALLY LOVE, IN CASE YOU WANNA CHECK ANY OF THEM OUT.
1. How did you get into 29 (Porcupine Tree)?
So this is weird but I don't actually remember lol. I remember once way way back in the day, like back in dialup days before music downloading, I saw one of their vidoes really late at night on MTV or Much Music or something and I remember liking it and writing their name down for future reference. And they have a really weird name so it always sort of stuck with me. Then like one day when my family finally got cable internet and I had like Limewire or some other garbage downloader that was festering with viruses, I found some random songs and liked them. I do know my first full album I heard of theirs was Fear of a Blank Planet, which remains one of my fav albums ever. Someone probably posted it in metal_mp3 or something. Metalheads secretly all have hardons for Porcupine Tree cause they're sorta like Opeth Lite.
2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22 (Eluveitie)?
I think I just jumped into Eluveitie by downloading the Everything Remains as it Never Was album because I was gonna see them open for Amon Amarth and if I have time/care enough I always try to familiarize myself with openers a little to make shows more enjoyable. So that means it would've been the album intro followed by the title track. :D
3. How many albums by 12 (Marilyn Manson) do you own?
I have all of them downloaded cause I'm a punk, but I actually own them all up to Golden Age. By the time Eat Me Drink Me came out I was like meeeeehhhhhhhh and it was possible to download instead LOL. I also have fuckin like, God is in the TV on VHS from like middle school LOL! LOVE HIM. I've been listening to Manson a lot lately, sidenote. I linked The Gardener from the latest album cause I love the fuck out of it and it reminds me of my life. :D
4. What is your favourite song by 5 (Ensiferum)?
This is so hard to answer because honestly I think the entire Iron album is perfect as a singular piece of music, so MY REAL ANSWER IS THE ENTIRE IRON ALBUM but if I have to get choosy probably LAI LAI HEI!? I linked it. I'm really picky about folk metal but I fucking love it to death every now and then, like Ensiferum is so good at balancing the FOLK with the METAL, it's awesome and really genuine and minimally cheesy. Super heartfelt and enjoyable!
5. What is your favorite song by 15 (Little Boots)?
This is also pretty hard because I feel like the entire Hands album is amazing, so I have a couple favs, but I might go with Symmetry because I can't get over the SPOOKY GOTH MAN HAHA that shows up in the middle LOL!!! LOVE IT!!!!!! I linked it. Otherwise really close tie is probably Stuck on Repeat.
6. Is there a song by 6 (Cradle of Filth) that makes you happy?
Well Cradle of Filth is hysterical in general so they make me really happy in general, but I'm gonna go with CRUELTY BROUGHT THEE ORCHIDS? I have to be honest; I know a lot of the metal community shits on Cradle of Filth and I kinda get where most of them are coming from most of the time but NO JOKE, CRUELTY BROUGHT THEE ORCHIDS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE METAL SONGS EVER. I just think it's fucking perfect, it's got the atmosphere, it's heavy as shit, it's nice and long with lots of pieces and parts, it's just fucking wonderful. There are classic "dani wtf r u sayin" moments but I don't think it takes away from the song. Since I actually like CoF I find these moments funny and endearing. But basically this song gets me so FUCKIN PUMPED every time I hear it, and I usually have to start it over and listen to it twice before I can move on. :D
7. What is your favourite song by 10 (Finntroll)?
TIDEN UTAN TID? (linked above lol). Finntroll is, in general, a really fucking silly fun band and I love a lot of their songs to death, but this one is just. Ungh. It took me a really long time to get into Finntroll, for me they were an acquired taste, and I never really "got" them until Nifelvind came out. I think cause it's just like really dark and fucking sinister and I love me some evil shit haha. And I think this song really epitomizes the darkness and weirdness and evilness on the album but while also having a few really key bizarre Finntroll signatures. I pretty much loved this album instantly and once I was on board I was able to revisit their other albums and give them another chance and now I'm a gigantic fan. OMG. yes.
8. What is a good memory you have involving 30 (At the Gates)?
The real answer that comes to me first is private/x-rated LMAO so. The second answer is SLAUGHTER OF THE BLUEGRASS OMFG. One of the times I saw Amon Amarth they were playing one of SotB's Amon Amarth covers after the show ended and I was like LOL WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS so I looked into it and found out they're named after At the Gates. Epic. But anyway. idk. In a very general way I have to also say that like, I don't mope around and engulf myself in music the way I did as a teenager, you know? But like at this age now as an adult I find that when I'm really upset about something At the Gates has become one of my go-to bands and I find myself listening to them to get me out of emotional ruts and it usually works and soothes me pretty well. ♥
9. Is there a song by 19 (FGFC820) that makes you happy?
Almost every song by FGFC820 makes me happy haha. The thing is that I've sort of lost touch with a lot of the industrial music I used to listen to, because even though a good industrial anthem is the shit, I just started getting really bored with most of the bands I liked. I felt like I was hearing the same lyrics over and over and over and 90% of them were about like violent sex or dominating women? And it started rubbing me the wrong way like as a feminist LOL. It's kind of a complex issue that I don't want to get into now. But I was so excited to find FGFC820 because their lyrics are all political and I love that. I went on a failed quest to find "deeper" industrial bands and this was basically all I came up with before I accidentally just discovered weird electronica haha.
10. How many times have you seen 23 (Dog Fashion Disco) live?
WAH ZERO. They were sort of broken up by the time I got into them but they've been doing reunion shows the past few years where they play albums cover to cover ugh. But I always had school or other financial excuses not to go haha. :( I have seen Todd Smith's other band Polkadot Cadaver 1.5 times though. 1.5 because the first time they got shut down early by the cops haha. Whoops. For what it's worth all 1.5 concerts were awesome.
11. What is the first song you ever heard by 26 (VNV Nation)?
Ugh, Further. ;.; A friend put it on a mix for me back in like, 9th grade? I remember writing angsty wrestling fanfiction to it LOL!!!!!! But to me it's a genuinely moving song, even now. TEN YEARS LATER WTF. Ouch. She'd also put on a bunch of Silent Hill OST stuff on that mix and Velvet Acid Christ and I remember the intro of Further made me think it was more Silent Hill music so when Ronan popped up I was like WOAH THERE'S A DUDE HERE.
12. What is your favourite album by 11 (Lady Gaga)?
LOL HEAVY METAL LOVER BECAUSE I MYSELF HAVE A HEAVY METAL LOVER. But I actually really love the song itself, too. Bloody Mary is probably tied because it's amazing. I also like Teeth a lot. I really like it any time she's raunchy and sexual haha.
13. Who is your favourite member of 1 (Nekrogoblikon)?
I can't say because I don't get like that about bands anymore (I grew out of it after like 16 lmao) but I did meet them after I saw them in NYC and they were all super nice guys. I'm friends with the singer on instagram. He likes my photos sometimes haha!
14. Have you ever seen 14 (Immortal) live?
I've seen them twice!!!! I enjoyed the second show more, I'm not sure if there's a particular reason why. I think the crowd was a little more dancey and I was with a few friends who really GOT Immortal. Like the first time I was with one friend who liked them a bit and another friend who tagged along for the lulz but had never listened to them. So idk. OH AND ALSO ABSU OPENED WTF AMAZING. Such a good show, I can't wait to see them again one day.
15. What is a good memory involving 27 (Infected Mushroom)?
omg one of the times Kady was visiting I had been like YO DID YOU HEAR THE SONG JONATHAN DAVIS DID WITH INFECTED MUSHROOM? aka Smashing the Opponent, and she hadn't and I was like OMG LISTEN TO IT, IT MAKES ME FUCKING WEEP WITH JOY AND PRIDE OMG JD NAILED IT. and then for the whole time she was visiting we didn't stop listening to it every time we drove somewhere. Then we hung out with Justin and Dana one night too and got them in on it also haha. So good.
16. What is your favourite song by 16 (Amon Amarth)?
This changes on a moderately regular basis because Amon Amarth is my favorite band and I love everything they write and rotate favorites around every few months. Right now it's probably Legend of a Banished Man? Other candidates are Victorious March, An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm, The Hero, and Varyags of Miklagaard. OMG AMON AMARTH Y U SO PERFECT BBS
17. What is your favourite album by 18 (Watain)?
Lawless Darkness. Which is a copout answer because it happens to just be the album I know the best haha. I really love it though. When I'm not lazy I have to familiarize myself with more Watain. I really love Lawless Darkness though.
18. What is your favorite song by 21 (Ghost)?
Monstance Clock probably haha. It's really just like weird and interesting and super sexual. NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY MUCH ABOUT BANGING FOR SATAN, ROSEMARYS BABY STYLE, but like idk there's something just sexy about it to me. I think I find the Ghost gimmick really sexy and I picture Papa like preaching in this song and I think it's super hot. :D I also really like the second half of Ghuleh/Zombie Queen. Is it fair to call that half of the song Zombie Queen? lol. I appreciate the first part as a buildup and companion and everything but the second half just really does it for me haha.
19. What is the first song you ever heard by 25 (God is an Astronaut)?
Suicide by Star! I was intrigued and loved it enough to go find more of their music and now looking back it's one of my least favorite songs cause the rest of their work blew me away haha.
20. What is your favourite album by 2 (Billy Joel)?
omg LAME ANSWER IS LAME BUT HIS GREATEST HITS ALBUMS REALLY SUM UP HIS CAREER AND ARE A QUICK FIX. I really liked The Stranger as a teenager and River of Dreams as a kid, lately my favorite is The Millennium Concert live album that he played New Years Eve 1999/2000. The crowd is going bananas and it's so fun. FUCK YOU GUYS I LOVE BILLY JOEL I'M FROM LONG ISLAND. But anyway I pretty much love almost everything Billy Joel has ever written, I think he's a genius, and everyone on LI loves him even though sometimes he crashes his car into our houses.
21. What is your favourite song by 3 (Erik Satie)?
Gnossienne No. 1, 2, 3! Actually the reason Erik Satie is on my list on last.fm is because I listened to this piece on repeat when I reread The Heart's Filthy Lesson & Human Behaviour a while back. It fit really well. I really love it. I actually got into Erik Satie kind of randomly because someone linked to this piece on YouTube for Opeth's Heritage, yknow the piano intro? They were like SOUNDS LIKE ERIK SATIE! and I was like, o shit ur right.
22. What is your favourite song by 8 (Tool)?
I think it's probably 10,000 Days but I also have a really special place for Pushit. I wouldn't say I rotate favorites a lot with Tool but I've found that every time a new album came out I would have a new favorite, so it's changed a few times over the course of my time as a fan haha.
23. How many times have you seen 17 (Turisas) live?
OMFG I HAVEN'T YET. I KEEP TRYING TO SEE THEM AND EVERY TIME SOMETHING FUCKING HAPPENS, LIKE I CAN'T GET OFF WORK, OR THEY DROP OFF THE TOUR, OR THE SHOW GETS CANCELED, OR I'M RETARDEDLY BROKE, OR HAVE A CLASS I CAN'T MISS. omfg you don't understand the gaping hole in my being that needs to be filled by a Turisas show. They're so fucking hilarious and cheesy and they're probably so much fun live. I HAVE TO KNOW.
24. What is the worst song by 13 (Opeth)?
DIRGE FOR NOVEMBER LOL. I mean do they really have a "worst" song? To be fair it's probably off Watershed. WHOOPS I SAID IT. But no honestly, I love Opeth to death, I don't really have a worst song for them. Dirge for November is probably my "least favorite". idk why, it just doesn't do it for me. It's also the first Opeth song I ever heard lol weird.
25. What was the first song you ever heard by 28 (Portishead)?
lawlz, Sour Times. ME & EVERYONE ELSE AMIRITE? Fucking love Portishead though. I love Sour Times. I'm glad I found it. I was like 12 years old. Such a big impact on my tiny little mind.
26. What is your favourite album by 7 (Korn)?
omg probably like. Issues. And also the untitled Bird Album. Also See You on the Other Side. Also the dubstep one. Really love the dubstep one, no lies. It's awesome. Everyone can fuck off haha.
27. Would you recommend 4 (VAST) to a friend?
YES!!! 100 times YES. I think Vast is my favorite band that isn't metal. After Korn obviously. =P But no really, Vast is fantastic and they're so soulful and dreamy and beautiful and wonderful and everything about them is fuckin perfect and they just make me bawl my eyes out on a regular basis and inspire me so fucking much.
28. What is your favourite thing about 9 (Nine Inch Nails)?
ugh what isn't my favorite thing about NIN. No really though probably the versatility and diversity throughout the discography. There's been such a HUGE evolution between the earlier and later work but because Trent is like a musical wizard he just nails it every time, and whatever he sets out to write is always gold. REMEMBER THAT TIME HE WON AN OSCAR LOL RECKINIZE. But really whether it's like, cheesy 80's Pretty Hate Machine stuff or apocalyptic Downward Spiral stuff or dreamy instrumental piano Ghosts stuff everything is always super A+++. Hey they're #9 lol.
29. What mood does 20 (Lacuna Coil) put you in?
Is GIRL POWER a mood? What about I WANNA SING IN MY CAR AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS? lol. But honestly like idk I was like crazy into Lacuna Coil when I was younger and I sort of grew out of them, but sometimes I still revisit the songs that still move me and they all tend to be really powerful and gorgeous and just make me kind of emotional and introspective. I find their music very relaxing but I also sometimes want to jump around and dance to them, it varies haha.
30. Was 24 (Wardruna) recommended to you by someone?
omg yeah Kady. :D And I've recommended it to like every metalhead I know. It's fuckin Gaahl's folky side project. It's terrifying. It's all folk instruments, no real metal, but the music is so dark and it's just really fantastic. He kind of scares me. But I love his music.
K I'M DONE I GUESS I'LL GET BACK TO DOING THINGS I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.