Bands You Need To Be Listening To If You Aren't Already

I'll start all this out by stating the obvious: The music industry in America is a joke.  Talent means nothing. It's the American Idol generation and whatever looks good on TV is what's marketed.  Not to mention forgotten a year afterwards.

Back in the 60s and 70s you had better be good, you had better be able to put on a live show and kick ass. From The Grateful Dead to The Allman Brothers to Hendrix to Vaughn to Black Sabbath to The Who to Zeppelin etc etc. The list just goes on and on. These bands were all innovators and actually, you know, played instruments.

I'm always amazed when I see a "band" performing on some television show and you don't see any equipment. None of their instruments are plugged in yet you hear music. Doesn't the music consuming public notice this? Or is the better question do they care?

Today, people are told who's good and to whom they should be listening and whose albums to buy.  Back in the day, if you sucked you didn't make it.  Talent just doesn't mean anything anymore. Today it's all what all about looking the part.

So let's get started, shall we? This list is in no particular order at all.

Animals As Leaders
Yes.

Yes that man, the self taught Tosin Abasi, is playing an 8 string guitar.  A custom, headless Strandberg 8-string.

He and his band are playing music so densly polyrhythmic and technical it should be illegal.  These guys are so enormously talented it makes me sick.



The Aristocrats

Paul Gilbert, along with Marco Minnemann, released this incredible jam session called "Spaceship One".  To put it perspective Marco tried out for the vacated position in Dream Theater left by Mike Portnoy's departure.  He was too good. Dream Theater needed someone that sounded more like Portnoy...not someone that had his own style.

Here's just a taste called "Jackhammer". The entire set can be seen on Youtube here.

But this isn't The Aristocrats. After this video will be The Aristocrats.  I just had to share this with ya.



Now, onto The Aristocrats:

Dream Theater Performs 'Take Away My Pain'

I was sitting on the edge of his bed
Staring at the headlines on the paper
He said, "look at poor gene kelly
I guess he won't be singing in the rain."
You can take away my heroes
Can you take away my pain

Take away my pain
Leave the cold outside
Please don't let it rain
Don't stumble on my pride
Take away my pain
I'm not frightened any more
Just stay with me tonight
I'm tired of this fight
Soon I'll be knocking at your door

She was standing by the edge of his bed
Staring at the message on their faces
He said, "what else can you do babe?
I guess I won't be coming home again."
They just took away all my promises
Make them take away my pain

Take away my pain
Leave the cold outside
Please don't let it rain
Don't stumble on my pride
Take away my pain
I'm not frightened any more
Just stay with me tonight
I'm tired of this fight
Soon I'll be knocking at your door

His final scene
The actor bows
And all those years
Are gone somehow
The crowd applauds
The curtain fails

I was standing by the edge of the water
I noticed my reflection in the waves
Then I saw you looking back at me
And I knew that for a moment
You were calling out my name
You took away my hero
Will you take away my pain

Take away my pain
Let the cold inside
It's time to let it rain
There's nothing left to hide
Take away my pain
I'm not frightened any more
I'm learning to survive
Without you in my life
Til you come knocking at my door...

Progressive Metal And The Emptiness That Was Dream Theater Left

Ever since Dream Theater disbanded, yes disbanded, because the band no longer exists, I've been looking for some new, fresh, innovative progressive metal.

I've been listening to the regulars:

Animals as Leaders
Citriniti
Andromeda
Counter - World Experience
Scale The Summit
Kong

And the oldies but goodies from Buckethead to Transatlantic from  Behold...The Arctopus to Redemption (currently the best metal band playing right now imo).

But I'm longing for more.  Dream Theater leaves a big, gaping hole.  They had such an ennormous sound that any one or three bands can't fill it back up again.

Do you have any suggestions?