Top Five Records Presents - Bands

One of my favorite movies is High Fidelity, in which John Cusack plays a record store owner who is always making "Top 5" lists. I'm going to do a series of Top 5s, starting with a big category - bands! I will do Top 5 Bands Right Now, and Top 5 Bands of All Time.

TOP 5 BANDS RIGHT NOW

1. ALL CAPS.
There is a phenomenon called wizard rock, music based off of Harry Potter. I, needless to say, am a huge fan. Two of my favorite bands are good friends, and one member from each, Luke and Kristina, created a band called ALL CAPS, which is basically just nerdtastic. They have songs about World of Warcraft, The Office, robots falling out of love, NaNoWriMo, zombies, and other nerdy things. :D They're pretty awesome - funny or sweet lyrics, good voices, neat music. I love them a lot.

http://allcapsband.com (oh my god, they're so cute)

2. Endless Mike and the Beagle Club
Oh my god, these guys. They are so fantastic. :D They're this little obscure band from Johnstown, PA, who writes amazing songs about mundane things like living in the same town your whole life, not finishing college, seeing all your friends grow up and get married and have babies while you're still not sure who you are... it's amazing. Their album The Husky Tenor changed my life. <3 Their music is great - they have like, sixteen people "in the band," who just intermittently show up to record stuff on weird instruments - and the lyrics are really insightful and catchy, and Mike's voice is so sweet and weird and honest. They're an amazing group of musicians, and every one of you would do well to have this album.

The Husky Tenor - mediafire.com/?0jykjtw2dwc
http://www.purevolume.com/endlessmikeandthebeagleclub

3. Joss Whedon.
Okay, so he's not a band, but his music is so fantastic! :D I've been listening to the soundtrack to "Once More With Feeling," the musical episode of Buffy, for a month and a half now. It's so creative and awesome. And Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog?! GENIUS. God, that man is just... well, God, kind of. XD Joss is boss, as Summer Glau famously said. And it is true. Go download the soundtrack to Dr. Horrible and tell me he's not a genius. Actually, don't, because if you don't think Joss Whedon is a genius, we can't be friends. XD (I'm kidding.)

http://whedonesque.com

4. Lady Gaga.
I am no longer ashamed to admit that I love me some Gaga. :D At first, I resisted, but I was converted. She has a pretty decent voice, and her songs, while not genius-level, certainly are catchy and fun. But the real appeal of Madame Gaga, of course, is the costumery and craziness of the woman herself. She's a throwback to the days of Bowie, Madonna, and Prince. She's a show in and of herself. And that is really why people like her - or at least, why I do. She's fierce, and fabulous, and utterly unafraid to be herself, and who cares about the people who don't think you should wear thirteen-inch heels and rhinestones glued to your face to go to the grocery store, SHE'S gonna do it ANYWAY. (Also, "Bad Romance" is RIDICULOUSLY catchy!) <3 Gaga <3

http://www.ladygaga.com

5. She and Him.
Zooey Deschanel sings. Who needs to hear more? :D No really, she has an amazing voice, all lilting and sweet and easy. Their first album was covers, while their second is original stuff, and both are amazing. Aside from her being adorable and a pretty decent actress, this girl can sing.

http://www.sheandhim.com



TOP 5 BANDS OF ALL TIME

1. The Beatles.
... It's the Beatles, dude. ANYONE'S bands of all time should include them.

2. Weezer.
Nerd rock at it's best. The Blue Album and Pinkerton will always remind me of high school and certain people, and will probably always make me either laugh or cry. Weezer is just too cool. <3

3. The Decemberists.
This band is just ridiculous. They are so good it HURTS sometimes. Their lyrics, their music, Colin Meloy's warbly little voice... it's just too much. Instantly a classic, I don't think I'll ever stop listening to this band.

4. The Smiths.
The pinnacle of high school misfit rock, the most famous band no one's ever heard of, the band made infinite by The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Smiths will always have a place in my heart. Morrissey is an amazing singer, and his lyrics are somehow both strikingly poetic and painfully straightforward. The Smiths are one of those bands that are classic high school weird kid bands, and I guess the weird high schooler in me will never give them up.

5. Ozma.
Another one of those bands that will always bring back high school memories for me. I love this band. They're also obscure - I'm always surprised when anyone else knows who they are. But they have some amazing songs. They're a little like Weezer, which might be why I love them so much, but their lyrics are so clever and sweet that it's clear they have a voice of their own. Rockin' tunes, ballads, amazing solos, gut-wrenching choruses, heart-gripping vocals... these guys rock out loud. They're fantastic. <3 I love me some Ozma, and I probably always will.

Oh my god, that was hard. XD It's all subject to change, anyway. Who can really pick a top 5 favorite anything and stick with it? My favorites change all the time. But this is but the first installment in a series of Top 5s. Next, possibly, books! :D That won't be hard at all, right? O_o