day 29 – it’s all about the music, all day, every day

I was put to the test the other day; a High Fidelity challenge of sorts.  I was asked to name the best rock & roll band of all time.  All.  Time.  People.  My brain nearly hemorrhaged at the thought of it.  Let me put this in perspective for you.  In my world, choosing only one favorite band is like choosing between having your fingers or your toes cut off.  The answer is neither but it’s not the kind of choice you ever have to make.  Luckily, the question was limited to “rock & roll”, which isn’t really the genre of music I listen to regularly.  Had I been asked to name the best band of all time or the best album ever made, my brain would have surely short-circuited and I’d be lying lifeless on the floor.

But you throw a challenge my way and all good sense flies out the window and I seem to be incapable of resisting (case in point… I’ve made it to day 29 of this insufferable nablopomo challenge) so I took the bait and banged my head against the wall for many hours.

Greatest rock & roll band of all time, eh?  Well, I’m pretty sure these bands would top most lists: Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Doors… and although they are indeed legendary… they are not my favorite rock & roll band of all time.   As a 33-year old, rock & roll begins in the 80s for me (I know, sacrilege right?). So I guess I would have to say U2.  They have been reinventing themselves since the 80s and have consistently pumped out new sounds over the years.  The voice, the riffs, the lyrics and Bono, what more can I say?  Sure, it’s clean rock and roll without the sex and the drugs… but if there is going to be rock & roll in my collection, U2 will be leading the pack.

And this is totally non sequitur, but since we’re on my favorite topic (music) and I just got back from a run… here is a band that will kick your ass into high gear.  Should you ever need a boost, Metric does the trick for me every time.  I saw this band at the Osheaga Festival; the lead singer wore an shiny electric blue skin-tight mini dress on stage and she was rocking it.  I think I would like to be her for a day.

Monster Hospital (the video is a little freaky but let me tell you, this song will make you run faster than Forrest)
Empty (don’t let the slow beginning fool you)
Dead Disco (if you don’t move to this, you might be a little dead inside so you may want to check your pulse)

Speaking of moving, I’m going dancing with my friend Sylvia tonight.  Woot!  It’s her birthday today and not just any birthday.  Syl is joining the 30’s club.  A girl needs to drink a cosmo and bust a move on her 30th, wouldn’t you say?  I wish her the very best birthday and year and decade and life a girl could ever ask for.  I love you, sweets!  This one is for you.