Top 5 Favourite Bands

[KagePrototype]

I'm curious as to what sort of music people are into, and although there are already a couple of threads on this, I thought I'd put a new spin on things. Basically, what I'm asking is that people list their top 5 favourite bands (no particular order), but this is boring on it's own. so, in addition to this, I ask that people include a short description of what they sound like, as well as any relevant links to official sites or samples of music (keep it all legal though ), and if you can, any recommendations (though keep the lists short if you can).

This way, people will be exposed to music they haven't listened to before, which I think is something we should encourage on these forums. Listing a bunch of bands is all well and good, but actually giving links, descriptions and recommendations should help encourage people to check them out and try new things.

I'll get it started then.

A Perfect Circle
Description: Very haunting, slightly progressive organic rock, without all the pretentiousness you might expect. Fronted by Maynard James Keenan, the lead-singer from Tool.
Recommendations: Imagine, Pet, Weak and Powerless, 3 Libras
Listen to songs: http://www.aperfectcircle.com/

Deftones
Description: Cure-influenced Metal, manages to be haunting and incredibly heavy at the same time. For fans of modern rock music.
Recommendations: Change (in the house of flies), Elite, Be Quiet and Drive (far away), Minerva
Listen to songs: http://www.amazon.com/

Nine Inch Nails
Description:: Emotional Industrial music, influenced by progressive 80s and 70s rock and industrial dance. Quite dark, but musically divergent.
Recommendations: Heresy, A Warm Place, La Mer, Terrible Lie
Listen to songs: http://www.amazon.com/

Tool
Description: Very dark, intelligent hard-rock, completely unique. Fronted by Maynard James Keenan, who's voice is able to melt concrete within seconds.
Recommendations: Sober, Lateralus, Reflection, Hooker With a Penis
Listen to songs: http://www.toolband.com/

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
Descriptions: Zombie-goth-punk-rock insanity, includes a southern hick impersonator from Brighton. Not as popular as they ought to be.
Recommendations: Mister Mental, Chicken, Presidential Wave, I Could Be An Angle
Listen to songs: http://www.eightiesmatchbox.com/

Your turn.

 

[Bad^Hat]

A Perfect Circle
Description: Very haunting, slightly progressive organic rock, without all the pretentiousness you might expect. Fronted by Maynard James Keenan, the lead-singer from Tool.
Recommendations: Imagine, Pet, Weak and Powerless, 3 Libras
Listen to songs: http://www.aperfectcircle.com/

Arg, credit where credit's due. The real talent behind APC is guitarist Billy Howerdel. Most of their material he composed while he was the guitar tech for NIN. Also, Josh Freese is a madman

A Perfect Circle
Description: As above.
Recommendations: Blue, The Noose, The Outsider, Vanishing, Three Libras... Another song from Mer De Noms, don't recall the name (just get both albums, you owe it to yourself)

Deftones
Description: As above.
Recommendations: Change, Digital Bath, 7 Words

Muse
Description: The drama queens of Rock Radiohead inspired but still one of a kind. Over the top, but at times almost ethereal... maybe a little repetitive but if you're into them this won't get to you. You've probably already heard their newer stuff, but the first two albums are well worth the listen, if a little harder to get into.
Recommendations: Everything! Space Dementia or Bliss is a good place to start.
Listen to songs: http://www.muse.mu/

Incubus
Description: If you haven't heard them, I don't know what to say to you. They are definitely very easy to write off as another mainstream pop rock band, but once you get past that train of thought you might find you actually like them.
Recommendations: Redefine, The Warmth, Zee Deveel, SICK SAD LITTLE WORLD!!!!
Listen to songs: http://www.enjoyincubus.com/

Edit - I didn't really do the Top 5 thing as my favourites are constantly changing, I just posted a couple bands I like, might do some more later.

 

[ankalar]

Queen - Art Rock/Hard Rock
Description: Freddie Mercury was one of, if not the, greatest frontmen of all time. People know Queen for Bohemian Rhapsody, which still is one of the greatest rock songs of all time. From screaming vocals and guitar to soft, slow ballads, Queen has done it all. The orchestrated and epic songs of Brian May and Freddie Mercury have propelled hard rock to new levels and inspired many.
Recommendations: The Prophet's Song, Bohemian Rhapsody, Death on Two Legs, Sail Away Sweet Sister, Dragon Attack, Save Me.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Blues Rock/Classic Rock
Description: In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring distortion. He had considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B, and rock styles.
Recommendations: Voodoo Chile, Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Pali Gap, Gypsy Eyes, All Along the Watchtower, Little Wing.

Dream Theater - Progressive Metal
Description: The technically proficient guitar playing John Petrucci has elevated Dream Theater to the upper echelon of contemporary heavy metal. While its lineup has continuously evolved, the Long Island-based quintet has consistently delivered sharp-edged music. All band members are some of the most technically proficient players of their instruments. In the case of John Petrucci on guitar and Mike Portnoy on drums, there is no one that can play as well as them.
Recommendations: A Change of Seasons (this song will pretty much tell you what you can expect from Dream Theater), The Dance of Eternity, The Glass Prison.

Jeff Beck - Blues Rock/Jazz Fusion/Instrumental Rock
Description: While he was as innovative as Jimmy Page, as tasteful as Eric Clapton, and nearly as visionary as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck never achieved the same commercial success as any of his contemporaries, primarily because of the haphazard way he approached his career. After Rod Stewart left the Jeff Beck Group in 1971, Beck never worked with a charismatic lead singer who could have helped sell his music to a wide audience. Furthermore, he was simply too idiosyncratic, moving from heavy metal to jazz-fusion within a blink of an eye.
Recommendations: Full Albums: Blow By Blow or Wired (jazz fusion), Truth (blues rock), Guitar Shop and You Had It Coming (instrumental rock).

Children of Bodom - Power/Black/Speed Metal
Description: Heavy guitar riffs, blazing solos, and screaming vocals. Just...wow.
Recommendations: Bed of Razors, Angels Don't Kill, Follow the Reaper, Lake Bodom.

Honorable Mentions
Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Yes, Rage Against the Machine, Traffic, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Cream.

 

[sublidieminal]

Incubus
Description: If you haven't heard them, I don't know what to say to you. They are definitely very easy to write off as another mainstream pop rock band, but once you get past that train of thought you might find you actually like them.

Good Point. I just finished listening to "Here in my room" from them, I just noticed that track. Im surprised nobody has mentioned 311 yet, i have tons of respect for them and their originality. Original bands are the best ones if you havent alreayd noticed.

EDIT- Im waiting to see someone scream "OmGF Goud Sharlotte is the bEst PUNK BAND EVER!!! PUNK RAWK!!"

 

[Bad^Hat]

Also for Dream Theater, check out the songs - Metropolis (Pt 1), Home, Blind Faith, Misunderstood and Fatal Tragedy.

Oh yeah, Mike Portnoy is an amazing drummer, but as far as technical prowess goes there are many who surpass him. He's regarded by some as the most overrated drummer ever, but that spot is reserved for Lars Ulrich

Mike is still excellent and has a great feel for Dream Theater's music. John Petrucci, however, is a master of the art.

 

[Crushenator 500]

I dont usually listen to specific bands, but these are the sort of bands where practically all the songs are good

Iron Maiden - Metal
Great band, good music, and good vocals
go to the albums section on www.ironmaiden.com for samples and see for yourself

Black Sabbath - Metal
Another great band, if you're into the whole 'buying music' thing, then they have a best of cd (double disk) that i would say to get

Led Zeppelin - Rock
A diverse selection of songs, most of wich are great
a good compilation disk, is led zeppelin - remasters, another double disk

Pink Floyd - Rock (?)
It's own genre, a great band to relax to, with calming vocals, and good guitar solos
although others will probably disagree with me, and say 'dark side of the moon' or something, i think a good cd's 'Echoes: the best of Pink Floyd'

Nirvana - Rock/ Grunge
I dont think i've got to explain this one, but i reccomend the songs come as you are, dumb, polly, plateau, lithium and breed, amongst others

Honorable Mentions
Jimi Hendrix, The verve, Ac/Dc, The beatles, Oasis

 

[$pazmatazz]

Smashing pumpkins - intelligent rock. their best cd in my opinion is: mellon collie and the infinite sadness.

Zwan - considering their fronted by Billy Corgan (like the Smashing Pumpkins), their one and only album is suprisingly upbeat and religious. when it came out I put it in my car stereo thinking I wouldn't like it a whole lot, and it didn't come out for 6 months. thier cd is mary star of the sea

Radiohead - know how there are bands out there that have a frontman who thinks and creates music differently than anyone else, and that's what makes the band great? all 5 of these guys seem to be able to do this, and they function as this single incredibly genius unit. ok computer is arguably their best album, but I really like where they went after that with: kid a and amnesiac.

metallica - everyone knows what metallica is all about.

I also agree Queen is awesome.

 

[Prince of China]

(In no particular order)
Disturbed
Queens of the Stone Age
Linkin Park
Sum 41
Red Hot chili peppers
And I have tons more, but this is top 5 favourite bands.

 

[Fat Tony!]

Rocket from the crypt: quality punk, with an older sounding lead singer, it sounds completely the opposite to some of the pop punk around. This is real punk

Pretty girls make graves : Sharing the name of a the smiths song. Female lead singer, great voice , good rock. However there are some songs that sound a lot like linkin park stuff you have to learn to avoid it.

Nightwish: I thought they were good, then crap and now i think they are great. A opera sounding lead singer with a gothic metal type sound to it.

Metallica: Metal!

Bad religion: They can be a bit plain and simple but its just down to earth punk rock and i like it.

 

[Kristafon]

Muse- See above

Coldplay- British rock, relaxed with plenty of piano. Guess you heard of them. Songs- Shiver, Clocks.

Keane- A band with a Pianist, Vocalist and Drummer, and thats it. Very good love songs. Songs- Somewhere only we know. Bedshaped.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers- Errr... rock/funk. Should already know.

Franz Ferdinand- Scottish punk/pop band. Unique sound and vocals, very good guitar. Songs-Take me out. Matinee.

 

[Incitatus]

In no particular order

AC/DC
Angus Young is the greatest rock guitarist I have ever heard

Rolling Stones

Jimi Hendrix experience

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
In this guitarists opinion the greatest guitarist that ever lived,
influenced by among others Hendrix but surpassing him.

Metallica (early stuff anything after the black album doesn't count)

honorable mentions:

Iron Maiden
Aerosmith
Deep Purple
Dire Straits
Guns and Roses
Dio
Judas Priest

 

[She]

well.. lets see..

Nine Inch Nails - beacuse he's a f****ng genius
Deftones - legendary
Incubus - until make yourself
APC/Tool - a little
Nobuo Uematsu - with love
jamiroquai - is this funk?

 

[Ecthe|ioN]

(In no particular order)
Soilwork
In Flames
KoRn
Slipknot
Children of Bodom
Metallica
Atreyu
Illdisposed
Rammstein
Rob Zombie
Marilyn Manson

oops.. forgot it was top 5

 

[thorvale the red]

No particular order here:

Opeth: They have an awesome singer with a beautiful voice. Their guitar work is so complex and amazing. I suggest listening to their CD "Damnation". Before that they were more do0m metal - like, but still ruled.

Fear Factory: My favorite out of all of these bands by far. Every CD they put out just gets better. The top 3 FF albums would be "Demanufacture", "Obsolete", and "Archetype", IMO. Some of the best heavy music you could listen to.

Katatonia: These guys just rock. In as few words as possible, they just rock.

Ween: Ok, you just CAN NOT deny the comical genious of Ween. These guys make the most bizarre and varied music I've ever heard.

Deftones: These guys are just awesome. Their self-titled rocked, but I still think "Around The Fur" remains their best album yet.

 

[merc]

Rammstein
Metallica
Guns N Roses
Muse
System of A Down

-merc

 

[JFry]

Nirvana- Just plain good music. His music was a reflection of his life instead of the other way around.
NIN- Very profound lyrics mixed with very artistic, expressive music.. win/win.
Bob Marley- Soul music at its best. Makes you feel good!
Kool Keith- Highly inventive lyricist. Truly pushes the boundry between madman/genius.
Blackalicious- A man with many aliases. Creative and positive lyrics blended with interesting beats.

Man it's hard to come up with just 5, and these are always changing, like most people.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Nirvana- Just plain good music. His music was a reflection of his life instead of the other way around.

Yeah, except for that whole "I don't have a gun" thing.

 

[Sparta]

Thursday
Awesome, awesome, awesome emo band. Their first album was ok, then they came out with the song "Jet Black New Year" and since then, they've been the best band i've heard in years.

Jimmy Eat World
Another awesome emo band. I've been listening to their new album "Futures" for weeks now and i just love it to death.

Foo Fighters
One by One is easily their best album as well as their darkest. Everything about them rocks.(especially Taylor)

Rage Against The Machine
Need I say more?

The Presidents of the USA
The best rock band of the nineties. They weren't young try-hard punks like The Strokes or anything, they were old guys who knew how to rock, and they did.

 

[ailevation]

:cheers: Who likes sage?

I love the Molemen!! Their shit is tight!

 

[othello]

1. Blindside (the best voice in the business. the man can go from singing to screaming effortlessly. they have a wide variety of sounds, from a somewhat screamo, to metal, to hardcore, etc. they are a completely awesome band and i recommend every CD theyve ever made.)

2. The Mars Volta (oh shit... what a 1337 band. fusion rock at its finest. not only did they use flea from RHCP to record their cd, but they just have an awesome drummer and lead singer. one of the best bands ever, imo. and their entire cd is a musical interpretation of their friend who was in a coma, woke up, realized this world sucks, and killed himself. :O)

3. Muse (i think enough has been said about these guys already... they took radiohead as inspiration and have completely blown them out of the water. not even a comparison anymore... muse pwns.)

4. Built To Spill (the original indie rockers! lol. their music is fun as well as unique. very talented musicians and a very cool sound all around. the best band to skateboard to. )

5. Evanescence (diss them all you want, their new-age noir goth rock, coupled with her vocals and piano, is just freakin' awesome... especially on a system with a good woofer. i recommend their fallen cd, to be sure, but i strongly recommend their older material suchs as origin and various EP's. oh yeah... and she is ****ing HOTT!)

 

[P-Lo]

Man, it's so hard to narrow the many choices in music to a single top 5 list, but here it goes.

1. Korn/Deftones
2. Tool/Dredg
3. Isis/Neurosis
4. Fear Factory/Nine Inch Nails
5. The Mars Volta/Eighteen Visions/Zao

Lots of ties, but I tried. :x

 

[z-layrex]

Mahumodo
Slipknot
Machine Head
Killswitch Engage
From Autumn to Ashes

 

[Doppelgofer]

i like a lot of music...i've been getting into floyd recently but i'm starting to bum the killers a lot

those guys don't get the recognition they deserve and instead franz ferdinand get the limelight when i don't think theyre out special

 

[f|uke]

Tool (APC is good too)
Foo Fighters (Dave is the man for stepping up to the plate after Kurts death)
Fluke (Best f'n techno music ever. Download "Ok", "Risotto", or "Puppy")
The Strokes (Damn their trendy asses for being so talented)
Nirvana (Dont listen to them anymore, but they seriously changed my life)

Honerable Mentions: The Beatles. Pearl Jam. Powerman 5000. Ministry. Lush. Pixies. Cranes. Coldplay + much more.

 

[Jackal hit]

Tool
Fear Factory
Mudvayne
Lacuna Coil
Offspring


since it's only a list of 5...
ummm
bands that i want to include are soulfly, old sepultura, stabbing westward, chevelle, APC

 

[`unreal]

MUUUSSSEE PWNZ - altho i do not like alternative or rock or anything really, they are an exception. they really are so good, and my fav song is probably 'Stockholm Syndrome' because its so expressive

bt yea also hoobastank are cool... the reason gives me sweet memories because it reminds me of the love i met.... during my vacation lol :naughty: - she is the chick in my deviant art avatar... but i seein her again in 2 yrs time....


SO YEA Muse and Hoobastank

 

[oldfaq]

Motorhead
Iron Maiden
U.D.O.
Metallica
The Misfits

 

[oldagerocker]

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Feel good music, makes me happy anyway, best album - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Radiohead - As above, great lyrics, great sound, good easy listening. Best Album : Pablo Honey
The Cure - I'd never heard this band before and i recent got their greatest hits. I think they are great, superb lyrics. Album : Greatest Hits
Muse - Deep, often emotional rock but with some really infectious beats :naughty: Best Album : Showbiz
REM - Easy listening, soft rock. The new album around the sun is fantastic Best Album : Automatic For the People

Also worth a mention are the Stereophonics, Keane, Metallica and Snow Patrol.

 

[PyroGurl]

Rammstein - best live shows EVER...show me another band that straps flamethrowers to guitars

BB King- best black artist ever, also best blues guitarist

Zemfira- mmm.***ssian pop...

megaherz- like rammstein, but not

Bohsen Onkelz- they may be quitting, but there always be Germany's premier rock band and have a great sound

 

[manboy86]

Beck
Description: A crazy, poetic, bizarre little man, his albums skip from one genre to the next (cept for his more consistently sounding later albums). Man get everyone at your party drunk and/or stoned and even the most hardcore gangster rapper or metalhead will be grooving to Beck.
Recommendations: Mellow Gold, Odelay.. if you like move onto Mutations.

Neil Young
Description: What genre is Neil even? Old hippie rock, hehe. I can drive for hours and hours just flipping the old tape of Harvest and After the gold rush. A voice you need to love though, if you don't love it, it'll drive you nuts.
Recommendations: Harvest, After the gold rush

Sonic Youth
Description:: How can you describe Sonic Youth? They've barely changed their sound since they formed, and after so many bloody albums you'd think it would get boring.. but it doesnt.
Recommendations: Washing Machine, Murray Street

King Tubby
Description: King Tubby - King of Dub! Everything by Tubby is fecking genius. Bloody ridiculous album and song titles, though, but that's half the fun of dub reggea.
Recommendations: King Tubby Meets Scientists In A World of Dub, Whip Them!

U2
Descriptions: I don't like their later stuff much, but the first few albums by them, and lately their latest stuff, i just can't get enough of. I used to go out with a girl absolutely obsessed with U2 and i took an interest, and feck, War, Boy and October are just absolutely wicked, they caught me on the first listen. I'd like to say 'why didnt they keep that sound?', but if they did, chances are they wouldn't of gotten as popular as they are. but i still love it.
Recommendations: Boy, War, October... How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is pretty wicked too, but i only got that today.

 

[Absinthe]

Aphex Twin
Description: Electronica genius. Ranges from ambient to break-kneck BPM's and loud "**** you" sounds. Rarely sounds the same. Has a large ego and is a bit of an asshole, but his music is still great.
Reccomendations: Xtal, Blue Calx, Milkman, Alberto Balsalm, Ziggomatic 17, Girl/Boy Song, Windowlicker, Come to Daddy

Squarepusher
Description: Great DnB artist that's also very proficient with live instruments (Bass guitar and drums). Older works focus more on jazz fusion. Later works put more emphasis on the absolutely insane drum beats and breaks that screw with your head. His last album, Ultravisitor, shows off his ability to construct beautiful melodies and showcase all of his talents.
Reccomendations: Tundra, Beep Street, Go! Spastic, Ultravisitor, District Line II, Tetra-Sync, My ****ing Sound, Come On My Selector

Nine Inch Nails
Description: One-man band. Dark industrial rock, but is greatly divergent with the music he creates. Some may dislike the angsty lyrics, but he really shines when it comes to his studio wizardry. Ranges from soft ballads to orchestrated chaos.
Reccomendations: Gave Up, Wish, Closer, The Becoming, Hurt, Burn, Just Like You Imagined, La Mer, The Wretched, Into The Void

Radiohead
Description: Alternative rock that has made leaps and bounds since its debut album. While many consider OK Computer to be its magnum opus, I've found myself more attracted to the synth-laden works that are more recent, such as Kid A, Amnesiac, and Hail to the Thief.
Reccomendations: Airbag, Paranoid Android, Kid A, Everything In Its Right Place, In Limbo, Pyramid Song, Like Spinning Plates, Myxamatosis, Backdrifts, How To Disappear Completely

Can't think of a fifth one right now. Too many to choose from.

 

[Septih]

current top 5

Muse
awesome guitar/bass/drums/piano music, everything seems right when performed by muse.
listen to: Hysteria, Citizen Erased, Showbiz, Sunburn

Keane
the band without a guitar...so what. great catchy music sung brilliantly
listen to: somewhere only we know, To the end of the earth

Thirteen Senses
Kinda like Keane only a little weirder and less to the point
listen to: Do No Wrong, Automatic

Franz Ferdinand
Weird weird people, but very good
listen to: Auf Achse, Darts of pleasure

Maroon 5
catchy pop stuff, could have been done by a manufactured boy band but its not, and it's so much better
listen to: Through with you, She will be loved

 

[m0nk]

Jimmy Eat World
great rockband, fast and slow songs but always very good
listen to: bleed american (whole album), pain, lucky denver mint, claire

Green Day
i guess everybody knows them
listen to: jesus of suburbia, boulevard of broken dreams, basket case, minority, espionage, welcome to paradise

Sublime
the best ska/punk/reggae-combo, the singer/guitarist died in 1996 :C
listen to: date rape, dj's, santeria, wrong way, jailhouse, under my voodoo, caress me down

Die Ärzte & Sportfreunde Stiller
Two german rock-combos,
listen to:
schrei nach liebe, unrockbar, schunder-song, zu spät (die ärzte)
heimatlied, auf der guten seite, ungewöhnlich, ein kompliment (sportfreunde stiller)

 

[Kristafon]

current top 5

Muse
awesome guitar/bass/drums/piano music, everything seems right when performed by muse.
listen to: Hysteria, Citizen Erased, Showbiz, Sunburn

Keane
the band without a guitar...so what. great catchy music sung brilliantly
listen to: somewhere only we know, To the end of the earth

Thirteen Senses
Kinda like Keane only a little weirder and less to the point
listen to: Do No Wrong, Automatic

Franz Ferdinand
Weird weird people, but very good
listen to: Auf Achse, Darts of pleasure

Maroon 5
catchy pop stuff, could have been done by a manufactured boy band but its not, and it's so much better
listen to: Through with you, She will be loved

Wow Your the man. You even included Thirteen Senses, i think were the only two people who actualy know about them! Yup a good list but id definatley replace 5 with coldplay

 

[Septih]

Wow Your the man. You even included Thirteen Senses, i think were the only two people who actualy know about them! Yup a good list but id definatley replace 5 with coldplay

i dunno, parachutes was good, but apart from clocks, the scientist and in my place, the last album wasn't really that brilliant

 

[DeusExMachina]

Neutral Milk Hotel
My favorite band ever. Give em a listen. Good stuff.
Modest Mouse
Second favorite band. You've probably seen their music videos "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty" on television. Download "The World At Large". One of my favorite songs ever.
Bright Eyes
Definetly my third favorite band. Beautiful lyrics and simple guitar and drums (with a few other instruments sometimes).
Queen
Queen! WOO. Freddie Mercury was indeed the greatest vocalist to ever live. Another band that wrote amazing lyrics and had very catchy music.
Cap'n Jazz
Last, but certainly not least, Cap'n Jazz. Download a song...ANY song. You will be very surprised...

Honorable Mentions
AC/DC, Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, The Misfits, AFI, Radiohead, The Decemberists, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mogwai, My Chemical Romance, Led Zeppelin, The Cure, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Atreyu, Underoath, Before My Eyes, Coheed and Cambria, Tiger Army, Poison the Well, American Nightmare, Give Up a Ghost, As I Lay Dying, Fountains of Wayne, The Flaming Lips, Elliot Smith, The Eagles, The Dandy Warhols, Cursive, Ad Astra Per Aspera, Alkaline Trio, Phantom Planet, Rilo Kiley, Simon and Garfunkle, Secret Machines, The Takeover U.K., The Beatles, Weezer, Wilco, The Who, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

 

[C-O-N-Spiracy]

A Perfect Circle
These guys are very impressive. My favorite songs by APC are Brena and Pet. Others songs to mention are: The Hollow, 3 Libras, Judith, Orestes, The Outsider, Vanishing, Blue, and Weak and Powerless.

Deftones
My most favorite band! Thats right! Chino Moreno is the SH**!
I love pretty much all their songs but most exceptional ones are:
Battle-Axe, Digital Bath, Around the Fur, Dai the Flu, My Own Summer, Hexagram, Minerva, Be Quiet and Drive.

Chevelle
Very good band, been around since, i wanna say '99. Their latest Album is awesome but their second one tops all.
Good songs: Point #1, Blank Earth, Comfortable Liar, The Red, Don't Fake This, Forfiet, Grab Thy Hand, Vitamin R, Get Some (most favorite song by chevelle), and Breach Birth.

Noise Therapy
An awesome not-so-mainstream band. Still consider these guys more underground simply because theyre not familiarized among most mainstream listeners. Have only one album out so far. Good band, a recommended listen.
Songs to note: Get-up, G-hole, Star69, Yesterday, Far Away, In My World, and Standing in the Dark (..the song that got me into these guys).

Trust Company
Another good, mostly Underground type, band. Might be familiar with the song: Downfall
Other Songs: Hover (The song that got me reeled in), Finally, Drop to Zero, Deeper Into You, Figure 8, Take It all.

Staind
I must admit, their first album didnt catch my attention that much, good band but just didnt stick right way. However, their 14 Shades of Gray Is a must have! This album is bad ass.
Good Songs: Zoe Jane (..the fish hook), So Far Away, How Bout You.

Cold
Hard to compare this band to anyone else, unless you know of a band called Flaw, which is also another good band. This band brings back memories of my tour in Korea.
Recommended listenings: Rain Song (upbeat but sad song), Suffocate, Stupid Girl (most played song on radio), Change the World, End of the World, Remedy, Don't Belong, and It's All Good.

Other Good songs by other bands you might want to look into:

Smile Empty Soul: Bottom of a Bottle,
Switchfoot: Meant to Live, and Dare You to Move
Adema: Pain Inside, Freaking Out, The Way You Like It, and Speculum.

 

[Thursday]

Thursday
Awesome, awesome, awesome emo band. Their first album was ok, then they came out with the song "Jet Black New Year" and since then, they've been the best band i've heard in year.

Ok lets see whats wrong with that. First, Thursday is not emo. They are post-hardcore. Emo is stuff along the lines of Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie. Second Thursday has 3 CDs (where not going to count that hideous live CD) Waiting, Full Collapse and War All the Time. Not sure if you realized Waiting exists. Just wanted to clear that up! Anyway

Rage Against the Machine:
Basically take hip-hip style vocal beats and mix it up with crazy yet simple riffs created by Tom Morrello, who also manages to pull some crazy sounds out of his istrument.
Recommended Tracks: Down Rodeo Bullet in the Head New Millenium Homes.

Thursday
The band that started the whole post-hardcore explosion, only alot better than most bands in this genre. Great lyrics, simple yet intresting guitar work and amazing live shows.
Tracks: Autobiography of a Nation, In Transmission, Division Street

ehh im lazy and Im just gonna list alot of bands because i can't jsut do 5
Misery Signals
Funeral for a Friend
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Iron Maiden
Taking Back Sunday
Jimi Hendrix
Led Zepplin
Opeth
From Autumn to Ashes
Every Time I Die
The Dillinger Escape Plan
With Honor
Atreyu
Avenged Sevenfold
The Bled
Bleeding Through
Coheed and Cambria
Guns n' Roses
and more...

 

[C-O-N-Spiracy]

Other good songs:

Seether: Fine Again
Future Leaders of the World: Let Me Out
Alice In Chains: Nutshell
Pixies: Where Is My Mind
Story of The Year: Anthem Of Our Dying Day
Trapt: Headstrong, When All Is Said and Done
Finch: Letters to You, Post Script, [Untitled], What It Is To Burn, Without You Here, Awake

 

[Ennui]

#1 - Nine Inch Nails
What can I say? Trent Reznor is truely the man. You can't go wrong with brilliantly dark industrial/rock music that has beautiful lyrics to boot. Reznor is a master at putting the right sound at the right time and at making songs that sound like pure distortion to the untrained ear have the most beautiful melodies of all. I actually don't like Pretty Hate Machine nearly as much as The Fragile, Further Down the Spiral, and The Downward Spiral, which are my favorites. The various other Halos are great too though .
Recommendations: Heresy, La Mer (that drum part is absolutely perfect with the piano), Into the Void, Eraser, Mr. Self Destruct, The Art of Self Destruction Part One, Piggy, March of the Pigs, Star****ers Inc, The Fragile, The Day the World Went Away, Ripe (with decay)

#2 - Tool
Tool is pure genius. The band members work together as one musical entity with a level of absolute togetherness that I have never seen surpassed (except by Reznor, but he's one person). All four use their instruments, from voice to drums, to perfection. They have hard, angry rock, found on Opiate and Undertow, to melodic, artsy progressive titles (which I prefer) on Aenema (or is it Aenima? The song and the album are spelled differently and I don't remember which is which) and Lateralus.
Recommended: Third Eye, H., 46 & 2, Lateralus, Aenima, Eon Blue Apocalypse, Reflection, Disposition, Stinkfist, Pushit, Hooker with a Penis, Eulogy, Undertow, Sober, Opiate, The Gaping Lotus Experience

After those two, which are constant, my 3rd-5th picks change depending on my mood - Sublime, Bob Marley, various ska and reggae groups, and some of the newer ska/punk like the Suicide Machines, classic picks like Led Zeppelin (I have about 100 zepp songs on my ipod), Pink Floyd, real punk like the Dead Kennedys and Minor Threat, heavier music like Rage Against the Machine and Korn, plus lighter, 90's rock like Blind Melon.

There's probably dozens I'm forgetting, not only in those genres but also techno, classical, jazz, and more.

Oh yeah - I absolutely HATE with a fiery passion all of these fake punk rock groups like Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, etc. All of those retards that act like goths but then are all over MTV, etc... except Blink 182 and Green Day, which I liked a few years ago a LOT.