AOTW in the Past

I thought for our first post we would look back at the bands we have visited in the past. There are quite a few of these that I had not heard of before and are now a part of my every day playlist, some of them are from bands who are very well known, others are a touch more obscure. There is no one genre of music we listen to at AOTW. So take a look at the list of music below and let us know which of the following bands you remember listening to and if you have not heard of them before, what do you think of them? -Em

The Jezabels- Dark Storm 2010

"The Jezabels are an Australian indie rock band formed in Sydney in 2007. They consist of Nik Kaloper on drums, Samuel Lockwood on lead guitar, Hayley Mary (also known as Hayley Frances McGlone) onlead vocals, and Heather Shannon on piano and keyboard. They have described their genre as "intensindie" though later said that this was just a joke that they put up on a social networking site though people took them seriously." -Wikipedia

The Jezabels are one of the bands I mentioned above that I have put into my every day listening. Hayley Mary's vocals are unique and are instantly recognisable. The Jezabels lyrical content tackles more serious societal issues over their smooth and beautiful tracks. The Dark Storm EP only has 5 songs on it and I cannot pick one over any of the others. Have a listen for yourself.

Bad Meets Evil- Hell: The Sequal 2011

"Bad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo consisting of rappers Royce da 5'9" (Bad) and Eminem(Evil). Bad Meets Evil was formed in 1997 thanks to the duo's mutual friend, Proof. It was formed after Royce featured on the song "Bad Meets Evil" for Eminem's major label debut The Slim Shady LP(1999)." -Wikipedia

 Not everyone's cup of tea Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" team up for some out there, explicit heavy rap. I have been a fan of Eminem and the other groups he has been a part of since I first heard him back in my early teens when he was standing up with all the other Real Slim Shady's. One of the most popular tracks on the EP is one of the songs I absolutely hate- Lighters. One of my favourite tracks is Fast Lane, it's gritty and has that tone to it that instantly makes me think of Eminem's earlier work, in fact I think that's why I love this album so much. If the sticker on the album picture wasn't enough for you, this album has explicit content and themes so you have been warned.

Scarling- So Long, Scarecrow 2005

"Scarling. is an American noise pop band from Los Angeles, whose core members are Jessicka andChristian Hejnal-Addams. The band formed in 2002. They have released two albums, Sweet Heart Dealer and So Long, Scarecrow." - Wikipedia

Stevie Nicks- In Your Dreams 2011

"Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums. She was deemed "The Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll" and one of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" by Rolling Stone,^[1][2] and, as a member of Fleetwood Mac, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. As a solo artist, she has garnered eight Grammy Award nominations^[3] and, with Fleetwood Mac, a further five." - Wikipedia

Stevie Nicks is a voice I will never stop listening to. I am a huge Fleetwood Mac fan and when I found out she had released a solo album I just had to have it. The music from In Your Dreams is not going to break too much new ground in terms of her style, it is very Fleetwood Mac-ish and I have no problems with that.

Danzig- Self Titled 1988

"Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band is the musical outlet for singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig, preceded by the horror punk bands the Misfits andSamhain. They play in a bluesy doom-driven heavy metal style influenced by the early sound of Black Sabbath.^[1]" -Wikipedia

Hellsongs- Hymns in the Key of 666 2008

"Hellsongs are a three piece acoustic band from Sweden who produce covers of famous rock and metal songs in a very different style that they call 'lounge metal'.^[1] That means old metal classics performed with clear female vocals, soft guitars and organ." -Wikipedia

I must admit I had no idea what to expect when Toz first put up Hellsongs. What I got was a pleasant twist on some of my favourite songs. Hellsongs have done an amazing job of breaking down and wiping out the 'heavy' in these songs and literally turning them into soft hymns.

Apocolyptica- Inquisition Symphony 1998

"Apocalyptica is a Finnish metal band from Helsinki, Finland formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso (all three of whom are graduates of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki)^[1] and drummer Mikko Sirén. Originally a Metallicatribute band, their music borrows elements from a wide variety of genres including classical music,neoclassical metal,^{[citation needed]} speed metal, alternative metal,^[2] post-grunge, hard rock, progressive metal,^{[citation needed]} thrash metal and symphonic metal.^[2] They also incorporate some influences from Middle Eastern music, world music and folk music. They have sold over four million albums to date." -Wikipedia

Apocalyptica has become high up on my music priority list. I love how they have incorporated their traditionally classical instruments and made them into haunting metal makers. They have guest artists from a range of bands including Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour fame.

Imperial Leisure- The Art of Saying Nothing 2008

"From their humble beginnings as a college party band born out of school friendships, Alt-Ska band Imperial Leisure go from strength to strength, forever evolving their style but sticking true to their reputation for delivering fun and high energy live performances. It's just a whisker under 10 years since their first tour supporting hiphop all-stars Ugly Duckling: they rocked it then and they've kept on rocking it all the while since, supporting many bigger bands such as Roots Manuva, Less Than Jake and Young Blood Brass Band. With numerous festival appearances under their belt, the band have been wowing crowds all over the UK from the super-sized Glastonbury and Bestival to the more modest scaled affairs such as the family friendly Blissfields and the jewel of alternativeness that is 2000 Trees Festival." -From the Imperial Leisure Facebook Page

Another surprise for me, I didn't know anything about Imperial Leisure but I was instantly happy when their Ska beats hit my eardrums.

Slash- R&FnR 2010

"Saul Hudson (born July 23, 1965), better known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter.^[1] He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N' Roses, Slash formed the side project Slash's Snakepit. He then co-founded the supergroup Velvet Revolver, which re-established him as a mainstream performer in the mid to late 2000s. Slash has since released three solo albums, Slash (2010), featuring an all-star roster of guest musicians, Apocalyptic Love (2012) and World on Fire (2014) recorded with singer/guitaristMyles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, along with rhythm section Brent Fitz and Todd Kerns, known on the album as The Conspirators." -Wikipedia