Paul's Top 10 Favorite Bands

I'm going to try to rack my brain and rank my top ten on several different things. Why? Because I've always wanted to see what I'd pick if I committed to it. And my website has gone out of date and its time to freshen it up a bit. So, let's start this installment with my top ten bands of all time.

NOTE: this is all subject to change, perhaps when I go to listen to my MP3 collection and remember a band that I'd forgotten. Caveat Emptor!

Paul's Top 10 Bands

10. Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg

I'd be lying if I didn't put this dynamic duo on my list. At the peak of West Coast gangsta rap Dr. Dre left NWA to introduce the world to Snoop Dogg. Dre dropped the beats, and Snoop wrote the lyrics--a combination that will probably never be matched. Regardless of Snoop's goofy appearance, he knew how to write catchy lyrics that stuck inside your head like brain peanut butter. To top it off, Dr. Dre used synthesizers and mixers to create a delicious blend of heavy bass lines that upheld a shrill, yet catchy melody line. The album to buy is The Chronic, relased in 1992.

9. dc Talk

These guys started out as a cheesy Christian rap group in the 80's and early 90's, who fired up the Christian kids with tunes like "Luv is a Verb" and "Time Ta Jam" (Insert spoon for gagging). In 1995, they changed directions and released Jesus Freak, their first alternative rock album. It is jam-packed with great song after great song--even Rolling Stone magazine gave the album four stars, after mocking the content. The worst thing about it, however, is the band was never able to duplicate their success on their later efforts.

8. Cake

Bands with a sense of humor are rare in these days of pre-packaged radio-friendly pop stars. But Cake (along with Weezer and Presidents of the USA) have stayed true to their goofy roots. Of the three listed, though, Cake is able to deliver a strong underlying message with the oft-funny lyrics--one that you may not discover for weeks after you started listening to the song. My favorite song by Cake is the first one I ever heard--Rock 'N Roll Lifestyle. The song pokes fun at the music industry and her rabid fans (who don't even realize how open their mouths are as the recording industry markets junk down their throats).

7. Caedmon's Call/Derek Webb

I could go on and on about this band. I could mention their Young Life connections, as my Work Crew boss at YL's Frontier Ranch, Kit Sublett, was the YL leader for many of the Caedmon's members down Houston way. I could talk about Derek Webb's reformed influence on the band's songs and how he has broken away from CC to sound a warning to the modern church. I could talk about their amazing ability to create songs with some of the deepest lyrics I've ever heard out of the CCM industry. All these things are great, but I'd have to say the main reason I like this band is their incredibly beautiful, catchy, songs. Derek Webb here gets my admiration, too, because of the risk he's taken to demand church reform. Check out his website: http://www.derekwebb.com, especially the "Press" section.

6. Counting Crows

When I first saw the video for Mr. Jones on MTV as a high school sophomore, I thought to myself, "Dude, get a grip." But it didn't take long before I was singing the song in my head and anticipating the next time MTV would air the video (back then MTV focused on playing these things called music videos). I bought August and Everything After and eventually knew every song by heart. What grabbed me was lead singer Adam Duritz's creative lyrics--he had some unorthodox ways of communicating his message--you had to think outside the box to understand what he was saying. I even wrote a song to Adam Duritz, called "Adam," for my band Satellite 77. You can hear the song here.

5. Beatles

I apologize that I don't have this incredible band up higher, but I have to rank these bands based on how much I listen to them. But I squeezed this band in at number five. However, I'll admit that the Fab Four is the best band of all time. No one has ever accomplished what they have. On April 4, 1964, the Beatles held ALL of the Top Five slots on Billboard's chart: (1) Can't Buy Me Love (2) Twist and Shout (3) She Loves You (4) I Want To Hold Your Hand (5) Please Please Me. A week later, April 4, 1964, had the Beatles holding FOURTEEN of Billboard's Hot 100 Chart. Case Closed.

4. Nirvana

In the early nineties, my exclusive music style of choice was Rap. Gangsta Rap. I hated "white music," especially anything that resembled heavy metal. Guns N Roses seemed like a whiny group of white trash that was good at nothing else but pretending like they were tough. Since I grew up in rural Nebraska, I was subjected to every form of white poseur rock imaginable in the football weight room. That is where I heard "In Bloom" for the first time. The bass line was in my head for two full days after hearing it! I was singing it to my sister after getting off the bus! I had seen the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, and I thought it was sorta acceptable, but the bass line from "In Bloom" was what sold me. I was hooked on Nirvana from that point on. They were my favorite band of all time up until I graduated from college.

3. Pedro the Lion

I first heard about Pedro in 2000 after reading an article about the most promising bands of the year. I downloaded "Simple Economics" from Napster and gave them a listen. I thought it was okay, but I liked Coldplay (the other band mentioned in the article) better. Soon I didn't listen to them too much. Then I heard "The Secret of the Easy Yoke" featured on one of my favorite radio programs, The White Horse Inn. They mentioned that Pedro's founding member, David Bazan, is a Reformed Christian, and shares many of the same principles of the hosts of the show. I knew I had to give them a second chance. So I bought the "It's Hard to Find a Friend" album online and was absolutely blown away! Then a few weeks later Pedro came to Omaha and I caught their humble show. It was such a great set, and Bazan was a capable mouthpiece. Many Christians will object to Bazan's music and content. He (*gasp*) uses naughty language on his albums, but when one understands what Bazan is trying to say, you'd see that the words fit perfectly. My favorite song right now is "Magazine" by Pedro the Lion.

2. Five Iron Frenzy

In 1996 I bought Upbeats and Beatdowns, FIF's first album. Every song ruled! I was just getting into ska music because it blended humor, rap, and hardcore rock with horns (I played trumpet in High School). It was everything I loved in music rolled into one. Five Iron Frenzy was the funniest of the Christian ska offerings, and the "bounciest." Every album they've released has improved upon previous offerings, too, which is all too rare in the music industry. I got to finally see them live in 2002 in Des Moines shortly before they broke up. Reese, the lead singer, came out dressed up as a fat Elvis and the band kept us laughing until the end of the set. FIF will always be one of my favorite bands, I'm sad that they've broken up.

1. The O.C. Supertones

This was a tough choice, but I have to give the top prize to the Orange County Supertones. Why? There are so many reasons, the best reason is their incredible range. This is a band that plays pensive music, funny music, rockin' music, mellow music, rap, punk, and raggae. Each member of the band has mastered his instrument and they have a lot to say. On top of all that, they are Reformed! They'll even read from the Westminster Confession at their shows. Some other cool stuff: I'm originally from Orange County, California, the Supertones hometown. My friend Brook Berney and I won a lip sync contest performing "Adonai" together. I've seen them in concert three times, and every show was incredible. If you like fun music, you could do worse than giving the O.C. Supertones a listen.

Honorable Mention

Weezer, Presidents of the USA, Rich Mullins, Jars of Clay, Stone Temple Pilots, Credence Clearwater Revival, Eagles, PFR, Outkast, Led Zeppelin, Tribe Called Quest, Garth Brooks.

Last modified about about 7 years ago.

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Paul's Top 10 Favorite Bands

Paul's Top 10 Bands

Honorable Mention

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