Top 20 Bands (at this point in time)

I have wanted to do a list of my top twenty favorite bands for a while now. What you are about to read is my attempt to do so. While writing this I found common things that I enjoy about bands (so be prepared to hear about the bass or odd sounding vocals). I will include a short description on why I enjoy the band so much, my favorite album that they have put out, and a couple of great songs that give a representation of the band’s sound. 

20.Buzzcocks – Full of energy and upbeat instrumentals, this classic pop punk brought forth a sound that many bands would try to recreate. While many of the other early punk bands were yelling about their discontent with the government, the Buzzcocks instead focused on the hardships of romance which is a nice change of pace every once in a while.

Favorite Album: Another Music in a Different Kitchen

Great Songs: Fast Cars, Orgasm Addict, What Do I Get?, Harmony in My Head, Autonomy, No Reply, Sitting Round at Home, I Believe

19. The Dickies – The clown princes of punk rock have been churning out their absurd brand of tunes since 1977.  Leonard sounds like some sort of demented cartoon character singing about everything from human deformities, Satan, and his own penis coming to life. Another big part of their band is their fast punk covers of all types of different songs (their cover of Nights in White Satin is incredible). Grab some Hohos and Yoohoos and listen to one of the goofiest bands out there.

Favorite Album: Dawn of the Dickies

Great Songs: Fan Mail, Nights in White Satin, Magoomba, Mental Ward, You Drive Me Ape (You Big Gorilla), My Pop the Cop, Attack of the Mole Men, Going Homo, Let Me Out, Toxic Avenger, Got it at the Store

18. The Residents – While I honestly haven’t heard a majority of their albums (to be fair they have about 50 studio albums), this is one band that I just love for so many different reasons. This is a band that is surrounded by mystery which I am always attracted to. The band members do not let their identities be known, dress up in strange costumes for live performances, and play music with very little traditional structure. Their experimental brand of surreal sounds and words are highlighted in off the wall performances that mix their music with poetry, theatre, and visual arts (seriously if you have time check out their Wormword performance on Youtube).  While not the most listenable band( I have to be in the right mood) this is a band that I really respect and has had a large impact in my taste in media.

Favorite Album: Duck Stab

Great Songs: Suburban Bathers, Lizard Lady, Swastikas on Parade, Conseulo’s Departure, Spotted Pinto Bean, Semonila, Constantinople, The Act of Being Polite

17.The Wipers – These post punk legends out of Portland would pave the way for many musicians to come. I find them to be a much more personal band than most in the genre because while they have a very menacing feel to a lot of songs it always feels really genuine. Their DIY ethic is also really admirable as Greg Sage and company supposedly made a lot of their own equipment.

Favorite Album: Over the Edge

Great Songs: Doom Town, Up Front, When it’s Over, Way of Love, So Young, The Chill Remains, Let’s Go Away, Taking Too Long, Youth of America

16.Man Or Astroman? – This absurdly talented surf rock (with space rock and some punk thrown in for good measure) from Alabama embraces their space theme to the nth degree by constantly having samples from old science fiction films and using all kinds of strange instruments (everything from a Theremin to an entire song played out on an old printer). Not only do they have nine studio albums and countless EPS that are all enjoyable, but also have one of the most kinetic and entertaining live performances I have seen!

Favorite Album: Experiment Zero

Great Songs: Television Fission, Reverb 1000, Shockwave, Um Espectro Sem Escala, The Miracle of Genuine Pyrex, A Mouthful of Exchaust, Interstellar Hardrive, Test Driver, As Estrelas Agora Elas Estao Mortas, Breathing Iron Oxide

15. The Dicks – Closely related to another band on this list not only because they had a split together, but also in that they both were from Austin Texas, had openly gay lead singers, brought hardcore punk to new levels by mixing genres, and were just overall incredible.  Gary Floyd is one of my heroes as not only was he an openly gay man in a genre that at the time had its fair share of homophobia but also dressed in drag. Crazy garage punk backs the wildly political lyrics speaking against war, the police, homophobia.

Favorite Album: Kill From the Heart

Great Songs: Rich Daddy, Lifetime Problems, Kill From the Heart, Right Wing/White Wing, George Jackson, I Hope You Get Drafted, Dicks Hate the Police, Saturday Night at the Bookstore

14. The Chameleons – The Chameleons bring forth an almost soul full brand of post-punk that is easy to get lost in. There is just so much passion put into every part of the band that I can’t help but be swept up in its power and beauty. All of their songs are wonderfully done and tend to go somewhere that you would not expect.

Favorite Album: Strange Times

Great Songs: Second Skin, Tears, View From a Hill, In Answer, Anyone Alive?, The Fan and the Bellows,Shades, Nostalgia, Less than Human, Soul in Isolation, Monkeyland, Seriocity

13. No Trend – As far as snarky sarcastic droning noisy jazzy goofy anti-hardcore bands go…well this might be one of the only ones. While their early stuff was not too far off from other hardcore punk bands at the time they eventually just became a strange mixture of noise and horns (a move I think they are all the better for doing). The fact that Touch and Go records refused to release their album More (which is great and I recommend checking it out) is a testament to the attitude the band had towards the punk scene.

Favorite Album: Tritonian Nash-Vegas Polyester Complex

Great Songs: Sorry I Asked, Mass Sterilization, Overweight Baby Boom Critter, Do as You’re Told, Space Disco, Cry of the Dirtballs, No Hopus Opus, For the Fun of it All, Teen Love

12. The Stranglers – While I don’t like every single album they put out post Cornwell (if I never have to listen to Suite XVI again it will be too soon), a majority of their stuff (especially the four albums from the 70’s) warrant them being on this list. They play a style of post punk that also has a hint of gothic rock and blues added for good measure. Jean-Jacques Burnel’s incredibly heavy bass and Dave Greenfield’s keys back Hugh Cornwell’s vocals perfectly.

Favorite Album: Black and White

Great Songs: The Raven, Toiler on the Sea, No More Heroes, London Lady, Nice ‘N Sleazy,  Waiting for the Meninblack, (Get A) Grip (On Yourself), Strange Little Girl, Straighten Out, Peaches, Mean to Me, Death and Night and Blood (Yukio), Choosey Susie

11. DEVO – Science fiction with social satire turned out to be a winning combination for the Mothersbaugh and Casale brothers. Their use of the synthesizer in their brand of new wavy punk is pretty mind blowing. The visuals involved in the bands appearance, videos, and album covers are almost as iconic as their nerdy sound.  They also have the distinction of being my favorite live performance.

Favorite Album: Duty Now For the Future

Great Songs: Smart Patrol/Mr.DNA, A Plan For U, Be Stiff, Going Under, That’s Good, Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy, I’m A Potato, Auto Modown, Wiggly World, Gates of Steel, Come Back Jonee

10. Crucifucks – My personal favorite anarcho punk band out of the United States. Doc Corbin Darts’ political and angry cackling is something that cannot be emulated and truly needs to be heard to be believed. Everything about the band (the name, the songs, the lyrics) were made to offend people and they pissed a lot of people off in their day. One of the most deranged yet strangely listenable bands I have ever heard.

Favorite Album: Wisconsin

Great Songs: The Savior, Hinkley Had a Vision, Earth By Invitation Only, Officer Powell, Down on My Knees, Go Bankrupt and Die, Pig in a Blanket, Similar Items, Concession Stand, Artificial Competition

9. Subhumans – Dick Lucas is one of my favorite people in all of punk rock and his most well-known project, the long serving anarcho punk group, was one of the first bands of the genre that I really got into. The mixture of straight up hardcore, dark post punk, and even some skacore thrown in for good measure adds a great variety in both vocals and instrumentals. Add on some great lyrics about the injustices found everywhere and brilliant live performances to get one of the UK’s best.

Favorite Album: Worlds Apart

Great Songs: Ex-Teenage Rebel, Fade Away, Walls of Silence, Religious Wars, Black and White, Not Me, From the Cradle to the Grave, Nothing I Can Do, Apathy, Get to Work on Time, Wake Up Screaming, Reason for Existence, Forget

8. Magazine – For me post-punk does not get any better than Magazine. While the heavy bass and keyboards make this band infinitely listenable to me, its Howard Devoto’s singing that really puts them over the edge. Their haunting and funky sound is one that is not soon forgotten. Even though I love this band I can’t but help to wonder what the Buzzcocks would have ended up as if Howard had stayed with them.

Favorite Album:  Real Life

Great Songs: Rhythm of Cruelty,The Honeymoon Killers, Shot by Both Sides, Model Worker, My Tulpa, Cut Out Shapes, You Never Knew Me, Philadelphia, Naked Eye,  Definitive Gaze, TV Baby

7. Flipper – Slowed down, distorted, dark, sarcastic, and noisy. This sludgy punk band brought something new to the generally incredibly fast sound associated with their peers. When I first got into them many years ago it really helped to change my perception on genre and got me listening to a lot of things I would have never considered before.

Favorite Album: Album Great Songs: (I Saw You) Shine, Sacrifice, In Life My Friends, Life, May the Truth Be Known, The Light the Sound the Rhythm the Noise, Ha Ha Ha, The Way of the World, Flipper Twist, Sex Bomb

6. The Cravats – I think the best way to describe this band is “bat shit insane”. From an exaggerated vocal style to the blaring saxophone, the Cravats brought a fresh sound that is rarely found by brilliantly mixing punk with experimental jazz. They are pretty much everything that I enjoy about music.

Favorite Album: In Toytown

Great Songs: Triplex Zone, Icecubists, You’re Driving Me, Live for Now, Terminus, Daddy’s Shoes, Still, All on Standby, When Will We Fall, The Station  

5. Big Boys – For my money, the Big Boys are the best American punk band of all time. This Austin based group played a great mixture of straight hardcore punk, funk, and even some post punk all behind Randy “Biscuit” Turner’s insane vocals and Chris Gate’s unbelievable bass skills. While they were incredibly goofy they also had some serious talent behind them. There is just this great and genuinely fun energy to their music that it is near impossible to not want to jump around.

Favorite Album: No Matter How Long The Line Is At The Cafeteria, Theres Always A Seat!

Great Songs: Which Way to Go, No, Listen, Frat Cars, Complete Control, Brickwall, Sound on Sound, We Got Your Money, Identity Crisis, Jump the Fence, Narrow View

4. The Astronauts – When punk music exploded in the UK in the late 70’s the Astronauts emerged out of nowhere with a sound that was very different from its peers. There is something incredibly unsettling about this long serving anarcho folk punk band’s music. Mark Astronaut sings in a hushed voice most of the time in what I can only describe as a nightmarish lullaby as the lyrics condemn various systems both social and political that only wish to oppress and the generally apathetic attitude towards them.

Favorite Album: Up Front and Sideways

Great Songs: Gold at the Top, Bungalow, Behave Yourself, Thugs, Young Man’s World, Blues for a Skeptic, For the Sake of the Art, Blood, Getting Things Done, The Traveller, Far Away, Silence, Bungalow

3.Rudimentary Peni – Nothing can really prepare you for the first time you listen to this death punk band. While the first few EPs are some of the best hardcore punk coming from the UK, the concept albums Death Church and Cacophony are really were this band shines. Both these albums are incredibly dark and create a haunting atmosphere that is unmatched by any other band I have heard. Rudimentary Peni is a once in a lifetime kind of band with their incredibly dark, smart, deranged, and angry sound. Also lead singer Niko Blinko’s album artwork is among some of my favorite.

Favorite Album: Cacophony

Great Songs: Zenophobia, Blasphemy Squad, Cosmetic Plague, Musick in Diabola, Nothing but a Nightmare, The Horrors in the Museum, Sacrifice, The Dead Loved, The Bile Ball, Womb so Scorned, Black on Gold, B-Ward, Poppycock, Dissolution, Inside, Vatican’t City Hearse

2. The Damned – As far as straight up punk rock goes, nothing beats the Damned. They were the first band I ever really loved and really shaped my music taste to what it is today. Generally regarded as the first recorded punk band from the UK, the Damned had a sound that mixed the classic garage and psychedelic rock. They had a great humor to their songs as they made fun of everything ranging from religion to popular culture.

Favorite Album: Machine Gun Etiquette

Great Songs: Noise Noise Noise, Ignite, Anti-Pope, Hit or Miss, Stretcher Case, Curtain Call, Plan 9 Channel 7, New Rose, Melody Lee, Dozen Girls, Lively Arts, Under the Floor Again, Neat Neat Neat, I Think I’m Wonderful

1. The Cardiacs- The Cardiacs are (in my humble opinion) the pinnacle of recorded sound and Tim Smith is the best musician of all time. They have eight studio albums and there is not one song on any of them that I do not like. The early stuff is more straight up post punk and the later material was much accessible to the masses but the middle era of the band (up until Sarah Smith left) is by far my favorite. Their music somehow manages to be both insane, theatrical, and beautiful. Every song this band put out is completely off the wall with cryptic lyrics, rapidly changing tones, and is incredibly unpredictable. After extended play sessions, the Cardiacs make other bands seem bland in comparison.  This is by far my favorite band of all time.

Favorite Album: A Little Man a House and the Whole Wide Window

Great Songs: In a City Lining, Is This the Life, She is Hiding Behind the Shed, Buds and Spawn, Dirty Boy, Big Ship, Nurses Whispering Voices, Gena Lollabrigida, As Cold As Can Be In An English Sea, Trademark, The Obvious Identity, R.E.S, Duck and Roger the Horse, Stench of Honey, Burn Your House Brown.