Superband

Nov26 by Revis Edgewater

One of the guys I work with posed a question to me. He said it was to get to know me a little better. I don’t know if the answer would help him know me better as a person, but it might help him know my musical taste a little better. The question was this, “If you could form your own superband out of members of other bands, who would you choose? Limit ten members.”

It’s actually an interesting question. There are many musicians and singers out there that I really like. Narrowing it down to less than ten is a daunting task. I gave it some thought and this is what I came up with. Remember: these picks are just my personal preferences. I’m not saying anyone on this list is better than anyone else.

Bass guitar: Flea – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Now, I don’t even like the Chili Peppers, but I give credit where credit is due. Flea is a hell of a bass player. Plus, he was in the Back to the Future movies, which gives him an added dimension of cool.

Drums: Shannon Larkin – Godsmack – Not only does he kick ass on the drums with Godsmack, but he also has a side project playing with a blues band, so he’s versatile.

Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals: Shaun Morgan – Seether – I have pretty much liked everything that Seether has put out and Shaun is a big reason why. I know he’s the lead singer in his band, but in this one he’s just providing backing vocals.

Lead Guitar: Aaron Fink – Breaking Benjamin – Well, he’s the original lead guitarist for Breaking Benjamin. He was with them for their first four albums which were, in my opinion, their best albums.

Keyboards/ Rapping Vocals: Mike Shinoda – Linkin Park – Not sure how much rapping I want my superband to do, but maybe I’ll have some. Either way, I needed someone who could play the keyboard so I figured I’d pick someone who could do both. Plus, I do like some of Shinoda’s solo stuff.

Female Vocals: Sharon den Adel – Within Temptation – Put simply, this woman has the best voice I think I’ve ever heard. She can sing anything: rock, pop, even opera. Don’t believe me? Listen to this song, which is a little bit of rock and opera together.

Lead Vocals: Brandon Johnson – Late Night Savior – This was the hardest one for me because there’s so many good vocalists out there. I ended up picking Brandon for this spot because there’s just something about his voice, the way he sings, that resonates with me.

That’s all I got. I know I still have three spots left, but I’m OK with that. If I were to fill them, I’d do it with a string trio. Put a little violin/cello/viola behind it. I don’t know anyone who plays those instruments, or which of those particular musicians is good, so I’ll just leave it at that.

What about you? Do you know who you would pick to to build your own superband?

My Daily Soundtrack 1/22/2014

Jan22 by Revis Edgewater

I know I normally do weekly soundtracks, but today was a little odd. Around here, it’s been rather cold lately. This morning, before I left for work, the news said that, with the wind chill, it was supposed to get down to -6 today. I don’t mind a little cold, but -6 is just a bit much for me. So, I went out and warmed up my car before I left.

After I got in my car and started driving, the song on my CD changed. I have a burned disc in my player, set to play on random. This is the song that played.

I kind of chuckled at it, thinking it was the perfect song title for the morning. Then, on the way home, the last song that played before I got there was this.

I’m starting to think that even my radio was telling me that -6 is too cold to be outside in.

My Weekly Soundtrack – 10/8

Oct8 by Revis Edgewater

It’s Tuesday again, and you know what that means. It means it’s time for your Tuesday spankings. Everyone line up…..

What’s that? We don’t do that? Hmmm. Then what the hell did I do on Tuesday? Oh well. I guess until I can remember what it was, I’ll just play these songs for you. Don’t worry. I’ll think of it eventually.

Continue reading →

My Weekly Soundtrack 5/28

May28 by Revis Edgewater

I know that most of you won’t believe it, but I’m actually doing this post on Tuesday this week, not Wednesday. I’ll wait while the shock wears off. Is it gone? No? Ok, I’ll wait a few more seconds. Now? Good. I’ll move on.

This week there are no themes or dedications. These are just going to be songs that have been stuck in my head at some point or another during the week. I hope you enjoy them.

This first one has been in my head all day because it was playing in my car when I got to work. Continue reading →

Within Temptation – The Unforgiving

Dec28 by Revis Edgewater

I was first introduced to Within Temptation on their 2007 release, The Heart of Everything. It was a good CD. There were a few songs that I wasn’t crazy about, but the rest of the songs made up for those. With their 2011 release, The Unforgiving, they took what was good from The Heart of Everything and built upon it, producing one of the best CDs I’ve heard in a while.

I don’t like to compare bands to each other because it seems to diminish what those bands are trying to do. Unfortunately, it’s usually the easiest way to describe bands to people who have never heard them. So, for those who have never heard Within Temptation, they’re a more gothic/melodic version of Evanescence. Personally, I think they’re a lot better than Evanescence, as well.

The first song, if you don’t include the 30 second clip of someone talking, is Shot In The Dark. This song really showcases the lead singer, Sharon den Adel’s, voice, which is amazing.

The next song, In The Middle Of The Night, is a much faster song. Listening to this song is a good way to get yourself pumped up.

They slow it down a bit with Lost. Once again, you are hit by how great Sharon’s voice is.

The last song on the album, Stairway To The Skies, is probably my favorite. It’s a perfect blend of everything they do well: her voice and the melody of their music.