Shop Music-Favorite Bands, Singers, Performers, etc.

[Rich Riddle]

Today being Veterans Day I felt a little spicier and turned on some classic rock and roll music. A visitor came to the house and asked who the previous two singers/bands were who played. I said Rolling Stones and Meatloaf. The young man had never heard of either. It surprised me. So who are you favorite bands? Do you listen while woodworking?

[Prashun Patel]

Rich, I think "Bat Out of 7734" is one of the best albums of the 80's.

My fave bands now (thanks, kids) are Muse and Arcade Fire. In highschool it was Rush and the Smiths. In college, Erasure and Petshop Boys.

If I'm alone, tho, I now prefer podcasts. Shop Talk Live. I love Matt Kenney and Mike Pekovitch. I don't so much care for Tom McKenna, but "Don't be sad, 'cause two outa three ain't bad".

[Shawn Pixley]

For current bands, while I like Muse and Arcade Fire, I listen to The National, Neko Case, Gaslight Anthem, Decemberists, Augustines, The Joy Formidable, A New Found Glory, North Atlantic Oscillation, Trampled by Turtles, and Riverside more of the newer bands.

Mid era bands I like - Strokes, Train, Tonic, Sleater-Kinney, Redlight King, Social Distortion, Mescaleros, and the Killers.

The Oldies getting play are The Rolling Stones, Beethoven, Frank Zappa, Elvis Costello, the Doors, The Who, Jethro Tull, Benny Goodman, Johnny Smith, ELO, Dream Syndicate, the Cure, Big Joe Turner, Richard Thompson, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, and Neil Young.

[Pat Barry]

I have not gotten out of the 70's with my music appreciation except for a few 80's era bands

[Paul McGaha]

I have not gotten out of the 70's with my music appreciation except for a few 80's era bands

Same for me. I've always listened to almost entirely classic rock from the 60's and 70's.

Bruce Springsteen, Steve Winwood, Elton John were big in the 80's from what I remember.

PHM

[Jim Tobias]

Everything from Enya to Nirvana. It may be the Stones when I am sending rough lumber through the planer and then Enya when carving. The music attitude impacts my working attitude, if that makes sense.
I like most all music but am forever tied to Classic Rock and the Beatles(from my era).

Jim

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Everything from Enya to Nirvana. It may be the Stones when I am sending rough lumber through the planer and then Enya when carving. The music attitude impacts my working attitude, if that makes sense.
I like most all music but am forever tied to Classic Rock and the Beatles(from my era).

Jim


That pretty well describes me. The music affects my work. For "rock" I'm stuck in the British Invasion era through the mid-70's.

I do also listen to other types of music including Broadway musicals.

[roger wiegand]

Mostly (50%) bluegrass and old-time clawhammer banjo (just set the player to shuffle songs from the 4-500 CDs I have). Everything from the earliest days of recorded music to folks playing the current festival circuit. Fairground organ music is probably second (unless I just crank up the organ in the driveway (see www.carouselorgan.com)). Occasional days of big band, polkas, classical focused on Mozart/Beethoven, and Grateful Dead. On Sunday afternoon the Metropolitan Opera broadcast. Almost never anything identifiable as pop/rock. Not that I don't like it, there's just so much more appealing music out there.

[Erik Loza]

Personally, I like NPR in the garage. My wife got me into podcasts, as well.

Erik

[Prashun Patel]

who ISN'T tied to the Beatles? I'm still amazed that they could write some of that stuff at that time. At the risk of starting a Sawstopesque debate, I think McCartney had all the talent. Lennon just had the glasses and persona.

[Frederick Skelly]

In any era, it's hard to beat Sinatra.
It's not shop music. But it's the ultimate "classic".
Fred

[Frederick Skelly]

. At the risk of starting a Sawstopesque debate, I think McCartney had all the talent. Lennon just had the glasses and persona.

McCartney was the voice of the band, and his continuing popularity long after they split is demonstrable proof of Sir Paul's amazing talent. But John Lennon made a real and enduring contribution to the songs that everyone loves and remembers from the Beatles. John was never the performer (certainly not the vocalist) that Paul was. But he was an amazingy talented songwriter. And I say this as a huge fan of John Lennon.
Fred

[Prashun Patel]

I love me some "Just Like Starting Over" and "Watching the Wheels" but all the songs Lennon wrote were fairly straightforward. Honesty, boldness, and raw emotion, I'll give you, but not sophisticated song writing. I mean, Lennon never wrote a "Hey Jude" or "Black Bird". Lennon was pure rock and roll. McCartney was pure genius.

[Frederick Skelly]

I love me some "Just Like Starting Over" and "Watching the Wheels" but all the songs Lennon wrote were fairly straightforward. Honesty, boldness, and raw emotion, I'll give you, but not sophisticated song writing. I mean, Lennon never wrote a "Hey Jude" or "Black Bird". Lennon was pure rock and roll. McCartney was pure genius.

That's why they worked so well together my friend. They were an unstoppable pair. Personally, I never liked anything that either wrote alone after the breakup better than what they wrote together.

[Shawn Pixley]

A Day in the Life isn't sophisticated?

[Paul McGaha]

An excellent band. Even now, I listen to Beatles music every day.

[Jim Tobias]

IMHO The Beatles were a "perfect storm" of personalities and styles that produced the unbelievable creativity and sounds that resulted in their success.
While I agree with others that McCartney had an amazing voice and song writing ability, I believe that Lennon gave an edge to their music(with his attitude and cynical outlook) that made their later(and more creative) music what it has become. His nasal singing was absolutely perfect for so many of their songs. John's range was pretty wide )"Julia" to "I am the Walrus"
Can you imagine Paul singing lead on Cry, Baby Cry or I am the Walrus??
If not for George and Ringo being Non Ego maniacs, The Beatles woul dnot have lasted as long as they did......lot of talent in this foursome.
Just my $.02,

Jim

[Ken Fitzgerald]

IMHO The Beatles were a "perfect storm" of personalities and styles that produced the unbelievable creativity and sounds that resulted in their success.
If not for George and Ringo being Non Ego maniacs, The Beatles woul dnot have lasted as long as they did......lot of talent in this foursome.
Just my $.02,

Jim

Jim,

I couldn't agree more with your statement. The songs that George Harrison wrote struck a great note too!

When the Beatles came across I had been playing in a very bad rock band for some time. I was so tired of playing "Johnny Be Good" and a lot of the other songs that were popular at the time required an orchestra to sound good. A HS friend visited a cousin in London and he came back talking about a band. Some months later the Beatles stormed the US followed by all the other British Invasion bands. What a refreshing breeze in the rock music scene. Then Motown rose to it's prime and the music scene for a music lover like me was incredible. Later it expanded to bands like the Doobie Brothers...the Eagles......the Grateful Dead.....and Carlos Santana.......

It was an incredible era for rock music in my biased opinion!

[Yonak Hawkins]

Here's a great article with quotes from both principals about the creation of the song : http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/a-day-in-the-life/

[Mac McQuinn]

I'm a Charlie Parker fan, seems to improve my glue-ups.....;)
Mac

[George Werner]

I'm a bit of a metal head, so it's usually some heavy music playing in the shop, get's my juices going. Bands like Sevendust, Nonpoint, All That Remains, and Tool are usually in full rotation.

[Rick Potter]

Ahhhh...Perry Como.

[Rich Riddle]

Since no one mentioned country, I will mention country for a friend who likes Cash, Haggard, Lynn, etc. He has no use for the "new good looking" types in country music.

[Justin Ludwig]

I grew up with 60s/70s rock and Mom spinning a lot of Fleetwood Mac and The Ozark Mt Daredevils, while Dad was into Vanilla Fudge and Hot Tuna like bands. I went through the hair metal bands and followed into the Grunge of the 90s.

Today, my Pandora changes day to day - a lot like Jim says, it depends on the work I'm doing.

I have Otis Redding paired with Frank Sinatra - makes a great station.
I like folk paired with Americana. The White Buffalo, Cory Chisel and the Wondering Sons, Amos Lee, The Avett Brothers, Shakey Graves, etc
I have my wife's station I keep going to that has Lorde, Elle Goulding, Florence + the Machine and other massive vocalist ladies.
Any and all of Jack White and his collaborations.
Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes are my all time favorites

Currently, I'm hooked on Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. A throw back sound to 50's rockabilly, but highly upgraded. SFW song


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzqmVa6n-es

[John Lanciani]

Since no one mentioned country, I will mention country for a friend who likes Cash, Haggard, Lynn, etc. He has no use for the "new good looking" types in country music.

I'll second the Man in Black; not much of a singer but one of the best story tellers in all of music.

[Paul McGaha]

I'll second the Man in Black; not much of a singer but one of the best story tellers in all of music.

Yeah, I like that stuff too. Waylon and Willie, Hank Jr., Tom T Hall.

Cool Johnny Cash song, Texas 1947:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10ll77ep_2k

PHM

[Jerry Thompson]

ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Sonny Boy Williamson, CCR, Janis Joplin, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal and on and on.

[Jerome Stanek]

I like the old folk singers Bob Dylan, Phil Ohes, Arlo Guthrie, Peter Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, and Joanie Mitchel

[Charles Wiggins]

For me it's a combination of classic rock and contemporary christian. We have a massive MP3 collection so I can vary the mix quite a bit. Some of my favorite go-to artists include:

Boston
Queen
Rush
Yes
The Eagles
Van Halen
Kansas
Fleetwood Mac
Heart
Journey
GTR
Daughtry (not classic, but his style fits)

Third Day (My favorite right now)
Casting Crowns
Selah
Jars of Clay
DC Talk
Caedmon's Call
Mark Schultz
Phillips, Craig, and Dean
4Him
Bebo Norman
Rich Mullins

[Mark Patoka]

My shop radio is set on superhits rock from the 60s-80s (and now stretching into the early 90s as they use 25 years as the cutoff point). In the house I'll either play that or Johnny Cash and similar outlaw country on Pandora.

[Jim Koepke]

I have an FM transmitter for my iPod so it can be heard on my radio in the shop.

This is the current list of artist of the slightly less than 200 tunes now playing in my shop:

Radiolites
Elvis Presley
The Hollywood Argyles
Neil Diamond
Glenn Miller
Don McLean
John Denver
Carly Simon
Leverett, Anwyn & George
Dooley Wilson
Jim Croce
Harry Belafonte
Stefan Grossman
Paul McCartney & Wings
Colony Orchestra
Alannah Myles
Blind Blake
Laurie Lewis
Linda Ronstadt
Willie Nelson
Carl Perkins
Dinah Shore
The Andrews Sisters
Steppenwolf
Melanie
The Doors
Bob Seger
FreePlay Music
Carly Simon
Grateful Dead
Vince Guaraldi Trio
Harry Chapin
Chad & Jeremy
Rickie Lee Jones
Roger Miller
War
Arlo Guthrie
Dana Lyons
Patsy Cline
Queen
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Robert Johnson
Flatt & Scruggs
New Lost City Ramblers
David Grisman
The Lovin' Spoonful
Louden Wainright III
Bo Diddly
Long John Baldry
Maria Muldaur
Jelly Roll Morton
Jefferson Airplane
Richard Zimmerman
Eric Clapton
Earl Scruggs - Lester Flat
Buffalo Springfield
Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto
Royal Crown Revue
Hold That Tiger Rag
Rolling Stones
Leon Redbone
Ella May Moris
Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
PETER PAUL and MARY
The Soggy Bottom Boys
Glenn Miller
Mungo Jerry
Annie Lennox
Stefan Grossman
Incredible String Band
Scott Joplin
Loreena McKennitt
Maria Muldaur
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Ray Stevens
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Walter Brennan
Bob Seger
Mimi Blas
Jef Jaisun
Benny Goodman
Comander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
Leon Redbone
Mark Knopfler
Clyde McCoy
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Kinks
The Eurythmics
The Mills Brothers
Bluegrass/Country
The High Kings Celtic
Le Dixieband
Donovan
The Dukes Of Dixieland
Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band
Grateful Dead
Incredible String Band
Louis Armstrong
The Beatles
It's A Beautiful Day
Steve McDonald
Harry Connick, Jr
Chuck Berry

Some may be in there more than once. Some names may not have shown in data field the properly to be on the list.

It would surprise me if anyone else recognized all of those artists.

Not many from later than the '70s.

I have at least a dozen different play lists for the shop. Soon it will be a lot of Christmas music.

jtk

[Larry Fox]

My go-to shop music runs along the lines of:

Tool / APC
NIN
Soundgarden
Alice In Chains
Failure
Faith No More
Rage Against the Machine
Jane's Addiction
Primus
Mastodon
Motorhead
etc.

[Justin Ludwig]

My go-to shop music runs along the lines of:

Tool / APC
NIN
Soundgarden
Alice In Chains
Failure
Faith No More
Rage Against the Machine
Jane's Addiction
Primus
Mastodon
Motorhead
etc.

I totally forgot about my metal fixation. Tool, hands down, best metal band ever. What are they classified as: art-metal or something arbitrary?

Excellent list, Larry. I'm coming to your shop

[Bert Kemp]

oh yea the Beatles were tops, but theres so much good music out there its hard to name Favorites. People won't believe this but I have a CD with all the Beatles albums on it. Somehow they compressed them onto a CD its awesome has all the album covers, songs and lyric's on 1 CD.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bert, are they MP3 files? I have seen such an album.

[Bill Clifton]

Go to the "American Routes" site and checkout the archives. This is a NPR program out of New Orleans - good music, good variety and good informative discussions. Each show is 2 hours but you select one hour at a time. Love it.

[Bert Kemp]

Ken I'm not sure what kind of files they are, but I was amazed that they could fit it all on a CD.



Bert, are they MP3 files? I have seen such an album.

[Charles Wiggins]

Ken I'm not sure what kind of files they are, but I was amazed that they could fit it all on a CD.

If it's the whole library it would have to be a DVD, even if they're MP3s. A CD just does not hold that much info. Most CDs hold 700 MB while a typical DVD holds 4.7 GB, which is 4,700 MB - almost 7x the space.

Is this is? I cannot find anywhere to purchase it currently.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94eFD4xZ1dw

[Prashun Patel]

Finally...
Another Jane's Addiction fan.

I feel more kinship to fans of this band than even fellow woodworkers.

[Erik Loza]

Finally...
Another Jane's Addiction fan.

I feel more kinship to fans of this band than even fellow woodworkers.

I saw Porno for Pyros at Lollapalooza in 1992. They played the small stage.

I think Ministry made me deaf for about a week.

Erik

[Peter Kelly]

If not tuned into NPR I'm usually listening to Motown-type stuff in the shop.

[Steve Peterson]

I have not gotten out of the 70's with my music appreciation except for a few 80's era bands

Same for me, except I am stuck in the 80s. As far as I can tell, there was very little good music in the 90s. I am quite happy with my CD collection of 80s rock. I did get a Sirius music player, but stick with the classic rock stations. I did venture into the blues station, but most of that is older music.

Steve

[Rich Riddle]

Some of you offer very eclectic tastes in music. I am not quite sure how my projects would go if completed while listening to heavy metal music.

[Erik Loza]

Some of you offer very eclectic tastes in music. I am not quite sure how my projects would go if completed while listening to heavy metal music.

It was the music of my youth and I still like but not in the garage or while working. Like drinking vodka rather than coffee. Has to be the right time and mood.

Erik

[Larry Fox]

Finally...
Another Jane's Addiction fan.

I feel more kinship to fans of this band than even fellow woodworkers.

They are one of my favorites. Nothing's Shocking is solidly in my top 5 favorite albums and always has been. Saw them recently at the Electric Factory in Philly and they played the entire album in order. Fantastic show although I must confess that it was a bit sureal (and special) seeing them with my teenage son.

[Dave Lehnert]

Think my avatar says it all. PRIEST!!!!!!!!!!

[jared herbert]

Public radio and I have all the U2 cds.

[Sean Troy]

I like working in the shop to Jeff Back, Steely Dan and any 70's rock. If I'm staining or sanding, I like to listen to blues like Gary Moore.

[Evan Ryan]

Jim,

I couldn't agree more with your statement. The songs that George Harrison wrote struck a great note too!

When the Beatles came across I had been playing in a very bad rock band for some time. I was so tired of playing "Johnny Be Good" and a lot of the other songs that were popular at the time required an orchestra to sound good. A HS friend visited a cousin in London and he came back talking about a band. Some months later the Beatles stormed the US followed by all the other British Invasion bands. What a refreshing breeze in the rock music scene. Then Motown rose to it's prime and the music scene for a music lover like me was incredible. Later it expanded to bands like the Doobie Brothers...the Eagles......the Grateful Dead.....and Carlos Santana.......

It was an incredible era for rock music in my biased opinion!


Ken, do you remember the guitar (?) rig you had back then?

i like podcasts:
"the best show with tom scharpling," give it a try, they release "best of"'s so you can sample the show to see if it's your kind of comedy. if you like it you're in luck because there's 15 years of archives, and shows are 2+ hours.
The show used to be on freeform radio so it was clean, now they're an Internet show but the host tom tries to keep it clean. There have been slips lately.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ken, do you remember the guitar (?) rig you had back then?

i like podcasts:
"the best show with tom scharpling," give it a try, they release "best of"'s so you can sample the show to see if it's your kind of comedy. if you like it you're in luck because there's 15 years of archives, and shows are 2+ hours.
The show used to be on freeform radio so it was clean, now they're an Internet show but the host tom tries to keep it clean. There have been slips lately.

Evan,

IIRC...it was a poorly made in Japan, Kingston bass played through a Custom amp. The bass played poorly and the amp wasn't that hot either but it made sound. (I won't call it music.)

Sitting just a few feet from me I have a very fine Japanese built Fender Power Jazz bass and a 300 watt Fender BXR bass amp. One of the short comings of my renewed hearing via cochlea implant is I don't hear bass frequencies as well. I had a bass fetish. The bass part in songs like Alanah Myles "Black Velvet" or Timothy B Schmidt's fretless bass playing in the acoustic version of "New York Minute" on the Eagles album "Hell Freezes Over" just lit me up when I could hear. Now, it's not the same. If I believed in reincarnation, I would love to come back as James Jamerson with his bass playing skills, of course!

[Robert LaPlaca]

Jeez, I really am in the minority here, I listen to a local public radio classical music station. I love rock and continue to listen to it today (i grew up listening to WNEW in NYC), but much prefer classical music when working in the shop..

[Rich Riddle]

Jeez, I really am in the minority here, I listen to a local public radio classical music station. I love rock and continue to listen to it today (i grew up listening to WNEW in NYC), but much prefer classical music when working in the shop..
Robert, classical music and lighter jazz does offer advantages when completing some tasks such as delicate and precision jobs.

[Yonak Hawkins]

I like classical music. Just don't give me any of that modern classical .. or modern jazz or hip hop or punk rock. My music has to embody several of the elements of music. Otherwise I might as sell listen to street noise.

[Denny Tudor]

CCR, Van Wagner, animals , stones , Neal young -you get the drift

[Arthur Fleming]

AC/DC to ZZ Top, not a whole lot after 1986. My mood dictates too much of a swing to list them all.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I'm into to classical music, as in: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, The Coasters, The Dominos, The Drifters, Beach Boys, Jackie Wilson, Big Bopper, Elvis, Carl Perkins etc. Love iHeart 50's online.

[Mark Blatter]

I will typically have either NPR on, or playing a mixture of 50 - 60s light rock occasionally, but mostly for music I listen to either either some Broadway tunes, John Denver (my favorite artist), the Carpenters, or even a bit of old country (Cash, Robbins, etc.). I find that my taste in music is too eclectic to be called eclectic. What you wont find is any hard rock, metal or new country. They all make my head hurt. Too each their own of course. I suspect that what plays in my shop would make many run and hide. The hardest rock I listen to would be Neil Diamond.

[Ian Moone]

I must be the ONLY one!

Who listens to Cuzzin' Scuzz Twittly"- "I wanna party like Charley Sheen".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gscM2vpUXIc

And who could forget his infamous... "Keep yer hands off my PBR".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56duVYLsd4Q

What can I say - it's the redneck in me! :D