Semisonic are an incredibly cool band from Minneapolis- I have been a big fan since before they even existed (a few of the guys were in a super cool band called Trip Shakespeare years ago..). Once the band formed, I was totally addicted. I got their first EP, Pleasure, years ago, and I was totally blown away. In 1996 came The Great Divide, one of THE best CDs in my collection. If it is possible to play a cd too much, then I have done that with this one... As if this CD wasn't good enough, Dan, Jake, and John had to go and put out something even better- Feeling Strangely Fine. You may have heard Closing Time, yeah? Every track is simply amazing, especially DND and Gone to the Movies. I've been lucky enough to catch them live twice, and I look forward to anything they do in the future. Check out these tracks, or visit their page for a few newbies! If you are trying to find a quote for your yearbook or something, make it "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end". Oh yeah!! Dan Wilson is a lyrical genius :-)

Down In Flames

F.N.T.

If I Run

Yeah, so the critics call this band one of THE best groups of the 90's. Yeah, OK Computer is being hailed as the album of the decade and The Bends has also received similar high praise. What does all that matter to me? What matters to me is that I think Radiohead makes incredibly original and creative music, songs that are not easily forgotten. Songs like "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit" from The Bends , "Karma Police", "Let Down", and "Paranoid Android" from OK Computer, and "Creep" from Pablo Honey show Radiohead's strength as artists in an age of so much mediocrity.

Cracker, one of my all time favorite bands.. I can't even begin to explain how great these guys are- I have yet to hear a song by them that I didn't like, and I have heard tons of songs by this band. The few times I caught the band live were also incredible. David Lowery and the rest of the guys are just simply GREAT- definitely a one of a kind band, not of one those mass-marketed cheesy pop bands that are everywhere nowadays. If you haven't heard much from Cracker, just check out some of these really cool sound bites. Their debut, entitled just "Cracker", is a must-own, and the discs "Kerosine Hat" and "The Golden Age" are also excellent. On August 25th, "Gentleman's Blues" will be released- I suggest you be the first on your block to own it.

Low

Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)

Euro-Trash Girl

I Hate My Generation

The Golden Age

Big Dipper

Fountains of Wayne kick major butt!! These guys are really cool, even though the fans at a Smashing Pumpkins concert I went to didn't think so.. Every song they sing is so incredibly addicting and catchy! If I listen to the CD in the morning, I will walk around for the rest of the day humming the songs. I think I'll listen to the CD right now! Check out these tracks from their debut disc. I wonder if they are working on anything new? I hope they don't fade out from existance!

Radiation Vibe

Leave The Biker

Survival Car

Please Don't Rock Me Tonight

After hearing "Sex and Candy", I was totally hooked- I ran out and bought their self-titled CD, and I am glad I did. John Wazniak has a way with words, and these tunes are catchy and fresh, especially Saint Joe on the School Bus and Sherry Fraser. Mmm Mmm good!

---

SOUL ASYLUM Like SEMISONIC, Soul Asylum are yet another band from Minneapolis, and they have been around for a long, long time. Dave Pirner has been writing their longs for many years, and hopefully with the recent "Candy from a Stranger", Soul Asylum will receive the recognition they deserve. Everyone knows "Runaway Train", but there are soooo many more great songs by these guys that few people are familiar with.

---

R.E.M. Well, there isn't much I can say about these guys, except THEY RULE!! If you haven't heard of REM within the last 15 years, you must have been living on another planet. This band has evolved a lot from the early 80's to present day, and they still kick major butt. I can think of about 20 cool songs right off the top of my head... My high school yearbook quote was "it's the end of the world as we know it (and i feel fine)". Go out to your local music store and pick up some REM today! Oh yeah, check out these songs first.

Drive

Everybody Hurts

Losing My Religion

Orange Crush

What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

it's the end of the world as we know it

---

I can't believe I almost forgot the cranberries! Doh! I love the cranberries! And I don't even need to capitolize their name because they don't want it that way. Dolores O'Riorden has one of the funkiest voices I have ever heard.. half the time it sounds like she is barking during the songs, but I love it!!

Free To Decide

Salvation

Zombie

Linger

God Be With You (from The Devil's Own)

---

Ok, that's all for now. I'd love to add a whole bunch more bands, but I just don't have the time- hopefully I will be able to update this page in the near future with more of my favorites (Tom Petty, The Police, Nine Inch Nails, The Beach Boys, The Connells, Bruce Springsteen, The Wallflowers, Athenaeum, Blur, Pulp, James, Midnight Oil, Moby, Fleetwood Mac, Tonic ...). If you find any errors with this page, please let me know.

Return to Mad Man Mike's Homepage

LinkExchange Member

Free Home Pages at GeoCities