Ear Food
There is a lot of fantastic music out there that nobody knows about. Here are a few of the exceptional artists that I know of. If you have any suggestions for featured artists here, please e-mail me. NO MAINSTREAM ARTISTS please, and no rap or pop, because they both suck (and there's no such thing as a non-mainstream pop artist).
Click on an artist's name to go to their website, if available.
Click here to go home.
Joe Satriani - Joe Satriani is an instrumental guitar artist, and is one of the best guitar players in the world. He was once an instructor to Metallica's Kirk Hammett, and is amazing to watch. His music ranges from incredible, fast paced songs to beautiful romantic melodies. He adds harmonica to some of his more jazzy songs. His first CD, Not of This Earth, was released in 1986, so he has apparently been playing the electric guitar for over 18 years. His latest CD, Strange Beautiful Music, was released in 2002. I highly recommend checking out this guy's music. If you like the electric guitar, you'll like Joe Satriani.
Samples:
Surfing With the Alien (guitar solo) - 19 seconds, 301 kilobytes
Rubina (love song) - 28 seconds, 441 kilobytes
Steve Vai - Similar to Joe Satriani, in that he is an electric guitarist. Steve Vai plays some great metal songs, as well as some international songs, and some humorous ones. "Babushka" is an amazing Russian-sounding song that is so unique it cannot be described. There are some unique intruments featured in some of his songs, such as violins, accordions, and a sitar. I also highly recommend Steve Vai.
Samples:
Babushka - 14 seconds, 225 kilobytes
Sitar Solo from "Incantation" - 26 seconds, 409 kilobytes
Sublime - The sounds of Sublime go from very mellow and laid back to fast-beat punk style songs. The band hails from California (I think). The best part about Sublime is the distinct sound of the lyrics. Their most well known single "What I Got" is a fantastic song, and is featured on the soundtrack of "Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX" for the PSX.
Samples:
What I Got - 12 seconds, 198 kilobytes
Same in the End - 15 seconds, 239 kilobytes
Dream Theater - I bought my first Dream Theater CD only a few days before writing this. Dream Theater is a heavy metal band with a distinctly unique sound and feel to their music. The instruments in the songs range from heavy electric guitar to soft piano tunes. The band also sports a famous guitar player, John Petrucci, who (from what I've heard) once played Flight of the Bumblebee on his guitar during a concert. If you like the heavy metal genre, you should definitely consider checking out Dream Theater.
Samples:
Caught in a Web - 20 seconds, 316 kilobytes
Space-Dye Vest - 22 seconds, 350 kilobytes
Some songs worth checking out:
"The Final Countdown" by Europe
"Change the World" by Eric Clapton
"No Rain" by Blind Melon
"The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
"Children" by Robert Miles
"Simple and Clean" by Utada Hikaru
"One More Time" by Daft Punk
