Brandon

Rock & Pop, what are your favorite post-rock albums? Here are some of my picks:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A# Infinity, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, Yanqui U.X.O, ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind, The Seer, To Be Kind, The Glowing Man

Sigur Ros - Agaetis byrjun, ( ), Takk...

Slint - Spiderland

Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die Talk Talk - Laughing StockBQ: Would you consider the Velvet Underground’s “Heroin” & King Crimson’s “Starless” to be early examples of post-rock? BQ2: Which decade was better for post-rock: The 90s, or the 2000s? 

BQ3: Do you think that Can, NEU! & Faust led to post-rock?

BQ4: Can you see similarities, between post-rock & progressive rock? 

What are your favorite psychedelic albums? Here are a few of my favorites:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold as Love

Love - Forever Changes

Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band - Safe as Milk

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

BQ: What do you love, about psychedelic music?

BQ2: What is your favorite sub-genre of psychedelic music?

BQ3: Psychedelia has crossed over with post-punk, shoegaze, dream pop, progressive rock & Krautrock. What is your take on this?

BQ4: Old-school psychedelia vs. neo-psychedelia?

Rock & Pop, what is your take on hardcore punk? Personally, I love it; I’ve liked hardcore for years. I love the idea of hardcore punk; it’s a faster, extremely intense version of punk that increases the urgency. Hardcore can have visceral music, and I like the speed & ferocity of the genre. I think that it’s very cool, when hardcore crossed over with genres such as metal, post-rock & doom metal. I love it when bands experimented with the templates of hardcore, as well. 

BQ: Favorite hardcore punk albums? 

BQ2: In general, what is your take on the evolution of hardcore? 

BQ3: In your opinion, what was the best decade for hardcore punk? 

BQ4: Would you say that the Stooges & Black Sabbath influenced hardcore punk? 

Rock & Pop, what is your take on the Smashing Pumpkins? Personally, I love them; they’re one of my favorite bands. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of 90s alternative rock, but the Smashing Pumpkins are my favorite alternative rock band of the 90s. I love so many things about their music; Siamese Dream & Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness are incredible albums, and the Smashing Pumpkins were a diverse band. Their songs had elements of shoegaze, hard rock, metal & progressive rock, along with dream pop & psychedelia. Siamese Dream & Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness had great production, and the Smashing Pumpkins’ influences were diverse. The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Black Sabbath, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Jimi Hendrix......I love that! Billy Corgan was an amazing guitarist, and Jimmy Chamberlin was outstanding! 

Oh, and the Smashing Pumpkins could do heavy rockers that could smash a mountain, along with gentle, wistful songs. 

BQ: Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness? 

BQ2: What are your thoughts on Billy Corgan’s vocals? 

BQ3: What is your favorite part, of the Smashing Pumpkins’ music? 

BQ4: How would you react, if Muse or Green Day covered the Smashing Pumpkins? 

Hello, Rock & Pop. What are your thoughts, on metal? I ve always liked Black Sabbath, and I ve gotten into post-metal; I love Neurosis & Isis, and I ve liked stuff by Electric Wizard, Boris, Botch, Converge & the Dillinger Escape Plan.

However, I ve found that as my tastes have changed, metal has grown off of me. There is great metal out there, but I ve found that (with the exception of Black Sabbath) I don t care for classic metal & thrash metal. I prefer genres such as doom metal, post-metal & black metal. I think that metal such as Metallica, Iron Maiden & Tool has the potential to turn into tough guy/overly macho music.

BQ: Favorite metal bands?

BQ2: What are your favorite sub-genres, of metal?

BQ3: What do you like, about metal?

BQ4: How do you feel about the mixture of hardcore and metal?

Rock & Pop, what are the most impenetrable, difficult, etc. albums that you've heard? Here are some of my picks: 

Swans - To Be Kind 

Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance 

Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness 

Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want 

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven! 

BQ: In your opinion, which band is harder to get into, and why: Swans or Daughters? 

BQ2: Do you think that certain genres are automatically difficult? 

BQ3: Would you say that certain albums continue to be challenging in 2019? 

BQ4: What is the most accessible album, in your collection? 

Hello, Rock & Pop. Here is a scenario that I would like to present, for you guys:

- Let's say that somehow, you were transported to the year of 1989, and you were at a Christmas party. During that Christmas party, you ran into Greg Ginn, and attendees of this party included the members of Husker Du, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., the Minutemen & the Meat Puppets. You're having a good time, and all of those bands that I mentioned got along with each other. Additionally, D. Boon came back to life, and he hung out with the members of Husker Du.

However, Greg Ginn drank too much alcohol, and he threw a beer bottle at Lou Barlow. J Mascis stood back and slept in the corner, but Cris Kirkwood flew into a rage, and he punched Lee Ranaldo in the face. Kim Gordon slipped, and she broke her arm on a table. Bob Mould argued with Grant Hart, and George Hurley played with his hair. A massive fight occurs, and you know that you have to break this up. Unfortunately, if you choose to break up this fight, then SST Records would be erased from existence.

What would you do, in this scenario?

BQ: Has anything changed at Rock & Pop recently?

BQ2: Do you guys remember users such as Wondermoose, Purple Haze, Hurricain & Opiner?

BQ3: True or False: The 80s were the best decade, for indie/alternative music.

BQ4: What do you think would happen, if Limp Bizkit covered Swans?

Rock & Pop, how do you feel about Cocteau Twins? Personally, I'd say that they are a fantastic band. I will admit that it took a while for me to get into Cocteau Twins, but I can honestly say that I love them now. Whenever I listen to them, I'm always blown away by Liz Fraser's impeccable vocals. I don't know what she's trying to say most of the time, but I can overlook that, because of the beautiful, mesmerizing & heavenly singing that she does. Liz Fraser has a voice that is expressive, delicate & powerful all at once, and Robin Guthrie's guitar work utilizes an array of effects to create a gorgeous sound. Cocteau Twins turn the guitar into an aural projection of heaven itself, and I love how they incorporated elements of post-punk & even gothic rock on their earlier albums (i.e. Head Over Heels & Treasure). Overall, I'd say that Cocteau Twins are an amazing band, and they were undoubtedly pioneers of dream pop.

BQ: Favorite songs by Cocteau Twins?

BQ2: In general, what are your thoughts on Robin Guthrie, as a guitarist?

BQ3: It has been said, that Cocteau Twins were an influence on shoegaze. What is your take on this?

BQ4: For those of you that like and/or love Cocteau Twins: Why do you like them so much, and what parts of their sound attract you to them?

Happy Thanksgiving, Rock & Pop!! What will you guys do, for today? Personally, I picked up some food from a store with my brother, and I've been relaxing with my family ever since then. My family & I will go to a family friend's house, as well.

Additionally, as a side note, I would like to apologize about my absence, from Rock & Pop. Life got in the way for a while, and there's some stuff in my current situation that I can't talk about, that got in the way of Y!A.

BQ: Do you guys have any good Thanksgiving songs, that you want to share with me?

BQ2: What do you like about Thanksgiving?

BQ3: In your view, why is family such an important part of Thanksgiving?

BQ4: Do you see any similarities, between The Velvet Underground & Sonic Youth?

Happy Halloween, Rock & Pop! What will you guys do for today, to celebrate Halloween? Personally, I listened to classic post-punk bands such as Joy Division, Wire & The Cure, then I'm going to eat dinner with a friend. Also, I think that I'll watch "A Nightmare on Elm Street" tonight, with a friend.

BQ: Any spooky post-punk tunes that you want to share with me?

BQ2: In your view, what albums are the best ones to listen to, on Halloween?

BQ3: Which of the following bands is the scariest and/or most disturbing, for you: The Cure, Joy Division, Swans, The Velvet Underground, or Black Sabbath.

BQ4: If the albums of Wire, Sonic Youth & Slowdive were horror movies, then what types of horror movies would they be? Who would direct them, and who would star in those movies?

Rock & Pop, what is your take on Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno? Personally, I'd say that Here Come the Warm Jets is a fantastic album. It shows that Brian Eno was truly an innovator in numerous ways, as Here Come the Warm Jets is a bizarre and unpredictable listen. Here Come the Warm Jets is full of studio trickery & sound editing that was very advanced for 1974, and the album has a relentless sense of experimentation to it. Here Come the Warm Jets has so many twists & turns to it, and it's an album that reveals new surprises with evey listen. For me, Here Come the Warm Jets is a classic.

BQ: Favorite songs from Here Come the Warm Jets?

BQ2: What are your thoughts on Brian Eno's vocals & lyrics on this album?

BQ3: Would you sat that Here Come the Warm Jets was a precursor to shoegaze & noise pop, in some ways?

BQ4: In general, what is your take on 70s art rock?

Rock & Pop, what is your take on Vol 4 by Black Sabbath? Personally, I love Vol 4. I like how Vol 4 changes Black Sabbath's classic sound from the 70s, as Black Sabbath started to experiment with their style on Vol 4. I like how Vol 4's guitars are heavier and even more sludgy than Black Sabbath's earlier efforts, and Vol 4 seems to have this dark, drug-addled atmosphere that I really like. Vol 4 sounds like it came from the depths of hell itself, and the album is kind of trippy in a disturbing, unsettling manner. Overall, Vol 4 is a fantastic album, and it's a classic slice of heavy metal.

BQ: Favorite songs from Vol 4?

BQ2: What is your take on Tony Iommi's guitar work, on Vol 4?

BQ3: Would you say that Black Sabbath was an influence on noise rock & punk rock?

BQ4: Do you see any similarities, between Black Sabbath & The Velvet Underground?

Hello, everyone. Today is a special day for me, because this day marks the end of my summer vacation. I'm in college right now, and I'm going to start my senior year of college tomorrow. I feel like today marks the end of an era for me, as I feel like adulthood is slowly, but surely creeping up on me. This time might the last ever occasion in my life where I can have a summer vacation, and I know that I'll going to be done with college very soon. Do any of you guys have songs to share with me, that celebrate the end of an era?

BQ: For those of that are are currently going to and/or have graduated from college: How did you feel, during your senior year of college? What made it special to you?

BQ2: Why is senior year such a big deal for college students?

BQ3: If you could choose a song lyric that described senior year of college, what song lyric would you choose?

BQ4: In general, what is your take on the 80s noise rock scene?

Happy 4th of July, Rock & Pop!! What do you plan to do, for this day? Personally, it looks like I'll have to stay at my house and play some computer games, until my friend comes over to pick me up.

BQ: How would you feel, if R&P held a post-punk themed 4th of July?

BQ2: What do you think that Lou Reed & Ray Davies would say, about the 4th of July?

BQ3: Any good albums from 2017, that you'd like to recommend to me?

BQ4: Any 4th of July-themed songs, that you'd like to share with me?

Hello, Rock & Pop. I want to play a little game with everyone today, where we're all involved in a scenario. For this scenario, imagine that you were transported to the year of 1980. You're 21 years old, and you're going to the bar for the first time. You go over to get a drink, and you see that Robert Smith has magically appeared next to you. He has a copy of The Cure's Seventeen Seconds, and Ian Curtis is next to you, as well. Additionally, Siouxsie Sioux & Peter Murphy are sitting at a different table, but they've joined you for some drinks. However, there is a twist to this situation: You have to murder all of the musicians that I mentioned previously, or you can go back to the 1960s & kill the members of The Velvet Underground & King Crimson. Regardless of the decision that you choose, your actions will change the face of music forever. Each of these choices will have massive consequences, and entire bands & genres could be eliminated and/or turn out differently because of you. Which option, do you choose?

BQ: Which band would you say was more innovative, controversial and/or influential for their time: The Velvet Underground, or King Crimson.

BQ2: In general, what is your take on 1980s post-punk/gothic rock?

BQ3: In your opinion, which bands from the 90s alternative rock scene came the closest, to being spiritual heirs of Husker Du, Sonic Youth & Dinosaur Jr.?

BQ4: Would you consider Radiohead to be a progressive rock band, in some ways?

Hello, Rock & Pop. What are some famous & critically acclaimed albums that just don't appeal to you, for some reason? For me, I've noticed that there are numerous classics out there that don't really gel with me. I've undergone a significant change in my music taste over time, as I've gotten into several bands & moved away from other artists. I've found myself getting tired of certain albums as I've grown older, and there certain "classics" that don't do it for me, based on the music that I like at the moment. Here are some classics that I just don't get:

The Doors - The Doors (1967)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cK3Q76tZoDA

The Who - Tommy

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IFLbLQ2pKuo

Nirvana - In utero

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oB3btdWdVg4

BQ: Are there any bands and/or albums that you loved as a teenager, that make you cringe now?

BQ2: What are some bands that have always stuck with you, regardless of your age & the phases of life that you've entered?

BQ3: How have your musical interestd changed, over the course of your life?

BQ4: Are there certain albums that you'll listen to, for the purpose of nostalgia?

Hello, Rock & Pop. For this week, I'm doing another "album of the week" scenario. I want everyone to pick at least 3 choices for their "album of the week", and give some reasons as to why you chose those albums. Include links to your picks, as well. Additionally, here's a twist to this question: I want everyone to choose albums that, in some way, shape and form, owe something to The Velvet Underground. Here are my picks:

The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jesteTvGc-k

Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2niVYFVY18o

The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjsQpLIe27I

BQ: The Velvet Underground are said to have been a massive influence on genres such as noise rock, alternative rock, indie rock & punk rock. What is your take on this?

BQ2: When it comes to the 1980s, as a whole, which year was the most important, for shaping alternative/indie music?

BQ3: Which of the following bands were the most important in the development of post-hardcore, for you: Husker Du, Fugazi, Refused, At the Drive-In or Unwound.

BQ4: How would you react, if My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive & Ride collaborated with The Cure & Cocteau Twins?

Hello, Rock & Pop. Usually, I don't do this, but my 21st birthdsy is today, and that means that I am old enough to drink alcohol legally. Today is a pretty exciting day for me, and I was wondering if you guys had any good songs about añcohol to share with me.

BQ: For those of you who are 21+ years old, what did you do for your 21st birthday?

BQ2: In your opinion, why is it a big deal to reach the age of 21?

BQ3: Any alcohol-related stories in rock music that you want to share with me?

BQ4: Art rock & experimental rock frequently overlap with each other, especially when it comes to the work of The Velvet Underground, Radiohead, David Bowie, etc. What is your take on this?

Rock & Pop, what songs do you want to share with me, that always make you go "wow"? I want to hear songs that have blissful instrumentation, with compositions that make you feel like you're floating away somewhere. Here are some songs that I'd like to share:

Ride - "Like a Daydream"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zzo25t_eC8

Slowdive - "She Calls"

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

Animal Collective - "Bluish"

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

BQ: When it comes to music, which component is more important for you, and why: melody, or noise.

BQ2: Do you see any similarities, between Animal Collective & The Flaming Lips?

BQ3: When it comes to the 80s alternative/indie scene, Husker Du & The Replacements are compared to each other frequently. What is your take on this?

BQ4: What are your thoughts on how post-rock incorporates elements of jazz, ambient music & experimental rock?

Hello, everyone. I want to do another "album of the week" scenario, and I'm interested in what you guys will choose for this week. Pick at least 3 choices for your "album of the week", and include links to your picks. Give me some reasons for why you chose those albums, and I want everyone to choose intense, emotionally taxing albums that grab you by the gut. Feel free to include albums that explode with pure, unrestrained emotion. Here are my picks, for this week:

Husker Du - Zen Arcade

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JwOMXfkh1c8

Converge - Jane Doe

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zLRYREmJqho

Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iHhe6ziuo3k

BQ: In your opinion, what music genres create the strongest emotional responses, and why?

BQ2: Noise rock & post-hardcore tend to cross over woth each other, and emo has a strong connection to post-hardcore. What is your take on this?

BQ3: How would you feel, if a noise rock band covered The Cure's early 1980s era?

BQ4: Which band invites a stronger emotional reaction from you, and why: Dinosaur Jr., or Sonic Youth.