Matthew Sweet’s recommendation: “A band I really continue to dig is Big Star. I would suggest their Radio City album as a start, but also the off-the-rails followup, Third (also called Sister Lovers). #1 Record is also a classic, and features tremendous stuff by band mate Chris Bell. Alex Chilton had a commanding slant in the delivery of his various personal sides, and was as unafraid of extreme musical intimacy as he was delivering a raging rant. In this regard, Alex, to me, was like a John Lennon, someone who put all his feelings into song and had a great courage in his reaching. Beyond all this, crazy great guitars and drums are to be had throughout Big Star’s work. I highly recommend checking them out!”
About our guest author, Matthew Sweet: You simply cannot talk about ’90s alternative music without recognizing the impact of Matthew Sweet. Literally there from the beginning, he worked with Michael Stipe pre-R.E.M., was in a band with Stipe’s sister in the ’80s and then went on to put out THE definitive power pop album (a claim that is backed up by this AV Club article with more accolades at the bottom of this post), Girlfriend, in 1991. From there came excellent guitar driven follow-ups, but Sweet also collaborated on the harmony drenched Thorns record (with Pete Droge and Shawn Mullins) and teamed up with Susanna Hoffs to record a pair of excellent cover records. In conjunction with the twentieth anniversary of Girlfriend, Sweet is back with a new collection titled Modern Art, an album that oozes with Beatles, Byrds, Beach Boys and Big Star flavors. Matthew is on tour now, supporting his new record and playing past favorites.
Ariel Aparicio’s recommendation: “Richard Butler, or as I called him back in college “God,” has a voice like no other. Leader of the quintessential pop/punk/goth band of the ’80s, The Psychedelic Furs, Butler’s rasp and poetry has left an indelible mark on Rock & Roll. The Furs have a sound all their own – dark yet sexy, driving yet melodic, hypnotic yet invigorating. But the voice is the stand out instrument. No one sings like Butler. Plus, no one is as mesmerizing in performance. I had the honor of playing with The Furs’ current drummer, Paul Garristo, who’s been with them since the mid-’80s. He’s shared quite a few choice stories with me. When I covered their classic Pretty in Pink a few years ago, Richard himself ( I mean “God”) managed to hear it and approved. “I loved it,” he said. Needless to say, I melted. ”
New to The Psychedelic Furs? Ariel suggests you start here: “The Psychedelic Furs second record, Talk Talk Talk continues to blow me away 30 years later. Brilliant songwriting and an exquisite delivery. It has the rawness and full-frontal assault of any punk record, but with melodies that could be sung by Sinatra. When you listen to Richard sing, you hear others in his style but at the same time, it’s totally unique. That falsetto melts your heart. This band and this record will rip out your heart and then gently put it right back in.”
About our guest author, Ariel Aparicio: Ariel has been building a cult following in New York City for years. This eclectic Latino/rock & roller who is proud to proclaim equal love for punk, Gang of Four and Madonna has five albums under his belt and his most recent release, Aerials can be best summed up by the songwriter’s description of “…a dance record, but with all guitars.” Our personal favorite track is Sorry which features Lisa Germano (who you may remember as John Mellencamp’s fiddle player but you should, as other music nerds will, remember her for her outstanding solo records). Viewers of Logo TV will know Aparicio from his hotly requested videos, Pretty In Pink (clip below) and his version of Jim Carroll’s classic People Who Died. Be sure to check Ariel’s tour page for upcoming appearances and visit his official site to sign up for his Twitter feed and more.
Sune Rose Wagner’s recommendation: “Buddy Holly always moved me because he wrote amazing, simple songs. I used to watch the Buddy Holly Story incessantly when I was a kid. The Everly Brothers are some of the best singers and recorded great songs by terrific writers like Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. All I Have To Do Is Dream is incredibly moving. Sonic Youth opened a entirely new world for me. Daydream Nation was my first purchase and I had a love/hate relationship with it for a long time. I was intrigued by the dissonance and words but a little perplexed by the lack of really melodic “traditional” songs.”
About our guest author, Sune Rose Wagner: Sune is the songwriter, co-singer and guitarist for The Raveonettes, the band that Kurt Loder simply could not stop speaking and writing about in 2003. The band perfectly combines ’50s harmonies and Spectorish production with a smack of Velvet Underground punk attitude for good measure. They’re critic darlings, music snob darlings and should be a hell of a lot bigger than they are. Sune Rose literally scoured the Earth to put this band together and his effort paid off, big time. Their somehow simultaneously retro and modern songs are some of the most infectious tunes that have come out in the last ten years and their latest release Raven In the Grave lives up the the excellence of their past releases. The band also kills it live, so be sure to check their tour page for upcoming gigs.
Kevin Devine’s recommendation: “There are so many, but this weekend I listened to a lot of Sinead O’Connor (and Nada Surf, but for the sake of this piece, let’s go with Sinead). She’s just so tough, and beautiful, and fearless. Her songs are so strong, and open, and even though there are some production/arrangement choices that I think can skew towards cheesy Enya-isms, she stamps them with enough honesty to make them transcend. She’s punk rock.”
New to Sinéad O’Connor? Kevin recommends you start here: “I’d start with I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. That’s the hit, and for good reason – it has my three all-time favorite songs of hers (Black Boys on Mopeds,The Emperor’s New Clothes, and Last Day of Our Acquaintance) AND Nothing Compares 2 U. C’mon. And while some of the sounds haven’t aged well, the songs have. The Gospel Oak EP may be my favorite music she’s made, and Universal Mother is a pretty great record too, but I think this is where you’d point someone looking to get familiar.”
About our guest author, Kevin Devine: You may know Kevin from his days of fronting Miracle of 86 (Mets fans, you get the reference, right?). Since those days, Kevin has toned down his vocals and moved stylistically towards the late, great Elliot Smith, an artist that Kevin says “changed the way I look at writing music.” In fact, Devine snagged Elliot Smith’s producer, Rob Schnapf for his major label debut, Put Your Ghost To Rest. In 2009, Paste Magazine gushed about Devine’s release, Brother’s Blood, saying that Devine’s “…scathing observations and idiosyncratic details leave a disquieting mark.” Devine most recently teamed up with members of Manchester Orchestra to form Bad Books and is set to release his new album, Between The Concrete And Clouds. In the mean time, Kevin continues to play shows and win over new fans.
About our guest author, Fyfe Dangerfield: Fyfe is all the rage because he is the owns the rich voice that covers Billy Joel’s She’s Always a Woman for John Lewis’ fantastic advertisement (see clip below), but he is also the founding member of The Guillemots, the band whose debut album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize. Dangerfield has been busy with high profile side projects since then and in 2010 he released the ultra-melodic Fly Yellow Moon, a record that raked in the praise, including this quote from the Guardian UK: “…the songwriting quality is so high, the tunes have an immediate, instant feel.” 2011 finds Fyfe once again fronting The Guillemots and their latest release, Walk the River is currently tearing up the UK charts.
About our guest author, Matthew Sweet: You simply cannot talk about ’90s alternative music without recognizing the impact of Matthew Sweet. Literally there from the beginning, he worked with Michael Stipe pre-R.E.M., was in a band with Stipe’s sister in the ’80s and then went on to put out THE definitive power pop album (a claim that is backed up by this AV Club article with more accolades at the bottom of this post), Girlfriend
continues to blow me away 30 years later. Brilliant songwriting and an exquisite delivery. It has the rawness and full-frontal assault of any punk record, but with melodies that could be sung by Sinatra. When you listen to Richard sing, you hear others in his style but at the same time, it’s totally unique. That falsetto melts your heart. This band and this record will rip out your heart and then gently put it right back in.”
About our guest author, Ariel Aparicio: Ariel has been building a cult following in New York City for years. This eclectic Latino/rock & roller who is proud to proclaim equal love for punk, Gang of Four and Madonna has five albums under his belt and his most recent release, 
can be best summed up by the songwriter’s description of “…a dance record, but with all guitars.” Our personal favorite track is Sorry which features Lisa Germano (who you may remember as John Mellencamp’s fiddle player but you should, as other music nerds will, remember her for her outstanding solo records). Viewers of Logo TV will know Aparicio from his hotly requested videos, Pretty In Pink (clip below) and his version of Jim Carroll’s classic People Who Died. Be sure to check Ariel’s 
About our guest author, Sune Rose Wagner: Sune is the songwriter, co-singer and guitarist for The Raveonettes, the band that Kurt Loder simply could not stop speaking and writing about in 2003. The band perfectly combines ’50s harmonies and Spectorish production with a smack of Velvet Underground punk attitude for good measure. They’re critic darlings, music snob darlings and should be a hell of a lot bigger than they are. Sune Rose literally scoured the Earth to put this band together and his effort paid off, big time. Their somehow simultaneously retro and modern songs are some of the most infectious tunes that have come out in the last ten years and their latest release 
. That’s the hit, and for good reason – it has my three all-time favorite songs of hers (Black Boys on Mopeds, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and Last Day of Our Acquaintance) AND Nothing Compares 2 U. C’mon. And while some of the sounds haven’t aged well, the songs have. The Gospel Oak EP may be my favorite music she’s made, and Universal Mother is a pretty great record too, but I think this is where you’d point someone looking to get familiar.”
About our guest author, Kevin Devine: You may know Kevin from his days of fronting Miracle of 86 (Mets fans, you get the reference, right?). Since those days, Kevin has toned down his vocals and moved stylistically towards the late, great Elliot Smith, an artist that Kevin says “changed the way I look at writing music.” In fact, Devine snagged Elliot Smith’s producer, Rob Schnapf for his major label debut, Put Your Ghost To Rest. In 2009, Paste Magazine gushed about Devine’s release, 
About our guest author, Fyfe Dangerfield: Fyfe is all the rage because he is the owns the rich voice that covers Billy Joel’s She’s Always a Woman for John Lewis’ fantastic advertisement (see clip below), but he is also the founding member of The Guillemots, the band whose debut album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize. Dangerfield has been busy with high profile side projects since then and in 2010 he released the ultra-melodic 
is currently tearing up the UK charts. 
