1) The Velvet Underground, The Replacements, Yes, The Pixies 2) Janes Addiction, The Cult, King Crimson, Motorhead 3) The Pretenders, T Rex, Devo, The Black Crowes 4) XTC, Badfinger, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Byrds 5) The New York Dolls, The Carpenters, The Buzzcocks, Wilco 6) Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, Sly and the Family Stone, The Monkees 7) Abba, The White Stripes, The Temptations, Cold Play 8) Montrose, The Circle Jerks, Mott The Hoople, The Stooges 9) The Flaming Lips, The Hollies, Built To Spill, Bad Religion 10) Three Dog Night, Mars Volta, Bauhaus, Wishbone Ash 11) 311, Bush, The Talking Heads, Bread 12) The MC5, Television, The Butthole Surfers, The Isley Bros 13) Big Star, Husker Du, Death Cab For Cutie, System of a Down 14) Trapeze, Roxy Music, Pavement, Guided By Voices 15) Sigur Ros, The Jam, The Dead Kennedys, They Might Be Giants 16) Fugazi, Interpol, Status Quo, The Big Boys Sorry if A favorite band of yours got left out, but I think there is something here for everyone, and perhaps a few surprises - after all, this is the alternative battle. Alas, no bands were included if they were in the previous battle. There was just no way to cherry pick certain bands fairly. I will post the first rounds voting choices tomorrow. This should be pretty cool as there does not appear to be any clear-cut winners.
Cool. I thought that might be the reason. I can't believe the Big Boys are in there. Too funny. Good job.
there's too many bands out there and some are going to get left off and people are going to complain it's hard to do these things
Win, I understand your reasoning for leaving off Radiohead but the Temptations?? How are they alternative?? They are R&B/Motown/Oldies. And the same thing with the Carpenters - how are they alternative? At least have Blur or the Stone Roses to represent Brit pop instead of the Temptations. And I would axe the Carpenters, real quick, in favor of the Beastie Boys.
No Radiohead. No Nine Inch Nails. No Smashing Pumpkins. I know it's hard to please everyone, but come on......The Temptations?
This is the most interesting list of competitors posted so far for one of these tourney battle deals. One question though -- by 'alternative' do you mean different bands than the first 'rock tourney' or do you mean alternative as in 'alt rock'? If it's 'alt rock' there should be a few changes IMHO.
You mean you don't want to see that classic confrontation between Bread and the Monkees?? just funning with you, Win.
Alternative has so many meaings. Most of the mainstream bands or infamous bands were used for the previous BOTB's. Sly and the family Stone weren't on it, and they practically changed the face of funk, soul and dance music in the late 1960's- early 1970's. These things need as much variety as possible. Somebody might convince me to listen to something that I might never had wanted to because of their enthusiam for a band. But Why leave out Weezer,Los Lobos,Love and Squeeze? And why Roxy Music, Talking Heads such low seeds?
For sure, the slant was towards "quote, alternative rock' but I also wanted to include an alternative in the form of bands and musical styles that were not addressed in the original tourney. Hence, some soul bands like The Temptations, Sly and the Isley Brothers. They are but a smidgeon of such bands and an argument could easily be made that I left out far too many of them. I wanted to include bands like the Carpenters, Bread, Abba and The monkees as they too had not been represented, plus, you must admit seeing the Carpenters go up against the Dead Kennedys makes for some humorous and quite possibly interesting results. I already meantioned that Weezer will be added. Plcmnts, don't get hung up on the seedings, It will all come out in the wash, However you are right, the ommision of 'Love' was unforgivable and shall be rectified. Like Soze said, there are just too many bands to please everyone, plus some of you keep bringing up bands that were in the first tourney (Harrisment) and they are ineligable.
Anyone insulting the Temptations knows nothing about music. There are a few seeds I think are too high/too low, but nothing that different from the NCAA tournament. Great job. Can't please everyone.
seeing as how there is a large number of british influence on this list, it's pretty funny that oasis isn't in there somewhere. they were without question the biggest band in england in the 90's. i freaking LOVE coldplay but even chris martin would laugh if you said his band was a 7th seed and oasis wasn't even on there. (ok actually he wouldn't care) i understand the idea that not everyone's favorite band can be represented, but that's a massive slight.
I agree but I would argue that the Stone Roses are even more influential because they not only influenced Oasis but Blur, the Verve, Radiohead, and every other Brit pop band that came along later including Travis and Coldplay.
Point taken on Radiohead and Oasis. 'Twas an oversight on my part and nobody mentioned them when I was taking suggestions. Still, both shall be included in the second half of round one just as Weezer and Love were added to the first half of round one, which I shall post in a couple of hours. I think I can do it without anyone being to heartbroken over the casulties. While on the subject, I like Ride and Travis better than both those bands, and well, Guster and Belle & Sebastion too, but the afore mentioned four changes will be the only and final ones made before we begin. Thanks for the input. The Battle will be better because of it
THe 13th Floor Elevators? Built to Spill?? Is this the "bands nobody has heard of" tournament? Where are the friggin' Rolling Stones, damnit!?!
E! showed an old SNL the other day with Squeeze as the musical guest, and God bless Tivo, it taped it for me. It was like finding film of the father you never got to meet shooting down Axis planes during WWII. Words cannot express how much that group means to me. From 2001 until 2004, I bartended at several clubs and theatres in Chicago that housed musical acts, so I saw just about ever touring musician that came through Chicago during that span that did not play arenas. And, on nights off, because of club connections, I got to see just about anyone I wanted to for free. Suffice to say, my co-workers and I were the luckiest bastards on earth for a little while, but the point is this -- of all the shows we took in, a Los Lobos show from September 2002 blew them all away. I'm including Radiohead, playing on the Chicago lakefront as the sun goes down. Including dozens of brilliant acts. None better than Los Lobos, who just might be the best American band of the last 30 years. It almost made up for the fact that we were making $4.50 an hour.
