The Pages - Music We Love

Music has been a big part-- an essential part, really-- of the whole family. Music is what brought Brad & Heidi together in the first place. We don't agree on everything but there's plenty of good music to go around.

Some of the bands & artists we *all* agree on:: Todd Rundgren; David Bowie; XTC; Bruce Cockburn; And what can we say about The Beatles? We're all big fans. There's only about a million Beatles websites... start at the Official Beatles website and surf to your heart's content. Don't forget all their great solo stuff, too!

Heidi's favorite bands:: Nine Inch Nails; The Dresden Dolls; The Beastie Boys; The B-52's; REM; International Noise Conspiracy; The Hives; Brian Setzer; Matthew Sweet; King Crimson; Jane's Addiction; The Police; The Ramones; She Wants Revenge; Shiny Toy Guns; The White Stripes; Tool

Brad's favorites:: Jellyfish; The Who; Myracle Brah; The Shazam; Aerosmith; The Bears; Bleu; Doug Powell; Aimee Mann; DeepPurple; Glenn Hughes; Bettye LaVette; Big Star; Average White Band; Thin Lizzy; Rush; Sly & The Family Stone; James Brown

Christian's favorites:: The Residents; Green Day

If you love power-pop music, then you've got to check out the artists on Not Lame Recordings, a record label dedicated to the art of rocking pop, meaty hooks, and crafty tunes. Some of the best power pop acts in the world are at Not Lame. You might not know their names but you'll LOVE their music.

Is there such a thing as a "perfect song"? If there is, Brad thinks it just might be "Cliche" by Todd Rundgren -- the most beautiful song ever written (according to Brad, anyway). As Todd said, it's "a song about the things people say to each other instead of the things they really mean to say to each other". Here's a nice solo acoustic version of the song:

Another live performance of the song, featuring a Roger Powell piano solo, is here.

Great performances don't come any greater than this: the amazing Bettye LaVette performing at The Kennedy Center honoring The Who. One of the most moving things I've seen in years-- it still gives me goosebumps:

Sometimes, youth isn't everything. Years of living and life experience can add a weariness & wisdom to a singer's voice that you can't just emulate when your young. No singer in their 20's-- not even Bettye herself at that age-- could sing this song with the emotional depth as she does here. You need the mileage to be able to express those emotions with such truth.