My top 50 musical influences

A couple of days ago, I was thinking about how much my taste in music has evolved since returning to Minnesota after spending a few years in Wisconsin (that was like over a decade ago). My musical tastes was so much different (and a whole lot shittier) then. I thought it would be fun to share my 50 musical influences which will include some recent discoveries. They really helped made me become the obsessive music fanatic/junkie that I am today ;). I won't be able to go into every single musical influence but I'll certainly try with as many as I can on my blog tonight.

50. The Current 89.3 - While not all the music they play is to my liking, the station still airs some kickass music especially when Jake Rudh and Jacquie Fuller [my two favorite on-air personalities] are on air with their programs Transmission and Teenage Kicks. The Current has given me hope that there still can be some good programming on traditional radio.

49. KFAI - Another cool radio station. I have to admit I am rather partial to Across the Board because of my good friend DJ SLT. I really love how DJ SLT covers every genre of music on his show effortlessly. Really cool guy with a kickass show. I usually listen to his show online since I am always asleep when he is live on air. lol

48. Zhala - I recently discovered Zhala via Facebook last week. She recently was signed to Robyn's Konichiwa record label. Her brand of pop music is nothing like I have heard before. Zhala is proof that pop music CAN be good and without being contrived and annoying. You can hear her new EP Prophet on Spotify.

47. The Luna Sequence - my first new discovery of the new year. I came across Kaia Young's project via Spotify and totally dug her take on electronic music. I'll be truthful with my readers, instrumental music usually isn't something I dig a lot of the time but after listening to all of Kaia's work online, I can honestly say her music bloody fucking rock.

46. Robyn - I couldn't mention Zhala without mentioning Robyn on this list. Honestly? I didn't care for her work when she first came out. It wasn't until Body Talk the full length album that convinced  this fussy music listener to give her music a chance.The music is really catchy. Didn't have that overt r&b sound that made me not like her the first time around. Her live show at First Ave a few years ago also helped me fall in love with Robyn as an artist.

45. Amduscia - my very first introduction to aggrotech. Initially I wasn't crazy about the music but over the years I have come to love that genre.

44. MergingMoon
43. Imperative Reaction
42. The Frozen Autumn

41. Tori Amos - okay I am not the Tori Amos fanatic I once was but albums like From the Choirgirl Hotel and Little Earthquakes still holds a special place in my heart. Some of my favorite concerts that I have ever seen was at a Tori Amos concert. The first time I saw her was a month after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Emotions were still running raw at the time. Her gorgeous version of Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" brought the emotions from the attack to the forefront and I actually shed a few tears.

40. Dum Dum Girls - my current favorite band. I am really digging their music lately. It's very raw, minimal yet very melodic.

39. CHROM
38. Blume
37. Moonlight Cove
36. The Birthday Massacre
35. Colony 5
34. Code 64
33. De/Vision

32. Noblesse Oblige - my favorite band from 2013.They also made me realize that good music isn't strictly on Metropolis Records, Alfa Matrix, Out of Line and to start looking beyond those labels.

31. Hooverphonic
30. Nightwish
29. Android Lust
28. Ashbury Heights
27. Sara Noxx
26. Combichrist

25.  Ladytron - I didn't start getting into dance music until I heard their album Velocifero six years ago. After hearing that album, I started listening to their other albums. I have tried listening to electro-clash prior to Ladytron but it never really got into it until I started listening to Ladytron. Amazing how much one band can change a certain type of music for a person.

24. Sensuous Enemy - After moving back to Minnesota from Wisconsin, I didn't think there was much of a goth/industrial scene in the midwest. I eventually realized how wrong I was not long after joining the once popular Myspace and gotten a friend request from the Madison, WI band Sensuous Enemy. This was long before I started my blog, let alone started helping Trace promote his shows.

23. My old roommate Brian. Of all the people I lived with in Milwaukee, Brian was one of my favorite roomies. He had some awesome taste in music. He got me into Delerium, Moby, Leftfield, Juno Reactor, and Future Sound of London. I really give him a lot of credit for introducing me to Delerium and Moby in particular. That left a huge impact on me for sure. I still remember hearing Moby's Play blasting from his stereo 24/7. Talk about brainwashing me. lol

22. Ficshe - this is one of my personal favorite local artists in the underground music scene. For a long time I always thought the Twin Cities had a lame music scene sans Husker Du, The Replacements, Babes in Toyland, and Prince. That quickly changed once I started going to shows on a regular basis. I remember catching Ficshe's last song at Club Underground in 2008 or 2009 (when Sensuous Enemy played there) and just being totally wowed away by her voice. I was so pissed off I had missed her set but she definitely left a huge impression on me for sure.

21. Diva Destruction
20. Kirlian Camera
19. Assemblage 23
18. Front Line Assembly
17. Hanzel und Gretyl
16. In Strict Confidence
15.  Nena
14. Voltaire
13. Conjure One
12. Balligomingo
11. Voltaire

10. POP INC - I remember going to The Loft in downtown Minneapolis many, many,many moons ago for the C/A/T show which featured a few local acts including POP INC. Of all the local acts I saw there, POP INC left a huge impression on me. Loved their sound and how melodic their music was. Also became great friends with Brooke Aldridge  who also sings for the band Glean.

09. Ego Likeness - in the past couple of years, this band has become one of my personal favorite bands. Donna Lynch has such a distinctive voice from other female singers in the underground scene. Having seen the band perform live last year was a real treat and made me even a bigger fan.

08. Goldfrapp - I love how this duo doesn't stick to one particular sound with every album they put out, even if I don't particularly care for it. At least they are willing to take a huge risk for their music.

07. Ayria
06. Garbage
05. Blutengel

04. Unter Null - when I first listened to aggrotech for the first time, I honestly didn't care for the distorted vocals. It wasn't until I heard Unter Null on Myspace did that alter my view on the genre. Something about Erica's vocals and the catchy melodies coupled with aggressive dance beats had a profound effect on me and my taste in music. Sacrament was my first Unter Null purchase and from then on out, I have been buying her music regularly. Nowadays I am finding myself liking the harsher stuff like Unter Null, Suicide Commando, Hocico, etc...etc... over the more traditional EBM/industrial music.

03. Apoptygma Berzerk - This is the band that got me into EBM/Futurepop music. I remember looking for Apocalyptica music at Cheapo in the used CD bins. For some odd I reason, I confused Apop for Apocalytica. It ended up being a happy mistake. Totally forever changed my view on music.

02. Cylab - I first heard of Cylab's singer Severina Sol on the first Diva Destruction album Passion's Price. When I saw that she had a new project (at the time) in a magazine (I forget what magazine that was), I was immediately intrigued. The review was for their first album called Unparallel Universe. I really took to the band's blend of trip hop and industrial music and became a life long fan.

01. VNV Nation - I think the first time I heard VNV Nation was on a mixed CD a friend of mine made for me. She included the song "Standing" on it. Totally fell in love with the song and the band.

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