Hello. So, for those of you who don't know, I am also a cohost of the amazingly hilarious and always interesting podcast Podtact. Available for free on iTunes Music Store. Anyway, we recently did a segment where we each assembled our own Dream Team Bands. I have expanded mine to 7 members to fit this little list format I do. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed listening to the music to research it.
1) LEAD VOCALS: BEN FOLDS
Sup ladies.
Lead vocals is obviously one of the most important parts of the band. They are the frontman and a truly amazing band (Gun's N Roses) can be murdered by a horrible lead vocalist. (Come on. Seriously. Axl Rose sounds like an obnoxious twat in their cover of Knockin' on Heaven's Door.)
That being said, I really appreciate Ben Folds music, and while he may or may not be the best vocalist for specific styles, I think that the thing that really gives him his edge is that he is really able to do any style and do it well. He's able to do the slow ballads (Brick) and he can put emotion into his love songs (The Luckiest), but then at the same time, he can do the catchy pop (Rockin' the Suburbs) and the more intense songs (Song for the Dumped).
For a frontman, I'd much rather have someone who is able to do well at any style than someone who can do one style perfectly and then sucks at the rest.
2) LEAD GUITAR: GARY ROSSINGTON
Alright, so once you have your lead vocalist and frontman locked in, it's time to look for a solid guitarist. This is the member that's going to turn your band from a pathetic spoken word festival into a kick ass rock band.
The think I like the most about Gary Rossington (from Lynrd Skynyrd) is that he brings the whole Southern Rock style to the band that I really like. He also brings some solid riffs to the table and can solo like a champion. Plus, he does lead guitar or rhythm guitar, so I figure we have our bases covered here.
3) BASS: PAUL MCCARTNEY
I hope by now you've realized that I'm going for the most "Sup Ladies" pose I can find...
So we have our vocalist and we have our guitarist. We're definitely on our way to getting a solid band together here. Now the next most important part here is the bass player. We need to get someone who can really be the backbone to the band, anchoring the band, and providing a solid bridge between rhythm and melody.
I know it's going to come across as pretty cliche, but my choice here is going to have to be Paul McCartney. He really did help to revolutionize the way bass worked into the whole mix, taking the instrument from a supporting character to an integral member of the band. By pulling the bass line out of the mix in many Beatles songs, you can tell just how intricate and important these lines are to the final product.
4) DRUMS: JESSE KRISTIN
Now, I'm not saying that the drummer is the least important of the major four, but it kind of is to an extent. I mean, you really do need to have a solid drummer that can keep the beat. However, I think the Beatles proved that you can have a great band with a passable drummer. It's not that Ringo's bad, but he's really not as revolutionary as the rest of the Beatles were.
Anyway, my pick for drummer is Jesse Kristin. He's the drummer for Jukebox the Ghost, which is a band that I recently discovered while listening to Pandora Radio. From my research, it seems that most people discover Jukebox the Ghost from Pandora Radio. Anyway, I like the band, Jesse Kristin is a pretty solid drummer, and you should go check out some of their music.
5) KEYBOARD: HUGH LAURIE
Basically every picture of Hugh Laurie is a "Sup ladies" pose.
Now, for those of you who are thinking, "Back up buddy, Dr. House is an actor, not a musician," you are incorrect. Hugh Laurie is an amazingly talented person who's talents extend far beyond faking an American accent. Hugh Laurie, along with stars of Heroes, Desperate Housewives, and other popular television shows created a pretty awesome cover band called Band From TV. Hugh Laurie plays keyboard for this band and he does it well.
6) STRINGS: BRIDGET REGAN
"Sup lad- wait a second..."
Violins? Ok. Violins in a rock band? Yes. I've never really heard violins put with rock music done poorly. I've also never heard it done better than Bridget Regan does with Flogging Molly. Pretty much amazing.
7) ACOUSTIC GUITAR: OBADIAH PARKER
Throwing in an acoustic guitar can really give a band a nice finish. It's something that you probably wouldn't notice if it was missing most of the time, but when it's there, it can really give your band a nice finished feel, especially on the slower more ballady song. Or it can be one jimbay away from a bad coffee shop open mic night experience. It could go either way.
Anyway, I picked Obadiah Parker for my acoustic guitar position. Have you heard his cover of Hey Ya? Need I say more?
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