This time around, I dedicate this collection of bands to my brother. I miss him terribly and when I listen to these bands I feel like he's right there with me, drinking whisky and singing along to these tunes. Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I do!
1. Les Breastfeeders (bandcamp link)
My brother and I shared an attic space during the majority of our teenage years (we had separate rooms, thankfully) which led us both to discover new music from one another. I remember coming home one day and walking up the stairs to this record playing and thinking, "da fuuuuq is dis?!" and I looked up at my brother who was bobbing his head aggressively to the beat. He was so into it so I sat down on his bed and listened with him. His reaction to the music was so contagious that I had no choice but to fall in love with this record. The fact that they're French Canadian and that their name literally translates to The Breastfeeders makes them a million times better, too!
2. Descendents (youtube link)
My brother and I would spend weekends with our dad and he would always have something new for us to listen to. Milo Goes to College was the first Descendents record both my brother and I were exposed to after finding it on the top of a huge pile of CDs at our dad's house. We were both intrigued by the simple cover art (who knew later on in life I would get Milo tattooed on me!) and wanted to put it on ASAP....so we did....best childhood decision ever.
3. Spencer Davis Group (youtube link)
The Spencer Davis Group became a listening staple during Sunday dinners at my dad's house. Stevie Winwood's voice is fucking magnificent and reminds me of my brother's singing voice. He can hit those same high, soulful notes that give me the warm fuzzies in my belly.
4. The Rosy Red (bandcamp link)
This was my brother's, now-defunct band where he played drums and sang back ups. I remember the first time I heard this and how proud I was that this was a beautiful thing that he and his pals created. And it's truly great...and I'm not just saying that because I'm his sister, it's just musically fantastic! Give 'er a listen.
5. The Viletones (youtube link)
I think I have mentioned this band before but I'm gonna do it again! My dad had this old CFNY compilation cd and Screaming Fist by the Viletones was on it. When my brother and I discovered it we lost our shit, and for some reason we found the way he says "screaming" ("skeemin") absolutely hilarious as kids. Even as youngins we were both captivated by the bass intro....we LOVED this song.
6. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (youtube link)
My brother and I absolutely love old Motown stuff. One of my fondest memories is hanging out around a big wooden table at our friend Brandon's house, smoking and drinking and blaring Smokey Robinson until the wee hours of a cold, winter morning. We didn't want to leave the house because of the blistering cold and the disgusting amount of snow on the ground, so we just ordered a bunch of beer and hibernated. It was such a pleasant night and a cozy memory.
7. Rancid (youtube link)
In 2003 my brother and I went to our first Warped Tour and basically shit ourselves. ...And Out Come The Wolves was (and still is) such a crucial record for us and getting to see the band that created this record live, in the flesh, was a mind blowing concept. Our 13 and 14 year-old brains couldn't grasp it! I remember watching Rancid somewhere in the middle of the huge crowd and grabbing onto my brother so tight, both in fear (of being thrown around in the pit) and excitement. Some dude was struggling to get through the crowd and his face was all kinds of fucked up, with his eye bleeding from having shards of his now broken glasses stuck in his eye. It was a pretty monumental moment for both my brother and I and I couldn't be happier to have him there with me.