Siouxsie and the Banshees (the Banshees have changed, but Siouxsie has remained the same) have been around since the mid 1970′s, way back when punk was new.

They have a slew of great music that they’ve put out over the years.

Hugely influential, the group initially had problems getting signed to a record contract. They also went through a lot of guitarists, including Robert Smith of the Cure.

Siouxsie Sioux

Dazzle

Forever

Rhapsody

The Last Beat Of My Heart – from Superstition

The Killing Jar

If you’re going to get just one album, Superstition would be a good place to start.

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I love getting into “the Zone.”

“The Zone” is another way of describing “flow.” Flow is the mental state in which you are fully immersed in what you’re doing. You have a feeling of energized focus, total involvement, and positive feelings about the end success while involved in the process of whatever you’re doing.

Once, while playing soccer in high school, I had a 45 second span of time where, due to “flow,” I was unstoppable. I remember it vividly. I was right outside the penalty box, covered with about 5 or so defenders. Every defender that came into my reach and tried to take the ball out of my control was identified, their attack was negated and they were bypassed. I was in a total reactionary state where I didn’t even think – I just did it.

It was an amazing feeling that ended when I scored a goal.

Creative types crave the zone. Some people achieve it easier than others.

Sometimes I can get closer to the zone by drenching myself in music. Hybrid is one of the music-producing groups that does that for me. They’re right up there with Moby.

Last Man Standing:

Dreaming Your Dreams:

Finished Symphony:

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I remember first seeing the Love and Rockets insignia on the back of some guy’s jacket in trigonometry class, and thinking that it was pretty cool.

Later, as I explored the boundaries of my musical experience, pushing them back somewhat, I started seriously listening to Love and Rockets. First on tape, then on CD, I always had at least two of their albums in my truck.

In case you didn’t know, Love and Rockets was formed in 1985 by the remaining members of Bauhaus – David J, Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins – after Peter Murphy left.

Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven had a few songs on it that put me into my oh-so-loved trace state, such as The Dog End of A Day Gone By and Haunted When the Minutes Drag:

Personally, I think they peaked in 1989, with the release of their self-titled album. Anything after that, I’ve found to be kind of…lacking. I’d love to support them, but from what I’ve heard of the stuff they’ve put out, it doesn’t appeal to me nearly as much as their earlier music.

So if you’re open to trying some of their best stuff, pick up Earth Sun Moon, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven, Express or Love and Rockets.

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According to Beth Bessmer, who has never been caught pulling a knife across a puppy’s throat:

Ride was an essential element of the wall-of-sound, trippy, melodic shoe-gazing movement of the early ’90s. Nowhere is their best album and is one of the prettiest albums of that era. Songs are psychedelic wash of reverberation, and ghostly, passive vocal melodies. Born from the womb of My Bloody Valentine distortion, Ride tempers their sound with an easier melody, reaching across to the pop spectrum. “Vapour Trail” stands out as the leader of the pack – a gorgeous song that floats and drones in and out of your head like a cleansing fog.

Loved listening to Ride, on the rare occasions that they’d be played on 106.7 KROQ. Vapour Trail was my favorite song of theirs, and was introduced to me way back in 1992 by a very special girl whose name I no longer remember.

Ride, performing Nowhere, live in Brixton in 1992.

Ride, performing Vapour Trail, live in Brixton in 1992.

Awesome band.

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