Thursday Thirteen - 13 Musical Artists

Dear Friends, Shalom! I am going to participate, for the first time, in Thursday Thirteen. I have enjoyed reading some of your Thursday Thirteen posts for some time now, and decided to give it a go.

Figured I would start with a fun one:

Thirteen Musical Artists I Can't Live Without!

1. Duran Duran - still making incredibly exciting, moving music after all these years. I still find myself getting a visceral reaction every time I hear "Ordinary World" or "Hungry Like the Wolf." My friends and I saw them when I was in High School, and memories of Simon Le Bon crawling on the stage in a silver lame suit still make my heart flutter.
   
2. Colin Hay - I've mentioned my love for his music before. If you haven't had a chance to check out his solo work (he was the lead singer of Men at Work), you are missing out on moving, amusing, heartbreaking, and beautiful acoustic work. "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin."
   
3. Sarah McLachlan - I celebrate her entire catalog. No singer is so consistently wonderful, in my humble opinion. She is one of those artists that I can put on, listen to the entire CD, and enjoy every moment. "Elsewhere" is my long time favorite.
   
4. Robbie Williams - What an underrated artist! He is HUGE in the UK, yet a minor star here in the US. His music has passion, a sense of humor, so much sexuality, and immense talent. I love me some Robbie. Saw him live at a taping of CARSON DALY. "Feel" and "Road to Mandalay" are current favorites.
   
5. Dave Matthews Band - I've seen them perform at least five times (including their enormous Central Park Concert a few years ago). While their more recent albums have disappointed me, I really love their first few records. Put those on, relax, sing along, and feel at home. "Two Step" makes me wild with joy.
   
6. Barenaked Ladies - I really began enjoying their music towards the end of high school and early in college. They seem like such genuinely nice, talented guys, and I love the way that they incorporate love, humor, silliness, and profundity all in the same song. I saw them perform, for free, in Boston while I was in college. It was raining, and so the Mac N' Cheese that the audience threw around got mushy and messy. Yet, we loved every minute! "Pinch Me" is my most favorite.
7. Erasure - Give me some happy, dancing men any day, and I shall be at peace. I have been a fan for a LONG time, thanks to my best friend, Jessica, introducing their music to me in elementary school. They still put out amazing albums, and have a unique sound. "Always" is still my most favorite song of theirs.
   
8. George Michael - His voice is like butter, as far as I am concerned. He is capable of singing so many different styles and emotions, and so many songs are classics. "As," his duet with Mary J. Blige, remains my favorite.
   
9. Indigo Girls - My overnight camp experiences would have been so different without their songs to sing around the campfire. The heartache and wonderment in their songs always helps me better understand something in my life that I couldn't, personally, articulate. My friends and I saw them live in High School, and we danced around the outdoor theater during each song. "Galileo," their ode to reincarnation, is true brilliance.
   
10. Moldy Peaches - Okay, so I only just discovered this sweet band, thanks to the JUNO soundtrack, but I am HOOKED! I downloaded every possible song off of iTunes, including the solo work of Kimya Dawson and Adam Green, and feel like I am entering a new world of honesty, love, and simplicity. I can't stop listening to "Tire Swing."
    
11. Madonna - What can I say? From my childhood filled with lace gloves, big charm necklaces, and torn jeans, to the mystical dance tunes playing on my iPod today, I have always been a fan of her music. Notice that I specify MUSIC - she, as a person, drives me crazy. "Dear Jesse" and "Don't Tell Me" are currently my favorite songs.
    
12. Metallica - Throwing you for a loop here, I'll bet. There is a sweet, little, Jewish headbanger deep inside of me. In fact, I saw Metallica perform live in Tel Aviv when I lived in Israel. One of the coolest moments? When James Hetfield shouted, "Shalom, Motherf**kers!" Have those two words ever before or since been muttered together??? "Nothing Else Matters" is still a necessity.
13. R.E.M. - Last, but certainly not least, I love R.E.M. I saw them in concert while I was in High School, and I remember so many moments from it, even now. Their lyrics are smart, the songs are brilliantly put together, and Michael Stipe seems like such a good person. "Near Wild Heaven" is one of my favorite songs of theirs.
    

Well, I can't believe that I have already listed 13 artists. There are plenty more favorites, but we will stop there for now.

I can't wait to hear your reactions and your favorites.

Have a great day!!