John Cox

Four Bands

I have relatively strange music tastes. I just like what I like, regardless of the genre. I used to love the idea of Indie bands when i was younger, more for the snobbish ability to say, "I've been listening to them for years" than for the actual music. At this point in my life it's about the music.

I have a list of four bands that I think are absolutely great, and I can listen to all day. All four are probably even better live, but I don't know if I will be able to catch any of the four soon.

Vampire Weekend is amazing. They have really nice, catchy tunes that are never far away from the tip of your tongue. Cape Cod and Oxford Comma are two of the best songs I have heard in quite some time.

Matisyahu is a bit from my norm. That said, I try to challenge myself to enjoy all music and Reggae is no different. I love Jerusalem and if it was a record, I would have already worn out the fresh analog sound to it.

Another band that I find myself spending a ton of time listening to is The Wiyos. They are a bit of blues, a bit of vaudeville, and all good. I just wish I could get more of their songs on Amazon or iTunes. Right now, I only have 3 songs to listen, and that's a chance for boredom.

Finally, to satisfy my bluegrass roots, I can not recommend Old Crow Medicine Show more. James River Blues is in my top 10 songs of all time, which for me is saying quite a bit. I love the sound but more I enjoy the emotional high that I get from each of these bands.

I just wish they would release some live performances on their web sites. It's not like when I was in my twenties and collecting Dead show's on cassette. We do live in the internet age;)