BravePicks 2013: The Scribes Speak - Greg Prato
January 15, 2014, 10 years ago
Happy New Year from BraveWords and all the best for a headbanging 2014! To honour tradition, we always follow our annual BravePicks by handing over the pen to our devout scribes and let them speak out about the year that was and the year ahead of us!
So now we present each writer's take on 2013 with the always popular Brave Embarrassments, Concerts, Thoughts On 2013, Predictions For 2014 and What / Who Needs To Stop In 2014!
1) QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - ...Like Clockwork (Matador)
2) GHOST BC - Infestissumam (Sonet Records, Loma Vista Recordings)
3) THE MELVINS - Tres Cabrones (Ipecac)
4) JELLO BIAFRA AND THE GUANTANAMO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE - White People and the Damage Done (Alternative Tentacles)
5) IGGY AND THE STOOGES - Ready to Die (Fat Possum)
6) VISTA CHINO - Peace (Napalm)
7) HBS - In Deep Owl (TAO Music)
8) BLACK STAR RIDERS - All Hell Breaks Loose (Nuclear Blast)
9) CLUTCH - Earth Rocker (Weathermaker Music)
10) RED FANG - Whales and Leeches (Relapse)
1) SOUNDGARDEN - Hammerstein Ballroom - New York, New York
2) MUDHONEY - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, New York
3) LIVING COLOUR - The Paramount - Huntington, New York
As in the past, 2013 was loaded with some good music...but mostly music that stunk to high heaven. It seems also that more and more metal bands are merely copying others and not trying to inject their own originality into the mix. Here's a helpful hint - most albums that have gone on to become classics were done by artists that took chances. If you take a chance, you'll have assumed a bold stance, which could lead to a rich monetary advance, resulting in a happy dance.
1. Too many metal bands (or more specifically, guitarists), will continue to commit the flub of putting lightning-fast shredding over the importance of songwriting.
2. Wolfgang remains the bassist.
3. Mr. Bungle reunites.
All of these atrocious hair metal bands from the '80s that now suddenly have careers again. I had to live through this musical torture once already in my life...WHY AGAIN?!
