Originality tops the charts

By Greg Feltes

Carrie Cullen’s musical tastes give new meaning to the word eclectic.

When Cullen, a senior biological sciences major, was asked to name her 10 favorite bands, she rattled off a list that included both obscure and mainstream bands. However, there is one common thread among all her selections.

“I don’t have much respect for bands that don’t write their own songs,” she said.

10. Parasite Mite and the Slut Kittens – “They are my sister’s band and I’m the bass player. Isn’t that enough reason?”

9. Led Zeppelin – “They have some songs that are masterpieces. ‘Tangerine’ would be my favorite.”

8. Beastie Boys – “Their music is just fun and energetic. Their showmanship and lyrics have always been youthful.”

7. Rolling Stones – “They are a great rock band, but I’m not nuts about Mick Jagger. I like how they incorporated bits of country, blues and other types of music.”

6. The Tossers – “I saw them the other day and they are a great live band.”

5. U2 – “I like the spiritual aspects of their songs. In a lot of current music, it’s about cranking out songs to get radio play.”

4. Pink Floyd – “Ever member had a really distinct song-writing style. Their albums always have some type of theme or story, and I liked that.”

3. The Beatles – “They are like one of the greatest bands. They were together for such a short period of time, but had such a large impact on music and the world itself.”

2. Radiohead – “I like that they can be heavy rock, but still elicit emotions.”

1. The Who – “I think their music is really fun and diverse. They have so many different types of songs. Great guitar work.”