Bott Jams Volume 1

I've had a ton of conversations regarding music with GHS students so I thought I would share some of the music I'm currently listening to and some bands I think you guys/gals should check out.

Metal/Hardcore: I've been jamming to the harder stuff since I heard Minor Threat and Black Flag back in 1993. Since then I've been obsessed and have seen too many shows to count. My top bands in this genre rarely change and they're a bit older. Most of the stuff coming out today I just don't like
Listen to:
- Turmoil - Philadelphia metalcore that just rips
- Terror - Hardcore music with face-melting riffs and an insane live presence.
- Between the Buried and Me - Epic metal songs that mix melody and technical styles
- Every Time I Die - Big riffs, great lyrics, and getting better with age
- Converge - Best...band...ever


Turmoil's "The Process Of"


Post-Hardcore: I cringe when I hear this word. Asking Alexandria is not screamo. They're just terrible. Here are a couple screamo bands I've listened to for years:
- Circle Takes the Square- chaotic, melodic, and wonderfully mysterious
- Braid - Love love love this band. They are still the best in terms of song structure in this genre.
- You & I - If clean vocals are your thing, don't listen. But phenomenal builds and crushing guitars
- City of Caterpillar - Speaking of builds...this band does it best. Look up their live shows on YouTube and you'll see what I mean.


(city of caterpillar)

Indie Bands: For the more rock oriented folks, these bands are not necessarily radio rock. But definitely more accessible than some hardcore bands:
- mewithoutYou - rock meets rhythm and absolutely incredible vocals. They are, I guess, considered "christian" but don't let that deter you.
- Future of the Left - I'm not sure where to put this band because they're so weird and quirky. I dig their style and their street cred in the rock genre can't be topped.
- Q and Not U - Math rock from D.C. Spastic, but their odd timing keeps you guessing without being pretentious.
- Minus the Bear - I think everyone knows this band. Cross referenced with legendary hardcore band Botch and post rockers These Arms Are Snakes, MTB is the most listen-able(?) band on this list.


(mewithoutYou)

Punk Rock: My first love. Since I happened upon Black Flag back in the day, I haven't looked back:
- Black Flag - Just listen...NOW
- Minor Threat - Ian MacKaye (frontman: See Fugazi) made me love punk rock. He coined the term "straight edge" and has influenced almost every band I've listened to since.
- Find Him and Kill Him - Fastest band ever and is just raw punk rock. Listening to them is like hearing a tornado.
- Kid Dynamite - Having grown up in PA, Kid Dynamite was the punk band everyone wanted to emulate in my town. They could be fast, but also throw in a melody or two that even made your girlfriend tap her feet. Great great band


(Minor Threat)

***Honorable Mention*** Balance and Composure - I'm 3 songs in to their newest and it's awesome. I'll issue an update soon.


There are tons more and I'll update occasionally. Feel free to tweet me some suggestions (books or music) @MrBott1 or throw me some bands when you see me. One more thing, being a librarian I can't help but mention a book here, so for my "Books on Music" pick, it's Journals: Kurt Cobain: A great look into one of, in my opinion, the most incredible and troubled minds in music.

Bott's Book of the Week: My Friend Dahmer...yeah...that Dahmer

So Jeffery Dahmer is a real American horror story. From 1978 to 1991, he was responsible for the murder of 17 men and boys in the great Milwaukee area. But it didn't end there, throughout the course of his trial it came to light that he consumed his victims.

Now...having said that...Why would anyone want to read a book about a serial killer/rapist? First of all, it's not necessarily a biography about Dahmer himself. It's more along the lines of how the author, Derf Backderf, shared a relatively normal high school friendship with this would be murderer. Backderf's art is straight up creepy; but it paints Dahmer in an almost sympathetic light. According to Backderf, Dahmer was a goofball. A kid who didn't fit in and someone who by all accounts was looking for guidance during an impressionable time in his life.

I hate that I felt sympathy for anyone who committed such heinous crimes, but that's what this book does. It makes the reader a.) Uncomfortable because we know the outcome b.) A little angry. I say that because, and Backderf says as much, "Where were the damn adults?" Now, Backderf's book is not without its flaws. He admits to being a bit of a bully and then contradicts himself as saying he was a friend. Still, the book is a quick and quirky read. Something that I don't want to visit again.