Part of a year-long series celebrating my favorite musical people, places, and things from the last 25 years.

Few tasks have been more difficult than trying to choose my 25 favorite artists and bands from the last quarter century. It feels like for everyone I name, I’m leaving at least one off. Maybe two.

Even as I say “favorite,” I ask myself just how accurate that is. Perhaps I should say they’ve had some of the greatest impact. Yeah … that makes a bit more sense.

Well, I put myself in this quandary. I’ll have to work my way out of it. At least it’s fun!

People who know me will notice a couple of glaring omissions, based on how much I talk about them. That’s because they’ll be getting their own features. I didn’t forget about them.

The artists are presented in no particular order. If you missed the first part of this list, you can find it here.

Off we go …

MARBIN. How best to describe this band? How about fusion on steroids? That’s a good place to start.

I can’t remember exactly how I learned about these guys. More than likely, they popped up in my YouTube feed. All I know is, it didn’t take long at all to get hooked.

Guitarist Dani Rabin is a force of nature. That he crossed paths with saxophonist Danny Markovitch (that’s right … two lead players with the same name) is one of the great fortunes in music. Their chemistry is among some of my favorite in music. Their rhythm section has changed once or twice, but D&D always bring the fire!

Do I have a favorite album or song? Not really. That’s because MARBIN is best enjoyed in chunks. Here’s a pretty good example of the band in what I feel is their true element, the stage.

MARBIN is Chicago-based, so I’ve gotten more than a couple of chances to see them. Each experience is unique, and it’s always fun.

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE. Seeing this band was an accident. A very happy accident.

I went to Lincoln Hall in Chicago to see Bent Knee (who already have their own feature in this series). They were the middle act of a triple bill. Once their set was over, I texted drummer Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth to let him know I was going home. Covid-19 was still a thing, so I wouldn’t be able to hang out with the band. Gavin’s return text sounded almost desperate. “No!” it read. “You want to see these guys! STAY HERE!” So, I stayed.

Gavin was right.

This band with the ridiculously long name was INCREDIBLE! I don’t know if indie-prog is a thing, but that is definitely what I was hearing. I’d never heard anything like it. When they finished their set, all I wanted in my life was MORE.

The band was touring behind an album called Illusory Walls. I raced to the merch table to. It a copy. I couldn’t get home fast enough to play it. Between that night and the next day, I played that album (which features a 17-minute “indie” finale) at least four times. I almost never do that! To this day, my mind remains blown by that album.

These guys make incredibly emotional music. It’s a joy to hear even as it pushes you close to tears every now and then. I can’t wait for my next chance to see them.

RHIANNON GIDDENS. What do angels sound like when they sing? They sound like Rhiannon Giddens! I’ve heard some amazing singing voices in my day, but this young lady is truly next level.

I learned about her from a documentary about the New Basement Tapes. It was a project assembled by producer T-Bone Burnett, who got a group of all-star musicians together to add melodies to lyrics written by Bob Dylan. I was there for Elvis Costello. Marcus Mumford was also very good. But when I heard Giddens simply warm up her voice, I nearly fainted. I didn’t know people could sing like that! And I enjoy the occasional opera!

Imagine my surprise when I learned that Giddens came from a bluegrass background. Yep … she was part of an African-American band called the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Naturally, I had to have a couple of those records along with the NBT. Bluegrass isn’t necessarily my thing, but these records were quite remarkable. They still are.

It wasn’t long before Giddens released a solo album. Among other moments of brilliance, it contained a tune called “Waterboy.” It was powerful enough to have my family (who have little to no interest in my music) ask, “Who is that?”

It took a year or two, but I was finally able to see Giddens in concert. The only thing better than one of her records is to have her belt out her tunes right in front of you. She is truly one of a kind.

CASPIAN. My love of post-rock is far from secret. (I’ll celebrate the entire genre down the road.) Every note I hear hits me. Some hit even harder than others. Enter Caspian, who came to me via a playlist featuring a different band on YouTube. Caspian had me from the word go.

This is music better heard than described. All I can say is these guys know how to lock into an emotional groove and never let it go. To say nothing of the fact that these guys just love to play in extremely low light when they’re onstage. I’ve seen them twice, both times from the very front, leaning on the stage. Yet I could hardly make them out for at least three quarters of the set! Granted, it can make for great photography. Some of my favorite shots came from Caspian gigs (like the one above).

Luckily, they played with the lights on during their Audiotree performances. Still, their stage presence speaks to how relatively unimportant Caspian’s image is to them. You’re there for the music, not a highly stylized stage show. And the music never disappoints.

MARY HALVORSON. Her tone is quirky, as are more than a few of her composition, but Mary Halvorson is pushing jazz into fascinating directions in bands and ensembles of varying sizes.

There was a time when I thought of Halvorson as the Adrian Belew of jazz guitar. For that, I apologize. Halvorson has a sound of her own, beholden to no one. Mary Halvorson is the Mary Halvorson of jazz guitar.

My favorite way to hear Halvorson (though any context is great) is via the band Thumbscrew. I could be wrong, but she seems really free when she plays in this group. That being said, she sounds equally remarkable when leading an ensemble through her own compositions. Which is my way of saying just check her out. She’s all over the place! You’re bound to find what you like.

Whatever you decide, you’ll be in the presence of a true innovator.

SNARKY PUPPY. When a friend pointed me to his computer monitor in order to show me a band he’d recently fallen in love with, the oddest thought crossed my mind. Good Lord! How do all those guys manage to hear each other? Such was my introduction to Snarky Puppy.

The band can have up to nineteen people on stage simultaneously, but it turns out they can hear each other just fine. The song being played was called “Lingus,” which feels like the tune that broke them to the general public. Up to that point, they felt like a well-kept secret where only the cool kids were in on this amazing fusion group. Fortunately, I was one of them.

The band was founded by bass ist Michael League, who formed the group after failing to make any band ensembles at the University of North Texas. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say he got the last laugh.

The first time I saw Snarky Puppy in St. Louis, I made the mistake of meandering to the venue, figuring my usual “one hour before doors” arrival policy would make me one of the first people in. After all, the plan worked just 24 hours before when I saw Tortoise at the same venue. This time, I arrived to see a line going down the street and around the corner. There were at least 200 people in front of me. And the line continued down the street behind me once I got in line.

The venue held between 400-500 people, and it was packed. A little over a year later, I saw Snarky Puppy again at an outdoor venue almost directly across the street from the first gig. This time, the crowd was easily three to four times as big. The secret was out! It almost goes without saying that both shows were spectacular.

Snarky Puppy has since played venues like the Royal Albert Hall, and deservedly so. They have a sound and have never cheapened it in order to generate more popularity. The audience has to come to them! It’s a trip well worth taking.

THIS WILL DESTROY YOU. Yep … post-rock again. This Texas-based band got my attention soon after they formed in 2004. Sparse guitar riffs, wide open mixes, emotional grooves … this band had it all. It took zero effort to fall in love with them.

If any track can pull you in, it’s “The Mighty Rio Grande,” which maximizes the band’s formula. This is a band capable of saying so much with so very little. Post-rock is somewhat notorious for its “quiet/loud/quiet” compositional process. This Will Destroy you has that methodology mastered! Their sound made for the ideal soundtrack during the movie Friday Night Lights. I’ve never connected post-rock with football before. Now it sounds completely natural.

I’ve had three live experiences with this band. Each was transformative. Some bands sound better inside than they do outdoors. This Will Destroy You has managed to conquer both. The great thing about indoor post-rock is the sound is enclosed, allowing it to wrap around you. Outdoors, the sound is allowed to float off into the ether. So, when I say this band has mastered both, I’m really saying something.

A PERFECT CIRCLE. You’ve gotta love Maynard James Keenan. It would’ve been more than enough for me to enjoy the work with Tool. But then he had to up and join forces with guitarist Billy Howerdel to form A Perfect Circle. Are they Tool’s more melodic alter-ego? Perhaps. Does it really matter? Not in the least! This band rocks!

I’ve been on the APC train since the beginning, when they released Mer de Noms in 2000. The first single from that record, “Judith,” lives rent-free in my head, sometimes on a loop. It’s a mainstay on my “Must learn to play this on my guitar” list. It’s also one of my favorite music videos. Probably because I have a crush on the bassist in the video, Paz Lenchantin. The band is heavy, deep, and sincere. It’s a nice combination.

I saw APC on their first tour. The music was fantastic, even if I nearly went deaf. The show took place in a 1,500 capacity club, but the band brought a PA system that would’ve worked in a hockey arena. Guess who forgot his earplugs? Wow …

It was worth it. Seeing them at Red Rocks in 2024 was an absolute privilege.

Stay tuned for Part 3.

#cirdecsongs

If you would like to have your music reviewed or your band photographed while in Chicago, contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com