The Greatest American Rock Band Bracket!
First Round, Indie/Grunge/New Wave Division
Talking Heads (3) vs. Soundgarden (14)
New wave funkmeisters versus the grungiest grunge rockers
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Talking Heads:
"One of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s, [Talking Heads] helped to pioneer new wave music by integrating elements of punk, art rock, funk, and world music with an anxious, clean-cut image. They collaborated with the British producer Brian Eno on a trio of critically acclaimed releases [that] blended their art school sensibilities with influence from artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic and Fela Kuti. Talking Heads' art pop innovations have had a long-lasting impact… Along with other groups such as Devo, Ramones, and Blondie, they helped define the new wave genre in the United States [and] helped bring African rock to the western world. Their 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme, is considered one of the best concert films ever released." --Wikipedia.com Popularity
Influence:
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Soundgarden:
"Soundgarden carved out a place for heavy metal in alternative rock… even [obliterating] the line separating the two subcultures. Melding the slow grind of Black Sabbath and cinematic scope of Led Zeppelin with the D.I.Y. aesthetics of punk, Soundgarden played with an intelligence and ironic sense of humor that was indebted to the American underground of the mid-'80s. Their music contained a similar sense of adventure, often taking detours into psychedelia, unconventional guitar tunings, and complicated time signatures. Vocalist Chris Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil were excellent foils, with Cornell's powerful wail pushing against Thayil's winding riffs, a chemistry that gave the band a distinctive character that belonged neither to the mainstream nor the underground." --AllMusic.com Popularity
Influence:
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