We've really been getting a kick out of learning what many artists consider to be their all-time top five things of various topics are since we kicked off this recurrign feature a few months back. It's a simple enough concept: For the most part, we look to connect a top five list with the artist in some way, even if sometimes the connection is a bit tenuous.
In other instances -- as with Ha Ha Tonka a couple of weeks back -- we let the artist tell us what they want to highlight. Hey, who knows what a group is more excited about at a given time more than the artists themselves, right?
Well, New York-based noise-rock outfit Cymbals Eat Guitars also had their own idea as to what would make for a band-appropriate all-time top five list.
The still fresh-faced group is led by Joseph D'Agostino and Matthew Miller and has gained a heady amount of well-deserved buzz since the release of their 2009 debut, Why There Are Mountains.
After touring with the likes of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and even The Flaming Lips, the band signed to indie-power Barsuk Records to release their new, searing and exciting record, Lenses Alien.
The band hit Dan's Silverleaf in Denton last night, so to commemorate the occasion, we thought we'd share what might be the funniest All-Time Top Five list we've had thus far. After the jump, learn what bass player Matthew Whipple views as his All-Time Top Five Ideas for All-Time Top Five Lists. Yes, really.
Matthew Whipple of Cymbals Eat Guitars' All-Time Top Five Ideas for All-Time Top Five Lists
1. All-Time Top Five Ways to Kill a Zombie
We've been playing a lot of Resident Evil 5 in the van, which has an Xbox, but we decided that to go into too much detail on this topic would be too gross for your readership. Still, [drummer] Matt Miller is a ninja at Resident Evil 5.
2. All-Time Top Five Beers Ranked by "Mouth Feel"
This list would have been fun because it likely would have meant tasting lots of different delicious beers. But we decided that it would be really hard to do in the van. That, and there are so many beers with a really nice mouth feel. It would be tough to keep it to just five.
3. All-Time Top Five "Better Than Nothing" Road Food Options
Starbucks' Perfect Oatmeal would be very, very high on this list. It comes with lots of dried fruit and nuts for toppings. Actually, come to think of it, Starbucks' Perfect Oatmeal is preferable to a lot more than just nothing.
4. All-Time Top Five Bands from New Jersey That Are Not Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen is awesome, but there are a lot of other really great artists from the Garden State: Screaming Females, Naughty By Nature, Titus Andronicus, The Misfits, Whitney Houston, Sarah Vaughan. The list goes on and on.
5. All-Time Top Five Venues (Ranked By Nearby Food Options)
Sometimes the venues we play on tour have really good food in-house -- like The Earl in Atlanta. That is always super special. Sometimes, the venues don't have food and we have to venture outside to find snacks. This would make a good -- but not great -- All-Time Top Five list.
