What was the first band you....

[mr_j]

...really obsessed over on your own? What I mean by that is--what band did you discover on your own without peer pressure, one that no one introduced you to, whose records you bought with your own money and who you invested yourself in to the point where this band was "your" band, by virtue of your own personal discovery/investment?

Mine was Throwing Muses in 1987. I learnt of them accidentally when I discovered a copy of their self-titled album in my house. I had no idea how it got there, the music on it was extremely strange to my 13-soon-to-be-14 ears, and, frankly, I soon discovered I couldn't escape its grasp. "It did? I'm so proud of it. That record had legs of its own, and it did exactly what I told it to do, which was to grasp the hearts of lonely Texas teenagers!" Kristin Hersh enthusiastically told me when I told her that story. After that I spent money on their records left and right. (Okay, well, up to Red Heaven. I hated that one. University didn't do much for me, either.)

(Okay, what really happened was my sister was going to NTSU*, and she had a roommate from Boston, and brought her home one weekend. She forgot the tape and I claimed it.)

And you?











*i can call it that because that's what it was called in 1987

[aquaphase]

The Sugarcubes. I saw them on SNL (US debut) and was immediately intrigued by their unique sound. I went out that Sunday and bought up their album. None of my friends liked it at all and really thought they would fade away. These same damn people are all Bjork-heads now. Fucking hypocrites.

[mr_j]

The Sugarcubes. I saw them on SNL (US debut) and was immediately intrigued by their unique sound. I went out that Sunday and bought up their album. None of my friends liked it at all and really thought they would fade away. These same damn people are all Bjork-heads now. Fucking hypocrites.

what's wild is that the Sugarcubes are #4 on my list. the other two being The Pixies and Galaxie 500. I bought records at this place in Carrolton, it was in a strip mall, it wasn't very big but it was very deep. It was next to a pizza joint. What was the name of it?

[monet2u]

The Jacksons and Michael Jackson. But mostly the Jacksons together as a band. I love them as a child and would sit and listen to their records for hours with the headphones on because I annoyed everyone else with my obsession. (see I started young). They were also my first concert, late 1970s at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_Star_Theater. It was an awesome show, my uncle took me and I remember getting right upfront on the stairs to the stage and as the stage revolved I got pretty close to Michael

Since as a kid I didn't have any money, my uncle seeing how much I loved them gave me his entire Jackson5, Jacksons, and Michael Jackson record collection for my 8th birthday along with my very own record player. My uncle Tommy ROCKED! I still have every one of those albums.

Probably the next band I obsessed over were the Violent Femmes in high school.

[mere1975]

what's wild is that the Sugarcubes are #4 on my list. the other two being The Pixies and Galaxie 500. I bought records at this place in Carrolton, it was in a strip mall, it wasn't very big but it was very deep. It was next to a pizza joint. What was the name of it?

k29?

In 1992-93, I used to make the 30-minute drive there often just to wander around and head back to my parents' house. He special ordered a Trashcan Sinatras tape for me, and I used to check weekly for the "So I Married an Axe Murderer" soundtrack.

For a while, I was hooked on The Connells, but that was courtesy of an introduction by my best friend from Raleigh.

I'd say my first band like this was Jellyfish. I read a short review in Rolling Stone that likened them to the Beatles (with whom I was obsessed in high school) and once I bought the Bellybutton cassette, I was hooked.

- Mere "my high school boyfriend silk-screened a Jellyfish shirt for me since there was no internet and they were not touring at the time, so how else could I get a Jellyfish t-shirt?" 1975

[Phyllis]

bon jovi.
slippery when wet, wassup.

[katie]

nirvana. bleach was released when i was about 5 . i've been a badass ever since.

[sam]

I'm not proud of this, but it's true. When I was like 6 or 7 I came across my parent's cassette of "Juice" by Juice Newton. I guess it was new then (1981) but I don't remember them ever listening to it. I fell in love (especially "Queen of Hearts") and listened to it with the headphones on until the tape was shredded. Since then I've pretty much listened to whatever my friends think is cool.

[Phyllis]

warning: sam is a conformo

[NerfHerder]

I guess I'm only a little surprised nobody has said this one yet...

The Polyphonic Spree!

[monet2u]

I guess I'm only a little surprised nobody has said this one yet...

The Polyphonic Spree!

not me, most of us are a bit older and have a lot more bands to obsess over way before the spree.

[zenmomma]

When I was 12 I became totally obsessed with U2. I guess I couldn't consider them *my band* because so much of the rest of the world loved them too, but I did get really in to a lot of the old stuff that I don't remember anyone else (at least my age) talking about/listening too. I bought all the old albums on vinyl at used record stores and begged my mom to take me to the Joshua Tree gig at the Fort Worth Convention Center. She obliged and went with me.

I had a jean jacket with a billion buttons on it and I made hand painted patches to go on it. I was die hard.

My obsession left a long long time ago (U2 actually annoy me now), but it was an amazing point in my life because suddenly music became important and personal. I still really love the first album, Boy.

I was also mildly obsessed with The Police. I wore out my first cassette of Synchronicity listening to it over and over on the bus to Jr High.

[James]

The first band I obsessed over on my own is The Smiths. Funny, after 23 years, I think the obsession is stronger now.

[eebs]

Probably Testament - while me and most of my buddies were well into the big 4, Maiden etc, I really liked the SF Thrash like Death Angel, Exodus and Testament. I think I pretty much wore out my copy of The Legacy on vinyl, it got played pretty much every day. When I found out they were supporting Anthrax in Bristol I was soooooo excited. We took a minibus up there - 14 teenage metal heads, 1 hired driver - and despite the police telling us the gig had been cancelled (lying bastards) when we got lost looking for the venue, we made it in time for doors open.



I couldn't hear properly for 3 days afterwards but it was a great show, especially as they played pretty much everything from that first album.

[ifihadahifi]

I'm not proud of this

Why not?! Man, Juice Newton was amaaaaaaaaazing!

Queen of Hearts reminds me of feeding calves from bottles with my cousins or getting my haircut with my grandfather.