Jayne ,'Jaynestown'
There's a lady plays her fav'rite records/On the jukebox ev'ry day/All day long she plays the same old songs/And she believes the things that they say/She sings along with all the saddest songs/And she believes the stories are real/She lets the music dictate the way that she feels.
Bands whose sound is so ubiquitous that even if you'd never heard the song before you know who performed it.
If you mean distinctive, and not ubiquitous, there are a few prolific indie bands that I can always ID by the guitar sound: Greg Sage of The Wipers and Nick Saloman of The Bevis Frond come immediately to mind. Even when Nick helped Mary Lou Lord on her album with Sony, his guitar sound stood out.
Barenaked Ladies?
Bowie has such a distinctive voice, even throughout all his genre's, you still recognise him.
If you mean distinctive, and not ubiquitous, there are a few prolific indie bands that I can always ID by the guitar sound: Greg Sage of The Wipers and Nick Saloman of The Bevis Frond come immediately to mind. Even when Nick helped Mary Lou Lord on her album with Sony, his guitar sound stood out.
I meant distinctive. I re-wrote that statement so many times trying to get what I was saying right that words were muddled.
Sleater-Kinney has a definite guitar and bass sound that signals it's S-K before Carrie and Corin start screeching.
Steely Dan I agree with. REM, not as much. There's some later (post-AFTP) stuff that sounds nothing like what you REM should sound like.
The Cure.
Bjork.
Rasputina.
Paul Simon.
De-lurking to let Bay-istas know that Sonny Rhodes (he of the Firefly theme song) is performing at the Blues Stage of the Art & Soul Festival today at 4p. The Blues Stage is at 12th & Broadway, just outside the 12th St. BART Station.
He might take requests, if you're nice about it.
ETA: that's my feeling, it's not like I know him.
Gary Numan ... one of the most distinctive voices of the last 25 years.
I can't stop listening to Rilo Kiley's "The Frug." It's so freaking catchy and bouncy-without-being-irritating.
t edit
"Bouncy" isn't the right word. Pre-bouncy.
Seriously, I just. keep. playing. it.
An intervention might be required.
(This isn't in reply to the "distinctive sound" question, BTW.)
Apologies to anyone who went to downtown Oakland today -- Sonny Rhodes is playing tomorrow (Sunday, the 4th) at 4.
I have other plans, so don't look for me.
And in answer to the "distinctive sound" question: The Cars.