Two More By Five More

After having recorded, and traded, ten comps in just less than three years, we decided that it would only be appropriate to revisit the idea of a Top Five. And why wouldn't we? All being self proclaimed music enthusiasts, the well was certainly full of at least five more bands who've sparked our interests enough to base another two song anthology around. I already had at least two bands that I had to pass up for the original 2x5.

Once again, I scoured my long history of band obsessions and came up with three more that seemed to fit quite well together: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, as well as MF Doom, were the two who were rejected from the original. Along with these two, Elvis Presley, AC/DC (the 1970's Bon Scott-era, thank you very much) and Buffalo Tom seemed to fit the profile. Each and every one of these groups or artists hold a special place in my heart and were, therefore, chosen to represent 2>x5>.

Lisa, who had chosen to sit out the first volume, had considered participating in this round. At first, she was a bit apprehensive, explaining to me that her Top Five of All Time is a bit embarrassing. Knowing exactly who the couple of artists she was referring to were, I reminded her that AC/DC isn't necessarily in the first chapter of your typical music snob's Cool Book.

So she rattled off four of them: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Uncle Tupelo and Sarah McLachlan. She stopped at four and was hard pressed to find a fifth one. I offered a few suggestions, when she suddenly remarked at how big of a Bryan Adams fan she was back in her youth. It was with this that I helped her put together her very first 2x5 playlist. I later confessed to her that, if she didn't come up with her fifth and final band, I was going to burn her selections as planned, but with Van Halen included. A move that would have surely landed me in the dog house for a day or two, but would be worth it for the humor, if not the few solid minutes of fist-pumping rock.

The group's next challenge: Songs I Like By Bands I Hate.