In short, Essentials allows artists to put down their instruments and divulge about a specific topic, giving fans and the like the opportunity to connect with their interests and inspirations. It’s just unlike any other digital list feature, we’re totally okay with things getting weird, candid and uncensored. Hands down, Gainesville’s FRAMEWORKS are an alternative/hardcore band to watch this Spring (click here if you need proof) so we got the outfit to name five artists they deem influential. Their picks are eclectic but hey, we should all pay our respects to The Blood Brothers.
Check out Frameworks’ SXSW itinerary and stay tuned for Loom which is out April 29th on Topshelf Records
mewithoutYou – “Bullet To Binary”
LUKE PATE: mewithoutYou is potentially the only cover band I could ever see myself doing. Going on seven years and [A–>B] Life is still without a doubt one of the most influential albums for me. I believe I was around 15 when Cory first showed me ”Bullet To Binary”. In retrospect, that was probably a defining moment that led to Frameworks and 15-year-old me realizing there’s a world of songs not written about girls. These were both huge for me.
Montell Jordan – “This Is How We Do It”
LUKE: About a year and a half ago, on a Friday, we were on the road to a show blaring Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” at a very unhealthy volume level with pulsing strobe lights plugged into our van’s cigarette lighter. Obviously very apparent to our surroundings, we missed a turn and pulled over to the shoulder of the road to pop a U-ey when the immediate car behind us swerved and missed slamming into us by a few inches. I can’t tell you when or how I first heard this song, but I can say I instantly think of this near-death experience when it comes on.
The Blood Brothers – “Ambulance vs. Ambulance”
JOHN WYATT RAJER: I feel like if I had to pinpoint the exact band that made me realize what music could actually mean to me, it would be The Blood Brothers. It was probably about when Crimes came out and I was only about 13. A friend had shown me “Guitarmy” off of Burn Piano Island, Burn and I remember being so confused – I just couldn’t understand what was going on but I was super intrigued and I had to keep listening. They showed me that music was way more than just something to listen to on the radio when I was going to school or just at home.
I was captivated at the narratives of “Ambulance vs Ambulance” and “Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck”, and it made me realize lyrics were like short stories, even if it (what I thought at the time) was insanity and what everyone around me would tell me was “not music”. I think that’s where I started to develop my own taste in music.
Jack White – Anything And Everything That’s A Part Of His Discography
ANDY NICHOLL: Jack White figured out how to play the blues and make people think they were hearing something they had never heard. Everything he does is pure and simple, but the way he holds his music together with a few small threads takes more talent and skill than most musicians could ever hope to have.
Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
MATT HORNER: Although this album was released only four years ago, they have been the most influential band to me since Poison. Call it shameful, but ’80s hair metal played a key factor in me wanting to play music. However, this is not about Poison. This is about Vampire Weekend. There is not one song on the album that I am not into and it really makes me want to pick up a guitar and write music. Not many albums do that to me and it just makes me want to be more creative while keeping things simple. So thank you Vampire Weekend for being ridiculous.