Leave it to my dear friend Mr. Williams to come up with such a gem of a question for me on this dreary, soon-to-be-washed-out day before Friday.  Would I really expect anything less from the notoriously brilliant creator of some of the best musical mixes ever?

The non-Boston caveat is what makes this question so delicious.  I love my local bands, I do.  I am faithfully drawn to the seedy and the not-so seedy venues around town to catch some of Boston’s best talent and rising stars and cherished little secrets.  But, alas, there is musical life outside of this small geographic area of excellence we lovingly call Beantown.  And even I can’t help but look globally where great and unknown music is plentiful.

So for you, dear Paulie, I present my top five, desert-island, non-Boston musical favorites.  In no particular order.  Just five.

The Catherine Wheel

Hailing from Great Yarmouth, England, TCW formed in 1990 with front man Rob Dickinson, guitarist Brian Futter, bassist David Hawes, and drummer Neil Sims.   Finding US success with the release of “Black Metallic” from 1992’s Ferment, the band is credited with setting the stage for bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Interpol, who both have claimed that without the release of 1993’s Chrome, bands like theirs would not exist today.  The boys disbanded on a still-continuing hiatus in 2000 following the release of Wishville, though Rob Dickinson continues to perform and is working on his solo career.

Top five CW tracks:  “Show Me Mary”, Chrome; “Mad Dog”, Wishville; “Judy Staring at the Sun”, Happy Days; “Here Comes the Fat Controller”, Adam & Eve; “La La La La La”, Like Cats & Dogs.

Liz Phair

Who doesn’t love a ballsy, care-free, sex-loving blonde who can rock a guitar like it’s no one’s business?  Phair has been putting out the musical brilliance for over 15 years now, releasing her first solo album with 1993’s Exile In Guyville. Laden with sexually-charged lyrics and receiving massive amounts of critical acclaim, it still remains one of the music industry’s most loved recordings.  It was ranked 15 in Spin’s “100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005″. VH1 named “Exile in Guyville” the 96th Greatest Album Of All-Time, and in 2003, the album was ranked number 328 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums.  Liz Phair continues to record today, having released her latest CD, Somebody’s Miracle, in 2005, and is rumored to have an album slated for release in 2009.

Top five Liz Phair tracks: “Polyester Bride”, Whitechiocolatespaceegg; “Never Said”, Exile in Guyville; “Mayqueen”, Whip-Smart; “Favorite”, Liz Phair; “Supernova”, Whip-Smart.

Guided By Voices

Hole-leigh crap, I can’t say enough good things about these guys that would be sufficient in conveying just how awesome they are.  GBV started out in the early 80’s as an indie bar band in Dayton, Ohio.  Robert Pollard just might be my new personal savior.  The band, over time, went through various personnel changes (which is to be expected when you rock out for over twenty years), but always maintained the principle songwriting of Pollard and his genius.  If you listen to nothing else this year, you must include the 1994 landmark indie album Bee Thousand and the Matador Records follow-up, Alien Lanes, released in 1995.  Be sure to check out the story behind Guided by Voices Day.

Top Five GBV Tracks: “I Am a Scientist”, Bee Thousand; “Motor Away”, Alien Lanes; “Burning Flag Birthday Suit”, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars; “Kicker of Elves”, Bee Thousand; “Game of Pricks”, Alien Lanes.

K’s Choice

This Belgian band has been in the top of my rotation since the early 90’s, when I first had the luxury of hearing “Not An Addict”, the band’s first US single.  The haunting, smokey vocals of Sarah Bettens, complimented by sibling Gert Bettens, provided an entirely new and fresh sound, and while I could go on and on about how awesome K’s Choice is, I still have one more band to list.  So, I direct you to the K’s Choice wiki for more information on just how much derriere one band can kick.  Oh, and they’re hard at work recording a much-anticipated 2009 release. Yay!

Top Five K’s Choice tracks: “Mr. Freeze”, Paradise in Me; “Try to Get Some Sleep”, Extra Cocoon; “Believe”, Cocoon Crash; “Busy”, Almost Happy; “Me Happy”, The Great Subconscious Club.

Band Of Horses

I honestly don’t think Sub Pop has ever steered me wrong, and Band of Horses is no exception.  Hailing from Seattle, BoH released their debut LP, Everything All the Time, in 2005 after receiving attention from Sub Pop after opening for Iron & Wine during Seattle area shows. Their southern rock tendencies and glimmering reverb often finds vocalist Ben Bridwell being compared to Neil Young or Wayne Coyne.

Top Five (well, top couple) Band of Horses tracks: “The Funeral” and “I Go To the Barn Because I Like The”, both off of Everything All the Time.

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