A Fistful of Bands! (Brad's Picks)

As we learned in Step Up 4 The Revolution, Dance can set a generation free.  The same can be said for music.  Rock, funk, country, rap - whatever style of weapon - we look to a special band of warriors to deliver thumping freedom to the hearts & minds of the young & old alike.  Now, we can argue whether Elvis Presley or The Beatles or Public Enemy really made a difference in this world or not (for the record, I most certainly think they did) but there is no doubt that the world of cinema is radically altered by the actions of a few great musicians.  Spinal Tap.  Sexual Chocolate.  Mumblin' Jim.  Sex Bob-omb.  The Monkees.  These are the bands that affected serious social change in their worlds.  But they are just the honorable mentions.  My true heroes of Techno, Rock, Country, & Blues are as follows....

5.  Autobahn (The Big Lebowski):  They might say they believe in nothing, but they certainly worship the All Mighty Dollar.  This trilogy of terror (& their toeless girlfriend) set into violent motion a brilliant bumbling saga that, at the very least, brought internal change to The Dude and even the creation of life in the inevitable little Lebowski.  Karl Hungus can at least claim that to himself...and Logjammin' imdb credit.

4.  The Cruisers (Eddie & The Cruisers):  The most earnest band on the list, The Cruisers appear to be the second coming of Dylan, Elvis, & The Beatles all wrapped into one.  The best part is the mysterious death of its lead singer, Eddie Wilson.  When he died he apparently took the greatest work of rock poetry with him, their second album A Season in Hell.  This record was going to change the world.  But Eddie got scared.  And then Eddie got dead...or did he?  A plucky reporter will risk life & limb to find the truth as well as that lost, world-changing album.

3.  Banjo & Sullivan (The Devil's Rejects):  Before they were butchered in a nameless field by a demon-made-flesh called Otis, Banjo & Sullivan were a couple of hicks that belted out tunes like "I'm at Home Getting Hammered (While She's Out Getting Nailed)" and "Dick Soup."  Yes.  They were a couple of sadsack crooners, but dammit, they loved to twang some pervo music.  And I loved to listen.  RIP fellas.

2.  The Hong Kong Cavaliers (The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension):  Samurai Scientist Buckaroo Banzai is the greatest musician that ever lived.  Not much is made over his night club jam rock; he's too busy saving the world from the Red Lectroids from Planet 10 to show off, but there's real philosophy in his suicide-stopping trumpet rock - "Wherever You Go There You Are..."  Oh yeah, that's deep man.

1.  The Blues Brothers:  They're on a mission from God.  Not much else to say.  Jake steps out of Joliet and into his brothers super charged Bluesmobile - an epic quest to recollect their band and save the orphanage that raised them.  James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker.  The brothers and sisters of American Music fight on the side of right against a plethora of jackass goons.  Car Chases, Pile-ups, State Troopers, Country Bumpkins, and the Illinois Nazis don't stand a chance when the Lord's got your back and you've got a briefcase full of blues.  Badass supreme with a side of rubber biscuit.

--Brad