Well..

I'll be the first one to agree about some of these bands being overrated/overhyped. For example-- I can't get the huge enthusiasm for bands like Work Of Art, W.E.T.,Brother Firetribe,and a few others highly regarded by some here. Their material is good--in the perspective that it's within the boundaries of music that I DO enjoy alot. But- it seems like prime examples of 'close but no cigar' songwriting and most DEF lands in that 'heard it all too close to this before' category. In other words-grade B / C material. EVen tho I get folks liking it / what they see in it,it just doesn't thrill me to pieces. This all said--it's always down to personal taste. And things I go ga-ga over might be 'meh' to the next guy. So how do you put a description on what's good/better than the next band? Where's the barometer? All I know is that I try to recommend what seems to be the very cream of the crop of the stuff I hear. But I'm sure that's all any of us do most times. Just the element of everyone sharing their finds with the rest continues to be the best (only?) tool we have. As Doug Pinnick says in one tune...If you like what you hear--pass it along! :-) T