Indiana
Impossible Shapes
All-Time Best Band: Jackson 5
All-Time Best Solo Artist: Michael Jackson
Best New Band: Impossible Shapes
The gold standard of bubblegum pop, the JACKSON 5 were more than the sum of their parts, which is easy to understand, as one of those parts was Tito. With the quintet of siblings from Gary constantly drilled by their overbearing father, Joe — the Lou Pearlman of his era — the band ruled the charts and set the table for disco’s dominance of the 1970s. | The star of that group, duh, was MICHAEL JACKSON, who ascended to the throne and title King of Pop, before imploding as the Citizen Kane of pop, or, if you will, the American Gary Glitter. At least he taught us to moonwalk first. | The official band manifesto of Bloomington’s IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES states that “Our sound shall be one of exploration, discovery, and surprise.” It caught us by surprise that bands today even have manifestos, but we enjoy their psychedelic pop anyway. Some of the group’s members were also in the dazzlingly named, and recently dissolved, Zappa-esque freak-experimental side project John Wilkes Booze.
Video: The Jackson 5
Video: Michael Jackson
Listen: Impossible Shapes, "Florida Silver Springs" (mp3)
Listen: The Jackson 5, "I Want You Back"
Listen: Michael Jackson, "Billie Jean"
