Ágaetis Byrjun is their masterpiece

Check out Meaningless by Jon Brion. Also, anything by The Shins, if you haven't already. I'd go in chronological order: "Oh, Inverted World" followed by "Chutes Too Narrow" followed by "Wincing The Night Away." Chutes is my favorite, personally, but I love them all.

Another album I'm totally hooked on right now is The Bird and The Bee's self-titled.

Minus Radiohead, Shines is really where I entered anything recorded since like '81. I liked Chutes a lot for a while, but they're a little...cute for me. Maybe that's not the word I want. I don't know, I feel past them, if that makes sense. No, it doesn't. I don't mean like they're artistically beneth me....I don't know what I mean. I like them, but I'm not a huge fan.

I'm gonna check this. Right now, its electro to electronia, right now its eric prydz vs floyd proper education

jam on it

What does every-/anyone think of Sunset Rubdown? A friend just turned me on to Shut Up I'm Dreaming (I'm assuming if I know who they are, everyone else long since tired of them [if you ever liked them at all]). I'm loving it.

dam, i spoke to soon. what is the jam by fujiya & miyagi? I'll dl the whole album if need be, but would prefer a pointer

http://www.myspace.com/fujiyaandmiyagi

Ankle Injuries is one of their free songs here.

I'm about half-way through; not my bag. I can really handel non-English lyrics.

Ankle Injuries is a good one. Transparent Things is a good track. Reeboks in Heaven is good. I really dig the whole album, though.

I'll come back to it, maybe, tomorow. I'm on My Bloody Valentine, now. I have a good feeling.

well, crap, i got a job, i'll just download the record. but please check out kate wax

I know what you mean with this. They're a very good, very catchy pop band, but some of their music sounds a little contrived, like they're trying a little to hard to be exactly what they are. It's almost like they wrote their music specifically to appeal to indie hipsters and critics or something. That being said, I still kinda dig'em.

You want something to try out Dutchy? How about Animal Collective? They're weird. Really weird. But they're very talented, and very different, and strangely appealing after a time.

I'd suggest the songs, "Who could win a rabbit" "Winter's Love" and "Sweet Road" from the album "Sung Tongs" and the song "Did You See the Words?" from the album "Feels."

Give them a shot, but know that alot of people hate them. I hated them at first, but then I couldn't stop listening.

I'll have a few more suggestions before the night is out.

Wang

My Bloody Valentine were Pioneers of Megasweetness. Enjoy that album.

My first ever aural tour of the great state of Michigan has begun.

I'm downloading now.

Anything a little more...mainstream? Of everyone, you seem to be most willing to cater to the fact that I listened to nothing but AC/DC and Zeppelin for years, and that throwing me in the deep end will blow my mind. Have we exhausted those semi-indy-type like Hold Steady kinda' bands?

Also, enjoy these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLxZHI9tnko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbDQ4M_cuwA

Cheesey, but if anyone should find them funny, it's you.

Maybe check out The New Pornographers. Or Aqueduct. Not comparing them to The Hold Steady at all, but you might like them.

Yeah, I mean I'm not looking for a band that sounds like them, or even saying a espeially like them (Although I do). Just using them as an indy/classical-ishness gauge.

That's what I figured, I just didn't want to give you the wrong idea about what they sound like. Aqueduct is different, but really cool. Sorta indiepop-white guy hiphop. Good live act, too. I'd suggest his first album, I Sold Gold, over his new one, although the new one is decent.

With The New Pornographers, I'd go with Twin Cinema. I also really like their lead singer's solo album, which is called The Slow Wonder, by A.C. Newman (although he also goes by Carl).

Yeah, you're just like me. For years I was pretty much 100% rock and roll. My transition into the nether-realms of unpopular music was pretty gradual. I'll make up a list tonight and pop it on here.


EDIT- Here's a decent list with absolutely no surprises.

Built to Spill- There's Nothing Wrong with Love AND Perfect from Now On AND Keep it Like a Secret (these guys are right up your alley, I think, more than anyone else that comes to mind. Great pop/rock, great guitarry jams. Not at all out there, but still sweet.)

Pavement- Slanted and Enchanted AND Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

The Dismemberment Plan- Emergency & I

Modest Mouse- Lonesome Crowded West AND Building Something out of Nothing AND The Moon and Antartica (can't miss these.)

Yo La Tengo- I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One


This is pretty much a standard list of good, straightforward, kickass pop/rock music. I mean, many of them are so "90s hipster" as to be cliche, but they're cliche for a reason. The reason being "they're awesome."

Wang

Also:

Guided By Voices- Bee Thousand

Weird and lo-fi, but standard pop/rock. Just guy recording his brilliant pop hooks into his crappy 4-tracker, but mindblowingly sweet.

Wang

I am liking this. Must say I like collarbone; its got that electro feel

An additional note on my love of Boys and Girls in America:

I'd say 70% of it is the almost concept-albumy lyrical pattern. It's one thing to write poetry about being a drunken 20something, but it's cooler coming from a drunken 20something...whose prolly drunk while writing AND performing it.

For some reason I have strayed from the Indy scene over the last little while, but man do I love that band and that album.

Yeah, he's immersed in the world he's writing and performing about, while writing and performing. It's tough to call him dishonest or disingenuous...

Plus their guitar hooks are pretty much just awesome, and his voice is cool.



One of my favorites. I appreciate it more as I age, because the stuff he talks about starts making more sense.

Alrighty, Wang. Almost everything is downloading (no go on Yo La Tengo, give how little I looked, given how little I care, given my freakishly long list I've just acquired; Keep it Like a Secret is giving me trouble; and buld something out of nothing won't seed up [I hold out hope for both the latter, though]).

Keep in mind, if I tell you I didn't like an album you suggested (any of you), that won't mean anything 'til after a few more listens, which may be months away.

Greetings From Michigan is good. Real good.

I'm the same way with music. Music takes time to digest, and you have to come about it... organically. But some of my favorite albums are those I didn't really like the first few times around. But I'd randomly hear parts, or suddenly find something interesting, and then I'd have an entry point, and my appreciation would spawn from there.

The first time I listened to a Wilco record (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), I didn't get all the hoopla, but their songs would randomly come when I had Windows Media Player on shuffle. Sometimes I'd skip them, but from time to time I'd be zoned in on something else (poker), and it would start sinking in. It finally clicked when I heard the song Poor Places- for what was probably the 15th time or so- and I found myself blown away by the piano and some of the lyrics, and- boom- I had my entry point. I played the song like 10 times in a row, amazed that I hadn't heard it like this before. I immediately started playing the album from the beginning, and suddenly had an entirely new perspective, and I found a few more tracks that blew me away. Within a few listens, I'd decided the entire album was beautifully appealing to me for some reason. I've heard the same thing from other people about that record specifically, and I've had similar experiences with many other bands/albums, most notably the Flaming Lips.





Any songs that you like in particular?

Wang

Most of the records are already done. I have to give it to you hipsters, you guys are great about spreading stolen music.

The New Pornographers are already kicking ***, btw.

let's take it back (for the old boys out there):

EVA by Jean Jacques Perry
Sang and Dance - Bar Kays

Let's get this party started!

Yeah. Yeah, TNPs are REALLY doing it for me. Nice call.

I don't know why, but I'm in a Tool mood all of a sudden.

Also, I've never given Radiohead a chance (please don't kill me.) Can anyone give me a few songs (not full albums) to check out?

I'd wait for Wang to answer, but I'd start with some stuff off The Bends, maybe Bones, and then Karma Police (which is maybe the greatest song ever). I'd really push to go full-on albums, though.

Tough question to answer. Radiohead is best if you start early, and move from there since the evolution of the band is part of the experience.

I'll give you a list, a few basic songs from a few albums, and you can do whatever you want with it:

From The Bends:

The Bends

High And Dry

My Iron Lung

Street Spirit


From OK Computer:

Airbag

Paranoid Android

Karma Police

Electioneering

No Surprises


From Kid A:

Everything in its Right Place

Kid A

The National Anthem

Morning Bell

Motion Picture Soundtrack





There. That's a small small small small snapshot of the band, and you have no idea how guilty I feel whenever I have to leave a song off that list. The Bends is their sophomore album, and it's pretty standard guitar rock. OK Computer is the beginning of the legend, and is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. They keep their guitar-based sensibilities, put add some expert keyboard/noise/computerized stuff, which doesn't sound right. Basically, they add a little Dark Side of the Moon, but not the same. I dunno, it's tough to explain for me, since I know so little about music, but the production is excellent. Then comes Kid A, where the band reinvents itself with drum machines and electronica and rollicking basslines.


Not the answer you were looking for, but that's the best I could do.

Wang

As an aside, I like the new LCD Soundsystem Album, Sound of Silver, a whole lot. I liked the first self-titled release quite a bit, but only loved a few songs.

That being said, this album is sa-weet! I'm shocked at how... accessible?... it is. I wanna smoke weed right now, really really bad, because I bet LCD Soundsystem on WEED is pretty fucking awesome.

Wang

Thanks Wang.

Hm. I'm listening to High and Dry right now, and it's definitely not like the music I normally listen to. That being said, it's good, and I'm going to have to sample more.

High and Dry is about as acousticy as they get.

If you're looking for something edge, you want "The Bends" "Electioneering" "Bones" "Myxomatosis" "National Anthem" or "My Iron Lung." Or maybe "Airbag" or "2+2 = 5"

Try to rock out to "Electioneering" first, if you want a little more feedback and rocking electric guitar with a great tempo.

Wang

oh man make sure you get keep it like a secret. built to spill rocks my face.

I like them, but they are basically the same band as Wolf Parade. So check out their album Apologies to the Queen Mary, it's better than Shut Up I am Dreaming, imo.

All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace! is a good one. Tahquamenon Falls. I really can't find a song I dislike or will skip. I'm on my second spin right now.

I came into this forum to specifically reccomend Wolf Parade's "Apologies to the Queen Mary" to Dutch. I remembered last night that I failed to mention it, and that Dutch would probably think it's pretty ripping sweet.

Wang

A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Dont want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. beerbelly beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I dont find this stuff amusing anymore
If youll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you betty
And betty when you call me
You can call me al

A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Wheres my wife and family
What if I die here
Wholl be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl
All along along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations

If youll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you betty
And betty when you call me
You can call me al
Call me al

A man walks down the street
Its a street in a strange world
Maybe its the third world
Maybe its his first time around
He doesnt speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says amen! and hallelujah!

If youll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you betty
And betty when you call me
You can call me al
Call me al

What I've heard of BTS is incredible, but I still can't get off TNP.

I'm prety sure this is Built to Spill, which makes me want to listen to them.

Perfect From Now On is easily one of my favorite albums.

Yeah, I have that album on as we speak. Modest Mouse is up next (Keep it Like a Secret is have trouble seeding, so I'll come back to it). Not only have I heard of them, but I've heard several of their songs. Fuckin' sellouts.

If anyone's looking for a few good poppy songs that should appeal to anyone, may I suggest "Someone Great" and "All My Friends" from LCD Soundsystem's near-perfect album Sound of Silver? The entire album is brilliant, but these should work as good entry points to the CD. Pretty straightforward, approachable hooks and good drum machine beats.

Wang

so yeah, im going to see morriseey ....got tickets,,,,i feel like a giggly school girl right b4 she gets her first facial

El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead

it's fuggin harsh.

right now i'm awaiting the new porcupine tree release, fear of a blank planet, due out in about 3 weeks. eager doesn't even begin to describe my anticipation. i honestly can't remember being more excited for anything in my life, at least not music-related. so a couple of the songs have leaked and there are clips of the others, and i'm sorta trying to get by just listening to it a little bit. oh my goooooooooddddddd though. completely amazing music. really in a different league from everything else, even radiohead and tool.

saw the kinks a few nights ago..still sound pretty good

ive heard only one good porcupine tree song. fast and impressive technical music does not automatically equal good.