BabiG

I've been in somewhat of a music rut lately, and I'm having trouble finding new artists and tracks I enjoy. My musical taste, while usually having some stuff in common, as a whole is pretty different from most of my friends, so I'm hoping the board here can give me some directions to go in.

My taste is...well, if you're familar with college basketball, I'm a fan of the "mid-majors". In other words, I tend to like well known bands that aren't really constant top 40 material; usually my favorite songs tend to be among their non-single tracks. There are exceptions both ways, but that's where the bulk of it is.

Some of the artists that I have the most of/enjoy the most:

-Radiohead
-The Strokes
-The Smiths (a rare thing, I actually dislike most 80's music)
-Interpol
-Beck
-Norah Jones
-The Flaming Lips
-Aimee Mann
-Pearl Jam/Nirvana/STP/Soundgarden/the big bands of that time
-Guided by Voices (looking for some recommendations here for some more tracks to check out)
-Porcupine Tree
-REM
-Clinic
-U2
-Nick Drake
-The Libertines


Those are in rough top to bottom order, but don't hold me to it, it's pretty much a sampling of what's on my playlist right now. These are the more recent acts, there's older stuff I like a lot too, but I didn't list them because I'm specifically looking for newer artists.

Also, I kept the hip-hop seperate because it's a special case; I don't like a great majority of what I hear, but what I do hear I end up loving a lot. I'm a lot pickier when it comes to hip-hop, when I find something though I latch on to it pretty hard. I tend to like the more lyrical stuff, the faster flows, and the more "adventurous", cross-genre beats. In rough order (especially the first two, if I were female I would so be their baby's mama):

Outkast
Mos Def
Talib Kweli
BustaRhymes
The Roots
Beastie Boys

Some stuff I don't like that are likely to come up:
Sigur Ros - nice in an elevator, but too...pretentious for my tastes.
The Pixies - I know, I know, pioneers and such, but I just haven't heard a track of their's I really like.
Typical 80's music - just no.
Joy Division - See above.
Tool/APC/etc. - It's not that I don't like them, I've just had enough of the melodramatic goth opera thing.

Anyway, hopefully you all can come up with some recommendations. If you recommend an artist, throw in some "representative" tracks, or tracks you feel are must listens for the group if you could, and what sort of "sound" they are.

Thanks!
(assuming people actually respond...if not, then I retract that thanks and replace it with a hearty "Screw You!")

Ergyu

OMG BLASPHEMER!

benedict

<small></small>Please people, if this thread is going to take off, don't just post your fave bands.

The trick is to extrapolate from the given list and to take note of the information and the various caveats/provisos mentioned. And blaming BabiG for not being in accord with your own musical tastes is also off-topic: don't do it.

Unthinking criticisms of other people's suggestions aren't going to help: instead, consider explaining in a cogent coherent manner why you think that they are inappropriate and what you would suggest in their place.

My recommendation? Black Sabbath. Hmmmm, perhaps, just perhaps, the album "Absolution" by Muse.

Maybe someone can find that web site that predicts possible likes based on bands you tap in <small>[and I don't mean the late-lamented Similarities Engine]</small>. Yahoo does something similar (but less sophisticated?) here: FANS OF RADIOHEAD ALSO TEND TO LIKE...


Benedict
Moderator, Music Talk

zero

Thing about musical tastes is they have to be your own. So I simply suggest you listen to what you like and pay no attention to what people tell you to like. I dont know how music went from something enjoyable to something that decides your social status. There is nothing wrong with listening to something new just so long as its something youll like, not what someone tells you to like.

atlantamoi

Yeah, but what's wrong with asking for suggestions? I own over 2,000 discs and recently asked for opinions on good box sets so that I could see if I overlooked some set out there I have never heard of. The OP started a good post that simply sounds like he's wanting to enjoy something new.

After saying that, I'm not sure what to tell you BabiG! You asked for no 80's bands, but listed a ton that are directly influenced by 80's bands. Interpol is deeply debted to the Chameleons and Kitchens of Distinction. And Joy Division. So, I'll be honest and say I'm a bit confused. I probably would have recommended the new Church CD, but they are an 80's band still going strong.

Broken Social Scene's "You Forgot It In People" is cool stuff.
If you like the Doves, you might enjoy The Leaves "Breathe" disc.
And if you don't know who the Doves are I'd seek out either of their albums. Very good material not light years from U2 or Coldplay.

auto

pavement - slanted & enchanted
smashing pumpkins - gish or siamese dream
my bloody valentine - loveless
white stripes - de stijl or elephant

good luck.

BudSeriously

With your musical tastes, I would highly recommend Gomez...especially their older stuff.

lostatmidnight

The Walkmen
Tindersticks
Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers
The Dandy Warhols
Mazzy Star

I agree with you on the whole Tool/APC subject....

B.A.

Built to Spill - Doug Martsch's voice may take some getting used to initially, but it grows on you. What he does w/ a guitar is out of this world.

fallow

A tip you can use is going to AllMusic to look up some of yr favorite bands and checking the "Roots & Influences" list, as well as the "Similar Artists" list. If you also plug some of yr favorite albums by _____ artist into Amazon, it will give you a list of other albums that were bought by other people who also bought ____ album.

re: The Strokes- go out and buy Television's Marquee Moon immediately. An album that straddles punk grit and high flying solos, also recently re-issued with bonus tracks. Absolutely essential.
---
re: Interpol- try British Sea Power-- a British rawk band with influences from David Bowie, The Stooges, and Echo & the Bunnymen.
---
re: Norah Jones- check out her doppleganger, Nellie McKay. Much quirkier and humorous. For more of the lounge-y, laidback stuff, you might want vocal jazz. Billie Holiday, Nina Simone (my favorite!), Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn
---
re: Aimee Mann- I can't recommend Jolie Holland enough. She isn't quite the same as Aimee Mann (who seems to be more rock-based), but I think that she appeals to the same general crowd. Holland combines vocal jazz, folk, and country to make this backporch record. Both of her albums, Catalpa & Escondida, are great, though I lean towards the latter because it has more range. Catalpa is mostly her and an acoustic for the whole album.
---
re: Guided by Voices- personally I hate this band. But their most popular albums are Alien Lanes, Bee Thousand, and Under the Bushes, Under the Stars. You might also want to check out The Thermals. They seem to sit well with GBV/Pollard fans.
---
re: U2- The Walkmen. Hamilton Leithauser sounds a lot bit like early Bono.
---
re: 90s alternative rock- Afghan Whigs, Sebadoh, and Dinosaur Jr (very strongly recommend)

Tscott

I second the Gomez recommendation - if you go with them, start with Bring It On.

Which Beck albums do you like best? Maybe... I don't know, um, somehow in my mind I link his songwritting style sort of to They Might Be Giants and The Magnetic Fields. But, musically the 3 bands couldn't be more different.



Auf der Maur - Mellissa Auf der Maur, former Hole bassist and Smashing Pumpkins replacement bassist just released rocking album that really reminds me of the 90s alt music scene.

Belly -Star and Breeders - Last Splash are two great albums of that 90s scene that sometimes get overlooked now days.

Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me might be something you'd find interesting. Sticker on the CD says she gets compared to Doris Day and Emimem (mostly because one rap song appears on this album). It's a timeless sound, like Norah Jones - but doesn't have the jazz influence that Norah does.

Erin Mckeown is another current artist of timeless-like music I enjoy.

If you gave Sigur Ros a fair chance before disliking it, you might like Tortiose instead. I find them much more accessable- start with TNT.


Also, have you looked into older bands that might have been before your time? Velvet Underground or Todd Rundren or others like that, maybe?

davidlynchfan

I'll recommend: TURIN BRAKES

BabiG

Thanks for the recommendations, there's definitely some interesting things. I'm in the process of checking some of them out.

Well, I didn't mean "absolutely no 80's bands", I do have the Smiths and REM and U2 listed, but I'm not into that heavy synth line, typical 80's sound, that's all. If there's a band from the 80's that you think fits my taste, feel free to mention them.

I have, I enjoy VU and Television a lot actually. There's a lot of older stuff I didn't mention, like The Kinks/The Beatles/Dylan/Pink Floyd/etc., but I thought a list of more current bands may be more useful.

Anyway, this is good stuff, but I'd definitely appreciate any other suggestions you all may have, thanks!

SnoopDogg

Well I am going to suggest someone I always suggest on this site.

Atmosphere - they are a rap group, I think they are a different cup of tea then the normal commercial rap.

DrRingDing

the first three are albums i've recently been introduced to. i asked a friend of mine who is also big into music to give me new music. so he's been overloading me with music.

give The Shins' "Chutes Too Narrow" a listen. this album is absolutely phenomenal. they are high quality rock. no really discernible indie-edge like the next two, just straight rock... kind of like a modern beach boys... kind of... this is one of my favorite albums from 2003.

a quirkier band (it's really difficult to describe them, but they're addictive) is The Rapture. the album: "Echoes". they have one song on the album that reminds me of The Cure, quite a bit... it's a dance-rock hybrid band, really... very difficult to describe.

also Spoon 'Kill the Moonlight' - Spoon is oft-compared with Pavement.

i didn't see Blur listed in your post, so i'll recommend them. try "Parklife" first and follow it with "The Great Escape" and the s/t "Blur" (w/ Song #2 [WOOHOO!]) on it.

if you like folk rock (i.e. Bob Dylan), try Mason Jennings or Jack Johnson (a modern-day Jimmy Buffett, IMO).

for hip-hop, try the classic hip-hop of De la Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising". or go further back and get some Sugarhill Gang. oh, and for modern hip-hop, try Jurassic 5's "Power in Numbers".

if you want to branch out genre-wise, i cannot give a higher recommendation to The Slackers' "Redlight", a rocksteady (think ska but a lot more laid back, but not quite reggae either) album of the upper-most quality. if you like that, try out their other albums as they each have their own merits.

if you have any interest in ambient (as in melodic, slower) electronic music, try Aphex Twin's "Ambient Works 85-92". it's very chill music and (although i disagree with the usage of this word ) not "pretentious" like Sigur Ros (not that they are electronic, but they are very chill).

and, if you're willing to go even further, try the world music of Cesaria Evora or Buena Vista Social Club.

this should start you in a few new directions!
-di doctor-

custom001

Considering the bands you like, you definitely should check out the Franz Ferdinand album, The Von Bondies and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Edit to add: More form the Coldplay/Doves/Turin Brakes Corner: try Starsailor, Travis or Keane.

And I'll always recommend Dashboard Confessional.

Canis Firebrand

I'm going to go off and recommnd Jonatha Brooke.

I think she would fit in with some of the music you listed. She is considered a folk singer, but doesn't quite fit that mold.

She has some great music and a number of cds out.

Absolutely my favorite artist.

Her website has samples of just about all her songs from each cd.

Definetly check out Plumb, Steady Pull, and Back in the Circus.

Great music.

Cusm

Modest Mouse
stellstarr*
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

DamingR

I have to second the suggestion of The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow. I have almost identical tastes to you, and I love this CD.


I have been doing the same thing as you, looking for some new bands, and these are the CDs I've picked up recently that I really liked:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
The Walkmen - Bows & Arrows
Franz Ferdinand
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's First CD
The Eels - Daisies of the Galaxy
Kanye West - College Dropout
Sparta - Wiretap Scars
Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance
The Thrills - So Much for the City
Vendetta Red - Between the Never and the Now

And I hope that you are already enjoying the Flaming Lips. If not, definitely pick up Yoshimi and The Soft Bulletin. If you haven't listened to The Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream in its entirety, then you must get it immediately. I can't say enough about it.


Here are some CDs I have picked up based on recommendations on boards like this that I haven't had a chance to digest yet:

Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret
Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood
Modest Mouse
My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves
The Postal Service - Give Up
The Rapture - Echoes
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free

SAShepherd

Based on your list (particularly the Smiths, Interpol, and REM references), I'd echo the Franz Ferdinand and Rapture recommendations.

Your tastes and mine aren't too dissimilar, so although I'm not sure I see the link, I'd also echo the Shins, Spoon, My Morning Jacket, Built to Spill, and the Thrills recommendations -- the 5 albums mentioned by those bands get a lot of rotation in my CD player at the moment.

And, finally, in the category of "I don't necessarily see the link but I loooooove this band," I'd recommend the New Pornographers -- they're a power pop band -- probably the closest link is GBV.

Hiro11

I'll echo:
The Shins
The Walkmen (also their precursor Jonathan Fire*Eater)
The Rapture
My Morning Jacket
Radio 4 (Gotham! is insanely good)
Spoon (especially "Girls Can Tell")

I'll add:
Sonic Youth (don't proceed with life without a copy of 'Daydream Nation")
The Wedding Present (particularly "Seamonsters" which is one of the better albums of the early ninties)
!!! (this is the band's name) (particularly the new one, "Louden Up Now")
British Sea Power (once again, only one album)
Stellastarr* (their latest one is really good New Order/The Fall-ish stuff)
The Dismemberment Plan (especially "Change")
Yo La Tengo (especially "Painful")
Slint (they only had one album and it's a classic)
The Boo Radleys (especially "Giant Steps")
Pulp (especially "Different Class")
Super Furry Animals (especially "Rings Around the World")
Supergrass (especially "We're in it For the Money")
Teenage Fanclub (especially "Bandwagonesque")
Vaselines (get the compilation)
The Jam (pretty much any album is terrific, get "Sound Affects" first)

...and so on and so forth.

Rivero

Godspeed You Black Emperor
Deerhoof
Sixtoo
Dresden Dolls
The Rapture
Super Furry Animals
My Bloody Valentine
The Pixies
The Boredoms
The Piranhas
Yo La Tengo
The Mooney Suzuki
The Moldy Peaches
Cornershop

MurraySiskind

You and I seem to have pretty similar tastes, surprisingly even our feelings about Tool.

Two recent CDs that I think you would enjoy are:

Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News

and

The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

I highly recommend them both.

funkyryno

I've just recently been getting into the whole mellower indie rock scene after years of listnening to mostly punk and metal with a smattering of hiphop. I like a lot of the suggestions that I see.

I'll give another vote for the latest Modest Mouse album: Good News for People Who Love Bad News.

I have The Shins "Chutes Too Narrow" playing right now. It's starting to grow on me. I hate the album case, though. It definetely turned me off for some reason. The third track on the album is way too catchy. Some of the tracks are a little too uninspired for my tastes.

You don't like the Pixies? Crazy talk. You may, however, like Frank Black's "Teenager of the Year" album and his albums with the Catholics. I love "Dog in the Sand."

The White Stripes are good, but I think they are an acquired taste. If you don't like them, you're likely to hate them.

If you like Jack White, pick up Loretta Lynn's "Van Lear Rose" Prety good stuff, and I never really liked Loretta before.

Do you like The Clash? Well, even if you didn't, you should check out Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. His last album last year after his death is pretty good.


I few punk bands you may like, that aren't too hardcore are (oh, I just reread your post and noticed that you are looking for newer artists, well someone may get use of the following list):

-- Social Distortion, which really doesn't sound much like a punk band; their sound definitely has a country roots edge to it. And if you like Social Distortion, and are into the alt country twang stuff, check Mike Ness' two solo albums. If you like those, check out Hank Williams III.

-- Face to Face "Big Shot" -- I've had friends who don't really like punk say this is a good album. It does fall into a somewhat repetitive pattern. If you don't like punk at all, you should probably stay away though.

--Dead Milkmen. While they are mostly a joke band, they did put out some songs that were a little more melodic -- unfortunately, people liked the Milkmen because they were funny and a lot of their more 'artistic,' for lack of a better word, songs were overlooked. I'm hesitant to really recommend a specific album by them based on your tastes as many of their songs are really grating. "Bucky Fellini" may be a good place to start.

-- Fugazi "13 Songs." An older album. I think this album is a must-have in anybody's 'alternative' music collection.

Tracer Bullet

My recommendations:

Belle & Sebastian-based on your Nick Drake listing... try If You're Feeling Sinister.
Snow Patrol
Camera Obscura (Scottish, not Californian)

I also second the recommendations of Magnetic Fields (69 Love Songs) and Yo La Tengo (I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One is pretty much a catalog of late 90s indie)... you might also want to give Galaxie 500 a listen.