"What are you listening to" 2015 thread
 

Impressive performance by a bunch of middle schoolers.

This is probably the right thread to announce I have caught on to something I presume everyone else has known for years: full album replays on youtube.

This makes getting through my day much easier and allows me to sample whole albums from some bands I wouldn't have otherwise, and also listen to old favorites of man.

Some of the albums I have listened to in the past few weeks that I think are very impressive. You'll see from the following that I definitely listen to more alternative rock.

--Pretty much any Arcade Fire, even Reflektor which has grown on me. Prior to youtube, I only knew The Suburbs and some of their biggest hits from Funeral.

--Muse and Coldplay both have GH albums, and they are terrific. I knew Radiohead had a couple of GH albums but hadn't listened until now, and the first one is one of my favorites (yes, I know Radiohead is best listened by album as a concept band; OK Computer and The Bends are excellent).

--The Bones of What You Believe by Chvrches is very listenable.

--Really impressed with Of Monsters and Men and My Head Is An Animal.

--Listening to the most recent albums by Capital Cities and Bastille completely turned me around on those bands after their first hits didn't quite hit with me on radio.

--I already owned Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons, so I knew how awesome that album is, but I haven't been able to get into Babel despite multiple listens.

--I enjoyed both of the recent albums by The Kongos and The Neighborhood.

--The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs are hit or miss for me, but they have some really good songs.

--I like both of Phantogram's most recent albums. Similar sound, I also like Metric.

--I already owned Imagine Dragons' Night Visions but giving it regular listens on youtube has really grown my appreciation for that album.

--I didn't truly give The Black Keys appreciation until I listened to El Camino. That album rocks, and that's a rocking duo.

Any issues with Spotify filling that need for you? I don't mind having Spotify sending that pittance of a royalty the bands' way, as opposed to the zero I assume they get from YouTube.

Don't worry, you can still give them a pittance by listening on YouTube :)

I pretty much have all these CDs. Kinda crazy.

You may like
The 1975
Charli XCX
TV On the Radio
M83
St. Lucia

Saw a Kongos concert a while back.. those are some weird dudes.

Chief, it seems we have similar tastes. Very cool.

Please check out Bleachers. I had recently become into one of their singles and got around to listening to their album. It's pure 80s pop and it's fucking great. Not what I expected at all but it's awesome. I feel like John Cusack and Molly Ringwald are going to walk out at any moment.

Amazon Prime Music has been nice...I've been able to grab things I wouldn't normally buy or listen too.

I got my wife vinylmeplease and they delivered the new Father John Misty album, inside the album sleeve was a free digital download of the album. So I'll be listening to that quite soon.

Were you on board at the very beginning, in time to get the Diarrhea Planet album? They're fun.

Not sure if I posted this ever. Bruce is from my hometown, my Mom went to HS with him and my Dad knows his whole family, does a song about the town sometimes in concerts.

I'm sure I'm late to the party with this, but I hadn't heard of this group before. This performance on SNL has me listening (and watching) this on loop. What a voice, and you can just see the frickin' passion!!

So excited for that sophomore alabama shakes record.

You only missed one album cycle. :) But they are tremendous.

(BTW, here is the breakout single from last time around...)

Listening to? Not much lately, frankly. A very transitional period for the active rock genre, lots of decidedly alternative stuff clogging the airplay charts.

It is, however, an amazing time for new melodic rock.

Level 10 features Russell Allen & Mat Sinner

Eclipse is back with a new album

Serious Black features Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex-Helloween) along with members/former members of Blind Guardian, Edenbridge and others.

Lande/Holter has a new concept project themed around Dracula

Soto (the band) features of course Jeff Scott Soto surrounded by a new cast. Heavier than what he's normally associated with.

Revolution Saints is downright stunning at time. That's likely a one-off project with Deen Castronovo, Jack Blades, Doug Aldrich.

There's Sweet/Lynch (Michael & George, respectively). A bit mellow but interesting at times.

Any K-Rap fans? hehehe..

Would you settle for, hell whatever you call it, rapcore? Or something? :)

I loved the hell outta the Yelawolf single "Til It's Gone"

Somewhat excited at the potential of the new Hollywood Undead (after a hell of a long delay between the first track being revealed in Oct 2014)

And I kinda like the rappier stuff I just heard earlier today from the upcoming ep by From Ashes To New.

Jon checking out rapcore, haha... Love it. The K-Rap was mostly a joke.

Though I have enjoyed this band Of Mice & Men, which is probably considered light for most metalheads, right? But I liked it nonetheless.

That Phantogram record was my jam last year. So good.

Here's a list of favorite albums from 2014 that some folks I know put together (I'm included) and it's super diverse, random and eclectic if people are looking to add a lot of stuff to their list.

Is it wrong that I'm totally digging the latest Marilyn Manson record?

Thanks for the recommendations, steve. I have given most of these a listen now. Some of this is a little too techy for my tastes, but I probably need to give them multiple listens.

I was already a little familiar with M83, CHarli XCX and TV On The Radio. M83 in particular has some great songs.

Although my post above is filled with more melodic alt rock bands, I have had plenty of harder edged listening periods in my life, and I actually think Marilyn Manson is a decent listen for that sort of thing. I haven't heard his latest, though. I am more NIN and Deftones hard edge when I go that route.

Thanks, korme! I gave this a listen. What an odd retro sound. I'm not sure I caught it enough, so I'll have to listen to it again to see if anything sticks (multiple listens are sometimes required). Totally that 80s feel to it.

I actually do pretty well with what I just label as "party rock". From Hollywood Undead (with or without Deuce) to relative unknowns like Atlanta-based Almost Kings. And the Body Count album was among my favorites of 2014.


Yeah, they're on the light end of things but for radio-friendly fare they're fine by me. From the last album I preferred "Would You Still Be There" to the current track you shared but it's decent enough to make my playlist cut.

Not at all afaic.

"Deep Six" is some of his best work ever afaic, insanely catchy song. The album on the whole is a bit ... scattered at times. "Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge" seems to have been pretty universally hated (or at least "meh'ed" ) as far as I can tell

I just listened to The Chvrches The Bones of What We Believe again, for probably the 10th time in the last three months. It's really excellent.

The new Noel Gallagher's HFB album is a step up from their first effort.

I dig it.

Enjoying Panda Bear's new album. Seems like a nice synthesis of Person Pitch (a near perfect Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys album) and Tomboy (a bit too dancy for me).

Like the new Father John Misty, seems to be a step up from his prior album, but I'd prefer to have another Fleet Foxes' album.

For whatever reason, I've had Run the Jewels 2 from last year on repeat, even though outside of Kanye, I don't know that I've made it through a rap album in years.

Trying out the new TIDAL service, even though the marketing is a joke. Yes, musicians are such an oppressed group that we need a twitter campaign to make sure they get more money.

That being said, I honestly can't tell the difference in sound quality in the brief amount of time I've been listening. I took their test and got 4/5 right, but I'm also 99% sure I was completely guessing. I'm not willing to spend enough money to upgrade my sound systems (i.e. bluetooth speakers and $30 headphones) to where I might be able to tell a difference.

I am liking the new Sufjan Stevens. A nice return to the Michigan album.

New Death Cab for Cutie is more of the same. OK as background music, but I'm not going to go out of my way to put it on repeat.

New Modest Mouse is just meh.

I'm enjoying the album from The Districts. They seem to be doing a good job of grabbing a few indie influences and meshing them into an enjoyable sound.

I'm with Easy Mac on Sufjan--love him in any form, so happy to have a new album and not wait any longer.

Father John Misty is interesting... I've had friends call him "the biggest wanker on the planet" and "the next Warren Zevon." His lyrics are very wry, the musical arrangements are interesting (the mariachi feeling on "Chateau Lobby No. 4," for example). I'm not totally sold, but I like it enough to come back to it.

Have we talked about Tuneyards before? I want to hate them... because of "tUnE-yArDs," because it seems like the group fits the trope of liberal arts grads appropriating world music, so on...

Then I watched them live in performance and was blown away. These guys are obviously skilled. The set-up of two saxophonists, a bassist, and the lead singer/percussionist/looper is super creative. It's organized chaos musically on a certain level. This is a rare case where watching how the sausage is made totally builds your taste for the sausage.

tUnE-yArDs "Gangsta" from Austin City Limits on Vimeo.

I concur about them. She comes across as someone who I want to hate, but the music overcomes it.

Figured I would post this here.

So at the institution I work at, an alumni and a current student made a music video in our residence halls. Besides me being beyond annoyed with my security office for knowing nothing about this (For gods sake they were able to shut down an entire floor and a laundry room for filming) I thought it was professionally done. Prob not the music most people listen to here, but Chris is being mentored by Nelly, and has been hosting shows on BET. Will be interesting to see where his career goes.

Chris Bivins - Boyfriend ft. Jordan Szarko and Mike Adonis - YouTube

Courtney Barnett. Over and over and over. So good.

True, too. Not at all disappointed with the LP.

Caught this guy on 'SNL' - didn't know anything about George Ezra before Saturday. Guy is unique.

Lots of great albums in a short while came to my door it seems! Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly", Bjork's "Vulnicura", and Sufjan Stevens' "Carrie + Lowell". It's hard to decide which one to listen to (I probably like Lamar's the best though)!

I need to listen more to the Lamar disc, I've liked what I've heard so far. Also excited to pick up the new Godspeed You! Black Emperor that came out this week.

Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the Sufjan one. I've liked most of his stuff but just hated Age of Adz or whatever it was called and now am gunshy.

Oh, and someone mentioned the Run the Jewels a few posts ago. That has been in heavy rotation for me going on four months now, I also went back and got the first one which is excellent as well.

Kinda idly but I actually ran across her for the first time yesterday.

Not my thing, just too light to hold my attention very long, but between the accent & the quirky video (the one with the clowns) for whatever the current single is, I'd put her above the curve within her niche.

Jason Isbell, nonstop. Southeastern is one of the best albums ive heard in the last 15 years.

Nothing like his last album. Back to the more acoustic/folky sound.

The thing that's excellent about Butterfly is that while it's got fantastic singles (i, King Kunta, Blacker the Berry), it is a fully realized album. The songs flow very well.


Well, I liked Age of Adz myself (I tend to enjoy bursts of electronic noise - I'm a massive fan of Yeezus), but Carrie + Lowell is probably his most stripped down album yet. Makes Michigan and Illinoise seem busy. Kind of Seven Swans like, but more sad and pensive.


Fantastic album. I'm right there with you on that one!

I found the new Kendrick album to be a total letdown. I'm not sure more than one or two tracks interested me enough to bother listening to more than once.

totally agree.
2 years later it still gets probably 3-4 listens a month.

Really like that Tegan and Sara album "Heartthrob". I know it's older but I just got into it.

I really want the new Kendrick but $14.49 for digital is absurd. I buy a ton of stuff but $6.99 is usually my max.

I liked this Kendrick album better than his first one, but I was already a fan of Flying Lotus (not sure how many of the tracks he actually produced, but most of the album is in line with his style) going in.

Jamie xx has an album that's supposed to come out this summer, and that will be a good one with songs like "Girl" and this one:


Also been listening to a lot of Future this year.

Sadly didn't get that one, I ordered it for my wife.

The Sufjan Stevens' "Carrie + Lowell" is free on Amazon Prime, the first song made me weep the first time I heard it...perhaps learning the back story made me feel an empathy. This was a guy trying to reach out in the only way to a mother who was essentially absent and the imprint on his childhood. When he signs about his brother had a daughter and the brightness of that relationship...it's just amazingly confessional but not in a goth/emo-like way, but in a real, this is real way.

We have a record store near us, brand new opened by a high schooler of all people...I'm going to see if they have Townes Van Zandt (Live at Old Quarter).

Since I haven't shared the link in a while (IIRC), here's the link to my weekly blog post that contains both my weekly Spotify Top 40 and my YouTube currents playlists (just short of 200 songs).

Of all those hard rock (and related) songs, my current favorite track isn't really even a hit. That'd be one from The Bloodline, a band out of Chicago formerly known as Dirge Within. Now on vocals is Travis Neal, better known for being the new vocalist for Hinder ... until he was rather abruptly dumped without much explanation shortly after the release of their latest album.

Here is some sweet rap music for ya.