What the Hell are you Listening to (2024)?

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Waiting on the new one from this guy.

100%. I probably mentioned Wednesday in the 2023 thread and Lenderman is their lead guitar player. They seem like a great group of young people.

[Suicane75]

Started about 4 years ago with a suitcase and was blown away by how more open particular records sounded than on digital. Quickly upgraded to a mid level Audio Technica turntable/speaker combo and it's been an absolute joy. I'm not gonna preach, but to my ears there is definitely a difference IF you have a good record/pressing, which discogs is a godsend for. It is expensive, and storage can be a hassle if you're buying rare stuff but I have had so many amazing experiences that it's made the time and money more than worth it.

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

Anyone here listen on vinyl? Final got around to getting a somewhat real turntable and speakers. It really does feel warmer. And having to get up every 20 minutes or so makes the music feel more engaging. 90% of my "collection" are Goodwill dumpster dives, but I've still found some albums I've always liked. Like listening to Chicago Transit Authority, even a copy I literally paid a dime for, sounds more enjoyable than streaming it losslessly from Apple.

Also, cleaning records really does make a huge difference. As a kid I just assumed everything had pops and cracks every second or 2. It's because my dad played the shit out of his records on bargain turntables without ever cleaning them.

[Ksyrup]

I absolutely hear the difference, but the way I listen to music, vinyl is worthless. 90-95% of my listening is in the car or my phone while not in the house. The other 5-10% is on my computer in the house, but only for searching for new music. I can't think of a situation in which I would just sit around the house listening to music. And of course with the kind of music I listen to, and at the volume levels I listen to it at, no one else in my house wants to hear it and I'd probably invite some neighbors to call the cops.

It's just completely at odds with how I consume music these days, so there's no point. I've learned to deal with it.

[GrantDawg]

You get one of those little turntables for the dash of you car.

[Ksyrup]

Uh...no.

[Suicane75]

Ha, I'm pretty much the same way due to living arrangements and constraints, but that's why I enjoy it so much. Every 6-8 weeks I set my rig up and just give myself 2-3 hours to listen to whatever I have queued up. I still haven't listened to about half the stuff I've bought.

To stay on topic, I just listened to Sarah Harmer: You Were Here, and it's bloody beautiful.

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I absolutely hear the difference, but the way I listen to music, vinyl is worthless. 90-95% of my listening is in the car or my phone while not in the house. The other 5-10% is on my computer in the house, but only for searching for new music. I can't think of a situation in which I would just sit around the house listening to music. And of course with the kind of music I listen to, and at the volume levels I listen to it at, no one else in my house wants to hear it and I'd probably invite some neighbors to call the cops.

It's just completely at odds with how I consume music these days, so there's no point. I've learned to deal with it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I absolutely hear the difference, but the way I listen to music, vinyl is worthless. 90-95% of my listening is in the car or my phone while not in the house. The other 5-10% is on my computer in the house, but only for searching for new music. I can't think of a situation in which I would just sit around the house listening to music ... It's just completely at odds with how I consume music these days, so there's no point.

That's me.

My level of engagement with whatever is playing may vary low or high but there's literally NEVER a time -- beyond assessment for suitability, reviewing, etc -- that I'm ONLY just listening to music. Games are just about the only thing I do that isn't part of multi-tasking, I simply don't do "sit around and do a single thing" otherwise.

[Ksyrup]

It's been a pretty low-key summer for music for me. I have a bunch of pre-orders queued up but I haven't bought anything since mid-June, which is unusual for me.

That said, it's about to start heating up. New Leprous, Bent Knee and Zeal & Ardor by the end of this month, followed by Oceans of Slumber.


Z&A continue with the evolution of their black metal-meets-soul/black gospel sound that was born as a dare on 4Chan:




This is classic Leprous - bloody awesome. The way they use dynamics to build a song is phenomenal. First 2 minutes are quiet, funky, meandering, then a gut-punch into a heavy/intense last 2 minutes. This song will be EPIC live.




Bent Knee is a band I loved early on, then they went weird (crappy music and over-saturation of auto-tune), then lost 2 key members. But the 2 songs they've released for the upcoming album feel like them going back to their roots. As usual, Courtney Swain's vocals are amazing but definitely a "love her or hate her" type of quality to them.




Oceans of Slumber is an under-the-radar great metal band. From Houston, and what sets them apart is that their vocalist is an A-A R&B singer-type. You rarely hear such direct soul/R&B sound melded with metal and they do it really well. They've been adding covers to the past few albums, and this time it's Wicked Game, which is pretty good. But this is the first single, an original. It kicks in for real at about the 1:50 mark.

[thesloppy]

Going to see old-school punk icons FEAR tonight. Purposely super-offensive but also remarkably tight and musical, compared to the other punks of that time.

[Ksyrup]

Damn, I remember listening to them in college. Fear - More Beer was one their albums, right?

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Damn, I remember listening to them in college. Fear - More Beer was one their albums, right?

Yes indeed! That was their second record. I took 5 years of lessons from their drummer (on those first two records) Spit Stix. He's a solid guy.

[stevew]

Went to see the Chilfish Gambino New World Tour last night and it was absolutely wild. All kinds of crazy lasers and fiber optics. An absolute spectacle

[Ghost Econ]

Saw The Smashing Pumpkins last night. Not the most energetic or greatest concert ever, but they're also mid-late 50s. It's basically like having gone to see the Eagles in the 2000s. It is weird thinking this is the same group from the 90s moshing heyday. Never saw them earlier as their better run when I was a young teen and had no money, and by the time I did they were basically broken up.

Still, hearing the songs in person does put me in a good place. But I still feel awkward at concerts. I'm not really a dancing, sing along kinda guy. I just want to watch people who make good music play that music in person.

Seeing Weezer next month where they play the blue album. Opening is Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr., which is always fun.

[Qwikshot]

Nick Cave Wild God

Amazingly Heartbreakingly Beautiful

[Ksyrup]

August has been a great month for music for me, and today especially - Leprous, Bent Knee, and Anciients plus a few others.

And I just found out that Dan Spencer, who I posted about earlier in this (or the other?) thread is opening for Amigo the Devil at the Asheville show were going to in a couple weeks. Super stoked for that show, even more now.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

Not the most energetic or greatest concert ever, but they're also mid-late 50s.

Not entirely an excuse IMO. Just saw Rob Halford, he's 73. Bruce Dickinson is 66 and beat cancer. Phil Lewis of L.A. Guns is 67 and might be more active than ever (certainly sounds as good/better than ever).

I could go on but you get the idea.

[Edward64]

Going to start listening to some Bon Jovi songs. Pretty cool what he (and woman) did. Check out the video.

Jon Bon Jovi helps talk a woman down from the ledge on Nashville bridge | AP News

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi and a video production assistant persuaded a woman standing on the ledge of a pedestrian bridge in Nashville to come back over the railing to safety.

[Ksyrup]

Headed to Asheville tomorrow to see Amigo the Devil and Dan Spencer. Stoked! And oh yeah, we get to see my parents and brother and his wife.

[Ghost Econ]

Saw Weezer last night for the 30th anniversary of the Blue Album. While they had a giant video board and a few props, they're basically the 90s version of the Eagles. You'll hear the hits but not much else. It's technically well done and most of the songs are good to great, but not much of a show.

Dinosaur Jr. opened and they still sound the exact same. Flaming Lips played between them and as usual put on a great set. Their music is pretty much exactly the type of music I should like, but I've just never gotten into them. But every time I've seen them live they're a blast.

I will say, we had seats behind two guys that showed up early in the Flaming Lips set. They proceeded to drink and loudly talk to each other the entire rest of the concert. I mean I could hear their conversation over the music. Why the fuck are you there if you're not going to listen to the music?

[korme]

I'll be seeing Dinosaur Jr at B&B on Sunday!

[thesloppy]

Whenever I see the words Dinosaur Jr I am compelled to blurt out that I saw Nirvana open for Dinosaur Jr in 1991




...but I also saw Dinosaur jr earlier this year before the Weezer tour, and they do still sound great.

[Suicane75]

Gave a relisten to Caroline Rose: The Art Of Forgetting, yesterday and it's a lot better than I gave it credit for upon my first listen. I think I was expecting a more poppy sound, but it's not that. I cried a lot.

[Ksyrup]

I've got a ton of new music to catch up on. A few I'm listening to on a lazy Friday night with nothing to watch on TV.


New Unto Others! This album is so good, and they continue on a run of great releases. This band is the perfect amalgamation of traditional 80s hard rock crossed with a Sisters of Mercy-like goth sound.




Native Howl - how about some "thrash grass?" I am absolutely loving all of this dark folk/country/bluegrass I've found in the past couple of years. This is another one.




Lizzard. Love this band. If I had to compare, I'd say it's like a prog metal version of Incubus - that's the vibe I get from listening to this band.

[Ghost Econ]

Not really listening to it, but I've heard Green Day's Bobby Sox come on the lone Alt Rock station a couple of times. It's a fine song, but I can't shake that it's the best Weezer song in the last 30 years and makes me sad Rivers forgot how to write fun music.

- YouTube

[JonInMiddleGA]

I hate to admit that I really only dove deep into The Native Howl just a few weeks ago.

Some first rate fun to be had in their catalog.

[Ksyrup]

They really are a lot of fun. I believe they are opening for Clutch on their short tour where they (Clutch) are playing the entirety of Blast Tyrant. I would love to see that show, but they are only doing 4 of them.