What artists would you buy without hearing first?

[Butter]

Originally Posted by tanglewood

If The Avalanches ever get around to recording a second album, I'm there.

ABSOLUTELY! And The Flaming Lips.

I still listen to that first Avalanches album about once a week. Just amazing.

And sorry to burst your bubble about Grandaddy there Schmidty.

[FrogMan]

Only one band qualifies for me: Live.

I've grown into and out of many other bands in the past but I always come back to them.

FM

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

It's incredibly dull. Nothing remotely as adventurous or as fun as anything on Parachutes.

Well many fans consider Parachutes to be the true Coldplay as it is certainly grittier than anything they've released since then. I think X&Y is a good CD and don't find it dull at all. I agree with those who say that Coldplay may be trying a bit too hard to make the "perfect" song over and over again on X&Y but I still see it as building on what they started in A Rush of Blood.

[Julio Riddols]

For me- Dredg, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock, John Butler Trio, and Bob Schneider.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I'm thinking the folks who said 'coldplay' haven't bought the new album yet. I'm pretty upset about it, but can't say anything at home since my lady bought it for me.

X&Y is quite simply my #5 favorite album of all time. this is quite impressive. it became my top 5 favorite after my 2nd listen.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

It's incredibly dull. Nothing remotely as adventurous or as fun as anything on Parachutes.

that's weird - i think Parachutes is their weakest album of the 3. i like about 3 or 4 songs.

coldplay are an amazing group.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

coldplay are an amazing group.

I think they are thoroughly "alright" and have just received a ton of praise for being both palatable and a "pretty good" group in an incredibly weak era of mainstream rock.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by samifan24

Well many fans consider Parachutes to be the true Coldplay as it is certainly grittier than anything they've released since then. I think X&Y is a good CD and don't find it dull at all. I agree with those who say that Coldplay may be trying a bit too hard to make the "perfect" song over and over again on X&Y but I still see it as building on what they started in A Rush of Blood.

i'm concerned only with songwriting and calibre of the song. listening to Parachutes it sounds like a "first album". little more raw, less polished. X&Y is indeed "perfection". the band is at the height of their powers. funny that you mention that it sounds like they're trying to make the "perfect" song over and over. it literally sounds like that.

the craftmanship in the song writing is of a high quality. all the melodies are exactly as they should be. the sound of the songs - how all the sounds move in and out of each other - is amazing. i'm in the music business so i'm around music all the time, and like ct i'm an avid music lover (but not into the snob rock he's into), and being a guitarist i have a better understanding of "what's going on in a song". i'm sure Hurst, a music producer, could do the same thing. sometimes when you listen to a song you can easily pitcure all the instruments on different tracks doing their own thing. sure, the producer tweaks a couple of knobs here and there and brings everything to the same level, but by and large you're listening to several distinct tracks melded into one. on X&Y it's like an orgy of sound; melodies, chords, beats - all moving into, around and over each other. the songs are simply written "smart". at no time do you go "oof, i wouldn't have played that chord there", or "that harmony does *not* go with the melody that's being played". everything is as it should be.

there's only 2 songs which i skip over, 3 if you count the hidden track. everything else is tops.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

For me- Dredg, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock, John Butler Trio, and Bob Schneider.

Wow. Never thought I'd find another Bob Schneider fan on FOFC. I got to see him live about a year ago, and as good as his albums are, his live shows are 10x better.

[cthomer5000]

oh, I'd also add The Streets to my list.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

For me- Dredg, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock, John Butler Trio, and Bob Schneider.

I've tried to get into Dredg - I have all 3 albums - but they just don't do it for me. In fact, I could probably add them to the list of artists that continually disappoint me but I keep buying. I think the only reason I've got all 3 is because I spent a total of about $15 for all 3 combined (the first 2 used, and the new one was like $7 at Best Buy).

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i'm concerned only with songwriting and calibre of the song. listening to Parachutes it sounds like a "first album". little more raw, less polished. X&Y is indeed "perfection". the band is at the height of their powers. funny that you mention that it sounds like they're trying to make the "perfect" song over and over. it literally sounds like that.

the craftmanship in the song writing is of a high quality. all the melodies are exactly as they should be. the sound of the songs - how all the sounds move in and out of each other - is amazing. i'm in the music business so i'm around music all the time, and like ct i'm an avid music lover (but not into the snob rock he's into), and being a guitarist i have a better understanding of "what's going on in a song". i'm sure Hurst, a music producer, could do the same thing. sometimes when you listen to a song you can easily pitcure all the instruments on different tracks doing their own thing. sure, the producer tweaks a couple of knobs here and there and brings everything to the same level, but by and large you're listening to several distinct tracks melded into one. on X&Y it's like an orgy of sound; melodies, chords, beats - all moving into, around and over each other. the songs are simply written "smart". at no time do you go "oof, i wouldn't have played that chord there", or "that harmony does *not* go with the melody that's being played". everything is as it should be.

there's only 2 songs which i skip over, 3 if you count the hidden track. everything else is tops.

Hypothetically, if one had never listened to a Coldplay song before and wasn't particular interested in them, but maybe got a 2-second bug up one's ass to finally hear what all the hype was about (although, to be perfectly honest, there's no way they could live up to the hype at this point)...what 3 songs from their catalog would you suggest?

Hypothetically.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

like ct i'm an avid music lover (but not into the snob rock he's into)

Yeah, I don't actually like music for any reasons of enjoyment. I love how anyone who listens to anything not on mainstream radio gets immediately tagged with "music snob." Mainstream listeners constantly reveal themselves to be far more musically judgemental than people on "my side" actually are.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Yeah, I don't actually like music for any reasons of enjoyment. I love how anyone who listens to anything not on mainstream radio gets immediately tagged with "music snob." Mainstream listeners constantly reveal themselves to be far more musically judgemental than people on "my side" actually are.

I'm sure if you're like me, you hate half of the CDs in your collection, but love to be able to tell people you own them for the coolness points you generate.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Hypothetically, if one had never listened to a Coldplay song before and wasn't particular interested in them, but maybe got a 2-second bug up one's ass to finally hear what all the hype was about (although, to be perfectly honest, there's no way they could live up to the hype at this point)...what 3 songs from their catalog would you suggest?

Hypothetically.

1. Amsterdam (my favorite Coldplay song)
2. Sparks (from their first album, Parachutes)
3. a tie between "Politik" (opening song from their 2nd album) or the song "X&Y" from their latest album.

i gave you one song from each of their 3 albums. if you want to know what i was talking about regarding all the sounds meshing well together and moving into each other "X&Y" is it. listen to the pre-chorus and chorus. very well put-together, recorded and mixed song. that is high calibre stuff.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

They Might Be Giants

Ah, Triangle Man...pure genius!!

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Yeah, I don't actually like music for any reasons of enjoyment. I love how anyone who listens to anything not on mainstream radio gets immediately tagged with "music snob." Mainstream listeners constantly reveal themselves to be far more musically judgemental than people on "my side" actually are.

i wouldn't call myself a "mainstream listener". i don't listen to Top 40 radio. i have a very broad taste in music. the only styles of music i have no interest in are classical and religous music. other than that i could probably name at least one song in almost every genre that i like. i'm not that into country though, if anything i like old school country, when country and rock and roll were similar (Johnny Cash is a new fav of mine).

mostly all snob rock sounds the same (from what i gather on this one XM station i listen to that mixes in snob rock among the songs i like, channel 47 "Ethel", if you wanna know). snob rock is very aware of itself - it knows it's not mainstream, almost as if snob rock looks at itself in the mirror and likes that it's not popular. it likes being an outcast appreciated by a niche crowd. the "art" factor of the music is too obvious. everyone who's a music snob will list "surfjam stevens" (or however you spell it) as one of their favorite bands. that's usually a tell-tale sign.

mind you, there's nothing wrong with music snobs and i don't use that term in a derogatory manner. it's just that most music snobs i've delt with want you to pat them on the back because they listen to music from bands no one has ever heard of. they wear their snobbery as badges of honor.

in any event i like people who are into music. that's one of the only things i can say i like about ct, his redeeming quality, if you will.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

Blahdy blahdy blah blah

I think you're overanalyzing a bit.

I just like music that I've heard that I can get into. Mainstream, not mainstream... it just so happens that my tastes skew towards the non-mainstream. Probably because of the radio I was exposed to growing up (woxy.com -- formerly 97X of SW Ohio). But if it's good, I'll listen to it. It's just that music is probably the most highly subjective of tastes, and even my closest friends and I probably only like about 50% of the same stuff. I like Sufjan, but probably 60% of my music friends think he's pretentious and boring.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

snob rock is very aware of itself - it knows it's not mainstream, almost as if snob rock looks at itself in the mirror and likes that it's not popular. it likes being an outcast appreciated by a niche crowd. the "art" factor of the music is too obvious. everyone who's a music snob will list "surfjam stevens" (or however you spell it) as one of their favorite bands. that's usually a tell-tale sign.

First of all, his name is Sufjan Stevens, and not everyone who likes him is a music snob. There's a fine line, I will grant you, but sometimes there are artists who legitimately become popular simply because increased exposure has made it possible for people to become fans who otherwise wouldn't have a clue of an artist's existence. And I think he's one of them. I may be wrong, but I think he'll still be around 10 years from now, unlike The Bravery or Franz Ferdinand or The Vines, etc.

The funny thing is, I hang out at a board that is all about the indie rock scene, which I don't like, but there are enough cool people into metal and such that it's worth my time. But what's funny is watching these people fawn all over these "indie" acts like they're the only people who have ever heard of them; meanwhile, the newest releases by all of these bands are $10 at Best Buy. It's like 1992 and all of the 80s new wave/alternative people still think alternative is underground and have no clue that alternative is the new hair metal. And right now, indie is the new alternative.

So in some wicked, deranged way, these people are so indie they don't realize they are mainstream. It's fun to observe.

[Qwikshot]

Doves
Nick Cave
Portishead

[tanglewood]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

First of all, his name is Sufjan Stevens, and not everyone who likes him is a music snob. There's a fine line, I will grant you, but sometimes there are artists who legitimately become popular simply because increased exposure has made it possible for people to become fans who otherwise wouldn't have a clue of an artist's existence. And I think he's one of them. I may be wrong, but I think he'll still be around 10 years from now, unlike The Bravery or Franz Ferdinand or The Vines, etc.

The funny thing is, I hang out at a board that is all about the indie rock scene, which I don't like, but there are enough cool people into metal and such that it's worth my time. But what's funny is watching these people fawn all over these "indie" acts like they're the only people who have ever heard of them; meanwhile, the newest releases by all of these bands are $10 at Best Buy. It's like 1992 and all of the 80s new wave/alternative people still think alternative is underground and have no clue that alternative is the new hair metal. And right now, indie is the new alternative.

So in some wicked, deranged way, these people are so indie they don't realize they are mainstream. It's fun to observe.

I think that's slightly disengenous. There is still real Indie about, in the sense that it is underground and you cannot find it at Best Buy, but besides that I agree with you that musical elitism based purely on whether one has heard of certain acts is moronic. However I think with the advent of the internet that is actually on the decline, even if it is more open because you can find more people on the net who think that way than you could going to a bar or whatever before. I'd say of the general music listeneing population less are 'music snobs' than ever before.

Also:

And I think he's one of them. I may be wrong, but I think he'll still be around 10 years from now, unlike The Bravery or Franz Ferdinand or The Vines, etc.

One of these is unlike the others....

[Ksyrup]

All sound the same to me. At least, I don't like any of those bands (and a bunch more) simply because I don't like the bands they were influenced by, so there's nothing redeeming about any of them to me.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

I think they are thoroughly "alright" and have just received a ton of praise for being both palatable and a "pretty good" group in an incredibly weak era of mainstream rock.

I think that's taking too much away from Coldplay personally but I'm biased as they are my favorite band and have been since Parachutes. To each his own, especially when it comes to music.

[path12]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

I think you're overanalyzing a bit.

I just like music that I've heard that I can get into. Mainstream, not mainstream... it just so happens that my tastes skew towards the non-mainstream. Probably because of the radio I was exposed to growing up (woxy.com -- formerly 97X of SW Ohio). But if it's good, I'll listen to it. It's just that music is probably the most highly subjective of tastes, and even my closest friends and I probably only like about 50% of the same stuff. I like Sufjan, but probably 60% of my music friends think he's pretentious and boring.

My story also -- my tastes are just different than what gets played on the radio and that's been the case since I was in high school in the 70's and really only had a choice between the Bad Company/Zep FM station or the disco AM station when all I really wanted to listen to was Elvis Costello and Madness......we did have a really cool AM station for a couple years at the end of the dial with a range of about 500 feet and was only on from 6PM to 6AM, alternating with Spanish language programming, IIRC......

Not that there's anything wrong with the Bad Co/Zep stuff. Just not my thing. There is definitely something wrong with disco though

It's so much easier today to hear out of mainstream music.

[jeff061]

Tool, maybe Primus.

[Fonzie]

Tenacious D
Rush (although I might have to rethink that one after "Vapor Trails")

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

Wow. Never thought I'd find another Bob Schneider fan on FOFC. I got to see him live about a year ago, and as good as his albums are, his live shows are 10x better.

I remember a friend introducing me to Bob Schneider a couple years ago.. the album he used was the "I have seen the End of the World" disc. I couldn't remember an artist that ever made me think they were entirely nuts and incredibly talented and diverse all at the same time until I heard this.

I find his other material much more cohesive and "normal" sounding, but no less talented.

I think the man makes beautiful music.

[Craptacular]

Weird Al

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Hypothetically, if one had never listened to a Coldplay song before and wasn't particular interested in them, but maybe got a 2-second bug up one's ass to finally hear what all the hype was about (although, to be perfectly honest, there's no way they could live up to the hype at this point)...what 3 songs from their catalog would you suggest?

Hypothetically.

Chris, what did you think? Seems like some Pink Floyd and early U2 influence (my 2 favorites bands of all time) but surprisingly mellow.

[Ksyrup]

I think the bug up my ass left.

I expect it to be mellow, but if PF and U2 are what they sound like, that just confirms why I haven't listened to them.

I'll do a little searching and find a couple of tracks to listen to.

[sabotai]

Tool
A Perfect Circle
Bloodhound Gang

maybe System of a Down, I didn't much like their last CD so they may be gone from this short list soon.

[Ksyrup]

OK, I found a few videos and listened to them. None of them were the tracks HA suggested, although I did hear a short, poor quality clip of Politik on Amazon.

The problem for me is not the quality, it's the sound. They sound like Oasis playing music written by Travis and sung by Thom Yorke. That's not my scene, even if they do it well. He seemed to have almost the exact same phrasings on the verses of each of the songs, like I was listening to variations on the first song I heard.

The closest I can come to liking this kind of stuff is Richard Ashcroft's first solo CD (not The Verve, and not any of his recent solo stuff, just the first solo CD for some reason), or maybe Ed Harcourt, but he's more singer/songwriter (in a Britpop-meets-Tom Waits way) than strictly Britpop. I think Porcupine Tree's mellow moments have this kind of sound, too, particularly Lazerus, which I love. But that's one track off an album filled with a lot of other interesting and different ideas, not 45-60 minutes of the same thing, which is what I get the feeling is going on here.

It's not something I would turn off if it came on, but there's no way I'd spend money on a Coldplay CD. I'd be bored to death after the second song.

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

OK, I found a few videos and listened to them. None of them were the tracks HA suggested, although I did hear a short, poor quality clip of Politik on Amazon.

The problem for me is not the quality, it's the sound. They sound like Oasis playing music written by Travis and sung by Thom Yorke. That's not my scene, even if they do it well. He seemed to have almost the exact same phrasings on the verses of each of the songs, like I was listening to variations on the first song I heard.

The closest I can come to liking this kind of stuff is Richard Ashcroft's first solo CD (not The Verve, and not any of his recent solo stuff, just the first solo CD for some reason), or maybe Ed Harcourt, but he's more singer/songwriter (in a Britpop-meets-Tom Waits way) than strictly Britpop. I think Porcupine Tree's mellow moments have this kind of sound, too, particularly Lazerus, which I love. But that's one track off an album filled with a lot of other interesting and different ideas, not 45-60 minutes of the same thing, which is what I get the feeling is going on here.

It's not something I would turn off if it came on, but there's no way I'd spend money on a Coldplay CD. I'd be bored to death after the second song.

okay, I'm not a big music critics in that I can't really always explain why this or that music is good to me or not but that's as close as it could be to me. I can never differentiate one Coldplay song from another, well maybe not that bad but I hope you get my drift. I always know it's a Colplay song when it's on the radio, but I can't always tell if it's the latest or the one before that, or the one before that. They all sound the same to me.

As ksyrup said above, I'm not gonna turn off the radio if a colplay song comes on, but I'm not gonna spend money on getting one of their CD...

FM