"What are you listening to" 2015 thread

[path12]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

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.

Well I know you and I generally listen to different things (only current metal I can listen to for very long is Mastodon) but if you get a chance listen to Avant Gardener from her first EP. It might be my favorite song of the decade so far.

The video Britrock posted has it as the first song. It's solo though and I think the song is better with the full band.

[path12]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

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.

I loved Yeezus too and am generally a fan of electronic noise (I joke to my music club that eventually my genre is going to be 'industrial ambient'.) But yeah, that one really didn't work for me.

But with the comments here and the fact I really did love the state discs I'm going to have to check this out tomorrow.

[path12]

Originally Posted by chinaski

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

Saw him perform with his wife at a small club here last year. Great show.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by path12

Well I know you and I generally listen to different things (only current metal I can listen to for very long is Mastodon) but if you get a chance listen to Avant Gardener from her first EP. It might be my favorite song of the decade so far.

The video Britrock posted has it as the first song. It's solo though and I think the song is better with the full band.

If you handle Mastodon, have you tried Crobot? They're a little hit & miss with me but the latest (well "next" really) single is pretty tasty.

[path12]

I'm literally laughing out loud during this because all of a sudden it is 1977 again and I'm a sophomore in high school. Thanks for that, I did enjoy that song.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Whatever I'm listening to won't be much of the new Halestorm album. Once was definitely more than enough. Ye Gods what a catastrophe of an album.

It wasn't the whole "Nashville influence" we all feared. Nope, it's a mix of medicore songs & utterly bewildering production choices that dooms this to one of the most disappointing collections I've ever heard.

It's "You are witnesses to the birth of Halestorm Mark II" bad.

[Grover]

I love her voice, so very much. Have been very into her music for about three years. She's getting better and better all the time.

She's not too bad to look at either.

[bob]

Really enjoyed that - thanks for sharing...

[Marmel]

So I just subscribed to Google Play music and I'm looking for some recommendations. I mostly listen to 90s alternative and 70's 'classic rock'

What modern artists might I enjoy listening to?

[stevew]

The if you like X you might like Y things are great on that site. Also you can just search by 10's alternative if you want.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Random selection whose 'modernity' may or may not be good for you:

Wolfmother
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
The Killers
fun.
Jack White
Kings of Leon
Muse
Cage the Elephant
Of Monsters and Men
Mumford and Sons (though if you've heard one song, you've heard them all)
The New Pornographers
Neko Case
Silversun Pickups
Vampire Weekend
Belle Brigade

[B & B]

While this certainly isn't 'new' its a track I just stumbled upon and couldn't shake off.

[stevew]

I know it's about a year old but that Sia "1000 Forms of Fear" record is absolutely great.

[Julio Riddols]

The new Ghost song (and the other new songs that you can hear in live performances on youtube) is outstanding. It sounds like they have rediscovered that they're better off just writing solid songs.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

The new Ghost song

Interesting you bring that one up. It's quite possibly the first Ghost song I've ever liked.

[Julio Riddols]

When you read the comments people leave after listening to the track, it seems like a lot of people have the same reaction. I think they might have themselves a future classic in this upcoming album if what I have heard off it so far is any indication.

[bob]

Originally Posted by Grover

I love her voice, so very much. Have been very into her music for about three years. She's getting better and better all the time.

She's not too bad to look at either.

She put out a new EP on soundcloud today....

SoundCloud - Hear the world’s sounds

[Easy Mac]

Recent releases I've liked:

Kacey Musgraves - I don't like country, and I generally just can't get into female singer-songwriters. This one came pretty close to getting a repeat listen, though. At times it sounds like what I imaging a solo, countryfied Stevie Nicks might sound like.

Leon Bridges - Enjoyable, even if it seems like an imitation of Same Cooke a bit too much. Probably the best throwback R&B album I've heard in a while.

St. Lucia - actually from 2013, but I came across him the other day and finally got around to listening to the album. Pretty close to a perfect album if you love music made from around '84-87.

Banditos - A nice bit of Southern Rock that calls back to Skynyrd, but a bit like Alabama Shakes if Brittany Howard's voice didn't overshadow everything else.

Hot Chip - If you've liked a Hot Chip album (indie dance) in the last decade, you'll like this one. No need to re-invent the wheel when you've kept it spinning this long.

Dawes - Smooth, easy listening. Just far enough away from folk not to make it redundant of everything else out there.

John Moreland - I keep telling myself this is Southern Rock, due to my dislike of country. Either way, this is probably my favorite album of the year.

Tallest Man on Earth - It sounds like if a weepy Bob Dylan made an album with late 80s Tom Petty (not named Traveling Wilbury's).

[britrock88]

Boy, I've gotten behind on music discovery lately. But Hot Chip, Dawes, and TMoE are in my mental queue.

[stevew]

Anyone picked up Depression Cherry by Beach House yet?

[Julio Riddols]

I can't listen to anything but Ghost with a little Alabama Shakes/Faith No More peppered in.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by chinaski

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

I came into this thread to mention Jason Isbell. I'd never heard of him 'til last December and first listened on a friends recommendation. Since then I've been to one of his shows(great live performer) and his Southeastern album has been listened to more times than I can remember. It's one of the best albums I've ever heard.

His new album "Something More Than Free" is also very good, he is such a great songwriter.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by stevew

Anyone picked up Depression Cherry by Beach House yet?

Caught it on NPR First Listen. Unobjectionable, but a bit of a one-trick pony, as I remember.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Sweed

I came into this thread to mention Jason Isbell. I'd never heard of him 'til last December and first listened on a friends recommendation. Since then I've been to one of his shows(great live performer) and his Southeastern album has been listened to more times than I can remember. It's one of the best albums I've ever heard.

His new album "Something More Than Free" is also very good, he is such a great songwriter.

I've like Isbell since his DBT days, but...
Southeastern is probably one of my Top 10 if not Top 5 albums off all time.
It is genius level work.

Something More than Free is a good album, and were it not for Southeastern I would likely love it. Still somehow I couldnt help but feel disappointed after listening to it and despite numerous additional tries, I usually switch over to Southeastern half way through a listen

[corbes]

Originally Posted by mikevic, britrock, easy mac, and Julio

Alabama Shakes

So I'm late to this party (my wife informs me that you can't listen to our local top-40 radio station for more than a half hour without hearing 'hold on') but, hey, thanks to the above-named tipsters for this one.

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by corbes

So I'm late to this party (my wife informs me that you can't listen to our local top-40 radio station for more than a half hour without hearing 'hold on') but, hey, thanks to the above-named tipsters for this one.

Their new album "Sound and Color" is crazy good.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

I can't listen to anything but Ghost with a little Alabama Shakes/Faith No More peppered in.

Heh. Meloria is really good. I'm going to catch them for the third time next month, and I'm excited to hear all the new stuff. I can't recommend the live show enough, lots of cheesy fun.

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Heh. Meloria is really good. I'm going to catch them for the third time next month, and I'm excited to hear all the new stuff. I can't recommend the live show enough, lots of cheesy fun.

The acoustic sets they have been doing are great fun to watch on youtube. Papa plays a kazoo quite well.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

The acoustic sets they have been doing are great fun to watch on youtube. Papa plays a kazoo quite well.

I made my buddy take his kids up to the Seattle promo, and he said there were a bunch of kids there, which makes me laugh. The younglings love that poppy black metal.

[thesloppy]

Speaking of good shows, I saw (big) Melvins/Big Business last night for like the dozenth time, and I seriously can't recommend that line-up enough. You get two crushing drummers, a yeti on base, and a pudgy, 50-year old Sideshow Bob in a wizard mumu laying things on as heavily as they can. What's not to love:

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

I've like Isbell since his DBT days, but...
Southeastern is probably one of my Top 10 if not Top 5 albums off all time.
It is genius level work.

Something More than Free is a good album, and were it not for Southeastern I would likely love it. Still somehow I couldnt help but feel disappointed after listening to it and despite numerous additional tries, I usually switch over to Southeastern half way through a listen

Yeah, Southeastern is genius and I was afraid anything Jason put out after would likely be a let down. But that's the problem when you release a classic. I think, like you, I'd be hard pressed to find 5 albums I've liked better over my lifetime.

Something More Than Free is not as good as SE but I still listen to it a lot. I think it's because I find Isbell to be such a great lyricist and even though the album isn't SE it does deliver those great Isbell lyrics again, at least for me.

Since finding out about Isbell I've listened also to some of his older stuff from DBT days and some from maybe shortly after. Not quite sure of the timing on some of them but there are some classic good songs there too.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by stevew

Anyone picked up Depression Cherry by Beach House yet?

Yeah, new Beach House LPs are always slow to grow on me. But I'm looking forward to seeing them live next week.

[Young Drachma]

The stuff I've come back to consistently this year, copied from Last.fm because I don't really have a list:

Creepoid (Cemetery Highrise Slum), Screaming Females (Rose Mountain), La Luz (Weirdo Shrine), Kamasi Washington (The Epic), And So I Watch You From Afar (Heirs), Speedy Ortiz (Foil Deer), Gardens & Villa (Music For Dogs), The Sidekicks (Awkward Breeds), The Wonder Years (No Closer To Heaven), Heartless Bastards (Restless Ones), Lower Dens (Escape From Evil)

[HerRealName]

I love the new Titus Andronicus record. It's an hour and a half but that includes an intermission, a couple other brief musical interludes, and 'Au Lang Syne' for some reason I can't decipher but, when the filler is cut out, it's an awesome concept record.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Although I could do this sort of thing nearly every week, that I've done it so rarely in this thread hopefully buys me a little tolerance for it.

What I won't be listening to on purpose very much is the new Shinedown album. I don't know wth its supposed to be but its certainly not much of a rock album. THe most frequent comparison that came to mind while listening through it was "Elton John outtakes". Even when they drift into light alt-rock it's not even good at being that. 3 decent to relatively good songs, the rest isn't even good enough to be called pablum. Closest I can come is maybe up-tempo "adult rock", the modern equivalent to elevator music. Just a virtually complete shit sandwich.

edit to add: The other comparison that came to mind -- not musically/stylistically, but in terms of being utterly awful -- was Scorpions "Eye II Eye". This just misses being THAT terrible



On a more positive note, everything I've heard from the forthcoming new Queensryche album is utterly amazing. Todd LaTorre not only exceeds all reasonable expectations, he might just be one of the best replacement vocalists in rock history. Absolutely amazing stuff so far.

[Ironhead]

[Easy Mac]

Ryan Adams - 1989

edit: If I'm listing the standout, I think it has to be I Know Places. He transforms an otherwise meh song into something fairly good.

Overall, I'd say he does a better job with the less single worthy songs, although his versions of Bad Blood and Wildest Dreams are probably better. I was kind of hoping he would country-punk up Shake it Off, that song is dying for a good punk-ish cover. Also sad he couldn't do more with How You Get the Girl, which may be my favorite track on the original album.

Also, since I'm on the subject, I'm more than willing to argue with anyone who doesn't agree that Shake It Off is the most perfect pop song since Hey Ya.

[Lonnie]

Bring Me The Horizon - That's The Spirit

Metalcore band going for more of straight rock album. Some catchy tunes on this one.

[timmae]

I toured a studio in Seattle a few months back and came across Windowpane. Awesome metal... I also just went to a show by Naked Raygun. Man their stuff is fun, if a bit old. Also love SOB by Nathaniel Rateliff. Have that one on repeat.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Concert review from Saturday's Brothers In Arms tour (Otherwise / Like A Storm / Seasons After / First Decree)

Concert Review 10/10/15 – Brothers In Arms Tour | Jon's Three Cents

[stevew]

That new CD by the Weeknd is pretty good. Lots of hellacious grooves.

[Chief Rum]

A lot of you I think seem to like bands that are more indy and off the beaten path than I do, so this stuff may not be to your taste.

But I really enjoy the new Imagine Dragons album Smike + Mirrors (the one that came out earlier this year), which surprises me because it didn't catch me the first time or two through.

I also have really grown to love Mumford and Sons new album Wilder Mind, which got the band a lot of heat for going full production, instead of their trademark acoustic sound.

I am still getting into the swing of Of Monsters and Men's new album Beneath The Skin, but they have a handful of really great tracks on that one. I don't think it's on the same level as their breakthrough My Head Is An Animal, but it's a good listen.

I haven't bought the new Chvrches album Every Open Eye yet, but I have the three tracks they pre-released and I like (but don't love) all of them. Their breakthrough album Bones of What You Believe is currently one of my favorite albums in years, so I'm looking forward to giving the new one a listen (some of their best stuff from the first album were other tracks they didn't release as singles).

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by stevew

That new CD by the Weeknd is pretty good. Lots of hellacious grooves.

Been preaching this all year.

Been trying to get into Alessia Cara as of late just because I really like "here" but I think her music is meant for 17 year old girls.

Alessia Cara - Here

[video=youtube;UKp2CrfmVfw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKp2CrfmVfw[/video]

[Scoobz0202]

Man card at risk but the queen is back.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Man card at risk but the queen is back.

I'm with you, I can't wait for her new album.

[JonInMiddleGA]

To be honest the name of the band meant nothing to me but apparently Crazy Town was kind of a thing about a decade or so ago. And this song apparently features the late DJ AM on one of the last tracks he recorded before his death.
So in case it's of interest to anyone here, I'll share. (I was mostly just reminded of Hollywood Undead and like the song okay on that basis.)

[stevew]

Butterfly basically defined the sounds of the douche brah movement

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by stevew

Butterfly basically defined the sounds of the douche brah movement

I was juuuuust coming back into music around 2000-01 after taking much of the 90s off. The post-grunge bands brought me back but apparently that song escaped my notice, I don't recognize it at all even after pulling it up today.

edit to add: Sounds kind of like the forerunner of what generally call "party rock" , which basically didn't come into my willing listening -- aside from occasional Eminem or Kid Rock -- until about 2009-10 with H.Undead's "Everywhere I Go"

[QuikSand]

So, I continue to spend a good deal of time with Spoon's latest album, They Want My Soul.



For a pretty long time now, if you applied fire ants and asked me what is my favorite suite of songs, in sequence, from a single album... I would have confidently responded with songs 2-6 on OK Computer. I love that set, it builds up to a massive climax (for me, at least) at the end of Let Down and then Karma Police is more or less the cigarette, I suppose.

Anyway, I get a pretty similar and comparable chill with tracks 2-5 on Soul, maybe even including the opening cut as well. Rainy Taxi grew on me, Do You is catchy but not vacant, and I think Knock Knock Knock is a goddamn masterpiece. To extend the vulgar analogy, I guess I lose it along with the caustic guitar overplay in Knock. I really love that song, but it's 10x better at the end of the album sequence, in my view.

Have my daughters hooked on both Do You and Knock, too. #betterdrivetime

[timmae]

Spoon is some good stuff, no doubt about it.

I have Macklemore's "Downtown" stuck in my head. So damn catchy.