Freedom Reborn Archive

So what what albums have you guys been listening to lately? I'm not much of a singles guy and I tend to listen to albums in their entirety myself. Anyway, here are the records currently in heavy rotation:

Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor (probably my favourite current alternative hip-hop act, alongside K-Os and Buck 65)

Télépopmusik - Genetic World (fairly unremarkable electronica/trip-hop but I like playing it in the background when I'm drawing)

Dio - Holy Diver (I recently saw a South Park rerun where they had an over-the-hill Dio playing at a grade school dance, so I just had to dig up this old 80's metal classic!)

Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch (still her best album, IMO, just ahead of Songs and the more recent Begin To Hope)

Do As Infinity - True Songs (bouncy J-pop!)

wednesday 13 - fang bang (gotto be in the mood for this one)
poets of the fall - carnival of rust (more proof that any band from finland instantly rocks)
a perfect circle - mer de noms (mellow)
pitchshifter - deviant (hidden agenda's bigger than you....)
mindless self indulgence - you'll rebel to anything (sucker for MSI, shut you up is awesome)
finger eleven - me vs them vs you (i actually only like paralyser from this album, but the one song's good enough to keep it in my player)

Mmm... just got an mp3 player so listening to stuff on the go has been great. In lieu of the "new" I'll mention the stuff I cannot stop spinning (since Holy Diver is ancient, but awesome)

Sage Francis: Personal Journals Actually I listen to all three albums more than I would like to admit. Sage Francis combines hip hop, activism and really personal stories about his life, I cannot recomend him enough to people who like rap or who think they would like it if it wasent mostly so stupid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiV2stUu5RE

Mercenary: 11 dreams Just a really good and heavy band from Germany (I think), actually extremely versatile too. Almost every song on that album sounds different, from power to black metal and even one that sounds like an abba cover. "Why dont you dance, to the music... I hear inside my head! Why dont you dance, to the music... ITS THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE END!".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqL9Sgk2zLk

Subtle: For hero, for fool Very trippy abstract hip hop performed with a live band and some almost techno considerations. Lots of ambiance, lots of noise, and weird lyrics about street light serpents eating rats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOEE_Yc6zZQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjz-vbZTBnM    

Dark Tranquility: Fiction  I did a review for these guys on freedom reborn and my website. They rock, some of the best melodic death out there with extremely well concieved and poetic lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCeRS3nhSKE

Bjork: Volta, but all the old stuff too The new album is pretty good but I keep going back to medula, vespertine, homogenic and debut a lot at work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wioa74MsBYA

Neko case: The fox confessor has spoken Great and weird, mixing jukebox country with all sorts of other stuff including animal stories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50dzxkJa1NE

Cafe Tacuba: the first album and Re a favorite from my ethno punk days growing up in Mexico. Nice mix of odd art, folk music and rocking out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsYkqcLc-Vk

Chico Science and Nacao Zumbi They sound like a mix of punk, funk, hendrix and metal. Maybe kind of like the red hot chilli peppers, but with tons of afrobeat and brazilian influences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHCpQxKYkTo

The Iron Maidens I love Iron maiden and this all girl tribute band is a good excuse to listen to all the songs I love all over again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUF2DfK1x3M

Arch Enemy Speaking of tough girls... you need to see this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NizPNmUjeDU

Notables: Tom Waits, Tori Amos, Strapping young lad, Old Sepultura, Pantera, Faith no more.

Ok, I listened to that Arch Enemy song. All I kept hearing is "C is for cookie, that's good enough for me." She must have like a life long supply of longenzes. :P

i like your music taste lugaru and dio!

listen to this one lugaru
arch enemy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxD4Ruf68bU

Let's see:

Swallow the Sun - Hope
The lead singer of these guys has probably the best death growls I've ever heard. It's crazy.

Rush - Snakes and Arrows
It's Rush....do I need to say more :D

Steve Miller Band - Young Hearts (Complete Greatest Hits)
Same with these guys, need I say more?

Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist
Saw them last night, so had to get in the mood. I still can't quite hear properly, but Chino is god when they play in a small venue like ours.

Opeth - Damnation
An entire album done without any growls. The lyrics are just awe inspiring. Probably the most beautiful lyric-wise album I've ever heard.

Currently inhabiting my mp3 player:

K-os - Joyful Rebellion: an intelligently-written alternative hip-hop album (some might call it "folk" hip-hop) from Canada's leading urban music luminary. The lead-off track, "Emcee Murder" is a biting, if slightly heavy-handed, commentary on popular hip-hop culture. K-os is just as good a singer as he is an MC, as heard in tracks like the Marley-esque "Crucial" (click here (http://youtube.com/watch?v=V_hiJc9fCgY) for a live version) and the modern spiritual "Hallelujah", and his understated but effective work on guitar is often overlooked.

Esthero - Wikked L'il Girls: I liked Esthero better when she was into the whole Toronto trip-hop/downtempo scene circa 1998's Breathe From Another (check her out (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkE3dgburT0) in an early appearance on "The Chris Rock Show"). Still, her latest album is a solid pop outing, and it features some neat collaborations: "Everyday Is A Holiday (With You)" with Sean Lennon (click here (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3N8Vr4mPQ) for a live recording), "Junglebook" with Outkast's Andre3000, and "Fastlane" featuring Jemeni & Jelleestone. There are a couple of sophomoric "poetry slam" spoken word pieces in the album though, and they're downright embarrassing (I felt my face turning beet red just listening to them).

Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsys: Hendrix's most emotionally powerful album, in my opinion... nothing beats hearing an artist just let it all hang out during a live performance. "Machine Gun" is a tour-de-force of six-string blues psychedelica (here's a link (http://youtube.com/watch?v=_3Sc8xG_KLI) to the "Isle of Wight" recording of the song), and drummer Buddy Miles' scream near the end of "Changes" is just mind-blowing.

   

Tobias Sammet's Avantasia: The Metal Opera I and II: These are actually one of the few albums I will listen to straight through. usually I just pick one or two songs I like and such. these actually tell a story so its good to listen to them in order from start to finish at least once. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avantasia

What's in my car at the moment:

Chumbawamba: Anarchy and WYSIWYG
The Beatles: One
Nightwish: Oceanborn and Once (this one never actually leaves the car)
Celtic Woman: A New Journey
Queen: Greatest Hits (The old single-disc version from the late 80's)
Tori Amos: American Doll Posse
Urbal Beats 1 (techno/trip hop compilation)

Stuff I've been listening to:

Elliott Smith - Either Or
Elliott Smith - From A Basement On the Hill: Elliott Smith was an underrated singer/songwriter, although as it happens tragically too often, he did gain more fame and appreciation after his death under mysterious circumstances (many agree that it was likely a suicide). His lyrics were sincere and ring true, cutting almost uncomfortably close to anybody who has dealt with depression and substance abuse (Smith struggled with alcoholism and a heroin addiction). In retrospect, the songs in From A Basement On the Hill, his last album prior to his death, were even more melancholy than his previous work. The Songs on Either Or for example, always seemed to hint at redemption even if not explicitly expressing so. Here's footage of him playing "Say Yes" off of Either Or in one of his final live performances (http://youtube.com/watch?v=f8oLojgTMVA).

The Roots - Things Fall Apart: Arguably the best album from some of hip-hop's most outstanding musicians. The Roots maintain their organic, jazz and funk-inflected sound in their fourth full-length record, but also incorporate a slicker, produced, electronica-tinged sound on some of the tracks. Here's the most famous track of off the album, You Got Me (feat. Erykah Badu) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Dl0QQ8gEZQ).     

The Blood Brothers - Young Machetes
These guys are so rad,  i don't even know if this was their latest album,  i was just able to copy the cd's from my brother when i was visiting in June.
Hmmn,  it's hard to classify the blood brothers.  they sound like really early Hot Hot Heat, mixed with Fugazi and The Mars Volta.   all you need to know is the rock, hard.

Jet- Shine On- Awesome, raw- sounding rock.

50 Wiggly, Giggly Songs (2CD set of children's songs)

*sigh* Everything else is packed up for the move.  :doh:

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat

I listen to mixed cd's, but this is who I'm digging at the moment.

Cicada
Portishead and whoever they are teamed with.
Fad Gadget
Project Pitchfork
She Wants Revenge
Bauhaus
The Reverend Horton Heat
The Meteors
Tiger Army
Cocteau Twins

Feist:: Open Season
Mala Rodriguez: Malamarismo (cant even understand the language but I like it)
Bronze Nazareth: The Great Migration
Jaylib: Champion Sound
MIA: Boyz (the beat is amazing damn it!)
Common: The Game/The People

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Tool - 10000 Days

and a bunch of other stuff

Depends on what I'm doing.

All around stuff, The Killers (either album).

Coding - mostly techno, or Radiohead (Hail to the Thief has got a lot of play), Rain turned me on to Guerolito by Beck. Otherwise, stuff with alot of noise. Vocals don't seem to bother me much when I'm coding.

Art - Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails puts me into that zen drawing space real quick. Bjork, Becoming X by Sneaker Pimps, and Smashing Pumpkins are in my current mix as well. I can't listen to anything I can't block out while drawing (screws me up otherwise), so it either has to be fairly low key vocals or something I have listened to a few thousand times already.

I used to listen to Portishead quite a bit and was thinking about adding them back into my mp3 mix.

I had two Dio cassettes when I was 16 (erm, before they had cds!). I should try adding some Hendrix into one of my mixes, I've never really listened to a full album of his.


The newest album I bought is an instrumental cd by the Beastie Boys "The Mix-Up".

Nice to see more metalheads on the forum now (nightwish, avantasia, opeth, giggly wiggly songs) and well here's an update. Oh yeah, Im a music critic (not a good one though) for 'the connoisseurs' and sometimes 'boston now' so let me lay on some more weird unheard of stuff.   :P

Lullacry - Crucy my heart: They pose as one of those goth metal bands but if you listen to it the music is very 80's arena and the lyrics are very pop. Very catchy and satisfying thing to bop your head to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNgPG6RX6T0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqTPteE3tjA

Orpahend land - Mabool: its an amazing metal band from Israel similar to opeth but with traditional middle eastern music and old testament inspired lyrics. I had no clue they had videos so I didint post 'em the first time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQGd10MzDv8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF_hrt_zUpw

At the Gates - Slaughter of the soul: a simply amazing album and oddly available everywhere. This band pretty much kicked off the Gothemburg melodic death metal sound in the early 90's. And their videos have aged well...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRViek2t8TA

Sebnem Ferah - Kadin: Turkish "pop" star who incorporates all kinds of electronica, trip hop and metal influences making her about as ecclectic as bjork. Heck, she even recorded a song with Apocaliptica.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWcW5dAhAt8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w_cK_P92yI

Control Machete - Artilleria pesada: Really good mexican rap with that old cypress hill sound but heavier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9i2kP-9gLc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ymhhq3DWI

Blackalicious - The craft: Really good, agile and well written hip hop that frequently descends into funk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-dJ6xbrWHQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etyN_02Fc4Q (a little pop for my tastes but my favorite tracks dont have videos)

hmm, what have I been listening to lately . . . well, I tend to be downloading stuff off ITunes lately but . . .

Dolores O'Riordan - "Are You Listening?" The first solo album from the former frontwoman for The Cranberries.  I love the first two Cranberries' albums and liked the third pretty well so this should be no surprise.  I am particularly fond of a track on the CD called "Black Widow" though I wish she'd do an extended mix of the song.

"Kerouac Kicks Joy Division" - I discovered this album on ITunes accidently a few months ago and it's been a staple on my Ipod since.  A variety of artists from Steven Tyler to Johnny Depp to the late Hunter S. Thompson perform versions of some Jack Kerouac.  There is even a recording of Jack reading his own work from around the 1960s.

Thea Gilmore - "Avalanche" : My favorite of Thea's Albums.  I've managed to get most of her stuff off of ITunes and this one has become by favorite.  Though, I created my own little playlist of material from all Thea's CDs.

Epica . . . I actually met this band while working a video shoot last September.  I regret not having the money on me to buy their CDs then.  I'm stuck now listening to what is available on their Myspace page.  GRRR!

Soul Asylum - Grave Dancer's Union . . . I've just been in the mood for this album lately.

I have a bunch of of other song that I have downloaded off ITunes lately too as well as copied off of CDs owned by me, my best friend or my dad. 

Quote from: psychopanda on July 25, 2007, 08:34:09 PMI should try adding some Hendrix into one of my mixes, I've never really listened to a full album of his.

If you have to listen to just one of the four original Hendrix albums, I'd recommend Electric Ladyland... it's a good combination of the tight pop composition and slick production values in Are You Experienced? (his first album) and the ballsier and heavier, blues and funk-based stuff on Band of Gypsys. Axis: Bold As Love is pretty good, too, now that I think about it (and it has one of my favourite songs, "Castles Made of Sand"), but yeah, Electric Ladyland offers a good cross-section of Hendrix's song-writing and guitar-playing abilities.   

I generally prefer to just shuffle on the iPod, but there's a couple of recent albums that I don't mind listening to from start to finish.  One is The Fratellis - Costello Music, the other is a New York band called The Affair, their album -Yes Yes to You.  They remind me of early Blondie (except they do use way too much keyboard in most of their songs).  Here's a couple of links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDsQG23zz6w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDsQG23zz6w)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQX14U43fTM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQX14U43fTM)

Marty Friedman - Music For Speeding: more six-string pyrotechnics from the former Cacophony and Megadeth guitarist. He doesn't have any videos for this album, but here's a fun clip from a Japanese program where he throws down with former Mr. Big lead guitarist Paul Gilbert (http://youtube.com/watch?v=0-SCratcwoI).

Boredoms - Live at at the 1999 Vancouver Jazz Festival: a bootleg of the Japanese experimental/noise group's Vancouver performance. Here's a clip from a more recent performance (http://youtube.com/watch?v=457nNdODQx0).

A Girl Called Eddy - A Girl Called Eddy: soulful, tearjerky torch songs and well-crafted pop music. Here's a link to a page with free downloads of two of her songs (http://music.download.com/agirlcallededdy/3600-8742_32-100001108.html).

 

The new UNKLE album is good.

Currently playing:

Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians - Shooting Rubberbands at the Moon: landmark alterna-pop album (in my opinion) originally released in 1988. You can hear strains of their influence on everything from Rilo Kiley to Cat Power.

Eraserheads - personal mix CD: my favourite Filipino band. They sound almost like a janglier Elvis Costello. Here's a video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=QdhsWgG7xg8) of one of their English-language songs.

Pink Floyd - The Early Singles: The Floyd really sounded like a different band during their earlier Syd Barrett-led incarnation. A lot more organic and less-produced than the more popular David Gilmour/Roger Waters stuff. A nice listen, but I'm still glad that they eventually evolved their sound into what would eventually become Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here.   

 

In a nostalgic mood today so I put on a bunch of classic anime/cartoon themed albums:

Animetal - Animetal Marathon: an awesome awesome album. Eizo (Anthem) Sakamoto's anime tribute band blitzes through heavy metal versions of 36 classic anime theme songs, with each song clocking in at around a minute each. I lost 10 pounds and grew an extra testicle just listening to this thing  :thumbup:

Here's their take on the classic Macross theme song (http://youtube.com/watch?v=oxTsZr6cNv0) (Maku-ros! Maku-ros! Maku-ros!).

Various Artists - Voltes V Soundtrack: My favourite giant robot cartoon. The cartoon and the accompanying soundtrack is just a fixture of my childhood. Here's the opening theme (http://youtube.com/watch?v=s-wJjRApwws).

Eighties Cartoon Theme Songs Mix CD: A CD I put together a while ago. It's got the theme songs from Galaxy Rangers (opening and end credits music), Ulysses 31, Spiral Zone, Jem and the Holograms, GI Joe, Transformers (movie theme, "Dare", and "The Touch"), M.A.S.K., and Bionic Six.

I've been trying out new stuff from our public library.  A lot of so-so stuff, but nothing worth buying.  Other than I've listened to:

The Thrills - Teenager
This is The Thrills' 3rd album of acoustic alterna-rock.  It's got decent songs and I love the increase in mandolin throughout the album.  It doesn't seem to have stand-out tracks like their first album, but it's a good listen.  The best way I've heard someone describe The Thrills is as "if the Beach Boys were from Ireland."

Meligrove Band - Planets Conspire
Such a great album.  I'm not sure how to describe it...maybe as Ben Folds Five without the goofy immaturity.  It's got a few amazing stand-out tracks (Everyone's a Winner, Ages and Stages, Our Love Will Make the World Go Round) and everything in between is great too.

Raffi - Singable Songs for the Very Young
We've got a 3 year old so we listen to a lot of Fred Penner, Raffi, etc.  I have made a mix CD for my son with Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Rheostatics, Sloan, and more to educate him on decent modern music.

Paul Bellows - Tape Deck Classics
I used to be in a band with Paul, and I just got this from him today.  Paul writes and performs clever hooky alterna-pop rock.  He runs a successful web design company, but he really ought to be famous for his music.  He's also one of the nicest guys I've been blessed to know.

Quote from: Tortuga on August 10, 2007, 04:00:18 PM
I've been trying out new stuff from our public library.  A lot of so-so stuff, but nothing worth buying.  Other than I've listened to:

The Thrills - Teenager
This is The Thrills' 3rd album of acoustic alterna-rock.  It's got decent songs and I love the increase in mandolin throughout the album.  It doesn't seem to have stand-out tracks like their first album, but it's a good listen.  The best way I've heard someone describe The Thrills is as "if the Beach Boys were from Ireland."

You know you just made never want to listen to The Thrilll with that description!

You gotta take chances to find the good stuff.

Currently listening to:

Kenji Kawai - Ghost In The Shell OST: traditional Japanese music with the slightest hint of electronica. A good soundtrack to just veg out to.

Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself: I still can't make up my mind if I particularly like Imogen Heap's brand of synth-pop-meets-trip-hop-meets-Björk or not. Her previous solo record, i Megaphone and her work with Frou Frou in 2002's Details are decent showings, but I just don't get the same level of emotional impact from her music and lyrics that I do from some of her better contemporaries in the alternative pop/indie pop field (i.e., Regina Spektor, Loquat). Speak For Yourself has a few stand-out tracks that make the whole album more than just a competent exercise in modern pop (and when she's good, she's really good), but I can't help but feel like there's something missing to tie everything together.   

Let's see...


The Mars Volta, (Amputechture, and De-Loused in the Comatorium) - Such an underrated band... These guys bring progressive metal to the table, and they bring it all awesome like. In case anyone didn't know, two of the members are from the deceased band At the Drive-In. The rest from that band, went to a band called Sparta. Just a little trivia...

Explosions in the Sky, (All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, and The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place) - These guys bring music like Radiohead, but make it more beautiful and with much more passion then anyone I've ever heard of. So yes they are experimental rock, but it just doesn't seem like it. Definately try and check these guys out if you can. But beware, if you don't like songs that range from six to ten minutes, then these guys probably aren't for you... But if you like nice, relaxing songs that build up and up some more, then I HIGHLY suggest these guys.

Haste the Day, (Pressure the Hinges) - An amazing hardcore/metalcore band that deserves to be noticed. These guys aren't really as aggressive, as per se, Norma Jean, but they are still pretty heavy. Check 'em out if your into heavy music.

Sparta, (Porcelain, and Wiretap Scars) - Ah yes, the other half of At the Drive-In. Not really as progressive as The Mars Volta, but these guys are sorta like... post-hardcore with hardcore punk and indie rock influences, along with some At the Drive-In influences as well.

Right now...

Cibo Matto - Stereo Type A: the second and final album from the New York-based duo of Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori, released in 1999. On this record, they're joined by Sean Lennon on bass and guitar (yes, THE Lennon's second son... he was dating Honda during the time of the album's production), Timo Ellis, and Duma Love. It's a nice quirky record that veers off into experimental territory quite often (not a surprise, since Hatori and Honda were active in the noise scene in a prior band) but has enough pop sensibility to be eminently listenable. I remember listening to Sci-Fi Wasabi a lot when I was attending classes in the University of the Philippines, where it got a surprising amount of exposure on the local alternative music radio station.

Buck 65 - Secret House Against The World: it's hard to describe Buck 65's music... he's rooted in underground hip-hop but his latest work can only be described as an oddly appealing mix of hip-hop and roots/folk music with some country(!) thrown in. He's also a polarizing talent in the alternative hip-hop commmunity (most people either really really like his work or really really hate it). Secret House isn't as strong a record as 2003's Talkin' Honky Blues but it continues his tradition for being a great storyteller. If you want to check out his fairly unique work, you can download his 2006 EP Dirty Work for free at his site (http://www.buck65.com/secrethouse/multimedia.html).

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Skapara Tojou: Excellent traditional ska with jazz and R&B influences, especially considering that this is one of TSPO's earliest albums and they were pretty much still learning on the fly.

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain: I discovered Funkadelic pretty late... I think I was 18 or 19 when I first listened to this album, the guy who used to manage my brother's band wanted me to get a copy for his band to listen to (I lived close to a Tower Records) but I ended up keeping the album for myself  :lol:

In no particular order:

Raw Power - Iggy and The Stooges
Transformer - Lou Reed
Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666 - H.I.M.
Meat Is Murder - The Smiths
Moving Pictures - Rush
Hunky Dory & Scary Monsters - David Bowie
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge - My Chemical Romance
Sweet Oblivion - Screaming Trees

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat

Alkaline Trio, Remains - An album for true Trio fans (like me.) It's got a bunch of B-sides and un-released stuff, and a few live songs. Also contains a DVD full of goodies. If you don't know Alkaline Trio, then shame on you. I would suggest their album, Crimson, and their earlier album, Goshdannit! (it's actually, you know... said differently, but that's how I call it. =p) These guys are a punk rock / punk revival band. Sorta like blink-182, except already mature like. Their just great. If you want to check out some of their work, listen to their song, Time to Waste (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avOWoocql7c), one of their greatest songs, ever...

Gosh I love these guys...

FORIAMSPAM!

Puffy Ami Yumi - An Illustrated History: A sort of "Greatest Hits" collection of the Japanese pop duo (perhaps best known in North America for the Teen Titans Go! theme song and their licensed "Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi" animated series). Puffy, as they are known in Japan, are huge in their native country, they've sold over 15 million copies of their albums domestically and they're something of a cross between the UK's Spice Girls and America's Tenacious D. It's no secret that they're a manufactured pop music act (both Ami and Yumi were discovered in a talent search during the mid-1990s) but take away all the extraneous stuff surrounding them (the fashion, the kawaii appeal, the merchandise and TV shows) and what you have is solid and catchy pop songwriting. They unabashedly mine Western influences, from the Electric Light Orchestra-inspired Asia No Junshin (True Asia) to the Motown/Supremes sounding Tomodachi (Friends) to Kore Ga Watashi No Ikirumichi (That's The Way It Is), which wouldn't be that out of place in an early 1960s Beatles record. In fact, it's probably easiest to describe their music as a Japanese tribute to Western pop music of the last 4 decades. A nice collection, and proof positive that good pop songwriting transcends language barriers.       

Some video links:

Kore Ga Watashi No Ikirumichi (http://youtube.com/watch?v=I-OCQ723hpQ)

Asia No Junshin (http://youtube.com/watch?v=MVGf1935AL0)

Electric Beach Fever (http://youtube.com/watch?v=wLOfYMNbPso)

Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die

It's very pop-like alternative, and very catchy!

My favorite songs off the album are:  'Maybe You Can Owe me', 'It' 5', and 'Do the Whirlwind'. 

Joe Hisaishi - Spirited Away OST: An excellent soundtrack to go with one of the best animated films I've seen. I was babysitting my kindergarten-age cousins a few days ago and I put on the movie to calm them down. I'd forgotten how powerful that film is, my cousins were pretty much mesmerized, even though none of them spoke Japanese and I had to explain the scenes to them (their parents tell me that they're still talking about it). I even got a little choked up during that scene where Chihiro tries to eat her rice cakes even as she's crying over her parents being turned into pigs. 

The Cliks - Snakehouse: The Cliks (http://"http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=15152043") are a sort of alternative rock quartet with a bit of hard edge. Formerly all female (the lead singer is now classed as 'transgendered') they are apparently all 'out' and performed as openers on the True Colors Tour (http://"http://www.truecolorstour.com/") with Cyndi Lauper, among others. I saw this band live on a lark about a month ago, playing in a small Portland, Maine venue. My friend Sarah more or less dragged me there and they were very very good. Despite playing in a... well, let's be honest: they were playing in a tiny art gallery, and they put on an A-show, so I picked their album up at the local Bull Moose Music. Good stuff.

The Beatles - White Album
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

Akira Yamaoka - Silent Hill 3 OST: The soundtrack for the third Silent Hill game reuses a lot of the same themes from the first two game soundtracks, but what sets it apart is the involvement of "Melissa Williamson" on vocals for a number of tracks. "Williamson" is actually an alias for voice actor and ADR director Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, who is probably most recognized for her role as Major Motoko Kusanagi in the Ghost In The Shell: Stand-Alone Complex series and as Julia in Cowboy Bebop. McGlynn sings on three tracks and does narrations for a few more. Moody music for sure, but eminently listenable.

Here's a link to an excellent fan-mixed video of "You're Not Here" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=q8TkhGYmvBM)

At war with the mystics - The Flaming Lips
All 5 Police albums
The coast is clear - I Flight Safety. 

Say Anything, ... Is A Real Boy

The Beatles, 1 (Greatest Hits)

Jimmy Eat World, Futures

3 Doors Down, Away From The Sun

Reel Big Fish, Monkeys for Nothing... And the Chimps for Free

Shonen Knife - Rock Animals and Let's Knife: One of the first Japanese bands to gain relatively widespread exposure in North America. The best description I can come up for their music is The Ramones meet the Go-Go's. They had a profound influence on Asian pop and rock, noticeable in current J-pop darlings Puffy AmiYumi and on the Philippine alternative music scene renaissance of the 1990s.

Morcheeba - Big Calm: Morcheeba was just one of those inescapable musical acts of the late 1990s. Big Calm is definitely embedded in the soundtrack of my life at the time, even though I didn't particularly care for their music then (and I still consider them as more of a "sounds good in the background" type of deal, instead of something that I actively listen to).   

Various Artists - If I Were a Carpenter: This compilation from 1994 offers various bands' covers of some of The Carpenters most popular songs. They range from the bland and unimaginative (Dishwalla's tepid "It's Going To Take Sometime" and Sheryl Crow's adult-contemporary "Solitaire") to the competent (The Cranberries' "They Long To Be) Close to You" and Matthew Sweet's "Let Me Be The One") to the fun and quirky (Shonen Knife's "Top of the World" and Babes in Toyland's "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft") to reinterpretations that stand up well, and sometimes even exceed the originals (Sonic Youth's "Superstar" and Bettie Seveert's "For All We Know").

Besides being a good tribute/covers album, it also offers a snapshot of the state of contemporary alternative music of 1994.

Media links:

Video of "Superstar" by Sonic Youth (http://youtube.com/watch?v=hHZNWimbhUE)

Amazon page for the CD (http://www.amazon.com/If-Were-Carpenter-Various-Artists/dp/B000005IL6), with listenable samples of all the tracks

Okkervil River - The Stage Names (if anyone could tell me where the first song of this album came from, it sounds familiar, like from a movie, commercial, or tv show)
White Rabbits - Fort Knightly
Circulatory System - Circulatory System
Mirah - C'mon Miracle
Feist - The Reminder
Archie Bronson Outfit - Derdang, Derdang

Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter

Collective Soul - Afterwards

Shonen Knife - Minna Tanoshiku: This is one of those albums whose rarity borders on mythical proportions. Only 70 cassettes of Shonen Knife's 1982 debut album were ever produced and they all sold out in Tokyo days after going on sale (Shonen Knife asked the record company to stop making copies, allegedly because they weren't happy with how they sounded on it and wanted a do-over) and the masters have since been lost. Most fans of the proto-pop/punk/lo-fi group have since given up on ever hearing it (a copy surfaced on eBay a few years ago, selling for $600) and it was only last year, after almost 25 years, that a digital copy of the album starting making the rounds of music trading networks (I'll give you one guess how I finally got a copy of the out-of-print album). The music on the album itself is pretty raw, and contains early versions of many of the songs that would appear on later albums like Burning Farm, Yama No-Attchan, and Rock Animals. It's an interesting look at Shonen Knife's origins, for sure but of only real interest to the completist and the pop music archaelogist.   

Brand New - Deja Entendu,

This album in emo/indie/rock GOLD! This is Brand New's second album. Rather then their first one which was punk-pop purity, and spawned the semi-hit "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad", this album feels more matured. It starts off with Tatou, starting off with a bit of emotion, and then kicks into "Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades", and gets a bit screamy into the chorus. But don't worry, this isn't screamo...

This album also ends on a lighter note with "Play Crack The Sky". An acoustic ballad about a ship that's falling apart in a gigantic storm... but yet Brand New makes it sorta depressing to listen too. Still an amazing song, though.

All in all, this album is just amazing. I highly recommend this album to anyone... even if you don't like emo music, get this CD. It's worth it.

yeah sic transit gloria has been a favourite for a while.  always a good song to rock out too.

i've been listening to shonen knife thanks to Zulu's reviews.  Z i think you'd be interested to listen to Shorty Cat, an all-girl korean punk band.  I'm not sure how you'd be able to find their album,  but i know theyve posted songs on a myspace page.

also yesterday i went to the SPRIS Let's Rock festival...  kind of a Korean answer to the Van's Warped Tour.  27 bands throughout the day,  pretty awesome, a few of my fave korean bands were there (Rux, No Brain, Johnny Royal, and Lazybone) and even some surprising metal acts (metals not very popular here)

Quote from: detourne_me on September 09, 2007, 10:04:50 AM
i've been listening to shonen knife thanks to Zulu's reviews.

Glad somebody's getting something out of my mini-reviews besides myself and my need to run my mouth off about music  :lol:

The thing about Shonen Knife is that their work loses a lot of its rawness towards the latter part of their discography (post-1992 or so). Shonen Knife's best music, to me, at least, sounds like the end-result of giving three, creatively-inclined and terminally cheerful young Japanese women an 8-track recorder, a Japanese-English dictionary, a bass, a guitar (with an inadequately overdriven amp), a mini-drum kit, and a bunch of early Ramones, Buzzcocks, and Peter, Paul & Mary records.

At the risk of sounding like an indie music snob (man I hate those types!), it's their early work that stands up best. I think the albums Burning Farm, Yama-no Attchan and Let's Knife are the essential early Shonen Knife works, showcasing a wide-eyed, almost childlike exploration of the medium both in their lyrics and their music. Of their post-1992 output, the ones I can recommend with no reservation are 1993's Rock Animals (in my mind their most solid English-language release and one of their best albums overall) and 1998's Happy Hour. A lot of the newer stuff has lost the naive appeal of their music and lyrics (which i guess is a side-effect of having bigger budgets and better production values), and sometimes sounds like they're simply parodying themselves, although 2006's Genki Shock comes close to recapturing their early vibe.

QuoteZ i think you'd be interested to listen to Shorty Cat, an all-girl korean punk band.  I'm not sure how you'd be able to find their album,  but i know theyve posted songs on a myspace page.

I'll have to check them out. I have to admit I'm pretty ignorant of Korean popular music (outside of >gasp!< BOA). The only reason I even got interested in Japanese music was because they were the most dominant acts being played during the early days of MTV Asia/Channel [V] during the early/mid-1990s (back when they actually played metal/alternative/experimental/indigenous music), along with a smattering of Hong-Kong/Taiwan/mainland China musicians (the most memorable of which were Beijing's Tang Dynasty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux-AlGIBpM0)) and the awesome Philippine alternative acts such as the Eraserheads (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GD06YUqE9I), Put3ska (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgXi2SIL6qQ), Yano (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD9KCq93Jbg), and Rivermaya (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqhLEkw9dD4).

Just some classical music on the radio. It helps me relax. ^_^

Not exactly an album but I've been extracting/recording the audio from some of my favourite Youtube guitar players and exporting them into MP3s. I'm basically compiling guitar versions of certain video game-based songs.

Some links to the stuff I've re-encoded so far:

Anonymous Korean guitar player playing an awesome arrangement of "Guile's Theme" (Streetfighter II) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=nKavYTiZi60) - anybody know who she is? I've got a bunch of extracted audio tracks of her playing guitar arrangements for anime and video game themes and it drives me nuts to see the incomplete ID3 tags. Anybody? detourne_me?

Lee Kwung Yon playing "M. Bison's Theme" (Streetfighter II) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=GJUBrjj7LSc)

an older Lee Kwung Yon (with much longer hair) playing the Tekken 2 theme (http://youtube.com/watch?v=GS7R5ORlQX0)

Some user called "metalbums" doing an excellent take on "Ken's Theme" (Streetfigher II) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=W98RFGgont0)

Chris "vertexguy" Kline and his famous "Contra Jungle Jam" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=T5JlGQ5orL8)

I've been looking for a decent Double Dragon opening intro theme but so far, no luck. Of course, the other  option is to do it myself but like many amateur/hobbyist musicians, I can't really stand to hear myself play, because all I hear are my mistakes.

I've been listening to almost nothing but podcasts and recorded college courses I download (hungry brain these days) but here's some stuff I've been rotating a lot:

EMPEROR: Discipline of fire and demise. Some bands have the ability to slow time by playing super fast, almost altering your preceptions. I highly suggest checking out these two tracks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t0GRH3yoiI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWdCm-Acjig

Stratovarious: I've been nostalgic for their good old fasioned power metal, especially since they dont sing about dragons and steel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeTEr8xVS0U

Faith No More: I just cant quit them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmkMRUNK8Q4

Joe Hisaishi - My Neighbor Totoro (Orchestra Stories): excellent adaptation of Hisaishi's orchestral score for the "Tonari no Totoro" (My Neighbor Totoro) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Neighbor_Totoro) animated film. The format of this album can be compared to Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_and_the_Wolf#Notable_recordings), where a narrator introduces the music and verbally sets up scenes from a script (or in Hisaishi's case, a movie screenplay). There are 16 tracks in all, the first 8 tracks are the music accompanied by the narration while tracks 9-16 are the same tracks without the narration. Heavily recommended for fans of the animated film and for those who appreciate current classical music.

I've been preoccupied with the Alternate series of Beatles albums, a collection of studio outtakes, demos and alternate mono and stereo mixes.

Let's see... I just got Every Time I Die, and HORSE the Band new albums. I haven't really checked them out yet, but hopefully I will soon.

I do know that I liked Every Time I Die's first album, and HORSE's second. Great stuff.

Oh yeah, and Against Me!'s new album... gotta love Thrash Unreal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKzNZDXfm0Q). =)

FORIAMSPAM!

NICE!  Another HORSE the band fan!
you might wanna check out Blood Brothers if you don't already know them too.

Yes... I love HORSE. =)

And yeah, I'll have to check Blood Brothers out. I've heard they were good. Thanks for the suggestion.

Steve Vai - Passion & Warfare: Oh boy, where do I start... probably my favourite guitar album of all time. Although not as influential or accessible to the non-guitar player as Joe Satriani's Surfing With The Alien, to me, this album represents the best of the rock guitar instrumentalist genre that just exploded during the late 1980s/early 1990s. Every note serves a purpose in the context of the song, and not only to display Vai's proficiency. The other thing that differentiates Vai from other "speed merchants" (as Pink Floyd's David Gilmour likes to call them) such as Yngwie Malmsteen or Gary Hoey is that he plays with the kind of raw emotion and passion you expect to find in traditional blues or even rumba flamenca guitarists, but with a virtuosity you find in classically trained musicians. I still get chills up my spine when I listen to "Tender Surrender" or "For The Love of God".

Media links:

Steve Vai playing "Tender Surrender" live (http://youtube.com/watch?v=f1VjwciFLAg)

Vai playing "For The Love of God" live (http://youtube.com/watch?v=EhjDIY0B3IE)

While I dig lot's of stuff you've posted I've got a special spot for Steve Vai. I'm not sure if it's because he's really good or if it's because he's a frequent target of the ire of lazy alternative critics but one way or another he's blown my mind countless times.

Here's what's currently rocking my MP3 player (besides a copy of William Gibsons Virtual light):

Arch Enemy Yeah I have mentioned them before but they have a new album out and let me testify it's faster, more brutal and better polished than ever before. The guitar solos are a bit cheesy but part of me screams "yeah!" when they come on. 
http://www.myspace.com/archenemy

Diablo Swing Orchestra I have been holding out on you guy's. This is the most amazing band I've heard this year but I never posted them since I couldent get my hands on a video. Hmm.. I forgot that myspace is a great source of audio clips. Think a versatile and humorous band with every instrument and a soprano vocalist a la Tarja of nightwish.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=86177545

Rodrigo y Daniela It is really hard to start up a metal band in Mexico despite how many metal fans there are out there. These two decided to use their strong metal influence to break into the 'world music' scene with amazing flamenco and traditional compositions with a metal backbone. And a cover of Orion, one of my favorite obscure metallica songs.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=44592846

virtual light is a great book,  and a good audio book too.   i have virtual light, snow crash, and fear and loathing audio books mixed in on random play on itunes :)

if i could get an audio book of clockwork orange that would be sweet too.   maybe something from the Enderverse too.  *pondering*

From the new Nightwish album to be released in a few days from now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdZn7k5rZLQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdZn7k5rZLQ)

Thanks for the link, Verfall. Haven't really followed Nightwish since 1998's Oceanborn, but I like the new, slightly "poppier" sounding vocals about as much as the previous style. It's a nice change.

Quote from: lugaru on September 20, 2007, 04:12:35 AM
While I dig lot's of stuff you've posted I've got a special spot for Steve Vai. I'm not sure if it's because he's really good or if it's because he's a frequent target of the ire of lazy alternative critics but one way or another he's blown my mind countless times.

Vai's really good, as a guitar player, composer, and arranger (he got his start transcribing and re-working Frank Zappa's polyphonic arrangements for guitar, xylophone, and vibraphone) but I don't think he's immune to bouts of "guitar wankery" either. I wasn't too fond of Sex & Religion (the follow-up to Passion & Warfare) primarily because about half of the songs on it sounded a little too much like "generic fast guy." He's still one of my favourite rock guitar instrumentalists, though, alongside Joe Satriani and Marty Friedman. Totally agree with the idea that lazy alternative music critics unfairly slagging him for his work. A lot of those "music critics" wouldn't know a diminished chord if it was jumping up and down on their ears, and still hold on the the antiquated notion that precision playing and emotion/passion in music are mutually exclusive domains. 

I've been listening to a lot of the Eels lately. Not that that's anything new. *Cough* behindthechurch.com (http://www.behindthechurch.com) *Cough*

Ah... Yeah. Anyway, Electro-Shock Blues is an all-time favorite, and Blinking Lights & Other Revelations, while nowhere near as fantastic, is pretty good too.

A frequent visitor to my message board graciously sent DVDs full of 200+ Eels live shows from the past 11 years, so I've been slogging through all of those.

The Eels are releasing Meet the Eels and Useless Trinkets early next year, so anyone looking to get a taste of the band should check out these compilations. (Note: Actually tasting the band is not recommended.)

Nashville [euphemism for female naughty bits] - Let Them Eat [euphemism for female naughty bits] (deluxe edition) : I bought this CD on a whim back in 1999... I was pretty much burnt out on hard-edged music by then so this was sort of me grasping at straws. I'd heard that Blaine Cartwright of Nine Pound Hammer had formed a new band with his Canadian galpal, guitarist Ruyter Suys so I decided to give the album a try. Good thing I did, too, since the original release was eventually discontinued, and the deluxe CD (that came with a poster and a bonus CD filled with covers of material by, among other artists, Smokey Robinson) is now out of print. The music is something of a cross between Southern rock, metal, hardcore, and punk, and as one reviewer said, it sounds like "music to snort meth off of a hunting knife to." I've heard their later stuff, but I think this one still stands as their most memorable, as much of their later work loses the raw energy of their debut album (although they do grow in terms of musicality and range).

Trivia:
- Their single "Fried Chicken and Coffee" was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Metal Performance" in 1999
- Bassist Corey Parks (who has since left the band) is the sister of former LA Clipper and Vancouver Grizzly Cherokee Parks (probably the most visibly tattooed NBA player).

Media links:
no media links this time, boys and girls, as their lyrics are liberally sprinkled with 4-letter and 12-letter words. Not that you need me to point out where you can watch their videos, anyway.     

I've just gotten a couple of cds from a band called "My Brightest Diamond", Bring Me the Workhorse and Tear It Down (which is a remix CD of the Workhorse tracks).

It is very melodic, and sung beautifully (and hauntingly) by Shara Worden, a trained Opera singer. I'm just listening to it for the first time right now. So far, Me like.

I'd compare it to such artists as Portishead, PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, Nina Simone, Bjork, and Fiona Apple, among others.

Let's see...

I just got Silversun Pickups, and The Starting Line's new albums. It's Silversun's first album, and Starting Line's third. I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet, but I'm sure they'll be good.

Also, I reaaaally want the Foo Fighters new album. I've heard it's amazing... I must have listened to "Pretender" twenty million times, but it still amazes me every single time I listen to it.

FORIAMSPAM!

Quote from: zuludelta on September 23, 2007, 06:12:54 PM
Nashville [euphemism for female naughty bits] - Let Them Eat [euphemism for female naughty bits] (deluxe edition) : I bought this CD on a whim back in 1999... I was pretty much burnt out on hard-edged music by then so this was sort of me grasping at straws. I'd heard that Blaine Cartwright of Nine Pound Hammer had formed a new band with his Canadian galpal, guitarist Ruyter Suys so I decided to give the album a try. Good thing I did, too, since the original release was eventually discontinued, and the deluxe CD (that came with a poster and a bonus CD filled with covers of material by, among other artists, Smokey Robinson) is now out of print. The music is something of a cross between Southern rock, metal, hardcore, and punk, and as one reviewer said, it sounds like "music to snort meth off of a hunting knife to." I've heard their later stuff, but I think this one still stands as their most memorable, as much of their later work loses the raw energy of their debut album (although they do grow in terms of musicality and range).

Yes!  great album!  i bought it when it first came out on a whim too.  I had an original release that came in an all-black slip.  since well the cover was naughty,  and so were the words.
and i was about to write about it in the free concerts thread, but their show was one of the best i've seen live... just all out raunchy awesomeness.   sad thing that Ruyter wasn't spitting fire like what she's rumoured to do in other shows.

Thanks for bringing back memories. :)

Quote from: detourne_me on September 26, 2007, 06:36:48 AM
Thanks for bringing back memories. :)

You're welcome detourne_me. And you're right about the raunchy cover... earned me a weird stare or two at the cash register.

K-os - Atlantis: Hymns for Disco: Kevin "K-os" Brereton's third album is much more of a departure from his b-boy beginnings than 2004's Joyful Rebellion. Of course, one could easily make the argument that current, progressive, and culturally relevant hip-hop would bear little to no similarities to most of the derivative and creatively bankrupt aural garbage that is sold as hip-hop these days. Brereton once again weaves a unique musical style, taking elements of folk music, roots reggae and dub, rock, disco, 80's synth-pop, Motown R&B, and of course traditional hip-hop and laying them against a foundation of solid beats and steady rhythms (even if "the beat," as it were, is just a particularly effective acoustic guitar riff in some cases).

As in his sophomore album, he isn't all about just the big beats designed to put feet on the dance floor, and if anything, he relies even less on that hip-hop mainstay and more on flexing his musical creativity (in the lyrics to Born To Run, he audaciously proclaims that "if you can't dance to this, it don't matter"). Brereton again showcases his singing talents on a number of tracks, most effectively on The Rain, which sounds like something that would come from an Al Green and Prince collaboration. I'd have to say that he's just as good a singer as he is an MC at this point, and his ability to write and arrange music for guitar and orchestration is unparalleled in popular hip-hop.

Lyrically, Brereton continues with the themes established in his first album (2002's Exit). He writes a couple of nostalgic paeans to dance-party weekends (Sunday Morning, Black Ice: Hymn 4 Disco) but also waxes introspective on tracks like Fly Paper (a track about loneliness in the big city) and Highway 7.

Overall, a very solid outing. Highly recommended to those looking for something new in hip-hop, and fans of good pop songwriting in general.

Media links:

Born To Run (http://youtube.com/watch?v=mdZsUkYGq5k)
Sunday Morning (http://youtube.com/watch?v=602F1Db-uLY)
Elektrik Heat- The Seekwill (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ItjNnzEhMC0)

Quote from: Verfall on September 21, 2007, 03:09:35 AM
From the new Nightwish album to be released in a few days from now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdZn7k5rZLQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdZn7k5rZLQ)

Thanks for the link! Not bad actually, I agree that it is a lot more pop but certainly not without merit. It scratches the same itch that Lullacry and Sebnem Ferah does for me, in other words something that is both catchy and heavy. I should be picking up this album too, hopefully even review it for the site.

Gipsy Kings - Roots: Excellent album by the premiere ambassadors of Rumba Flamenca/Rumba Gitana. I think what sets them apart from many flamenco acts is they have a much more pronounced Afro-Cuban feel than the more traditional artists of the genre. If you're a fan of great, tasteful guitar-playing, you owe it to yourself to check these guys out.

Media Links:

Como Siento Yo (http://youtube.com/watch?v=k42TLq8qScA)
Hermanos (live) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=54kJU0XjtvQ)
Fandango (live) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=U7tm-vTnR6s)

A Fine Frenzy - One Cell in the Sea

I admit, I only got this because I saw the video for "Almost Lover" on VH1, and thought the lead singer was incredibly beautiful.  But I was pleasantly surprised- there's not a single stinker on the whole album.  Beautiful piano melodies merged with intelligent lyrics, sung by the aforementioned singer in a rich, throaty voice.

I've really enjoyed it..its been in my player more or less nonstop since I got it.

Quote from: bredon7777 on September 30, 2007, 02:31:57 PM
A Fine Frenzy - One Cell in the Sea

after watching a couple of clips on YouTube, I must say, this album is definately something I should check out.

Can anyone say Garden State? Err, I mean, The Shins? Just got two of their albums, and their both really good. Check this song out, it's good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hhxthxhwk0

Shonen Knife - Burning Farm: Shonen Knife's first "official" album originally released in 1983 (as I'd already mentioned before, Minna Tanoshiku, their first actual release, only had a print run of 70 cassettes and the band itself considers Burning Farm as their actual debut). The music is fun and fresh, what one could probably call outsider art, as it was created by musicians still learning their instruments and the craft of songwriting. My knowledge of Japanese is hardly adequate but even at this early point in their careers (when they wrote and sang almost exclusively in Japanese, as opposed to their English-only releases post-1991), it's hard not to miss Shonen Knife's penchant for silly, absurdist, food-and-animal-centric lyrics. "Elephant Pao Pao," as far as I can tell, is about a lonely elephant obsessed with bananas and "Parrot Polynesia" is about a parrot who accompanies Dr. Doolittle and sees all sorts of natural wonders, including hitokui shokobutsu (cannibal vegetation) and mangoes and whatnot, and the upbeat "Banana Fish" is about a greedy banana fish who's gotten so fat he can't escape a fisherman's trap, all sung to music seemingly inspired in equal parts by The Beatles, The Ramones, and Sesame Street. Awesome stuff, worth seeking out if you're interested in "outsider pop"  (in North America, it's probably easier to find a copy of the 1990 Shonen Knife compilation album released by Giant Records which includes all the tracks from Burning Farm and their 1984 album, Yama No-Attchan).

Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars: This is the third album by Montreal's Wainwright, the son of Canadian folk-singer Kate McGarrigle and American folk-singer/actor Loudon Wainwright III, and by all indications, his most commercially successful to date. If anything, the controversy generated by the single "Going to a Town" has given the album more exposure than it would have based on musical buzz alone. Wainwright's an excellent songwriter, and his stuff showcases cabaret, lounge, folk, and American standards influences. The only thing that keeps me from giving this record a wholehearted "buy-on-sight" recommendation is Wainwright's vocal style, which I imagine is great for a majority of listeners but is something of an acquired taste for me (it took me awhile to appreciate Anthony Kiedis' vocals as well, if that's any indication of Wainwright's tone, which to me, like Kiedis', borders on the overly nasal). Besides that very minor nit to pick, the album is solid songwriting and musicianship from beginning to end, with only a couple or so near-misses ("Between My Legs," "Tulsa").

Media links:

Going To A Town (http://youtube.com/watch?v=dUIsQo4K70Y)
 

Ziltoid the Omniscient

(http://www.theconnoisseurs.com/images/ziltoidtheomniscient.jpg)

Is it cheating to start out the review of a Strapping Young Lad related release by stating that Devin Townsend is a tormented genius? Is it cliché at this point to refer to him as the maestro and the madman? Ok then, I'll cast aside whatever metaphors I can and stick to the facts. Devin Townsend is a Canadian metal vocalist and multi instrumentalist who loves putting out experimental albums that rip through musical boundaries. His vocal delivery varies from operatic to raspy screams but somehow it always soars, it always exceeds expectations. Finally his lyrics lean either on the side of self conscious irony or incoherent rants about his most private thoughts.

Ziltoid the Omniscient mixes a lot of both; while some parts loosely follow a silly science fiction narrative other parts descent into arguments of philosophy and existence. But for now let's focus on the main plot. One day an alien tyrant named Ziltoid the Omniscient lands on earth demanding the universes greatest cup of coffee. Dissatisfied with what the earth has to offer him, he retaliates with full scale war. Humanities only hope falls into the hands of Captain Spectacular and his mission to find a new planet for the last few remaining humans.

Everything about the CD so far sounds like cheap laughs and maybe a good parody of concept albums such as Kilroy Was Here by STYX. On the other hand Devin Townsend has an ease for composing songs that are simultaneously fast, heavy and hauntingly beautiful. For example "Solar Winds" provides some ambient metal that would make Pelican jealous and "Hyperdrive" sounds fresher than anything any new bands have put out this year. Latter on realities collide and the plot dissolves into a self referential art record that even quotes lyrics and themes from past albums. There's a moment in which Ziltoid the Omniscient almost touches the brilliance of Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions. In other words Ziltoid is a silly rubber monster, but through the masks eyeholes you can clearly see Devin himself. And while some unexpectedly moving lyrics show up near the end ("Color your World" and "The Greys") Devin turns around and says 'just kidding' on "Tall Latte" (the final track).

My verdict is that yes, this album is both funny and full of artistic value. Its sound is both thundering and exquisitely complex, an amazing feat given the fact that Devin Townsend recorded all the instruments himself. And in the end I don't think this album is for everyone, its heaviness is bound to give a few people a stomach ache and its cheesy dialog segments will make serious critics cringe. But for metal fans who want to have a little fun while expanding their minds this should do quite nicely.

Sounds like interesting stuff lugaru. I'll keep an ear out for that one.

Anyways, stuff I've been listening to lately:

Ayumi Hamasaki - Secret: I'm only really familiar with Hamasaki's pop-vocal work on various anime soundtracks (most notably on Inuyasha and the Gundam series of shows). What's to be found here is some generally slick pop (almost teetering on over-production in some cases) but as always, Hamasaki's voice is the real reason to give this record a listen (she sings in a more traditional, vibrato-heavy, classical Japanese tradition than many of her contemporaries). The album is expensive, though (it comes with a DVD), even for an import CD, so I can only really recommend it to completist fans. Non-fans and people looking to get into some contemporary j-pop are probably better off just catching the singles on on-line radio or borrowing the record and DVD from somebody who already has it.

Media links:
Jewel (live performance) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8GEVL8cbps)

The Album Leaf - In a Safe Place: Tristeza guitarist Jimmy LaValle's third solo project album was created with the help of Icelandic post-rock group Sigur Rós, and their influence on the music is definitely noticeable. LaValle's lush and moody melodies feature vocals on a couple of tracks, which is a bit of departure from The Album Leaf's prior work. Excellent ambient and downtempo stuff. Highly recommended.

Media links:

Twenty Two Fourteen (fan made video) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=wkceToSlzbM)
The Outer Banks (live performance) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=YXSkw2ChokI) 
Over The Pond (fan made video) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=t3sf3aejhKg)

Quote from: zuludelta on October 31, 2007, 09:40:34 PM
Ayumi Hamasaki - Secret: I'm only really familiar with Hamasaki's pop-vocal work on various anime soundtracks (most notably on Inuyasha and the Gundam series of shows). What's to be found here is some generally slick pop (almost teetering on over-production in some cases) but as always, Hamasaki's voice is the real reason to give this record a listen. The album is expensive, though (it comes with a DVD), even for an import CD, so I can only really recommend it to completist fans. Non-fans and people looking to get into some contemporary j-pop are probably better off just catching the singles on on-line radio or borrowing the record and DVD from somebody who already has it.

Nice song. I checked it out here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_naYSRGF9G4

Don't know why it reminded me of this song...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1y7jEPGD50  :P

Quote from: Outcast on November 01, 2007, 07:13:13 PM
Nice song. I checked it out here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_naYSRGF9G4

Don't know why it reminded me of this song...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1y7jEPGD50  :P

No idea who sang the song in the second video you linked to (could be Horie Mitsuko for all I know). Can't seem to find any videos of the Gundam songs Ayumi Hamasaki sang, but here's a link to the song "Dearest", popularized in the Inuyasha series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBsw1S5LPuo

The thing to keep in mind when listening to most of Hamasaki's singing is that she sings in a style reminiscent of traditional Japanese singing, which uses a lot of vibrato, more emphasis on breathing between phrases than traditional Western singing, and what linguists call "creaky voice" or laryngealisation to add a raspy quality to the vocals (although in the video I linked to, part of the raspy quality is probably just due to fatigue)

And just for kicks, a couple of fans doing an instrumental arrangement for electric guitar and piano:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcWcmpb17Es

Raul Midón - State Of Mind: The blind Midón is an impressive musician and songwriter, a modern R&B, soul, and jazz virtuoso whose style bears strains of George Benson, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder (who plays harmonica in one of the tracks on the album), Sergio Mendes, Donny Hathaway, and Joni Mitchell. He has great range vocally and as a stand-alone singer, is as good as the best of his contemporaries in modern soul/R&B, but it's his guitar playing that really stands out to me: he has an excellent grasp of the tasteful use of harmonics, and his percussive rhythm playing really fills out his sound, and I would often catch myself forgetting that on some of his songs, guitar is the only accompaniment.

His outstanding instrumental and vocal talents aside, the majority of the music in this album sticks to a fairly standard contemporary jazz/soul/R&B feel, although he also gets to showcase his facility with bossa nova (on "Sittin' In The Middle"), and Latin/Afro-Cuban sounds (on "Sunshine").

Lyrically, he doesn't wander too far from the oft-trod ground of R&B, a combination of love songs and updated inspirational/spiritual hymns, but he does go into a somewhat surprising political digression on "Never Get Enough."

An excellent album, highly recommended.

Media Links:

State of Mind (http://youtube.com/watch?v=bHCDlO-zfaI) (if you're not in the habit of clicking on the media links I occasionally provide with my posts in this thread, I highly suggest clicking on this one, your day will be all the better for it)   

Sittin' in the Middle (http://youtube.com/watch?v=jWJCrp8D2X0)

Keep On Hoping (feat. Jason Mraz) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=TAK5jy0zW_I)

Raul Midon giving a quick guitar lesson (excellent stuff!) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=H2Q9nbPV5FM)

Manu Chao - Clandestino and Próxima Estación: Esperanza: Jose-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao (a.k.a. Manu Chao) is a French-born musician known for his multi-lingual releases (he sings in French, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and a number of other languages). Manu started his rise to prominence with the folk-punk group Mano Negra ("Black Hand" controversially named after an anarchist political group) and later moved on to do more diverse, "world" music-influenced material with Radio Bemba

His debut solo album, Clandestino draws more from his Radio Bemba days than it does from his time with Mano Negra. The music is a multi-genre mix of roots reggae, Latin music, and contemporary pop and rock music. Manu frequently sings about political/social/environmental themes, and he's drawn extensive attention (both positive and negative) for his overt support for neo-socialist movements, particularly the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico (Manu even samples Sub-comandante Marcos, spokesperson of the Zapatista National Liberation Army, on a number of tracks). His political soapboxing aside, the album is an excellent effort, and stands up to repeated listenings.     

The second album by the Manu Chao, Próxima Estación: Esperanza, released in 2000, sees Manu still heavily borrowing from roots reggae-heavyweights Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. A more technically consistent effort than his debut album, but there aren't as many stand-out tracks as on Clandestino.

Media links:

Clandestino (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Btx2eiQ2gKs)
Me Gustas Tu (http://youtube.com/watch?v=mzgjiPBCsss)
Desaparecido (http://youtube.com/watch?v=H2W4wglPW2c)
Bongo Bong/Je Ne T'Aime Plus (http://youtube.com/watch?v=DvQ5o50CPxU)

Noriyuki Asakura - Tenchu: Stealth Assassins OST: This album collects the soundtrack from the hit Playstation game, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (my favourite Playstation game alongside Tekken 3). Excellent ambient music created utilizing guitar, electronic instrumentation, and traditional Japanese instruments, with the occasional orchestral overtures. Yui Murase sings on a couple of tracks, but it's mostly instrumental music suited for video game background music. Trivia: the opening track sung by Yui Murase (Addu'a) doesn't have Japanese lyrics... it's actually sung in Hausa (a language spoken mainly in Western Africa).

Media links:

Tenchu gameplay video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=wy04L-iTk0w) (the first 2 minutes of the video play the opening song "Addu'a" in its entirety) and you can hear snatches of the soundtrack in the rest of the video, the last 30 seconds or so contain part of the track "Faraway," one of the best tracks on the album.

Didn't know anyone was interested in the Tenchu original soundtrack. I think that's pretty cool.

It's one of my favorite games too.  Ah...the video brings back a lot of memories. :rolleyes:

I've been listening to Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace.

I've been a long-time Foo fan and this is definitely one of their better albums, but it takes time to really get into the songs. I know a lot of people claim they have changed too much from their early 90's heavier sound. I agree, but it makes sense to evolve as a musician. I've changed a listener. I find myself enjoying a lot of their more mellow tunes rather than the louder tracks. Statues and Home are two of the more interesting tracks featuring piano, which is uncommon for the 'Fighters. Come Alive is a surprisingly awesome song, especially towards the end when the sound matches the lyrics symbolically. Also, and quite obviously, The Pretender rocks. Be sure to check out the unreleased track Once and For All. One of my favorite songs by the band, period.

If you are a fan of the Foo Fighters or just plain ol' rock and roll, I'd check it out.

Haven't really liked anything the Foo Fighters released after The Colour And The Shape (Everlong is still a sentimental favourite of mine), although it might just be due to my changing musical preferences as opposed to a drop in quality in the Foo's later music.

I've been hearing snatches of the songs from the new album, though, and they sound appealing.

I have to agree with you, Zulu, that Everlong is amazing. :cool:

New album I just picked up from Xandria, called "Salomé - The Seventh Veil". Their last one I quite enjoyed, and this one I've been listening too for 2 days straight. Fortunately youtube had a video for my favorite song off the album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFys0uBMgRE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFys0uBMgRE)

Jawbreaker - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy

Jawbreaker was one of those original punk rock bands that inspired a bunch of emo bands to come out of their wake. "Do You Still Hate Me?" is probably one of their most recognizable tracks off of this album, and just one of their best songs.

Matchbox Twenty - Exile on Mainstream

Okay, these guys have one of the most undeniably catchy songs I've heard this year. "How Far We've Come" is just this insanely hooky song that is just too amazingly catchy for it's own good. Check this album out if you just want a singles collection from these guys. The first disc is some new work, and the next disc has some singles from their earlier stuff.

Northstar - Is This Thing Loaded?

Northstar has caught me with surprise with their first album. Northstar is an indie rock/emo band that sounds like Brand New and Taking back Sunday, with a little bit of Saves the Day. These guys have great melodies, and make their music pretty emotional.

Other then these bands, I haven't really been listening to much music...

FORIAMSPAM!

Ver, i got one you might like if you havent heard them already.  But the most playtime ATM is devoted to a band outta Tampa, The Absence (both their first and second albums). 

Its heavy, its fast, and to the point metal.  There isnt much fancy about their stuff (basically just riffing and soloing up and down scales a la Scandanavian metal) but they do what they do quite well, and frankly i cant stop listening.
:banghead:

Serj Tankian's new album "elect the dead" is a current fave, Breed 77's "in my blood" has crept back onto my playlist

Sort out this combination:

Klaus Nomi - both the eponymous debut album and Simple Man
H.I.M. - 666 Ways to Love: Prologue
tool - Ænima
hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut

I suppose I'm stuck in an end-of-the-semester/end-of-the-year/end-of-the-world funk...

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat

Today the aural assault continues:

Im listening to Devil Driver's second album (Fury of Our Maker's Hand).  If you havent heard or heard of them i definetly recommend them.  Next big thing in metal IMO.  The lead singer/frontman is Dez Fafara formerly the singer of Coal Chamber.  If you ever heard Coal Chamber you will know what a distinctive and powerful voice Dez has.  DD has a recently released album which is great but lately ive been rockin' the second album.

Silverchair - Young Modern
Silverchair is one of the best bands ever... again. They sound absolutely nothing like they did before and yet are still equally awesome. The new CD is really amazing.

Anyway, I should avoid the music threads before I start a fight.

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 08:13:17 AM
Silverchair - Young Modern
Silverchair is one of the best bands ever... again. They sound absolutely nothing like they did before and yet are still equally awesome. The new CD is really amazing.

Anyway, I should avoid the music threads before I start a fight.

Bwah? I didn't even know they were back.  I remember their debut, they were really talented, especially given their age at the time.  Ill have to check out the new stuff.

How have they changed?  I mean they arent a hip hop outfit now are they?

...And Im always up for a fight, Grrrrrr  :P

Crazy Ken Band - Galaxy: They play a particular type of lounge-meets ska-meets jazz pop music that's almost a genre in itself in Japan. Haven't really heard much of their stuff prior to this album, but it's pretty fun listening, I'm a sucker for good horn arrangements.

Media Links:

Amanogawa (http://youtube.com/watch?v=OJU7gE9yP20) (excellent use of traditional koto string music mixed with modern R&B/hip-hop)

GT (http://youtube.com/watch?v=iZaRuJOQAtM&feature=user) (from an earlier album, グランツーリズモ a.k.a. Gran Turismo)

I Like Sushi (http://youtube.com/watch?v=wR1A84Blgmw&feature=user) (from an earlier album 777)

And just because it's December, here's the cheesy Christmas Nante Daikirai! Nanchatte! (http://youtube.com/watch?v=bLdjzh5q4hM&feature=related)

Official Website: http://www.crazykenband.com/ (the main page has a flash player that plays tracks off their new CD "Soul")

Quote from: Camma on December 06, 2007, 08:44:28 AM

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 08:13:17 AM
Silverchair - Young Modern
Silverchair is one of the best bands ever... again. They sound absolutely nothing like they did before and yet are still equally awesome. The new CD is really amazing.

Anyway, I should avoid the music threads before I start a fight.

Bwah? I didn't even know they were back.  I remember their debut, they were really talented, especially given their age at the time.  Ill have to check out the new stuff.

How have they changed?  I mean they arent a hip hop outfit now are they?

...And Im always up for a fight, Grrrrrr  :P

No way, he sings extremely high pitched, the only band I can kind of think to relate them to is Queen, but really that's not a good comparison. I hated it first because it wasn't what I wanted to hear from them.
http://www.myspace.com/silverchair
Their new single Straight Lines is one of the best songs I've ever heard.

Heavy Metal sucks. So bad. And I mean the genre of music, not the movie.
The movie also sucked really bad.

Need some energetic music to keep me awake while I cram some work, so I ended up putting on Pizzicato Five's Singles (something of a Greatest Hits compilation). Pizzicato Five popularized what's called shibuya-kei, a subgenre of Japanese dance/pop music that originated in Tokyo's Shibuya district. It takes elements of 1960s lounge, French/Quebec yé-yé music, early rock, and disco. Awesome stuff to boogie to.

Media links:
Sweet Soul Revue (http://youtube.com/watch?v=-D4ueFzla04&feature=related)
Mon Amour Tokyo (http://youtube.com/watch?v=oVPcZY8EfFE&feature=related)
Triste (http://youtube.com/watch?v=FUlBIZwRvfQ&feature=related)
La regle du jeu (http://youtube.com/watch?v=tQ8AkqGPiXE&feature=related)
Darling of Discotheque (http://youtube.com/watch?v=QFVSThXXkqQ&feature=related)

And since I'm still on the "guitars and hot lead singers kick", from the new Within Temptation album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5hDEtS_uBc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5hDEtS_uBc)

Kazuo Sawa - Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari (a.k.a. River City Ransom) OST: not technically an actual released album, just a gamerip of the PCE-CD version of the game's soundtrack (which is slightly fancier than the original 8-bit sound of the Famicom version). One of my favourite games of all-time!

Media links:

Gameplay video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=NfwLBk1zvrw)

Dethklok: Dethalbum.

http://myspace.com/dethklok (http://myspace.com/dethklok)

*cough*

What?

-MJB

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 10:28:07 PM
Heavy Metal sucks. So bad. And I mean the genre of music, not the movie.
The movie also sucked really bad.

it's generally politer to keep these kinds of oppinions to yourself, especially considering what seems to be close to a majority direction in this thread...

Quote from: UnfluffyBunny on December 08, 2007, 03:47:30 AM

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 10:28:07 PM
Heavy Metal sucks. So bad. And I mean the genre of music, not the movie.
The movie also sucked really bad.

it's generally politer to keep these kinds of oppinions to yourself, especially considering what seems to be close to a majority direction in this thread...

What he said.

Quote from: MJB on December 08, 2007, 12:15:47 AM
Dethklok: Dethalbum.

http://myspace.com/dethklok (http://myspace.com/dethklok)

*cough*

What?

-MJB

Most BROOTAL album ever. I love it.

I've been listening to all of the Weezer Albums, but mostly their newest album, Make Believe.

I love Weezer. They are just..something..and it works for how I feel right now.

Quote from: UnfluffyBunny on December 08, 2007, 03:47:30 AM

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 10:28:07 PM
Heavy Metal sucks. So bad. And I mean the genre of music, not the movie.
The movie also sucked really bad.

it's generally politer to keep these kinds of oppinions to yourself, especially considering what seems to be close to a majority direction in this thread...

While I agree that BWPS' post could have been worded better, I don't want people to think that they aren't allowed to express any negative opinions concerning specific examples of music in this thread. If you think something "sucks," it would probably be received better if you tried to give reasons why you think the way you do so as to stimulate some reasonable discussion.

Here's me doing my part  :):

As a fan of pretty much all music, I do find a lot of recent "new" metal to be derivative-sounding. Now, I don't think you could plainly blame the artists for retreading old ground, it's just that there are only so many metal-specific influences to be mined that eventually, unless the artists make a concerted effort to pick up a musical vocabulary from outside the genre (similar to what Ministry did taking cues from electronica/house music and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell did by incorporating jazz inflections in his guitar solos), it will all start sounding pretty monotonous and indistinct from one another. This isn't a problem inherent with metal mind you, it's a fairly common symptom of many musical genres that have a somewhat self-limiting definition of what they're supposed to sound like. A lot of "new" roots-reggae, roots Americana (traditional blues, bluegrass), hip-hop, jazz, so-called "punk," and classical music are simply variations on a theme established by the giants of the field, and it's the same thing with metal.

Not that sounding like somebody that came before is automatically a bad thing, especially when those predecessors are worthy of emulation. Sounding like vintage Metallica or Black Sabbath or Venom (or Chet Atkins, Bob Marley, or Afrika Bambataa) isn't something to be ashamed of. But as a listener whose primary exposure to the music was through the early innovators, my default preference will always skew towards the ones being emulated and not the ones doing the emulating, unless it's the somewhat rare case of an artist or a band re-shaping those genre-specific influences into a sum bigger and better than or at least different from the component influences. Of course, to me, the most favourable musical act would be one that resists the creative pressures of any genre labels and just puts out good music mindless of whether it conforms to some preconceived notion of genre and type.   

Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese

It's freakin' Primus!

Quote from: zuludelta on December 08, 2007, 11:20:01 PM

Quote from: UnfluffyBunny on December 08, 2007, 03:47:30 AM

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 10:28:07 PM
Heavy Metal sucks. So bad. And I mean the genre of music, not the movie.
The movie also sucked really bad.

it's generally politer to keep these kinds of oppinions to yourself, especially considering what seems to be close to a majority direction in this thread...

While I agree that BWPS' post could have been worded better, I don't want people to think that they aren't allowed to express any negative opinions concerning specific examples of music in this thread. If you think something "sucks," it would probably be received better if you tried to give reasons why you think the way you do so as to stimulate some reasonable discussion.

Here's me doing my part  :):

As a fan of pretty much all music, I do find a lot of recent "new" metal to be derivative-sounding. Now, I don't think you could plainly blame the artists for retreading old ground, it's just that there are only so many metal-specific influences to be mined that eventually, unless the artists make a concerted effort to pick up a musical vocabulary from outside the genre (similar to what Ministry did taking cues from electronica/house music and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell did by incorporating jazz inflections in his guitar solos), it will all start sounding pretty monotonous and indistinct from one another. This isn't a problem inherent with metal mind you, it's a fairly common symptom of many musical genres that have a somewhat self-limiting definition of what they're supposed to sound like. A lot of "new" roots-reggae, roots Americana (traditional blues, bluegrass), hip-hop, jazz, so-called "punk," and classical music are simply variations on a theme established by the giants of the field, and it's the same thing with metal.

Not that sounding like somebody that came before is automatically a bad thing, especially when those predecessors are worthy of emulation. Sounding like vintage Metallica or Black Sabbath or Venom (or Chet Atkins, Bob Marley, or Afrika Bambataa) isn't something to be ashamed of. But as a listener whose primary exposure to the music was through the early innovators, my default preference will always skew towards the ones being emulated and not the ones doing the emulating, unless it's the somewhat rare case of an artist or a band re-shaping those genre-specific influences into a sum bigger and better than or at least different from the component influences. Of course, to me, the most favourable musical act would be one that resists the creative pressures of any genre labels and just puts out good music mindless of whether it conforms to some preconceived notion of genre and type.   

Since we're going to debate a bit, here's something to mull over. Show me a musical genre that isn't re-treading old ground nowadays? Every musical genre has a specific sound, or set of sounds, that is guaranteed to sell. So in turn, the record exec's find as many of these bands as possible, crap out albums as fast as possible, and try to reap the rewards before the buying public gets bored and moves onto the next big thing.  Metal recently has gone back to a more early 80's, pre hair metal sound in many cases, as well as picking up a much more European sound thanks to the internet and its exposure. As well progressive rock has started to pick up in the metal scene again.

But again, derivative or not, saying any musical style sucks just makes me regard that person and their opinion as, well, they're an idiot. Every musical style and genre has some redeeming quality somewhere. Bands can suck. Singers can suck. But an entire musical style? For example, by saying Metal sucks, you in turn are saying Johnny Cash sucks. Crazy logic, I know, but many metal performers regard the Man in Black as a major influence in their music. But if you go and say "Limp Bizkit sucks", well than you're expressing your opinion about one band, who in the genre really really sucked. That I can tolerate. But just going out and saying bluntly that "metal sucks" when metal has so many different genres, many of them sounding nothing alike, just shows me you're a close minded twit. Same goes for rap, country, pop and any other genre you can show me.

I have yet to meet a person who I'm unable to find a metal song they'll like. The entire genre is so massive, and so varied, inevitably you're going to find a song or band that you'll say "ok, I like them". Same with pop, same with country, same with any music.

Quote from: Verfall on December 09, 2007, 04:35:31 AM
I have yet to meet a person who I'm unable to find a metal song they'll like. The entire genre is so massive, and so varied, inevitably you're going to find a song or band that you'll say "ok, I like them".

True. My mum (who lives and breathes "adult contemporary" music such as Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow) actually liked a Marty Friedman (former Megadeth lead guitarist) song I made her listen to enough that she went out and bought Dragon's Tears.

Quote from: zuludelta on December 09, 2007, 12:42:15 PM

Quote from: Verfall on December 09, 2007, 04:35:31 AM
I have yet to meet a person who I'm unable to find a metal song they'll like. The entire genre is so massive, and so varied, inevitably you're going to find a song or band that you'll say "ok, I like them".

True. My mum (who lives and breathes "adult contemporary" music such as Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow) actually liked a Marty Friedman (former Megadeth lead guitarist) song I made her listen to enough that she went out and bought Dragon's Tears.

Mine liked the Iced Earth album "Glorious Burden", heh.

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 10:28:07 PM

Quote from: Camma on December 06, 2007, 08:44:28 AM

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 08:13:17 AM
Anyway, I should avoid the music threads before I start a fight.

...And Im always up for a fight, Grrrrrr  :P

Heavy Metal sucks. So bad. And I mean the genre of music, not the movie.
The movie also sucked really bad.

There, in context you might see why I said that the way I did. Just "starting a fight". And also, being sarcastic. I really DON'T want to start a fight, even though I have strong feelings about certain kinds of music, I'd really rather keep them to myself because as much as I have trouble understanding it, I do realize it's subjective. Feel free to either ignore or give your reactions. Carry on.

Quote from: BWPS on December 09, 2007, 02:23:12 PM

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 10:28:07 PM

Quote from: Camma on December 06, 2007, 08:44:28 AM

Quote from: BWPS on December 06, 2007, 08:13:17 AM
Anyway, I should avoid the music threads before I start a fight.

...And Im always up for a fight, Grrrrrr  :P

Heavy Metal sucks. So bad. And I mean the genre of music, not the movie.
The movie also sucked really bad.

There, in context you might see why I said that the way I did. Just "starting a fight". And also, being sarcastic. I really DON'T want to start a fight, even though I have strong feelings about certain kinds of music, I'd really rather keep them to myself because as much as I have trouble understanding it, I do realize it's subjective. Feel free to either ignore or give your reactions. Carry on.

I hate everything you love and will kill you in your sleep.

Oh, and I've been listening to William S. Burroughs, Dead City Radio. He does a haunting rendition of "Falling In Love Again."

HIM ~ and love said no -and- Venus Doom
(of course :P)

and before that....
Avenged Sevenfold ~ avenged sevenfold

Quote from: Qwazy on December 11, 2007, 02:32:53 AM
HIM ~ and love said no -and- Venus Doom
(of course :P)

and before that....
Avenged Sevenfold ~ avenged sevenfold

Mmm, Avenged Sevenfold.

Since we mentioned metal sucking, I offer this, my 2nd favorite song from my 2nd favorite band. I'm sure those of you who use the "it's loud" excuse can't offer me that on this masterpiece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNbaGJRt25s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNbaGJRt25s)

My cousin loves Opeth!

See for me, it is less about the origin of the music or how original it is, and more about how it sounds to me, makes me feel, and moves me.

Listening to some OSTs...

Hajime Mizoguchi (feat. Yoko Kanno and members of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra) - Jin-Roh OST: One of my favourite animated films of all time (right up there with Miyazaki's best works), and one of the best arguments that an animated film can cover material just as well as any live-action film can. Mizoguchi writes a perfectly suited cinematic soundtrack to accompany the film, aided by the Czech Philharmonic and renowned movie and game soundtrack composer Yoko Kanno (going by her alias "Gabrielle Robin") on piano.

Media links:

Omega (ending theme) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ug1CDYdjHBQ)   
official movie trailer (English) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=8oui3kAkUqE&feature=related)

Bill Brown - The Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction OST: One of my fave superhero-themed games, it renders a perfect "Hulk Smash!" experience for fans of the angry green giant. Bill Brown's soundtrack is grand and orchestral, but I wish he could have found a way to work in some quieter, mood-setting pieces in the score (it would've been great if he could have found a way to include the "Lonely Man" end theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPngawdDa_c&feature=related) from the TV show in there).

Media links:

Game Intro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKqSOyuTQIE&feature=related)
First mission opening sequence (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kMe8f0Y5bs&feature=related)

Yoko Kanno - Song To Fly: Yoko Kanno, in my mind, is one of the best contemporary composers of our generation. Her work has provided the soundtrack to a whole generation raised on video games and anime, and she's authored tracks for some of the most memorable Japanese TV commercials. If you've enjoyed the music to a video game developed in Japan or anime, chances are Yoko Kanno, in some way, is affiliated with it either as a musician, a composer, or a producer. (check out her extensive discography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_Kanno#Discography))

Although she is classically trained, she touches on a range of musical genres in her work, from rock, to hip-hop, to electronica, jazz, pop, country, and of course, classical music (both Western and Japanese). Strangely enough, despite the sheer volume of work she's done scoring games, TV shows, and films, she only has one solo record to her credit (AFAIK), and this is 1998's Song To Fly. The music on the album is as eclectic as her more popular commercial work, going from the dark yet upbeat march of "ABC Mouse Parade" to the classical European/Japanese chanting of "Atomic Bird," to the baroque of "The Next," and the McCartney-esque pop of "Nowhere and Everywhere."

Fans of her anime and video game work might be a little surprised and underwhelmed at the contents of this album... unlike her soundtrack and score work, there isn't much of a theme to tie the music together, and it can feel a little random and disconnected at times. Still, it provides some fascinating insight into her own personal music.

Media links:

Atomic Bird (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vcb6BD0-t88)
Reunion (http://youtube.com/watch?v=T1XCfE2xt7I&feature=related)

   

Yes, another person who likes Yoko Kanno! I love the work she did on Cowboy Bebop. The music itself is so amazingly good on that anime, it's... it's just... stunning. I'd have to say my favorite song she composed on the anime would have to be "Blue". Astoundingly beautiful song that's inspired me over the years.

Blue (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDD-MEb4gps)

Other then that, I've been listening to At the Drive-In's EP, Vaya. Their best EP, IMO.

FORIAMSPAM!

I am still as stunned as others might be after reading this: I am currently very much into the Puscifer album, V is for [UH OH! Not on this forum ;)].  If one gives it a decent listen and suspends one's judgment about the subject matter--which, on the face of things, strikes one as a demeaning, sexist male treatment of women as objects of desire--one rediscovers Maynard James Keenan's lyrical precision and wordplay on tracks such as "[UH OH! Not on this forum ;)] Mine" (which features a bit of gender bending (built into the ambiguity of "mine") in the midst of what appears to be a struggle for domination--who wins?), an Oedipal triangle in "Momma Sed," and a profane (in all senses of the word) take on the second coming in "Rev 22:20."  What MJK sacrifices in vocal range by effecting (or perhaps accentuating?) a hillbilly blues drawl bass-baritone I believe he makes up for in these tightly constructed (though groovy-smooth) numbers, which afford him an opportunity to step away from the trademark tool staccato and slip into something more Wild Turkey-ish yet genius-grade at the same time.

If you are willing to see the crass brand name marketing campaign and graphic imagery for what it perhaps is--namely, an opportunity to explore the instability of male regimes that rest upon the broken and fetishised female body (regimes which also include certain organised religions, as MJK seems to suggest)--then you might want to give this record a spin.

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat

Various Artists - Ryu Ga Gotoku 1 & 2 OST: A somewhat rare CD released by J-pop publisher Wave-Master. Wave-Master has done a good job releasing soundtracks for Sega's latest games, but they're all but impossible to find outside of Japan or amazon.co.jp. The 2-disc set contains most of the tracks from the Ryu Ga Gotoku games (the first game was released as "Yakuza" in North America and Europe, while the sequel is yet to be released internationally) although there are some notable omissions (the excellent piano piece from the "Go To Shangri-La" mission of the first game, for one). The compositions are credited to Hidenori Shoji, Hideki Sakamoto, Norihiko Hibino, and a number of Sega's sound guys. Two vocal tracks ("Amazing Grace" and "Silent Night") are credited to pop singer Eri Kawai (http://www.goocompany.co.jp/eri_kawai/) and two other tracks are credited to MAKOTCH (not sure if it's a band or an individual). Overall, a nice soundtrack, with a lot of Tekken-esque big beat/nu skool breaks appropriate to the games' brawling premise, with jazzier, moodier pieces to break up the monotony. 

Media Links:

Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 Intro pt.1 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=cCH07Z1-UYw)
Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 gameplay video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=TtD83eFGenk&feature=related)
Ryu Ga Gotoku 1 final cutscenes edit (English) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=urT5PDaahL8&feature=related)

Lately its been WAT and NATO by Laibach.  The title song of NATO is basically Holst's Mars: God of War with an ambient techno to it.   They have a great cover of War (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBn6Mr34LGA).  Unlike the original by Edwin Starr, they list lots of things war is good for.

Raul Midón - A World Within A World: Midón's second album builds on his impressive 2005 debut (which I reviewed earlier in this thread). Musically, it seems he hasn't really stepped out of the R&B/jazz/latin music crossover of his previous record. It's in his lyrics that a change is most apparent... he's become stridently more political, jaded, and cynical in his lyrics... a far cry from the somewhat typical romantic themes of his first album. The lyrical change is so abrupt that I can imagine some of his fans might be taken aback by the darker turn in his songwriting (although he still has the odd Babyface-flavoured love song or two), but I personally like the greater depth he brings on his sophomore effort. As always, his vocals and guitar-playing are consistently impressive.

Media links:
Pick Somebody Up (http://youtube.com/watch?v=2IDtySSVyZY)
Peace On Earth (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZH81Reas9dI) (a horribly depressing song, but my favourite track on his album)

Quote from: Kommando on December 12, 2007, 02:22:24 PM
Lately its been WAT and NATO by Laibach.  The title song of NATO is basically Holst's Mars: God of War with an ambient techno to it.   They have a great cover of War (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBn6Mr34LGA).  Unlike the original by Edwin Starr, they list lots of things war is good for.

Great find Komm... hilariously tongue-in-cheek stuff. Loved the 8-bit sounding drum breaks on the War cover.

One of my all time favorite songs, by one of my all time favorite groups. And probably nowhere near what you'd expect  :D

http://www.youtube.com/v/ELBG_PUeT0w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELBG_PUeT0w)

continuing with my current Yoko Kanno jag...

Yoko Kanno - Tenkuu no Escaflowne (A Girl in Gaea) OST: An excellent collection of classical-influenced music. The music on the Escaflowne series (and subsequent animated feature based on the series) was my primary introduction to Kanno's compositions, and is still my favourite of her OSTs (granted, I've only listened extensively to her Ghost In The Shell and Cowboy Bebop work). While many of the songs hew closely to the orchestral/classical score tradition, there are also some more pop music/electronica-oriented pieces that have become something of a hallmark with Kanno's later work. Excellent, excellent stuff.

Media Links:

Sora (featuring Shanti Snyder on vocals) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=2HoyAZqXPCQ&feature=related); as a bit of trivia, the song's lyrics are in ancient Romanian
Medley featuring "First Vision," "Black Escaflowne," and "Tree of Hearts" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9sBOPGL_g8E) (co-written by Kanno's ex-husband Hajime Mizoguchi)
Ring (featuring Maaya Sakamoto on vocals) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jw8CxxuXssg)
Watcha Gonna Do? (http://youtube.com/watch?v=J9wqf9YPJ_0) (a fun, lighthearted piece)
Sora's Folktale (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9aBmMEHyqL4) (a trip-hop/downtempo mix of "Sora")

ASIN - Pag-ibig, Pagbabago, Pagpapatuloy: the group ASIN are legends in the Philippine folk/indigenous rock scene, acclaimed for their socially-conscious lyrics and their virtuoso musicality. The group was assembled in the late 1970s and their political and environmentally themed songs immediately gained them fans in a Filipino population growing quickly disenfranchised with Ferdinand Marcos' government. The group officially disbanded in 1993 when lead guitarist/vocalist Cesar "Saro" Bañares was shot and killed by a drunken lawyer. In 2000, the surviving members of the band decided to release one more album, entitled Pag-ibig, Pagbabago, Pagpapatuloy (Love, Change, Constancy) collecting previously unreleased material, including songs that Bañares was developing on his own prior to his murder. Highlights of the album include "Dalawang Dekada ng ASIN" ("Two Decades of ASIN"), a medley of their greatest hits arranged for orchestra, "Monumento" (a song on the plight of the urban poor who live on the landfills of Manila), and "Sa Malayong Silangan ("In The Far East"), Bañares' final song.

Excellent stuff, highly recommended for world music fans.

Media links:

- Balita (News) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=uAQKt13EPHE)
- ASIN playing in Winnipeg (http://youtube.com/watch?v=v_vQYaw3QRI&feature=related) (I actually caught them live playing in New Westminster, BC during their recent tour of Canada)
- ASIN vocalist Lolita Carbon live in the Netherlands (http://youtube.com/watch?v=F2iMYBPdYf0)
- American hip-hop group The Black-Eyed Peas' The Apl Song (http://youtube.com/watch?v=wNOa30YMnp0&feature=related), which takes its Tagalog lyrics from the ASIN song "Balita" (News), and some of the English lyrics are also a rough translation of the ASIN song's lyrics (MC Allan Pineda, a.k.a. "apl.de.ap" is of mixed African-American/Filipino ancestry).

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - The Swell Season: Glen Hansard is front man for the Frames, Marketa Irglova is a classical pianist, and the music is the stuff they produced for the critically acclaimed film Once. It's sappy acoustic crap and I love it.

Counting Crows - Films About Ghosts: The entire Counting Crows discography is too big to fit on my MP3 player, so this has to do. Again; sappy crap, but I like it.

Alkaline Trio - Crimson: I suppose the appeal here is the harmonized vocals. "Mercy Me" is one of my favorite songs of a long while.

William S. Burroughs - Dead City Radio: Spoken word, kinda sorta. Burroughs is a great reader and the accompanying music is spot on. He also does a haunting renditon of "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt" better known as "Falling In Love Again."

Quote from: Verfall on December 13, 2007, 12:11:36 PM
One of my all time favorite songs, by one of my all time favorite groups. And probably nowhere near what you'd expect  :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELBG_PUeT0w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELBG_PUeT0w)

i really liked that song.  Looks like I am going to be digging up some of their old stuff.

Icky Thump by The White Stripes and The Cool by Lupe Fiasco are on repeated play at the mo. I'm the process of downloading that Devendra Banhart album that has the song "Insect Eyes" .... it's a very eerie song I'm addicted to. Need to play it to death to get it out of my system.

Lamb - The Best Kept Secrets (The Best of Lamb, 1996-2004): Trip-hop group Lamb is one of those bands whose music you've probably heard at some point, maybe in a TV show, or a movie soundtrack, or in a club, but whose name isn't really immediately recognizable (which I guess is a sort of compliment, considering how much exposure their music gets despite the group's relative anonymity). At least that was the case for me. I was certainly aware of their work back in the late 1990s, but it didn't really register in my head how much their music had infiltrated the popular sound of the time until I heard Nicole Kidman singing a snippet of Gorecki in the film musical Moulin Rouge. Along with groups like Massive Attack, Portishead, and Morcheeba, Lamb's combination of atmospheric instrumentation, laidback beats, and sultry vocals helped bring trip-hop to the mainstream of popular music. This greatest hits collection provides a nice retrospective of their music, and paints a nice progression of Lamb's sound (although it seems they could never replicate their commercial success they had with the singles Gorecki and Wonder).

Media Links:
Gorecki (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZtIeH_J-SiI)
B-Line (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pt1Ef_ai_C4&feature=related)
Gabriel (http://youtube.com/watch?v=XEUWFvT16f8&feature=related)
Wonder (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9U10QoH98ww&feature=related)

We ♥ Katamari OST: As much as I liked the Katamari games, I never seemed to enjoy them as much as most other people. Just not my particular cup of tea, I guess. The game's music, on the other hand, is just awesome (IIRC, the first game won an industry award for its music production). You've got your standard MIDI-sounding tracks, but you've also got some great catchy music gems that straddle genres such as pop, shibuya-kei, and jazz. I dare you to get "Everlasting Love" and "Baby Universe" out of your head once you hear them.

Media Links
Everlasting Love (feat. Arisa) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=XbRb0m7YPHs&feature=related)
Baby Universe (feat. Pizzicato Five's Maki Nomiya) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=307G3wMK0sU&feature=related)
Angel Rain (feat. YOU) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=BX7_D7yWDqU&feature=related)
Bluffing Damacy (feat. Kirinji) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=0WC57Xp22pY&feature=related) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF4wqWDpVu4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF4wqWDpVu4)

Surprising song and very different from this bands usual work. My sister saw them live and said they put on a pretty good show.

Aesop Rock (awesome abstract hip-hop)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrsj653088E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1u43KDiWD0

R. L. Burnside (awesome bluesman remixed with good beats)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbLYVnP3sjY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgsC1WlAzWE&feature=related

Right now, it's a tossup between
Dark Passion Play by Nightwish and Climax Jump Den-liner Form from Kamen Rider Den-o. I also have the Pan's Labyrinth OST, Gekiranger Complete Best and Gurren Lagann Best SOund collections in rotation.

Rotating in my mp3 player:

Zero 7 - Simple Things: Zero 7 came during the tail-end of the big trip-hop/downtempo/chillout trend of the late 1990s/early 2000s. Not nearly the downtempo essential that Portishead, Lamb, and Morcheeba are, but their debut album from 2001 has a lot of lush and eminently listenable grooves nonetheless.
Media Links:
Distractions (http://youtube.com/watch?v=dQZ7JUhQR-c)
Destiny (http://youtube.com/watch?v=INn1C6ImJKg)
In The Waiting Line (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jj6yXxVc21Y&feature=related)

Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard - Gladiator (Music From the Motion Picture): Excellent stuff... there's definitely a baroque influence to the film's music. A stirring military march feel ties everything together, but I find it oddly relaxing.
Media Links:
fan-made Gladiator film score medley (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ra6wE2e8Luc)

Michael Stevens and Kyle Eastwood - Letters From Iwo Jima (Music From the Motion Picture): There's a very spare, minimalist quality to this film's score, which mostly features solo piano with the occasional orchestral accompaniment. I think the composers (one of whom is Clint Eastwood's son Kyle) did a good job of crafting a soundscape that is accessible as a western film score while featuring a slight Japanese sensibility. Also, an excellent, excellent film, IMHO, the best big studio film of the past two years (from a directing and screenwriting standpoint), if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour and rent the DVD.
Media Links:
Amazon page with listenable samples of all the album's tracks (http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Jima-Eastwood-Michael-Stevens/dp/B000LE1GDA)
Letters From Iwo Jima main theme (http://youtube.com/watch?v=jmDjcvLe4_c)

John Tavener - Children Of Men (Original Motion Picture Score): This isn't the "soundtrack" that has the rock hits from the film (also released as a separate CD), this album has the classical music film score. John Tavener is a highly-regarded contemporary classical music composer, and his work here does not disappoint. Along with Tavener's stuff (highlighted by his opus, "Fragments Of A Prayer"), there are also some interpretations of a couple of works by Handel and Mahler, as well as Penderecki's chilling "Threnody For The Victims of Hiroshima."   
Media Links:
Amazon page with listenable samples of all the album's tracks (http://www.amazon.com/Children-Original-Motion-Picture-Score/dp/B000K7UGZW)
Krzysztof Penderecki's "Threnody For The Victims of Hiroshima" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dx0TN0I_Io) (Warning: accompanying video contains some disturbing images) one of the most powerful pieces of music I've ever heard, Penderecki's use of dissonance and counterpoint is revolutionary (the song was written in 1960), and has influenced everybody from film score composers to Sonic Youth and Japanese noise group the Boredoms.

Some Boys Wander By Mistake - Sisters of Mercy (Not to be confused with Some Girls Wander by Mistake)
Rare Singles and B sides - though in thise case B sides must refer to nonexistent CDs since non of the appear on any of their other works and I have them all.

Lupe Fiasco - The Cool (Nuff Said!)

Quote from: zuludelta on January 06, 2008, 05:38:33 AM
Lamb - The Best Kept Secrets (The Best of Lamb, 1996-2004): Trip-hop group Lamb is one of those bands whose music you've probably heard at some point, maybe in a TV show, or a movie soundtrack, or in a club, but whose name isn't really immediately recognizable (which I guess is a sort of compliment, considering how much exposure their music gets despite the group's relative anonymity). At least that was the case for me. I was certainly aware of their work back in the late 1990s, but it didn't really register in my head how much their music had infiltrated the popular sound of the time until I heard Nicole Kidman singing a snippet of Gorecki in the film musical Moulin Rouge. Along with groups like Massive Attack, Portishead, and Morcheeba, Lamb's combination of atmospheric instrumentation, laidback beats, and sultry vocals helped bring trip-hop to the mainstream of popular music. This greatest hits collection provides a nice retrospective of their music, and paints a nice progression of Lamb's sound (although it seems they could never replicate their commercial success they had with the singles Gorecki and Wonder).

Media Links:
Gorecki (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZtIeH_J-SiI)
B-Line (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pt1Ef_ai_C4&feature=related)
Gabriel (http://youtube.com/watch?v=XEUWFvT16f8&feature=related)
Wonder (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9U10QoH98ww&feature=related)

I've been listening to Lamb for several years now, and had a similar moment of "Woah...waitaminit!" during Moulin Rouge. So subtle...

the last few days, I have been listening to the soundtrack to "Across The Universe" and They Might Be Giants' "Then and Now" (in the car)

Quote from: Protomorph on February 07, 2008, 08:25:02 AM

Quote from: zuludelta on January 06, 2008, 05:38:33 AM
Lamb - The Best Kept Secrets (The Best of Lamb, 1996-2004): Trip-hop group Lamb is one of those bands whose music you've probably heard at some point, maybe in a TV show, or a movie soundtrack, or in a club, but whose name isn't really immediately recognizable (which I guess is a sort of compliment, considering how much exposure their music gets despite the group's relative anonymity). At least that was the case for me. I was certainly aware of their work back in the late 1990s, but it didn't really register in my head how much their music had infiltrated the popular sound of the time until I heard Nicole Kidman singing a snippet of Gorecki in the film musical Moulin Rouge. Along with groups like Massive Attack, Portishead, and Morcheeba, Lamb's combination of atmospheric instrumentation, laidback beats, and sultry vocals helped bring trip-hop to the mainstream of popular music. This greatest hits collection provides a nice retrospective of their music, and paints a nice progression of Lamb's sound (although it seems they could never replicate their commercial success they had with the singles Gorecki and Wonder).

Media Links:
Gorecki (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZtIeH_J-SiI)
B-Line (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pt1Ef_ai_C4&feature=related)
Gabriel (http://youtube.com/watch?v=XEUWFvT16f8&feature=related)
Wonder (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9U10QoH98ww&feature=related)

I've been listening to Lamb for several years now, and had a similar moment of "Woah...waitaminit!" during Moulin Rouge. So subtle...

the last few days, I have been listening to the soundtrack to "Across The Universe" and They Might Be Giants' "Then and Now" (in the car)

Ok yeah, I recall hearing some of it on Torchwood.  It kind of reminds me of Portishead on acid, and I didn't think that was possible.   :ph34r:

Stone Temple Pilots- Core
I know it's old school but ya' gotta love it.

Sevendust- Alpha
Alot harder than Animosity and Season(and I love those CDs btw), great disk.

Killswitch Engage- As Daylight Dies and End of Heartache
Just the kinda music I like, metal and harmony.

Atreyu- Lead sails, paper boat
Saw them at a Coheed and Cambria concert and they fricken rock. Not as hard as the old stuff, but it still rocks.

Gym Class Heroes- Cruel as School Children
Rockin with rappers, very shweet.

Quote from: Protomorph on February 07, 2008, 08:25:02 AM
I've been listening to Lamb for several years now, and had a similar moment of "Woah...waitaminit!" during Moulin Rouge. So subtle...

I remember going through all my mixtapes and club-mix CDs after seeing Moulin Rouge in the theatres just to find the song (I knew I'd heard it before, but I couldn't remember where). I think it was a week or so later that I heard Gorecki on a local radio station and everything finally clicked into place.

Quote from: Kommando on February 07, 2008, 12:15:08 PM
Ok yeah, I recall hearing some of it on Torchwood.  It kind of reminds me of Portishead on acid, and I didn't think that was possible.   :ph34r:

I make it a point not to listen to Portishead on acid. The creepy plush animals that rise out of my carpet whenever I do so always freak me out  :lol:

Right now:

Bitter:Sweet - The mating Game - This CD was so hard to find, but now that I got it, it's all I listen to.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium - It's a 2 CD set but I'm stuck on the first CD.  I have to listen to the 2nd one soon.

Various Artists - Katamari Fortissimo Damacy: The soundtrack to the first Katamari Damacy game is still the best in the series (although We ♥ Katamari was pretty awesome too). It's hard to pigeonhole the music into any particular genre... there's definitely some electronica, jazz, bossa nova, and pop in there, but it all feels so... folk-y in terms of its accessibility. Yu Miyake's theme is a recurring motif in many of the tracks, but most of the songs stand alone surprisingly well. Even if you've never played the game, this album is well worth seeking out if you're looking for something that's fun and soothing at the same time.

Media Links:

Katamaritaino (Roll Me In) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrNfIji1WXY)
Lonely Rolling Star (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Kkhlewdk8)
A Crimson Rose & A Gin Tonic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Srcikm4Hh0)
Cherry Blossom Colored Season (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkPBDUlHhns&feature=related) (While the song sounds upbeat, it has some pretty sad lyrics about growing up and getting jaded... I felt a lump rise up in my throat when I heard it):

[spoiler]Sakurairo no Kisetsu (Cherry Blossom Colored Season)

[La la la chorus]

Katamari dekitara dekakemashou (If the Katamari comes, shall we go out)
Rojiura o burabura sanpo shimasen ka? (To the back alleys and walk with it, swaying, swinging, strolling?)
Hora mado no soto mite goran (Hey! Look outside the window!)
Sora ni wa hikoukigumo (In the sky, where a plane is leaving clouds behind it)
Sore wa sukimakazefuku koharubiyori no koro deshita (Remember we could feel the coming of the pleasant autumn air in the bright orange moon?)

Hirusagari machi o tansakuchuu (We were exploring the city as the afternoon descended)
Kimi no te o tori sukoshitereru (I remember being shy, blushing to the touch of your hand)
Chiisana koto de shiawase o kanjiru koro deshita a (Those were the days when small things made us feel content)

Oooooooooh-ooooooo-ooooo-woooooh
momoiro no nigiyaka na kisetsu deshit (That was a merry, peach-colored season)

[La la la chorus]

Kimi to boku wa ima kangaeru (Now you and I think)
Sukoshi bakari seichou shita kara (Because we've grown, if even just a little)
Chiisana koto de shiawase o kanjitai toki nan desu (We want that time when we feel joy from small things)

Oooooooh-oooooo-oooo-woooooh[/i]
sakurairo no nigiyaka na kisetsu deshita (That wild and lively season colored like cherry blossoms)

[La la la chorus] x 2[/spoiler]   

Various Artists (DigiGroove) - Tekken 3 Battle Trax: This album contains remixes of the original nu-skool breaks/big beat flavoured soundtrack of the Playstation fighting game. All of the tracks are solid, and if you're looking for something to spice up your club mixes, this CD is a good place to start, the grooves are infectious and energetic.

Media Links:

Jin Kazama's theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loMe9L1E5TA)
Hidden Character's theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGzCVzvwY4E&feature=user)

There are a bunch of other Tekken 3 videos on YouTube, but apart from the 2 above, I couldn't find any videos that had the specific (and superior) remixes found on the Battle Trax album.

Fusion by The Parallel Project- It's a collaboration of synth pop and darkwave bands. It's really good stuff if you like trance/dancelike tones. Couple of the girls on the tracks have really beautiful voices.

Hmmm..... think I'll have to check out that Sisters of Mercy collection. Big fan of theirs and never heard of that before.

James Blackshaw - The Cloud of Unknowing: This was on Pitchfork's end of the year top 50, so I picked it up. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. It's one guy on a 12-String guitar, but at times it sounds like two and three people each playing different parts of the harmony. You can check it out on his MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/jamesblackshaw).

Bishop Allen - Charm School: Two guys making music in their apartment with well written lyrics and a drum machine in the background. It is a great example of DIY even though they aren't punk.

Bishop Allen - EP Project: After Charm School they attempted to release a EP every month for a year. They released 56 songs during this project and there are quite a few gems. Once again it's a very scaled back sort of music, low production, but high quality if that makes sense.

Bishop Allen - Broken String: (Do you see a theme?) There latest album which had them revisiting ten of their better songs from the EP project along with a few songs written just for the album. Good stuff though it's a departure from their previous efforts.

Baskervilles - Twilight 14: After their record deal went south for whatever reason the band put the entire album free to download on their site. I suggest you check out all 14 songs. Best way I can describe their music is narrative lounge rock. Anywho, the songs are free so check it out for yourself.

[edit] Revisited Regina Spektor's 11:11 album. Some songs I can get behind others are meh. Still debating on whether to get some of her other albums or not.

Quote from: Ajax on February 19, 2008, 08:25:11 PM
[edit] Revisited Regina Spektor's 11:11 album. Some songs I can get behind others are meh. Still debating on whether to get some of her other albums or not.

11:11 is probably her weakest record in terms of her finding her own voice... she still had to outgrow her Tori Amos fascination at that point. My personal favourites are Songs (although it's probably the least accessible of her albums from a pop music perspective) and Soviet Kitsch.

Interesting Mishmash of David Bowie (Scary Monster, Station to Station) as well as the theme to Moulin Rouge.  That's not counting my gaming musing which is either the Star Wars collection (including the music I pulled from KOTOR and Republic Commando - yes it seems I bought the later for the music) as well as the first two season CDs of the new Doctor Who.

A bunch of records I picked up during my lounge/trip-hop/chillout DJing phase in the late 1990s/early 2000s:

Various Artists - Alight presents Chill Out - The Album : 01: A reasonable compilation CD, has some great remixes of the more popular chillout tracks from the late 1990s (I especially like the Mark Moon remix of Gouryella's "Tenshi" and the Intergalactic Harbour Mix of The Gentle People's "Groovin' With You").

Media Links:
System F - Cry (acoustic version) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wvt1-WT8b4c&feature=related) (I never liked the vocal trance original, but the album has the superior acoustic version)
Wamdue Project - Instrumentation (http://music-bomba.com/track/13729-53951/587821/) (30 second sample only)
Nitin Sawhney (feat. Reena Bhardwaj)- Nadia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsls5LnIsGo)
Fantastic Plastic Machine - Whistle Song (http://www.esnips.com/doc/57bfb046-1da3-4c83-8804-7168971842bf/Fantastic-Plastic-Machine---Whistle-Song) (a remake of the Frankie Knuckles house classic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju9RPpqJa2A), this is a different mix from the one on the album, though)

Various Artists (mixed by Claude Challe) - Buddha Bar Vol.I: The first Buddha Bar compilation album has two distinct influences to it. The first CD has an East Indian/Middle Eastern flavour while the second disc has a more cosmopolitan theme with a lot of Latin influences, although the influences crossover on both CDs. Great music to chill out to after a night out in the clubs, or just something relaxing to listen to while working.

Media Links:
Tulku - Anni Rose (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBP_TbvcgMU)
Willy DeVille - Demasiado Corazon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9YY2c_NRYA&feature=related)
Kevin Yost - Two Wrongs Making It Right (http://noavamix.imeem.com/music/uZSgAmtW/kevin_yost_two_wrongs_making_it_right/) (30 second sample only)
Anima Sound System - Shalom (http://conchchowder.imeem.com/music/421lilHe/buddhabar_cd_series_anima_sound_system_shalom/) (30 second sample only)

Various Artists (mixed by Ravin) - Buddha Bar Vol.III: A better chillout compilation record than its predecessor, this album has a lot more continuity to it, with superior mixing by Ravin. There's a vague "East Asian" feel to many of the tracks, but similar to Vol.I, this album has its fair share of Arabic/East Indian/Middle Eastern influences. 

Media Links:
Nicos - Secret Love (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H-Uau_M1K8)
Oliver Shanti & Friends - Sacral Nirvana (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxgIRZn5Jms)
Deepak Ram - A Night in Lenasia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rKnGthcJuw)
Adrian Enescu - Invisible Movies part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNFvkV5OTTY)

Hey Zulu, thanks for the Lamb. It's pretty good. As a big Portishead fan, I really love the sound of this.

I have mostly been listening to Nujabes and Vampire Weekend.

Mika's "In Cartoon Motion" is PHENOMENAL. Been listening to it non-stop for about two days.
His main influences are Queen and Freddy Mercury, (which really shows in some songs) but everything he makes is just plain fun.

I'd really recommend him for anyone who likes upbeat songs full of sweet vocal arrangements, hilarious lyrics and RIDICULOUSLY catchy tunes.

Two songs to check out:
"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)"
"Love Today"

Awesome stuff! :D

-CM

Quote from: thanoson on February 21, 2008, 07:49:29 AM
Hey Zulu, thanks for the Lamb. It's pretty good. As a big Portishead fan, I really love the sound of this.

You're welcome

Quote from: Jakew on February 21, 2008, 03:17:43 PM
I have mostly been listening to Nujabes and Vampire Weekend.

Hey a fellow Nujabes fan!

Stuff I've been listening to lately:

Various Artists - Cafe del Mar Vols. 3 - 6: The Cafe del Mar series of CDs have set the standard for most "chillout" collections. I haven't kept pace with the recent volumes (I think they're up to volume 14 now), but the mid-to-late 1990s stuff mixed by DJ Jose Padilla have always held a nostalgic spot in my aural memory... reminds me of waiting for the dawn with friends in the streets of Manila's Malate district, half-drunk, beats still reverberating inside our skulls, looking for any place that would serve coffee.
Media Links:
Nightmares on Wax - Nights Interlude (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sObWEaU6tXQ)
Nova nova - Tones (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJDZ2z8sl2U)
AR Rahman - Mumbai Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGvU4fdVb-w&feature=related)
Jose Padilla - Adios Ayer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY9IUIrztUA)

Jazztronik - Samurai: Jazztronik is the stage moniker of Japanese DJ/producer Ryota Nozaki. The stuff on Samurai is a lot more traditional jazz-sounding than Nozaki's previous nu-jazz work released under his name as DJ Nozaki. I personally like the breezy tone of this album, but it borders on the dreaded "smooth jazz" genre at times.
Media Links:
Samurai (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3saQuQxG_M)
Colour of Day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqoZsuBqptc)

Nujabes - Metaphorical Music: Nujabes (a.k.a. DJ Jun Seba) is probably more well-known in the West for his contributions to the Samurai Champloo anime soundtrack. He's pretty much laboured under the shadow of Japanese hip-hop/electronica giant DJ Krush (to whom he's always compared), but he's got a unique sound of his own, incorporating a lot of latin and jazz inflections in his hip-hop productions.
Media links:
Letter from Yokosuka (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lM908TkcPo&feature=related)
Lady Brown (feat. Cise Starr) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxHQKUNxzsA)
F.I.L.O. (feat. Shing02) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtB39-9ZwkE&feature=related)
 
Rivermaya - Atomic Bomb: A little Rivermaya primer: Rivermaya was a band created precisely to cash in on the burgeoning Philippine indie/post-rock scene of the early/mid-1990s. Although they were initially derided by many of their fellow musicians for being a "manufactured" act, they eventually shed the label by forging their own unique sound. Atomic Bomb, released in 1998, was their last record with original vocalist Bamboo Mañalac (who went on to form his own group). Many fans consider this record to be the best of their early work, and I'm inclined to agree with them.
Media Links:
If (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L1InpZVDbE&feature=related)
Elesi (Rotor) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRga0Ue6_Gw)
Hinahanap-hanap Kita (I'm Searching for You) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ljE9ksJyw)

Eraserheads - Aloha Milkyway: Perhaps the most influential Philippine act to come out in the last 20 years, the Eraserheads' music is an appealing blend of tight pop hooks, folk, punk, and a post-rock edge (think Manu Chao meets Elvis Costello). 1998's Aloha Milkyway is one of their less popular releases (it was their first primarily English-language album), but I liked how they tried a more experimental approach to their music this time out, especially since they were beginning to stagnate creatively after 5 years or so of unparalleled local commercial success (which even led to an MTV Asia Viewer's Choice Award as favourite Asian group).
Media Links:
Andalusian Dog (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRFhK1XUrs)
Julie Tearjerky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6FMtn2tptA)
Tamagotchi Baby (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzWrv8cC7Dg)     
Fruitcake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFOZT5GaRHQ&feature=related) (originally released on the Eraserheads' Christmas album of the same name)

Went on a downloading spree recently, so I'm currently listening to MGMT, the new Goldfrapp (I can't believe she's 41! What a doll!), Akron Family, Danger Mouse's Grey Album, a Susumu Yokota compilation, DJ Format's Music For The Mature B-Boy, Fabriclive.36, American Music Club's new one, MF Doom's Mm... Food, Dan Deacon, and Fog's Ether Teeth.

Like a lot of his western audience, I got into Nujabes via Samurai Champloo (one of the my favourite anime series ever).

Hey Zulu... Nice topic.

Currently the Number one album in my Ipod:
8 Diagrams - Wu Tang Clan
Easily proving that the talent behind this group is what truly makes them legends and one of the most influential rap acts of all time. RZA is at his peak on this one, combining his amazing and imaginative use of samples with his choice of beats that are always just "slightly off" but work oh-so-well. The rhyming is easily the best stuff I've heard since... well... 36 Chambers.
I can't reccomend this CD enough.... if you like rap or not... it's truly amazing.
(BTW there is *one* truly atrocious cut on this CD, removing the group effort between Wu-Tang, John Frusciante and Erykah Badu will make enjoying this CD alot easier. It really is the only dog cut on it... but it is REALLY bad)

Glad you're enjoying the thread rain.

Been spending a lot of my evenings curled up into a fetal position listening to my CDs (don't ask), so I might as well write about them here, hopefully it'll inspire you guys to check some of these artists out:

Various Artists - Environmentally Sound: This compilation album was released as part of a World Wildlife Fund campaign, with all sales going to fund the WWF's conservation efforts in the Philippines. I'm not usually too fond of these well-meaning albums, since song popularity often takes precedence over how the tracks fit the record as a whole, but Environmentally Sound actually sounds coherent. The album's 14 tracks represent a good cross-section of current Filipino popular music, from the excellent trip-hop of Drip to the virtuoso jazz guitar of Johnny Alegre Affinity to the traditional folk strains of Pinikpikan.

Media Links:
Drip - Turning Grey (http://youtube.com/watch?v=weU42k5nuDU) (they're a great live trip-hop act, especially when they've got turntablist Caliph8 in tow, it also helps that singer Beng Calma is teh hawt! check out their video for Song #9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0AqqzPGP90&NR=1) for more Drippy goodness)
Johnny Alegre Affinity - Jazzhound (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppZ52_YxLnw)
Pinikpikan - Butanding ("Whale Shark") (http://profile.imeem.com/Mjdq13/music/sHPS3fIT/pinikpikan_butanding) note: 30 second excerpt only, registration required to hear full song

Chillitees - Extra Rice: An up and coming Philippine pop/R&B group... vocalist Uela Basco is as good as any you'll find out there right now, with a vocal range to put more popular singers to shame, and the band's instrumentalists are rock-solid professionals. These guys put on a great live show.

Media Links:
Paikot-ikot ("Going Around in Circles") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44XtyAKK9AU&feature=user)
Sama Na ("Come On Already") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imLULat0I8g&feature=related)
Ikaw ("You") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueMY4F2w5Gg&feature=user) 
not on the album, but here's Chillitees performing "Sama Na" live (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=160OcYpvr2w&feature=related) (in my hometown of Baguio no less!). I'm always impressed with bands who can flawlessly recreate their studio sound live (Uela does a great job filling in and doing the rap portion of the song).

The Radioactive Sago Project - Urban Gulaman: A great jazz/spoken word outfit with humourous, but always politically and socially incisive lyrics. Their musicality is outstanding, but being a spoken word act, a lot of the impact of their work is lost if you don't understand the lyrics (the album title translates to "Urban Fruit Jelly" by the way).

Media Links:
Alaala ni Batman ("Memories of Batman") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwfcgGHLWlc): my favorite superhero-themed song, an excellent excellent song that talks about a child's continuing fascination with the character Batman, and how it sees him through poverty, social upheaval, growing old, betrayal, a broken lovelife, and depression)
Astro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jDqWjF-4Zk&feature=related) (there's a killer trumpet solo at around 3:55 in the video)
Mr. Pogi In Space ("Mr. Handsome In Space") (//http://) 

UpdharmaDown - Fragmented: One of my new favourite acts of the past couple of years. I can best describe their music as a mix of traditional Filipino pop and Western alternative music passed through a trip-hop, R&B, and ambient filter. Think Sigur Ros-meets-Lamb-meets-Joss Stone in Southeast Asia. They were recently featured in a Time magazine article that touted them as the Asian music phenomenon that has the best chance of achieving cross-over success in North America. They're accomplished musicians in their own right (vocalist/keyboardist Armi Millare has a bachelor's degree in Asian Music), and have toured with Incubus, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, among others. Fragmented is an excellent record that runs the full gamut, from the catchy groove-pop of "Oo" to the alterna-pop of "Maybe" and the Sigor Ros-esque instrumental of the title track and "Broken Mirrors and Screaming Turtles," I can't recommend this album enough.

Media Links:
Maybe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au57nDRPyXg&feature=related)
Oo ("Yes") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts0cNzItMlw&feature=related)
Pag-agos ("Flow") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYtxN2BmkPg&feature=related)

Not on the album, but these live videos are impressive (guitarist Carlos Tañada does a great job of layering his sound and I love it when drummer Ean Mayor does a manual "break" every now and then, reminiscent of The Roots drummer ?uestlove's drum&bas break in the outro to "You Got Me"): 

UpdharmaDown live clip 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uLf_mjlBt8&feature=related)
UpdharmaDown live clip 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8JGZrtoLZg&feature=related) (the first song is a remake of a classic Filipino pop hit from the 1970s)
Playing with the Manila Symphony Orchestra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzBeDA5l3E0&feature=related)

Cynthia Alexander - Rippingyarns: I used to watch Cynthia Alexander perform regularly when I was in my late teens living in Manila's red-light district during the late 1990s. My apartment was across the street from The Verve Room (an upscale music lounge that hosted up-and-coming artists) that I could occasionally get into despite being a "financially-challenged" working student because I had friends who sometimes did production/set design work. Alexander's material is probably best described as "neo-folk" music, think Carole King meets Ravi Shankar. Prior to her releasing her solo records to limited international critical acclaim (and even more limited commercial success), Alexander's most prominent exposure in the international music scene was probably winning the Best Bass Player award in the 1989 Yamaha Band Explosion contest held in Budokan Hall in Tokyo.

Rippingyarns is a solid set of tunes, although it does seem to lack a sense of focus at times, and Alexander's distinct vocal style is not to everybody's taste.

Media Links:
Intertwyne (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9JQcMzM7NWI&feature=related)
The Weather Report (http://youtube.com/watch?v=_84SJzf7rpY)
The Flowers of Youth (http://youtube.com/watch?v=THTKX3Pxc5M) (a pretty sad torch song... in the words of Chris Rock, "hope you don't slit your wrists to this one")
A brief interview with Cynthia Alexander (http://youtube.com/watch?v=8Qmo9RUSwkE&feature=related) (where she talks about songwriting, bass-playing, her musical influences)

Tarja Turunen, the former lead singer of Nightwish, went solo after being unceremoniously kicked from the band. Just got it yesterday, and it's very good if you like an operatic lead with hard guitars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwbtbfAnI80 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwbtbfAnI80)

Nujabes - Modal Soul: Japanese DJ/producer Jun Seba's second solo effort is another solid outing, although calling it a "solo effort" might be inaccurate... as in Metaphorical Music collaborators Cise Starr and Shing02 and others again lend their talents on some tracks. The great thing about Seba's heavily jazz-influenced music is that it stands very well on its own, and MC's are only used to embellish the track further, instead of being used to cover up pedestrian backing tracks/production or to extend a track beyond it's actual listenable length. This isn't DJ Krush (that may or may not be a good thing depending on what you're looking for), but it's a solid hip-hop record, and a welcome respite from the aural detritus that passes for a lot of hip-hop these days.

Media Links:
The Sign (feat. Pase Rock) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=MIQPh6lz89g)
Feather (feat. Cise Starr & Akin) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=mZaV-33XSHY)
Thank You (feat. Apani B) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=1fmfClRBxFI)
Luv(sic) (feat. Shing02) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=LZ4LhgngbxY&feature=related)

Let's see... around two weeks ago I listened to Explosions in the Sky's album, "Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die...". It still is an amazing album. My favorite song off of there is probably "Yasmin the Light." Most definately recommended listening. If you haven't heard this song, I highly suggest you check it out. Especially since I'm giving you a link, too. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLRbriRAU9s

I've also been listening to one NiN song. "A Warm Place." Such a pretty song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj3QWxFf4XM

Quote from: Spam on March 17, 2008, 07:15:12 PM
Let's see... around two weeks ago I listened to Explosions in the Sky's album, "Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die...". It still is an amazing album. My favorite song off of there is probably "Yasmin the Light." Most definately recommended listening. If you haven't heard this song, I highly suggest you check it out. Especially since I'm giving you a link, too. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLRbriRAU9s

Definitely a great choice Spam! When they were touring for this album along with ...And you will know us by the trail of dead,  that was one of my musical highlights in my life, catching the show, and making friends with the guys afterwards.

I have been listening to a few new things lately.

Daughter Darling (http://www.myspace.com/daughterdarling), Sow (Anna Wildsmith and Ray Watts), Qntal (http://www.myspace.com/qntal) and Xandria (http://www.myspace.com/xandria)

Hyperlinks where possible to peruse their work (the bands' MySpace pages)

Neat links Proto... is it just me or is the mid-1990s trip-hop sound seeping its way into current popular music? I suppose it never really went away for some people and in some parts of the world (Europe and Asia, especially), but I hear trip-hop inflections in everything these days... TV ads, video game soundtracks, non-trip-hop albums.
 

Song:*bleep* it feels good to be a Gangsta - The Geto Boys

Song:My Mind's Playin' Tricks on Me - The Geto Boys

All of the Heathen and Earthling Albums by David Bowie

Album:Collected by Massive Attack

Every Album by the Stone Temple Pilots

Album:Syd Barrett - Opel

Kanye West "Graduation"

Quote from: detourne_me on March 17, 2008, 09:38:12 PM

Quote from: Spam on March 17, 2008, 07:15:12 PM
Let's see... around two weeks ago I listened to Explosions in the Sky's album, "Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die...". It still is an amazing album. My favorite song off of there is probably "Yasmin the Light." Most definately recommended listening. If you haven't heard this song, I highly suggest you check it out. Especially since I'm giving you a link, too. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLRbriRAU9s

Definitely a great choice Spam! When they were touring for this album along with ...And you will know us by the trail of dead,  that was one of my musical highlights in my life, catching the show, and making friends with the guys afterwards.

Oh man, just seeing both of those bands play would be absolutely outstanding... that must have been a great show.  ;)

yeah, and it was insane!!!
in a tiny club, EITS were playing "a song for our fathers" so intensely that (crap i forget his name) the guy with the kind of fro, broke his tambourine in pieces he was smashing it so hard on the floor (playing an ebow on the guitar with the other hand) and michael was playing bass so hard that his hand ripped right open!

then in the trail of dead set ,conrad went nuts playing drums (i think he broke a rib the previous night in toronto)
so he gave us a crash and a highhat in the audience with a tonne of sticks... then i think he broke a beer bottle on his head.
i still remember it like yesterday! haha! they really got into that show.

Just stumbled upon a video of UpDharmaDown guitarist Carlos Tañada (I "reviewed" their album a couple of posts earlier) trying out a Boss RC-2 LoopStation... awesome way to recreate the layered guitar sound in a live setting (although all the foot-switching would probably require some tap dancing lessons):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=n-BcbEDRp6c

Nice find ZD!
i've been out of the new music scene for too long,  i think the last post rock album i heard was one by Eluvium (and it was kinda sucky)

Quote from: detourne_me on March 19, 2008, 07:52:09 AM
Nice find ZD!
i've been out of the new music scene for too long,  i think the last post rock album i heard was one by Eluvium (and it was kinda sucky)

Yeah, it's hard to find newer "post-rock" acts that have their own distinct sound... part of the reason is because so much of "the sound" has been codified and systematized (an incidental side-effect of the popularity of groups like Sigur Rós, Tortoise, Mogwai, etc.) and the easier reproducibility provided by digitization. The ones that do manage to stand out from the pack are those who use post-rock techniques in different aural settings (like UpDharmaDown... who are probably more pop/R&B-influenced than your typical "post-rock" act or the more diverse-sounding Constellation music label guys like Godspeed You! Black Emperor).

Also, it bears mentioning that many of the newer generation of "post-rock" musicians just aren't very good, from a technical standpoint. I think one of the requirements for a musician to be in a "reactionary" artistic movement should be a reasonable degree of familiarity with whatever's being reacted to. It gives much more depth and context to the music. Unfortunately, many younger musicians simply ape the sound without knowing the creative impetus that resulted in post-rock (a criticism, I suppose, that one can level at not jsut newer post-rock acts, but at many of the "new" or "modern" version of reactionary musical trends... like "indie music" or "new metal" or "modern punk" or "new alternative" or "neo-soul")     

your right,  but i don't want to kind of "top-out" my musical selection in the mid 2000's it kinda seems funny, cause i remember growing up with guys that swore that music would never get better than iron maiden/metallica and slayer,  and i find my musical selection ending with (on one side, Mogwai, GYBE! and others) then on the other side the punk and HC scene which hasn't really gotten better than it was in the late 90's.

ahh this isn't totally true,  theres still canadian rock like the constantines and arcade fire to sate me.
ignore me

Quote from: detourne_me on March 19, 2008, 03:25:19 PM
your right,  but i don't want to kind of "top-out" my musical selection in the mid 2000's it kinda seems funny, cause i remember growing up with guys that swore that music would never get better than iron maiden/metallica and slayer,  and i find my musical selection ending with (on one side, Mogwai, GYBE! and others) then on the other side the punk and HC scene which hasn't really gotten better than it was in the late 90's.

Yeah, I'm always on the look out for new stuff to listen to myself. It's funny when I trace the development of my listening habits, if you had told me ten years ago that I'd be listening to nu jazz now, I'd have called you a liar. Like most people in my (our?) generation, I was raised on a lot of classic rock (Beatles, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, etc.) and I spent the first 18 years or so of my life pretty much absorbing the whole guitar-oriented rock thing (everything from folk-rock, blues-rock, punk, to prog, to metal and even more experimental stuff like early Sonic Youth) but I think at some point, I just burned out on the whole thing, which led me to discovering, relatively late (around the late 1990s, early 2000s), classical music, jazz, hip-hop, house music, and all the other variegated forms of electronica. Now, I'm in a place, musically, where I can't even imagine what it was like before when I shunned some musical acts and their material because they weren't similar to the stuff that I grew up with.   

The new Cadence Weapon and Black Keys albums are quite good.

Blue Scholars - Bayani: Blue Scholars is comprised of the "indie" hip-hop duo of Seattle, Washington-based Geologic (MC George Quibuyen, a.k.a. Prometheus Brown) and Sabzi (DJ Alexei Saba Mohajerjasbi) and 2007's Bayani is their second full-length record. While their beats and rhythms don't stray too far from the slickly-produced, radio-friendly and somewhat jazzy influences of acts like Gang Starr and Eric B. & Rakim, it's their incisive, socially, and politically conscious lyrics that define their sound.

Many of the songs on Bayani revolve around the difficulties of immigrant life in America (Geologic is the son of Filipino immigrant parents and Sabzi is of Iranian-American heritage), one song in particular, "The Distance," really touched a nerve with me and reminded me of my own difficulties as an immigrant in Canada (particularly the bit about being armed with "a Third-World diploma not even worth the paper it's printed on"). As an aside, Bayani is a Filipino word meaning "hero of the people" and the word Bayan is also Farsi for "The Word." Another major recurring theme in the album is the duo's vocal anti-war and anti-globalization stance (evident on songs like "Back Home" and "50K Deep")... these guys are definitely not bashful about their politics.

The one thing that detracts from the album is that some people might find it too "heavy" for casual listening. The politically and socially charged lyrics can be a bit too much to take in one sitting for some, this is definitely not something you can just play in the background at work, the lyrics demand to be noticed and digested. Not to say that the album is too serious for its own good... there are a bunch of more laid-back tracks, mostly about life in the Pacific Northwest (such as "Joe Metro," "North by Northwest," and "Ordinary Guys"), and Geologic's lyrics can be whimsical at times, making numerous cultural references to comics, cartoons, pro-wrestling(!), and Seattle-area sports teams, but for the most part, the songs on this album aren't going to make any party mixes soon (unless, you know, it's a political party mix ha ha ha).

In any case, I heavily recommend this record, it's a great example of intelligent, well-crafted  hip-hop.

Media Links:
The Distance (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ghX-TzxJOFc)
Morning of America (http://youtube.com/watch?v=pOczhrogK0Y&feature=related)
Bayani (http://youtube.com/watch?v=_I8BcGEQp7I)
Joe Metro (http://youtube.com/watch?v=f0hd1Bjr6zk)
Back Home (http://youtube.com/watch?v=En8DwCeKa6M&feature=related)
   

P.O.T. - Remastered: Remastered is the 2005 re-release of Philippine funk-rock group P.O.T.'s eponymous 1997 debut album. I was something of a fan of the band back in the day, having followed vocalist Karl Roy's career since his stint in proto-funk/hardcore outfit Advent Call (before it turned into a sad excuse for a novelty rock band). Besides the 12 tracks on the original recording, this release also includes 4 new tracks: re-arranged versions of 3 of their bigger hits as well as one all-new song. The tunes are pretty much solid all-around, although they really sound dated (think Red Hot Chili Peppers circa the BloodSugarSexMagik era) this time around. The bonus tracks aren't worth seeking out by themselves, in my opinion, so the only people I can see actually getting these are completists and people who want a complete documentation of "modern" (if a tad obscure) Asian music, or fans of the band who never got around to getting the record when it first came out.

Media Links (it's nearly impossible to find any of their media online, since they never made any actual videos, so all I could find was a bunch of live captures and a couple of snippets):

FYB (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjodKqvKRio&feature=related)
Fishcake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6PS4szdONU)
Ulitin ("Again") (http://funkywah.imeem.com/music/11MJmsNe/pot_ulitin/) (registration required to hear full song)
Yugyugan Na! (Let's Dance!) (http://funkywah.imeem.com/music/gGxBParG/pot_yugyugan_na/) (registration required to hear full song)   

Pacha Massive - All Good Things: Pacha Massive is the New York-based duo of the Dominican Republic-born Nova and Colombia native Maya (although the backing group is comprised of members from Guatemala and the Philippines). Maya handles most of the vocals and is credited as the group's bass player while Nova handles guitars, some backing vocals and rapping, and keyboards. Pacha Massive represents the continued blurring of lines between musical genres, especially with international artists. Their sound is a lo-fi blend of trip-hop, drum and bass, and Latin music, with some great pop songwriting hooks thrown in for good measure: Imagine Esthero's 1998 album Breathe From Another mixed with some Manu Chao and Sade. If I had one misgiving about this album is that Pacha Massive display their influences too readily, but that's something to be expected from a debut record. Excellent, sultry stuff to listen to.

Media Links:
Don't Let Go (http://youtube.com/watch?v=zqGyDkJhR8g)
Pacha Massive interview and live set on Latination (http://youtube.com/watch?v=FOLAMGF45e4&feature=related)
Pacha Massive's MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/pachamassive) (with listenable cuts from their album)

Buklod - Kanlungan: Mga Piling Kanta ng Buklod: Buklod was a Philippine folk-rock band from the 1990s. They never really achieved sizable commercial success, although they did find a niche following in the college and activist communities, because of their ostensibly socially conscious lyrics. I actually first heard their music at the University of the Philippines in the late 1990s, and I would go on to see frontman/guitarist Noel Cabangon perform at a number of venues, including the most memorable one, when he sang to the assembled crowd at the massive week-long protest that led to the resignation of corrupt Philippine president Joseph Estrada in early 2001... it was a beautiful thing to behold, a million people listening in rapt silence as he sang about the common man's struggles.

This album (whose title translates as "Sanctuary: Select Songs from Buklod") is a "best of" collection of sorts, with a dozen songs culled from their three album discography. This record actually does a good job of representing the band's evolution, from the acoustic peasant and worker anthems of their first album such as "Sakada (Sharecropper)" to the more contemporary sounding and more commercially accessible tunes from their latter two efforts such as the anti-war song "Tatsulok (Triangle)" and the environmental awareness themed "Usok (Smoke)."

As with any musical act that lays the politics on heavily, some of their songs can border on preachiness, which can take away from the music's ability to be "fun" listening, unless you're the type who enjoys grooving to songs about land reform, the plight of the urban poor, and the continuing workers' struggle. Their best songs manage a good balance of musicality and subtle, but still weighty, lyrics, such as "Kanlungan (Sanctuary)," which is actually a song about environmental issues that doubles as a poignant song about lost love, and "Tumindig Ka (Stand Up)," a song about worker's rights which manages to be a pretty good toe-tapping reggae number.   

Strangely enough, their songs gained much much more popularity after the band dissolved, "Kanlungan (Sanctuary)," in particular, became a major commercial hit, being featured on TV and film soundtracks, and covered by other, more famous artists. After the group broke up in the late 1990s, singer Noel Cabangon became a vocal and active member of the Akbayan political party, a centre-left pacifist organization that advocates agrarian reform, peasants and workers rights, and environmental protection issues (it was inevitable, I suppose, based on the tenor of his lyric-writing). Cabangon continues to make music as a solo performer, releasing three solo records and even landing the lead role in the Manila production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Media Links:
Tumindig Ka (Stand Up) (http://crackle.com/c/Blogs_and_Podcasts/Tumindig_Ka/1571562)
Kanlungan (Sanctuary) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=1igsZqi-7h8)
Tatsulok (Triangle) (http://bamboolein.vodpod.com/video/71537-tatsulok-original)

Drip - Far Side of the World: I'd previously mentioned indie trip-hop group Drip when I wrote about the Environmentally Sound World Wildlife Fund fundraising CD which features one of their unreleased songs. Far Side of the World is the Philippine quartet's first album, and for the most part, it's a perfectly capable effort but it has its fair share of weaknesses.

First, the good: For a group operating with limited resources, the backing sound is pretty tight, and the DJing/sampling/programming trio of Malek Lopez, Morse Magbanua, and Caliph8 is solid, even though they rely too readily at times on tired trip-hop tropes. It's easy to spot their influences here (a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about readily-spotted influences), everything from latter-day Portishead, Lamb, to Morcheeba, and I'm pretty sure that at least one of the songs on the album was heavily influenced by the work of Frou Frou's Guy Sigsworth.

Now, the bad: I'm just not a fan of Beng Calma's vocals. At best, I can describe it as adequate, but there's no escaping the fact that she doesn't bring a lot of range. Still, she's a good live performer and I'm pretty sure she's a significant reason they sell tickets (google "Beng Calma FHM" if you doubt my word). It doesn't help that the vocal mixing needs a little punching up. And the song "Hey Preppie" is just plain horrible and embarrassing, I've heard better bubble gum commercials, definitely the album's low point.

All in all, a decent rookie effort for an indie electronica group, but I feel like only their three strongest songs "Copy," "Song Number 9," and "Sweet Cheeks" are worth the price of admission. You can buy their whole album or individual songs (at 99 cents each) online, by the way, and they come in a non-copy protected VBR mp3 format, so you can use them in multiple mp3 players and copy the tracks with no limit.

They can only get better though... I've heard samples of the new songs on their upcoming album and they sound way superior to their initial work.

Media Links:

You can listen to the whole album for free here (http://www.audiolunchbox.com/album?a=161652).
Awesome hand-animated video for Sweet Cheeks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keo5esBepqM).
Video for Song #9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0AqqzPGP90)

Kala - Manila High: Kala is widely regarded as the current standard bearers for the "Manila Sound" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_sound), a sub-genre of Philippine music highly influenced by 1960s/1970s funk, pop, disco, and even French/Quebec yé-yé music. The Manila Sound peaked in popularity during the late 1970s but was eventually buried under the influx of popular Western pop music acts after the lifting of martial law in the early 1980s.

Kala deliver a real tight and smooth sound that many of today's popular pseudo-funk musicians would give up their knitted tams and rasta hats for. Even if you're not familiar with the Manila Sound genre, Manila High is a good place to start exploring international funk and R&B.

Media Links:
Parapap (http://youtube.com/watch?v=tio20vLWQWs&feature=related)
Jeepney (http://youtube.com/watch?v=C537vi-3_uE)
Manila High (http://youtube.com/watch?v=0v14fMjKcog)
Pulis Pangkalawakan (Galactic Police) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=jZOqGcZIdgM)
       

I've been listening to Texas Is The Reason's first, and only album. This album excellently defines 90's emotional music to the max. The title track is definitely one of the highlights of the album. The whole song just feels very powerful and moving, like a butter knife straight to your emotions. It feels good though. Every single time I listen to it, and every time it ends, I just wish it would repeat itself. But then I go and listen through the entire album again, just to make it to that point in the album where that song plays again. Don't get me wrong, the entire album is excellent. Listen to it if you get a chance. The only thing that bugs me, and it's not even about the album, is these guys lasted approximately two to three years. Then they split. They made an EP, I think a split with another band, and this album. Then they had a reunion show... maybe like, a year ago... dang it!

Links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Cb2gsoN1E (about 20 seconds in is the title track. the song after this one, is the song after this song on the album... if that makes sense.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02h3Zd-g8mk&feature=related (better quality of the next song)

Color It Red - Hand-Painted Sky: 1994's Hand-Painted Sky is generally considered as one of the albums that jump-started the Philippine independent rock scene in the 1990s, along with the Eraserheads' 1993 release UltraElectroMagneticPop!, Yano's 1994 self-titled debut record, and a smattering of other, smaller commercial hits. Color It Red's main selling point among the predominantly male audience at the time was vocalist Cooky Chua, who had something of a reputation as a hard-partying Catholic schoolgirl at the time of the album's release. The backing band members were no slouches, however. Lead guitarist Mike Villegas, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist Barbi Cristi, keyboardist Maricar Florendo, bassist Hank Palenzuela, and drummer Edison Javellano brought a polished and professional sound to what was basically a D-I-Y music scene. I always thought they were heavily influenced by the stripped down pop rock of the Texas-based Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians, but Chua's distinct alto and the band's occasional incursions into jazzy inflections gives their music an identity of its own. The album went on to spawn a couple of minor hits, among them the excellently jazzy title track, the obligatory tearjerkers "Paglisan (Departure)" and "I Need You Here," and the New Wave-tinged teen anthem "Na Naman (Again)."

I managed to catch the band live several times during the late 1990s when I lived in Manila (my old apartment was only a few blocks from a bar they played regularly in). By that time, Chua's dulcet voice had developed the range of the sultry, smoky, whiskey-tinged rasp of a club circuit veteran, perfect for doing Janis Joplin and (1970s folk group) Asin covers. She apparently hadn't lost any of her wild child ways, though, I remember seeing her regularly nip from a bottle of Jack Daniel's in-between (and during!) songs.

Anyways, a nice solid album if you can find it (a quick Google search only turned up a couple of cassettes on eBay), but I think it's mostly of interest to those on a nostalgia trip or those looking to document 1990s Asian pop music.       

Media Links:
I Need You Here (http://www.imeem.com/people/f1r0j_/music/92w6CnCK/color_it_red_i_need_you_here/)
Hand-Painted Sky (live) (http://www.imeem.com/people/6Bm3yse//music/cRhA3vGl/color_it_red_hand_painted_skylivemp3/)
Na Naman (Again) (http://www.imeem.com/sikro/music/Ge7LBlvJ/color_it_red_na_naman/)
Paglisan (Departure) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1j8Xm8v4Q4)

a video of a much, much older Cooky Chua singing the jazz standard "'s Wonderful" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y80g1-rbtK0).

Sino Sikat? - self-titled: An excellently polished nu-jazz/neo-soul/trip-hop outfit, although the tongue-in-cheek name ("Sino Sikat?" literally translates into English as "Who's Famous?") might make those unfamiliar with their music think that they're a cheeky college radio band. It's also a pun on singer Kat Agarrado's name ("Sino Sikat?" can be read as "Sino Si Kat?" which means "Who is Kat?").

Great production that rightfully showcases vocalist Agarrado's powerful pipes and the solid musicianship of the band's instrumentalists. No gimmicks here, just solidly written and soulful pop hooks played with excellent virtuosity, although there are a couple of clunkers (the cumbersome "Praning (Paranoid)" and "Telepono (Telephone)"). Half of the songs are sung in English and the other half in their native Tagalog/Filipino, and there isn't a noticeable shift in quality either way... these guys are definitely comfortable writing and performing in both languages (although it's apparent that they're looking for an international audience, since most of their videos so far have been of their English-language singles). They are excellent live as well, which is always a very big thing with me.

Media Links:
Turning My Safety Off (http://youtube.com/watch?v=nCPkRlgBtqg)
So Blue (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xoNbl1JAYzE&feature=related)
Magic (http://youtube.com/watch?v=XwLQr-WU2Ps&feature=related)
A short interview/documentary on the band (http://youtube.com/watch?v=vbXsyjoz_1w&feature=related) (it's mostly in Tagalog, though)

Rainbow - Rising: Talking on ow_tiobe_sb's prog rock and metal thread made me feel like digging up this classic 1976 album by Ritchie Blackmore's band (featuring Black Sabbath's Ronnie James Dio on vocals). Not prog rock, of course, but I've always felt that Blackmore was a direct influence on modern prog guitarists like Dream Theater's John Petrucci, particularly his use of exotic scales and a predisposition towards multiple chord inversions.

The highlights of this landmark album are the eight-and-a-half minute long "Stargazer," the eight minute epic "A Light in the Black," and the opening track "Tarot Woman." It is on these three songs that Blackmore pretty much crystallized his guitar sound and technique and installed himself as one of the most influential guitar technicians of the late 20th century (you can hear strains of Blackmore in everything from Iron Maiden to Yngwie Malmsteen to Steve Vai to Metallica to Dream Theater).

Media Links:
Tarot Woman (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xdcvTqr6zws&feature=related)
Stargazer (http://youtube.com/watch?v=6onWCwyAxkI&feature=related)
A Light In the Black (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ay8Wty8UWr4)

Brown Beat All-Stars - self-titled: The Brown Beat All-Stars feature former members of Put3ska, who scored a minor international ska hit over a decade ago with "Manila Girl" (well, as much as a ska song can actually become a hit, anyway). While BBAS still sticks to the punky, third wave ska sound of Put3ska, they've incorporated more of a big band and retro-swing feel and even go into calypso-sounding excursions on a couple of tracks. I've heard many people who have heard BBAS for the first time say that they're a more traditional ska sounding version of No Doubt (although BBAS, in one incarnation or another, predates any mainstream recordings made by Gwen Stefani's pop ska group by a couple of years). That comparison is most probably due to vocalist Myra Ruaro (a.k.a. "Skarlet"), who really has the ska inflections nailed down. As an aside, Ruaro is also an accomplished jazz singer, and she released a solo jazz album a year ago (I'll probably do a "mini-review" of it in this thread one of these days).

If the name of the band sounds familiar, it might be because you've heard them before despite being a largely regional phenomenon. Their song "Hunger" was bundled-in for free with Creative-branded mp3 players a few years ago.

Media Links:
Hunger (http://youtube.com/watch?v=GHBpb7V7H-I)
The Way That You Do (http://youtube.com/watch?v=dYwOOlm-c9E&feature=user)

Cheech & Chong - Cheech & Chong's Greatest Hit: A comedy classic from 1981. This record collects material from the comedy duo's various LPs from the 1970s (every one of their albums is represented here with a track or two, except for 1976's Sleeping Beauty). The irony of this album's success is that "stoners" ate it up like so many brownies, when they were ostensibly the punchline for many of their jokes.

Found on this album are their most famous skits, including "Dave," "Sister Mary Elephant," and the "Pedro de Pacas and Man" series of skits. Ostensibly missing are the hilarious/disturbing "Championship Wrestling" from The Wedding Album and "White World of Sports" from Los Cochinos. You can also find the song "Earache My Eye" on this album, which features Tommy Chong's vastly underrated skills as a guitarist (Chong was a pro musician, playing guitar for the Motown-styled group Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, before going into comedy), as well as the minor hit "Basketball Jones" (which features ex-Beatle George Harrison on lead guitar and legendary songwriter Carole King on backing vocals).

Obviously, this type of humour isn't for everybody, many of the jokes are based on drug references and racial stereotypes, but for those who are into South Park type shenanigans, this will serve up more than a few laughs (although there is a way to make the jokes even funnier if you get my drift  :lol:).

Media Links:
Basketball Jones (http://youtube.com/watch?v=JIbp5C-5WXM)
Earache My Eye (http://youtube.com/watch?v=JfzDQMIU7Gs)
Blind Melon Chitlin (http://youtube.com/watch?v=r8_OyiZtOdc&feature=related)

Let's see... according to iTunes, I've listened to...

The Promise Ring - "Very Emergency"

The Promise Ring's third album, is more pop influenced than their earlier work. It's still fun to listen to, but it's not my favorite. Still good, though.

Emergency! Emergency! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPySU-OdmRY)

Nine Inch Nails - "The Slip"

It sounds like Year Zero. Thus, I like it. But jeez, two albums in 2008, is he gonna make any more?

Maritime - "We, the Vehicles"

It's got the frontman from The Promise Ring, but these guys are more indie rather than pop/emo. A great group with a great album.

Tearing Up the Oxygen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8veoIE4URI)

Shout Out Louds - "Our Ill Wills"

An excellent indie pop group. These guys are from Sweden, but they make better indie pop than some Americans... now that's saying something.

Tonight I Have to Leave It (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MVlPV7AF7k)

Kanye West - Graduation

Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

Jay-Z - The Blueprint

Nas - Stillmatic

The Beatles
  Hate and Hell.

They are remix projects by a fan, avaliable for FREE online from their respective sites:
www.thebeatleshate.com and www.thebeatleshell.com

Interesting stuff. Not as happy as Love, of course (or professional). But not bad at all.

Continuing with my near obsessive-compulsive need to catalogue obscure Philippine independent music, here are a bunch of records I've been listening to lately:

Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad - Mga Awit ni Tanod-Lupa and Lumad sa Syudad: Joey Ayala spearheaded the "ethnic rock" renaissance of the late 1980s and early 1990s in the Philippines. Ayala and his band Bagong Lumad ("The New Natives") fused traditional Philippine and Javanese/Timorese music with Western song structure, with surprisingly commercially successful results. 1991's Mga Awit ni Tanod-Lupa ("Songs of the Earth-Guardian") is by far Ayala's most successful album, and established him as a relevant voice in the new/popular music scene. The follow-up album, 1992's Lumad sa Syudad ("Native in the City") was critically well-received but didn't spawn any radio hits, unlike its predecessor. Ayala continues to put out records (although no longer with his band) and write music for commercial and public service purposes (he's written a couple of musical scores and has penned promotional music for numerous public advocacy groups), but he's nowhere near as popular as he used to be in the early-to-mid 1990s.

Some of the distinct features of Ayala's music is the prominent use of the hegalong (http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/se_asia/hegalong_lakesebu_bdt_07.jpg) (a 2-stringed plucked instrument somewhat similar to the Japanese shamisen), the bandurria (a 14-stringed cittern adapted from those brought by the Spanish occupation). the kulintang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulintang) (Southern Philippine brass gong ensemble), and the kubing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobing) (Philippine/Indonesian mouth harp). He also makes use of more modern Western instruments such as guitar and electric bass.

Ayala's lyrics generally trend towards environmental advocacy and the promotion of indigenous Philippine culture, and his songs have become the de facto anthem of many an environmentalist movement.

Highly recommended for people who want to expand their "world music" vocabulary beyond Manu Chao's "euro-reggae" and the latest bhangra hit from the UK.

Media Links:
Dapithapon ("Twilight") (http://youtube.com/watch?v=BFPGexXxE9M&feature=related) - a classical rondalla ensemble piece written by Ayala for guitar, bandurria, octavina, and laud, performed in this video by a group out of Cornell University.
Agila ("Eagle") (http://youtube.com/watch?v=NDu10Az1L5s)
Karaniwang Tao ("Common Man") (http://youtube.com/watch?v=oHFY3OjkmxY) - Ayala's most popular song, features prominent use of the hegalong for those who are curious as to what it sounds like. 

Fatal Posporos - Paper View: The Fatal Posporos ("Fatal Matches") are an all-girl group that burst onto the Philippine indie rock scene during the late 1990s. I don't know if they've ever publicly acknowledged Japanese girl-punk pioneers Shonen Knife as one of their influences, but that's really who they remind me of. They've got the same penchant for fusing silly puns, occasionally non-sensical stream-of-consciousness and sometimes bilingual but always fun lyrics, and a refreshing wide-eyed naivety with a garage band sound and the occasional stylistic nod to 1960s pop music. They never really hit it big outside of the college crowd, and they disbanded soon after releasing their only album in 1999, although they did a brief reunion-ish club tour a couple of years ago.

Media Links:
Sili Song (http://youtube.com/watch?v=65Xr_-In08A)
Hidden Mitsurugi (http://youtube.com/watch?v=e9_OZueNtZM&feature=related) (not on the album... it's just a couple of former Fatal Posporos doing a song built around a manga/anime pun ("Hidden Mitsurugi" is a reference to the Hiten-Mitsurugi school of swordsmanship from the "Samurai X" anime/manga... the band is a fan of comics in general, they even have a song entitled "Harvey Dent") 

Thrice - "Vheissu"

I've been listening to this recently. I bought it when it first came out, thinking that the whole album would sound like "Image of the Invisible", but I was wrong in thinking that. As the whole album is very different, at least Thrice wise. If you didn't know, Thrice was a post-hardcore screaming band, and for them to go more experimental was really... different. At first I was disappointed, but three years later after it's release I'm starting to love it. They've also recently released two new albums, which was actually supposed to be a four part EP series, but they changed their minds and made them into two albums. Good stuff.

"Red Sky" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-T_8Rt3MpU)

And one of my favorite songs off of their newer album...

"A Song For Milly Michaelson" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9jZ9U1ainE)

Silversun Pickups - "Carnavas"

Another album I recently listened to. Good stuff, but I don't know how to describe it. If you like soothing, but still rather grungy stuff, you should check these guys out. They might surprise you, though. At least, I was. their music style is somewhat unique, as it sounds very distorted, but at the same time somewhat dreamy. It's weird, but it's good.

"Little Lover's So Polite" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IkeBAvXMMU)

Spam, have you tried listening to the Soma FM (http://somafm.com/) internet radio station? Sounds like the "Digitalis" and "Indie Pop Rocks" channels are right up your alley, judging by the bands you've been posting about. It's a great way to find similar-sounding artists.

Quote from: Protomorph on May 15, 2008, 04:31:20 PM
The Beatles
  Hate and Hell.

They are remix projects by a fan, avaliable for FREE online from their respective sites:
www.thebeatleshate.com and www.thebeatleshell.com

Interesting stuff. Not as happy as Love, of course (or professional). But not bad at all.

LOVE - It's the only album I listen to lately. The Beatles sound great, but now not as crusty as they do on oldies stations, and you don't have to listen to all the other terrible old people music!

André "Gypsy" Gerard- André: André is the name of a homeless street musician who works in downtown Vancouver. He generally works the area around the Granville train station. I used to see him a lot on the way to school and work. Rain or shine, chances are he'd be there playing original folk music and covering Bob Dylan and Jim Croce songs. He always has a good word for people getting off the train station, whether or not they give him change or pay him any mind. I've had the privilege of speaking with him a couple of times and he's one of the nicest, most inspiring artists I've ever met. Not to say that he isn't without his own personal demons, but he plays music so earnestly and he genuinely loves brightening up people's days with his music. One time I saw him playing but didn't have any change to give him myself, so I just went up to him and shook his hand and he said "that's the best I've gotten all day."

At some point, a bunch of locals decided to record him in a studio and press a few hundred CD copies of his music. André started selling his CDs on the sidewalk to supplement his earnings as a street musician.

A couple of months ago, I saw André outside the Granville station, looking absolutely depressed and downtrodden and without his guitar. Turns out some bastard stole it. I was absolutely heartbroken to see him in such a state and if I could have bought him a new guitar right there and then I would have but the best I could do was buy his CD for $10. I haven't seen him in while so I hope he's okay.

Anyway, if you're ever in downtown Vancouver and see a smiling, bearded, sixty-something street musician, maybe he's hawking his CDs, or hopefully with a guitar, stick around and listen for a few minutes. Maybe put off buying the new X-Men or Batman and give him some change. Better yet, buy the CD... it's got 8 original songs (folksy tunes reminiscent of Bob Dylan) and a cover of Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles" and Jim Croce's "I Got A Name."     

Media Links:
A mini-documentary about André Gerard (http://youtube.com/watch?v=DXOmWrLjGxE)
André Gerard singing Wild World and an original song (http://youtube.com/watch?v=73JkN61jVws)

Barbie's Cradle - Playing In The Fields: Barbie's Cradle started out in 1997 as the alterna-pop trio with the queasily pretentious name of Hungry Young Poets (no relation to the Fine Young Cannibals or Strapping Young Lad), and they managed to make minor ripples in the Philippine music scene with their lone album released that same year. When HYP broke up over creative differences slightly over a year later, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Barbie Almabis and drummer/percussionist Franklin Benitez went and formed a new band, Barbie's Cradle, recruiting Rommel dela Cruz to take over the bass-playing duties (apparently, HYP's bassist, Ricci Gurango, held the rights to the HYP name).

Playing In The Fields is Barbie's Cradle's third and final album (Barbie Almabis embarked on a solo career soon after the album's release in 2003), and in my opinion, their best, most fully-realized work. Almabis has a penchant for writing laid-back, but nonetheless tightly-arranged, minor scale pop numbers but she mixes things up this time around with some well-executed upbeat songs, including her version of National Artist Ryan Cayabyab's classic "Limang Dipang Tao" (Five Peoples' Breadth). Almabis' guitar-playing has really improved and come a long way from her Poets days, getting jazzy and bossa nova-esque on the song "Dragon Flies" and maintaining a harder edge on "Independence Day."

I guess the best parallel I can come up with to describe the music here is The Cardigans-meets-Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, but that does a disservice to the band, since they draw on a much more colourful sonic palette.

Media Links:
Everyday (http://youtube.com/watch?v=oeeAHpzriUs)
Money For Food (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fd0uNGkvZcw&feature=related)
Independence Day (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9yh_xw9tmQA&feature=related)
Limang Dipang Tao (http://youtube.com/watch?v=YRoo__gtBcg) 

Patton Oswalt's two CDs, Feeling Kinda Patton, and Werewolves and Lollipops

Patton is a gifted visual comedian/comic book and sci-fi geek. These cds are truly hilarious (but not for kids)

Ok, it's not music, but the thread title does just say 'Albums'.

Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom: One of my favourite guitar-oriented records of all-time, right up there with Steve Vai's Passion and Warfare and Joe Satriani's Surfing With The Alien. Ah Via Musicom was released during the peak of the Ibanez-wielding speed merchant guitar craze during the 1990s, so it was sort of buried beneath the glut of similar sounding, million notes-per-minute axe pyrotechnics records of the time, although two songs off the album ("Trademark" and "Cliffs of Dover") still managed to gain international popularity, if not with the general music-listening population, then at least with many serious guitarists the world over.

Johnson coaxes a very warm sound from his guitar, a stark contrast to the over-engineered, super compressed sounds of his contemporaries, and it's that warmth that gives his tone a very distinct character.

The neat thing about Johnson is that a whole new generation of kids are listening to his music because of the inclusion of "Cliffs of Dover" on the Guitar Hero 3 track list.

Media Links:
Cliffs of Dover (http://youtube.com/watch?v=55nAwmVLQSk&feature=related)
Trademark (http://youtube.com/watch?v=z4rKijXCm3w)
Song For George (http://youtube.com/watch?v=mBwVwckJSn0&feature=related)
High Landrons (http://youtube.com/watch?v=s4mci2SX7LE&feature=related)

The Beatles-Love

Ausome remixes and editing

Cambio - CambioMatic: This is the second full-length album by Cambio, a group comprised mostly of former members of pioneering Philippine indie pop/rock act the Eraserheads (Buddy Zabala on bass, Raimund Marasigan on drums, and ex-Fatal Posporos member Kris Gorra-Dancel on vocals/guitars, who replaced legendary Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia in the band's final incarnation).

This is way better than their debut LP Derby Light, which sounded like a collection of half-formed Eraserheads and Fatal Posporos cast-off singles passed through a Broken Social Scene/Stars filter. While the album, as a whole, doesn't reach the creative heights of the best Eraserheads records (or even the Fatal Posporos' Paper View), it doesn't really disappoint either. Zabala, Marasigan, and Gorra-Dancel may not have Buendia's songwriting chops, but they've been making music long enough to know what goes into a tight pop number: catchy hooks, toe-tapping rhythms, and more catchy hooks. The band has gained something of a following across Asia with their single "Call Center," a song about life working in the tech-support/customer support business (a growing job market in the Philippines, India, and Malaysia, where American companies can hire competent English-speaking locals but pay them with relatively low wages compared to their State-side counterparts). They've also been well-received in Japan (in fact, the only places on the net that I can find their CD is on Yahoo!Japan's auction site and Amazon.co.jp... the only other online merchant that offers their CD on sale is on Google's list of sites that install third-party cookies/malware).

Highlights of the album include the aforementioned "Call Center," the infectious "Shopaholica," and the disco-themed "Shake Your Pants."

Media Links:
Call Center (http://youtube.com/watch?v=s4yhEQ63xtE) (the video looks like it was shot in my old neighbourhood!)
Shopaholica (http://www.imeem.com/goldilax/music/2sDwDSRD/cambio_shopaholica/)
Pasaway (http://youtube.com/watch?v=rimwo8AIhjs&feature=related)

The Mongols - Buddha's Pest: The Mongols were a one-off band formed by former Eraserheads frontman/guitarist Ely Buendia after he left the 'heads over creative differences. Joining Buendia (who went by the nom d'artiste Jesus "Dizzy" Ventura to bypass contractual restrictions) was guitarist J. Astro of pop-punk band The Teeth, and bassist Yan Yuzon and drummer Bogs Jugo of Daydream Cycle. They released a limited edition EP in 2003 entitled "A Fraction of a Second" (something I'm still looking for and is something of a holy grail for me right now... the discs were printed off of Buendia's home PC on CD-R media).

Buddha's Pest is the full-length album based on that EP. It's a solid album featuring Buendia at his song-writing best, reminiscent of his earlier work with the Eraserheads (in fact, if I hadn't known who the band was, I'd just have assumed that the songs were by the Eraserheads just by listening to them). Seeing as how it was just a project that bridged Buendia's Eraserheads work with his later stuff with his current band Pupil (a decent group, but whose work is nowhere near as interesting as the Eraserheads' or The Mongols'), the band didn't really have any sort of commercial success. No videos either, outside of one for their single "Keeper" (said video released after the band had been dissolved) and a live clip I managed to find on YouTube.

Media Links:
Keeper (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xyt4iJWqwVs&feature=related)
Bakit Nga Ba? (http://youtube.com/watch?v=cdh4_m8Sz_s&feature=related) (Why Is It Again?)

Dahong Palay - Kapatiran ng Bakal at Apoy (Brotherhood of Steel and Flame): Dahong Palay is a heavy metal trio that came from the early 1990s Manila metal scene. They gained popularity when their demo got heavy rotation on the now-defunct LA105.9 rock, punk, and metal station. I guess its easiest to describe their music as "epic" metal along the lines of Iron Maiden, Dio, and post-Ozzy Black Sabbath. They're technically solid all-around, guitarist Booths Oca does a great job of doing Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde-esque solos and singer/bassist Eurd de la Hostria pumps out enough low-end to give babies chest hair. And boy, those lyrics... after listening to the album, I felt like laying waste to the town armed with a battle-ax and dressed in nothing but a loincloth  :lol:

I don't know if the original band is still together, last I heard was that they were playing Japan's yearly Metalfest (with a different line-up), and that was back in 2003. 

Media Links:
Kapatiran ng Bakal at Apoy (Brotherhood of Steel and Flame) (http://www.imeem.com/khidora/music/GGcY1yaL/dahong_palay_kapatiran_ng_bakal_at_apoy/)
Imortal (Immortal) (http://www.imeem.com/people/n30sRJ/music/QPeW6MxL/dahong_palay_imortal/)
At Muling Sumikat ang Araw (And the Sun Did Again Shine) (http://www.imeem.com/people/n30sRJ/music/tuBki6rU/dahong_palay_at_muling_sumikat_ang_araw/)
Panginoon ng Hangin (God of the Wind) (http://www.imeem.com/people/1S2pB0r/music/GZn0PwFZ/dahong_palay_panginoon_ng_hangin/)

Just got The Velvet Underground & Nico, listened to the first few tracks. Sounds good so far.

Also, Weezer's The Red Album is coming out soon... that's going to be awesome.

FORIAMSPAM!

Weezer's new album came out today. I must say, that I am indeed a big Weezer fan, but this release is... different. The album cover is good ol' classic Weezer where they just stand in front of a colored screen, exactly like their first and third albums entitled The Blue Album, and The Green Album... well, this one is called The Red Album, probably because it has the band standing in front of a red backdrop. But this album is still different... different like how Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer, grew out a mustache just for the album cover. But anyways, down to the album review.

These guys have always had solid releases, IMO. The website Pitchfork gave their last few albums (especially Make Believe) pretty bad scores. I have no idea why, I personally think their just a bunch of jerks... sorta like how The Rolling Stone gives new releases solid 3 out of 5's nowadays. But anyway, The Red Album sounds sorta like The Blue Album and Pinkerton combined, except with different influences. They take different genres and sounds of music, and blend them together to make... this. "Pork & Beans" takes Weezer's power pop guitar rock sound, which was previously and mainly established on their first few releases, and it sounds like Weezer can still make the same exact type of music they did ten, fifteen years ago. This song sounds like it could have been a Blue Album outtake, it's like it came straight from that album. Except with maybe the addition of piano in the song, but other then that, it's good Weezer.

The album also has the whole band contributing as lead songwriters, and vocalists, instead of Rivers playing the front man. Now the whole band contributes to the songs, and they even switch instruments through the album.

If you like Weezer, you might like this album, you just have to give it a try. It may sound like Weezer has done a 180 degrees trying to sound like they did before, but at the same time it feels like they've gone the whole 360, and made something different. Make Believe was good, but it was also sort of an experiment. It was way poppier and alternative then any other Weezer album, but with this it's like they've done the splits... they tried to take a step back, and a step forward at the same time. Will it succeed? Maybe. All's what I know, is that Weezer still kicks arse. And that's that.

Pork & Beans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WanLLnVixC4&feature=related)

(Another album highlight. It's weird when it starts off, but it's catchy as all hell) The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a32Yqft3E5w)

(One of my favorite Weezer songs ever... I know it's not on this album, but hey. It's still good. :) ) Only In Dreams (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAt0l5nxoxo)

Thanks for the links Spam. I was a big Weezer fan when I was in high school, which was around the time that The Blue Album and Pinkerton came out. I guess I sort of stopped listening to them by the time The Green Album came out because I felt I had grown up (or at least grown older) while their music and lyrics still catered to the younger set (or at least tot he younger version of me). I might have to give this new album a thorough listen and see if they've grown older with me and see if it's a worthy purchase (not that I need any more CDs... I'm running out of storage space for my CDs and cassettes).

I've listened to the new Disturbed album a few times today.  :lol:

Recently I dusted off my giant collection of four Billy Joel Cd's and I can't stop listening to "The Stranger".

Quote from: Protomorph on June 03, 2008, 07:41:59 PM
I've listened to the new Disturbed album a few times today.  :lol:

It was up on itunes on the 30th, I couldnt wait for the CD :) I wouldnt say it was their best album, but it's good, It's about on par with the 2nd album, not quite the level of the 1st or 3rd

Quote from: Placebo on June 04, 2008, 12:36:37 AM

Quote from: Protomorph on June 03, 2008, 07:41:59 PM
I've listened to the new Disturbed album a few times today.  :lol:

It was up on itunes on the 30th, I couldnt wait for the CD :) I wouldnt say it was their best album, but it's good, It's about on par with the 2nd album, not quite the level of the 1st or 3rd

I'd agree with that.

Quote from: Spam on June 03, 2008, 04:41:35 PM
Weezer's new album came out today. I must say, that I am indeed a big Weezer fan, but this release is... different. The album cover is good ol' classic Weezer where they just stand in front of a colored screen, exactly like their first and third albums entitled The Blue Album, and The Green Album... well, this one is called The Red Album, probably because it has the band standing in front of a red backdrop. But this album is still different... different like how Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer, grew out a mustache just for the album cover. But anyways, down to the album review.

These guys have always had solid releases, IMO. The website Pitchfork gave their last few albums (especially Make Believe) pretty bad scores. I have no idea why, I personally think their just a bunch of jerks... sorta like how The Rolling Stone gives new releases solid 3 out of 5's nowadays. But anyway, The Red Album sounds sorta like The Blue Album and Pinkerton combined, except with different influences. They take different genres and sounds of music, and blend them together to make... this. "Pork & Beans" takes Weezer's power pop guitar rock sound, which was previously and mainly established on their first few releases, and it sounds like Weezer can still make the same exact type of music they did ten, fifteen years ago. This song sounds like it could have been a Blue Album outtake, it's like it came straight from that album. Except with maybe the addition of piano in the song, but other then that, it's good Weezer.

The album also has the whole band contributing as lead songwriters, and vocalists, instead of Rivers playing the front man. Now the whole band contributes to the songs, and they even switch instruments through the album.

If you like Weezer, you might like this album, you just have to give it a try. It may sound like Weezer has done a 180 degrees trying to sound like they did before, but at the same time it feels like they've gone the whole 360, and made something different. Make Believe was good, but it was also sort of an experiment. It was way poppier and alternative then any other Weezer album, but with this it's like they've done the splits... they tried to take a step back, and a step forward at the same time. Will it succeed? Maybe. All's what I know, is that Weezer still kicks arse. And that's that.

Pork & Beans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WanLLnVixC4&feature=related)

(Another album highlight. It's weird when it starts off, but it's catchy as all hell) The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a32Yqft3E5w)

(One of my favorite Weezer songs ever... I know it's not on this album, but hey. It's still good. :) ) Only In Dreams (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAt0l5nxoxo)

Spammy, being a huge Weezer guy myself, I agree with this review 100%. Bought it yesterday, was about to do a review... and promptly fell asleep last night.

"Greatest Man" definitely has Pinkerton tones to it, as opposed to "Pork & Beans," which could've been lifted directly from Blue (or Green) Album.

I think the main reason it sound different, is because, instead of having a specific sound, like they attempted (and achieved) on all their previous albums, this one sets out to mimic those styles on each individual song.

If you're going to get this album, do yourself a favor and spring for the Deluxe Edition. "Miss Sweeny" is weird, awkward, and quirky... just like the best of Weezer. "And "King" is the first Weezer song not sung by Rivers (sung by Scott Shriner [bassist #3])

(And "Only In Dreams" is my favorite of their non- quirky song as well, but nothing beats "Undone - The Sweater Song." Youtube it. It's good stuff.)

Nothing I'm going to say is going to change anyone's opinion. Hell, nothing I could say hasn't been said before.

Weezer: The Red Album is a good CD. The band has slipped from overly "poppy" to "trying to be artsy" and back again. This album has such an eclectic group of songs and sounds. The tracks where Rivers doesn't sing are refreshing. The Greatest Man In The World is something that must be heard to understand.

This album is ironic to it's core. It's catchy at times and almost touching at others (Heart Songs for one).

If you have ever been a fan of Weezer do yourself a favor and at least listen to a friends copy.

I love this album.

-MJB

Ely Buendia - Wanted Bedspacer: Ely Buendia is probably the most significant contemporary Philippine musician/songwriter of the past 2 decades. Buendia entered the music scene as the frontman for seminal Philippine indie pop band the Eraserheads in the early 1990s. The Eraserheads created a potent pop sound heavily influenced by the Beatles, Lou Reed, the Beach Boys, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, and the Talking Heads, but still rooted in indigenous musical sensibilities, and became a regional hit. The band would go on to release several successful albums and even win MTV Asia's Viewer's Choice Award in 1997 (not an easy feat for an act that primarily sang in their native language of Tagalog, considering the multitude of languages spoken in the Asian region).

Wanted Bedspacer was created in-between Eraserheads albums in 2000, and it's a distinct departure from Buendia's guitar-driven brand of pop music. The album features songs that bear more than a slight tinge of electronica, although they still retain an organic, live feel. A lot of Eraserheads fans I've spoken to have mixed feelings about Buendia's work here, but I, for one, enjoy the experimentation he engaged in in this record.

Media Links:
Over 18 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkfJXiPWuBM&amp;feature=related)
Wanted Bedspacer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f58OI0MWHKw)
Santo (Saint) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUmMfngmLAE&feature=related)
Tapos Na (It's Over) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv1OI9e5oqs&amp;feature=related)
   

Mono - Formica Blues: The UK-based group Mono is probably most famous for their single "Life in Mono," which found its way on a number of film soundtracks and downtempo/ambient music collections in the late 1990s. Formica Blues is their only full-length album to date, as far as I know.

I've always enjoyed their brand of synth pop-meets-1960s spy and lounge-meets trip hop, although it is pretty apparent where the most common criticism of their music (that they sound a tad too much like Portishead circa the Dummy period) comes from. In their defense, though, Mono was only part of a large and overwhelming trend in late 1990s where trip-hop groups used 1960s/1970s-inspired instrumentation and were almost always fronted by female vocalists (Portishead, Lamb, Morcheeba, Zero 7, Alpha, and even early Esthero, to a certain extent).

Anyway, they are one of the few 1990s trip-hop groups who didn't overstay their welcome... they put out their best songs, and then got out before they started repeating themselves.

Media Links:
Life In Mono (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2aa1tEh82I)
Slimcea Girl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGw4HLDa6HE)
Penguin Freud (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxstmnCqJVU&feature=related)
Silicone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlYjm5zrJt8&feature=related)

Loquat - It's Yours To Keep: San Francisco-based Loquat is one of the more under-appreciated independent pop acts, I find. They are an excellent live act, and their studio material stands up to repeated listens. They have a very spare, somewhat lo-fi sound, which allows the band to showcase its greatest strengths: vocalist Kylee Swenson's vocals and their simple yet effective lyrics.

If you're a fan of Regina Spektor or Rilo Kiley, or even J-pop group Do As Infinity, you may want to give these guys a listen.

Media Links:
Swingset Chain (http://www.last.fm/music/Loquat/+videos/+1-XL0QGn4lx_Y)
Take It Back (http://www.last.fm/music/Loquat/_/Take+It+Back?autostart)     

Portishead is often brought up on this thread. Well, the new album came out around a month ago. It's different from the 1st 2 albums. Not a lot of break beats this time around. However, it is still really good. The 3rd albums title is, well, Third. Go check it out.

Coldplay came out with a new album today. Haven't picked it up yet, even though I should probably go and get it sometime.

FORIAMSPAM!

Quote from: Spam on June 17, 2008, 03:53:50 PM
Coldplay came out with a new album today. Haven't picked it up yet, even though I should probably go and get it sometime.

FORIAMSPAM!

GET.

I'm listening to Viva La Vida right now, it's really pretty good. Better than X&Y I know for sure.

EDIT: Pretty good was a huge understatement, it's amazing, easily the best disc of the year.

Santogold - self-titled: I've been in a bit of a listening rut lately, preferring to listen to the stuff I listened to during my formative years (1990s Philippine indie music, late 1990s trip-hop and ambient, the Beatles, the odd jazz and swing records)... it's just that there doesn't seem to be much out there that inspires me these days. I picked up Santi White's 2008 debut album on the recommendation of a friend. The 32 year old White, who goes by the stage name Santogold, serves up a very eclectic sound, combining elements of 1980s pop and dance music, punk, dub, reggaeton, roots reggae, hip-hop, and rock music. The great thing about this album is it sounds very raw and organic, giving it a sense of improvisation and spontaneity not commonly found in today's over-produced and overly slick popular music sound.

Also, I love it when I can find a record that I can dance and rock out to (I've always found it odd that there seems to be a popular but false dichotomy that "rock" shouldn't be danceable and that dance music shouldn't be something one can "rock out" to).

Definitely recommended.

Media Links:
Say Aha (http://youtube.com/watch?v=fIY-qd8todk)
L.E.S. Artistes (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y9JI0GXkARQ&feature=related)
I'm A Lady (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ho8uHDb7hVI&feature=related)
You'll Find A Way (http://youtube.com/watch?v=95Tjhy24DeU&feature=related)
The Creator (http://youtube.com/watch?v=AXpZi4I4G7k&feature=related)
Shove It (http://youtube.com/watch?v=yrOqOWC_vWM&feature=related)
My Superman (http://youtube.com/watch?v=0edqUV_hQcc&feature=related)

Dinosaur Jr., Beyond

Workout Holiday by White Denim is pretty good.

Also, Hercules & Love Affair.

Violent Playground - Primordial Soup: Named after a 1958 British film that was a cautionary tale about the dangers of rock and roll, you'd think Violent Playground would be one of those artsy, ironic, post-rock outfits. Somewhat surprisingly, the Manila-based group plays straightforward, radio-ready, adult-contemporary "alternative" rock. Primordial Soup, the group's only album, was released in 1996, amid the burgeoning wave of independent local music releases that characterized the 1990s Philippine music scene. Comparisons to Toad the Wet Sprocket and early Pearl Jam aren't too far off. Not really a strong record when compared to what the their contemporaries were releasing at the time, but a competent pop record that manages to create a by-the-numbers 1990s sound (complete with the customary descending pentatonic scales!).

Media Links:
Starvation Army (http://www.imeem.com/ryehann707/music/ScDN3cvY/violent_playground_starvation_army/)
Never The Bright Lights (http://www.imeem.com/ryehann707/music/Sb508I92/violent_playground_never_the_bright_lights/)

Air - Moon Safari: One of the most influential records of the late 1990s, Moon Safari, the first album by the French duo Air, popularised the "chillout" ethos, taking it from the confines of European clubs and post-rave afterparties into the musical mainstream. Air took healthy helpings of lounge, acid jazz, ambient, and downtempo electronica and mixed them with a vibe that is as much about relaxing beats as it is about atmosphere. Still one of my favourite records to just chill out to.

Media Links:
La Femme D'argent (http://youtube.com/watch?v=VH5bL_XbO64&feature=related)
Le Voyage De Penelope (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ompApz4IJMA)
Sexy Boy (http://youtube.com/watch?v=wouKI_myXxk)
Ce Matin La (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Do5wvBcEHlQ)         

Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen: Few bands remind me of the mid/late 1990s more than Ben Folds Five. Pianist/vocalist Ben Folds managed to tap into a pop-gold vein with 1997's Whatever and Ever Amen, writing a major hit in the poignant "Brick" as well as a couple of lesser successes with "Battle of Who Could Care Less," "Song For The Dumped," and "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces." The group developed a distinct sound, throwing the conventional "angsty alt-rock" of the day on its ear by totally dispensing with guitars and instead layering piano, bass (usually overdriven and distorted to make up for the lack of guitar arrangements), and occasionally orchestral sounds to create what Folds jokingly called "punk rock for sissies." They never really replicated their success with succeeding records (while I think their follow-up record, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner was a more consistent album from top to bottom, it didn't have any ready-made hits). 

Media Links:
Brick (http://youtube.com/watch?v=axpuVLQ_m4w)
Song For The Dumped (http://youtube.com/watch?v=5SfjS6sX97U&feature=user)
One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces (http://youtube.com/watch?v=3pWB2N0_TxM&feature=user)
Battle of Who Could Care Less (http://youtube.com/watch?v=M7-jiEbWUUc&feature=user)
Steven's Last Night In Town (http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5205412045088459121&q=steven%27s+last+night+in+town&ei=YZmBSKZ5ie6tA6yxpJoF)

Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle: 1994's Doggystyle was Dr. Dre protege Snoop Doggy Dogg's (Calvin Broadus, Jr. in real-life) debut record. It was a fairly controversial record at the time, panned by parents and moral guardians alike for its violent and misogynistic lyrics and unflattering and misleading portrait of black urban youth culture. Broadus defended his music by claiming that he was only broadcasting the stark reality faced by a disaffected segment of the population. The truth, of course, was somewhere in the middle: many of Broadus' lyrics do glorify gang violence, drug use, and the objectification of women but it was also clear that he had managed to give voice to the growing discontentment and the teeming violence in the inner cities.

Controversial lyrics notwithstanding, Broadus' impact on the hip-hop scene was undeniable. His particular brand of "g-funk" combined with his distinct vocal delivery helped him stand out from the glut of West Coast rappers emerging during the mid-1990s. Doggystyle combines a powerful sense of production innovation and practiced craft, something that Broadus has been hard-pressed to replicate in his succeeding releases.       

Björk - Homogenic and Post: Björk gets a generally bad rap from the media these days, she's somewhat viewed as an emotionally unstable, self-important artiste. To be fair, the reputation isn't purely undeserved. She's had some baffling public incidents in the past few years, and her unconventional approach to music is probably considered impenetrable by the more traditional and conservative music critics.

1995's Post and 1997's Homogenic, to me, showcased Björk at the height of her creative powers. She melded ambient, dance, industrial, noise-core, and traditional music into something that the popular music scene had never seen before, introducing something genuinely novel in an industry that had been recycling and repackaging 30 year-old tropes. The "perpetually new" quality I find in her music lends itself to being used as a "palate cleanser" of sorts between more traditional album listens.

Media Links:
Hyperballad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSJ4d3JBJCo&feature=related) (one of my favourite songs of all time)
Hunter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfwBoumNpmc)
All Is Full of Love (Radio Edit) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAoBKagWQA&feature=related)
I Miss You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybDX_5hQ6So) (video directed by Jon "Ren & Stimpy" Kricfalusi)
It's Oh So Quiet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htobTBlCvUU&feature=related)
Possibly Maybe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK0lXnzYWsg&feature=related)           

Listened to OK Computer today. That was about it, besides me still saying that the album is amazing.

Listened to The Appleseed Cast's first album yesterday. More amazingness. If you like music, you should like these guys.

FORIAMSPAM!

Quote from: zuludelta on July 23, 2008, 01:43:14 PM
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle

Quote from: zuludelta on July 25, 2008, 08:01:19 PM
Björk - Homogenic and Post

THAT is a diverse musical taste if ever I saw one.

Quote from: BWPS on July 26, 2008, 07:14:28 AM

Quote from: zuludelta on July 23, 2008, 01:43:14 PM
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle

Quote from: zuludelta on July 25, 2008, 08:01:19 PM
Björk - Homogenic and Post

THAT is a diverse musical taste if ever I saw one.

Heh heh... yeah, my CD/mp3 collection inspires some double-takes every now and then. If there's one thing I pretty much avoid, though, it's the bulk of what I call "Max-pop." It's that generic boy-band/pop diva songwriting, popularized by Swedish songwriters Max Martin and the late Denniz Pop (they've written the bulk of hits for "artists" like Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and the Backstreet Boys). If there's any lyrically vacuous and creatively bankrupt pop song that's managed to annoy the hell out of you in the last decade or so, chances are it was written by Martin and Pop or one of their imitators/protégés.     

The Black Kids - Partie Traumatic

Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior

Beans - Thorns

Fleet Foxes

The Oranges Band [All Around] - Fantastic band with a lot of fun songs

Portishead [Third] - It's a departure from their previous albums, but I'm finally starting to enjoy it

Communic - Waves of Visual Decay (2006): This sophomore album by the Norwegian progressive thrash metal trio Communic (http://www.myspace.com/communic) reminds one of the condition of certain special, serious musical acts: they make music not as a devotion to the beauty of sound but rather as if they were trying to cure themselves of an acute malady.  Waves of Visual Decay blends raw, raucous thrash and progressive metal methods with superior production and vocalist/guitarist Oddleif Stensland's sometimes sweet, sometimes rough, sometimes stratospheric, but always haunting voice on an album that will leave the listener thrilled, (perhaps) a bit frightened, and happily exhausted by record's end.  Highlights include the riff-heavy antiwar opening track, "Under a Luminous Sky," the powerfully crunchy "Frozen Asleep in the Park" (a diatribe against the unnecessary condition of homelessness, society's open dirty secret), the down-tempo "Watching It All Disappear," the darkly sinister "My Bleeding Victim," and, IMHO, one of the band's best, most representative songs, "Fooled by the Serpent," which demonstrates Communic's ability to couple driving and slow tempos with alternating passages of fury and tranquility.

Pagan's Mind - Infinity Divine (2001; rerecorded in 2004): Not just another power-prog metal act with a mystical space travel fixation, Norway's Pagan's Mind (http://www.myspace.com/pagansmind) features the dual guitar force of Jørn Viggo Lofstad and Thorstein Aaby, the flying fingers of keyboardist Ronny Tegner, and the unique, almost extraterrestrial vocals of Nils K. Rue on the band's stellar (ho-ho!) debut album.  Infinity Divine not only introduces the listener to the themes that would dominate Pagan's Mind's next three albums (Celestial Entrance (2003), Enigmatic: Calling (2005), and God's Equation (2007)) but it also does so in a fashion more faithful to progressive metal methods than the later records, which tend toward more traditional, melodic power metal characteristics.  Highlights include the lyrical ουροβóρος "Infinity Divine" ("You are what you mean you can be..."); the gritty, riff-heavy "Embracing Fear"; the eerie, atmospheric "Astral Projection"; and the soaring, festinate "Angels' Serenity."

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Fop o' th' Morning

I'm digging a lot of Nekromantix, Tiger ARmy and Wanda Jackson right now. No particular albums.

I agree about Post and Homogenic. Both are great albums.

KOMMANDO LIKE HAWKWIND

Jamshied Sharifi - One   World music at it's best, you've got a really good Iranian american composer selecting some of the best traditional artists from their respective countries and weaving it all together. Unfortunately it has a small stink of new age but the good songs make up for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqxP9qRvX4M

Nomo - Ghost Rock   A mix of Afro-Beat and 70s Funk, only add to that a huge wall of horns and some strange home made african instruments that sound like a mix of of a bass, piano and electric guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOrNrLCIPug

Stratovarious - Episode   I really loved this power metal album in high school and recently I've been listening to it a LOT. Also I saw those guy's live when I was like 19 or 20... what an amazing act.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I9lT1Nv_bo

DJ KRUSH - Jaku   Really good Japanese techno and trip hop. Actually it's just something I can get away thing playing out loud while my gf studies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wghFsc1cWyc

Quote from: lugaru on August 01, 2008, 04:21:50 AM
DJ KRUSH - Jaku   Really good Japanese techno and trip hop. Actually it's just something I can get away thing playing out loud while my gf studies.

Great choice. Easily one of his best albums.

Recent spins:

Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords: I have to admit, the initial reason I bought this CD was for the cover (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/GZALiquidSwords.jpg) (it was drawn by Deathlok and The Question penciller Denys Cowan). Turned out the album contents were okay, too. Although the album was released under the Genius/GZA artist name in 1995, Liquid Swords is pretty much a Wu-Tang Clan album from top to bottom, with guest appearances by every significant member of the group. In fact, I'd say that this is probably the tightest Wu-Tang album (better than the more popular and critically-acclaimed Enter the Wu-Tang), and in my opinion, one of the most solid hip-hop albums of the 1990s. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the album for me is how it shows that despite all the macho posturing by the Wu-Tang, they're pretty much comic book and film nerds at heart. Interspersed in the album are samples from the samurai film Kozure Ōkami, and there are frequent lyrical nods to Marvel superhero characters. If you're only beginning to get into hip-hop (as I was back in the early/mid-1990s), it's hard to do any better than this record as an introductory piece.

Media Links (warning: some par-for-the-course swearing):
Labels (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSwXV4DUX2I&feature=related)
Cold World (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyt0tAwDAPc)
Liquid Swords (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiQoVv0FSKQ&feature=related) 

I've been listening to Camel recently.  Particularly stuff off The Snow Goose and Mirage. 

Here's a live performance of The Snow Goose/Friendship/Rhayader Goes To Town (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTVnCyDoQlQ) from The Snow Goose.
And a live performance of Lady Fantasy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrg_B1pCors) from Mirage.

Pilgrim Heart by Krishna Das as well as some of his other stuff...

Oracular Spectacular by MGMT. This is the first time I've enjoyed an album so much since Stadium Arcadium by the Chili Peppers was released.

The Tough Alliance - A New Chance (2007)

Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer) and Tim Rice (lyricist) - Jesus Christ Superstar: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album: 1973's Jesus Christ Superstar was my first introduction Andrew Lloyd Webber's work. I know a lot of the Webber fans out there think that the soundtrack to the motion picture version of the acclaimed 1970 Broadway rock opera is the weakest in terms of recording quality (the guitars and drums are very muddy in certain songs), but for me, the motion picture version is the only version, never having seen any of the numerous official stage productions.

The standout performers on this album are Ted Neeley (who played the protagonist), Carl Anderson (Judas), and Barry Dennen (Pontius Pilate). Neeley brings incredible range to the role, sounding almost like vintage Uriah Heep vocalist David Byron in certain parts. Anderson (who sounds vaguely like 1970s rock icon Ken Hensley) and Dennen, on the other hand, provide the fuller counterpoint to Neeley's vocal acrobatics.

Some people might be put off listening to this album because of the subject matter... there is an odd but pervading attitude among many music fans that popular/commercial music has to be strictly secular (a foolish qualification in my opinion, good music is good music, regardless of subject matter) but independent of the religious overtones, the music and lyrics are solid 1970s pop/rock and the stylized adaptation of the Jesus narrative isn't half-bad.     

Media Links:
Heaven On Their Minds (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytNoiQ8LkS8)
What's the Buzz/Mystifying (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLFAyw-5Rp8)
Pilate's Dream (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX2XEc-WBHE&feature=related)
I Don't Know How To Love Him (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn7exBrCiUI&feature=related)
Pilate and Christ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmnmOTYPU9E)
King Herod's Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb_9uH-ELJE&feature=related)
Judas' Death (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZIipy4JM4&feature=related)

None lately but I will be getting the Detox album and that Blueprint3! :thumbup:

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (2007)

Death From Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine: Death From Above 1979 is one of my favourite new acts of the past few years. The Toronto-based duo's music is often classified as "dance-punk," featuring plenty of punk, hardcore, and metal stylistic conventions laid over disco beats. You're a Woman, I'm a Machine, released in 2004, is the group's only album, the pair of drummer-vocalist Sebastien Grainger and bassist-keyboardist Jesse Keeler splitting due to creative and personal differences a scant two years after the album's release. The album was a minor hit in Canada and sold relatively well in Japan, but they never really got much mainstream exposure in the US.

The music on You're a Woman, I'm a Machine has a raw and infectious energy to it, although it can be argued that they could have easily cut a couple of tracks to streamline the final cut. Anybody looking to revive their interest in punk-inspired music should consider giving these guys a listen.

Media Links:
Romantic Rights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzNrYRqH35Q) 
Pull Out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAOuH-0CqPA&feature=related)
Black History Month (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvWiFd0EZIA&feature=related)
Blood On Our Hands (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOr3QsJpMZI&feature=related)

Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man In Babylon: Thievery Corporation is the Washington, D.C. based DJ duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Along with Spain's Jose Padilla and England's Chris Coco, Garza and Hilton are probably the most popular "chillout" DJs today. The Richest Man In Babylon, while not their most critically well-received record, is Thievery Corporation's best-selling and arguably most accessible release, fusing acid jazz, dub, reggae, traditional Indian music, ambient, and trip-hop into a heady downtempo mix perfect for cooling down.

Media Links:
Until The Morning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFAq-OG2NhY&feature=related)
Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boyMLloqrlE&feature=related)
Un Simple Histoire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qifwy_eFgd0)
The Richest Man in Babylon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v3KIfiw6-M)

Just thought I'd link to this live performance by Death From Above 1979, proving that a guy on drums and a guy playing a seriously over-driven bass can more than make up for the lack of a guitarist and still play some pretty heavy music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaF6ctNEgw0&feature=related

Boards of Canada - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country: I'm not a big Boards of Canada fan... I've always felt that they're a bit too (1970s German electronic music collective) Tangerine Dream for my taste. The EP In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country stands out from their discography though, both for its brevity and directed sense of focus. The four-song set thematically revolves loosely around the Waco, Texas-based Branch Davidian church of David Koresh... whether the band supports or disapproves of the way the Davidians were dealt with by the federal government is open to interpretation, but the references to the Waco religious group are littered throughout the record: a small picture of David Koresh adorns the album sleeve, and even the EP's title is taken from a quote by notable Branch Davidian Amo Paul Bishop Roden (and a slight reference to the location of the cult's compound).

It is a little unsettling listening to the songs knowing the historical events that inspired the music, and I think it's that palpable and visceral connection that makes this record stand out from BOC's somewhat unremarkable dream-pop/ambient output.

Media Links:
In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrnYccMJmF8&NR=1)
Amo Bishop Roden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ooEWVKoZRQ&feature=related)
Kid For Today (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM2ZIWUJVGs&feature=related)
Zoetrope (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO6i9YPtEd8&feature=related)

Michael Kamen & Queen - Highlander: Music from the Motion Picture: Interesting story behind this CD. My dad used to live next door to a guy who worked for the Vancouver Police Department, and he'd occasionally bring home items seized on raids and busts, usually inconsequential stuff like "novelty" pipes, CDs, and cassettes and whatnot. Anyway, he gave this CD to my dad, who in turn gave it to me this one time I was visiting. Being something of a music fan, I knew that no "official" movie soundtrack for the 1986 Highlander film was ever released (the closest things being Queen's A Kind of Magic album and the Highlander score collection featuring the scores from the 3 Highlander films) so I just assumed that the CD was a well-made bootleg. I'd seen some pretty well-made Queen bootlegs before (mostly from the Middle East, China/Taiwan, and Eastern Europe) so I didn't really give it much thought.

Well, after a chance visit to this site (http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/Discog/promos.htm), I've learned that the CD isn't a bootleg at all, but a promotional CD released around the time of the film's release. 

In terms of the contents, it's not really much of a rare find. All the Queen songs on the album can be found on the 1986 Queen album A Kind of Magic and the late Michael Kamen's orchestral pieces can be found on the Highlander: Original Scores CD. It's still a pretty good, if disjointed, collection of music from the film, though.

Media Links
Princes Of The Universe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnrXiaPVeHY)
Who Wants To Live Forever (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYOE_b4aYD0)
Training Montage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgwNTle8FAY&feature=related)
Highlander Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDaRCBXUnpw&feature=related)

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds: Pet Sounds is probably the only Beach Boys album I've listened to all the way through. Their pre-1966, fast cars, surfing, and girls themed music never really struck a chord with me, and what I've heard of their post-Pet Sounds output just never lived up to the standards set by the landmark LP.

Despite being somewhat uninterested in the Beach Boys' larger discography, I love Pet Sounds. It's arguably one of the most influential pop albums of all time and served to inspire a whole new generation of songwriters (The Beatles have consistently said that Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was an attempt to create their own version of Pet Sounds). Every track on the record adds something to the whole, but works as a stand-alone song as well. Brian Wilson's extensive use of sonic layering, sound effects, orchestration, and unusual (for the time) instrumentation pretty much defined the art of modern music production. Such a shame that Wilson would fall victim to a debilitating mental illness (exacerbated by copious drug use) soon after the album's release.

Definitely required listening for anybody interested in the history of popular music and the development of studio recording techniques.

Media Links:
Wouldn't It Be Nice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L--cqAI3IUI)
God Only Knows (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb9u0DHuFdQ)
Here Today (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTQ6QNJnWyI&feature=related)   

Heart - Dog & Butterfly: These days, Seattle/Vancouver band Heart is probably better remembered for their radio-friendly 1980s power-pop (such as lyrically hilarious single "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You"). Back in the 1970s though, they were regarded as "the female Led Zeppelin." Beyond the novelty of a rock band being fronted by two sisters, they churned out some pretty heavy yet melodic records. Their early sound was something like Joni Mitchell-meets-Uriah Heep, a catchy mix of folk, blues, and hard rock. Dog & Butterfly was one of my favourite records as a kid... I remember playing the LP over and over again on my parents' record player and never getting tired of it.

Media Links:
Nada One (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVK6kztHpf4)
Mistral Wind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWhlC_xCPok)
Dog & Butterfly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leDGMI8nnb0)
Cook With Fire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov1glkGWXgM&feature=related) (the actual song starts at around the 2:00 mark)

Quote from: zuludelta on August 07, 2008, 02:09:05 PM
Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer) and Tim Rice (lyricist) - Jesus Christ Superstar: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album:

I have loved this film and soundtrack for since... forever.

I'm on a 'best of...' kick as of late.

Curently vibing to:
The Best of David Bowie
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f258/bbtromsl05/CDs/B00006JYI7.jpg)

The Best of The Doors
(http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/sasnell/music/doors.jpg)

Queen's Greatest Hits: Platinum Collection
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x61/bebebom/CDS/CD-QUEEN-GREATESTHITS1IIEIII.jpg)

Quote from: House Quake on August 18, 2008, 09:21:06 AM

Quote from: zuludelta on August 07, 2008, 02:09:05 PM
Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer) and Tim Rice (lyricist) - Jesus Christ Superstar: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album:

I have loved this film and soundtrack for since... forever.

If you're in the mood to look for similar material, you should give a listen to Les Miserables (the original London cast). It's not a rock musical like Jesus Christ Superstar was, but it has a lot of the musical flourishes guys like Webber like to use.

recent listens:

Bonobo - Dial "M" For Monkey: Simon "Bonobo" Green is the premier representative of the Brighton downtempo scene. He's strongly influenced by the Manchester sound (particularly by the Future Sound of London, IMHO) although he tends to be more low-key and organic-sounding. Dial "M" For Monkey (named after a Dexter's Laboratory episode) was his first album on major electronica label Ninja Tune and it does have that distinct Ninja Tune production sound to it (think Kid Koala), although it retains enough of his personal sound that it stands up on its own. Not an essential downtempo record, but a good album if you can find it.

Media Links:
The Noctuary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYZA7pn6WM4)
Wayward Bob (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCM71UNii1I)
Something For Windy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPKUKzfJ3zM)   

hey zulu, bit off-topic but did you know that a bonobo was a species of monkey too? could've played into his n aming of the album

Quote from: detourne_me on August 20, 2008, 11:06:59 AM
hey zulu, bit off-topic but did you know that a bonobo was a species of monkey too?

Yup. IIRC from my endocrinology classes, they've got some odd sexual habits ("bonobo" was a big part of a running joke between me and my friends... yes we're nerds of the highest order).

Black Sabbath - Vol.4: There comes a time in most every kid's life where they start to express their rebellion through the music they listen to. Back in the 1950s, that would have meant listening to Elvis Presley and "race music" like the blues. In later years, music as adolescent rebellion would take the form of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, and of course, Black Sabbath.

I was drawn to Black Sabbath as a pre-teen because of the imagery and the superficial danger they represented (the irony of "rebelling" by listening to my dad's favourite records was surely lost on the juvenile version of myself), and it would be a couple more years (along with a wider appreciation of music via my learning to play guitar) before I would come to an understanding of how important Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward were to modern popular music, not just as an iconic and eminently youth-marketable band, but as musicians and songwriters in their own right.

Their fourth album (aptly titled Vol.4), I think, represents Sabbath at their creative peak. They cut down on the crunching doom-and-gloom of their previous records (effective to be sure, but becoming increasingly rote) and started experimenting with more bluesy, and even baroque stylings. Highlights of the record include the 8-minute epic "Wheels of Confusion" (which betrayed a somewhat belated psychedelic influence), the eminently danceable "Supernaut" (the catchy opening riff is allegedly Frank Zappa's favourite lick), the blues ballad/torch song "Changes," and the atmospheric instrumental "Laguna Sunrise."     

Media Links:
Supernaut (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44hNwWCKgpI&feature=related)
Laguna Sunrise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYj2bRLCn4E)
Wheels of Confusion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHfWFC8XHbc) 
Changes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n34zFCSQZE0)

Stuff I got from the library, that I will most more then likely end up listening to over the course of the semester...

Death Cab for Cutie - "We Have the Facts, and We're Voting Yes"

The Decemberists - "The Crane Wife"

Blur - "The Best Of..."

Boards of Canada - "The Campfire Headphase"

Sun Kil Moon - "Tiny Cities"

FORIAMSPAM!

I've been listening to UFO's Phenomenon lately.  I was blown away by Rock Bottom the first time I heard it.

Links:
Oh My (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQFne7AcQ-0)
Doctor Doctor (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp9SYNNeAmo&feature=related)
Rock Bottom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP5ikQpTR3c&feature=related)

Quote from: Ephemeris on August 21, 2008, 07:16:39 PM
I've been listening to UFO's Phenomenon lately.  I was blown away by Rock Bottom the first time I heard it.

Links:
Oh My (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQFne7AcQ-0)
Doctor Doctor (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp9SYNNeAmo&feature=related)
Rock Bottom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP5ikQpTR3c&feature=related)

Wow, somebody who knows about UFO! I was a big Michael Schenker (UFO guitarist) fan when I was a kid... my brother and I would jump on the bed while listening to "Enter the Arena"... now I gotta go and dig out my dad's old cassettes from storage... 

For some reason my mind is really connecting with the title track of Tool's Ænima.

King's X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska: Over the years, King's X's music has come to be labeled (somewhat unfairly) as "gospel grunge." This is probably because the first thing that people notice when reading about the band's bio are their overt religious backgrounds. I hasten to say that their music isn't "Christian rock" (which I think is a largely vapid genre and a commercial creation meant to capitalize on clueless parents wanting to give their kids "safe" rock music). Instead, I like to think of their music as late 1980s/early1990s progressive rock/metal infused with positive and progressive Judeo-Christian ideas. To their credit, the lyrics never come off as preachy, preferring to use CS Lewis-type metaphor and broad themes to keep the songs accessible to those who aren't of the Christian inclination (such as myself).

The highlights of this 1989 album include "Out of the Silent Planet" (the opening track), "Over My Head" (which showcases guitarist Ty Tabor's florid fretwork), "Summerland" (my favourite track on the album, a moody number that features some interesting tempo changes), and "Pleiades" (a belated apology for the Church's treatment of Galileo).

Media Links:

Summerland (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPF_re3oHOk)
Pleiades (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU-yCMPXTxg)
Over My Head (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiUJdVCX1cY&feature=related)
An odd video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwn0_orRC4U) of a Japanese garage band (poorly) covering King X's "Send A Message" Who would have thought that Japanese bands cover King's X!)

Loudness - Soldier of Fortune: Loudness is a Japanese glam metal group... they peaked in popularity during the late 1980s, and even gained some measure of fame in the States, when they toured with Mötley Crüe and AC/DC. Loudness' claim to fame is guitarist Akira Takasaki's blisteringly-fast solos. In terms of notes-per-second speed, he's right up there with Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai. While they had previously released an English-language album (1985's Thunder in the East), 1989's Soldier of Fortune was the band's attempt at breaking through to the mainstream American rock market, replacing vocalist Minoru Nihara with ex-Obsession screamer Mike Vescera. For some reason or another, though, they didn't really gain much more than a niche following in the West and after one more English-language album (1991's pedestrian On The Prowl), Loudness decided to focus on their Japanese audience once more (Vescera departed soon after recording On The Prowl, replacing Joe Lynn Turner as Yngwie Malmsteen's vocalist). Loudness continues to produce records in Japan and they still tour (mostly in Asia).

Soldier of Fortune still stands out as one of the band's best albums. A lot of Western Japan-ophiles dismiss it as one of their weaker records because of Vescera's involvement and the English-only lyrics, but in my opinion, Takasaki's guitar-playing has never been as good as it was on this album (although to be fair, I haven't heard any of their newer, post-2001 albums).

Media Links:
Running For Cover (http://www.imeem.com/kapakbatu/music/AzPUi_4P/loudness_running_for_cover/)
Soldier of Fortune (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqET8E7h_Ns)

Bernard Hermann's score to the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film "North by Northwest." A classic thriller with powerful music, and a haunting, semi-sad love theme. As somebody said, it was Cary Grant at his Cary Grantiest.

Jason Becker - Perspective: Back in the late 1980s, Jason Becker was one of the fastest-rising stars in the shredding community. Barely out of his teens, he'd amassed a rabid following because of his prodigiously advanced guitar technique. He burst onto the scene with fellow young guitar-slinger Marty Friedman in the metal duo Cacophony, releasing two albums (Speed Metal Symphony and Go Off!) that were at once praised for their sheer technical brilliance and criticized for the masturbatory excess of the extended guitar solos.

Becker and Friedman parted amicably in 1989 to pursue solo musical careers, Friedman eventually becoming Megadeth's lead guitarist and the 20-year old Becker being tapped by David Lee Roth to replace guitar legend Steve Vai as the touring and studio guitarist for his A Little Ain't Enough album. It was during the recording of Roth's album that Becker started developing pronounced weakness in his legs and his left hand. A few months after the recording had started, Becker was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease), a progressive neurological disorder that ultimately leads to paralysis and death. Despite his condition, Becker managed to finish recording the guitar parts for Roth's album, but could no longer join the band for the tour (he was unable to walk by then, and he barely had the stamina to play through one song, even when he switched to lighter gauge strings). It was during this period that Becker started frantically recording his musical ideas and snippets of his guitar-playing, in an effort to assemble enough material for one more album (which would later become Perspective). By the time Becker started work on producing Perspective however, he no longer had the strength to play guitar and his vocal cords were slowly becoming paralyzed (Becker would eventually resort to using an eye-guided system developed by his father to communicate), and it wouldn't be until 2001 that the record would be completed, with help from musicians such as Michael Lee Firkins, Steve Perry, and Bobby McFerrin.

Perspective is a great record, especially considering the circumstances in which it was written and recorded. I almost feel dick-ish for critiquing the music for having too many overt nods to Mozart's work (a couple of songs in particular seem to be guitar harmonies simply played over Mozart sequences). But the album's importance, to me at least, goes beyond that of being a musical artifact. Its a testament to one man's dedication to his craft and unwillingness to let illness and disability stifle his creativity.

Media Links:
End of the Beginning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDHqeVBGzgY)
Primal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVTBOpiN5Uo&feature=related)
Serrana (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb8PEYQwl-s&feature=related) (one of the last songs Becker actually physically played... by the time it was recorded, he no longer had enough strength in his hands to play guitar so he played the piece on a custom keyboard, hence the lack of any guitar-playing... his finger-speed is still evident though... here's a video of a younger and healthier Becker (http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?video_id=15Ux1IFKiEI&rel=1&eurl=http%3A//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Becker&iurl=http%3A//i2.ytimg.com/vi/15Ux1IFKiEI/default.jpg&t=OEgsToPDskJw2RAFpOIEB_ynIOe5C6Lo&use_get_video_info=1&load_modules=1) demonstrating the sweeping arpeggios used in the song on guitar).

Myrath - Hope (2007) - The international debut album by Tunisian progressive metal artists Myrath (http://www.myspace.com/myrathband) proves not only satisfying in its true-to-prog complex rhythms, eclectic instrumentation, genre-bending, etc., but also for its subtle use of traditional Middle Eastern musical motifs (whereas most Western prog bands make rather ostentatious use of these motifs).  Myrath tends to add layer upon layer of musical lines--which may be jazz-inflected, heavy metallic, baroque or classical, etc.--until, gradually, the listener recognises the familiar oriental (to use the historically reductive, controversial term) textures.  I find this style refreshing because, instead of providing another example of a European or American prog band mining the (Middle) East for non-standard rock rhythms and riffs, Myrath's music provides an example of the (Middle) Eastern bricoleur using Western musical styles to create a distinctive (Middle) Eastern form of progressive metal (however, the Dream Theater influences should be clear to fans of that artist).  Lead vocalist Zaher Zagati's versatility covers the gamut from clear, sweet, tenor vibrato to raw shrieks to the occasional baritone growls (which, normally, I would detest, but, somehow, Zagati makes it work with Myrath's frequently aggressive sound).  The tracks available on the band's Myspace page (including "Confession") are definitely worth a listen (or three).

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Fop o' th' Morning

Been ill with a particularly nasty respiratory infection which pretty much had me in bed for most of the past week. Horrible, but at least it allowed the time to go through some of my older CDs in between fever-dreams.

Some representatives of the week's album rotation:

Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain: Goldfrapp never really had much of a following outside of the UK, although 2000's Felt Mountain was a minor regional hit. Think of Felt Mountain's sound as 1960s James Bond-meets-downtempo electronica, with vocalist/keyboardist Alison Goldfrapp acting as a dour, digital Shirley Bassey. It's what the lounge music in the Bladerunner future-world would probably sound like. Haven't really listened to the group's follow-up records, although I've read that they shifted creative gears because of Felt Mountain's lack of commercial success and focused on more club-friendly tracks. A shame, since I really enjoyed their original sound.
Media Links:
Lovely Head (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krqoPTTDhjA&feature=related)
Horse Tears (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fHQVQ8eW28&feature=related)
Utopia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EZTzRdU8po&feature=related)

St. Germain - Tourist: The one acid-jazz record that everyone should have. France's Ludovic "St. Germain" Navarre combines modern dub, house, and drum 'n' bass beats with classic jazz and blues sensibilities in 2000's Tourist. One of my favourite albums of the past 10 years. Excellent music to just lounge or cruise to, but has enough pop that it can serve as a dance record as well. Melds jazzy instrumental improvisation with the relatively rigid structure of contemporary beats and comes out with something entirely different than just the sum of its parts.
Media Links:
So Flute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kAOZfyqHSs&feature=related)
Montego Bay Spleen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FUjZ-wybIU)   
Rose Rouge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDMgBxHcM5M&feature=related)

A Girl Called Eddy - self-titled: I know I've mentioned A Girl Called Eddy (a.k.a. Erin Moran) earlier in this thread, but I don't think I talked about her music much. The music on her 2004 eponymous album is mostly good old, broken-hearted torch music. Music people listen to while drinking themselves blind, attempting to recover from their latest break-ups while contemplating something horribly melodramatic and attention-getting, like slitting one's wrists  :lol: Moran does an exceptional job of bringing that emotive, mournful, I-just-can't-go-on tone to life, all without sounding over-wrought (she actually sounds like Karen Carpenter on some songs). I read somewhere that Moran wrote the album partially as a means to get over the death of her mother, and I suppose it's that connection with true loss that gives the lyrics their sincerity.
Media Links:
Tears All Over Town (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1GZJtut1Js)
Somebody Hurt You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka-ekeYrhjQ&feature=related)
People Used To Dream About the Future (http://tv.mofile.com/T7U5QP4H/) (give it some time, the player takes a minute or two to load... personally I think it's her best song)

Musikang Bayan - Rosas ng Digma: Mga Awit ng Pag-ibig at Pakikibaka (Rose of War: Songs of Love and Struggle): Musikang Bayan (literally translated: National Music) is a Philippine folk-pop group with roots in the Neo-Marxist/Neo-Maoist revolutionary movement. The concept of Rose of War is a novel one, it's basically a collection of traditional Filipino love serenades (traditionally known as kundiman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundiman)) written with an underlying Communist bent. The music and lyrics, I have to admit, are a bit of an odd fit. One minute, Levy Abad and Lei Garcia are cooing sweet nothings, the next, they're singing about continuing the armed struggle against the capitalist elite. I can imagine the songs being met with mixed reviews by Communist Party cadres... my brief dalliance with Philippine neo-Marxism/neo-Maoism in college (I was active for a few years in community health-based initiatives with ideological links to the Communist Party of the Philippines and related organizations) leads me to believe that romantic relationships are discouraged within the revolutionary movement, at least whilst the revolutionary is active in the struggle. Rose of War seems to suggest that there is a place for romantic love within the revolutionary ranks. It's an interesting attempt to bridge the differences between traditional Filipino culture and the stringent demands of a Marxist revolutionary movement.

Media Links:
Iisa (One) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xy2jMewi0U&feature=related)
Kundiman at Rebolusyon (Serenade and Revolution) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru9cAopuhEk&feature=related)
Rosas ng Digma (Rose of War) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n19miSAsUD0&feature=related)   

Telefon Tel Aviv - Fahrenheit Fair Enough: Chicago's Telefon Tel Aviv is the ambient/IDM duo of Joshua Eustis and Charlie Cooper. The most distinguishing feature of the group's sound is their use of combined light breakbeats and "computer blips" (best exemplified on "TTV") to achieve a unique percussive signature. Great music for lounging or coming down from a party.
Media Links:
Fahrenheit Fair Enough (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCspF-lz24A)
TTV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8YZiEqhHdE&feature=related)
Lotus Above Water (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FRb7scAN64)

Ba'giw - self-titled: The folk-pop group Ba'giw is from my home town of Baguio City in the Philippines (a summer resort/university town nestled in the Northern mountains). I actually jammed with them a couple of times in high school, since they'd often hold open practices at the town's barely used convention center (incidentally, the Baguio Convention Center is the same place where the infamous Anatoly Karpov vs. Viktor Korchnoi "Battle of Baguio" chess match took place back in the 1970s... Karpov hired a noted Russian psychic to disrupt Korchnoi's game and Korchnoi hired a couple of local thugs to intimidate Karpov... but I digress).

Ba'giw's sound is characterized by their use of the gang'sa (Northern Philippine brass gong) as their primary percussive instrument. Due to the instrument's unique tonal range, a lot of their songs are written around the "Chinese pentatonic" and the slendro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slendro) scale, which, when combined with the band's Western arena rock influences, results in a somewhat odd/exotic pop sound. It's been almost a decade since I last visited the Philippines, so I have no idea if they're still together.
Media Links:
Laging Ikaw (Always You) (http://www.imeem.com/sinagaraw/music/qSKSkN8w/bagiw_laging_ikaw/)
Salamat Kaibigan (Thank You, Friend) (http://www.imeem.com/people/Rd7Fif/music/bvC-8TOL/unknown_salamat_kaibigan/)
Hindi Kita Sasaktan (I Won't Hurt You) (http://www.imeem.com/people/Rd7Fif/music/cc2VHnih/unknown_track_7/)

Buena Vista Social Club - self-titled: This 1996 album was created by American guitarist Ry Cooder in association with a number of traditional Cuban musicians (including legendary Cuban vocalists Compay Segundo and Ibrahim Ferrer). The group takes its name from a social club that used to hold dances in Havana during the 1950s. Most of the music on the album is of the Son Cubano style, a subgenre of Afro-Caribbean music that combines Spanish guitar and vocal/lyrical stylings with West African rhythms. A documentary of the same title, focusing on the aged members of the group was released to much critical and commercial success soon after the album was launched.

The album serves as an excellent chronicle of talented musicians and a unique musical style that have managed to remain virtually hidden from most of the world for the past half-century (owing largely due to Cuba's insular nature and the longstanding American embargo against the nation).
Media Links:
Chan Chan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2dFLlaEaIU&feature=related)
El Cuarto De Tula (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHmOYzyB2bw&feature=related)
Dos Gardenias (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLRnvz-Kx8o&feature=related)   

I'm back to listening to Iced Earth's The Glorious Burden.  One of my favorite albums.  This album is a series of songs about various wars, warriors and battles.  The album includes songs about Attila, Waterloo, 9/11, Red Baron, Valley Forge and the Declaration of Independence (among others).  The album culminates in an approximately 30 minute, 3 part epic about the Battle of Gettysburg.  Each individual part is a day of the battle.

When The Eagle Cries (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o6xrSyhVhc) (warning - 9/11 tribute, some of the comments made on Youtube may be offensive)
Valley Forge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac58xNcJQGo) (ignore the final fantasy video :P)

A fan created video with scenes from the movie Waterloo:
Waterloo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBhAUtMUF2M)

Fan created videos with scenes from the movie Gettysburg:
Gettysburg (1863) - The Devil To Pay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dud6UYOfkO4&feature=related) (Song was Editted from 12+ minutes to 10 minutes...)
Gettysburg (1863) - Hold At All Costs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsW3i9rY58k&feature=related)
Gettysburg (1863) - High Water Mark (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh6M4jBd1O8&feature=related) (Song was Editted from 12+ minutes to 10 minutes...)

Santana - Abraxas: One of my favourite albums and definitely one of the most influential guitar records of all time. 1971's Abraxas finds the young Carlos Santana building on the Afro-Cuban/jam rock hybrid music style he introduced on his 1969 debut. It's really no surprise that Santana (the band and the solo artist) were never able to replicate their success on this album. Did they peak too early? Probably. But when the music is this good, it doesn't really matter that they haven't been able to create later music that lives up to the standards they themselves set on their sophomore outing.
Media Links:
Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaQA5d2x8MQ&feature=related)
Samba Pa Ti (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6knW65mgnIk) (the best make-out song ever!)
Oye Como Va (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCUYMgrNMhE) 

The Fugees - The Score: Another group that peaked on their sophomore album. Breakthrough hip-hop trio The Fugees was comprised of Pras Michel, Lauryn Hill, and Wyclef Jean. Their melodic, soul and Caribbean influenced brand of hip-hop was a welcome respite from the glut of "me too" gangsta rap that filled the airwaves during the mid-1990s. Their incisive and intelligent lyrics helped set them further apart from the increasingly dumbed down popular hip-hop that was the order of the day. Too bad they never really created a worthy follow-up, what with Wyclef leaving the group to focus on his production/sound engineering work and humanitarian interests, Pras trying his hand at acting, and Lauryn Hill starting a solo career (and later, suffering from some unspecified mental illness).
Media Links:
Ready or Not (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUrJdf4PbEk)
How Many Mics (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZSJG05X870)
Fugee-La (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AvSUCgTgUs)

The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole: 1997's Dig Your Own Hole is an hour and change of pure electronic energy. This record was almost overplayed to death in clubs back in the 1990s, but listening to it again recently, I find that it's aged well, somewhat surprising for a big beat record (if you don't know what "big beat" music is, just think of Jin Kazama's stage music in Tekken 3). Still a great record to jumpstart an evening at the club, or to keep a venue's energy up.
Media Links:
Block Rockin' Beats (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dapKqXIm0gY&feature=related)
Elektrobank (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptCLM8yLKzs&feature=related)
It Doesn't Matter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3oJlfzUxFQ&feature=related)

Peter Frampton- Fingerprints

I went to one of his concerts about a month ago, and decided to pick up his newest album afterward. All instrumental, very good. There are some Spanish influences in a couple of the songs, and his cover of Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun just plain rocks.

Been listening to a lot of live Metallica in anticipation of their new album.

Protest the Hero - Fortress

Decent Canadian "metal" band. A buddy of mine is crazy for them, I'm indifferent, but I figured I'd share the one song of theres that really stood out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcNWXDfKMnM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcNWXDfKMnM)

Recent spins:

Pizzicato Five - Happy End Of The World: This 1997 release is the first Pizzicato Five album that really hit it big internationally. For many listeners outside of Japan, this was their first real exposure to shibuya-kei (the unique musical genre that fuses elements of French/Quebec yé-yé music, bossa nova, electropop, and house music that came out of Tokyo's Shibuya district during the 1980s). Vocalist Maki Nomiya is in fine form here, infusing the lyrics with just the right mix of wide-eyed yé-yé naivete and modern dance club sophistication. Of course, the signature "terminally happy" Pizzicato Five sound is present, upbeat enough to send a death row convict skipping jauntily to the electric chair.
Media Links:     
It's A Beatiful Day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saHMRnVgEhM&feature=related)
Mon Amour Tokyo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km-06xvD8z0)
30 second samples of all the album's tracks (http://www.amazon.com/Happy-End-World-Pizzicato-Five/dp/B00000JHAS)

Astrud Gilberto: Coffee & Bossa - The Chillout Sound of Astrud Gilberto: This modern retrospective collection of 1960's bossa nova/jazz icon Astrud Gilberto work collects her best chillout room-ready music, although it functions real well as a greatest hits collection too. All her major hits are in this two-CD set, including her versions of "The Girl From Ipanema," and "Agua de Beber," as well as less popular songs like "Berimbau" (which probably contains the first popular culture reference to the indigenous Brazilian martial art of capoeira) and a modern remix of "Here's That Rainy Day." While the album seems to be directed towards specialty listeners such as lounge DJs and people who are more familiar with bossa nova and Gilberto's work, I think it could be also serve as an excellent introductory album for those just getting into bossa nova.
Media Links:
Agua de Beber (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfHHoYhwreo)
Berimbau (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaKL5Nv9AYA)
One Note Samba (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sc3Xx64WGE&feature=related)

Pupil - Wildlife: 2007's Wildlife is Pupil's second full-length album and the first release by renowned Philippine singer/songwriter/producer Ely Buendia after suffering a heart attack earlier that year. Although he's most recognized for his work with fan-favourite group the Eraserheads, Buendia's output with his new band Pupil is beginning to develop its own unique characteristics. Unfortunately, it seems like his current work is being lost in the shuffle of the on-going post-punk revival movement. A shame, really, since Buendia was doing the post-punk thing across the Philippines and the rest of Asia with the Eraserheads 20 years ago, pre-dating current post-punk darlings such as Interpol, Bloc Party, and The Killers by about a decade. It'll be hard for Buendia to come close to matching his groundbreaking work with the Eraserheads, much less top it, but I'm just glad he's still alive and healthy enough to continue making music.
Media Links:
Monobloc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IshTpqyRGo)
Sala (Sin) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3zZzfuar1s&feature=related)
Animal Lover (live) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2oJ1i4LSUo&feature=related)

Various Artists - Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert: This double-CD is a recording of the 1995 "dream cast" concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. It features cast members from different productions: Colm Wilkinson (Jean Valjean), Alun Armstrong (Thénardier), and Michael Ball (Marius) from the original London cast, Ruthie Henshall (Fantine) and Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier) from the replacement London Cast, Philip Quast (Javert) from the Australian production, Michael Maguire (Enjolras), Judy Kuhn (Cosette), and Anthony Crivello (Grantaire) from the Broadway cast, and Lea Salonga (Eponine) from the replacement Broadway cast.

The concert isn't meant to be a recreation of the musical. Instead, it presents a stripped-down version of Cameron Mackintosh's famous production, focusing largely on the singing and removing most of the dialogue and acting, although anyone with a vague familiarity with Victor Hugo's novel can easily follow the story's events based on the song lyrics alone.

All in all, a good album, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's original score is translated very well by the orchestra. I loved the book though, and I worked as a stage hand and prop technician for a local production of Les Misérables in high school, though (also, I watched the unintentionally hilarious Jean Valjean Monogatari at a very impressionable age), so that's probably colouring my appreciation a bit.

High points of the recording are Henshall's "I Dreamed A Dream," Salonga's "On My Own," Wilkinson and Quast's "The Confrontation," and most any song with Alun Armstrong's participation.
Media Links
I Dreamed A Dream (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOipTn0tQEk)
The Confrontation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WdoAnlQ30U&feature=related)
Master of the House (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFPsEwV38Q0)
On My Own (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuS1cCnG8xc&feature=related)
A Little Fall of Rain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ptdGPt9wt4&feature=related)

Apollo Nove - Res Inexplicata Volans - Res Inexplicata Volans is producer Apollo Nove (a.k.a. Apollo 9)'s debut solo album. But make no mistake, he's no musical neophyte, having worked on albums by an eclectic collection of Brazilian and international artists which include lo-fi chanteuse Cibelle (who sings on a couple of tracks on the album) and hip-hop group Planet Hemp. The music on Res generally falls under the electronic lounge genre. Nove occasionally updates the bossa nova sound with some creative downtempo flourishes, but overall, he doesn't stray too far from the tried and true chillout aesthetic. Good record to listen to while sipping a cold beer on a hot afternoon. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the album title translates from Latin to "Unexplained Flying Thing," which is the entry for UFO in the Lexicon Recentis Latinitas (the Vatican's modern Latin dictionary... don't ask me why the Catholic Church needs updated Latin terms for pop culture phenomena).

Media Links:
Traz Um Alívio (feat. Tita Lima) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXu-lBd7hLM)
Mr. Right Now (feat. Cibelle) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OEDh0FphjE)
Inexplicata (feat. Céu) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QCJ-FltCwQ&feature=related)

Opeth -The Watershed

Saw them live again last Friday, this time as the headliners so I got a full set. I am still in awe quite frankly. I have not words for how amazing this band was live. Nothing. Nada. It was that good. As for the album, this is the song that has been stuck in my head every day for over a week now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQlTFr1vy1o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQlTFr1vy1o)

Quote from: Verfall on October 06, 2008, 12:47:42 AM
Opeth -The Watershed

Saw them live again last Friday, this time as the headliners so I got a full set. I am still in awe quite frankly. I have not words for how amazing this band was live. Nothing. Nada. It was that good. As for the album, this is the song that has been stuck in my head every day for over a week now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQlTFr1vy1o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQlTFr1vy1o)

I generally hate bands with death metal style singers, but that song rocked.

Quote from: GhostMachine on October 06, 2008, 01:07:28 AM
I generally hate bands with death metal style singers, but that song rocked.

I'm in agreement with GM here (gotta love the opportunity to call someone "GM" without an open campaign, eh what?), but I will go further by saying that, on principle, I strongly dislike the death metal growls.  Mikael Åkerfeldt has such a nice voice when he allows it to sing naturally, and the band itself has such a tight, inventive, progressive metal sound that I cannot help but feel that 'tis a shame Opeth seems to bow to death metal expectations with the growling nonsense.  Damnation is a stellar album (i.e., without the usual growls), and I would be able to say the same about many of their other albums if I could stomach listening to Åkerfeldt belch out his otherwise satisfying lyrics.  :(

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Fop o' th' Morning

P.S. I'm exceedingly glad, nevertheless, that Verf had the opportunity and the strength to see this band despite his injury. :)

While I'm huffing and puffing, I might as well mention a Boston prog band that I truly admire: Polaris (http://www.myspace.com/polarismusic).

This fledgling prog-power band features the incomparable vocals of Olivia Berka (think Melissa Etheridge or Janis Joplin on FILL IN ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE HERE) and the guitars of T.J. Bellerive and Ian Schultz (I've begun a correspondence with Ian, who was nice enough to send me a copy of the band's first album, Seven Feathers, with my order for The Human Illusion EP.).  The band is currently on hiatus, but you may find some sample tracks available on the Polaris MySpace page (link available above).  The band blends heavy metal with some non-obtrusive prog tendencies, including a number of acoustic tracks reminiscent of good ol' 70's prog rock.  :thumbup:  Enjoy!

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Fop o' th' Morning

Quote from: ow_tiobe_sb on October 06, 2008, 07:35:54 AM

Quote from: GhostMachine on October 06, 2008, 01:07:28 AM
I generally hate bands with death metal style singers, but that song rocked.

I'm in agreement with GM here (gotta love the opportunity to call someone "GM" without an open campaign, eh what?), but I will go further by saying that, on principle, I strongly dislike the death metal growls.  Mikael Åkerfeldt has such a nice voice when he allows it to sing naturally, and the band itself has such a tight, inventive, progressive metal sound that I cannot help but feel that 'tis a shame Opeth seems to bow to death metal expectations with the growling nonsense.  Damnation is a stellar album (i.e., without the usual growls), and I would be able to say the same about many of their other albums if I could stomach listening to Åkerfeldt belch out his otherwise satisfying lyrics.  :(

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Fop o' th' Morning

P.S. I'm exceedingly glad, nevertheless, that Verf had the opportunity and the strength to see this band despite his injury. :)

See I actually quite enjoy death vocals, particularly ones like Mikael's and Angela Gossow from Arch Enemy. Guttaral yet not totally incoherent. Baying of the Hounds from the Ghost Reveries album shows him doing exactly that.

And I'm glad too I was able to go. I now get bi-weekly Cortisone shots to the spine and am on a much higher dose, but longer lasting , pain killer that has me down to moderate pain levels. Finally started sleeping again  :thumbup:

I've been listening to Riot's Fire Down Under recently.  They're an underappreciated band of the early 80's..

Swords & Tequila (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JruuMkV0gM)
Fire Down Under (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-EW6fpSIm0)
Feel The Same (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eou3HM6QLfk&feature=related)
Altar Of The King (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwHbkpZyd98&feature=related)

Cibelle - The Shine of Dead Electric Leaves: Cibelle Cavalli is one of Brazil's great young talents. Although their music is nothing alike, I'd go so far as to say that her career trajectory mirrors that of Brazilian thrash metal-group Sepultura, in that they both gained considerable international attention before fully establishing themselves in the local music scene. Cibelle's music is an eclectic mix of lo-fi, jazz, electronica, lounge, samba, and that São Paulo staple, bossa nova. Her husky vocal tone is reminiscent of many a lo-fi/trip-hop vocalist (Canada's Esthero is the first comparison to come to mind), but it's her phrasing that really sets her apart. Highlights of the record include the tracks Green Grass (an excellent cover of the Tom Waits original), London, London (a cover of the song originally written by Brazilian folk-singer/political activist Caetano Veloso), and Phoenix. 

Media Links:
Phoenix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drTe0lkSemo)
Green Grass (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yPMdWxSxUg)
London, London (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65N_1eSkKWg)

Gary Granada - Pagsamba at Pakikibaka: Gary Granada is a Philippine folk-singer/songwriter. He's had a fair bit of success performing and recording, both in the Philippines and in Philippine expatriate communities, particularly in Japan and Hong Kong, even earning himself a somewhat incongruous but nonetheless profitable gig writing and performing the main theme to an ad campaign for Asian food and beverage giant San Miguel Corporation back in the mid-1990s. 1989's Pagsamba at Pakikibaka (which translates into "Worship and Social Activism), recorded on a shoestring budget with minimal production values, finds Granada doing what he does best: writing and singing heartfelt (almost naive) lyrics representative of the common Filipino's confusion at the increasingly hectic pace of life brought on by urban development and the encroachment of Western values and ideals.

Granada manages to touch on an impressive number of topics despite the album's brevity (the record clocks in at just under 30 minutes), from land reform on "Ang Lupang Ito (This Land)," to urban poverty on "Bahay (House)," to the Philippines being caught (at the time) between the push-and-pull of American capitalism and consumerist excess and extreme Marxist-Leninist socialism on "Kanluran (The West)."

Each song on the record is book-ended by Granada talking about the inspiration for the lyrics. This is a good thing for most listeners, especially those who are interested in how the songs came about but personally, my enjoyment of the album suffered a bit because of this. Granada, at the time of the album's recording, was a committed Christian Socialist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_socialism) (hence the album's title), and I found that my disagreements with some of the views he expresses in between songs detracted from my appreciation of his songwriting, even when the songs have nothing explicitly to do with his beliefs and politics. Still, the knowledge that Granada would later on become a more progressive religious pluralist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_pluralism), social activist, educator, opponent of unregulated economic globalization, and vocal supporter of open-source software development helps me overlook the somewhat overly simplified world-view of his early days as an activist.

Anyway, it's a solid record overall, and one of the better folk albums I've heard in a long while.

Media Links:
Bahay ("House") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vZ1z1O01j8)
Ang Lupang Ito ("This Land") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-ic4svuKxw)
A Syllabus for Peace Education (http://www.garygranada.com/ASFPE/Files/A%20Syllabus%20for%20Peace%20Education/aP%20Lite%20Flash/index.swf): a slideshow and recorded lecture (mostly in English) that Granada gives on his speaking tours. You can download the hour-long lecture here (http://www.garygranada.com/)

sigur ros- Complete giberish but very relaxing

Dark knight soundtrack- No explanation needed for this one

The Jeff Healey Band - Hell To Pay: One of my favourite guitarists of all time (right up there with Dimebag Darrell, Steve Vai, Hendrix, Marty Friedman, and jazz-great Django Reinhardt), Jeff Healey passed away earlier this year from cancer, at the all too young age of 41. I was 10 years old when I first heard the warm tone of Healey's overdriven Stratocaster, and it was love at first listen. And that was before I learned that Healey had been blind since infancy, and played guitar in a most unorthrodox fashion.

1990's Hell To Pay was the album that catapulted Healey to guitar stardom and mainstream music attention, with his excellent cover of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and the bluesy pop-rocker "I Think I Love You Too Much." 

Like many of his fans, I felt a slight twinge of disappointment when Healey shifted to the trumpet as his primary instrument and hot jazz as his musical genre of choice at the turn of the new century, but it didn't take me long to warm up to his new musical direction.

I just felt like digging out my old cassette and listening to some vintage Healey today for some reason, though.

Media Links:
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJh3KaIKDAw)
I Think I Love You Too Much (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odGmr9nyazM&feature=related)
Angel Eyes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRov2XscQJc) (an early televised performance of the carrier single song from his debut album)

Emiliana Torrini - Love In The Time Of Science: Emiliana Torrini Davíðsdóttir holds the somewhat dubious title of being Iceland's second most famous musical personality behind Björk (third, probably, if you count Sigur Rós as a collective "personality"). 1999's Love In The Time Of Science, produced by Tears for Fears' Roland Orzabal and Alan Griffiths, is Torrini's first international release (she had released three Iceland-only albums prior) and it was something of an under-the-radar hit. Part of that, I'm sure, was due to novelty and the international music community's burgeoning interest in Icelandic popular music thanks to Björk's work, but the most of the songs on the record are actually pretty solid late 1990's electronica-tinged mood music (quite a departure from Torrini's earlier competent, but ultimately unremarkable, alterna-pop stylings).

People coming into this record expecting to hear Björk v2.0 just because Torrini comes from the same locale will probably come away disappointed (or satisfied, depending on their opinion of Björk's music). While the phrasing similarities are there (a coincidental by-product of the transition to English by the Icelandic-speaking singers), Love In The Time Of Science has more in common with the club-ready releases by UK artists Morcheeba and Lamb than Björk's more left field albums.

Love In The Time Of Science is one of those rare, somewhat recent, pop records that aren't simply singles padded with fillers and throwaway tracks. Sure, there are weaker songs littered among the obvious radio-ready candidates, but even those stand strong enough on their own. Personal highlights of the record are "To Be Free," "Baby Blue," "Unemployed in Summertime," and the musically upbeat but somewhat lyrically dour "Tuna Fish."

Recommended for fans of lounge, trip-hop, and downtempo.

Media Links
Tuna Fish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Nyph-tJo0)
Baby Blue (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjdE7OVu0nA)
Unemployed In Summertime (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLLrUqx7b9Y&feature=related)
To Be Free (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY5dZwcm_dE)     

2 new album's I recommend:

Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires (if you like Foals, The Rapture, that electro disco cowbell stuff).

Plastic Little - Welcome to The Jang House (if you like Spank Rock).

Katorz by Voivod, which was finished post mortem following the instructions of guitar tracks recorded by the late Denis "Piggy" Belanger.

The Herbaliser - Very Mercenary: Herbaliser (the British duo of Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba in real life) is one of the more popular acts signed to alternative music label Ninja Tune. They're jazzier and a bit more hip hop-oriented than their more popular labelmates such as Kid Koala or Wagon Christ (both of whom are more into experimental drum 'n' bass) but nobody'll mistake their music for standard, run of the mill club drivel either. 1999's Very Mercenary, in my opinion, is their strongest record, showcasing a well-balanced blend of funk, acid jazz, and hip-hop (with some excellent vocal pieces featuring Jean Grae/What? What?), with a distinct "spy/James Bond" vibe.

Media Links:
Mission Improbable (feat. What? What?) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvvgN7R4sHs)
Starlight (feat. Roots Manuva) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y75nU4pWS1c&feature=related)
The Sensual Woman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmZg0lwhMNY)

Kevin Yost - One Starry Night: Philadelphia-native Kevin Yost is one of the more commercially successful proponents of acid jazz and deep house, although he's probably more famous in Europe and Asia than in North America. A skilled musician in his own right, Yost is more well known for his abilities as a producer and DJ. He's lent his talents to literally hundreds of club singles and dance compilation albums. One Starry Night, in my mind, represents Yost at his best, fusing jazz instrumentation with cool atmospheric house beats. The album retains its dance roots, but it works just as well if listened to in a more contemplative fashion, a rare and difficult feat to accomplish in a genre that's dependent on repetition and overt simplicity. If you've never listened to a real "house" record before, Yost's work is a good place to start, and One Starry Night is a sterling example of his brand of intelligently-constructed house music.

Media Links:
If Only She Knew (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlUxYfbbc_s&feature=related)
Love (Interlude) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXr1LxUZ2yI)   

For whatever reason, I have been listening to "Blond on Blond" and "Highway 61 Revisited" by Bob Dylan

Do I need to link anyone to info about these two classic album?

and also the soundtrack to "I'm Not There" . . . which is a bunch of Bob Dylan covers that accompanied the movie.

Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet (2006): Good ol' folk/power-prog metal fun as only the Danish can do it.  :huh:  ^_^  :thumbup:

Manticora - The Black Circus, Parts 1 (Letters) and 2 (Disclosure) (2006-2007): Progressive speed metal (more speed than progressive, really) with hints of the carnivalesque and symphonic.  These albums offer up more gothic darkness and doom from sunny Denmark.

Axiom - Alpha-Omega (EP) (2006): What this album lacks in production value it makes up for in pure prog-thrash metal energy.  This California trio offers tool-on-amphetamines numbers on its hard to find seven-track debut EP.

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Fop o' th' Morning

Stuart Hamm - Kings Of Sleep: Stuart Hamm is one of those virtuoso musicians who's practically unknown outside of the bass guitar-playing community, and even within that already limited segment of the population, he doesn't have the visibility and instant recognition associated with the instrument's more famous proponents, such as Sting, Rush's Geddy Lee, Primus' Les Claypool, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, Motorhead's Lemmy, or heck, even Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon. 

From a purely technical standpoint however, I think Hamm is pretty much at the top of the 4-string game, right up there with the all-time bass greats like Jaco Pastorius and James Jamerson. I was exposed to 1989's Kings Of Sleep at a crucial point in my childhood (I was in Grade 5, IIRC), right about the time that I decided that I wanted to make music and not just spend most of my waking hours listening to it. And while I never did have any sort of success as anything but a music hobbyist (unlike my older brother, an entirely self-taught guitarist & singer who's been playing paying gigs since he was 12), the record implanted in me a deep appreciation of the bass guitar's role in modern popular music.

I'd always been taught that bass guitar, a lot like rhythm guitar, when played well in the service of an ensemble piece, shouldn't stand out and call attention to itself unless the song actually calls for it to do so. But listening to Hamm really blew my mind (although I suppose at 11 years old, my mind was pretty easily blown) because here was a guy who played ridiculously intricate bass lines that gave me finger cramps just listening to them, and yet never seemed to overwhelm the rest of the rhythm section or the more traditional lead instruments (unlike, say, Flea, whose aural dominance pretty much cast a sonic shadow over everyone in RHCP save for perhaps Anthony Keidis' uniquely nasal vocal delivery). Kings Of Sleep isn't just a good bass guitar record, though. It's a good record, period. Unlike the bulk of the virtuoso instrumentalist records that came out during the late 1980s/early 1990s, Kings Of Sleep isn't just something that's liable to be of interest solely to the obsessive notes-per-minute counter or the student of technique... The songs are well-structured and above all, great to listen to.

Personal favourites on the album: Kings of Sleep, Prelude in C, Count Zero, Terminal Beach

Media links:
Count Zero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQuZrJtXLa0&feature=related)
Kings of Sleep (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvQ8BRit6ws)   
Terminal Beach (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbXta3xUhTc) (I couldn't find a Youtube video of the original, but the guy playing it in this video has pretty much got it down note for note, and he even plays a slowed down instructional version in the second half of the video for those of you interested in learning new ways to contort your extremities)
Prelude in C (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuWcPXiyWkk) (again, no vid of the original, but I'm pretty sure the guy in this video is doing Hamm's bass arrangement of Bach's piano... from the sound of it, it looks like he even borrowed Hamm's chorus pedal settings)

Free The Robots - Free The Robots EP

Free The Robots - Yoga Flame http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mD7fMneOrAo (http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mD7fMneOrAo)

Neat link Jakew... bouncy stuff, sort of sounds like the stuff you'd hear on SomaFM's Groove Salad channel.

Yeah, I recommend Free The Robots ... he's like a poppier, relatively unknown DJ Shadow.

This guy is also cool, and I'm looking forward to seeing him live:

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

Flying Lotus - Beginners Falafel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_qcP_W__r8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_qcP_W__r8)

45 King - Grooves For A Quiet Storm: 45 King, more popularly known under his nom de producteur "DJ Mark the 45 King" or his "civilian" name Mark James has been a mixing board mover & shaker for at least 20 years now, although he's never really gained any real notoriety or outright fame, even when it became in vogue for producer DJs to start releasing full-length albums during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Despite his own low-key nature as an artist, chances are you've heard his production and mixing board work on at least a few top 40 releases; his production credits include work for Queen Latifah (on her debut album All Hail the Queen), Lisa Stansfield (on the popular "Been Around The World" 1991 remix), C&C Music Factory (the "Do You Want to Get Funky?" 1994 remix), Jay-Z (on 1998's "It's A Hard-Knock Life") & Eminem (on the worldwide chart-topping 2000 single "Stan").

Given his hip-hop heavy resume, 1996's Grooves For A Quiet Storm is surprisingly laid-back and jazzy. And although the record is targeted towards DJs, mixing engineers, and studio professionals looking for samples to punch-up their productions rather than commercial listeners, it actually stands up well on its own as a self-contained album. Sure, most of the "songs" are just 2 to 3 minute extended acid jazz breaks meant for sampling and as backing tracks, but they're still eminently listenable and "groove-able." I can see any self-styled "bedroom MC" with Audacity installed on their PC & a decent mic having a great time fleshing out full songs from the tracks on this record.

Media Links:
I don't think any of the tracks on Grooves For A Quiet Storm are on YouTube, so here instead are two videos of 45 King doing what he does best:
45 King working with 45 RPM records on two turntables (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH13TeAudzY) (see if you can name all the samples!)
45 King giving a Mix Clinic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VyLW8cwoJg&feature=related)

Jedi Mind Tricks - Legacy of Blood

I'd go on about it and it's innovative use of samples but ... just check it out. It rocks

Handsome Boy Modeling School - So... How's Your Girl?: Long-time producers and sound engineers Prince Paul and Dan "The Automator" Nakamura's collaboration become something of an underground hip-hop hit when it was released in 1999. Intended as a humourous jab at high profile hip hop artists-turned-self-proclaimed-fashion industry bigwigs like P. Diddy and Jay-Z, So... How's Your Girl? pokes fun at the irony of mainstream hip-hop movers and shakers, whose commercial successes have largely been built on the perpetuation of machismo-drenched chauvinistic imagery and lyrics, dabbling in the arguably effete world of high fashion, modeling, and GQ spreads. 

So... How's Your Girl? isn't just good for the odd chuckle, however. Dan The Automator (you may have previously heard his work on the Gorillaz) displays his trademark tight production while at the same time covering more experimental and abstract territory on a few tracks. Not every track is a success, but part of the enjoyment I got from listening to the record comes from analyzing which cuts worked and why. The guest artists featured on the album, culled not only from the hip-hop community but from TV, pop music and experimental music scenes as well, are pretty impressive for a minor label release.. Del The Funkee Homosapien shows up on a couple of tracks, Kid Koala contributes a track, Cibo Matto's Miho Hattori collaborates with Beastie Boys founder Mike D. on the engaging "Metaphysical," Moloko's Roisin Murphy does an absolutely winning performance on "The Truth," and even Sean Lennon (John Lennon's kid, who I think was dating Miho Hattori at the time) collaborates with SCTV and SNL veteran Don Novello (as his alter-ego Father Guido Sarducci) on the moody "Sunshine."

A good album if you can find it.

Media Links
The Truth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL7tz03v8wc) (feat. Roisin Murphy of Moloko and J-Live)
Metaphysical (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVbVHonsqYA) (feat. Miho Hattori and Mike D.)
Sunshine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4kadmdU6oc) (feat. Sean Lennon, Money Mark, Father Guido Sarducci, Josh Hayden & Paula Frazer) 
Look At This Face (Oh My God, They're Gorgeous) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTRcskwiRRA)