Post by AnimaStone on Feb 10, 2009 21:11:59 GMT -5
...aka my update thread about music.
Oasis, Blur, and Radiohead are still the big 3. Blur haven't released anything new in quite some time--I suspect they're officially over, which is a shame, but they did have a hell of a run. Radiohead's most recent, In Rainbows, is a feat even for them. The fact that it did not receive a single Grammy, though it was nominated for several, is nothing short of a crime. Oasis also has a recent release, Dig Out Your Soul. It's not What's the Story, but it's still an excellent blend of vintage Oasis and a new, more relaxed sound. I'll post the review I wrote for the school paper if I can find it. Suffice it to say that you'll like Dig Out Your Soul if you like Oasis, and you should definitely download "The Shock of the Lightning" and "Falling Down." Now. Go do it.
Moving on. I've branched out slightly in the past two and a half years, so I'll go through in categories:
1) OLD BUT STILL GOOD
These are bands I'd been listening to back then that I still do now, but that are worth a second mention for one reason or another.
-Toad the Wet Sprocket: The best kept secret of the 90's. You have heard, maximum, one song by them, and that's terrible. Go check them out now. NOW. Coil is their best album, followed by Dulcinea, followed by Fear. They will grow on you. I guarantee it.
-The Dandy Warhols: Still as insane as ever. 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia is still, and will continue to be, one of the best American albums ever produced. They're reaching the self-indulgent, jam session stage of their career; it still sounds alright, though.
-Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Because you haven't heard of them, even though they're probably the best young American post-grunge band in existence. They released a new one, Baby 81, about a year ago, and "Window" and "Berlin" are reason enough to check it out. Scythe, I think you'd like them a lot.
-Mark Knopfler: The former Dire Straits frontman's solo career is better than anything the Straits did. His newest, Kill To Get Crimson, is excellent, and the one before that, Shangri-La, is a masterpiece in songwriting to tell stories. Worth a listen in my book.
-The Shins: Everything they've done is good, more or less. "Phantom Limb" is transcendent.
-Beck: We all know about "Loser." But he did more stuff than that. Guero is probably his best album.
-Modest Mouse: One word. "Dashboard." I don't like most of their album filler, but "Dashboard" is exceptional.
-Steely Dan: Apparently they released an album in 2000? And it won a Grammy for Best Record? And I talk in questions? Either way, Two Against Nature is pretty sweet. The title track is the standout, with "Jack of Speed" and "Gaslighting Abby" also gettin' some like champs.
-Pink Floyd, The Who, The Kinks: Still good. All is right with the world.
-The Beatles: I just recently acquired their entire (3.5 gigabyte) discography. Hot Jesus, it's golden.
2) I DISCOVERED THEM SINCE THEN
Title should be fairly self-explanatory.
-Arcade Fire: Awesome. Their songs are chock full of emotion and interesting lyrics. Funeral, their first album, is crazy-good. Neon Bible, their second, isn't as good overall but has some songs that are incredible. Their sound is a bit like Radiohead's The Bends phase mixed with the Shins, which is surprisingly good. Songs to focus on first: "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)", "Rebellion (Lies)", "Antichrist Television Blues", "The Well and the Lighthouse".
-Secret Machines: You haven't heard of them either. They're like a middle-of-the-road alt rock band, just better. "The Road Leads Where It's Led" is particularly easy on the ears.
-Ween: They smoke weed, and it shows. They are consummately quirky and obnoxiously funny. My (near-clinically insane) art teacher introduced me to them. Like most bands, there's a fair amount of chaff to weed through, but there are some gems to be found. The opening half-drunken voice-altered drawl of "Ocean Man" is priceless. And after all, who doesn't love a band who writes songs about masturbation ("Japanese Cowboy"), debilitating diseases ("Spinal Meningitis Got Me Down"), philandering ("Waving My Dick in the Wind"), and, well, detachable penises ("Detachable Penis")?
-Chemical Brothers: They did a few quite good collaborations with Noel Gallagher ("Setting Sun," "Let Forever Be"), which are how I discovered them. They also did a few songs that you've probably heard but didn't know who did them--particularly "Galvanize", which was in a Budweiser commercial. They're good faux electronica, for what that's worth.
-Death Cab for Cutie: Considering that they're emo, they're actually pretty good--that is, I can actually listen to them. "I Will Possess Your Heart" is good for the 4-minute bassline, which is hilarious in concept as well as execution, if nothing else.
-Andrew W.k.: He's actually not very good at music, but nothing gets me ready to party like "It's Time to Party." Makes sense, right?
That seems like a fair recap.
Oasis, Blur, and Radiohead are still the big 3. Blur haven't released anything new in quite some time--I suspect they're officially over, which is a shame, but they did have a hell of a run. Radiohead's most recent, In Rainbows, is a feat even for them. The fact that it did not receive a single Grammy, though it was nominated for several, is nothing short of a crime. Oasis also has a recent release, Dig Out Your Soul. It's not What's the Story, but it's still an excellent blend of vintage Oasis and a new, more relaxed sound. I'll post the review I wrote for the school paper if I can find it. Suffice it to say that you'll like Dig Out Your Soul if you like Oasis, and you should definitely download "The Shock of the Lightning" and "Falling Down." Now. Go do it.
Moving on. I've branched out slightly in the past two and a half years, so I'll go through in categories:
1) OLD BUT STILL GOOD
These are bands I'd been listening to back then that I still do now, but that are worth a second mention for one reason or another.
-Toad the Wet Sprocket: The best kept secret of the 90's. You have heard, maximum, one song by them, and that's terrible. Go check them out now. NOW. Coil is their best album, followed by Dulcinea, followed by Fear. They will grow on you. I guarantee it.
-The Dandy Warhols: Still as insane as ever. 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia is still, and will continue to be, one of the best American albums ever produced. They're reaching the self-indulgent, jam session stage of their career; it still sounds alright, though.
-Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Because you haven't heard of them, even though they're probably the best young American post-grunge band in existence. They released a new one, Baby 81, about a year ago, and "Window" and "Berlin" are reason enough to check it out. Scythe, I think you'd like them a lot.
-Mark Knopfler: The former Dire Straits frontman's solo career is better than anything the Straits did. His newest, Kill To Get Crimson, is excellent, and the one before that, Shangri-La, is a masterpiece in songwriting to tell stories. Worth a listen in my book.
-The Shins: Everything they've done is good, more or less. "Phantom Limb" is transcendent.
-Beck: We all know about "Loser." But he did more stuff than that. Guero is probably his best album.
-Modest Mouse: One word. "Dashboard." I don't like most of their album filler, but "Dashboard" is exceptional.
-Steely Dan: Apparently they released an album in 2000? And it won a Grammy for Best Record? And I talk in questions? Either way, Two Against Nature is pretty sweet. The title track is the standout, with "Jack of Speed" and "Gaslighting Abby" also gettin' some like champs.
-Pink Floyd, The Who, The Kinks: Still good. All is right with the world.
-The Beatles: I just recently acquired their entire (3.5 gigabyte) discography. Hot Jesus, it's golden.
2) I DISCOVERED THEM SINCE THEN
Title should be fairly self-explanatory.
-Arcade Fire: Awesome. Their songs are chock full of emotion and interesting lyrics. Funeral, their first album, is crazy-good. Neon Bible, their second, isn't as good overall but has some songs that are incredible. Their sound is a bit like Radiohead's The Bends phase mixed with the Shins, which is surprisingly good. Songs to focus on first: "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)", "Rebellion (Lies)", "Antichrist Television Blues", "The Well and the Lighthouse".
-Secret Machines: You haven't heard of them either. They're like a middle-of-the-road alt rock band, just better. "The Road Leads Where It's Led" is particularly easy on the ears.
-Ween: They smoke weed, and it shows. They are consummately quirky and obnoxiously funny. My (near-clinically insane) art teacher introduced me to them. Like most bands, there's a fair amount of chaff to weed through, but there are some gems to be found. The opening half-drunken voice-altered drawl of "Ocean Man" is priceless. And after all, who doesn't love a band who writes songs about masturbation ("Japanese Cowboy"), debilitating diseases ("Spinal Meningitis Got Me Down"), philandering ("Waving My Dick in the Wind"), and, well, detachable penises ("Detachable Penis")?
-Chemical Brothers: They did a few quite good collaborations with Noel Gallagher ("Setting Sun," "Let Forever Be"), which are how I discovered them. They also did a few songs that you've probably heard but didn't know who did them--particularly "Galvanize", which was in a Budweiser commercial. They're good faux electronica, for what that's worth.
-Death Cab for Cutie: Considering that they're emo, they're actually pretty good--that is, I can actually listen to them. "I Will Possess Your Heart" is good for the 4-minute bassline, which is hilarious in concept as well as execution, if nothing else.
-Andrew W.k.: He's actually not very good at music, but nothing gets me ready to party like "It's Time to Party." Makes sense, right?
That seems like a fair recap.
