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What kind of music do you enjoy?

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AshRyan

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With what? Positive lyrics and happy feeling are not synonymous. Of course, with today's almost obsessive focus on "what did X-artist god say?", I guess all one has to do now is merely put the word happy in their song, and that will be called a happy song.

I believe the best band at the moment is Interpol. Interpol has nearly perfected a variety of artistic elements. I've heard many claim that they're ripping off Echo and The Bunnymen, Joy Division, R.E.M. and a variety of other 80's/90's bands, but there are some major differences that I'd like to point out (for the record).

1. Dynamics: Interpol has almost perfected the art of musical dynamics. They alter the mood of their songs largely by subtle synth changes (usually background high-frequency sounds).

2. Production: Obviously, Interpol has the advantage recording and producing at this day in age. Regardless, they're above and beyond many in the field today. Also, I realize that the production is a producers job, but nearly all bands have input during the production process and should be given credit.

3. Performance/Image: The black/red color scheme works perfectly with the tone of the music and the performance is a ghastly/intense/epic experience that one might expect after really listening intently. The light show is awesome as well.

Other bands that are close to the top:

- M83

- Out Hud

- !!!

- Hum

- Failure

- Junior Boys

- Ratatat

- Boards of Canada

- The Magnetic Fields

- Neil Young (Harvest Moon - Admittedly, it's more the prairie nostalgia than the music)

- The Smiths

- Royksopp

- The Beatles

- Elliot Smith

- Jimmy Eat World (Clarity)

- Weezer (Minus their latest album)

- The Arcade Fire

- Stars

- Metric

- Death From Above 1979

- Kenna

- Death Cab for Cutie

- Elliott Smith

- Jason Forrest

- Broken Social Scene

Edited by NewYorkRoark
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My roomate is completely infatuated with Death From Above.

Another good band that no one's mentioned here is TV on the Radio. The lyrics a really beautiful and amazing.

"Why so tame

We could shoot wilder vines

Through younger veins

Sip slow from night’s deep wells

And watch our gardens swell

Once the seeds are sown

Wild and overgrown, you’ll see

Heart's colors changed like leaves

Oh sweet sweet tree

Fall for me

Fall fast, fall free, fall for me."

My favorite song by them is "Staring at the Sun".

My all-time favorite song(s) is Parabol/Parabola by Tool. "The chance

to be alive and breathing."

"We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment,

We are choosing to be here right now. hold on, stay inside...

This holy reality, this holy experience. choosing to be here in...

This body. this body holding me. be my reminder here that I am not alone in

This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal all this pain is an illusion."

I love the way he defines the idea that they have chosen to be, that

it is their rational descison. I love the certainty and the hope the

song entails.

"This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.

Embrace this moment. remember. we are eternal.

All this pain is an illusion."

It is about hope and celebration, a celebration of life an mankind.

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My roomate is completely infatuated with Death From Above.

Another good band that no one's mentioned here is TV on the Radio. The lyrics a really beautiful and amazing.

"Why so tame

We could shoot wilder vines

Through younger veins

Sip slow from night’s deep wells

And watch our gardens swell

Once the seeds are sown

Wild and overgrown, you’ll see

Heart's colors changed like leaves

Oh sweet sweet tree

Fall for me

Fall fast, fall free, fall for me."

My favorite song by them is "Staring at the Sun".

My all-time favorite song(s) is Parabol/Parabola by Tool. "The chance

to be alive and breathing."

"We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment,

We are choosing to be here right now. hold on, stay inside...

This holy reality, this holy experience. choosing to be here in...

This body. this body holding me. be my reminder here that I am not alone in

This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal all this pain is an illusion."

I love the way he defines the idea that they have chosen to be, that

it is their rational descison. I love the certainty and the hope the

song entails.

"This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.

Embrace this moment. remember. we are eternal.

All this pain is an illusion."

It is about hope and celebration, a celebration of life an mankind.

I also enjoy TV on The Radio. Although, I don't think they have given themselves much room to expand musically (if they want to remain within the same framework).

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  • 5 weeks later...
I believe the best band at the moment is Interpol.

I don't know if I'd say they're the best, but they're toward the top of my list and have been for a long time.

I also agree with a lot the rest of your list. You have good taste. :lol: I especially love:

- The Smiths

- Weezer (Minus their latest album)

- The Arcade Fire

- Stars

- Metric

- Death Cab for Cutie

- Elliott Smith

I'll add my current obsessions:

- Architecture in Helsinki

- Of Montreal

- Kings of Convenience

- Sondre Lerche

- Action Action

- Ed Harcourt

- The Decemberists

And some long-time favorites that'll never get old:

- The The (spinoff band from The Smiths)

- Badly Drawn Boy

- The Hives

- Ted Leo + Pharmacists

- The Ramones

- The Cure

- A-ha

there's a lot more... I'm such a music freak that I have to have two iPods.

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I don't know if I'd say they're the best, but they're toward the top of my list and have been for a long time.

I also agree with a lot the rest of your list. You have good taste. :lol: I especially love:

I'll add my current obsessions:

- Architecture in Helsinki

- Of Montreal

- Kings of Convenience

- Sondre Lerche

- Action Action

- Ed Harcourt

- The Decemberists

And some long-time favorites that'll never get old:

- The The (spinoff band from The Smiths)

- Badly Drawn Boy

- The Hives

- Ted Leo + Pharmacists

- The Ramones

- The Cure

- A-ha

there's a lot more... I'm such a music freak that I have to have two iPods.

I also like many of those bands (I love the Kings of Convenience album ("I'd Rather Dance With You" is one of my favorite songs of 2006) and Of Montreal's "Satanic Panic in the Attack" especially "Lysergic Bliss") but I have not heard Action Action or Ed Harcourt (what's thier sound like?). I saw The Double, Celebration and Kip Malone (from TV on the Radio) last weekend at the Bowery Ballroom and it was awesome (especially Celebration - think Yeah Yeah Yeah's with more ambience (lots of synth) and they also had an amazing drummer).

I've never heard of most of these bands. I know they don't really play them on the radio or anything. Where and how do you guys find and hear them?

By asking that question (I just learned about Action Action and Ed Harcourt and look at all the bands you just learned about), by going to concerts, by reading (try College Music Journal (CMJ) on paper and try Pitchfork Media for a free online guide) and then (ultimately) by listening (critically).

Edited by NewYorkRoark
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I also like many of those bands (I love the Kings of Convenience album ("I'd Rather Dance With You" is one of my favorite songs of 2006)

Yah, me too! Have you seen the video? He dances like Napoleon Dynamite; it's really funny. They're doing a major tour right now, so you should check to see when their coming. I'm seeing them on March 8.

...I have not heard Action Action or Ed Harcourt (what's thier sound like?).
I'm no good at describing music... Action Action is somewhere between old Hot Hot Heat, Bloc Party and Arcade Fire. Here's a link to a couple of their videos:

http://music.yahoo.com/ar-311627---Action-Action

Their best song is "Don't Cut Your Fabric"

Ed Harcourt's a lot easier to find than them. I'd compare him to Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, and Badly Drawn Boy, or maybe Iron & Wine (who I can't stand). Here's a link to his official site (the music on the main page makes me laugh, but it's not really representative of his recordings):

http://www.edharcourt.com/siteIndex.htm

I've never heard of most of these bands. I know they don't really play them on the radio or anything. Where and how do you guys find and hear them?

Internet radio is a great place.

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Yah, me too! Have you seen the video? He dances like Napoleon Dynamite; it's really funny. They're doing a major tour right now, so you should check to see when their coming. I'm seeing them on March 8.

I'm no good at describing music... Action Action is somewhere between old Hot Hot Heat, Bloc Party and Arcade Fire. Here's a link to a couple of their videos:

http://music.yahoo.com/ar-311627---Action-Action

Their best song is "Don't Cut Your Fabric"

Ed Harcourt's a lot easier to find than them. I'd compare him to Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, and Badly Drawn Boy, or maybe Iron & Wine (who I can't stand). Here's a link to his official site (the music on the main page makes me laugh, but it's not really representative of his recordings):

http://www.edharcourt.com/siteIndex.htm

Internet radio is a great place.

I actually just watched the video this morning and your description is right on the money. I'll listen to the two bands you mentioned. Much appreciated.

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Yah, me too! Have you seen the video? He dances like Napoleon Dynamite; it's really funny. They're doing a major tour right now, so you should check to see when their coming. I'm seeing them on March 8.

I'm no good at describing music... Action Action is somewhere between old Hot Hot Heat, Bloc Party and Arcade Fire. Here's a link to a couple of their videos:

http://music.yahoo.com/ar-311627---Action-Action

Their best song is "Don't Cut Your Fabric"

Ed Harcourt's a lot easier to find than them. I'd compare him to Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, and Badly Drawn Boy, or maybe Iron & Wine (who I can't stand). Here's a link to his official site (the music on the main page makes me laugh, but it's not really representative of his recordings):

http://www.edharcourt.com/siteIndex.htm

Internet radio is a great place.

I really liked Ed Harcourt but I didn't really enjoy Action Action (I had actually seen a video on Subterranean (MTV 2 late night music video show which is getting worse and worse and worse). Ed Harcourt reminded me a little of Sufjan Stevens. An awesome music television show is New York Noise, but I think it's only shown in New York City - but for those New Yorker's out there.

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http://music.yahoo.com/ar-311627---Action-Action

Their best song is "Don't Cut Your Fabric"

Interesting group.

That guitar riff reminds me of Ozzie Osborne's Crazy Train. The songs are completely different. "Crazy Train" is a rollicking good time, while "Don't Cut Your Fabric" is extremely melodramatic, but I think the guitar riff is what makes the song, simple though it is.

I'm not a fan of Osborne at all, but I do like that guitar riff.

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  • 5 months later...

There are too few artists that really satisfy me anymore. Well, I suppose I should look, but I'm incredibly particular... My real interest in music started about 4 years ago. At the time I was listening largely to then-popular music. I remember Tool as being my favorite band, and knew pretty much everything about them. Listening to them now though, it really means very little to me. All I think is: "Hm... okay." Lol.

After that I moved to the 80's: Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Smiths...

Seventies: David Bowie, Brian Eno, Roxy Music, T-Rex...

& Sixties: Nick Drake, The Velvet Underground...

Not gradually though. It actually all started with TVU's White Light/White Heat actually, which I bought after watching High Fidelity and listening to some of it. I remember how much I loved that album. I must've been crazy, lol. The song "I Heard Her Call My Name" still makes me laugh like crazy though, those guitar solos (if you can call them that) are insane. I wasn't surprised to learn of the role amphetamines played in the recording of that album, ha!

Anyhow, what I've found is that from all this pop/rock music I listened to, only a few of those artist have actually "stuck". I still like The Velvet Underground, but only their 1969 self-titled album, and the 1985 release "VU". I never bought "Loaded". Check them out! The 1969 album is, IMHO, great—with the exception of "The Murder Mystery". To get an idea, download Candy Says, What Goes On, Some Kinda Love, or I'm Beginning To See The Light.

Another that's stuck is Nick Drake. I have two of his three studio releases, "Five Leaves Left" and "Bryter Layter". Incredible singer-songwriter. Download: Time Has Told Me, Day Is Done, Fruit Tree, Saturday Sun (!), One of These Things First (!), Hazey Jane I... Wow, I love of all those—couldn't keep any out.

Television is also an artist that's stuck. I have both their studio albums, "Marquee Moon" and "Adventure", and I'm looking forward to buying some of Tom Verlaine's solo work. Songs: Venus, Guiding Light, Prove It (!), Torn Curtain, Careful, Carried Away, The Fire...

Last but not least is Felt. Felt is a great band. The were around from 1980 to 1989, and "Forever Breathes the Lonely Word" is their greatest album. Listen to it. IT IS POP PERFECTION. One of my favorite lyrics is from the song Dark Hours Have Changed My Mind:

A man is a boy, a boy is a child, a woman's son...

Recently I began listening to Classical music. So far, my favorite pieces are Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto (Argerich, have yet to listen to Horowitz's interpretation), Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto (Richter/Karajan, prefer it over Argerich/Kondrashin—if only S.R. had recorded the Rach 3!), and Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony.

The 3rd was my first piece of classical. Never having listened to classical music before, it took a while for me to really take it in. I must've listened to it about a dozen times before I really started to understand it and recognize the melodies—for it to have a significant effect. Now I LOVE it. Much more than the 2nd actually. It's incredible. I love that part in the first movement, about 8 minutes in, where the music just rises and rises and comes to that powerful climax. I remember closing my eyes one of the first times I really listened to it and thinking of an argument, of pleading, almost like a man's pleading, like for his life... And it culminates in a sort of violence.... And then the Finale! Oh my... never have I listened to anything more beatiful or powerful or... Jeez. I'm smiling now just thinking about it. I'll put it on after I'm done here, lol.

Also, I've been listening to some soul music. I recommend Nina Simone and Al Green—GREAT ARTISTS. Just listen to Nina's "Wild is the Wind" or Al's "Let's Stay Together (Which just about everyone has heard, but listen to it again! It's very good. He ruled. Oh, and look at the cover of the same-title album—doesn't it make you want to buy it? I mean, come on!)", lol.

106806.jpg

If you like any of these artists and would like to recommend somethin' then please contact me.

S. COURCELLE

Edited by S.Courcelle
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I have a pretty diverse taste. Genres included in my playlist are; pop/rock, prog-rock/metal(and other metal genres), synth, fusion... and more. Some of my favourites are:

Fleetwood Mac

Dire Straits

Al DiMeola

Depeche Mode

Jean-Michel Jarre

King Crimson

Genesis

There´s alot more that I like, but I dont want to name-drop. :dough:

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FYI: VH1 classic is showing Rush's R30 Anniversary concert this week on their "Classics in Concert" series. I watched it last night and loved it.

It's showing again tomorrow (Wednesday, July 12) at 4:00 p.m. EDT and on Thursday, July 13, at 6:00 p.m.

"You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose free will."
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  • 1 month later...

The Gipsy kings

Vanessa mae, especially "Storm" album.

Tchaikovsky

Rita (an Israeli singer)

Madonna's "something to remember" album

Tori Amos's "little earthquakes" album

Mariah Carey's "music box", and other old songs

Michael Jackson's old stuff

Roxette (especially "The look")

Annie Lennox (especially "Talking to an Angel", "no more I love yous")

The sound of music soundtrack

A song from the soundtrack of The fifth element: "The diva dance"

And other songs of various artists :)

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Last but not least is Felt. Felt is a great band. The were around from 1980 to 1989, and "Forever Breathes the Lonely Word" is their greatest album. Listen to it. IT IS POP PERFECTION. One of my favorite lyrics is from the song Dark Hours Have Changed My Mind:

Wow, another FELT fan here?? They're one of my top favorites too. : ) Some of the best guitar playing ever-- arpeggios on telecaster with effects you can't beat it. And the lyrics are so often genius.. "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" is my favorite song I think, "Stop sitting around and thinking you're gonna do no good, I thought your poetry was.. ah ahh... sometimes good." lol great.

Well, in this case I'll say some other bands I like.

Cocteau Twins.. Fav songs include "Aikea-Guinea" and "Millimillenary." Fav albums.. um, for starters (not in a particular order) "Milk and Kisses," "The Pink Opaque," "Heaven or Las Vegas," "Blue Bell Knoll," umm, and everything else they did.. (my least favorite albums on the whole are "Garlands," "Treasure," and "Head Over Heels," but those still have some good songs). : )

Lush.. Fav songs are "Olympia," "Monochrome," and "Lovelines." Fav album is "Spooky."

My Bloody Valentine.. Fav songs include "Swallow," and "Don't Ask Why." Fav album is "Loveless."

Swallow.. Fav song, "Follow Me Down." Fav albums.. "Blow" and "Blowback" (unfortunately, the only one's they released).

I also like "light concert classics," ie, Viennese Operettas, Rachmaninoff, etc. And I like ragtime, esp. guitar ragtime (Blind Blake, Nick Drake, etc). And Hawaiian jazz (Sol Hoopii).. And music with steel guitars, ukuleles, pianos, horns, drum machines, (especially vintage) synthesizers, effects pedals and processors... And then, music that I make (I don't have anything released yet though). :)

If anyone actually likes this stuff, I can list a lot more bands and artists I love (that are too often overlooked, imo).

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I enjoy alot of oldies, but I also like some new stuff. Some of my favorite artists are:

Metallica

Hank Williams

Hank Williams, Jr.

Johnny Cash

Charlie Daniels

Bobby Vinton

Megadeth

Jim Croce

Lynyrd Skynyrd

George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Twisted Sister ("We're Not Gonna Take It")

AC/DC

Quiet Riot ("Cum On Feel The Noize")

Iron Butterfly

Guns n' Roses

Simon & Garfunkel

Conway Twitty

Burl Ives

Slim Whitman ("When I Grow Too Old to Dream")

Peter, Paul, & Mary

Elvis Presly

C.W. McCall

There are more, but that should give a sense of my tastes for anyone who cares.

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I also like classical. I really like some dark stuff like Holst's The Planets and Karl Orff's Carmina Burana. I also like Bethoven's Ninth Symphony, alot of Rachmaninoff, some Vivaldi, some Motzart, etc.

P.S. I've heard, on a high-end system, an A-B comparison. I had bought the first Boston album originally when it was new. I probably had played it 50 times over the years, on a record player with a cheap stylus that probably had way too much weight dialed in on it. I bought the Sony Super Bitmap remastered re-release on CD in the 1990's. CD shouldda sounded better, right? The vinyl BLEW IT AWAY in clarity, lack of electronicy artifacts, congestion, detail, etc. Of course, the CD had tighter and louder bass.

Recently, two new formats have been released: SuperCD and DVD-Audio (not to be confused with the soundtrack on a regular DVD-Video disc). SuperCD is a totally different approach; it can't be compared directly to CD's sampling rate (44.1kHz) or sample size (16 bits). DVD-A provides up to 5.1 channels of 192kHz 24-bit audio. DVD-A sounds significantly better than CD.

By accounts I've read that I trust, and my own estimation (I havent heard any comparisons to vinyl), DVD-A is comparable to or better than vinyl--closer to the 1" analog tape master.

All of the above matters in the context of a good audio reproduction system. All-in-ones, car stereos, and the vast majority of receivers and speakers sold in mass-market stores are too muddy and/or noisy to make a difference. Now, with a good amp and preamp, and some speakers that are actually good, wow, what a difference the source component and format make!

P.P.S. I was surprised how expensive the shitty-sounding speakers at Ultimate Electronics were. If you care about sound quality, go to a high-end dealer, and audition Vandersteen speakers. Even their little $800/pr 1A's. Of course, their more expensive stuff sounds a lot better.

I'm glad someone pointed this aspect of music listening out. Sadly, the vast majority of music appreciators have 'tin ears', that is, they really could care less about the quality of the recording, or the reproduction.

For me personally, the one asset I own with the most $$$ invested is the sound system. It's worth even more than the house it's housed in and has been a labor of love in construction for 25 years.

I recently had an ephiphany about the analog vs. digital recordings too. I own the LP of a particular symphonic recording and later purchased CDs of the soundtrack. I noticed that the sense of spacial information was considerably lacking on the CD.

One of my best sounding recordings is a direct to disc LP of the Atlanta Symphony with the organ at Christ Cathedral in Atlanta, GA. The lack of background noise, and the sense of palpable positioning of instruments is uncanny. I miss that aspect with CDs.

I am a recordist myself. I did some work with a local symphony orchestra and I use an 8-channel 24-bit system clocked at 96KHz. Those are the best recordings in my entire library, for they are absolutely noiseless, have a total sense of 'you are there-ness' and are uncompressed and have no EQ or other manipulation done to them.

Yet, I am still amazed at how good some of my older recordings that I did on Sony Beta hi-fi, with a pair of condenser mics 20 some-odd years ago still sound today.

I feel that the 44.1KHz sample rate is not quite high enough to convey accurately the inter-aural time delays between instruments. Locations seem smeared on CD, whereas they are fixed in definate places that I can 'point to' on vinyl and on some of my old analog reel to reel recordings.

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