Searching for good music...

I'm open to suggestion

from JoeUser Forums
Hey guys! I need a little help here.

I'm always on the lookout for good new (to me, anyway) music. I'll define 'good', in my tastes.

I love Dispatch, Pearl Jam, Norah Jones, Storyhill. I'm really into the acoustic groove. "College music", I guess some people call it.

Anyway, even though I don't really have money to spend, I'd love to hear some suggestions of bands you guys like. I'd prefer not to hear names of really mainstream bands, because I already know about them, and that would kind of defeat the purpose of my quest for new music, wouldn't it?

I know Ted can help me out here. Also, if anyone wants to send me burnt cd's, I'm sure something could be arranged...:)

Here's to happy listening,
Chris
misc
6,859 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
I suspect a huge age difference here so I doubt anything I like would be to your tastes but I'll throw out some old stuff you may or may not have heard.

Frank Zappa Apostrphe. My favorite album by Zappa. I know my Christian brothers and sisters will probably beat me to a pulp for saying I enjoy Zappa, but he's unconventional and unique which is why I like him. And he's never been 'mainstream'.

Loser (the R is backwards in the title) They only have one album and it's a hard to find underground but well worth finding. They are more modern. A young band that is just really getting started. Some very energetic music. A little too loud for my tatses (been to a couple of their shows)
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
*Shameless Plug Warning*

Go to my blog and check out some of my Album Reviews and "Song of the Day" articles. While mostly are rock/metal I have been trying to cover numerous different styles, from very heavy prog/death to moody, haunting rock with lots of acoustic work.

*Shameless Plug Off*

If you like acoustic stuff check out the album Presto by Rush. It has a lot of acoustic type stuff on it. The song "Presto" is timeless. They have some amazing classical guitar work on their older stuff such as "A Farewell to Kings", "The Trees", and "La Villa Strangiato". And I cannot overemphasize how amazing the song "Different Strings" is.

Opeth's newest album Damnation is a weird one. Coming from a very heavy progressive/death metal band, this album is very nearly all acoustic, and all mellow. It is wonderful. Opeth also has a lot of great acoustic work on their heavier albums as well. Check out the final track on Morningrise "To Bid you Farewell". It is so beautiful it almost makes me cry.

Oh, check out the album Office of Strategic Influence by O.S.I.! It rocks, is moody and atmospheric, and extremely good work. Some fast rockers, some slow acoustic stuff, and the song "sHutdown" which may very possibly be one of the coolest songs ever.

The live album 12:5 by Pain of Salvation is wonderful. It is basically an unplugged album, with some new material. And it is a real work of art from an astounding progressive band.

Hope those are some new tunes for you to check out. If anything I wrote about sounds intriguing let me know and I will make some more recommendations or point you in the right direction to hear some of this music.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Mason-
I also like Zappa. Some of his stuff I can't really listen to, though, because it's just too off the wall and maybe I don't understand it. Other stuff though...priceless. Maybe I'll check out Loser.

BlueDev-
Thanks! This is what I was looking for, people who have real opinions about music and KNOW why they like (or dislike) it. This goes for you, too, Mason.
I'd definitely be interested in hearing some of those songs, unfortunately my previously mentioned lack of funds as well as my dial-up internet connection makes it hard for me to get any music.
Are you talking about the same "Rush" who did "Tom Sawyer"?
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Yep, same Rush. They are my all time favorite bands, and one of the most diverse rock bands out there. Their music covers just so much stuff, from straight ahead 70s hard rock, to very progressive hard rock, to progressive but very synthesized pop-rock, back to amazing hard, intelligent progressive rock. There is music for every occasion. Following are some direct links to little clips that you should be able to listen to on 56k to see what you think. Again, as a music afficionado, and someone who loves to champion bands that aren't mainstream let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.

Presto

The Pass-another amazing song from the album Presto

A Farewell to Kings

Dedication-A beautiful song by Pain of Salvation

Patterns in the Ivy-Great Opeth tune

Face of Melinda-Another amazing Opeth song

To Bid you Farewell

Hope you enjoy those little snippets, at least to let you know if you are even interested. Be warned, those Opeth bits are not representative of all their work, but that sort of acoustic work is all over in their music. To be fair I need to post one more bit of Opeth so you know the extent of their diversity.

The Leper Affinity-yeah, can be brutal, but can also be amazingly beautiful all in the same song.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Well, I could fill up three pages, at least, on this one, but I'll spare you. There is a song right now that I play a lot, and that's the one I'll share with you. It's City Love by John Mayer. Just something about it.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
Maroon 5, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Jet. Maroon 5 and Jet are my 2 personal preferences right now, but if you get a chance to listen to the acoustic version of "You and I" by Jason Mraz...you should. It's awesome.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
Sounds like dharmagrl should hang out with Mel Chris....I was just given the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs and it might a nice accompaniment to my morning bike commute today despite not being familiar with too many of their songs. You guys might have heard their song Maps if there's any "alternative rock" radio around you. However most of it is kind of punky...or almost white stripes meets the Donnas....but not as cheesy as the Donnas.....man, that wasn't very helpful was it?

Chris, I don't know if you have any Mason Jennings albums, but they're usually relatively cheap and it's geniuinely good stuff. The new album is pretty darn good but I think my favorite is Birds flying away....which ever one has the track "the mountain" on it.

Otherwise I've been buying a lot of hip hop so I won't burden you with those titles....besides, most of it, like Mason, is local stuff that no one has ever heard of, or will ever see in their record stores....and let's face it....snobby music guru Ted likes it that way.

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