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Recommend it! Suggestions needed.

post #1 of 22
12/23/10 at 4:23pm
Thread Starter 
OK, y'all. I anticipate getting some iTunes credits for Christmas. I'm hankering for some new music, and would appreciate any suggestions. Here are some guidelines re: preference and taste:

Genre: pop/rock preferred, but this is likely the least firm guideline. Catchy is more important to me than genre. The only forms of music I've no interest in are hardcore rap, metal with cookie monster vocals, and instrumental jazz.

Vocals: Strong, clear vocals best. Thin, reedy voices, or fairly idiosyncratic vocals aren't my faves.

Lyrics: Clever, literate lyrics are best. Something that rises above the usual pop rhyming pablum.

More than anything, looking for something fun and catchy to listen that doesn't lower my IQ.

Songs and/or album recommendations are welcome. I've been buying singles for a while now, and would be surprised to find an entire album I wanted.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.
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post #2 of 22
12/23/10 at 4:54pm
It'd be helpful if you can list some albums that you like already.
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post #3 of 22
12/23/10 at 4:57pm
If you like catchy pop/rock try Biffy Clyro.
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post #4 of 22
12/23/10 at 5:10pm
When you say "new," do you mean current or new to you?
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post #5 of 22
12/23/10 at 5:16pm
The Beatles.
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post #6 of 22
12/23/10 at 5:31pm
Clever literate lyrics: You could Decemberists (I recommend Picaresque, although my favorite song is called Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect, from an earlier album). Nick Cave might fulfill these needs as well and Murder Ballads and The Boatman's Call are good places to start, though if this was a best of conversation people would jump up at this point and start typing Your Funeral, My Trial. It's entirely likely these were both totally obvious suggestions, but don't really know what you like.

Clever, literate and catchy always also brings to mind The Smiths, where literally you could pick an album at random and feel satisfied. Again, though, that may have made you mentally "duh" at me.
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post #7 of 22
12/23/10 at 5:32pm
Catchy Pop/Rock? I'll play, here's ten new-ish (2000-present) songs I'd start with.

Vampire Weekend: A-Punk
The Strokes: Soma
The xx: Crystalized
Gorillaz: Up On Melancholy Hill
Beck: Girl
LCD Soundsystem: I Can Change
MGMT: Kids
Peter Bjorn and John: Young Folks
Death Cab for Cutie: Soul Meets Body
and this final one is a bit of a stretch, but I suggest a few spins...Animal Collective: My Girls
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post #8 of 22
12/23/10 at 5:36pm
The K Man just out-hipster'd everybody here. (But basically every song he recommended is great. I guess I don't like A-Punk or Kids that much, would've suggested Hard to Explain by the Strokes and Losing My Edge or Tribulations by LCD Soundsystem. Do take the Crystalised advice, that song will transcend human civilization and be embraced by the self-reproducing amoeba creatures that one day will find the remnants of our species.)
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post #9 of 22
12/23/10 at 6:04pm
Thread Starter 
First for those who dove in with recommendations: thank you. I'll start doing some listening ASAP.

Second, for those asking clarifying questions: I just mean new to me. New-new is fine, but I don't set any particular store by release date.

Here are some favorite groups or artists who, for me, meet these criteria:

BoDeans. Green Day. Cake. Plain White Ts. Melissa Etheridge. Sting. Indigo Girls. Sarah Bareilles. OneRepublic. Maria McKee. Semisonic. REM.

I know these are fairly middle of the road, and I do like other stuff, but I've a hankering for some good, solid, catchy rock with some smarts.
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post #10 of 22
12/23/10 at 6:20pm
I'd say, youtube everything The K Man recommended. And, as for my suggestions, check these songs out. [Disclaimer: not claiming them as their best or most famous, but thinking songs I'd use to introduce you to them.]

The Decemberists: "Sixteen Military Wives", "We Both Go Down Together", "The Mariner's Revenge Song".
The Smiths: "Bigmouth Strikes Again", "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before", "A Rush and a Push and the land is Ours"
Nick Cave: "Red Right Hand", "Into My Arms", "Where the Wild Roses Grow".
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post #11 of 22
12/23/10 at 6:21pm
Thread Starter 
Crap, forgot to mention: I know and love the Decemberists, but I'm a couple of albums behind.

Have to admit that Morissey falls firmly into the idiosyncratic singer category for me, and I can't stand his voice.

Nick Cave is a name I know, but I'm not familiar with his music, except for one song I grabbed off a Paste sampler several years ago.
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post #12 of 22
12/23/10 at 6:28pm
No matter, then. Crystalised.

And I don't know if this counts as idiosyncratic singer (probably), but I loved these two songs this year.
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post #13 of 22
12/23/10 at 7:00pm
Here's a list:

Riley Kiley: Portions for Foxes
Metric: Police and the Private
Seawolf: O Maria!
Neutral Milk Hotel: Holland, 1945
Band of Horses: Dilly
Avett Brothers: Kick Drum Heart
Phoenix: 1901
Hot Chip: Out at the Pictures
Ce Jeu: Yelle
Matt and Kim: Daylight
Lykke Li: Break It Up
Cicada: Psycho Thrills
Florence and the Machines: You've Got the Love
Scouting for Girls: Famous
Robyn: Hang with Me

Pretty random, gets dancy towards the end. Have fun.

EDIT: Also check out the electronica thread. Some good electronic rock/pop stuff there.
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post #14 of 22
12/23/10 at 8:28pm
My music tastes do tend to fall into the "hipster realm," but my other favorites (Springsteen, Bowie, Miles Davis, The Beatles, etc.) don't seem to fit his criteria. Really it's hard to suggest new music. I'd youtube most of the suggestions and get a taste of each song, and let us know what's cooking for you and then go from there.
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post #15 of 22
12/23/10 at 9:05pm
MichaelM, give Morrissey's lyrics a shot. I think you will like them.

Wilco?
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post #16 of 22
12/23/10 at 11:46pm
Michael what about Beck? I suggest Modern Guilt.
Nick Cave's Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus is sometimes really catchy.
Should I recommend White Stripes? Elephant for starters.
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post #17 of 22
12/24/10 at 12:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
MichaelM, give Morrissey's lyrics a shot. I think you will like them.

Wilco?
A really close friend loves Wilco, and he has phenomenally good taste, so I will be giving them a try.

I just can't get on the Morissey bandwagon. Dude needs to actually open/move his mouth to sing. And his voice is too whiny for me. At least what I've heard of it.
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post #18 of 22
12/24/10 at 12:38am
Maybe the first three New Pornographers albums??
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post #19 of 22
12/24/10 at 12:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelM View Post
At least what I've heard of it.
I suspect it's not the right songs.
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post #20 of 22
12/24/10 at 2:14am
Jon Brion - Meaningless
Grant Lee Buffalo - Mighty Joe Moon
Adam Green - Sixes and Sevens
Grandaddy - Sumday
Devics - Push the Heart
The Czars - Goodbye
Suede - Sci Fi Lullabies

Those are my suggestions. Happy listening!
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post #21 of 22
12/24/10 at 10:17am
I would heartily recommend you listen to Nick Lowe - All Men Are Liars.

It contains my favourite lyric of all time. "Well do you remember Rick Astley? He had a big fat hit, it was ghastly.

If you Youtube it please close your eyes, the video is horrendous.
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post #22 of 22
12/24/10 at 12:25pm
Anything by the Avett Brothers. Anything by Sufjan Stevens.
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