TrekBBS vs. the Music

[PKTrekGirl]

1. Muse - Hysteria
Had never heard this song or this band before. What an odd song this is, apparently about a guy who awakens in a hotel room to discover he has stalked and hooked up with a hooker he had been obsessed with or something.

Most songs, you know if you like them or not on the first listen - or at least you have some idea whether or not the song will grow on you.

So such luck with this song. I like it's originality and admire any group who is willing to try something new. But I honestly can't decide if I like this song or not. It's quirky though - I'll give it that. And I do really love the bass line.


2. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
Of course I'd heard The Kinks before ("I met her in a club down in old Soho...." You can take it from there ) but I don't recall if I'd ever heard this song before. IMO, this song sounds much more Beatle-esque than other Kinks songs I've heard. Is this an early Kinks offering? I'm thinking so...

Anyway, good song, albeit more popish than I generally go for. I mean, it's the Kinks! You can't 'not like'.


3. The Replacements - Bastards of Young
Hurray! Love this song. Love this group. Love, love, love.


My picks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rePcHxFJIuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iywFZqtPlhU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIQsnC2l-kg

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Oh...and AJ..a couple of things:

1. That was my first experience with Queens of the Stone Age. I would be curious as to other songs that might be good rocking songs, less that death metal voice. Because I actually quite enjoyed the music - I just hated the singing.

2. Technically, I'm not sure if Temple of the Dog was a 'supergroup', because at the time they recorded that tribute album to Andy, Pearl Jam was only in it's early infancy - they might have played a few local and west coast gigs (under the name Mookie Blaylock), but the release of Ten (August 1991) was still months away. ToTD was not a big success when it hit shelves in April 1991. But several months later after both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were superstars, the record company re-released the album and referred to ToTD as a supergroup....which they would have been if they had actually recorded the album then. I love that album and I'm glad it got more exposure as a result of the two groups involved making it big...but is ToTD a real supergroup, in the same sense as, say Mad Season (members from Alice in Chains, Screaming Trees, and Pearl Jam - after all were successful)? I don't know. Maybe it's even semantics to some...but I always thought that the record company referring to them as a supergroup really muddied up the history.

Hey...I'm a Trek fan. I'm all about canon!

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

1. Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Follow You Into the Dark

Hard for me to judge this one, due to its overplay on the office radio. That automatically knocks it down a peg, which is unfortunate.

It's touching, if I daresay a bit precious. The lyrics feature some clever turns of phrase, and the acoustic work is a warm, reassuring accompaniment to the song's dark subject matter.

2) Bruce Springsteen - Long Walk Home
Ah, a guy's whose work I can appreciate but haven't ever been able to personally enjoy. It might have something to do with a craptastic YA novel I read in high school, whose dopey protagonist was a mid-80's teen and Springsteen fantatic.

Sorry, Boss!

I found the song itself inoffensive but unmemorable, like most radio-friendly rockers. Nothing inherently wrong with radio-friendly rockers; I can understand Springsteen's popular appeal, but it's a style that just doesn't grab me.

3)The Gits - Seaweed
Maybe I'm way off, but this melodic punk song sounds influenced by Pat Benatar to an extent. That's a good thing.

This is one I'd have to listen to a few times to form an opinion on.

Here's three for someone else to chew on and possibly spit right back out again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KeHTP6X3qw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSfncSgAk7E

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

 

[Alidar Jarok]

PKTrekGirl, here is Queens of the Stone Age desert sessions version of Millionare without the death metal vocals.
This might be more typical.

Clinic - Walking With Thee
Well that was different. I'm trying to figure out what it reminds me of. I kinda like it, though. The hook really works, even though it's still very strange. Even the abrupt ending works.

Department of Eagles - Noam Chomsky Spring Break 2002
First off, I love the title for this song. That being said, you know how I liked the strangeness of the last song. This one was just a little over the top weird. Good, but I'd have to be in the right mood to listen to it. The outro was very cool, though. Probably the best part of the song.

Volcano Choir - Cool Knowledge
Is this a whole song? It kinda gets cut off just when I thought it was beginning. I liked it, but was expecting more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuqUrCroBzQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_swOrmGhN2M&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7zYfHv9QJc

 

[Jetfire]

^
Rancid "Ruby Soho"

Heard before.
Awesome group...love this song. 9/10
Always listening.

Meat Puppets "Backwater"

Heard before.
Not a fan. 5/10
Won't listen to more.

Pinhead Gunpowder "Life During Wartime"

Not heard before.
Sounds like Green Day. 8/10.
Ok...Is this Green Day? Saw BJ in the vid.

Here are mine...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-yKhDd64s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Lp2uC_1lg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKj_8m7SKFs

 

[Hunter X]

Love the variety on genres, Jetfire.

Eminem "Not Afraid"

Eminem goes inspirational? Not the sort of work I associate with him, which I suppose is part of the point. Not bad, but my stance on Eminem has always been that I can appreciate his talent, but his stuff isn't my cup of tea.

Shania Twain "From This Moment"

Definitely know this song. Fine enough for radio pop, but it's background radio music to me.

Marilyn Manson "Get Your Gunn"

And another one I've heard of, but haven't actually listened to much. The style, again, isn't my cup of tea, but I didn't feel the need to turn it off either.


My three:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REo7VnlenOA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHT4S2AbEvE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooTyuRd9zSg

 

[Count Zero]

Mumford & Sons - The Cave

Never heard of them, but it's a very catchy tune. I coulld definetely stand to hear more from them. Interesting choice of instruments, too. You don't hear soemthing modern with a banjo too often. Or at least, I don't.


House of Heroes - God Save The Foolish Kings

A rather conventional rock song, somewhat poppy. It sounds rather unmemorable to me and as if the singer tries a bit too hard to sound rocky. The middle part is interesting. An ok song which ultimately leaves me cold, thiugh.


The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

Interesting song and sound. I wonder how to characterise it, maybe as Western Rock? I might check out more by them.


My last set of songs got ignored, maybe I'll have better luck with those:

URL would give away the title

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hvzIm4ljj8&feature=related

 

[PKTrekGirl]

1. Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart

I'm assuming this song is talking about English/Irish (and possibly other British) politics, but since I don't know these guys (except by reputation) and am an American, it's difficult for me to understand any possible nuances of this song. I get that he doesn't want the UK to be a racist country - I'm obviously on board with that. But really hesitate to comment much further as I am not very knowledgeable about British politics and don't think it is any of our business in any case. Like most Americans, we care about the UK and want to see things work out to everyone's satisfaction...but beyond that I feel uncomfortable commenting about an ally/friend's internal issues.

Good music though and I enjoyed the singer's voice - might have enjoyed the song more if the lyrics had been relevant to me. I would listen to more of this band's stuff, if it wasn't as political.


2. Gorillaz - Some Kind of Nature

At the risk of sounding like a major foggie here, I have no idea what this song is about, even though I sat and READ the lyrics. This selection, then, gets the points for originality (the melody is original and the 'singer' is quirky-cool), but gets points off for being pretty nonsensical in terms of what it's about. I just think that after you listen to a song while reading the lyrics, you should have some idea what it's about.

I don't.

I might listen to more from this group, just to see if other stuff would be more of the same. But I am one who cares a lot about meaningful lyrics. So unless they have some, I'd rapidly lose interest.


3. {Some Song in Greek Which I Did Not Understand and Cannot Type the Title Of As I Don't Have Greek Fonts}

Okay...as someone who used to speak reasonably decent Russian and lived there for a while (Russia is a country with a strong national folk music tradition as well), I am a big fan of national folk music. And that holds true here, in terms of appreciation for the style and tradition of this song. I assume that this guy is/was one of those singers who approached national treasure status due to his position as 'protector of Greek musical culture' or something, because the recording sounds kind of old. I wish that I understood whatever story he is telling here (and I assume there IS a story being told - as is usual in these kinds of songs), because in general, I am a big fan of this kind of music. Not something I listen to all the time, but I certainly appreciate it and enjoy it. You will have to give us the backstory here, assuming you speak Greek, Count Zero.


My picks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NWjehpGSO0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsnisKmNsqY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc0mxOXbWIU

 

[Count Zero]

1. Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart

I'm assuming this song is talking about English/Irish (and possibly other British) politics, but since I don't know these guys (except by reputation) and am an American, it's difficult for me to understand any possible nuances of this song. I get that he doesn't want the UK to be a racist country - I'm obviously on board with that. But really hesitate to comment much further as I am not very knowledgeable about British politics and don't think it is any of our business in any case. Like most Americans, we care about the UK and want to see things work out to everyone's satisfaction...but beyond that I feel uncomfortable commenting about an ally/friend's internal issues.

I'm not British, either, and I don't understand all of the meaning of the lyrics, to be honest, e.g. the line about the Royals still saluting Cromwell - I always thought that Cromwell and his shortlived republic had a rather bad reputation in the UK, and for good reason. I guess, Morrissey refers to Britain holding on to the conquests he made. But maybe someone will be along to explain it.
I relate to the frustration about the political sphere, party politics and general corruption in politics expressed in this song and I can also empathise with the difficulty of identification with one's country. I have similar problems. Though they are about a particular situation, I think the lyrics transcend this and express feelings and yearnings many of us have felt.

Good music though and I enjoyed the singer's voice - might have enjoyed the song more if the lyrics had been relevant to me. I would listen to more of this band's stuff, if it wasn't as political.

Morrissey isn't really a band, but a solo artist. He used to be the singer (and songwriter) for The Smiths, which were already featured in this thread. My last post contained another song by him, which isn't political at all. He has both, and most aren't overly political. I love his lyrics for the dry wit and the British fatalism.


In general, I'm mostly in it for the music, i.e. I don't pay that much attention to lyrics in most cases, unless they're distractingly bad, so I can't help you with the lyrics of the Gorillaz song. Musically, they're very diverse and I wouldn't characterise their lyrics as nonsensical, though they're probably a bit surreal and not always clear. They, too, were featured in my previous post with a totally different sounding song that has more accessible lyrics, I think.
The singer in this case is Lou Reed, former member (and writer of many of their songs) of The Velvet Underground and renowned solo artist afterwards (you might know the songs "Walk On The Wild Side" or "Satellite of Love"). I'm glad you like his 'singing' because it seems to be something you either hate or love.

3. {Some Song in Greek Which I Did Not Understand and Cannot Type the Title Of As I Don't Have Greek Fonts}

Yeah, I'm sorry for that but it was the best version I could find on YouTube. The artist is Nikolas Asimos (or just Asimos) and the song is called 'Oulaloum'.

I assume that this guy is/was one of those singers who approached national treasure status due to his position as 'protector of Greek musical culture' or something, because the recording sounds kind of old.

Well, not really. The recording is from the 80s, but he didn't have very professional recording equipment at his disposal as he mainly self-published his songs on cassette. I think he's rather well known in Greece, or at least in some circles.
I don't speak Greek and unfortunately can't understand the lyrics, either, but according to the people that introduced me to him, they're quite good, meaningful and poetic. Often political, though.
I went on holiday in Greece in 2009, staying with a friend who studied there for a year. We went to Epidaurus and met a young Greek couple there. The problem is that after the site closes, you have to wait an hour for the bus back, then change busses to get to Athens where we were headed. They saw us waiting and asked us to take us back to Athens with them. On the way, they listened to Asimos and told us about him. I instantly liked it.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

^ Thanks for your response, Count Zero!

And I agree with you about both Morrissey and Gorillaz. Morrissey does have a great voice...and I do generally like that style of music, so I can certainly appreciate him quite a bit. But yeah...I maybe care more about the lyrics than you do! I admire him for speaking out about political issues he feels strongly about - certainly my two favorite bands have done the same with regard to US politics...so I appreciate this guy being willing to spend some of his heard-earned political capital to take a stand on an issue he feels strongly about. But in this particular case, I don't know enough about the issue to take a stand with him - or not.

As for Gorillaz...I do appreciate their originality. I'd certainly prefer them over canned commercialize pop music, for example. But once again - it's hard to get a strong emotional response out of me with regard to a song if I don't understand what the songwriter is trying to say.

Good picks though. The main reason why I'm playing this game is to explore new (to me) music...and certainly you have helped me do that!

Oh...and AD...I'm rooting about on YouTube right now for more Queens of the Stone Age. I actually know Josh Homme from something else...but I may post something later about that, so I'll not say what right now.

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

Clinic - Walking With Thee
Well that was different. I'm trying to figure out what it reminds me of. I kinda like it, though. The hook really works, even though it's still very strange. Even the abrupt ending works.

I hear a feral, bat-shit insane garage Radiohead.

Department of Eagles - Noam Chomsky Spring Break 2002
First off, I love the title for this song. That being said, you know how I liked the strangeness of the last song. This one was just a little over the top weird. Good, but I'd have to be in the right mood to listen to it. The outro was very cool, though. Probably the best part of the song.

Department of Eagles are definitely an acquired taste. The 'weird' in this particular song is courtesy of Regina Spektor - those are her vocals in the middle.

Volcano Choir - Cool Knowledge
Is this a whole song? It kinda gets cut off just when I thought it was beginning. I liked it, but was expecting more.

I'm not sure because I don't own it, but I think it may be an intro to another song on the album. In any event, it's one of the most unique bits of sound I've heard in years.

My picks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NWjehpGSO0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsnisKmNsqY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc0mxOXbWIU

1. Social Distortion - Ball and Chain.
This takes me back...ah Jr. High, how I don't miss you. I can thank bands like this for allowing me to survive it.

Absolute classic. Love it.

2. Ellis Paul - Sweet Mistake

It's okay, I guess. Not really grabbing me. I feel like I've heard this song 500 times before, although I've never heard *this song* in particular, if yanno what I mean.

3. Cee Lo Green - Fuck You

Fuck Yes.

The only bad thing I can say about this song is not even an issue with the song itself, it's the castrating censors on the radio. They shouldn't play this one if they can't play it in all its original, profane glory. It's stuff like this that gives me a glimmer a hope for pop music's future.


GO!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2zPD_fYlHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSnjYpOsN_8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lArp4CduRvI

 

[Canadave]

Oh good, new people are playing! That keeps things nice 'n varied.

Cake - "Frank Sinatra"

Hells yes, I love Cake. My favourites of theirs tend to be their heavier stuff ("Comfort Eagle" is amazing) but this song is pretty damn cool, too. 9/10

Four Tet - "Untangle"

Interesting vibe to this one. I don't listen to a lot of electronic stuff, so I don't have a huge frame of reference for the genre, but this is pretty cool. I enjoy how atmospheric it is. 7/10

Green Fields (I think) - "The Good, the Bad, and the Queen"

Interesting. Starts off as piano-driven pop rock, then gets a little bit heavier as it goes on. The vocals are quite nice, and I like the instrumentation. Drags a little on first listen, but I can really see myself coming to dig it over multiple listens. 8/10

My next three:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyacRyma704
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t28COxEp2k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVY8LoM47xI

 

[PKTrekGirl]

1. Fountains of Wayne - Someone to Love
Very cool song. I like these guys...sort of alt/pop/punkish. I'm not generally a big pop fan, but I like this fusion of elements quite a bit. Definitely will listen to more - this bit of 'evangelism' might just work too, Canadave! I'm intrigued.


2. Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer - Chap-Hop
Oh my, my, my....
I just have no idea what to say here - this was like a trip down the hip-hop rabbit hole. With a banjo.

I'm not sure if I will continue an exploration of this music...but I have already sent a link to my nephew, who loves rap and hip-hop.


3. Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage
I'm an Alaskan. Closest to 'Canadian' Americans get. So you have a sympathetic audience here. Very much enjoyed this!

My picks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie6FivkEZBo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBdeCxJmcAo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj9m9xNbVo0

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Oh good, new people are playing! That keeps things nice 'n varied.

Cake - "Frank Sinatra"

Hells yes, I love Cake. My favourites of theirs tend to be their heavier stuff ("Comfort Eagle" is amazing) but this song is pretty damn cool, too. 9/10

This song is awesome. Cake - the tastiest band EVAH!

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

Oh good, new people are playing! That keeps things nice 'n varied.

Cake - "Frank Sinatra"

Hells yes, I love Cake. My favourites of theirs tend to be their heavier stuff ("Comfort Eagle" is amazing) but this song is pretty damn cool, too. 9/10

So glad to find another CAKE fan! I played eniee meenie miniee moe between Comfort Eagle, Italian Leather Sofa and Frank Sinatra while posting. Frank Sinatra won.

Have you listened to their new album yet? They just released it on Jan 11.

Four Tet - "Untangle"

Interesting vibe to this one. I don't listen to a lot of electronic stuff, so I don't have a huge frame of reference for the genre, but this is pretty cool. I enjoy how atmospheric it is. 7/10

There's a lot of phenomenal down tempo electronica out there. A lot of people don't think about the genre outside of Moby or rave music, but I find it's one of the most heterogeneous styles out there.

Green Fields (I think) - "The Good, the Bad, and the Queen"

Interesting. Starts off as piano-driven pop rock, then gets a little bit heavier as it goes on. The vocals are quite nice, and I like the instrumentation. Drags a little on first listen, but I can really see myself coming to dig it over multiple listens. 8/10

The song is actually The Good The Bad and The Queen. The band itself does not have a name, but is referred to by the album title, which TGTB&TQ is the titular track. It is fronted by the same guy responsible for Blur and Gorillaz.

It's a long jam; the first couple of listens felt dragged to me too, but it really grew on me the 3rd or 4th time I heard it.

My next three:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyacRyma704
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t28COxEp2k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVY8LoM47xI

1. Fountains of Wayne - Someone to Love

I can't help but like a group with a name like Fountains of Wayne. They almost compete with Big Head Todd and the Monsters for best absurdist band name ever.

This is poppy and has a 90's pop rock feel to it, although the lyrics reference things that happened in the last decade so it must be newer. It's catchy, a few more listens and it might be an ear worm.

2. Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer - Chap-hop History

Mr. B should challenge Professor Elemental to a round of fisticuffs, then invite him for tea. Wisdom.

Seriously though, nerdcore (I think you loosely classify this as nerdcore) is a total guilty pleasure of mine.

3. Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage

IMO North American folk music is one of our great cultural treasures, even if it's not listened to by a great number of the population. My appreciation for the narrative skill in this art form just continues to grow as I get older.

Some more (because this is fun and I'm getting a taste of some really good stuff in this thread)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJvNg0v7lbE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK30r_SIZ-g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N76-kFUbZww

 

[PKTrekGirl]

^ I posted about Canadave's items about 20 min before you. Not exactly sure what we do now, cus now we both have 3 out there to get listened to.

Not sure if someone is willing to do 6 - that's a lot of listening!

But this IS fun - I agree.

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

^ I posted about Canadave's items about 20 min before you. Not exactly sure what we do now, cus now we both have 3 out there to get listened to.

Not sure if someone is willing to do 6 - that's a lot of listening!

But this IS fun - I agree.

Yeah I saw that you posted while I was composing my response and then went, um awkward...

Well lets see who bites what next.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I hear a feral, bat-shit insane garage Radiohead.

Yeah, that makes as much sense to me as anything.

Anyway, I'll give a shot at reviewing all six. My only other option is going to bed.

Them Crooked Vultures - Elephant
Josh Homme, David Grohl, and John Paul Jones. What's not to love? Very cool song. It seems to start off very simply, but there's really a lot of different layers there. I'd definitely listen to more of them (and hope they keep making music). 4/5

Country Joe McDonald - Feel Like I'm Fixing to Die
Reminds me most of Lennon's protest songs. Cool song. Certainly best in context, but still good. Love the contrast between the lyrics and the happy melody. I'd probably listen to him again if I were in the mood. 4/5

Nine Inch Nails - 1,000,000
I've never heard this song before. Pretty straight forward for NIN. I like the energy. At the same time, it didn't wow me like some of their other work. 3/5

Unkle - What Are You to Me
OK, this is weird following Nine Inch Nails
I like it. It's a genuinely beautiful song. It's pleasant without ever being boring. The second half is better than the first. I like the drum interlude in the middle and then the build up back again for when vocals kick back in. The outro/ending is very cool as well. I'd definitely listen to them again. 5/5

Fiona Apple - Paper Bag
I think I've only heard one of her songs before. I like it. It's good from beginning to end. There's no real part that stands out as flat out amazing, but she has a great voice, which helps a lot. I guess since I like only two songs I've heard her sing, I have to give her another chance as well. 4/5

Thom Yorke - All for the Best
Even though I love Radiohead, this is the first time I've heard Yorke's solo stuff. I'm sorry to say that I found it a bit underwhelming. I like the attempts he did at making it interesting, but I don't think there was really enough in the song to begin with in order to make a difference. It was nice to listen to, but never really went anywhere. Not sure if I'd listen to his solo stuff again. I like Radiohead enough that I'll probably give it a chance, though. 3/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkzcpblIjDw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTWSSCYUD4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7in-hH2q8I

 

[Canadave]

Lotsa stuff to reply to, now...

1. Fountains of Wayne - Someone to Love
Very cool song. I like these guys...sort of alt/pop/punkish. I'm not generally a big pop fan, but I like this fusion of elements quite a bit. Definitely will listen to more - this bit of 'evangelism' might just work too, Canadave! I'm intrigued.

They're a bit of an underrated band, in my mind. Everybody and their dog has heard "Stacy's Mom," which is a fun song, but far from their best, IMO. They've got a lot of depth to them, in a weird, every day sort of style. I'd recommend picking up Welcome Interstate Managers if you want to hear more. It's my favourite of their albums.

2. Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer - Chap-Hop
Oh my, my, my....
I just have no idea what to say here - this was like a trip down the hip-hop rabbit hole. With a banjo.

I'm not sure if I will continue an exploration of this music...but I have already sent a link to my nephew, who loves rap and hip-hop.

I'm not a huge rap fan (I enjoy the occasional song, but that's about it), but the whole chap hop thing is just great. I love the idea of taking hip-hop and making it all posh and British.

3. Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage
I'm an Alaskan. Closest to 'Canadian' Americans get. So you have a sympathetic audience here. Very much enjoyed this!

Hmmm... Maine and Minnesota may have a bone to pick with you. Stan Rogers was awesome, as well, though he sadly died in a fire aboard an Air Canada flight just as his career was taking off in the early 80s. If you liked that one, you'll probably enjoy "Barrett's Privateers", as well.

Oh good, new people are playing! That keeps things nice 'n varied.

Cake - "Frank Sinatra"

Hells yes, I love Cake. My favourites of theirs tend to be their heavier stuff ("Comfort Eagle" is amazing) but this song is pretty damn cool, too. 9/10

So glad to find another CAKE fan! I played eniee meenie miniee moe between Comfort Eagle, Italian Leather Sofa and Frank Sinatra while posting. Frank Sinatra won.

Have you listened to their new album yet? They just released it on Jan 11.

I haven't, actually, I need to get on that. I'm terrible at picking up new releases, these days. That and the new album from The Decemberists are both on my To Buy list.

Four Tet - "Untangle"

Interesting vibe to this one. I don't listen to a lot of electronic stuff, so I don't have a huge frame of reference for the genre, but this is pretty cool. I enjoy how atmospheric it is. 7/10

There's a lot of phenomenal down tempo electronica out there. A lot of people don't think about the genre outside of Moby or rave music, but I find it's one of the most heterogeneous styles out there.

Yeah, a German friend of mine once instructed me on the range of electronic music. It's still not a genre I've listened to a lot, but I know there's a lot to it.

1. Fountains of Wayne - Someone to Love

I can't help but like a group with a name like Fountains of Wayne. They almost compete with Big Head Todd and the Monsters for best absurdist band name ever.

This is poppy and has a 90's pop rock feel to it, although the lyrics reference things that happened in the last decade so it must be newer. It's catchy, a few more listens and it might be an ear worm.

Yeah, that one came out in 2007 or so, I think. Power pop is a favourite genre of mine, though it doesn't seem to be terribly popular right now for some inexplicable reason. All I know is that I'll take guitar-driven pop-rock over Ke$ha any day...

2. Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer - Chap-hop History

Mr. B should challenge Professor Elemental to a round of fisticuffs, then invite him for tea. Wisdom.

Seriously though, nerdcore (I think you loosely classify this as nerdcore) is a total guilty pleasure of mine.

I do prefer the term chap hop for Mr. B and Professor Elemental, myself. I take it you've heard "Fighting Trousers?"

3. Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage

IMO North American folk music is one of our great cultural treasures, even if it's not listened to by a great number of the population. My appreciation for the narrative skill in this art form just continues to grow as I get older.

Indeed, and well-said. If you like that one, you might want to check out a couple of the songs I posted earlier: "Early Morning Rain" by Gordon Lightfoot and "If I Had A Rocket Launcher" by Bruce Cockburn. I had the chance to see the latter once, a couple years ago at the Ottawa Folk Festival, and it was one of the best concerts of my life. Much like that video, it was just him with a guitar, outside on a gorgeous summer evening, and he was absolutely spellbinding. I got to meet him during the festival, too... that kinda blew my mind.

Also, since I just went, I'm leaving both of your songs for someone else to listen to. I don't want to hog all of the music.

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

Thom Yorke - All for the Best
Even though I love Radiohead, this is the first time I've heard Yorke's solo stuff. I'm sorry to say that I found it a bit underwhelming. I like the attempts he did at making it interesting, but I don't think there was really enough in the song to begin with in order to make a difference. It was nice to listen to, but never really went anywhere. Not sure if I'd listen to his solo stuff again. I like Radiohead enough that I'll probably give it a chance, though. 3/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkzcpblIjDw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTWSSCYUD4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7in-hH2q8I

I gotta head to bed so I'll let someone else listen and comment on your song choices, but before I go...All For the Best is a cover, originally by Mark Mulchary (I know I just misspelled his last name). You might want to check out Yorke's solo stuff that was written and composed by him before you give up. No guarantees you'll like it better, but might be worth a swing.

I would also encourageyou to listen to some of Jonny Greenwood's solo stuff; love it or hate it, you'll quickly realize where Radiohead's experimental sound and arranging really originate. That man does things with banjos and mellotrons that I'm not sure are legal in some states.