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Underground > Radio & Music >

A 'What are you listening to?' thread

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16:41 / 11.11.05

Check out my Last.FM profile at Malarki which will give you a reasonable idea, though most of my stuffs vinyl so it don't appear there.

17:17 / 11.11.05

Malarki- links to lists is still a list and exactly what people are moaning about upthread...

HOW DO THE BANDS IN YOUR LIST MAKE YOU FEEL?

DESCRIBE THE SOUNDS?

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT? etc etc etc....

(i'm using upper case cos its the only thing thats stopping me shouting at the monitor... if i wanted lists i read Nick Hornby books....)

whilst on the subject of what i'm listening to...

Clap your hands say yeah are on pretty heavy rotation at the moment- a pretty ace record that sounds like a new york band should... (a bit talking heads , a bit velvets/ Songs for Drella- add a smidgen of pixies and vintage cure and your getting close).
Definitely one of those rare records that really grabbed me and made me smile cos i new it was something very special- download the track 'heavy metal' to see what i mean (if the above description sounds to your taste. )

As recommended on the board recently i've also been listening to Broken Social Scenes 'You forgot it in People' album which is in a similar vein to The Arcade Fire/ Flaming lips. It would probably be my new favourite record if i hadn't bought the clap your hands album the same day- The song 'lovers spit' is very beautiful and is very Wayne Coyne-esque, big strings heartbreaking tune reverby vocals lovely really. the song 'almost crimes' is upbeat get up and pogo american indie at its finest (a bit shins, a bit sonic youth, a bit arcade fire... you get the picture)

Mister Six, whom all the girls

18:42 / 11.11.05

But how would we hear about strange and diverse artists such as Wilco, Roxy Music, David Bowie, Joy Division, Spiritualized, and The White Males?

Gayuck, yer a hoot, Petey! Remind when you're in town, we'll text each other.

I heard a little of the Fiery Furnaces yesterday which reminded me a lot of the Fire Sign Theater. Lots of weird musical number-sounds, etc.

My brother sent up a box set of Nurse With Wound-In Livin' Fear of James Last which I was actually quite keen on. They have a great sound, but I think this is the (understandably ) most accessible I've heard them. Maybe my exposure to them is limited, but it's odd to hear them perform longer pieces.

I'd never guess that the Frames would be violent from their music, but what do I know? Englebert Humperdink probably glassed a few heckler in his time as well.

19:07 / 11.11.05

I'm particularly keen on Cause=Time (or is it Time=Cause? They've done tracks called both). I love the repetitive guitar and vocals - it's a tune that sticks in your mind for hours but manages not to wind you up, a rare thing indeed. Oh, and it also sounds good loud.

Whaddya reckon, Copey?

19:08 / 11.11.05

Last post in reference to Broken Social Scene.

uncle retrospective

11:49 / 12.11.05

Got to love Time=Cause, I've been listening to it a lot as well. Although it has the most obviously ripped off Cure opening I've heard in a while.

I've also been listening to Takk by Sigur Ros. It's really good, they've sold out and there are almost songs on it!
Though I say them last night and half of it was great and the other half paint drying!

13:42 / 12.11.05

Time=Cause most reminds me of early Dinosaur Jr- 'in a Jar' or stuff off 'Green Mind'- i was going to say more but maybe i should save it for the Broken Social scene thread as its getting a bit off track..

anyway i've also been listening to Brakes- the British sea Power offshoot band- 'Ring a ding ding' is a blatent Virginia Plane rip off but i love it, cheney is 10 seconds of pixies esque screaming (cheney cheny cheney, stop being a such a dick).

All in all the album has caught my attention far more than the last BSP album- imagine BSP with an addeed something- a bit pixies a bit glam- very cool.

15:43 / 23.11.05

I picked up Field Music's self titled debut on Memphis Industries and am kind of stunned at how beautifully the songs are put together. I read a description of the recording as being like "Robert Wyatt meets early '80's XTC" which is close, but I think a smidge of classic ELO is in there, too. Very similar in feeling to High Llamas "Hawaii" and "Cold and Bouncy" but without the glassy smooth production and moog flourishes.

17:59 / 23.11.05

Anybody listening to Architecture in Helsinki?

I'm currently in love with their two last singles "Do the Whirlwind" and "It'5" off "In Case We Die".

Can be heard/watched on their website here.

I think the whole album is class. Unfortunately missed their show at The Scala last Sunday. Sold Out. Bastards.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

22:31 / 23.11.05

I'm going through a "MUSIC MUST BE BIG" thing at the moment. Therefore I'm rediscovering the joys of Swans. "Cop", while it may be incredibly minimalist in many ways, is BIG. Nobody does BIG like Swans did. There's a whole feeling, whichever end of their career you look at, of "there's really no point doing this unless it's THE BIGGEST THING EVER." Listen to Cop, then listen to, say, Soundtracks For The Blind... musically they're about as different as you can get. But they both want to bludgeon you into submission. And they both do. Oh my Christ they do.

23:22 / 23.11.05

I am listening to Fennesz's "Endless Summer" which is kind of fitting to listen to considering how cold the UK is at the moment.

The Fiona Apple album a very intriguing affair for my ear buds at the moment as well.

Madonna's new album provides me with a few guilty pleasures too (the first four songs and "Jump" are just ace).

And the joys of the Sun Kil Moon record of Modest Mouse covers are just endless.

The Natural Way

08:34 / 24.11.05

hEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH A FUCKING LIST! WE LOVE LISTS!!!1111!!!!

09:29 / 24.11.05

Ah, trolling, being passive aggressive and abuse of tabs lock. Welcome to my ignore list.

09:40 / 24.11.05

Wedding isn't trolling you bloody wind-up merchant, he's attempting to get people to actually pay some fucking attention to the fact that lists are not liked by many, many 'lithers for reasons we have gone over far too many times to count.

ONLY NICE THINGS

11:08 / 24.11.05

I think we're up here against the two basic ideas of what message boards are.

1) A place to engage and discuss things with others.
2) A place regularly posting to which proves you exist.

This thread is probably compromised. Rather than change the topic name to add "no lists", it might be better to change this one to "lists only", and start a new "no lists" thread for thems as actually want to discuss music in the music fourm.

11:24 / 24.11.05

Hmm, I think you would potentially run the risk of diverting people away from some of the thoughtful, interesting posts in this thread by making it "lists only".

However, as I said over in Policy, I'm all for starting a new thread.

12:14 / 24.11.05

I'm interested in hearing more about this Sun Kil Moon covers record of Modest Mouse songs. I love MM, how far do SKM stray from the original songs?

I think I'm gonna pick this up regardless, but please do elaborate!

13:17 / 24.11.05

Might as well elaborate a tad, even if just as an attempt to express my enthusiasm as to what I'm hearing, bwahah...

Which is, again, Mesa's second (Vitamina) and first (Mesa) albums.

The first one, Mesa, is for the most part really nice, mellow electronic music (on the trip-hoppish side of matters, at times). Interesting song structures with some pseudo-sound-collages going on, with the ocasional odd instrumental or vocal sample thrown in. Again, great vocalist: Mónica Ferraz has this wonderful, versatile voice, jumping from light and feathery to intense and rockish (and bursting at the seams with emotion) with just about enough ease. Also some actual movement!, with Mímica Sísmica, Dona Do Mal, Esquecimento and Divagadora (and the Fumo Da Frase's chorus) moving off into healthy electro-popishness/pop-rock. Major points for the short ending track, Intermitente, in terms of pure ambient beauty.

Vitamina, on the other hand, is an assumedly electronic pop-rock record. And wonderful at it. The first single, Arrefece, is just a piece of ridiculously efficient pop; Dó Nut, En Garde and Tele-Chuva the points at which they get closer to some rocking, with great, great vocals. Finishes gloriously: sampled horns and piano in pure pop-joyery with a great light feeling, in Soro Da Verdade, and as an hidden track, a bouncy, gorgeous and light-headed cover of Blur's Out Of Time.

And of course, it's half hard to recommend something obscure and Portuguese to an English speaking community, but heck, at least I've spoken of it. Crap at describing music though, admitedly.

If you're curious at all, samples of the first album at their site, hyar!

16:36 / 25.11.05

Malarki- links to lists is still a list and exactly what people are moaning about upthread...

HOW DO THE BANDS IN YOUR LIST MAKE YOU FEEL?

DESCRIBE THE SOUNDS?

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT? etc etc etc....

Hadn't read all the thread coz had other things to do and anyhow I try and not examine why I like music, and the whole describing music stuff is too wanky music journalist type behaviour - they sound how they sound and either you like them or not and I don't need to justify to myself or anyone else why I listen to them, I hate the whole genre thing. Music/art theory I always feel leads to elitism/exclusivity/clicheness - the point is not what your taste is but simply that one discerns and doesn't just passively consume, hence liking Philip Glass or Atomic Kitten are equally valid as long as it is ones choice rather than just coz that what your fed. Consequently I don't listen to music radio.

QED. All I can do is list. The author is dead.

19:44 / 25.11.05

Dude.

The point isn't the dissection of the music you hear. It does, however, help to at least establish its characteristics, as a way of attempting to express how you relate to it and, I'd say, more importantly, taking in a consideration this is a forum, actually give fellow forum-readers a chance to figure out whether they're interested in what you're hearing or not (and possibly sharing something you feel excited about with others).

Hence actually making this more than just random self-centered band listing which adds nothing to... anything, and leads to little actual interaction or benefit.

Said the lurker.

03:34 / 26.11.05

I'm listening to the new System of a Down CD, called Hypnotize, the second disc following Mezmerize. I really hated the first disc upon first listen; I thought it was repetitious, inane, mundane, and I was irritated that the less talented singer (Daron) sang most of the disc. But the more I listened to it, the more pieces I found that I could really sing along to. And the more I listened to it, the more I put these pieces together to make one of the most listenable CDs of the year. Just so infectious.

Hypnotize has the same thing going for it, but with a few advantages over Mezmerize. First of all, the more talented singer, Serj, has more vocal parts. Secondly, the two singers harmonize often, and I enjoy harmony. Thirdly, the "pieces" I spoke of earlier, come more frequently. There are more hooks on this CD than a tackle box (lame joke, I know). This disc also benefits from superior lyrics over Mezmerize, which featured the same line sung over and over and over. Fourthly, it's fucking thrash, man. It's fast, it's punishing, but then the band switches gears more than once in one song. I read a review for this CD or the first, and the reviewer said that System of a Down is the ultimate ADD band: they never stay on one thing for too long.

Okay, people. That ain't a fucking list. That's how you're supposed to do it. Athankyou.

05:48 / 26.11.05

in among the usual mish mash of bass heavy badness and funktastic shakin that i use when i am working (the 2manydjs radio soulwax albums 1 thru 9, for example) ihave been coming back to two artists;

mastodon and kate bush.

the two discographies have been on heavy rotation in the player since a recentaquisition of everything ever.

kate has way too many songs for her own damn good, and i have no idea what i like as a result.
all the classics and then some, basically.
hounds is great, but anyone who read a magazine could tell you that.
i honestly couldnt name more than a handful of songs, and i am not entirely certain which albums even they come from.

i've always had a soft spot for kate, mentalist that she is. her 'crazy' always seemed reigned in just enough for her to be pop, yet not quite enough for her to get boring like some of her popster contemporaries seem to.
i also like the way her voice sounds and the fact that she has a song called 'wake the witch'.(if you havent then you should. its brilliantly oooky in a 'i just found magicqkue!' way.)

that and mastodon.

mastodon would rape and pillage a village of fucking sun tzu studying tyranosaurus rex clones on an island in the pacific en route to easter island to break a few jaws.
for breakfast.

they are metal.

14:23 / 26.11.05

Leviathan or the other disc (which is not as fun)? Cause Leviathan has been in constant rotation for me. It's just so punishing.

17:46 / 26.11.05

all three.
dude, they all rock.

it is said that leviathan is indeed STRONG METAL.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

21:31 / 26.11.05

mastodon and kate bush

toksik, havie I ever told you that I love you dearly?

Talking to mono about the new Kate Bush the other day, and I'm all like "Joanni! Joanni's a fucking great song!!!"

"It's way too 80s".

Looks at me, then

"Ah. You really love that, don't you?"

God... too many wonderful moments to mention. Although "the whole second side of Hounds Of Love" would be kind of a lazy choice on Desert Island Discs, though, wouldn't it? Just as well I'm not famous, eh?

Mastodon- for all people tell me Remission is the better album, Leviathan deserves all its awards and is, for me, a salutory reminder of What Makes Metal Great. All the best bits of all the best bands of all the best years for STUFF THAT FUCKING ROCKS are all jammed into a cage and forced to fight. Then eaten by a whale. A ROCKING METAL WHALE. I'm not dissing Remission here, I just think... Leviathan is BETTER. THAN ANYTHING. EVER. In terms of ROCKING, anyway.

You've put an evil, though somehow wholesome and good thought in my head. Kate Bush and Mastodon need to collaborate. If such a thing were to happen, I can tell you right now I'd have the album cover tattood on my fucking face.

03:41 / 27.11.05

Leviathan is indeed the superior effort from Mastodon. The first disc is a little bland. Not as fun.

17:49 / 27.11.05

Dude.

The point isn't the dissection of the music you hear. It does, however, help to at least establish its characteristics, as a way of attempting to express how you relate to it and, I'd say, more importantly, taking in a consideration this is a forum, actually give fellow forum-readers a chance to figure out whether they're interested in what you're hearing or not (and possibly sharing something you feel excited about with others).

Hence actually making this more than just random self-centered band listing which adds nothing to... anything, and leads to little actual interaction or benefit.

Said the lurker.

Why do people insist on this "Dude" term of address? Are we living in Bill & Ted world (don't answer that Stoatie)? And in any case there is only one Dude, The Dude or His Dudeness, and if you don't know who he is you should be ashamed of yourself.

Problem is I got bored of all those teenage boy type one upmanship name dropping conversations decades ago. Also discovered that I seem to hear music differently to others so my terms of reference are probably very different to many others, i.e. the general population seem to hear Coldplay as "good" and Radiohead as "innovative", neither of which coincide with the urges I get to damage whatever musical device they may be broadcast on. Without a common language it is difficult to communicate.

The other problem I guess is that I don't actually care whether anybody else likes my random self-centred choices, probably coz I'm a randomly self-centred person, and want to jealously guard that music that I love so that I don't have to suffer any venue bigger than my living room and all the irritating people who go to gigs in order to see them perform. And the thing is if you want to hear what I'm listening to, then it ain't exactly difficult to find tracks courtesy of this medium.

Which all leads to the question of why did I post anything on this thread at all? Hmmm. Painted myself into a corner there. Answers on a postcard? Suppose someone asked?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

20:04 / 27.11.05

The thing with lists is that yes, while it's possible to access all this music and see what it's like, life's just too short. If everyone just posted a list of bands, how would I know where to start? If they posted a list with explanations, I could go "hmm... this description of band X sounds like the kind of thing I might like... I'll check 'em out". Otherwise it's like reading the listings in Time Out and not reading the band descriptions.

Anyway... I've just rediscovered Bad Religion, as a friend whose boiler was broken came round to use my bath while I was putting tracks on my MP3 thingy and happened to have some on him. And they're still great (well, the old stuff still sounds great- I haven't heard their last couple of albums, so they could be bollocks by now for all I know). The middle ground between the Dead Kennedys and New Model Army... that's a good place to be. US punk-lite, for sure, but with some great hooks and wonderful lyrics.

21:41 / 27.11.05

Bad Religion just played a show in my town last week, and they "indulged" the audience with a rare encore.

I love Bad Religion. It's all in the hooks. Every song is so catchy, they are the Blink 182 of the punk world (yeah I said it). And the lead singer has a fucking PhD in evolutionary biology. You can even buy a copy of his dissertation. A PhD! (This is only impressive if you ignore the fact that Uwe Boll has a PhD in literature

).

22:45 / 27.11.05

I think I came across Le Tigre less recently than most. Maybe only about a year or two ago. And my experience of them had almost solely been through songs like Decepticon or All That Glitters mp3's and the This Island album. On buying Feminist Sweepstakes I discovered quite a different band. Is this their quiet album? This Island left me with images of politicallly aware pop punks who would pogo on someones racist face for shits and giggles but Feminist Sweepskates seems a bit more jaded. I really liked it in parts. I mean Cry for Everything Bad that's Ever Happened was a unexpected departure and a good song too but could anyone recommend the more Urgh Fuck untamed hate and anger Le Tigre albums?

01:06 / 28.11.05

Malarki,

dude was, obviously enough, some random name to kick off what I was trying to say, and not meant to be condescending or snarky. I apologize if my previous post came off as such.

I was merely trying to point out that taking in consideration most people seem to be intent on taking this thread in a slightly different direction, it would be nice if you were capable of posting according to it, if you are indeed interested in posting at all. And to make the best of the thing, even.

Anyway. Others can make these points better than moi.

Which all leads to the question of why did I post anything on this thread at all? Hmmm. Painted myself into a corner there. Answers on a postcard? Suppose someone asked?

Good point, I suppose.

Eitherway, might as well allow the thing to move along.

ONLY NICE THINGS

07:36 / 28.11.05

Which all leads to the question of why did I post anything on this thread at all?

Spectacular self-absorption?

Regrettable Juvenilia

07:46 / 28.11.05

could anyone recommend the more Urgh Fuck untamed hate and anger Le Tigre albums?

There are only three: Le Tigre, Feminist Sweepstakes and This Island, with the From The Desk Of Mr Lady EP in between the first two. Of these, I personally think FS is probably the weakest album, and the self-titled still the strongest. Get that first album if you haven't already. However, if it's a more angry version of Le Tigre you're after, I'd recommend something by Kathleen Hanna's previous band, Bikini Kill - try The Singles or The CD Version Of The First Two Records.

ONLY NICE THINGS

07:53 / 28.11.05

Mind you, your silence is our loss. We've certainly never had anyone hear before who doesn't like Coldplay. That is possibnly the most original idea about music since Alban Berg's treatment of the chromatic scale.

ONLY NICE THINGS

07:53 / 28.11.05

Mind you, your silence is our loss. We've certainly never had anyone here before who doesn't like Coldplay. That is possibly the most original idea about music since Alban Berg's treatment of the chromatic scale.

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