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Underground > Radio & Music >

The Recommendations Thread. (formerly, Good albums by these bands)

15:46 / 23.05.04

I was recommended these: roland howard, birthday party, bright eyes and fantomas. but the thing is that they have more than a couple of albums and I don't know where to start.
oh yeah and also I was recommended to get old alice cooper, cause I guess his earlier work was better than his latter work.

feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

16:06 / 23.05.04

for fanomas you should get the directors cut.
the packaging is some of the best i have seen on an album, like, evuhr.
also, as it is movie themes reworked it should be more 'entry level'. if you cant get into that, the other albums are going to be hard work.

looks like this;

16:21 / 23.05.04

Birthday Party? I'd say only Prayers on Fire can give you the full creamy flavour you desire.

17:45 / 23.05.04

The Birthday Party are fucking brilliant, although be warned: they ain't pretty.

Junkyard is their best and maddest studio album, although I'd highly recommend getting Hits, the 'best of..' type compilation of their stuff.

Roland S. Howard was a member of the Birthday Party, so that's two birds killed with one stone.

As for Bright Eyes, I'd recommend not buying any of his records because they are bad, on the whole. (Although I will admit to having a bit of a weakness for 'Fevers and Mirrors' which combines an insanely exaggerated manic teenage angst persona with some pretty good tunes - the problem is, most people, possibly including the album's creator, don't seem to acknowledge the fact that it's an exaggerated persona.. which is rather scary.)

17:46 / 23.05.04

oh, and has anybody put in a request for this to be moved to Music yet?

ONLY NICE THINGS

18:19 / 23.05.04

Done.

20:31 / 23.05.04

toksik's on the money as far as Fantomas go, as is Riz w/ the Birthday Party.

As for Bright Eyes, the only album I've heard is Lifted, which I really don't mind at all - there are some duff tracks, but a few that I enjoy. I know nothing about Oberst's public persona beyond this, and I think that's the thing that a lot of people are down on. Flux'll probably be along to this thread to say that he's killing music or an enemy of joycore, or something.

20:51 / 23.05.04

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

21:20 / 23.05.04

Beat me to it!

20:00 / 25.05.04

I didn't think it was like a big enough issue to be put in the music thread, cool. I heard that one song by bright eyes that has the music video with him growing out of the ground but didn't like it...and old Alice Cooper?

19:46 / 28.05.04

but like, roland howard doesn't have like a solo album or anything? ah I better check instead of being lazy. I already got the mutiny/bad seed e.p.s---how could I not love them? the first I heard when turning it on was "hands up! who wants to die!" hahaha. and what about Alice Cooper? old Alice Cooper. and the Cramps!!!? I got bad music for bad people, off the bone and songs the lord taught us, but off the bone is mostly songs that are on bad music for bad people-wasn't paying attention.

11:29 / 29.05.04

I know Roland S. Howard was in a band called Crime and the City Solution with his brother(?), and he's also done collaborations with Lydia Lunch, but from what little I've heard it doesn't really live up to his work with the Birthday Party.. his guitar playing on those records is amaaazing..

Sounds like you've already got most of the Cramps best stuff - "Songs the Lord Taught Us" is the motherlode really.

If you're enjoying stuff in this general vein, I recommend checking out the recent reissue of The Gun Club's "Fire of Love" album.. absolutely amazing gothcountrypunkfuck evil dancing music.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

19:07 / 30.05.04

Yup, "Junkyard"'s the way to go with The Birthday Party... (although it's only SLIGHTLY better than "Prayers on Fire", so fuckin' knock yourself out and get both!!!)

Rowland Howard's done a whole LOAD of stuff. Crime and the City Solution were pretty good, but my favourite is "Teenage Snuff Film", on which he covers Billy Idol's "White Wedding" and actually MAKES IT GOOD.

Also "Shotgun Wedding", in collaboration with Lydia Lunch. (LL- vocals, RH- guitar, Foetus producing... it's ALL good...) is very good indeed.

Alice Cooper- go see him live. He's WAY better on stage than on vinyl. Even when he's playing the shit ones it's pretty damn impressive.

20:50 / 17.06.04

if I could send a message back in time to myself, I'd say, to get prayers on fire first, then the mutiny/the bad seed eps then junkyard....and well I checked out Bright Eyes and they're pretty cool, well like how much does his public persona matter as long as he's not like a horrible monster bastard, I mean if the music's good then the music's good, right? I really look up to the dude that gave me the reccomendations and so far I haven't regretted the stuff, I love it. and although I haven't gotten heehaw e.p.(I think it is) I'd say that the mutiny/the bad seed e.p.s by the birthday party are the best.

Brigade du jour

21:03 / 17.06.04

Yeah that was a good gig wasn't it Stoatie? Probably helped that we got quite drunk first, mind you.

There's a compilation album I recommend called The Definitive Alice Cooper, it's about twenty tracks on a single CD which you can get for ten quid.

Generation Landslide for slightly quirky 70s rock, Under My Wheels for filthy pre-punk 70s rock, Elected for that whole anthemic what-the-fuck-is-the-next-chord-going-to-be thing, Poison if you're after the slick 80s angle, but generally the album's 70s heavy and really jolly comprehensive.

Only complaint is the absence of The Ballad Of Dwight Frye, for which Alice recorded the vocals under a pile of chairs to sing the lyric "I wanna get out of here!" like he really meant it. It's on Love It To Death (1971).

03:20 / 07.08.04

so I'm ready to move on to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I must say though, The Birthday Party is one of the most extraordinary bands of our time, have you guys listened to the Hee Haw Ep? or The Boys Next Door album "Door, Door"?
anyways I wanted to ask if Rowland Howard is in the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds band? and are they as good? what albums do I start with?

03:43 / 07.08.04

I used to be a huge Bright Eyes fan, but my tastes have shifted to that point where his vocals sound a bit too emo for my liking. If you were going to buy an album, I would recommend Fevers and Mirrors. Some would swear that Lifted is their best album, but I own it, and I happen to think that every song is sappy, overly-emotional, and over the top... except, of course, for "Bowl of Oranges" which is fucking awesome, and has an even fucking awesomer video. I hear Letting off the Happiness is good, but I can't vouche for that, I've never heard it... except for one song, "If Winter Ends" which is pretty decent. If you wind up liking the band alot, check out other artists on their record label - Sadell Creek. Cursive and Azure Ray are pretty good.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:33 / 07.08.04

Howard ain't in the Bad Seeds, but Mick Harvey is. He's been pretty much the driving force musically throughout Mr Cave's career.

Although Howard did join Cave onstage about twelve years back (at a gig which I FUCKING MISSED cos I was supposed to be seeing Skinny Puppy instead- then SP cancelled.

) and they did a brief set of Birthday Party songs.

10:13 / 07.08.04

what albums do I start with?

I'm inclined to say MURDER BALLADS! MURDER BALLADS! MURDER BALLADS!

But then that's just me.

I'm sure some of the many other people who like hearing Nick Cave do songs which aren't about unspeakable violence will set you straight.

uncle retrospective

13:28 / 07.08.04

I'm sure some of the many other people who like hearing Nick Cave do songs which aren't about unspeakable violence will set you straight.
Yea, that'll happen.

I'm all for Evil Nick but think you should start with Tender Prey if your coming from the Birthday Party. You get the Mercy Seat and Up Jumped the Devil. Great stuff.
Henry's Dream is also a wonderful, wonderful evil album.

14:29 / 07.08.04

What albums do I start with ?

I'd tend to go for anything before he officially stopped taking heroin really, but as a fan of The Birthday Party, you won't go too far wrong with From Her To Eternity, Your Funeral, My Trial and Let Love In.

You might also enjoy his excellent novel And The Ass Saw The Angel.

In fact, if you've got some time on your hands, get all those, lots of whisky and cigs, and immerse yourself fully in Nick Cave's dark and sinister world. I'm not saying you won't regret it, but it's a lot of fun at the time.

13:51 / 08.08.04

I got fevers and mirrors! yeah, he is a bit too emo huh? I think the only reasonable way for him to go is not to drop it down but up it up to a considerably higher degree. I think it'd be funny and fun, but I think he takes himself..too seriously....
was wondering if cursive and azure ray were good. cool.
I loooooovvveeedddd The Birthday Party so much. they were so, deLIGHTfully, evil (delightful said like a girl and evil said like barry white). that song called dead song is great. the order I think to get The remasters ought to be: Junkyard, Prayers On Fire, Mutiny/The Bad Seed EP and finally the Hee Haw Ep!!!
"...they did a brief set of Birthday Party songs."? when was this? I don't suppose the probability of this ever happening again is likely? and am I doomed to be in perpetual state of catching up after the fact, because I didn't know anyone before with decent taste in music?
you know I would love nothing better than to submerge myself in Nick Caveness, um the only problem would lie in a lack of funds...and not having a job next semester will leave me back in my natural state of brokeness. uh maybe if I stand next to a couple of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds albums and look real sad someone'll buy it for me? kinda doubt it.
I will finish up with Nick Cave though. eventually.

13:53 / 08.08.04

Happy Birthday

It's a very happy day
We are at lots of fun fun fun
And it's ice-cream and jelly
and a punch in the belly
How much can you throw over the walls?
And see how his face glows
It's a bike! What a surprise.
It's a big bike. What a big surprise.
It's a red bike. What a red surprise.
Oh, what a surprise.
But the best thing there
But the best thing there
Was the wonderful dog chair
Was the beautiful dog chair
That could count right up to ten
It could count right up to ten
It went woof, woof, woof, woof, woof,
woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
And it's another happy day.
He was born eleven years ago
And this year it's long trousers
and a very smart tie.
Just think in five years he'll be shaving.
And see how his face glows
It's a bike. What a surprise!
It's a samurai sword.
What a metal surprise.
He'll remember this day for the rest of his life.
But the best thing there
But the best thing there
Is that fabulous dog chair
The immaculate dog chair
That could count right up to eleven
It could count right up to eleven
It went woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof,
woof, woof, woof.
But the best thing there
But the best thing there
Was my darling the dog chair
But the rampaging dog chair
That could count right up to eleven
It could count right up to eleven.
And it went round and round the house.

am I taking crazy pills or is this song just unbelievably rad?

18:20 / 22.11.04

hey, I really need some help, I need sheet music for a pop song, but I don't know what song to do, all the bands I like don't have sheet music that is easily read for the piano, so I need some older band I guess. and I'm looking for something that gets as visceral as music ever got back then. maybe a good Roy Orbison song(not crying though), or Presly or a Zombies song? I'd be so totally appreciative. thanks.

05:51 / 23.11.04

well, right now I have narrowed it down to suicide is painless the mash theme and michelle by the beatles. most likely that beatles one. was gonna do that Henry Nilsson song from midnight cowboy but I think the end of it goes off the staff a lot and also musicnotes.com didn't have it.