Recommend Music!

[Lemur]

I'm going to kick off with a short list of six albums. I know you said ten, but that seems ... excessive. Here's a Lemur's short list:

Mezzanine by Massive Attack. Every track is a moody masterpiece, not a dud in the bunch. Most people rate this as a five star album (out of four possible stars).

We Four by the Ink Spots. This is some original lounge music, 1930s-style. I can’t explain fully why I adore these guys, so I won’t try. But if you enjoy old-style crooning, you will swoon to this stuff.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band by Lyle Lovett. Who knew that big band swing and Texas country could cohabit so easily? Smart, funny, hearfelt, I’ve heard this album often described as music for musicians. I don’t agree, since plenty of non-musicians dig it, but this album definitely has extra layers for a person with a good ear.

Irresistible Bliss by Soul Coughing. Funny, angry, smart, silly. And beats to die for. As one friend of mine put it after hearing the opening track, “How can Snoop Dogg continue living if he knows there are white boys this funky?”

The Best of Django Reinhardt by Django Reinhardt. Look, everybody loves Hendrix and Clapton, but the best guitarist who ever lived was Reinhardt. Have a listen and decide if I’m joking. Nobody, but nobody ever made a guitar sound like this guy -- and he didn’t have any amps or processing to help him. Just a man, a guitar, and a steaming pile of genius.

Viva! La Woman by Cibo Matto. This is probably the weirdest record I have on heavy rotation. Two Japanese women who live in New York, have a very strange relationship with the English language, and sing songs about “Extra sugar! Extra salt! Extra fat! MSG!” And what’s odder, it works. Even when they're crooning that "my love is like an artichoke," you kind of get what they're meaning. And the music is superb, of course, or it wouldn't make the short list. The extreme weirdness just adds value.

[Quietus]

Here’s a cross section of good albums:

Joe Ferry – Skallelujah: Rich and bold instrumental ska covers of classical and jazz standards. It is tilted a bit towards melody but the rhythm is highlighted as well. A Skankin’, interlocking beauty. (song highlights: Skanfutatis, Skallelujah, Ain’t that ska rockin’).

Burning Spear –Resistance : Understated and underrated. Jazzy, mystical and tuneful, Spear boils down the earthen basics and produces gold without the superfluous glitter. Hail, Burning Spear!! (song highlights: Resistance, Queen of the mountain, Jah Feeling, We been there).

Madeline Bell (w/ Nederlands Metropole Orchestra) – Beat out that rhythm on a drum: Whew! Nice. A great band, gorgeous horns, warm bass, finely tuned arrangements and a lovely voice: a great mix! (song highlights: Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Don’t Get Around, title track ).

Gil Evans Orchestra – Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix: More immenently listenable than the originals. I wish there were more of this. Foxy Lady with horns, slays! Feel free to strut to Crosstown Traffic like a pimp. There are lots of jazz sensibilities and woozy arrangements to satisfy. Sledgehammer jazz. (song highlights: Crosstown Traffic, Angel, Voodoo Chile, Foxey Lady).

Luka Bloom – Keeper of the Flame: Folkish, acoustic covers of pop songs. From Marley to the Cure, Dylan to Radiohead, U2 to ABBA (you get the idea), the guy does straight-ahead acoustic renditions and interpretations of well known pop ditties. (song highlights: Natural Mystic, To Make You Feel My Love, Urge for Going ).

Skatalites – Hi-Bop Ska: Ska godfathers ska like no other. Lots of laidback grooves driven by a monster rhythm section with juicy horns happily flitting over. Lloyd Knibbs is a SICK drummer that is an utter joy to hear. (song highlights: Reggae Hi Bop, Renewal; Ska, Ska, Ska).

Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News: Quirky, listenable modern rock. Not your everyday rock band, MM managed to eke out some interesting sounds and trifles that dance in your head. (song highlights: The Ocean Breathes Salty, The View).

Vintage Funk Vol. 1 – Various Artists: Like funk? Here’s a tight collection. From stuttering berserk rhythms to mellow, slinky jives, it’s all in here, so enjoy and funk yourself. (song highlights: Fencewalk, Givin’ up food for funk).

Chris Cornell – Euphoria Morning: Trying to shed his old Soundgarden/grunge image, Cornell transforms into a rock-crooner. Gone are the howls, but the velvety rock voice remain. CC does a lot of new forays in here, from modern rock, electro-rock (Flutter Girl), blues moping/lounge crooning (I’m Down), shoe-gazing (Preaching at the End Of the World) and mood pieces such as Steel Rain (ala Black Hole Sun w/o overt psychedelia). You can tell, the guy’s been listening to Beatles songs as inspiration for a lot of these songs. (song highlights: Moonchild, Flutter Girl).

UB40 – Presents the Fathers of Reggae: Group’s popular due to top 40 pop covers of Jamaican songs. In a twist scenario, great reggae vocalists sing UB40-penned songs while backed up by the band itself. Jamaican producers and singers bring out the music and soul out of these otherwise plaintive songs. The horns add a lot, they are so lilting. (song highlights: Love is All is Alright, Don’t Slow Down, I Love It When You Smile).

BTW, Ten albums is indeed a lot! Any number would be ok, but the more the merrier.

[Lazul]

Ill keep to the english albums then...


Ash -
Nu-clear sound, just perfect... hard to say whats good about that album, everything is. Best song: Folk Song

Ash -
Free all angels, same above. Best song: World Domination

Josh Groban -
Closer, perfect when... hmm there are two of you, and one i a boy and one is a girl...

Finch -
What is to burn,great album when you have alot of energy to waste hehe. Best song: What is to burn

Anti-Flag -
Terror State, best song: Mind the Gatt

Immortal Technique -
Revoltionary Vol. 2, best song: Freedom of Speach

Marylin Manson -
Mechanical Animals, best song: Speed of Pain

Loop Troop -
Modern Day City Symphony, best song: Long arm of the Law.... This album really is the best I have ever bought, to bad I have listened to it so much... I have to take a break for a while hehe

[English assassin]

Ok Lazul I'll return the favour and fill in some scandinavian stuff for you

Madrugada: Grit. Quite simply the best rock band from the north of Norway with a Spanish name there has ever been. Good no nonsense grown up rock. Buy it.

Nightwish: Once OK a bit mainstream but if its Finnish Operatic metal you are after its all here for you. No, seriously, its good. Think love child of Kate Bush and meatloaf, produced by Jim Steinman. Stop laughing you B*st*rds its GOOD I'm telling you.

Sugarcubes: Life's too good. Hey, its ancient history I know, but its still good if you like indie. Anyway I don't have many Icelandic bands to choose from do I?

That's probably enough scandinavia for now and anyway the only other band i could think of was Kent

A recent buy that I would recomend are the Zutons, who killed the Zutons, faster numbers remind me a bit of Rocket from the Crypt, a kind of slightly latino rock sound, there's some slower numbers in there too that make it a good varied album.

[DemonArchangel]

The Fragile (NIN): Pilgrimage, Into the Void, Slipping Away, Where is Everybody.

Greatest Hits Vol 1. (Korn): Every song on it.

Audioslave: Good album too.

Deftones (any album): They haven't released ONE crappy song to date.

[Mablung]

Anything CD from A Perfect Circle
Chevelle - Wonder What's Next

I don't have all that many CDs but I like most stuff from Rammstein, REM, System Of A Down, Avenged Sevenfold...lots of other stuff as well.

[Quietus]

Madrugada: Grit. Quite simply the best rock band from the north of Norway with a Spanish name there has ever been. Good no nonsense grown up rock. Buy it.

Cool! I liked the various acoustic samples I've heard in the Web. Haven't heard of them before, which isn't surprising, you won't hear anything from the media in the US if it isn't selling millions.

Anti-Flag -
Terror State, best song: Mind the Gatt

Catchy punk rock! My brother's definitely gonna gobble this one up!