|
|
a dozen great albums you probably haven't heard, but shouldNov 07 '05 (Updated Jan 10 '06) Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Music
The Bottom Line Burbles?
So you want to impress people with your vast musical knowledge by adding to your collection some bands who are guaranteed to get a "Huh?" from your less-cool friends and record store employees. But you don't yet know the names of these lesser-known artists, due to their lesser-known status, and walking into a record store and asking for an album by a band you've made up does nothing for your cool factor. Luckily for you, this list, while by no means definitive, should help you get started on your journey. Cut Copy “Bright Like Neon Love” At a time when tons of bands are adding synthesizers to their songs and saying "Hey, look! We're '80s! And since the nu-new wave sound is 'in', we must be cool!", Australia's Cut Copy manages to stand out from the crowd. Maybe it's because just when you're ready to write their sound off as synth pop, some indisputably rock guitars will enter. Maybe it's because Bright Like Neon Love has no delusions about what it is; instead of trying to change the world through song or whining increasingly ridiculous lyrics like "I maxed out Mom's MasterCard! My life is so hard!", the songs here are perfectly content to find a catchy refrain, repeat it a couple times, and bow out before they wear out their welcome. Or maybe I'm just hopelessly stuck in the '80s. The Dears “No Cities Left” Dears frontman Murray Lightburn has one of the most soulful, gorgeous voices I've heard in a long time, which alone would be enough to make me think I've got a good album in my collection. When that voice is paired with the instrumentation found on No Cities Left, which utilizes everything from guitars to strings to saxophones to keyboards capable of sucking me in and captivating me for a seventy-six minute record about "post-apocalyptic heartbreak" (phrase courtesy of the allmusic guide) that still manages to fill me with delight at having experienced such beauty, I know I've got a great album. Majandra Delfino “The Sicks” If you recognize the name Majandra Delfino, you probably know her from TV's Roswell; if this is the first you've heard of her, you're probably thinking she's just another TV actress who released a vapid pop CD before her fifteen minutes of fame were up. If, however, you were fortunate enough to hear her sing on the show or to find a copy of this long out-of-print disc, you know that's not the case. The electronic drums and synthesizers on The Sicks complement the dark, disturbing lyrics and Majandra's haunting voice perfectly. She's drawn comparisons to Bjork, Radiohead, Alanis, Tori Amos, and Kate Bush, but her sound is her own, categorized by my Media Player as "Spacey Grunge Punk", a description that's as fitting as any. The Dresden Dolls “The Dresden Dolls” I can understand wanting to dismiss the duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione as a simple novelty act since the term "cabaret punk" has been tossed around so much when describing their music. But to do so would be a mistake, because you'd be missing out on one of the most unique and varied debut albums in, oh, ever. For every bouncy, playful "Coin-Operated Boy", there's the frenetic piano punk of "Girl Anachronism" or the tribal drumbeat/strings combo of "Truce". Even the album art is just that -- art, featuring photos of Amanda and Brian doing their best to look like 1930s cabaret/goth nutcases, decapitated heads, and other freaky stuff. What are they going to do next? I don't know, but I'm dying to find out. The Fiery Furnaces “Blueberry Boat” The first couple times I listened to Blueberry Boat, I thought it was a really fun album, one which made me happy when I heard it. Most of this joy came from the loopy synthesizers, piano, electronic blips and bloops, and whatever the hell else makes up the ever-shifting melodies. The fact that the songs were easy to sing along with helped, too. And I imagine I would still want to listen to it if I hadn't gotten wrapped up in the album's tales of kidnapping, murder, pirates (!), and peddling cell phones. But I'm glad I did, and I'm also glad I haven't yet figured out all of the album's secrets; indeed, I'm hoping I never will. The Go! Team “Thunder Lightning Strike” Like Blueberry Boat, The Go! Team's debut is a happy and fun record. Unlike Blueberry, this record doesn't use lyrics to tell stories; in fact, there are almost no lyrics at all, aside from some chants and rapping here and there. Instead, Thunder Lightning Strike relies on old-school samples, harmonica, horns, guitars, and piano to make you yearn for the good old days, get up and dance, or watch a Charlie Brown holiday special. Kent “Hagnesta Hill” Despite huge success in their native Sweden, Kent has never really made an impact here in the States. Even though they released an English language version of Hagnesta Hill, you have to get it imported for about 40 bucks. And that's a shame, because when you can create songs with lines like "Peel my skin off, baby" or "My IQ allows me to brush you aside" while at the same time crafting perfect pieces of indie-pop-rock-dance, your music should be heard by everyone. L'arc~en~ciel “Smile” One of the most unfair things about living in the U.S. means that not only do we miss out on cool Swedish bands like Kent, we miss out on cool Japanese bands, too, like L'arc~en~ciel. At least until their 2004 album Smile was released here, meaning you could pick it up for about $15 instead of $50. The majority of the album is infectious, straight-up rock, but there are a couple of ballads and even an English language song or two. The group may have better albums, but Smile serves as both a necessary addition to any established Laruku fan's collection and a great introduction to the world of Japanese rock... Malice Mizer “Merveilles” ...A world which is also home to a group of goth/orchestral rock stars who are fond of dressing in elaborate costumes. I'm pretty sure Malice Mizer was my first taste of Japanese rock, and the first thing I liked about them was the crazed synthesized beats found on songs like "Illuminati" and "S-Conscious", which, after a lot of convincing from Jacki, I'm ready to admit is in English. Fortunately, for non-fans of synthesizers, a lot of the album features pretty pianos and pretty violins and other pretty things. The downside is you'll have to get it as an import, but it's worth it. Manic Street Preachers “The Holy Bible” Maybe there are other albums where songs about the Holocaust, megalomania, racism, anorexia, nihilism, capital punishment, and the sex lives of world leaders co-exist; where the blame for all the problems in the world lies on you, the listener; where the guitars are so harsh and evil that it feels like they're cutting you in half. But I don't know about those other albums, and neither do you, I'm presuming, which means this 1994 masterwork from Welsh band Manic Street Preachers, finally getting its U.S. release earlier this year, is an essential part of any self-respecting music fan's collection. Self-disrespecting fans, too; I'm sure that'd make Richey Edwards proud. Amy X Neuburg “Residue” The album that would have topped my "Best of 2004" list if it hadn't taken me until 2005 to discover it is also one of the most imaginative, just plain weird albums I've ever heard. Since these songs were designed for Amy to perform live, most everything here on Residue is electronic; even Amy's vocals, which are amazing on their own, are layered and manipulated in about a million inventive ways. Can you think of an artist who could speak about food and junk mail and Antiques Roadshow over hymnal harmonies until a guitar blast comes out of nowhere and crackles for awhile before fading away into static, allowing the choir to re-enter? If your answer is no, this album can change that. Spiralmouth “Spiralmouth” Whereas The Go! Team's album is mostly instrumental, Spiralmouth's main instrument is the human voice. This doesn't mean the group can't cover a range of styles, from rock to dance alternative to funk, over the course of some stunning original works and covers by artists as diverse as nine inch nails, Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson, Soundgarden, and The Beatles, covers so good that they sound like they were meant for this group to sing. Of course, I may be wrong here; of the two people I've had listen to this CD, one thought it sucked, and the other remarked unenthusiastically, "It's okay". But if liking Spiralmouth means I'm wrong, being right is over-rated.  |
| Read all comments (21)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
by PacManY2J
by starcollector
by George_Chabot
![Jersey Boys [Original Broadway Cast Recording] by Original Broadway Cast Reviews](http://di2.shopping.com/images/pi/95/a4/8a/2006752046-100x100-0-0.jpg?p=p11.e8e60fcc4db59befd5c6&a=2&c=1&l=8071320&t=120604094222&r=2)
