Wednesday, May 04, 2005
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: PART 3
More recommended listening. Because Jeph from Questionable Content updated his too (and he knows what the hell he's talking about, all his musical choices are awesome. But I digress.)
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ALTERNATIVE/INDIE
~ The Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat
Out of all of the albums, of course, the first one has to be the wierdest. And wierd this album is... the lyrics in it are absolutely rediculously and baffingly witty, and the crazy rhythms and melodies and random interludes or even blank spots in the songs will have you scratching your head the first time you listen to this. But the more you listen, the more you'll get to understand the pure wit of the songs, and you'll even get used to the randomness of the music, and it'll have you bobbing your head for months to come.
~ The Hives, Tyrannosaurus Hives
I have but one major beef with this album: it is SHORT. A full 34 minutes will take you from beginning to end of this entire album, extra songs added and all. But for that 34 minutes, your eardrums will be blasted with pure and utter indie rock ecstacy. They're one of the more heavy indie bands out there, with barely time for any breaks in any of their songs. They're fast paced, energetic, and just damn good. And I cant get the lyrics to B Is For Brutus out of my head.
~ Jimmy Eat World, Futures
Emo? Since when does Richie listen to emo rock? Okay, stop shaking your heads in disbelief and listen. I don't usually like emo stuff. But eh, Jimmy Eat World be goodness. They have a good diverse mix on their CD, from angsty hatesy bits like Futures and Pain, to the more mellow and chill vibes of Night Drive and The World You Love. And the twangy guitar riffs in their songs like Polaris are pretty addictive. If emo be your thing, check out Jimmy Eat World. And if it's not, check it out anyway, because I said so.
~ The Killers, Hot Fuss
Ah yes, The Killers. Everyone love The damn Killers. And for good reason. They're fucking awesome. Their lyrics are the kind that romp around in your head when you're sitting in class, trying to remember that formula for foci or whatevernot. And they have bass parts that are fun as hell to play. And they can be emotional in their songs, but not to the point that they're emo, just to the point that you're like "... wow." Personal picks would be Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, Mr. Brightside (duh), Smile Like You Mean It, and Midnight Show. And it's fun to walk up to Andy in the hallway and say "You're a star!" Muaha.
~ Modest Mouse, The Lonesome Crowded West
How many Modest Mouse albums am I going to go through? I'm not entirely sure. This would be one of the band's first albums, and... it's cool as hell. They were way more wild back in 1997 than say now, with The Moon and Antarctica or Good News being way more mellow. This one's just them yelling almost incomprehensible lyrics to simply bitchin' guitar riffs and kickin' drums (like in Truckers Atlas... drool.) It may turn off some people, but I loves it meself.
~ The Postal Service, Give Up
I wasn't sure whether I should put this under Electronic or Alternative, and I decided under here. Because a hell of a lot of their songs are mainly synthesizers and crap. Which is totally okay for me, because techno beats are the hotness, and this proves true in Give Up. Not to mention the lrycis are cool, and you can listen to it no matter what mood you be in. Happy? Sad? Angsty? Suicidal? Listen! Oh, and it's also cool because like every person I watch on deviantART listens to them. And that's cool too. I think. Blah!
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ELECTRONIC
~ Fatboy Slim, Palookaville
Despite the really creepy cover art (naked peeps, anyone?) you definetly shouldnt pass up on this one. It's not really techno, but it's not really any kind of other genre either... it's just Fatboy Slim. Expect pimpin' techno beats, lot's of repeating lyrics (like in Don't Let The Man... the entire song is one sentence) and just addictive stuff. Like everything else on this list.
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ROCK
~ The Beatles, 1
Yay! Beatles! Oldie British rock! The ultimate band. The ultimate album. The ultimate everything. You can't beat this. You could play this album in your car, and everyone would be singing along. Anyone who doesn't should be beat with a moldy herring.
~ Green Day, American Idiot
Green Day! Never really listened to them before this album came out, and I'm kinda starting to regret that now. Some may say "Bah, it's just old generic rock" and I'm inclined to agree somewhat with anyone who has those ideals. But it's the BEST generic rock. Just like how Yellowcard perfected all that pop/punk rock, Green Day does generic rock, and does it well. Not to mention their two really long songs on the album (Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming) are like ultimate headbang road trip songs, as anyone on my bus on the way back from Winchester should have noticed...
~ Lenny Kravitz, Baptism
First rock album I'd ever listened to and seriously liked was one of Kravitz's earlier albums. And now, I be listening to Baptism, and I'm reliving that experience. All of the songs are distinctly different, each with their own unique rhythm and beats and shit like that. Lady and Sistamamalover stand out from all of the rest for me, but eh, you might like something different. And the Best of Kravitz CD is beast too, with American Woman and Fly Away on it... two of the best damn songs ever, period, shut the hell up.
~ Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory
So, um, yeah. Linkin Park. Hybrid Theory. Their best album. Nuff said? Nah, I'll say some more. Hadn't really listened to Hybrid Theory before I god hold of Collision Course, I was really more of a Meteora man. But after Collision Theory, and after realizing that a lot of the songs on that were remixes off of Hybrid Theory, I kinda converted. And... I'm a happier man because of it. But bah, Linkin Park is still screaming metally rock goodness no matter what album.
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HIP-HOP/RAP
~ Eminem, Encore
Hm. I see this as Em's most emotional and awesome album yet. It's got some real emotion to it. Sure, it still may have the wierd crazy fun stuff on it (Just Lose It comes to mind) but if you dig deeper, you find some truly powerful stuff like Toy Soldiers and Mockingbird. And that's the true brilliance of Eminem. Oh yeah, and the extra crap on the newer album has just awesome extras like Paul and Puke (if you want to gross your friends out...)
~ John Legend, Get Lifted
So yeah, Legend goes sort of the same path as Green Day: though it may sound like blah, generic Brian McKnightish R&B, it is THE BEST R&B album to come out in a hell of a long time. Mainly because it has Ordinary People on it (which is the best R&B song ever.) But it has other good junk on it like Let's Get Lifted and Refuge that makes it stand out from everything else out there.
~ Kanye West, The College Dropout
He's not another generic rapper dude. That's why Kanye West is up there. No, after listening to Jesus Walks, I have determined that West goes up there with the standout non-retarded rappers out there (along with Jay-Z and Luda) But eh, yeah, Jesus Walks. Slow Jamz. Through The Wire. Spaceship. Not enough adjectives to describe the sweetness.
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JAZZ
~ Miles Davis, Kind Of Blue
The best of the best. This is the absofuckinlutely greatest thing to listen to when you just want to just completely and utterly mellow out. The slowest of the slow jams. If you're a jazz fanatic, this is a must have, out of all of Davis' stuff. I'll stop now, because I'll ruin it if I try and describe it anymore positively. Or because I'm getting pretty damn tired... LISTEN TO IT.
~ Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company
Anybody saying anything about this album becoming popular only because Charles died, and I'll rip their front teeth out. Best compilation of spoken jazz ever. I don't even like Norah Jones, but her duet thingy on here with Charles was just... aggh. Goes up there with Kind of Blue as the best thing to chill out to. Ignore the slightly disturbing cover and buy it. Or download it. Or do whatever.
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OTHER
~Gorillaz, Demon Days
And I've saved the best for last. Please just ignore the fact that I'm totally obsessed with the art style of the Gorillaz band, and that I've listened to practically every song that they've made ever about 50 times, and ignore the fact that I'm slightly insane and just LISTEN. THIS. ALBUM. KICKS YOUR ASS. It takes like every single genre (rap, rock, jazz, reggae, hip-hop, the works) and compiles it into a mishmash of beauty. And it has the damn music videos on it. Like the music video for Feel Good Inc. (which is the greatest music video ever created by anyone, ever, don't even get me started on it.) The whole band just oozes style, do yourself a favor and buy this. NOW. BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
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*sleep*
No wait. One other thing to say. If you haven't been reading it (or haven't started reading it at all, vile creature) the current storyarc in Megatokyo is kicking ass. Serious ass. Ansty, confusing, Tenchi Muyo, girls-fighting-over-one-guy ass. Go read.
*now sleep. seriously.*
~mEh~
More recommended listening. Because Jeph from Questionable Content updated his too (and he knows what the hell he's talking about, all his musical choices are awesome. But I digress.)
---
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE
~ The Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat
Out of all of the albums, of course, the first one has to be the wierdest. And wierd this album is... the lyrics in it are absolutely rediculously and baffingly witty, and the crazy rhythms and melodies and random interludes or even blank spots in the songs will have you scratching your head the first time you listen to this. But the more you listen, the more you'll get to understand the pure wit of the songs, and you'll even get used to the randomness of the music, and it'll have you bobbing your head for months to come.
~ The Hives, Tyrannosaurus Hives
I have but one major beef with this album: it is SHORT. A full 34 minutes will take you from beginning to end of this entire album, extra songs added and all. But for that 34 minutes, your eardrums will be blasted with pure and utter indie rock ecstacy. They're one of the more heavy indie bands out there, with barely time for any breaks in any of their songs. They're fast paced, energetic, and just damn good. And I cant get the lyrics to B Is For Brutus out of my head.
~ Jimmy Eat World, Futures
Emo? Since when does Richie listen to emo rock? Okay, stop shaking your heads in disbelief and listen. I don't usually like emo stuff. But eh, Jimmy Eat World be goodness. They have a good diverse mix on their CD, from angsty hatesy bits like Futures and Pain, to the more mellow and chill vibes of Night Drive and The World You Love. And the twangy guitar riffs in their songs like Polaris are pretty addictive. If emo be your thing, check out Jimmy Eat World. And if it's not, check it out anyway, because I said so.
~ The Killers, Hot Fuss
Ah yes, The Killers. Everyone love The damn Killers. And for good reason. They're fucking awesome. Their lyrics are the kind that romp around in your head when you're sitting in class, trying to remember that formula for foci or whatevernot. And they have bass parts that are fun as hell to play. And they can be emotional in their songs, but not to the point that they're emo, just to the point that you're like "... wow." Personal picks would be Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, Mr. Brightside (duh), Smile Like You Mean It, and Midnight Show. And it's fun to walk up to Andy in the hallway and say "You're a star!" Muaha.
~ Modest Mouse, The Lonesome Crowded West
How many Modest Mouse albums am I going to go through? I'm not entirely sure. This would be one of the band's first albums, and... it's cool as hell. They were way more wild back in 1997 than say now, with The Moon and Antarctica or Good News being way more mellow. This one's just them yelling almost incomprehensible lyrics to simply bitchin' guitar riffs and kickin' drums (like in Truckers Atlas... drool.) It may turn off some people, but I loves it meself.
~ The Postal Service, Give Up
I wasn't sure whether I should put this under Electronic or Alternative, and I decided under here. Because a hell of a lot of their songs are mainly synthesizers and crap. Which is totally okay for me, because techno beats are the hotness, and this proves true in Give Up. Not to mention the lrycis are cool, and you can listen to it no matter what mood you be in. Happy? Sad? Angsty? Suicidal? Listen! Oh, and it's also cool because like every person I watch on deviantART listens to them. And that's cool too. I think. Blah!
---
ELECTRONIC
~ Fatboy Slim, Palookaville
Despite the really creepy cover art (naked peeps, anyone?) you definetly shouldnt pass up on this one. It's not really techno, but it's not really any kind of other genre either... it's just Fatboy Slim. Expect pimpin' techno beats, lot's of repeating lyrics (like in Don't Let The Man... the entire song is one sentence) and just addictive stuff. Like everything else on this list.
---
ROCK
~ The Beatles, 1
Yay! Beatles! Oldie British rock! The ultimate band. The ultimate album. The ultimate everything. You can't beat this. You could play this album in your car, and everyone would be singing along. Anyone who doesn't should be beat with a moldy herring.
~ Green Day, American Idiot
Green Day! Never really listened to them before this album came out, and I'm kinda starting to regret that now. Some may say "Bah, it's just old generic rock" and I'm inclined to agree somewhat with anyone who has those ideals. But it's the BEST generic rock. Just like how Yellowcard perfected all that pop/punk rock, Green Day does generic rock, and does it well. Not to mention their two really long songs on the album (Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming) are like ultimate headbang road trip songs, as anyone on my bus on the way back from Winchester should have noticed...
~ Lenny Kravitz, Baptism
First rock album I'd ever listened to and seriously liked was one of Kravitz's earlier albums. And now, I be listening to Baptism, and I'm reliving that experience. All of the songs are distinctly different, each with their own unique rhythm and beats and shit like that. Lady and Sistamamalover stand out from all of the rest for me, but eh, you might like something different. And the Best of Kravitz CD is beast too, with American Woman and Fly Away on it... two of the best damn songs ever, period, shut the hell up.
~ Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory
So, um, yeah. Linkin Park. Hybrid Theory. Their best album. Nuff said? Nah, I'll say some more. Hadn't really listened to Hybrid Theory before I god hold of Collision Course, I was really more of a Meteora man. But after Collision Theory, and after realizing that a lot of the songs on that were remixes off of Hybrid Theory, I kinda converted. And... I'm a happier man because of it. But bah, Linkin Park is still screaming metally rock goodness no matter what album.
---
HIP-HOP/RAP
~ Eminem, Encore
Hm. I see this as Em's most emotional and awesome album yet. It's got some real emotion to it. Sure, it still may have the wierd crazy fun stuff on it (Just Lose It comes to mind) but if you dig deeper, you find some truly powerful stuff like Toy Soldiers and Mockingbird. And that's the true brilliance of Eminem. Oh yeah, and the extra crap on the newer album has just awesome extras like Paul and Puke (if you want to gross your friends out...)
~ John Legend, Get Lifted
So yeah, Legend goes sort of the same path as Green Day: though it may sound like blah, generic Brian McKnightish R&B, it is THE BEST R&B album to come out in a hell of a long time. Mainly because it has Ordinary People on it (which is the best R&B song ever.) But it has other good junk on it like Let's Get Lifted and Refuge that makes it stand out from everything else out there.
~ Kanye West, The College Dropout
He's not another generic rapper dude. That's why Kanye West is up there. No, after listening to Jesus Walks, I have determined that West goes up there with the standout non-retarded rappers out there (along with Jay-Z and Luda) But eh, yeah, Jesus Walks. Slow Jamz. Through The Wire. Spaceship. Not enough adjectives to describe the sweetness.
---
JAZZ
~ Miles Davis, Kind Of Blue
The best of the best. This is the absofuckinlutely greatest thing to listen to when you just want to just completely and utterly mellow out. The slowest of the slow jams. If you're a jazz fanatic, this is a must have, out of all of Davis' stuff. I'll stop now, because I'll ruin it if I try and describe it anymore positively. Or because I'm getting pretty damn tired... LISTEN TO IT.
~ Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company
Anybody saying anything about this album becoming popular only because Charles died, and I'll rip their front teeth out. Best compilation of spoken jazz ever. I don't even like Norah Jones, but her duet thingy on here with Charles was just... aggh. Goes up there with Kind of Blue as the best thing to chill out to. Ignore the slightly disturbing cover and buy it. Or download it. Or do whatever.
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OTHER
~Gorillaz, Demon Days
And I've saved the best for last. Please just ignore the fact that I'm totally obsessed with the art style of the Gorillaz band, and that I've listened to practically every song that they've made ever about 50 times, and ignore the fact that I'm slightly insane and just LISTEN. THIS. ALBUM. KICKS YOUR ASS. It takes like every single genre (rap, rock, jazz, reggae, hip-hop, the works) and compiles it into a mishmash of beauty. And it has the damn music videos on it. Like the music video for Feel Good Inc. (which is the greatest music video ever created by anyone, ever, don't even get me started on it.) The whole band just oozes style, do yourself a favor and buy this. NOW. BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
---
*sleep*
No wait. One other thing to say. If you haven't been reading it (or haven't started reading it at all, vile creature) the current storyarc in Megatokyo is kicking ass. Serious ass. Ansty, confusing, Tenchi Muyo, girls-fighting-over-one-guy ass. Go read.
*now sleep. seriously.*
~mEh~
