Who are you listening to atm?

RoboTurtle · Post by **RoboTurtle** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 3:55 pm

My musical tastes have diversified and become more defined recently (huh?).

Now being a soundman at a local venue I see a lot more small time bands (mostly small and wanting to be big, or the really good kind who are doing what they want and don't care for major labels or for deals).

I went through a guitar phase a couple of years ago, and that's worn off having left me with a few remnants.

My top guys are:

Jeff Buckley
Frank Zappa
Mattias Eklundh
Squarepusher
Radiohead

Recently I've been listening to LOADS of Zappa stuff, as well as John Coltrane and Miles Davis- who I could never get into before.
I used to find Miles a little more easy going than Coltrane, but now I find many more similarities in the way Coltrane plays and the way I do and find his music more to my listening.

I recently went to one my top gigs ever, a New York band called Gogol Bordello, who describe themselves as Gypsy Punks. Dirty guitars, drums, bass, violin and accordian, what else could you ask for?
One of the most fun gigs and best shows I've ever seen, definately worth checking out if you can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_81l4DX ... g%20purple

That song is getting quite popular.

I've also been listening to a new band (for me) called Battles, they are 3 guitarists and a drummer (with one guitarist playing keys). They have lots of looper stuff going on, and it's kind of like electronic music played live, but very raw.
Another new band for me is Acoustic Ladyland, who started as a band doing their own raw jazz take on Hendrix songs, and have now gone off on their own thing. It's just bass drums keyboards and sax, and they are raw and dirty as fuck, mostly instrumental and definately worth checking out.
Some of the people I've also been listening to:

Miles Davis
John Coltrane
Joanna Newsom
Acoustic Ladyland
DJ Shadow (old favourite)
Django Reinhardy
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (some of the best singing ever, in any style)
Ron Thal/Bumblefoot
Bob Brozman (Awesome slide guitar with influences from everywhere)
Bootsy Collins
DJ Scotch Egg (Music made on gameboys, check him out)
Derek Trucks
The Doors
Jeff Beck
Tom Waits
Squarepusher
The White Stripes
Hendrix
Meshuggah (very occasionally, fun in small doses for me).

How about you guys?

shiram · Post by **shiram** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:09 pm

im discovering the joys of progressive metal

opeth is still up there, as im leaving the earlier albums wich i dont yet to know, for rainy days
pain of salvation
fates warning
porcupine tree
my main musical interest is devin townsend band though

RoboTurtle · Post by **RoboTurtle** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 3:09 am

Just don't fall into the cheese pit of Dream Theater

Have you listened to Strapping Young Lad?

shiram · Post by **shiram** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:24 am

i heard some dream theater, but the dude's vocal are really not my thing

and about SYL, i heard about 1-2 songs, but definately not enough to make up an opinion on them
im looking forward to discovering them as well
but i like to keep some stuff for later, as im still going trought the devin townsend band's discography

edit : devin in action, and the icon i would have if not for size limits

Bane · Post by **Bane** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:21 pm

Listening to alot of SOAD still, and a swedish electro/techno/wierd band called the Knife. Alos DL'ed a couple of Danko Jones, the two latest albums, which i thought was rather good actually.

And as always, alot of different death metal, some Rammstein and quite alot of pandora.com(which means alot of Kreator).

Ofc I listen to alot of diff. swedish bands and such, but since you guys wouldn't recognize'em anywaym there really is no point mentioning them.

RoboTurtle · Post by **RoboTurtle** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:41 pm

Go on Bane, name some and gimme links (or links to myspace sites) and I'll give you some.

http://www.myspace.com/charlottefield

A friend's band, a fellow sound engineer. These guys are real as fuck, and their drummer is ridiculous.

http://www.myspace.com/bloodredshoes

Another friend (and soundman), loud rock 1 girl 1 boy disco pop shout.... Very fun.

These bands are pretty English, gimme some real swede stuff.

(We had a Swedish punk rock band called Disco Volante play over here recently, on tour with a friend's band, you heard them?)

Bane · Post by **Bane** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:45 pm

No sry, I think I recognize the name but I don't think I ever listened to'em.

I don't have time to post any links now, going to bed real soon, bought some Morrsiey tickets to my GF so we're getting to bed early tonight, hehe..

But I'll check it up and see if I could post some links to obscure swedish music

Darius · Post by **Darius** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:33 pm

Back to the old stuff. Emperor and Darkthrone.

RoboTurtle · Post by **RoboTurtle** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:07 pm

Darius.... as metal as ever

What do you think of Meshuggah? I'm not a big fan, but I like that they've done something new.

SiC cLoWn · Post by **SiC cLoWn** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:34 am

I personally am a fucking Meshuggha maniac. Im totally obsessed with there sound man. Its just so fucking sick in my opinion... and I like the direction there going in with there newer music unlike a lot of people who prefer Chaosphere and older stuff. Not to hate on the old stuff or anything.

awn44 · Post by **awn44** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 4:43 pm

Four Tet ( just saw him play with Steve Reid - jazz drummer who's played and been mentored by the likes of Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sun Ra and even funkier straight shit like James Brown....it was unreal computers+drums jazz)

Bloc Party - good, tight, fun shit -

Wilco's live album - Kicking Television - very good

Just got a hold of ALL of Philip Glass and Sun Ra's stuff.....so that's just waiting to be mined but it'll take some intense listening and really chillin out with it to get a grip on a lot of that...should be fun

RoboTurtle · Post by **RoboTurtle** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 3:26 pm

I saw Four Tet a few months ago, alone. It was interesting, one big mash up really. Quite different from his album stuff- lots of cutting.

Someone else was telling me about Sun Ra recently, maybe I should get hold of some. My cousin also bangs on about Philip Glass and Steve Reich maybe I should listen to them too....

awn44 · Post by **awn44** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:29 pm

Yeah seems like he gets pretty frenetic with his style live - - but it can certainly be revelatory - he's so young...it'll be incredible to see how he develops from here...

Sun Ra also is all over the place - a true individual - seems like he did pretty traditional conventional with-the-times jazz early on but then went pretty out there and spaced later when he had his Arkestra. Philip Glass has done some incredible work - - a lot of his stuff is repeatitive but with little changes that build - - takes some patience, but its good listening for a background that will keep you on your toes. The Kundun soundtrack always blows me away....

Darius · Post by **Darius** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:34 am

RoboTurtle wrote: What do you think of Meshuggah? I'm not a big fan, but I like that they've done something new.

Some pretty good tracks, otherwise neutral/ indifferent.

Now, I'm listening to the more melodic stuff again - Ensiferum, Wintersun mainly.