Music Thread: Man Have I Been Missing Out...

[Nigel Tufnel]

I love good music....with a 65 hour a week job and three kids, I obviously don't have the time to keep up with music the way I used to. But I was in a buddy's car last week and he was playing a CD...I liked what I heard. I asked him who they were. He told me they were My Morning Jacket. I had actually sampled some of their music about 4-5 years ago and, at the time, it didn't do much for me. I didn't listen enough.

Last night I downloaded It Still Moves, Z, Evil Urges and Okonokos (Live)....and wow, I can't stop listening. At first blush, I think I like the earlier stuff better....from the research I did, Evil Urges is viewed as being the "jump the shark" or sell out CD...its good, but after listening to their earlier stuff, I can certainly understand why the old school hardcore MMJ fans hate it. Their Oknonokos live CD is just mesmerizing....can't stop listening to it.

For those of you looking for some new (at least new to you) Christmas music, I'd recommend My Morning Jacket. Other music I'd recommend if you haven't heard it would be as follows:

The Frames, The Shins, The National, Josh Ritter, Arcade Fire, TV On the Radio, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, Vampire Weekend and The Hold Steady.

Also downloaded Nirvana's Live At Reading....and if you're a Nirvana fan, its a must.

[BBC 08]

The Blakroc album just came out. It's a compilation between The Black Keys and some of hip hops biggest acts including Mos Def, Rza and Pharoahe Monch. Solid album all the way through.

[Nigel Tufnel]

The Blakroc album just came out. It's a compilation between The Black Keys and some of hip hops biggest acts including Mos Def, Rza and Pharoahe Monch. Solid album all the way through.

I don't do a lot of hip hop...I dabbled in college, but since then, not much. My ignorant opinion on hip hop is that there hasn't been anything that has been recently released that was better than Straight Outta Compton....or Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted....or The Chronic. That's probably pathetic to someone who keeps up with hip hop like you...but like I said, I'm ignorant on hip hop. I will say that I did like Phrenology by The Roots.


On a side note...if someone would have told me in college that Ice Cube would have starred in movies like "Are We There Yet?," I probably would have punched them in the face. Back in college, I loved me some Cube.

[Xman95]

Back in college, I loved me some Cube.

And it was quite common to hear "Givin up the Nappy Dugout" through the halls of The Pit. You have to love any sone with lines like, "she keeps nuts in her mouth like the bitch was a squirrel."

Ice Cube and The Pit...speak of both with reverence.

[X Factor]

I love good music....with a 65 hour a week job and three kids, I obviously don't have the time to keep up with music the way I used to. But I was in a buddy's car last week and he was playing a CD...I liked what I heard. I asked him who they were. He told me they were My Morning Jacket. I had actually sampled some of their music about 4-5 years ago and, at the time, it didn't do much for me. I didn't listen enough.

Last night I downloaded It Still Moves, Z, Evil Urges and Okonokos (Live)....and wow, I can't stop listening. At first blush, I think I like the earlier stuff better....from the research I did, Evil Urges is viewed as being the "jump the shark" or sell out CD...its good, but after listening to their earlier stuff, I can certainly understand why the old school hardcore MMJ fans hate it. Their Oknonokos live CD is just mesmerizing....can't stop listening to it.

For those of you looking for some new (at least new to you) Christmas music, I'd recommend My Morning Jacket. Other music I'd recommend if you haven't heard it would be as follows:

The Frames, The Shins, The National, Josh Ritter, Arcade Fire, TV On the Radio, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, Vampire Weekend and The Hold Steady.

Also downloaded Nirvana's Live At Reading....and if you're a Nirvana fan, its a must.

I think we have pretty much the exact same taste when it comes to beer and music!

"At Dawn" is a classic from MMJ. Love that album. I've kinda lost some interest in them, but their early stuff is so excellent.

Your recommendations are spot on. Huge fan of Josh Ritter. The National, The Shins, Sufjan, Fleet Foxes are all great picks.

I'd also recommend Lucero, Magnolia Electric Co., Tallest Man on Earth, Southeast Engine, Band of Horses, Deer Tick, The Wooden Sky, Frontier Folk Nebraska, Damien Jurado, Great Lake Swimmers.

[eXdrummer]

The Blakroc album just came out. It's a compilation between The Black Keys and some of hip hops biggest acts including Mos Def, Rza and Pharoahe Monch. Solid album all the way through.

Hadn't heard about this. I'm a pretty big fan of the Black Keys, so I'll have to check it out.

[Nigel Tufnel]

I think we have pretty much the exact same taste when it comes to beer and music!

"At Dawn" is a classic from MMJ. Love that album. I've kinda lost some interest in them, but their early stuff is so excellent.

Your recommendations are spot on. Huge fan of Josh Ritter. The National, The Shins, Sufjan, Fleet Foxes are all great picks.

I'd also recommend Lucero, Magnolia Electric Co., Tallest Man on Earth, Southeast Engine, Band of Horses, Deer Tick, The Wooden Sky, Frontier Folk Nebraska, Damien Jurado, Great Lake Swimmers.

I'll have to check out those bands you listed...what's funny is that before I read your post in the "beer" thread, I went to River's Bend Wine & Spirits in South Lebanon...I picked out a bottle of Houblon Chouffe (one of my all time favorites) and Green Flash Imperial IPA...as I was walking toward the check out counter, the owner, who happens to be a great guy and salesman (he remembers what pretty much every customer likes), says to me, "you want to try one of these...." and he hands me a bottle of Old 21. Its sitting in the fridge waiting for me for tomorrow's X/Bengals games. I'll let you know what I think.

If you haven't given The Frames a shot, I'd highly recommend them. I saw the Frames and Josh Ritter in Cleveland a few years ago at the Beachland Ballroom....unbelievable show. It was Ritter's birthday. He has such a great live presence. Pretty sure he said he went to Oberlin College. While he was great, I must say The Frames were better. Glen Handsard might be the most underrated front man in music. He can grab an audience unlike anything I've ever witnessed. Setlist, a live Frames CD, is among the best live CD's I've ever heard. As part of their encore, The Frames played "Wake Up" by the Arcade Fire...I was speechless. Its funny because in Europe and especially Ireland, the Frames are about as popular as U2....in the states, pretty much nothing. The movie Once has helped his career though...little known fact, Handsard played the lead guitarist in the movie The Commitments.

Here is a clip of Ritter and The Frames together during their show at the Beachland Ballroom....Ritter and The Frames are very close because they tour a lot in Europe....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sny-7_0qgs

There were about 500 people at this show....great because it was so intimate...but in Europe, these two bands would be co-headliners in 30,000 stadiums and coliseums. Still haven't figured out how these bands haven't hit it big in the U.S....but, at the same time, its nice to be able to appreciate them in a small setting.

[X Factor]

I saw the Frames and Josh Ritter in Cleveland a few years ago at the Beachland Ballroom....unbelievable show. It was Ritter's birthday. He has such a great live presence. Pretty sure he said he went to Oberlin College.

Unbelievable! I was at that exact show! My wife and I drove about 3 hours to Cleveland to see that show. It was our anniversary and Josh Ritter was giving away (or a small donation) singles of "Thin Blue Flame". That was a great show. Crazy.

I do like The Frames, but other than that show, haven't really listened to them a whole lot. Maybe I do need to check them out some more. I'm gonna have to break out the couple albums I've got from them and spend some time with them.

I've seen Josh Ritter about 7 times now. The first time I saw him was about 6 or 7 years ago at this little place in Dayton, Canal Street Tavern. He had only released his self-titled and "Golden Age of Radio" at the time. He was opening up for Jimmy Dale Gilmore.

Josh didn't even have a band at the time and just sat on a stool and played his guitar and sang for about 30 minutes. I think I was one of about 10 people who were there to see Josh. I talked to him for about 20 minutes after the show outside with about 4 other people. Super nice guy.

He IS huge over in Europe. He packs theatres out over there.

Yeah, post your thoughts about that Old 21 in the beer thread. I really liked it a lot.

[ballyhoohoo]

For Weezer fans check out the Rivers Cuomo "Home" album of garage recordings

[sirthought]

If you like My Morning Jacket you might want to check out Monsters of Folk, which is a quartet including Jim James, the singer from MMJ, along with Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Mike Mogis. http://www.myspace.com/monstersoffolk

Evil Urges is really different, but there are some fun songs on that one. That's like two years old now. James has been focused on Monster of Folk, so we'll see where MMJ goes from here.

The latest Built to Spill is really great. http://www.myspace.com/builttospill

And I have yet to hear the whole CD, but the newest Flaming Lips is cool going back towards a more raw sound than the orchestrated stuff they've done recently. One of my favorite all time bands. Their bass player lives in Bellevue KY.

[pizza delivery]

MMJ is a fantastic, if not strangely traveled, band.

Tennessee Fire 1999
At Dawn 2002?

These first 2 albums are very special in my opinion. When the term "americana" was storming WNKU and other public stations with (imo) contrived crap like Steve Earle, this little band from Louisville, KY quietly made 2 supreme, albeit lo-fi, versions of what experiencing life sounds like today to these musicians. They are both very raw albums that create their own story, but I would consider Tennessee Fire still my favorite in terms of authenticity.

It Still Moves 2003

This album is a turning point, if not some kind of peak for MMJ where they cross the sincerity of their first albums with a broadening sound that was supposed to make them stars. Unfortunately, this ambition will, in my opinion, steal the soul, but I digress. This album totally rocks. A lot of the vocals are recorded in empty grain bins. Jim James voice is completely ideal for what MMJ is doing at this point. Unbelievable album I could listen to 100 times in a row (and have b/c the tape was stuck in my truck :rolleyes:).

Z 2005?
Evil Urges 2008?

These albums stress pop sounds, which going back to Tennessee fire MMJ has shown they have appreciation for. Also crucial to the sound would be the desire to stay fresh, interesting, and current, so they seem to have made a decision not to sound like the old MMJ. As a fan, this is where I rest my hat with these albums. They've done a great job of turning the page and re-inventing themselves in their prime. But if they are in their prime, why change? Either way, go see these songs live, because they are all better that way and still fresh with the energy a band in support of news songs instills.


****

I tend to be an apologist for teams, bands, etc that have done things I really like in the past, even if their present effort doesn't meet my liking. Basically, I give them a break. Entering their music from Evil Urges backwards isn't something I could imagine, and many people that bring them up from that perspective love the new stuff, I just prefer the older stuff and want(ed) more. Part of me suspects they just ditched the stuff that didn't sell (it was still early!!!) and tried to find anything that would. Hell, making music for a living is ungodly difficult, so who am I to judge?

Monsters of Folk

This is part of the reason I've stayed away from Monsters of Folk, which seems to me either a) a collection of inspired near-geniuses realizing now is the BEST time to collaborate with other talented peers, or b) a jump the shark moment for all of folk music when, through the amortizing of music on myspace and the countless free downloads that rob musicians of their hard work, even the best talent must come up with some kind of supergroup gimmick to get some cash. I'm undecided. I'll pass just to preserve what good thoughts I do have for Oberst, Ward, and James. I see the album is selling well, so that's a good thing. :D

Glad we've got some MMJ fans on this board! Last week was Phish, now this!? What's next?

[newtsac]

For what it's worth [very little I assume], I am stuck in the 80's new wave genre so I am listening to:

Julian Casablancas [of The Strokes fame] - Phrazes for the Young
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
Islands - Vapours
Joy Division - The Best of Joy Division
Passion Pit - Manners
Pomegranates [Kings High School] - Everybody Come Outside
The xx - xx

Dig it.

[BBC 08]

For what it's worth [very little I assume], I am stuck in the 80's new wave genre so I am listening to:

Julian Casablancas [of The Strokes fame] - Phrazes for the Young

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. This is one hell of an album and is on constant rotation next to Blakroc.

On a side note, I really hope The Strokes put out an album in 2010 like they say they are going to.

[golfitup]

Arcade Fire

I just discovered them (A few years late to the party i know) and am enamored...

[GuyFawkes38]

For what it's worth [very little I assume], I am stuck in the 80's new wave genre so I am listening to:

Julian Casablancas [of The Strokes fame] - Phrazes for the Young
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
Islands - Vapours
Joy Division - The Best of Joy Division
Passion Pit - Manners
Pomegranates [Kings High School] - Everybody Come Outside
The xx - xx

Dig it.

love the 80's selection. I highly recommend "24 hour party people" (a movie on the manchester music scene (Joy Division included)....a music scene that never really made it big in the US).

I'm a big fan of the Talking Heads. Get beyond their hits ("The Name of this band is Talking Heads" is a good way to do that).

The problem with Arcade Fire is that they are so sentimental and pretentious.

Speaking of cool, non-sentimental bands, yeah, I love The Strokes. Great stuff. Crazy. I didn't know Casablancas came out with an album.

[newtsac]

Speaking of cool, non-sentimental bands, yeah, I love The Strokes. Great stuff. Crazy. I didn't know Casablancas came out with an album.

Yes indeed. The Strokes could be, in my opinion at least, the best band of 2000-2010. Albert Hammond, Jr. and Julian both have solo albums and both are worth checking out.

On to 80's New Wave... included in my throw back playlist are:

Joy Division
New Order
Echo and the Bunnymen
Simple Minds
Talking Heads
Tears for Fears

[newtsac]

And for my 100th post [because I forgot to pub them before]...

POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES. POMEGRANATES.

Local band from Kings High School. More talent in their pinkie finger than 99% of all bands today AND they are from Cincy!

They are playing Dec. 26th at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley. If I wasn't tethered to my wife's family, I would be there and not in Sanibel Island. Weird, I know. I have already missed their trip to Indy this year and I SORELY regret it.

Dig them.

[Nigel Tufnel]

I just discovered them (A few years late to the party i know) and am enamored...

Well, if you're enamored now, wait and see how you feel about them if you ever get an opportunity to see them live...I saw them in Columbus in Oct. 20007 at Promowest....easily one of the best shows I've ever seen. The energy Arcade Fire exhibits during a show is unmatched...the entire band was just going crazy the entire show. It was the only concert I've ever been to where there was no line during the entire show for beer and liquor. I went to get a mixed drink, it took about 2 minutes, and I still missed the beginning of Tunnels...which I wasn't too happy about.

Honestly...that blew me away...no line for beer and liquor at a concert? Has anyone ever seen that before? It was a first for me.

Here is a clip of them (really just Win and Regina) playing "Keep The Car Running" with Springsteen at one of his shows...I find this clip funny because of the guy's reaction on the video...plus, is it me, or does he sound exactly like Seth Rogan? Especially the "Holy Sh!t" at the end. Bruce didn't do the song justice, IMHO...but I'm not a fan of Springsteen, although "Keep The Car Running" sounds so much like a Springsteen song its not funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsukSiGcUng

[Fred Garvin]

Xeus just purchased The Priests' "Harmony." Last time I saw him he was raving about their PBS special.

[BBC 08]

I just discovered them (A few years late to the party i know) and am enamored...

To bad you are late on them because they played at the Waterfront Lawn with LCD Soundsystem in 07. One of the Top 5 shows I've ever beent to.

[Xman95]

To bad you are late on them because they played at the Waterfront Lawn with LCD Soundsystem in 07. One of the Top 5 shows I've ever beent to.

The show was so good it made him create a new word!:)