So like wtf happened to music i actually want to listen to?

[jsun3thousand]

spotify rules.

[jubuttib]

I find this has a lot to do with the venue as well. There's a local theater venue here that I've seen several shows at now and every one of them has sounded phenomenal. I just saw Queens of the Stone Age there last week and could hear every note.

The week before though I saw Soundgarden at a big arena and the sound was mediocre at best. Seemed that the mixer just felt that LOUD as fuck = great sound.

Congratulations, you have a local venue that has good gear and a people who know how to use them. Wish I was as lucky.

Though it isn't totally the mixers' fault. Many times they set everything up quite alright, but then the audience starts screaming "LOUDER!!!!!" and ruin everything. So really, it's the fault of the people listening. Live shows would be so much better if no one came to listen.

[bill]

have you heard anything by japandroids?

post-nothing is all i've ever heard and they didn't do it for me. i still like a little melody.

i agree with parks about Wolf Parade. they're a cool band but it's hard to not hear modest mouse in Apologies to the queen mary. that may be good or bad.

i like this post cause it's really gotten me thinking about modern rock records and their influences on me. I can't think of many records put out in the last 20 years that are 'can't do without records' and really besides wilco none of the records i posted earlier are. all those records are good to me but besides Girls i really wouldn't cross the street to listen to them again.

none of those records are all that durable. none of them changed the way i thought about music. not like the pixies ever did or jane's addiction or fugazi. repeater, nothings shocking and surfer rosa are deserted on a desert island records. you have to have them. and they're still fresh today. still creative.

so thinking in light of being stuck on an island with no choice but rock records, and i mean rock not flaming lips or Kid A, and it must be from the last decade, i'd have to choose

The Meadowlands by The Wrens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FditI_wlg6o
this is hands down the best rock and roll record i've heard in the last 10 years and one i've played continuously. i challenge any fan of alternative guitar driven rock, or rock n roll period, to spend a week with this album and call it anything less than brilliant. this is rock made by grownups for grownups, these guys formed in the late 80's. the melodies are challenging and the lyrics are intelligent and personal. i'm 39 and have over 21,000 songs in my itunes and this is one of the best rock records i've ever heard. like anything good, it takes a few turns before things start popping out at you.

second to me would be You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aCHMf_Ybw
these guys seemingly took everything we like in alternative music and put it all together in one record, and it's better than the original and it's all done with instruments. i still haven't heard as album this cool.

third would be Clap Your Hands Say Yeah debut of the same name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YptBbpmFouM
these guys are a mix of the violent femmes and the talking heads, or david byrnes at least, but with really, really good guitar. the most original rock band i've heard in the last 10 years. not quite grownup, almost childish really. not the play but maybe the presentation. still brilliant.

[Dump truck]

Lately I've mostly been listening to all electronic... I I figure that's not what your looking for...

Not really gonna make you rock out but good:

Bon Iver
Chris Whitley
Calexico
The Shins
Jon Butler Trio (Grand National is the good one)
Xavier Rudd (white moth and shades of blue)
Belle and Sebastian (the life pursuit)

[uNicedmeMan]

second to me would be You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aCHMf_Ybw
these guys seemingly took everything we like in alternative music and put it all together in one record, and it's better than the original and it's all done with instruments. i still haven't heard as album this cool.

Man I love that record. My favorite songs are "Looks Just Like The Sun" and "I'm Still Your Fag". I was thinking about recommending it to Blake but didn't think it rocked out hard enough for him...

[Roy]

I just download the indy mixes off the web (like blaylocks and some others) and note the songs I like and then find out more. I do the same with college radio. I let the good tunes find me.

[Parks]

second to me would be You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aCHMf_Ybw
these guys seemingly took everything we like in alternative music and put it all together in one record, and it's better than the original and it's all done with instruments. i still haven't heard as album this cool.

Man I love that record. My favorite songs are "Looks Just Like The Sun" and "I'm Still Your Fag". I was thinking about recommending it to Blake but didn't think it rocked out hard enough for him...

That was exactly why I didn't recommend it in my list, and same with The Wrens' Meadowlands (Secaucus rocks a lot more, but I bet Blake has heard that album since its from 15 years ago).

You Forgot It In People is one of the best albums that I own, however.

[Blake_T]

Download Spotify. It is a free and legal music streaming service that has a vast selection of music. You will need an invitation from someone on this board that has it, but it is great for checking out new bands without the hassle of tracking shit down or downloading stuff off p2p/BitTorrent. I bet someone throws you an invite within minutes of you asking.

My neighbor told me about this. If someone wants to sling me an invite it would be much appreciated.

The person next door recently complained to us about too much noise late night (just from our TV) so I haven't been able to listen to anything after 11pm like usual. I spent all day today battling a horrific migraine (it made me throw up my dinner) and didn't calm down until about 10:45 tonight. I will go through all of the links posted the next time I have free time during the day.

post-nothing is all i've ever heard and they didn't do it for me. i still like a little melody.

Polyvinyl records is having another garage sale (they clearance out tons of promo stuff, e.g. cd's with punched barcodes) and sell em off without cases for $1-4 as well as surplus vinyl. All of their purchases include a free instant mp3 download @320kbps of whatever you buy. I had "younger us" on a sampler and while I didn't really like the guy's voice (reminded me too much of camper von beethoven) it had the energy I was looking for. They were out of post-nothing but I bought no singles for $4 and based upon the download, yah, they lack melody but show promise if they develop as song-writers. (The rainer maria atlantic and ears ring EP's are on sale for $1 ea and these have a couple of their best songs ever).

Braid recently got back together and recorded a 4 song EP (they were probably my fav band of the late 90's). I pre-ordered it. You can stream it here:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/stream-t ... 143/?dfghj

Sadly, it's better than Hey Mercedes and The Firebird Band, but without the spastic parts from old Braid stuff it just doesn't have the contrast that made me enjoy them so much.

i like this post cause it's really gotten me thinking about modern rock records and their influences on me. I can't think of many records put out in the last 20 years that are 'can't do without records' and really besides wilco none of the records i posted earlier are. all those records are good to me but besides Girls i really wouldn't cross the street to listen to them again.

I always seem to find glimmers of hope from newer music when i really decide to dig for it. the problem is that it seems like the lifespans on bands just isn't there anymore. they have 1-2 kickass songs on an album and then break up before being able to write an entire album with good songs.
A few examples:
Under a Dying Sun - Setting Fire
The Ladderback - T.T.T
A Day In Black & White - There are Objects and Objects
A Trillion Barnacle Lapse - Nanomachines are in Richard Feynman's Bloodstream
Faraquet - Cut Self Not

just seems like it's a matter of time until someone's able to finally come out with a 3rd album that kicks ass. (first album displays energy/potential, second album yields to critical acclaim and goes safe, 3rd album combines energy and song-writing and fulfills potential). the last time I remember this happening in spades was circa 2000-2003.

I did pick up Criteria's - When We Break and liked it quite a bit... sadly this was from 2005, so it's right around the era when I could still find stuff i liked. Criteria is the other songwriter that used to be in Cursive. hasn't done anything to make me love it yet but i haven't had a chance to give it an active listen.

[Mark Ellis]

I have asked myself the same question but then I remember the answer:

Simon and Garfunkel split up and no one has replaced them.

[Tossin' in Memphis]

yo la is always yo la and if you didn't like them then you probably still wont.

This is true to some extent but id say that "I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass" is a way better album than a lot if their older stuff imo and someone who didnt like the older stuff would still have a pretty good chance of getting in to it, I was never a huge fan of the earlier 90's stuff but IANAOYAIWBYA gets played start to finish fairly often on my pod

I'm the same way with them, not too bothered with most of their earlier stuff but absolutely love IANAOYAIWBYA. Haven't heard the newest one but have heard good things about it. I'll have to check it out.

I saw Yo La Tengo open up for the Juliana Hatfield Three in '94 and it is STILL one of the best shows I ever saw...Almost as good as Guided by Voices on the Idolation Drills tour

[bill]

i think they're a great band. i like painful and fakebook ok but they weren't all that memorable. but i can hear the heart beating, then nothing turned itself inside out, beat your assss and popular songs are really great albums and all get a lot of play for me.