- Thread starter
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- Jun 13, 2020
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Hi, I’m modern.
No one has posted in this subforum for a year, so I decided to make a little something.
I’d like to share some music I like with y’all. The problem is a lot of the music I enjoy is “just a little too out there” or “bad”. So, I figured I’d share a list of music I like, keeping the more well-known stuff near the top (none of it’s too obscure, just niche). Let me know if any of it vibes with you! If you have any suggestions for me, I’d be happy to hear them.
Most of this list is going to be full albums, but I’ll throw some songs in there too.
Click the images for links to the songs!
PART 1: My Formative Material
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and if there’s anything to know about the region musically, it’s that once Grunge left, indie took its place. This is the stuff my Dad played in the car on long road trips, traveling through old-growth evergreens or across Stevens Pass.
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Every Fleet Foxes album could show up on this list. This band is NW folk personified.
FOR: if you want to feel like a lumberjack in the spring of 1911.
Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
Is it the best Death Cab album? No. But I will possess your heart and Bixby Canyon Bridge really make this album.
FOR: driving on a smaller freeway in the morning.
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart
no good rips of it on youtube, listen on Spotify (sorry)
This album is sappy and wholehearted, sometimes overly so. And sometimes you need that. This band is from my home neighborhood, I had the lead singer as my waiter once in like 2005.
FOR: When you move to a new place
Electric Guest – Mondo
Some really good indie pop. I don’t know why, but every song is an earworm. Feels a little dated by now but still fun.
FOR: A dorm party with a few close friends
PART 2: Setting out on my own
Around my Junior year of high school, I started looking for new music, trying to define myself. You know what I mean. This is what I found.
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
If you like indie rock and you haven’t heard this album yet, what kind of rock have you been living under? Sprawl II still makes me cry.
FOR: An afternoon walk through suburbia
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Yeah yeah, I know. This album has been memed to death. It’s still amazing folk music.
FOR: Understanding what all the hubbub is about
Grandaddy – Last Place
Found this album by accident but man do I not regret it. I’d also recommend their album “The Sophtware Slump” if you’re looking for something to capture that early 2000s internet feel.
FOR: As you take off on a long flight.
PART 3: Dream Pop
I was on the beach at a free concert Sub-Pop was putting on when I heard this sound for the first time. I was instantly in love. The slow feel with delicate vocals and harsh synths was everything I wanted and more. Here are some of my favorites
Beach House – Teen Dream
This is the band that got me into Dream Pop. Any album by them works, their sound is so unique and they. never. miss.
FOR: A late-night doing homework
Real Estate – Darling
(no images for songs)
A song for the ages. I don’t know why this one has stuck with me for so long, but it has. Enjoy.
FOR: A lazy day at the beach
Yo La Tengo – And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
Yo La Tengo is very hit or miss. But when they hit, they HIT. “Painful” is their best work, and “I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass” is their second, Nothing is as accessible as this album. This is one of the few bands I would recommend just listening to their top Spotify songs.
FOR: Driving at night in the rain
Syd Matters - Someday We Will Foresee Obstacles
They’re a French Band I fine criminally overlooked. This is their formative album. I think one of the songs was used in Life is Strange?
FOR: Writing something sad
PART 4: Down The Rabbit Hole
As I entered my college years I found a number of sounds which I really enjoyed, from up and down the pacific coast. These albums have become near and dear to me, and if you’re going to listen to anything on this list, try these.
The Microphones – The Glow Part 2
Phil Elverum is my favorite musician, and this is arguably his best work. Down to earth and fuzzy, yet at times harrowing, there’s little I could say about The Glow Part 2 that hasn’t been said already. He draws his work from so many places, there’s something to love for everyone.
FOR: A road trip across mountains.
Joanna Newsom – Ys
When I first heard that Andy Sandberg’s wife was a musician, I was skeptical. Boy was I wrong to be. Newsom is a lyrical mastermind, her words flow across the music like a breeze through tall grass. This is about as folksy as it gets (I mean, she plays the HARP for god's sake), but if you’re in that mood this album is perfect. You can't find this one on Spotify, unfortunately.
FOR: Basking in the sunshine
Destroyer – Destroyer’s Rubies
Vancouver-based Dan Bejar doesn’t just have the best hair in the game, but a crazy musical style. It’s rock if rock was also poetry. I had a lot of trouble choosing between this album and Kaputt, but Destroyer’s Rubies titular track makes the album whole.
FOR: When you’re stuck in downtown traffic but you don’t really mind.
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot it in People
I mean, c’mon. They were in Scott Pilgrim. I wonder why so many of the bands I like are Canadian…
You Forgot it in People has the perfect mix of peppy instrumentals and more rhythmic rock songs. The songs are so diverse, yet I can’t help but listen to it from front to back every time I put it on.
FOR: Doing a deep clean of your house (to pump you up)
PART 5: Twee
Twee pop came out of the UK and Olympia, WA around the same time that Grunge was growing in Seattle. It’s almost a reaction to it, taking the harsh chords and asking, “What if we don’t do that?” Twee actually started as an insult to the saccharine sweetness of the singers and the simplicity of the chords, but those who like the sound took it for themselves and became “Twee as fuck”
Belle & Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister
Many people forget that before they were pop superstars, Belle & Sebastian made the greatest Twee album ever. It’s about high school, and young love, and all those cozy things, but what really sets it apart is just how damn catchy it is. Every song is a bop.
FOR: Figuring out if the genre is for you
The Tiger Trap – The Tiger Trap
Can they sing? Not really. Can they play? They’re not bad, but not amazing. Do they rock? Hell yeah. I think this is the only music The Tiger Trap ever put out, which is a shame. They’re Bikini Kill without trying to be edgy (not that that’s a bad thing).
FOR: Wanting to feel like you’re in the 90s (this is the kinda stuff that the sister in Gone Home listens to).
Rocketship – A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness
Holy shit this album is good. I don’t know what this sound is, but the combination of shoegaze wall-o-noise and twee lyrics makes something special. This album has a blaring electric organ for like 95% of it, and it’s both annoying and somehow infatuating. Whether I’ve just been a victim of Stockholm’s Syndrome or this is some masterpiece is anyone’s guess.
FOR: A rainy day, lovesick.
Haley Heynderickx – The Bug Collector
This song is more lo-fi then twee, but it shows where the genre has gone. I get this one stuck in my head all the time. Heynderickx’s whole album is great, but this song has something special to it. Other reccs for modern twee would be Big Thief or Field Medic
FOR: Getting a groove going
PART 6: Let's get weird
I’m going to close out this list with some diamonds in the rough. Whether these albums were overlooked or just not found I don’t know, but they don’t have nearly the audience they should be getting.
The Candy Claws – Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time
This is my favorite album. It is the only vinyl I own. And it is deeply strange. A concept album about a girl and a seal made of bone traveling through the Mesozoic. It's grating shoegaze beats with wafty dream-pop lyrics thrown into a tropical haze. I don’t even want to think about how many distortions they’ve put over it. It’s not for everyone, but it’s also a slow pull. You might think it’s not for you then keep going back.
FOR: Trying to figure out what the hell they’re saying.
Sweet Trip – Velocity:
esign::Comfort
Sweet Trip has two albums. The most recent is 2009’s You Will Never Know Why, a class act in dream-pop anthems. Then there’s Velocity:esign::Comfort, a concept album about a pop star and an AI learning to make music together. The first song is an incoherent mess, but that’s the point? I honestly don’t know what to say about this one. It’s great.
FOR: Sitting down and letting the music take you away.
Hannah Epperson – Slowdown
Epperson plays the violin, loops it, throws in some audio effects, and then adds synths. That’s it. But man can she make it sing. Each of her albums are played from the perspective of two different women, Amelia and Iris, and she plays each song twice, once from each person’s perspective. It’s chilling how different the song sounds once you reach Iris’ stripped-back, creaky performance. What it’s about I’ll never know. Whatever it is, it’s good.
FOR: Chilling with a close friend.
Cosmo Sheldrake – Rich
This song sounds wet. I don’t know how, I’ve never heard anything like it before. But damn if it isn’t an earworm. That’s it. Great song.
FOR: Annoying your significant other (hum one bar and they’ll get it stuck in their head)
That’s it. If you read all of this, thank you but damn find something better to do with your time. Maybe something stood out to you, maybe you gave something a try. Let me know if you do. I can also make more specific suggestions if you have a sound you're looking for. Have a good day!
No one has posted in this subforum for a year, so I decided to make a little something.
I’d like to share some music I like with y’all. The problem is a lot of the music I enjoy is “just a little too out there” or “bad”. So, I figured I’d share a list of music I like, keeping the more well-known stuff near the top (none of it’s too obscure, just niche). Let me know if any of it vibes with you! If you have any suggestions for me, I’d be happy to hear them.
Most of this list is going to be full albums, but I’ll throw some songs in there too.
Click the images for links to the songs!
PART 1: My Formative Material
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and if there’s anything to know about the region musically, it’s that once Grunge left, indie took its place. This is the stuff my Dad played in the car on long road trips, traveling through old-growth evergreens or across Stevens Pass.
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Every Fleet Foxes album could show up on this list. This band is NW folk personified.
FOR: if you want to feel like a lumberjack in the spring of 1911.
Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
Is it the best Death Cab album? No. But I will possess your heart and Bixby Canyon Bridge really make this album.
FOR: driving on a smaller freeway in the morning.
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart
no good rips of it on youtube, listen on Spotify (sorry)
This album is sappy and wholehearted, sometimes overly so. And sometimes you need that. This band is from my home neighborhood, I had the lead singer as my waiter once in like 2005.
FOR: When you move to a new place
Electric Guest – Mondo
Some really good indie pop. I don’t know why, but every song is an earworm. Feels a little dated by now but still fun.
FOR: A dorm party with a few close friends
PART 2: Setting out on my own
Around my Junior year of high school, I started looking for new music, trying to define myself. You know what I mean. This is what I found.
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
If you like indie rock and you haven’t heard this album yet, what kind of rock have you been living under? Sprawl II still makes me cry.
FOR: An afternoon walk through suburbia
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Yeah yeah, I know. This album has been memed to death. It’s still amazing folk music.
FOR: Understanding what all the hubbub is about
Grandaddy – Last Place
Found this album by accident but man do I not regret it. I’d also recommend their album “The Sophtware Slump” if you’re looking for something to capture that early 2000s internet feel.
FOR: As you take off on a long flight.
PART 3: Dream Pop
I was on the beach at a free concert Sub-Pop was putting on when I heard this sound for the first time. I was instantly in love. The slow feel with delicate vocals and harsh synths was everything I wanted and more. Here are some of my favorites
Beach House – Teen Dream
This is the band that got me into Dream Pop. Any album by them works, their sound is so unique and they. never. miss.
FOR: A late-night doing homework
Real Estate – Darling
(no images for songs)
A song for the ages. I don’t know why this one has stuck with me for so long, but it has. Enjoy.
FOR: A lazy day at the beach
Yo La Tengo – And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
Yo La Tengo is very hit or miss. But when they hit, they HIT. “Painful” is their best work, and “I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass” is their second, Nothing is as accessible as this album. This is one of the few bands I would recommend just listening to their top Spotify songs.
FOR: Driving at night in the rain
Syd Matters - Someday We Will Foresee Obstacles
They’re a French Band I fine criminally overlooked. This is their formative album. I think one of the songs was used in Life is Strange?
FOR: Writing something sad
PART 4: Down The Rabbit Hole
As I entered my college years I found a number of sounds which I really enjoyed, from up and down the pacific coast. These albums have become near and dear to me, and if you’re going to listen to anything on this list, try these.
The Microphones – The Glow Part 2
Phil Elverum is my favorite musician, and this is arguably his best work. Down to earth and fuzzy, yet at times harrowing, there’s little I could say about The Glow Part 2 that hasn’t been said already. He draws his work from so many places, there’s something to love for everyone.
FOR: A road trip across mountains.
Joanna Newsom – Ys
When I first heard that Andy Sandberg’s wife was a musician, I was skeptical. Boy was I wrong to be. Newsom is a lyrical mastermind, her words flow across the music like a breeze through tall grass. This is about as folksy as it gets (I mean, she plays the HARP for god's sake), but if you’re in that mood this album is perfect. You can't find this one on Spotify, unfortunately.
FOR: Basking in the sunshine
Destroyer – Destroyer’s Rubies
Vancouver-based Dan Bejar doesn’t just have the best hair in the game, but a crazy musical style. It’s rock if rock was also poetry. I had a lot of trouble choosing between this album and Kaputt, but Destroyer’s Rubies titular track makes the album whole.
FOR: When you’re stuck in downtown traffic but you don’t really mind.
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot it in People
I mean, c’mon. They were in Scott Pilgrim. I wonder why so many of the bands I like are Canadian…
You Forgot it in People has the perfect mix of peppy instrumentals and more rhythmic rock songs. The songs are so diverse, yet I can’t help but listen to it from front to back every time I put it on.
FOR: Doing a deep clean of your house (to pump you up)
PART 5: Twee
Twee pop came out of the UK and Olympia, WA around the same time that Grunge was growing in Seattle. It’s almost a reaction to it, taking the harsh chords and asking, “What if we don’t do that?” Twee actually started as an insult to the saccharine sweetness of the singers and the simplicity of the chords, but those who like the sound took it for themselves and became “Twee as fuck”
Belle & Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister
Many people forget that before they were pop superstars, Belle & Sebastian made the greatest Twee album ever. It’s about high school, and young love, and all those cozy things, but what really sets it apart is just how damn catchy it is. Every song is a bop.
FOR: Figuring out if the genre is for you
The Tiger Trap – The Tiger Trap
Can they sing? Not really. Can they play? They’re not bad, but not amazing. Do they rock? Hell yeah. I think this is the only music The Tiger Trap ever put out, which is a shame. They’re Bikini Kill without trying to be edgy (not that that’s a bad thing).
FOR: Wanting to feel like you’re in the 90s (this is the kinda stuff that the sister in Gone Home listens to).
Rocketship – A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness
Holy shit this album is good. I don’t know what this sound is, but the combination of shoegaze wall-o-noise and twee lyrics makes something special. This album has a blaring electric organ for like 95% of it, and it’s both annoying and somehow infatuating. Whether I’ve just been a victim of Stockholm’s Syndrome or this is some masterpiece is anyone’s guess.
FOR: A rainy day, lovesick.
Haley Heynderickx – The Bug Collector
This song is more lo-fi then twee, but it shows where the genre has gone. I get this one stuck in my head all the time. Heynderickx’s whole album is great, but this song has something special to it. Other reccs for modern twee would be Big Thief or Field Medic
FOR: Getting a groove going
PART 6: Let's get weird
I’m going to close out this list with some diamonds in the rough. Whether these albums were overlooked or just not found I don’t know, but they don’t have nearly the audience they should be getting.
The Candy Claws – Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time
This is my favorite album. It is the only vinyl I own. And it is deeply strange. A concept album about a girl and a seal made of bone traveling through the Mesozoic. It's grating shoegaze beats with wafty dream-pop lyrics thrown into a tropical haze. I don’t even want to think about how many distortions they’ve put over it. It’s not for everyone, but it’s also a slow pull. You might think it’s not for you then keep going back.
FOR: Trying to figure out what the hell they’re saying.
Sweet Trip – Velocity:
esign::ComfortSweet Trip has two albums. The most recent is 2009’s You Will Never Know Why, a class act in dream-pop anthems. Then there’s Velocity:
esign::Comfort, a concept album about a pop star and an AI learning to make music together. The first song is an incoherent mess, but that’s the point? I honestly don’t know what to say about this one. It’s great.FOR: Sitting down and letting the music take you away.
Hannah Epperson – Slowdown
Epperson plays the violin, loops it, throws in some audio effects, and then adds synths. That’s it. But man can she make it sing. Each of her albums are played from the perspective of two different women, Amelia and Iris, and she plays each song twice, once from each person’s perspective. It’s chilling how different the song sounds once you reach Iris’ stripped-back, creaky performance. What it’s about I’ll never know. Whatever it is, it’s good.
FOR: Chilling with a close friend.
Cosmo Sheldrake – Rich
This song sounds wet. I don’t know how, I’ve never heard anything like it before. But damn if it isn’t an earworm. That’s it. Great song.
FOR: Annoying your significant other (hum one bar and they’ll get it stuck in their head)
That’s it. If you read all of this, thank you but damn find something better to do with your time. Maybe something stood out to you, maybe you gave something a try. Let me know if you do. I can also make more specific suggestions if you have a sound you're looking for. Have a good day!