Music Music Music

[Mirabell]

what do you listen to? New records recently? anything in particular moving you?

Bought myself Varcharz by Mouse on Mars today
their first ipecac recording

amazing as always
my favorite electronic band

might possibly become one of my favorite mouse on mars records. very very good. smart, catchy, disturbing and bouncy.

[Stewart]

what do you listen to?

Favourite bands include Dead Can Dance, Einst?rzende Neubauten, and Faith No More (and pretty much any Mike Patton related project). I was a big fan of dEUS about ten years ago, but they went off the boil a bit. And I'm awaiting some new Cranes material.

Bands aside, solo singers like Bj?rk, Serge Gainsbourg, Stina Nordenstam, and, being a sucker for the old girl-and-piano combo, I can rhyme off plenty, with notable mention to Gabriela Kulka, a Polish girl whose music mixes that of early Kate Bush with some cabaret - songs in Polish and English.

Favourite song of all time, though, is Anna Begins by Counting Crows.

[Mirabell]

yes, stina nordenstam is wonderful.

And the Neubauten, especially the early stuff,
is astonishing

my favorite record being (still)
Kollaps

[nnyhav]

Analog. I've been out of touch ...
(I will amend my way: preferences are chamber classical, combo jazz & acid rock)

[Boki]

lately alot of siouxsie and the banshees, devendra banhart and conflict. like abit of smooth jazz as of late aswell

[Sybarite]

My musical tastes are pretty catholic – all manner of classical music, through jazz, musical theatre, rock and pop: I just have phases of listening to different music. Oddly enough, over the last few years, these phases have worked approximately seasonally – with me listening to predominantly classical in autumn and winter, and rock and pop in spring and summer.

However, in terms of what's new that I'm listening to, the mould has been broken – I've just bought the new Oasis album, which is the best they've produced in some years, and I've also got orders in on iTunes for the new Kaiser Chiefs and Pink albums. I very much like the current singles – Never Miss a Beat and So What? – from both of those. The videos for the latter in particular is fun.

I picked up The Courteeners' first album, St Jude and the Kaiser Chiefs' debut, Employment, yesterday, but haven't yet had chance to listen to them.

[DouglasM]

It all depends on my mood. But genres I listen more often include MPB (portuguese abbreviation meaning "Brazilian Popular Music") specially Bossa Nova, some rost-rock (bands from Iceland and Japan tend to produce some brilliant pieces of music), some experimental music, trip-hop, noise rock, neoclassical and the good old heavy metal (Candlemass, Darkthrone, etc...). I also enjoy some "-core" things, like mathcore and grindcore.

Lately, I've been enjoy a band called The Czars, which reminds me of Leonard Cohen in a way. Their album Sorry, I Made You Cry is highly recommended.

As for buying CDs, it's been a long time since I bought something. Guess the last was The Craving by MD.45.

[Jayaprakash]

Recently I've been litening to various recordings of Brahms' 4th symphony, a cross section of Miles Davis albums (from around Miles Ahead to Live-Evil) and The August Machine by Hammers Of Misfortune. That's a fairly good representation of my tastes too, with the addition of some blues and classic rock to round things out.

[Boki]

It all depends on my mood. But genres I listen more often include MPB (portuguese abbreviation meaning "Brazilian Popular Music") specially Bossa Nova, some rost-rock (bands from Iceland and Japan tend to produce some brilliant pieces of music), some experimental music, trip-hop, noise rock, neoclassical and the good old heavy metal (Candlemass, Darkthrone, etc...). I also enjoy some "-core" things, like mathcore and grindcore.

Lately, I've been enjoy a band called The Czars, which reminds me of Leonard Cohen in a way. Their album Sorry, I Made You Cry is highly recommended.

As for buying CDs, it's been a long time since I bought something. Guess the last was The Craving by MD.45.

the Czars are great.
great taste

[miercuri]

Faith No More (and pretty much any Mike Patton related project).

Couldn't agree more with these words of wisdom!
Apart from Patton, my all time favourite band is U2, probably the one band that got me interested in music, when I was around ten. However, I'm not looking forward to their new album at all and I'm secretly hoping they would disband before being completely drained of inspiration.
I love Bjork to shreds and I moderately love some of Red Hot Chili Peppers' 90's stuff, Jane's Addiction, Tool, The Cure, Portishead, Slowdive, Jose Gonzales, The Knife, The Mars Volta, The Smiths, Patrick Wolf, it actually depends more on the mood.

[Stewart]

I love Bjork to shreds and I moderately love some of Red Hot Chili Peppers' 90's stuff, Jane's Addiction, Tool, The Cure, Portishead, Slowdive, Jose Gonzales, The Knife, The Mars Volta, The Smiths, Patrick Wolf, it actually depends more on the mood.

Not too keen on some of those but I'll join you in appreciation of Bj?rk, The Cure, The Smiths, Patrick Wolf, and, to some extend, The Knife. The latter, for some reason, I like when I listen to them, but the next day the music hasn't stuck around my head at all.

[Mirabell]

However, I'm not looking forward to their new album at all and I'm secretly hoping they would disband before being completely drained of inspiration.

"before"?

[miercuri]

Well, techincally the newer stuff is not that bad, only when compared to Achtung Baby! or The Unforgettable Fire.
They have set their standards too high and now they just can't live up to my expectations anymore.

[Jayaprakash]

Anyone here into Nick Cave?

[sara]

I just discovered this thread and I thought to bring it up again-

Jayaprakash,
I am -or used to be- very much into Nick Cave, especially his first Bad Seeds albums. Tender Prey has always been my favorite.
I 've seen him live a couple of times, he is great. I am afraid I hated his latest album though.
Still, he is one of the most interesting songwriters around.

I am also a big Einstuerzende Neubauten fan, they are breathtaking in concert.
I like their not-so-early stuff best, i.e. Tabula Rasa and Haus der Luege.
Their latest albums have great moments as well. I especially loved a song called Die Wellen from their last album, Alles Wieder Offen.
I have spoken to Blixa Bargeld once after a concert, and man is he impressive!

Strangely enough, the rest of the stuff I am into has completely nothing to do with EN.

I am a huge, huge Bob Dylan fan.
Some of his songs are simply the most beautiful things ever written-
and I am crazy enough not to like any other versions than his own.
I would be more than delighted if he actually won the Nobel prize one day (which I highly doubt).

I also love Bruce Springsteen, who is, unfortunately, very unpopular where I live. I had to go to Paris last year to see him live-
but it was just oh so much worth it. Most amazing concert I had ever seen. Born to run is one my favorite albums of all time.

Other stuff I like-
Most 70s Fleetwood Mac albums, esp. Rumours and Tusk.
Roxy Music and Brian Ferry, Dire Straits (I was lucky enough to catch Mark Knopfler live last summer), U2 (esp. Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, but I don't mind their latest albums and I don't hate Bono ) and from women songwriters, Tori Amos.
Also, I 've been a great Leonard Cohen fan since I was ten years old.
I 've almost everything he has ever recorded and, and along with Bob Dylan, I believe they are the greatest songwriters ever.
He has lived in Greece for some time, and his 3-hour concert last July in Athens was just out of this world.
As far as newer bands/artists go, I like Regina Spektor, the Killers and -I am sorry to say- Coldplay!

Finally, to complete my schizophrenic taste in music , I am very fond of some baroque composers, such as Purcell, Vivaldi and J.S. Bach.
I was never into the romantic period, but I like Chopin a lot, esp. his Nocturnes and Preludes.

That is all, I guess, I am sorry for the long post!

[Sybarite]

I'm absolutely delighted that, after years of hoping that it would happen, Ultravox have announced a reunion tour next spring. I never had the chance to see them in the early 1980s. My ticket is already with me.

Haven't been to many concerts this year – but then again, little could live up to seeing Daniel Barenboim playing four Beethoven piano sonatas at the Royal Festival Hall last January or seeing the Vienna Philharmonic at the Barbican a couple of weeks later.

I did get to a Paris jazz club in May – the same month as seeing Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly Dollar Brand) at the Barbican. And will probably catch some Strauss at the Barbican this Christmas.

[titania7]

Haven't been to many concerts this year ? but then again, little could live up to seeing Daniel Barenboim playing four Beethoven piano sonatas at the Royal Festival Hall last January....

Sybarite,
Daniel Barenboim's rendering of Beethoven sonatas is nothing short of spectacular! I had the opportunity to hear him play in Atlanta a few years ago. Also, I had the chance to meet him. In fact, there's a photo floating around of the two of us together somewhere. I think it's in my old computer. Otherwise, I could post it to this thread . Only thing is, everybody would know what I look like then--and I'm trying to retain at least a modicum (however small!) of anonymity.

If you liked Barenboim's Beethoven sonatas, you should purchase a recording of Alfred Brendel playing them. Even better, if that's possible!!

~Titania

[titania7]

.....little could live up to seeing....the Vienna Philharmonic at the Barbican....

Which pieces of music were on the program, Sybarite?

And will probably catch some Strauss at the Barbican this Christmas.

Strauss! I adore Strauss! There's nothing quite like those captivating Viennese waltzes. Oh, how I envy you! I may have to make plans to go to the Atlanta Symphony's New Year's concert. They will be playing mostly waltzes....

~Titania

[Sybarite]

Which pieces of music were on the program, Sybarite?

They played Berlioz's Rom?o et Juliette and then Wagner's overture to Tristan and Isolde and Debussy's La Mer, before finishing with a couple of Strauss waltzes as an encore.

The Berlioz made me realise that he really wasn't in the top group of composers. The Wagner had me in tears at the sheer ravishing fabulousness of the playing, the Debussy was beautiful and the Strauss put a grin on my face that lasted for days.

It was hilarious at the interval: we were standing outside with a glass of wine and a fag, and a substantial number of the orchestra appeared holding glasses of clear liquid and preparing to light cigarettes themselves. My other half said to me: "I assume that is water they're about to drink". Me: "On the basis of their reputation, I'd assume it was vodka".

That concert and the Barenboim that I mentioned were the first opportunities I'd had to hear musicians of that calibre ? and the difference is incredible. I have never heard live a piano played as Barenboim did that night. The Royal Festival Hall is vast, yet there were moments when I felt as though only I were there and that he was playing for and to me. I've loved Beethoven since my teens, but he brought it so completely to life; made it so urgent and new, and so full of an extraordinary energy and passion.

One day, I want to hear the Berlin Philharmonic ? preferably in Berlin. This spring, Bernard Haitink is visiting the Barbican with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from Amsterdam and I very much intend to catch that.

[Stewart]

I am -or used to be- very much into Nick Cave, especially his first Bad Seeds albums. Tender Prey has always been my favorite.

I 've seen him live a couple of times, he is great. I am afraid I hated his latest album though.

I didn't like the new album either. Sadly, when I went to see him earlier in the year, the gig was mostly one big rockout, where I seem to prefer him in his more mellow phases. The Boatman's Call is favourite album from him, although CD3 from B Sides & Rarities runs it a close second. Then it's And No More Shall We Part, with honourable mentions to Let Love In, The Good Son, and Tender Prey. As Grinderman, I'm not overly convinced, but I still like it.

I am also a big Einstuerzende Neubauten fan, they are breathtaking in concert.

I like their not-so-early stuff best, i.e. Tabula Rasa and Haus der Luege.
Their latest albums have great moments as well. I especially loved a song called Die Wellen from their last album, Alles Wieder Offen.

They came to Glasgow last year (had to check, as I thought it was this year, given how fresh it still feels in my head) for the first time in their almost thirty year history. What a gig. It's up there in my top three, alongside Fran?oiz Breut in 2006 and Rachel Unthank and the Winterset in 2007.

Regarding Neubauten, I'm a Subscriber to the sponsored album scheme, and have enjoyed the output over the years. Even the download only mini-album, Jewels. But my favourite is Ende Neu: it has it all, the soft stuff (Stella Maris, one of my favourites, incidentally) along with the more clangy, although not as clangy as the very early days. Still, got to love an album that brings cars, cement mixers, drills, springs, pencil and paper, and more together to make music. Love it!