So What Are You Listening To?

[SunnyBeBe]

I love this song:

[aradia22]

I continued on my country kick by listening to The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone by Lee Ann Womack. She's not one of the country divas I know well. Actually, I don't think I know any of her old stuff. It made me realize that with all my disappointment in Connie Britton not having a big voice like Reba or Leann Rimes that maybe that character was more of a Lee Ann Womack. The songwriting is strong though I think some of these songs will probably sound better covered by someone else with more vocal prowess or at least a more expressive voice. "All The Trouble" is just asking for a real gospel or blues singer. The cover of "He Called Me Baby" isn't as good as the original but I liked it. It had a bit of Dolly and I liked the arrangement. But overall, it's just solid songwriting. This is an album for grown ups. It does get a bit dull after the first couple of tracks. The stretch from tracks 8-11 was particularly dull. I don't know why you'd put all the boring songs together since they don't go together thematically unless you want the listener to fall asleep. It's worth it to stick it out for the last few tracks, or at least skip to the end.

I don't know what I did but I somehow ended up not listening to one of my playlists and instead listening to Holychild. I liked what I heard so I listened to their album The Shape of Brat Pop to Come. I really like the way it sounds. But the lyrics are either lost in the production or they don't make a ton of sense. The best way I can describe it is they sound like a band from a country that doesn't speak English as a first language (US, UK, Canada, etc.). It gives me the same vibe as Eurovision stuff or Icona Pop. I wish I liked the lyrics more because it sounds good but unlike rock or pure dance stuff, this isn't a genre that can get away with nonsense lyrics as easily. 

Speaking of rock, I've been listening to The Darkness. So far I haven't come across anything as good as the best tracks on their first album. Nothing awful just a lot of muddled lyrics or really simple lyrics in songs that generally sound good if you like that genre.

[Silver Raven]

Anybody heard anything from Simon Cowell's new boy band, PrettyMuch?  Yawn.

[GaT]

1 hour ago, Silver Raven said:

Anybody heard anything from Simon Cowell's new boy band, PrettyMuch?  Yawn.

DO. NOT. LIKE. Hated them from the very first time I saw the promo for "Would You Mind". Something about them just gets on my nerves.

[Frozendiva]

Official video of Manics' 'International Blue'. Directed by Kieran Evans. No idea if accessible in US except through VPN.

[unicorn23]

Currently obsessing over Camila Cabello's debut album Camila. Very solid debut and unexpectedly a lot more low key than everyone probably expected. The lyrical depth in this album is quite impressive. My favorite so far is probably Something's Gotta Give. What a song. So yes, this will be the only thing I will be listening to for the next few months.

[ebk57]

Today is the 80th Anniversary of Benny Goodman's concert at Carnegie Hall

https://www.npr.org/2018/01/16/578312844/how-benny-goodman-orchestrated-the-most-important-concert-in-jazz-history

 

My favorite number

[Silver Raven]

The Chainsmokers just dropped this today and it has over one million views.

"Sick Boy"

[aradia22]

@Silver Raven It reminds me a little of the recent Imagine Dragons album except... the beat never drops. It's not terrible but it's not that deep. I've liked some of their singles but it's a bit too much of a leap for the guys who wrote #SELFIE to suddenly be doing whatever insightful social commentary this is supposed to be. I'm not saying they'll never get there but they're not there yet. 

[Silver Raven]

5 hours ago, aradia22 said:

@Silver Raven It reminds me a little of the recent Imagine Dragons album except... the beat never drops. It's not terrible but it's not that deep. I've liked some of their singles but it's a bit too much of a leap for the guys who wrote #SELFIE to suddenly be doing whatever insightful social commentary this is supposed to be. I'm not saying they'll never get there but they're not there yet. 

It's amazing how much they've changed since Selfie, though. Even though Selfie was a satire.

[aradia22]

I finally put on Camila Cabello's self-titled album. I wanted to wait until I was in the most-receptive listening space to give it the best shot. It's very pleasant/inoffensive. And the songwriting is certainly stronger than the nonsense that is Havana. But I think the style that made her vocals work well as part of a group like Fifth Harmony inhibit her as a solo artist. You'd think her solo album wouldn't sound too different from Ariana Grande. But I found it so difficult to latch onto the songs. It was background music. It's the album of someone who is used to blending in, not standing out. The heavy processing didn't help. I don't know if they doubled her voice or used backup singers but it just created a general mush of sound instead of evoking the girl group blend of Fifth Harmony. Even though I don't like Havana, I can see why it's the single because you can focus on it. Inside Out is not bad. But it sounds like a Fifth Harmony song that's missing the other voices to make it richer. Real Friends is solid. Good songwriting. I don't think the album is bad. It's just background music to me. It doesn't help that she's a little mush-mouthed/mumble-y/slurred. I liked how In the Dark sounded a little different though I wish she'd given in to actually make a happy-sounding pop song. Sorry, I'm just tired of pop music sounding so tired and miserable. I don't think the vocals were great on Into It but I liked the song. I liked when she went into the breathy falsetto because it reminded me of Ariana. And it had a good groove. Never Be The Same is a solid radio song. It pops just enough with the breathy falsetto contrasted with the vocals that cut through. And I like something with a driving beat. 

I definitely think she has potential though once she figures out what kind of music she wants to make. Selena Gomez has always been able to find people to write her decent pop songs but I wouldn't have predicted that she'd put out an album like Revival. I think this album is still trying things out. I don't think she's got the voice to be a powerhouse like Demi but I definitely think she could still put out good music. 

[GaT]

4 hours ago, aradia22 said:

I finally put on Camila Cabello's self-titled album. I wanted to wait until I was in the most-receptive listening space to give it the best shot. It's very pleasant/inoffensive. And the songwriting is certainly stronger than the nonsense that is Havana. But I think the style that made her vocals work well as part of a group like Fifth Harmony inhibit her as a solo artist. You'd think her solo album wouldn't sound too different from Ariana Grande. But I found it so difficult to latch onto the songs. It was background music. It's the album of someone who is used to blending in, not standing out. The heavy processing didn't help. I don't know if they doubled her voice or used backup singers but it just created a general mush of sound instead of evoking the girl group blend of Fifth Harmony. Even though I don't like Havana, I can see why it's the single because you can focus on it. 

 

I actually like Havana, but I always thought of her as "the one with the weird voice" when she was in Fifth Harmony, & I still think her voice is kind of odd.

This song caught my ear & I can't stop listening to it.  - No Roots by Alice Merton

[AntiBeeSpray]

Been listening to Toto's newest songs, Alone and Spanish Sea a lot lately. And just found Donnie Iris's song, Ah Leah again.

[aradia22]

I finally got to Paramore's After Laughter. I've only listened to brand new eyes but to me this does not sound like Paramore except for a couple of tracks like "Idle Worship." But I love it. I think it starts strong and then the rest of the album ends up just being fine but I like this new direction. There's no clear comparison for me. But this album is in the same playlist for me as Misterwives, CHVRCHES, Ting Tings, La Roux, etc. It's more poppy and there's more production than their other stuff but the songwriting is still solid which sets them apart from a lot of other groups in this genre. "Hard Times" and "Told You So" are fantastic. It's got some of the new-80's vibe but without the Antonoff soullessness.

[navelgazer]

Instrumental.  I think I have found the music I have been looking for all my life. 

The composer does everything on the computer, which I thought would turn me off.  He says on his website that he tried to learn to play the guitar but it didn't work out for him.  I'm glad he didn't let that stand in his way. 

The scenes in the video may have been shot in Scandinavia, but I swear they look just like the mountains of my home, the Pacific Northwest. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Navelgazer, I really like it!  The video is awesome too. 

[Joe]

Navelgazer If you like that, check out Wardruna, Heilung, and Faun.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Joe

[aradia22]

Speaking of MisterWives, I listened to their new album Connect the Dots. Sonically it's very similar to their first album. If you liked the first one, I don't think this is such a departure that you'd be disappointed in this one. But the lyrics... They're not horrible (with the exception of a couple lines). But they're earnest and simplistic in a way I can best describe as "the shitty poetry I used to write in high school." It's totally fine as background music (especially if you don't focus on the lyrics) but I don't hear a lot of strong singles. 

[Zola]

[Zola]

 

Moby - "New Dawn Fades" (soundtrack from the film "Heat")

[aradia22]

I finally listened to Pollinator since I've been hearing some rumblings about how the new Blondie album is amazing. It's fine. It's an inoffensive pop/rock album. It's not particularly "hard." And the lyrics are not going to set the world on fire. But it's interesting enough. I do definitely think I would think it was duller if it was a different band... like a new band I'd never heard of. I know rock isn't always notable for the best lyrics but I've never gone in for the kind of lyrics that are so simplistic and repetitive they sound more like electronic/dance music lyrics. I need more melody and production value to make those kinds of songs interesting. That's probably why I prefer songs like "Long Time," "Fun," and "My Monster" that have more production and sound more upbeat and dance-y.

[TheGreenKnight]

I'm currently hooked on Troye Sivan's "The Good Side." I loved Blue Neighborhood and I'm looking forward to the new release. I'm trying to keep my expectations at a realistic level so I don't fall into that whole "This is good, but not as good as X past song/album" trap.

[Annber03]

"Stay"-Oingo Boingo.

 

I LOVE this song. 

[unicorn23]

On 1/21/2018 at 4:33 PM, aradia22 said:

I finally put on Camila Cabello's self-titled album. I wanted to wait until I was in the most-receptive listening space to give it the best shot. It's very pleasant/inoffensive. And the songwriting is certainly stronger than the nonsense that is Havana. But I think the style that made her vocals work well as part of a group like Fifth Harmony inhibit her as a solo artist. You'd think her solo album wouldn't sound too different from Ariana Grande. But I found it so difficult to latch onto the songs. It was background music. It's the album of someone who is used to blending in, not standing out.

Thank you for your thoughts on Camila's album. I always like reading other people's thoughts about it especially those who are objective and who are not super fans.

Have you listened to the album a few more times after writing your review? I have found that a lot of people who first said that the album is just okay/boring came around after listening to it a few more times and actually ended up really enjoying it. Just wondering if this is the case here, too.

This is still my favorite album of 2018 so far and I'm thrilled that she was able to get the number one album and and number one song in the country a few weeks ago. Her team definitely knows what they're doing. Also, it was great to see her at the Grammys especially her speech about the Dreamers which was quite inspiring.

[aradia22]

I listened to the two Luna Shadows EPs on Spotify. They're good.

Edited February 7, 2018 by aradia22

[DeaconBlues]

Little Feat - Long Distance Love - live performance with sweaty and hungover Lowell George

 

[aradia22]

I listened to the two Luna Shadows EP's on Spotify. They're good.

I also listened to everything by Phoebe Ryan on Spotify. It's FANTASTIC. Thank you, Discover Weekly. I had a similar feeling when I found Hailee Steinfeld and Daya and Sizzy Rocket. But Phoebe Ryan is even better. She's less poppy than Daya and more dreamy like Hailee but like Sizzy she's not so squeaky clean. What I really love though is the specificity of the lyrics. This feels like the direction Taylor Swift should have gone in if she wanted to write pop songs. They're still pop songs but... they're not bad. They feel very honest to what I'd expect from someone her age. They lack artifice. They're not mindless pop drivel. They sound like someone compelled to put their feelings into song form. She could be Lily Allen, though I think Lily Allen's stuff is fairly poppy too. Super recommend. 

[BuyMoreAndSave]

On 1/24/2018 at 3:10 PM, aradia22 said:

I finally got to Paramore's After Laughter. I've only listened to brand new eyes but to me this does not sound like Paramore except for a couple of tracks like "Idle Worship." But I love it. I think it starts strong and then the rest of the album ends up just being fine but I like this new direction. There's no clear comparison for me. But this album is in the same playlist for me as Misterwives, CHVRCHES, Ting Tings, La Roux, etc. It's more poppy and there's more production than their other stuff but the songwriting is still solid which sets them apart from a lot of other groups in this genre. "Hard Times" and "Told You So" are fantastic. It's got some of the new-80's vibe but without the Antonoff soullessness.

I thought I would hate their new album, but I really like what I've heard. I was like "someone has been listening to a lot of Talking Heads" when I listened to it, and then I read an interview that mentioned Hayley Williams is obsessed with the Talking Heads. Also LOL at "Antonoff soullessness." How long is he going to be a thing? I call his songwriting style "music without music."

****

I discovered this song recently and it's so damn catchy. It makes me want to roller skate through an abandoned shopping mall.

Edited February 19, 2018 by BuyMoreAndSave

[aradia22]

Quote

Also LOL at "Antonoff soullessness." How long is he going to be a thing? I call his songwriting style "music without music."

I like some Bleachers stuff (though I think it could use a better singer) and some of his producing. But after his work on the recent albums from Lorde, HAIM, and Taylor Swift, I could really use a break. The thing that baffles me is he doesn't want everyone to sound like cold robots. When you listen to him talk about music there's some weird disconnect between the sound he's going for and what he eventually produces. Brave is not my favorite Sara Bareilles song but I think she manages to fight through. Mark Ronson is not my favorite producer either but at least "just add trumpets" makes things a little more fun and soulful. I think there's a distinctly different vibe between a Luna Shadows/Hailee Steinfeld or a Lana del Rey/Lykke Li and what Antonoff does. It doesn't sound dreamy or sleepy or hazy or tired or depressed. It's the sound of actual absence... soulless. 

[BuyMoreAndSave]

28 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

I like some Bleachers stuff (though I think it could use a better singer) and some of his producing. But after his work on the recent albums from Lorde, HAIM, and Taylor Swift, I could really use a break. The thing that baffles me is he doesn't want everyone to sound like cold robots. When you listen to him talk about music there's some weird disconnect between the sound he's going for and what he eventually produces. Brave is not my favorite Sara Bareilles song but I think she manages to fight through. Mark Ronson is not my favorite producer either but at least "just add trumpets" makes things a little more fun and soulful. I think there's a distinctly different vibe between a Luna Shadows/Hailee Steinfeld or a Lana del Rey/Lykke Li and what Antonoff does. It doesn't sound dreamy or sleepy or hazy or tired or depressed. It's the sound of actual absence... soulless. 

Maybe he's trying to be genuine but it gets filtered through a veil of hipster until it's unrecognizable.

I guess I like some of the stuff he's worked on though. I like "Dress," "Call It What You Want," and "New Year's Day" from Reputation. I hated "Out of the Woods" for the longest time but recently I started liking it. I also sort of liked Melodrama but I also find Lorde to not be very relatable in general (again, that sort of too-cool-for-school detachment thing really makes me not get into her music). Even more irritating than the soullessness is also how minimalist the compositions are, which is why I call it "music without music," and also how pervasive this type of "music" has become.

[Sharpie66]

Janelle Monae just dropped the first two songs from her upcoming album.

Django Jane:

Make Me Feel would make Prince proud: 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Sharpie66

[SunnyBeBe]

I'm enjoying Robert Planit's last album.  This is one selection from the CD Carry Fire called May Queen.

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Lugal]

After seeing Black Panther, I got back into listening to Amadou & Mariam, but their music was not used in the movie (although there as one brief section that sounded like their style).

[BuyMoreAndSave]

Is anyone else a fan of Carly Rae Jepsen? You may be shocked to learn this, but her 2015 album Emotion is legit one of the greatest pop albums of the decade IMO. Like you can listen to it the whole way through and pretty much every song is great. Completely different from "Call Me Maybe" which is what most people know her for (I actually hate that song lol). She has built up a pretty sizable cult following in the past couple of years, but the mainstream bafflingly has little awareness of this album. Honestly I think "Call Me Maybe" possibly prevented her from being respected as a pop artist in the mainstream because people now see her as a one-hit wonder who makes bubblegum kind of songs. I learned about this album from the Popheads subreddit, but normally I would never have looked into her other material.

(I guess I probably should have posted this in the one-hit wonders thread, but this thread gets more responses.)

[aradia22]

Quote

Is anyone else a fan of Carly Rae Jepsen? 

No. I've listened to Emotion. Some songs are fine. But I don't get the overwhelming love from some people. It's not like I've revised my opinion on her inability to sing or like the album displays some amazing songwriting prowess. It's fine. 

[BuyMoreAndSave]

10 hours ago, aradia22 said:

No. I've listened to Emotion. Some songs are fine. But I don't get the overwhelming love from some people. It's not like I've revised my opinion on her inability to sing or like the album displays some amazing songwriting prowess. It's fine. 

That just goes to show how different peoples' opinions of something can be. My favorite genres of music are grunge and metal, and I dislike probably well over 90% of pop music, but I love Emotion (but I'm also a fan of that "a e s t h e t i c" sort of thing anyway). But personally I think the songwriting on this album is catchy af though. I agree that she definitely isn't the greatest singer ever (that honor goes to Layne Staley...LOL) and her voice is kind of thin, but I do think it works for these particular songs.

[aradia22]

I've been putting it off for a while (I kept shifting it further down my playlists) but I finally listened to Katy Perry's Witness. It's... not good. It's not terrible. But it's not good. Popular music is so dreary these days I could use some happy pop or at something soulful and emotional that's not afraid to be a thing... music that isn't afraid of going on American Idol and being called theatrical or looking foolish. 

Anyway, I feel like she thought... this is my Selena Gomez Revival, I'm going to follow the current trends. But if she's following the trends, she's doing it badly. It's more like a Christina Aguilera Bionic where everyone's like... what are you doing? And actually, it's not that far off from the new Taylor album though the lyrics are more cringe-inducing and it's not as catchy. "Hey Hey Hey" is an embarrassment but there's a world in which it's a Taylor Swift song and after the 100th time, I get over how dumb the lyrics are. I mean, Katy has always had some dumb lyrics but I think Taylor has a level of dorkiness that helps her pull things off better while Katy is supposed to be cool, or at least knowing and camp. This album is covered in fear and desperation. I just hear it all over the place. Roulette is an inexplicable conceit/metaphor for a song unless she's planning a Vegas residency but it's catchy enough. Swish Swish almost has that Roar thing of a bunch of cliches strung together except it makes no sense. The music on this album is pretty dull. But the songs are still full of those weird Katy Perry lyrics. I just... why would you remove the good thing and keep the bad thing? Power is really close to being a good song. But it still has that lack of confidence. It's like the person who wrote it went to one self-empowerment seminar. She's not ready to publish a manifesto yet. Mind Maze is too autotuned for me to focus on the chorus. I don't like some of the vocal choices in Miss You More but at least it's a normal song. It feels more straightforward and personal and less desperate and random. I haven't loved Chained to the Rhythm on the radio but in the context of the rest of the album, it's great. I can see why it's the single. I think Tsunami is supposed to be sexy but it's too weird and confusing. Bon appetit is much more of a Katy Perry seduction song. It's not good either but it makes more sense. It's just awkward and bad. Bigger Than Me is another "almost good" song. On the one hand it feels very truthful. On the other hand, that's why it's not great. Because Katy Perry's politics feel underthought and underdeveloped and that comes across in the song. Save As Draft is not great but like Miss You More, it's another relatively normal song. It sounds like a lesser Kelly Clarkson song. Pendulum. Sigh... Firework and Roar aren't works of lyrical genius but it's like Katy Perry has forgotten what makes an empowerment anthem. I don't know how this song is supposed to be inspiring. Into Me You See also feels very honest. But still bad. It's like bad teenage poetry. Including the "intimacy" thing. 

tl;dr Listen to Power, Miss You More, Chained to the Rhythm, and Save As Draft. Probably skip the rest. 

[Annber03]

 

Spice Girls' "Say You'll Be There". Another favorite from my teen years. 

[Frozendiva]

From the forthcoming Manics 'Resistance is Futile' album in April. A nice little duet featuring James Dean Bradfield and The Anchoress. Slightly reminiscent of Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee - for Dylan Thomas fans. Dylan & Caitlin.

[Breezy97]

[magicdog]

"Sunshine On a Cold Morning" by Fountain of Youth.  A great example of sunshine pop!

"Proper Ornaments" by The Free Design.  This song is as relevant as ever if you pay attention to the lyrics (hint:  it has nothing to do with Christmas decorations!). 

[BuyMoreAndSave]

I used to HATE this song when I first heard it on the school bus in middle school (my bus driver used to always play the dance radio station) but I just got it stuck in my head randomly and now apparently I love it. "Silent Morning" by Noel is another song that I loathed back then, and then suddenly loved it after I heard it at the 80s club last year.

[Bastet]

12 hours ago, BuyMoreAndSave said:

I used to HATE this song when I first heard it on the school bus in middle school (my bus driver used to always play the dance radio station) but I just got it stuck in my head randomly and now apparently I love it.

It's not typically my type of music, but for some reason I have liked that song consistently ever since it came out.  I had it on a mix tape (recorded off the radio, as one did) back in the day - titled "Move Out" because I recorded it before I'd ever heard a DJ announce its title - and I have it on my iPod to this day.  I don't seek it out, but when it comes up on shuffle, I always dig it.

[BuyMoreAndSave]

9 hours ago, Bastet said:

It's not typically my type of music, but for some reason I have liked that song consistently ever since it came out.  I had it on a mix tape (recorded off the radio, as one did) back in the day - titled "Move Out" because I recorded it before I'd ever heard a DJ announce its title - and I have it on my iPod to this day.  I don't seek it out, but when it comes up on shuffle, I always dig it.

Well it is considered to be one of the greatest dance songs of all time apparently. The synthesizer hook (is that the right word for it?) and chorus is super memorable. Yeah my music taste is more towards grunge, metal, punk, alternative, etc. and there was a time when I would never explore outside those genres, but lately I've been getting a lot more into pop music. Talking Heads were my gateway drug into 80s dance music though. Especially after Chris Cornell died I lost interest in grunge and stuff like that for a few months last year.

[GaT]

I've been listening to 3 older songs, & I can't get them out of my head so I listen to them over & over & over & over.

Lady GaGa - Teeth

 

Christina Aguilera - Fighter

 

Patti LaBelle - Stir It Up

[Silver Raven]

Bad Wolves' metal cover of the Cranberries' "Zombie". Dolores O'Riordan was supposed to record it with them but she died before she could.  They are going to give all of the proceeds from the song to Dolores's children.  It's killing it on the top song charts, as well as over 22 million views on YouTube.

[unicorn23]

I'm all about Kacey Musgraves' new album. My goodness, it's absolutely sublime. 

[TheGreenKnight]

^ I agree, Golden Hour is incredible.

Earlier today I was listening to a Sheen Easton compilation. "Morning Train" and "Almost Over You" are probably my favorites by her. "A Dream Worth Keeping" is pretty, too. "Sugar Walls" never fails to make me laugh.

[Bastet]

28 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Earlier today I was listening to a Sheen Easton compilation. "Morning Train" and "Almost Over You" are probably my favorites by her.

Oh, I'd forgotten all about the latter.  I like both of those, and also her duet with Kenny Rogers, We've Got Tonight (although the best version of that is him with Dolly Parton on the Real Love tour, when she replaces "Who needs tomorrow?" with "Who needs Sheena Easton?")

[Zola]

 

After a rather hectic/frantic week, it's nice just to grab a few hours of peace & quiet at long last; and this chillout music really takes me away from the hustle and bustle of urban life