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So What Are You Listening To?

aradia22

By aradia22
in Music

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AgentRXS
AgentRXS

This song helped me process 9/11 and its helping me now with processing this new COVID 19 world we are living in. "It's just a moment, this time will pass."

Spartan Girl
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I’ve listened to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” ten times this month so far. I REGRET NOTHING!

Bastet
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It was a tough time in terms of social policies, but if you weren't among those left out in the cold by the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, it was at least a good time to be a teenag

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Jac

Jac

Apart from listening to the entirety of Stevie Nicks and Crowded House's back catalogues on repeat (the world is awful and I need comfort) I have been loving Gang of Youths new album Go Farther in Lightness, it is exquisite. Gang of Youths are an Australian band who released an absolutely brilliant debut, The Positions in 2015, I highly recommend seeking out a song from that album called Radioface. Their sound is indie rock with lots of synths and keyboards. Several of the songs on the new album, in particular the opening track Fear and Trembling have a strong Springsteen influence, but my favourite track on the album, and the one I have listened to the most is a song called Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane. 

aradia22

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The new HAIM album was a letdown. It sounds pretty decent but the lyrics don't go with the music. The general vibe is a breakup album but the music is too cheerful/slightly anthemic. It's in that pop music gray area. These are not the right lyrics for that music. They're not poignant enough for a breakup album or rousing enough for an empowering anthem.

I liked the new Allie X album. It reminds me of bits of other stuff I like... CHVRCHES, Betty Who, Marian Hill, etc. with that 80's sound.

aradia22

aradia22

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Forgot to say I listened to the new Kesha album. Honestly, I like her old stuff better. It was dumb in a fun way. Like old Katy Perry. Though Warrior is also just a very solid pop album. I do like the new album. It starts off strong. "Woman" is fantastic but I'm almost waiting for someone to cover it. I don't like the casual nature of the recording. I wish there was one track with all the extra hyping and her laughing and one straight, clean track. I first heard this at a concert being covered by a Broadway performer so I'm looking forward to hearing this from someone who can really wail or a group with some awesome lady harmonies. It's an old trick to break out the horns but it's great to hear someone remember that pop music can be fun and empowering songs don't have to list all the ways you're depressed. I like "Bastards," "Woman," and "Hymn" and I'm so-so on the rest. 

Kat Graham Love Music Funk Magic. MEH. Nowhere near as good as her old stuff. Everyone is so bland lately. Weak in the songwriting and weak in the singing. It could have been anyone.

H.E.R. Volumes 1 and 2. Into it. It taps into that chill, indie vibe but it sounds chill and thoughtful, not unrelentingly dreary. And then it also has some of that hip hop and R&B influence. I think there are stronger singers and the songs are a bit too... not autobiographical but specific... to be that standalone but they were cool albums to listen to. 

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aradia22

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Listened to Moxie Raia's 931 Reloaded. This was a weird one. The songs were mostly fine. Some of them might have been good. But I couldn't get past her voice. It was distractingly weak in general but also really not soulful enough for the genres of music she was trying to sing. To be perfectly frank, she sounds too white. Usually I can separate the song from the vocals but I couldn't do it this time. 

navelgazer

navelgazer

32 minutes ago, Joe said:

I do like a bit of Nightwish. Wishmaster and Once are my favourite. Not much by the new singers has really grabbed me.

That's where I'm staying, too, before the band fired Tarja. 

Before popping in the Nightwish (where I can't seem to get past the hook in Bless the Child), I was listening to a gothic rock band called Closterkeller who is a lot less interested in hitting all the 32nd notes.  The music seems to soar a little bit more.  And before that was Dream Theater's exceptional Systematic Chaos, one of their last Portnoy discs. 

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Joe

Joe

3 hours ago, navelgazer said:

That's where I'm staying, too, before the band fired Tarja. 

Before popping in the Nightwish (where I can't seem to get past the hook in Bless the Child), I was listening to a gothic rock band called Closterkeller who is a lot less interested in hitting all the 32nd notes.  The music seems to soar a little bit more.  And before that was Dream Theater's exceptional Systematic Chaos, one of their last Portnoy discs. 

I'm going to have to check out Closterkeller. But I like Dream Theater too. Have you listened to Therion? They've been getting more and more symphonic since Theli. I suggest Gothic Kabbala as a good entry point.

navelgazer

navelgazer

12 hours ago, Joe said:

I'm going to have to check out Closterkeller. But I like Dream Theater too. Have you listened to Therion? They've been getting more and more symphonic since Theli. I suggest Gothic Kabbala as a good entry point.

I have listened to Therion.  Will have to check if Gothic Kabbala is one that I bought.  Thanks for the tip.  Kind of sad that the only gothic/symphonic band I ever hear on the radio is one song by Evanescence, not that Evanescence isn't a good band, but still, there's so much more out there. 

WendyCR72

WendyCR72

Not gothic by any stretch. At all. But a singer who was/is symphonic (at least he was; now, not so much) was...Meat Loaf. He almost reinvented rock opera once Bat Out of Hell emerged. But, yeah, totally different from Dream Theater and the like.

Speaking of Dream Theater (this should probably go in the covers thread, but oh well), they did a great cover of Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers".

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aradia22

aradia22

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Finally, an new(ish) album that's not a disappointment. I somehow missed Dragonette's Royal Blues until now. It's a totally fun dance pop (vaguelly EDM? I'm bad with genres) albums. It's hard to center in on the lyrics but that's not really relevant for this kind of music. It's got a bit of the 80's influence that's dominating right now but not the crushing Jack Antonoff kind that seems like production choices over what's best for the material. It's a bit of everything that makes it feel of the moment but not exactly like one other thing... Icona Pop, CHVRCHES, Betty Who, etc. I'm sure as I relisten to it, I'll hear more of the lyrics. And some tracks will be great for workout playlists, etc. It's a pleasant, background album in a good way. Not dull but you can still work and do chores without getting too distracted.

aradia22

aradia22

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I'm really late on this but I finally got around to listening to the Nick Jonas album (Last Year Was Complicated) released in June. I feel like I shouldn't like it... but I can't help it. On the one hand, aside from the mediocre vocals, I think it sounds really good. In a smart way, it reminds of songs and artists I already like. It's got that Robin Thicke/Bruno Mars problem where sometimes a song is problematic but super catchy. I don't know. "Jealous" from his other album was problematic. Stuff like "Good Girls" isn't much better (possibly worse) but I'm still into. I don't know why his poor falsetto doesn't annoy me like Justin Timberlake. I DON'T KNOW. It just doesn't.

I also listened to all of Fiona Apple's Tidal for the first time. Starts strong, kind of goes downhill for me. But I've also been annoyed with how sleepy and depressing a lot of the music I listen to is lately so my opinion might evolve as I listen to it more. 

Joe

Joe

I've made a couple of discoveries from the depths of YT. First, in these trying times, it's heartwarming to know that the Nazgûl could move to Poland and start a band. For the further end of the metal spectrum, Mgła are surprisingly harmonious.

And just when I think I've seen everything, Igorrr. As a classification freak, I'm scratching my head over what genre to call them. Metal-ish? Like Slipknot gone horribly right? Be warned, they have the lighting set to epileptic. That would certainly explain the behaviour of the lead vocalist...

unicorn23

unicorn23

On 9/6/2017 at 7:32 PM, aradia22 said:

Fifth Harmony's new album is different from their earlier sweet love/breakup song days but not too different from "Work From Home." 

Agreed. I'm not sure if it's for the better. I'm not a fan of the genre that this album seems to be going for, but I still like it because it's by 5H. Reflection is my favorite album of theirs and 7/27 is a close second. This result comes in fourth place after their EP. It's good that Ally and Dinah seem to have quite a few more leads/solos here and they sound fantastic.

Angel and Don't Say You Love Me are my favorites together with He Like That and it's a shame that that song just fizzled out, but I bet it didn't help that  Down was such a poor ripoff of Work From Home.

Anyway, whatever happens with them, I wish them continued success because they all deserve it.

Meanwhile, Camila seems to be doing very well now with Havana becoming quite successful, not just in the US, but globally. I'm very, very excited for her album to come out because I have really liked what I've heard so far. She was my favorite 5H member so I'm thrilled for her success. 

aradia22

aradia22

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Meanwhile, Camila seems to be doing very well now with Havana becoming quite successful, not just in the US, but globally. I'm very, very excited for her album to come out because I have really liked what I've heard so far. She was my favorite 5H member so I'm thrilled for her success. 

The Havana video was cute enough. Fairly slick production values. The song didn't make a big impression on me. What was it even about? Lyrics... they are important. It's not to the same extent but she's kind of got that Selena Gomez/Ariana Grande baby-faced thing where it's uncomfortable when she sexualizes herself. I kept thinking the dancers in the video were too old to be paired with her. The last guy was the only age-appropriate one.

Also, not a fan of rappers doing guest verses that don't have much to do with the song... or make it horrible. I can't really understand what he's saying so that's not the case here. I'm just pointing out that I'm really tired of misogynistic guest verses that crap all over otherwise fine pop songs. 

Just as a POV thing... interesting that the camera is focused on her butt at the end but the guy on the bike is seeing her from the front. I also noticed that in the club when she was on stage in the red dress, she's shimmying but the camera is focused on her from the waist up. 

Is there a reason why they got a guy (LeJuan James) to play her grandma?

aradia22

aradia22

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I've been listening to the Supremes a lot (doing one of my deep dives through a whole catalogue). They recorded SO much music. Sometimes Diana Ross's light voice feels too unemotional for the content of the song but there are some surprisingly good covers in there. Plus, it wasn't a bad era of music in the slightest and it's a giving me a list of other artists to add to all my playlists. So much work bulking up my Spotify playlists after completely abandoning the nonsense that is iTunes.

Anyway, just wanted to shout out the Kaiser Chiefs' 2016 album "Stay Together." It's pretty great. It's less rock than their old stuff. I'd call it Daft Punk meets Arctic Monkeys. It's got a bit of funk but through a colder 80's processed sound. But not in that Jack Antonoff soulless way. It's cool but still with a nice strong beat that keeps it from being low energy. It's dance music but not happy top 40 dance music. Highly recommend.

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aradia22

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I checked out "Number 1 Angel" and "Pop 2" from Charli XCX. They're both fine. I'm sure they'll hold up well in rotation in my playlists. But there was only one song on each album that stood out to me. Her first album wasn't incredible but these two just sound way too anonymous. They sound like everything else on the radio. She does delve into some other genres of rap and hip hop. I'm terrible with genres. I think there's some trap in there? Mostly though everything is blurred out into a mush. It's kind of like Reputation if you can't understand the lyrics and with more of a drug haze. Or Fifth Harmony's last album with more of an edge. I don't hate it but I wish there was more to enjoy. 

aradia22

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I listened to Lion Heart from Girls' Generation. I definitely liked it but I think I need a break before tackling their other albums. I've listened to non-English language songs before or songs that are a mix between English and a non-English language. But there's something about the blend on this album + the way it specifically evokes certain Western styles of music that I find very disorienting. It's like my brain can't just let it play in the background but trying to focus on it too much throws it off because there isn't enough English to hang on to (like a song where the chorus is in English). I think it doesn't help that the album isn't very consistent in its style. There are songs that have a nice late 90's/early 2000's vibe that I'm into. But they're all kinds of pop and R&B from that era. 

I feel like this might fade after I hear these songs for the 4th or 5th time. Weirdly, I didn't get this when I listened to 4Minute so it's not the language that's the issue.

I finally got through Imagine Dragons "Evolve." I don't think I like it as much as their first album though I haven't listened to that one in a while and I don't remember it well aside from the singles. Still, it's much more listenable and much better than Smoke + Mirrors. I think they found a way to blend their style with what's popular right now without going for a full Maroon 5 mainstream sellout. Not that Imagine Dragons or Maroon 5 are among my favorite bands but Adam Levine has spent the past few years sounding like a robot who is somehow capable of feeling desperate enough to chase the current pop music trends. There's a way to be a band that doesn't say anything all that insightful or punk/aggressive while managing to still make decent music. 

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Silver Raven

Silver Raven

7 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

I finally got through Imagine Dragons "Evolve." I don't think I like it as much as their first album though I haven't listened to that one in a while and I don't remember it well aside from the singles. Still, it's much more listenable and much better than Smoke + Mirrors. I think they found a way to blend their style with what's popular right now without going for a full Maroon 5 mainstream sellout. Not that Imagine Dragons or Maroon 5 are among my favorite bands but Adam Levine has spent the past few years sounding like a robot who is somehow capable of feeling desperate enough to chase the current pop music trends. There's a way to be a band that doesn't say anything all that insightful or punk/aggressive while managing to still make decent music. 

I really like Imagine Dragons, but "Thunder" is annoying af. Just repeating the same word over and over again is not a lyric.

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aradia22

aradia22

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I listened to Kelsea Ballerini's Unapologetically. I decided to go with this one first instead of her first album. I like it. It's not strictly country and it's not just pop with an accent. I think it finds a good blend. It feels a lot like it synthesizes a lot of what Taylor Swift was doing before the nonsense of Reputation. You've got some of the singer songwriter-y early Taylor but it's mostly the vibe of Speak Now and Red. Though Ballerini is more comfortable borrowing some very pop music aspects like in 1989 and Reputation without fully giving herself over to making a pop song. I don't really have the language for it because music production isn't my thing but you know it when you hear it. I'm not going to pretend the songwriting is extraordinary but it's pretty solid for pop. Comparing her to Sara Bareilles seems like praising her a bit too much but I think she definitely has strong potential as a songwriter. Some songs display a lot of the great specificity that Taylor Swift has lost lately. I don't want to just make Taylor comparisons but Kelsea doesn't have the greatest voice and there are times when she actually sounds like Taylor to me. 

If you liked Taylor Swift between Fearless and Red, I'd check it out. It's not for strict country traditionalists but it's not devoid of substance like bro country or some of the stuff the more commercial female country pop acts are putting out.

I just kept on listening to Kelsea's first album The First Time. Yeah... The second one is definitely better. The first one isn't terrible. It's just a lot more shallow and the things she borrows from pop music are more awkward. It's a bit like Megan Trainor but with more swagger so she almost pulls it off and just mediocre radio stuff. You can see the potential in songs with a central conceit like "Secondhand Smoke" and "Peter Pan" and some of the songs mostly work. They're just not there all the way. You can hear her still trying to figure things out and figure how much pop to put in her country. Like "Stilettos" isn't terrible except for every time she says stilettos. Album two is much more confident. 

Also, making an R. Kelly reference in a song called "Underage" is a... choice.

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