In Features this weekend:
- My friend Laura helps me pick a Super Bowl team to cheer for – and some quick facts so I don’t look like a poser
- Join in on our Emma book report with your own Highbury Facebook Status
And if you’re musically inclined, I could use a little help updating my iPod. I have an iTunes gift card to use and no idea what I should be listening to. Other than Glee soundtracks, I haven’t bought music in so long it’s embarrassing. What’s good? What’s… crucial to my development as a fully functioning member of society/non dork? Top five? Top ten? Whatever, I seek digital music enlightenment.
Happy Super Bowl, everybody. Don’t double dip.
Florence and the Machine. “Dog Days Are Over” would be the specific song. It’s glorious. Hope you enjoy!
Mumford and Sons – look ‘em up. Awesome song, Awake My Soul.
Love them
I concur w/ bursting enthusiasm for Mumford and Sons. My fav being ‘Little Lion Man’ – language warning. But, for those good w/ the language it’s a great one for singing loudly in the car!
I still can’t get over Far East Movement – Rocketeer. Makes me smile everytime.
Adele – Start with her cover of Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.”
Love Adele
I just sent you the song, see if you like.
I love all Florence and the Machine!
I don’t know if they’re your cup of tea, but The Black Keys are awesome. Start with “Things ain’t like they used to be”, it’s on YouTube.
I was going to suggest The Black Keys. Love, love, love them!
Ryan Adams. You won’t be sorry. I’d start with Gold, though Cardinology is pretty incredible as well.
Agreed.
Blitzen Trapper and Bon Iver are faves. Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses are also splendifferous.
Also, I third Florence and the Machine.
Yes to the Florence and the Machine song! I also like..
*Little Lion Man – Mumford and Sons
*Howlin’ For You – The Black Keys
*Money Grabber – Fitz and the Tantrums
*Forget You – Cee Lo Green
(ok, that’s not the reeeal title, but I kinda like the edited version better)
*Letters From the Sky – Civil Twilight
I’m also just getting on the Flogging Molly bandwagon, if you like that sort of thing.
Happy music shopping!
Love love love Flogging Molly! I’ve been to a concert of theirs every year for the past five — fantastic stuff!
I’m so happy Fitz and the Tantrums are taking off. I saw them open for Flogging Molly at the Greek about a year and a half back, and they really impressed me.
I’ll add another vote for Flogging Molly, and really the whole celtic rock genre- Amadan, Enter the Haggis, The Tossers, Young Dubliners, all great bands (mostly discovered via pandora and/or last.fm related to Flogging Molly).
Also, Fish, I suspect you would like Chantal Kreviazuk, and possibly Dana Mase.
I’m really enjoying Sleigh Bells lately, although they are very noisy and probably not for everyone. Also, The Morning Benders are great and The Bird & The Bee released a pretty awesome Hall & Oates cover album last summer.
I Love The Bird and the Bee!
Oh, GAH! I hope no one double dips at your wedding reception! Double dipping is one of my hugest pet peeves. :-/
Go for Frank Sinatra’s Greatest Hits.
A few of my current favorites:
Josh Pyke – Make You Happy, kind of country/pop/rock
Birds of Tokyo – Broken Bones, pop/rock
The Potbelleez – Shake It, bootyshaking music
Empire of the Sun – Half Mast & We Are the People, pop
Coincidentally, these are all Australian bands. There are definitely some talented groups ther that aren’t well known here in the states.
“Gray or Blue” – Jaymay
“Oh No!” – Marina and the Diamonds
“Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” – Florence and the Machine
“Stone Cold Sober” – Paloma Faith
“Almost Lover” – A Fine Frenzy
“Walking On Air” – Kerli
“Gold Dust” – DJ Fresh
“Pack Up” – Eliza Doolittle
Maria Mena. All of her. Every last drop of her. But I suppose I’d suggest: Just Hold Me, All This Time (Pick Me Up song), Nevermind Me, Sorry, and You’re The Only One.
I love Maria Mena. Sorry is such a sad, sad song.
Free Energy— “Bang Pop” is the most popular single, but the whole album is great.
Also, anything by the Black Keys. I just found them and love all of their albums!
I love getting music from my public library. It’s free, and you can get so many things you many not normally buy. Most libraries will let you search and request online, and then send you an email when it’s ready to be picked up.
I don’t know if you are a Starbucks lover, but they offer a free iTunes download of the week, and I have picked up MANY new songs and artists to which I would never have given even a moment’s thought. My top three (once free) Starbucks/iTunes downloads — which have become three of my favorite songs in general — are:
“Everybody’s Hurtin’” – Jakob Dylan
(Yes, Bob’s son — he has all the song-writing ability, but a MUCH better voice.)
“Better Things” — Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (This song is a paean to getting over someone, and fills me with a spirit of independence and self-confidence.)
“You’re Not Alone” — Mavis Staples (I’m pretty sure she sang this one at Comedy Central’s Rally to Restore Sanity. It’s soulful but hopeful; I love it!)
Also, iTunes has been running 60 and 70-cent specials. It’s been great to go back and fill in my library of stuff I loved in between my iPod and CDs (oh, and my years of Toddler Tunes and Disney music
. Happy shopping!
Mavis Staples did that album with Jeff Tweedy from Wilco and Uncle Tupelo fame. It is a great tune.
Dave Matthews! Pretty much all of it! If you aren’t to familiar with DMB, I’d start with “Grey Street”, “Two Step”, if you are familiar then you already know!
Gov’t Mule – Soulshine
Ben Harper – the entire Diamonds on the Inside album
Ha! I do not, do not, do not like Dave Matthews. I know, that’s pretty unAmerican of me. I feel like I need music rehab when I admit that.
I also love the library’s CD collection — so stop by and pick up a bunch of stuff that looks interesting. You can even upload any library CD onto you itunes and listen to it whenever you want.
Lately I’ve been listening to the Plain White T’s newest album, The Wonders of Younger. My favorite is “our song” about long distance relationships. Love it!
Ha, I hate Dave Matthews too. And I am so sick of the Glee kids, I wish Lea Michele would get a bad case of laryngitis so I wouldn’t have to hear her for a while. Anway, I suggest The Posies, any album would be great but I would suggest starting with Frosting on the Beater, or their most recent, Blood/Candy. Very harmonic pop rock with superb lyrics, and they sound just as good live. Love them.
One of my favorite musicians of all time is Jake Armerding. Cake has a new album out (I’m a big Cake fan). I also love anything by The Weepies, Sarah Lentz, Kelly McRae, Susan Enan (who did a duet with Sarah McLaughlan on one of the soundtracks for Bones), and They Might Be Giants.
Totally awesome idea to have people chime in with music suggestions! My itunes is getting updated as well.
LCD Soundsystem-I Can Change
Matt and Kim-Daylight, Good Old Fashioned Nightmare
Kate Nash-Merry Happy
Lily Allen-The Fear
Cage the Elephant-Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
Vampire Weekend-A-Punk, Oxford Comma
Goldfrapp-Number 1, Strict Machine
Regina Spektor-The Calculation, Fidelity, Folding Chair, Us
The Kooks-Shine On, She Moves in Her Own Way
These are all kind of alternative-y but have a great beat and are great for working out
I have also recently rediscovered all kinds of fun 80s music-
The Cure-Just Like Heaven, Close to You, Lovecats
Siouxsie and the Banshees-Kiss them for Me
New Order-Bizarre Love Triangle
Erasure-A Little Respect
When in Rome-The Promise
If you like these, I have lots more suggestions. But you should play on Pandora-all kinds of musical fun and enlightenment awaits you. I recently discovered it and spent 3 days at my computer listening to music
How’s Hal and his teeth?
Cage the Elephant is another good band I was going to suggest!
Enjoy the itunes card!!! Aren’t they the best gifts?@! Here are my suggestions from one sista to anotha:
Dancing and or Running:
“DJ” by Alphabet
“The Hook Up” by Britney Spears (yes, I wrote it. Britney. Spears.)
“Drop it to the Floor” by Pitbull
“S&M” by Rihanna
“Get Outta My Way” by Kylie Minogue
“4th of July” and “Brave” by Kelis
Non Mainstream (but they’re my gurls!)
“Back In Your Head”, “Call It Off”, “So Jealous” “The Con” and “Where Does The Good Go?” by Tegan and Sara (actually EVERYTHING and ANYTHING by Tegan and Sara is most fabulous!)
“Come On Closer” and “Flying High” by Jem and lastly,
“Day Ditty” by Shudder To Think featuring Angela McClusky.
Or I can lend you my ipod, any ole time
Rock Out!
…..[crickets chirping]
How sad it is that I know … none of the songs or even the artists!
(Wait – I did know Plain White T and Frank Sinatra … and Hall & Oates.)
What lawyerchik1 said. Reading these comments makes me feel like Grandpa Simpson.
Replied to a couple of the individual comments already, but The Black Keys are amazing as is Cage the Elephant. Long-time reader, and I’ve rarely, if ever, commented before, but I had to speak up about The Black Keys ^.^
Avett Brothers – I and Love and You album. They will make you feel oh so many feelings. Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise is my favorite song.
I have a little girl crush on Sara Barieles right now. Particularly the song “Basket Case.” If you have not kept up with the Indigo Girls, Poseidon and the Bitter Bug is pretty great. I also like Ingrid Michaelson and Martin Sexton.
MUSE just because they rock!
Gavin Degraw! He is amazing, and not many people know it. (Dancing Shoes, Nice to Meet You Anyway, Just Friends, Cheated on Me, Follow Through, Meaning, Belief, Cop Stop, etc….I can go on and on.)
Sorry, I’m not really into the new music most people listed above, but I do have my old favorites:
John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Incubus, Augustana, Lifehouse, Bruno Mars & Hanson. (Yes, I said Hanson. Check them out, they are very good!)
you might have to get them from bandcamp instead of itunes but The Jane Austen Argument- specifically “bad wine and lemon cake” is heaven. Also Amanda Palmer’s Australia Album. LOVE
in an itunes way, pomplamoose and Nick cave are nice
Top 5:
1) Body Talk 1,2, and 3 by Robyn (best songs: “Dancing on My Own”, “Fembot”, “Get Myself Together”)
2) anything by Alphabeat (someone mentioned them earlier! I’m partial to the songs “Boyfriend” and “What is Happening?”)
3) “This Is Why We Fight” by the Decemberists
4) “Don’t Upset the Rhythm” by the Noisettes
5) “Colors” by April Smith and the Great Picture Show
I just made a “mix tape” for a friend – feel free to check out my playlist: http://www.hungrycook.com/2011/02/04/mix-tape-animal-style/ !
Kanye West – My Dark Twisted Fantasy. So good. Can’t stop listening to it. Forget about his public antics and whatever bizarro things he has said/tweeted recently — it doesn’t matter. The man knows how to put together an interesting song.
Not sure what genre appeals to you but here are a few of my favorite bands…
Drag the River
Lucero
Mumford and Sons
White Buffalo
Reigning Sound
Arcade Fire
Ghost Town Deputies
Have fun!!!
Not necessarily in this order:
1. Mumford and Sons
2. My Morning Jacket
3. Band of Horses
4. Wilco
5. English Beat
6. Califone (Bottles and Bones)
7. Monsters of Folk
By far the most talented couple of boys out there in the Americana/folk world today. The soul and pain they put forth in their music makes it so you can see the actual ghosts Marcus sings about circling him, taunting him. The painful wails toward the end symbolize the realization, the turning point, where you become so fully and thoroughly miserable yet accepting it and appreciating your agony. That is what I personally love about Mumford and Sons. Their songs aren’t attempting to make you emerge from your depression or dark, manic places, but they permit you to stay there and let you come to feel everything that that plagues you and churns your stomach and keeps you up at night without being embarrassed with it. Very Wordsworthian and very powerful.