What music are you listening to?

[thatshortguy]

Giving the new Matisyahu, Frank Ocean, and Baroness albums a whirl today. High hopes for the Ocean tracks featuring Mayer and Andre 3000, but it'll probably be marred by some greasy guy giving me hell because it's not Maiden or the most obscure black metal possible.

People. (N)

What?

The last such instance of this was when I played Opeth's "Heritage". No fewer than four different people (all in the store individually at different points of the album) came up to me and asked what it was, then either why it wasn't Maiden or Priest or if I had heard of Isengard or Trelldom.

My ultimate point is that I try to go out of the way to play stuff that you may not necessarily hear at other music shops (or really anywhere else locally), and all I'm met with are people griping about it or facial expressions that are akin to a dog being shown a card trick.

[KONGO]

Giving the new Matisyahu, Frank Ocean, and Baroness albums a whirl today. High hopes for the Ocean tracks featuring Mayer and Andre 3000, but it'll probably be marred by some greasy guy giving me hell because it's not Maiden or the most obscure black metal possible.

People. (N)

What?

The last such instance of this was when I played Opeth's "Heritage". No fewer than four different people (all in the store individually at different points of the album) came up to me and asked what it was, then either why it wasn't Maiden or Priest or if I had heard of Isengard or Trelldom.

My ultimate point is that I try to go out of the way to play stuff that you may not necessarily hear at other music shops (or really anywhere else locally), and all I'm met with are people griping about it or facial expressions that are akin to a dog being shown a card trick.

Ah. I didn't know you worked at a music shop was the thing, I thought you were just going to be listening to it on your headphones and people would randomly come up and gripe at you.

[thatshortguy]

Given that I am married, that happens far more than anticipated.

[SRN]

Giving the new Matisyahu, Frank Ocean, and Baroness albums a whirl today. High hopes for the Ocean tracks featuring Mayer and Andre 3000, but it'll probably be marred by some greasy guy giving me hell because it's not Maiden or the most obscure black metal possible.

People. (N)

What?

The last such instance of this was when I played Opeth's "Heritage". No fewer than four different people (all in the store individually at different points of the album) came up to me and asked what it was, then either why it wasn't Maiden or Priest or if I had heard of Isengard or Trelldom.

My ultimate point is that I try to go out of the way to play stuff that you may not necessarily hear at other music shops (or really anywhere else locally), and all I'm met with are people griping about it or facial expressions that are akin to a dog being shown a card trick.

This! I hate this. I try to play different music at the shop all the time and instead of people giving it a chance, they immediately shit all over it because it isn't something in the Top 40 or some accessible boring radio pop song (like Cher Lloyd or something like that).

[KONGO]

Baroness's Yellow and Green again. The first time I skipped a few tracks and didn't finish it as I had to leave work around that time. It's probably Baroness's least good album. It's fine but a lot of times it's just boring, there are no monster riffs and no real interesting riffs, either. All of the interest here is made through song structure and the vocal work, which is not amazing (though I like John Baizely's voice) but drives the songs a lot more than in the past. The only actively bad song is "Little Things." I don't have a problem with this new direction but I didn't think too highly of this record.

[SRN]

So, today, I decided to hit up Grinderman again after having not listened to Nick Cave in like two years. I remember being not really bothered by either the debut or Grinderman 2 but man, re-listening to them today really opened my eyes. The debut LP is just so simple and noisy while still being deep, the lyrics are witty, I can't believe I have not listened more closely to Nick Cave before. I know there are a few big fans of his here (paging Skummy?) so where do I go from here? I have only ever listened to Grinderman, really, so anything goes.

[METALMAN]

I'd go for the Bad Seed EP by the Birthday Party.

Or for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds I'd recommend Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus or the Boatman's Call. Skumfrog will probably say something different. I seem to recall he's not a huge fan of AB/TLOO, but I might have imagined that.

[Johnny Drama]

Miles Kane - Colour of the Trap, saw him in Portugal and picked up the album its fairly good

[Skummy]

To be honest, I've not even listened to AB/TLOO in years. Pretty much since it came out. I didn't think it was bad, it just kind of got lost in the shuffle. It's got There She Goes, My Beautiul World and Nature Boy on it, both of which are awesome songs. It's Lazarus I didn't particularly like.

SRN, you'll like The Birthday Party. Track down "Release The Bats" and "Mutiny In Heaven", in particular.

For the Bad Seeds, it depends if you want melancholy or angry. But "Murder Ballads" is a good starting point, and a good mix of both.

[thatshortguy]

I've gotta say, nothing else from the new Passion Pit album has grabbed me quite like some of the songs from "Manners", but damn if "Take A Walk" isn't right up there as one of their most infectious.

The Baroness album, while much more stoner rock than I anticipated, has got some good staying power. Oddly reminds me of Opeth's "Heritage" in that it's well done for what it is...just that nobody quite knew what it was going to be.

[Guest Dawson Leery]

I have been listening to Morcheeba, my friend Gretchen gave it to me, she says I need to broaden my horizon. It's funny I use to have the ingest crush on her growing up. Who knew? Maybe we could grow old together.

[Katsuya]

Anything and everything by Laura Närhi.

[Matticus]

The New Fang Island album. Sounds like Ice Cream if it was in music format.

http://www.npr.org/2012/07/08/156137589/first-listen-fang-island-major#playlist

[SRN]

Alright so I finally got to properly listen to Baroness' Yellow & Green. And I really can't see what the big issue is. Yes, it is more blues-oriented and mellow than any of their previous work but the talent, the riffs or the ideas hasn't changed. To me, it is just the sound of a band progressing. I know it isn't for anyone but the outrage it is getting at some places is beyond me. It certainly isn't the best Baroness record but I am not throwing it off as something I will never listen to again.

[thatshortguy]

Alright so I finally got to properly listen to Baroness' Yellow & Green. And I really can't see what the big issue is. Yes, it is more blues-oriented and mellow than any of their previous work but the talent, the riffs or the ideas hasn't changed. To me, it is just the sound of a band progressing. I know it isn't for anyone but the outrage it is getting at some places is beyond me. It certainly isn't the best Baroness record but I am not throwing it off as something I will never listen to again.

It's the production values of a Pelican album and the heavy blues of a Pepper-era Corrosion of Conformity. Frankly, I dig it.

Giving the new Gaslight Anthem and Passion Pit albums a whirl today. Initial reaction is that Brian Fallon's inflections are eeeeeerily close to Daughtry.

[KONGO]

First time listening to David Bowie's Diamond Dogs. Bowie sounds like Frank Zappa whenever he is not belting out his lines.

[Johnny Drama]

I have been listening to Morcheeba, my friend Gretchen gave it to me, she says I need to broaden my horizon. It's funny I use to have the ingest crush on her growing up. Who knew? Maybe we could grow old together.

Saw Morcheeba in Lisbon last week and thought they were really good, didn't know much about them before hand. Will have a look at some of their stuff to see if it was just the drink talking.

[LittleDaniel]

Anyone hear the Purity Ring leak? I listened to a couple songs last night, seems like great nighttime lying in bed with headphones music.

Though, right now I'm listening to Hoobastank's "The Reason" thanks to my store's radio. ANNNNND THE REASON IS YOOOOOOOOU. I missed this song.

[New Damage]

I randomly stumbled across the Purity Ring song "Lofticries" a while back, really like that song, it's a great driving song.

Also, I am listening to a lot of The Roots and I am liking a lot of The Roots.

[METALMAN]

Kaleidoscope's first album is lovely. Probably my favourite psychedelic album EVER.