I don't have anything to recommend at all so here is what I just played on the way home from Skate and Surf. You can check out what Joe from
The Early November recommends, though, below mine:
Brand New -
Deja Entendu
Nirvana -
Unplugged
The Smiths -
Louder Than Bombs
Fall Out Boy -
Take This To Your Grave
Dredg -
El Cielo
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's Joe Marro from the The Early November. Here are my recommendations:
Limbeck -
"Hi, Everythings Great"
The best record of last year. A perfect alt-country / rock record from the first note to the last. This band is exactly what rock n' roll should be. Amazing live show as well. If thats not enough, they're some of the sweetest guys you'll ever meet.
www.limbeck.net
Kanye West -
"College Dropout"
Every once and a while a record comes out that proves rap and hip-hop can be more than just big asses and jewelry. This is one of those records. Like Common, OutKast, and The Roots, Kanye raps about the usual topics covered in todays hip-hop records, but also a lot more and in a way thats intelligent and witty. Kanye West just might save hip-hop.
www.kanyewest.com
The Progress - s/t EP
Mathy and technical but always accessable and catchy. The Progress are like if Braid/Hey Mercedes and The Jealous Sound made love and their kids inherited their fathers technical skills and pop sensibility. Amazing dual vocals, smart guitar work, and drums you'll need calculators for. This is the best unsigned band around. Lables; pay attention to The Progress.
www.theprogress.net /
www.purevolume.com/theprogress
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy -
"I See A Darkness"
This isn't pop music like we're used to. Yet you'll find yourself humming these haunting, bleek, dark, and beautiful songs about death, incest, murder, lost love, etc., all day long. This record by Will Oldham (aka, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Palace) will force the listener to face subject matter they may not be comfortable hearing about...but thats where Oldham's genius lies. This record was prasied by critics, fans, and musicians since the day it came out in 1999. Johnny Cash even covered one of his songs. Sad and hopeful, dark and beautiful, American folk.
www.dragcity.com/bands/oldham.html
Old 97's -
"Fight Songs"
This record came out in 1999 but I've just recently picked it up. It's a great country rock record with perfect pop sensibility. These guys are one of the best of the alt-country genre.
www.old97s.com
Ben Kweller -
"On My Way"
Ben Kweller is like the young freshman who's always hanging around with the older cooler guys around town. Those older, cooler guys happen to e artists like Beck, Ben Folds, Ryan Adams, and Eels. All those guys have limbed their way to the hiarchy of the current great artists. Ben Kweller s, as his new record title suggests, currenty climbing. He's only 23 had as two very solid albums under his belt. If he continues on the track hes n, this may not be his best record but its a great step. I may be in the inorty on this, but I think "On My Way" is better than "Sha Sha".
www.benkweller.com
The Decemberists -
"Castaways ans Cutouts" and
"Her Majesty..."
Wildly imaginitive, smart, whimsical, chamber pop. Like if you combined Belle And Sebastian, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Of Montreal. Songs about ghosts, prostitutes, theater, and much more all sung in a strange old English vernacular (although theyre from Oregon). These songs could of been written in 1850 or 2004...that shows how classic the song writings. Brilliant.
www.decemberists.com
I could have listed a million more but I already went over the amount Jared told me. Sorry. Anyway, please check out some (or all!) of these artists. I love them all very much. Thanks to Jared and Absolute Punk for letting me talk about music. Take care.
-Joseph /The Early November
View Blog
Posts: 32,585
View Profile Picture
Currently Playing
