Mits' Music Recommendation Thread

[الله أكبر]

While I may have a reputation as a metalhead (or according to a colleague at PSU, an elitist), I have a pretty diverse taste in music. Furthermore, it makes me happy when people ask me for music suggestions, take them to heart, and end up really liking the music.

Therefore, if anyone is interested in checking out music in a particular genre or sub-genre, please post here and I will help you find a good band.

[Shire Le Buff]

I'm a fan of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and would like something along those lines. Something that works best as background music but still has a strong enough melody to catch my interest for in depth listening at times. It doesn't have to have great percussion but some sort of drumming is a plus. This would probably be from some sub-genre of Jazz.

[الله أكبر]

Ah, good one.

From what little I've heard of the String Cheese Incident, they're similar to Bela Fleck, blending bluegrass and jazz (I even have an mp3 of them covering the jazz standard "Take Five").

If you're leaning more towards the bluegrass side of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, I'd say check out Robert Randolph and the Family Band. A good album to start with is "Unclassified." Robert plays the steel guitar, but not in the dreary, flourishing country music style. The drumming is dynamic...sometimes chill, sometimes rip-roarin'. Some songs might not fit your need for background music, but I'd say give it a try nonetheless.

If those two fail, try Bela Fleck's and Victor Wooten's respective solo projects.

[Violent Unrest in Allentown]

Give me the classic King Crimson album line up. I've really gotten into Discipline lately, and I want to be a super fan.  

[الله أكبر]

My favorite is Red. I highly suggest you get it. It's a great prog album, complete with atonal melodies, wacky time signatures, and odd instruments such as the Mellotron. Furthermore, Jon Wetton's vocal performance is astounding. You're already familiar with "One More Red Nightmare," which is the third track on this album.

The first album, In the Court of the Crimson King, is fantastic. It's Floyd-ish in certain respects (mostly noticeable on the song "Epitaph"). Also, it features "21st Century Schizoid Man," a song that gives Frank Zappa's "Muffin Man" a run for its money in the category of songs with slow, righteous and rockin' riffs.

I'm also a big fan of Lark's Tongues in Aspic. I daresay it's more proggy than Red, but at the same time more of an acquired taste. The songs are less structured and sometimes break down to collages of sound. The song "Exiles" is beautiful, though.

Lastly, the fan favorite album is Starless and Bible Black.

So I'd say go in this order:
Red>Starless>In the Court>Lark's

I don't have all of the albums from this era, but I've heard good things about In the Wake of Poseidon and Lizard. You might enjoy Lizard because it features Jon Anderson.

Also, if you decide you like the 80's King Crimson (i.e. in the style of Discipline) more than the 70's King Crimson, try the album Beat.

[Violent Unrest in Allentown]

My favorite is Red. I highly suggest you get it. It's a great prog album, complete with atonal melodies, wacky time signatures, and odd instruments such as the Mellotron. Furthermore, Jon Wetton's vocal performance is astounding. You're already familiar with "One More Red Nightmare," which is the third track on this album.

Got it! Thanks Mits.

Can you give me any good female vocalists? I have a hard time finding any I actually like.

[Larry Flyntz]

I don't mean to intrude on Mits' thread, but I just wanted to say that In the Wake of Poseidon is indeed a great album. I'd say it's on par with In the Court of the Crimson King. The song "Pictures of a City" is the highlight of the album, in my opinion.

Carry on.

[الله أكبر]

Can you give me any good female vocalists? I have a hard time finding any I actually like.

You and I suffer from the same problem. The only band that I've listened to recently with a female vocalist is Arch Enemy, but somehow I don't think you'd enjoy them.

If you'll remember from the video on the blues we watched in American Music, one of the interviewees referred to a vocal style called "cornbread singing." It's a sort of guttural, throaty style prevalent in the blues and soul. I always enjoy female vocalists who use this style, so I suggest maybe checking out some of those blues compilation albums, and listening to the tracks with female vocalists. I regrettably can't think of any off the top of my head.

I've always respected Aretha Franklin. THERE's a lady with some mad pipes.

Also, as I've been listening to quite a bit more AIR recently, I really enjoy the lady who sings "All I Need" and "You Make It Easy" on Moon Safari. I can't find any information on her online, but you might be able to find her name in the album cover and then see if she has any solo material.

I actually feel bad, because I cycled through my iTunes before responding and there were little, if any, bands with female vocalists.

[Violent Unrest in Allentown]

You and I suffer from the same problem. The only band that I've listened to recently with a female vocalist is Arch Enemy, but somehow I don't think you'd enjoy them.

If you'll remember from the video on the blues we watched in American Music, one of the interviewees referred to a vocal style called "cornbread singing." It's a sort of guttural, throaty style prevalent in the blues and soul. I always enjoy female vocalists who use this style, so I suggest maybe checking out some of those blues compilation albums, and listening to the tracks with female vocalists. I regrettably can't think of any off the top of my head.

I've always respected Aretha Franklin. THERE's a lady with some mad pipes.

I actually feel bad, because I cycled through my iTunes before responding and there were little, if any, bands with female vocalists.

I can and do recommend Regina Spektor to you. Quirky, intelligent and refreshing. Most of her stuff is pretty good, but "Hotel Song" off of Begin to Hope is so catchy, it's right up everyone's alley.

[Jelone]

Regina Spektor is a delightful lil Russian gal. Dan, tell me what you think of Mirah. My girlfriend got me into her first album You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This, and it's got a lot of the same playfulness Spektor has, although Mirah's songs are more guitar-based and first person-y. Also, she sings about fucking more often.

[Jelone]

ALSO - Mits, please name a jazz album i should check out. Somethin' real cool-like.

[Violent Unrest in Allentown]

Regina Spektor is a delightful lil Russian gal. Dan, tell me what you think of Mirah. My girlfriend got me into her first album You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This, and it's got a lot of the same playfulness Spektor has, although Mirah's songs are more guitar-based and first person-y. Also, she sings about fucking more often.

Don't have it, I'll have to get it. Tonight. I'm still making love to that sweet sweet album "Red."

[الله أكبر]

ALSO - Mits, please name a jazz album i should check out. Somethin' real cool-like.

Get Time Out! by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. It's got the jazz standard "Take Five" on it, and is probably the most listenable jazz album I know. It's very cool.

[الله أكبر]

Also, Duke Ellington did the soundtrack for the movie "Anatomy of a Murder." It's just about as cool as cool jazz gets.

[Jelone]

will diggedy-do!