Ok, I've got a problem. I ran into someone who needs some music. All she has right now is:

Big Head Todd and the Monsters
Elvis Costello greatest hits
REM - Automatic for the people

Problem is: I know what REM and Costello sound like, but I've been lucky enough to either have never heard a BHT song, or a least I don't remember ever hearing one.

WTF do they sound like, and what would be some decent bands for this person to listen to, so I can put together a sampler CD.

At this point, the only idea I have so far are some tracks by Tuvan throat singers, but that might not be fair.

BHT ain't all that bad. I have Beautiful World and it's pretty good.

I suggest:

Brendan Bensen - Lapalco
School of Fish - s/t
Collective Soul - Disciplined Breakdown
Guided By Voices - Human Amusements
INXS - Listen Like Theives
Paper Airplane Pilots - Western Automatic Music
Violent Femmes - Why Do Birds Sing?
Stellastarr - s/t
Spoon - Kill the Moonlight

Big Head Todd and the Monsters aren't too bad at all. They had a couple of decent songs on their debut (I still like "Bittersweet" quite a bit). Their forte is similar to that of REM - highly melodic mid-tempo rock - and the reason you've never heard of 'em is because REM are just that much better at it.

So, my advice is stay with that template. Mid-tempo, fulla hooks, and well-produced. Godknows there's enough to choose that's not far removed from Big Head Todd out there in the indie universe.

Or try something off any of these albums:

The Honeydogs Here's Luck
Patti Scialfa 23rd Street Lullaby
Over The Rhine Ohio
Spoon Girls Can Tell
Warren Zanes Memory Girls
Beulah Yoko
Phantom Planet The Guest
Ben Kweller Sha Sha
Del Amitri Hatful Of Rain
Bob Schneider Lonelyland
Soul Hooligan Music Like Dirt
Alex Lloyd Watching Angels Mend
Frank Black & The Catholics Show Me Your Tears
The Weakerthans Reconstruction Site
Josh Rouse Nashville
You Am I Dress Me Slowly
World Party Goodbye Jumbo or Egyptology

I've got a couple of BHT CDs that I like. First suggestion that pops into mind is Grant Lee Buffalo -- Mighty Joe Moon.

Other thoughts:

Sun Kil Moon
Cowboy Junkies -- Caution Horses
Cousteau -- s/t
American Music Club -- San Francisco
Huffamoose -- s/t
Lloyd Cole -- take your pick

Yes. Wish I'd thought of those.

Every now and then I try to not be such a useless lurker & contribute something....

Ok, so it sounds like Big Head Todd falls into the general category of 'college rock'. I've got stuff for that, and I'm sure I can find more with the suggestions you've given me.

She's BP (as am I) and in one of her up states, threw out her CD collection that I guess her cat made a mess of, so I'm figuring that I'll make her some sample CD's with a bunch of stuff, so she can tell me what she wants more of.

At this point I'm thinking I'll make 3:
- One with uptempo stuff (happy stuff)
- One more downtempo (as in sad songs)
- And one of 'different' stuff (electronica, world music, jazz, and other stuff thats interesting, but probably unfamiliar to her)

Dat reasonable?

Still don't know where to fit Eugene Chadbourne in, but maybe thats for the better.

Also:

Thanks for the assistance provided thus far, and I apologize for the musical snobbishness.

For some reason, I remember Big Head Todd being the butt of many jokes a few years ago (maybe it was the crowd I hung with in Chicago), so I probably never gave them a fair shake. I think I lumped them in with Toad the Wet Sprocket, which is a band I really didn't care for.

Where doesn't an electric rake solo fit in?

Sigh, If only I had my turntable...I really miss that EP.

Always plenty of fried chicken....

Actually, that's a pretty fair comparison.

Ok, I admit liking some of their stuff, too. Altho I cringe when the guitar solo is due. The drummer seems ham-fisted at times.

AllMusic's RIYL:

Aquarium Rescue Unit
Spin Doctors
Gin Blossoms
Hootie & the Blowfish
4 Non Blondes
Phish
Bonnie Bramlett
Widespread Panic
Blues Traveler
Dave Matthews
Robert Bradley
moe.
The Why Store
Train
Rusted Root
The Roy Owens Jr.
Pearson
Allgood
John Popper
The Black Crowes
John Mellencamp

I was going to put TTWS on my list, but I was trying to keep it a little shorter so it would actually be read.

My Ex's second cousin, not a joke, is the drummer in BHTM. They are kinda of a hippie band. I usually go to their shows when they are in town and hang backstage with my ex-second cousin-in-law after the show.