I'm thinking about buying one of these:
Will Oldham/Tortoise - The Brave and the Bold
Clogs - Lantern
Gang Gang Dance - God's Money


Keep in mind, I'm pretty f'n sick of "indie-rock" right now. I'm mean really.... is Arctic Monkeys the best the genre can do right now?
Need something that sounds different than the rest of the pack. Not looking for anything extreme (not needing "noise" or anything like Thrones), just a little different.
Top records from 2005 were M.Ward, Silver Jews, Tom Vek, MMJ, Animal Collective. Konono No. 1 didn't really impress me much. The last record I fell in love with was cLOUDDEAD - Ten and that was 2 years ago.

Suggestions please?

Following up from the other thread, grap a New Orleans soul/funk comp, maybe a Lee Dorsey comp?

Not a big funk fan Billz, sorry. Other than party music, I have no use for it.

You say your sick of indie rock but then list a bunch of indie albums as recent favorites and amongst the things you're considering buying.

I'd suggest picking a genre that you have some even if limited interest in but don't know much about and explore it a bit. Depending on your taste, could be jazz, country, world music, blues, folk, psych rock, etc or some narrow niche within those. Nothing like challenging yourself to renew your love of music.
I'd be glad to provide recommendations within those, but I think you need to decide what you're looking for first.

I try to always have some area I'm exploring. Its been spiritual jazz lately.

I wish I could help you Stewie, but I have a feeling you'd hate everything I'd suggest.

Tom Zé - Massive Hits: The Best Of Tom Zé

You won't know what hit you.
It'll knock your ass so far out of the doldrums taht you won't even know how to get back there.

Don't get that BPB/Tortoise album. I could only make it through one listen which I thoroughly did not enjoy.

The Clogs thing seems like it might be interesting, but I've never heard anything by them.

I like that Gang Gang Dance album a lot, but I don't know if it's the sort of thing that you'll really fall in love with. Some people have, though.

I can vouch for Super Numeri - The Welcome Table which Ish has been shamelessly promoting (bordering on street teaming, to use his own words). It's a solid record, and I think it would be right up your alley.

Also: Shut up, buy the Strokes, and stop being such a fucking crybaby.

i recomend a Willie Nelson binge.

"Phases and Stages" helped me in a dark period of indie rock boredom.

Yeah, you need some JAIL ROCK in your life, Stuart.

Maybe Rick can help.

Songs like Oh So Bucco are sure to get anyone out of a rut.

A River Ain't Too Much To Love, Stu.

Hey, it's Grammy nominated, so it must be good, right?

God, join the club.

Have you tried Umphrey's McGee, yet? 8)

fp

Nine Horses Snow Borne Sorrow. I've been listening a lot to this latest collaboration from David Sylvian with his brother Steve Jansen and electronic composer Burnt Friedman. It's a return to the lush and accessible sound, but with a bit more of the electronica elements, and more of a jazz feel, especially on the amazing third track called "The Banality of Evil" that goes on for 8 minutes, sounding very exotic and polyrhythmic, somewhat reminiscent of Peter Gabriel, with some enchanting backing vocals, and then the ending comes along with some soft but skronky horn soloing somewhat akin to Ornette Coleman's work with Joe Henry on his great Scar album. Wonderful song that is a real standout for me right now. Could probably listen to it on constant repeat. But it's only one of many. Really a nice album. First track is pretty nice too. Great vocals traded between David and Swedish vocalist Stina Nordenstam. Think I might have to check out one of her albums too. Like much of his work, it gets kind of intoxicating with that deep and subtle voice playing against the oftentimes complex arrangements and textures. Always surrounds himself with a group of excellent musicians and this is no exception. Probably the best thing he's done in recent times. Full of sorrow, as the title suggests, but doesn't drag you down into a world of self pity. Almost cathartic.

And speaking of that Joe Henry album, any of his stuff going all the way back to his alt-country classic Short Man's Room, though I'm more partial to the Trampoline/Fuse/Scar series, all great. The last one called Tiny Voices was really good too, albeit from a quieter vantage.

And I just got the new Steve Wynn album and love it. Just got a US release a couple weeks ago... http://www.obner.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=16435

The Voyager One Dissolver CD is one of my most played from the last couple months. Kind of a mix of shoegazer Verve sound with some Brian Eno circa Low period Bowie. Nice sound that really works for me.

Tom Ve that Todd mentioned is a blast.

Buy a copy of the Who's Quadrophenia if you don't have it

Or Isle of the Dead. A Rachmaninoff symphonic tone poem from the early 1900's, based on a painting by Arnold Böcklin ...



... which was also later the inspiration for a very cool and relatively well known sci-fi novel of the same name by Roger Zelazny in the late 60s.

Anyway, if you haven't heard it, the most amazing version I know is the one on the Reiner Sound. I only have the LP, but I'm sure the CD sounds great too. It really captures some unique imagery and does put you into the painting, out on the water. Kind of like toward the end of Quadrophenia, when he's out in the boat. Love Reign O'er Me. Beautiful and dark and melancholic, but also dynamic. It gives me a similar feeling to a lot of dark modern music I like.

Matt Elliott, The Mess We Made -- organic electronica, a bit laid back mostly, but sublime with repeated listens
Supersystem, Always Never Again -- energetic party rock -- think Remain in Light-era Talking Heads as shouted by the Beastie Boys
Hector Zazou, Sahara Blue -- just...

Tagstreetteaming?

billyg - "indie rock" means New Pornographers, Shins, Hold Steady, Strokes - really just guitar music. I should have specified, but then I still like guitar music in general. I'm hoping for some scattershot recs and I can choose from that.
Yail Bloor - ummm, well... yeah (you're still my boy).
GAR - see above and I bought the Strokes and just think it's "ok"
Dusty - I heard a few songs of Supersystem and wasn't that pleased
PopTodd / Davey - Tom Ze might be it. Was listening to Brazillian themed show onWUOG on Monday and it was what inspired this thread (being that Brazillian was pretty far removed from Anglo rock). Voyager One is something I'll check out when I'm wanting to hear guitar rock again. Nine Horses sound interesting enough. I'll check it out.
Drinky / Ish - tell me more about Super Numeri.
Moxie - you're joking, right?
Finch Platte - I fell asleep at an Umphrey's McGee show while I was tripping. Not kidding, I thought they were THAT boring. (also your buddy that moved to NVille changed his e-mail addy because it bounced back)

Keep 'em coming.

Ya can't really street team 12 year old records, can you? If so, guilty. If not, then I'll say more ... the entire album is based on poems by the 19th Century French symbolist Arthur Rimbaud and is one of the largest and most eclectic gatherings of talent for one recording as you are ever likely to find, featuring such diverse artists as John Cale, Bill Laswell, Brendan Perry, Lisa Gerrarad, Barbara Gogan, David Sylvian, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Gerard Depardieu, Dominique Dalean and many others (over thirty in all) with lyrics sung in six different languages. The enchanting music beckons you to read the lyrics and soak up the beauty of Rimbaud's poetry. And to tie it somewhat to my Nine Horses post, the original (and now rare) release also featured a couple David Sylvian vocals, but for some reason he withdrew permission to use them or something and so the 1994 version is slightly different, but just as good with the Dead Can Dance team contributing more.

Those other two are nothing like Supersystem, so don't dismiss them out of hand, just because the suggestion is coming from the same person. I deliberately threw three very diverse recommendations out.

Not in the least, but I'll admit, I didn't see this caveat: "Need something that sounds different than the rest of the pack. Not looking for anything extreme (not needing "noise" or anything like Thrones), just a little different." I saw Jews, M. Ward & MMJ and remembered you're in Cashville, so I thought this shit's right up your dirt alley.

Little-known band from Liverpool on Ninja. New album is their second, "The Welcome Table". Neo-psych, minimal, kraut, hip-hop on blast. References Can, Miles Davis, and more recently OOIOO and Black Dice, perhaps, as Drinky put it. Album starts out with a massive 25-minute banger that must must must be heard. You can check out a clip from album closer "The Babies" at http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/mp3/ (scroll down some). They have a Myspace page too.

Stu, I'm really certain that you'll dig this album. It's my favourite thing in the whole Earth right now.

The Gang Gang Dance record I am also getting into.

I'd recommend the God's Money choice, but then again I AM one of the people who fell in love with that album.

Another left-field choice isn't necessarily new, but they did just reissue it with a bonus DVD:

Ohm (now called Ohm+)

Pitchfork recently reviewed it, but don't let that get in the way. It's a great collection (3 cds) of the early electronic composers. You've got your Stockhausen, you Varese, Reich, Subotnick, Xenakis, Young & Riley, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. If you haven't already heard most of these people, it's a great chance to get a nice overview of the early history of electronic music and composition. Yeah, it's sorta academic, but there's some great head music on here.

And along the same lines, another left field choice would be Manhattan Research Inc, a two disc compilation of some wonderful compositions by Raymond Scott. A bunch of the things on there are old commercial bits that he made, often with and without the words, but there's also a ton of little experiments that come out awesome. Plus, if you're a fan of the Muppets, you get to hear some really early Jim Henson recordings as he's an announcer on one of the pieces.

There's a couple I figured I'd throw out there.

Nah... I listened to the record once and never had any use for it afterwards. Way to samey. I thought you were referencing the post I made when I used "You probably like Smog" as an insult.

Ish - I'll be checking out that mp3 when I get home in a few. Thanks for the rec. You let me down a bit with Jaga Jazzist rec (even though I liked it, I was thinking it would be a stunner).