So far the only band I’ve heard that I think will be big this year will be Glasvegas. Only listened to a few of their songs on MySpace but they sound great. Check them out on MySpace.
Any other prospects that people can recommend?
Listened to one Glasvegas song the other day and despite negative reviews I’d read beforehand I thought it was impressive. Lead singer used to play for Queen of the South or someone as far as I know.
I was always one for scratching around for new bands to listen to rather than going and spending loads of time listening to a whole raft of albums from the renowned greats. I think people who rely on ‘Best Of’ albums to formulate an opinion on a band deserve to be executed but it also always struck me as too much effort to go and listen to 20 Beatles albums or something over a period of time for example to get a true understanding of what they were like. Hence, I used to always look out for bands with debut albums who I could grow with and go on their journey with them! However, I’ve really gotten out of the habit of buying/downloading new music since my old mp3 player packed in last year and in fact I was listening to The Bends on the way to work today. In conclusion, and after a lot of waffling, I don’t really know of any good new bands at the moment but I would appreciate recommendations.
I’m sticking with the Enemy for 2008, but will check out these sweaties that Flingo is tipping up.
My criteria for good music is simple - is it easy on the ear? If it is then I will buy an album from any time and any band as long as it is easy on the ear.
‘Easy on the ear’ can be loud, soft, dance, acoustic whatever. I don’t place much emphasis on trying to unearth the next big thing or looking for new bands and going on the journey with them…
Not really a “next big thing” but Im beginning to like The Editors of late
I know exactly where your coming from Bandage, I feel real guilty buying “best ofs”, but it is a real good way to get into a band and start collecting the rest of their music if your impressed. Three years ago I decided that I had to see what the big deal with David Bowie was, I went and bought his greatest hits, and now have 12 cracking albums and counting. I hope to go this way soon with bands like The Doors, The Clash and Deshonos!
I think The Coronas and The Editors will be big this year albeit if only in Ireland. The big problem with Irish bands getting record deals is that they all think it’s a great laugh and a few pints with their mates after a preformance. What they seem to forget though is once they get the record deal they no longer have to impress their mates, they are now up against The Radioheads and The Oasis’s in the fight for appriciation through record sales. If I went to a record shop and was faced with the decision to buy a Radiohead album or an up and coming Irish band, I’d go for the Radiohead! To prove my point do any TFK heads know who Joe Chester or Mocrac are?
Bit of tongue in cheek in that post there Ben
None intended, I realised I made a typo though, too lazy to go and fix it though!
I kind of take Farmer’s point there about listening to music based on the merits of the song in question (that sounds a bit like Johnny Giles - ‘You need to take each song on its merits Bill. And look at Radiohead too Bill - they had the moral courage to go and try something different with Kid A and Amnesiac’) Anyway, I digress. Obviously, if I hear a classic like ‘Heroes’ by Bowie or something I’ll recognise it as a superb song. It’s just that, unlike Ben, I simply wouldn’t have the patience to go off and accumulate all his albums and listen to them in sequence over a period of time. In that sense I’m more drawn to new bands or bands more from my era. It’s not a snobbish thing at all (though you do get some people who thrive on identifying bands before all their mates and then suddenly hate them once everyone else finds out about them) - just that when I do hear a band for the first time and they’re extremely impressive, like Arcade Fire in 2004/05 then it’s a given that I’ll invest time in listening to them at the expense of a Bowie, Rolling Stones etc. In conclusion, I don’t listen to new bands just for the sole reason that they’re new - the music must impress me like, as I said, Arcade Fire, Interpol and bands like that when they emerged a few years back.
[quote=“BenShermin”]I know exactly where your coming from Bandage, I feel real guilty buying “best ofs”, but it is a real good way to get into a band and start collecting the rest of their music if your impressed. Three years ago I decided that I had to see what the big deal with David Bowie was, I went and bought his greatest hits, and now have 12 cracking albums and counting. I hope to go this way soon with bands like The Doors, The Clash and Deshonos!
I think The Coronas and The Editors will be big this year albeit if only in Ireland. The big problem with Irish bands getting record deals is that they all think it’s a great laugh and a few pints with their mates after a preformance. What they seem to forget though is once they get the record deal they no longer have to impress their mates, they are now up against The Radioheads and The Oasis’s in the fight for appriciation through record sales. If I went to a record shop and was faced with the decision to buy a Radiohead album or an up and coming Irish band, I’d go for the Radiohead! To prove my point do any TFK heads know who Joe Chester or Mocrac are?[/quote]
You don’t have any Clash records? WHT? How can anyone be so ignorant???
I have London Calling, that’s about it.
I take your point Bandage except on ‘’‘Heroes’’’ being a classic. As I said I wouldn’t be Bowie’s biggest fan but that’s beside the point.
I usually thrawl through music magazines and websites searching for albums that I like the look of. This can be from any time or any genre. If one sticks in my head for whatever reason then I will research it further. For instance an album called Remain in Light from Talking Heads from 1980 kept coming up through my search. I was always kinda interested in Talking Heads so I decided to buy it and I think it is a superb album. I am in the process of looking at other Talking Heads’ albums, looking at their influences and looking at what albums of theirs I like the look of.
I got into Aphex Twin a while back and bought his debut album Selected Ambient Works. Then numerous other bands fell into my lap such as Boards of Canada and Battles because they share the Warp record label and have been influences by Aphex Twin.
I look at buying music much like how you should research a thesis in college (not that I ever did). You need a starting point of an article, find his references and read them, find the references of the references and so on. It’s a snowball effect.
This influences/references lark I don’t buy into at all. That’s how you end up with shit. Because bands have to have obscure influences and their obscure influences are usually shit.
My favourite “stumbled upon” band was a crowd called Addict. They had a single called Dust on a Hot Press CD and it was quality. Bought the cd and it was a real cracker. They were some English crowd but they didn’t last.
[quote=“therock67”]This influences/references lark I don’t buy into at all. That’s how you end up with shit. Because bands have to have obscure influences and their obscure influences are usually shit.
[/quote]
That’s rubbish. Say you started a band, people liked your music and asked you what your influences were and you said The Pogues?
What would you say if your fans said - ah they are probably shit and not bother investigate them further.
There’s no logic to that at all - and it’s lazy.
No, lazy is liking a band and relying on their recommendations to find people you like too.
I’m not saying that good bands can’t have good influences. But it’s a shite way to judge musicians by because these types of questions are usually met with obscure answers, so the new band can try and convince the world that they’re real music types, and not just a pop act.
Ah here - I’m packing it in for the night. I will return to this and others tomorrow.
I think we should broaden this thread out and also let each other know what we’re currently listening to rather than solely talking about new bands for 2008. Of course it will also give Farmer the platform to inform us all of the obscure bands he’s currently advocating - the music snob.
Anyway, on the way to work today and strolling in and out of town at lunchtime I was listening to New Order’s Waiting For The Siren’s Call from a few years back.
Got the Best Of (yes that’s Best Of Bandage) Booker T and the MGs recently, cracking stuff.
Im listening to Dexys Midnight Runners. Class band altogether. Pity the only thing most folks know them for is Come On Eileen