[carlo]

i'm curious what you guys have picked up and what you've thought of it. specifically rmszero and discoman, simply because i participated in your threads

 

[elipsis]

I checked out Kronos Quartet on recommendation. Got Requiem for Adam. Seems pretty good from my preliminary listenings.

 

[RMSzero]

Between you guys and another forum I post at, and experimentation on my own, I've found some really good music over the past few weeks. This is significant because I was kind of stagnating so far as music goes, and it's nice to gain a bunch of new stuff. Anyway, here's a few albums I've really liked out of that crop of stuff:

B.B. King - Live in Cook County Jail
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Infected Mushroom - B.P.Empire
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
Bob Marley - Legend

The B.B.King and Pink Floyd are probably my favorite out of those.

There's a lot of other stuff though that I've been listening to like Jimi Hendrix, Freddie King, DJ Krush, and I want to try and track down a recording of Il Trovatore somewhere if I can.

(I wasn't sure if I'd put this next part in, but I think it makes this post more complete)

Things I've tried and not liked all that much: Much of the other Pink Floyd stuff, and (sorry carlo) Bob Dylan. I got ahold of the White album to give the Beatles another chance, but I just don't enjoy listening to it. Dunno what it is, but it just feels dated. I'm on the lookout for some of the other stuff though.

 

[carlo]

RMSzero,

man, you're diving in... that's quite a list you have there.
Quote:

Things I've tried and not liked all that much: Much of the other Pink Floyd stuff, and (sorry carlo) Bob Dylan. I got ahold of the White album to give the Beatles another chance, but I just don't enjoy listening to it. Dunno what it is, but it just feels dated. I'm on the lookout for some of the other stuff though.

i'm glad you were able to try those artists out and that you gave them a chance. although the church of bob is pretty crowded, the canon isn't for everyone

i'm not familiar with dj krush, i'll keep my eyes open the next time i go music hunting.

best,
carlo.

 

[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by elipsis I checked out Kronos Quartet on recommendation. Got Requiem for Adam. Seems pretty good from my preliminary listenings.

Wow, I have that recording, and IMO, it's a very abrasive, and difficult work to appreciate. Maybe I'll spend a little more time with it....

 

[discoman]

Carlo, I am still waiting for ColumbiaHouseCanada.com to send me those CD

I picked up Stevie Wonder, Bond, Dave Matthews Band, Radiohead, Mariah Carey (SACD), Ascension locally. So far, I enjoy all of them, but I have to spend more time, ie. I do not like Dave Matthews Band at all the first few times, however, after few days later I try it again, I do enjoy it. There is no question the music sound great in all CDs, I have yet to 'adjust' the way they present. I do not want to jump into conculsion before I can spend more time after the exam weeks and moving into a new place. The list you guys gave me will take the whole summer to digest, with a few paycheque.

 

[elipsis]

Quote:

Originally posted by RickG Wow, I have that recording, and IMO, it's a very abrasive, and difficult work to appreciate. Maybe I'll spend a little more time with it....

Yes, it is abrasive, often discordant, with odd meters and strange chord progressions. But it does grow on you...and I tend to like music that pushes the envelope a little.

I found it very instructive to read the liner notes while listening to that CD. Helps you get a sense for the songs, both technically and conceptually.

 

[RMSzero]

Quote:

i'm not familiar with dj krush

Well, it's not the same as anything else I have up there, and I believe the correct genre for what he does is "Trip-hop". Meiso is the album title of the one I'm listening to currently. It's a bridge between everyday hip-hop and the koa trance I've discovered a taste for.

 

[carlo]

RMSzero,
yeah, i'm still in the mind set that tricky's maxinquaye is the only trip hop album i've ever really enjoyed. i dabbled, but didn't find anything else that caught my ear.

apparently my girlfriend has a dj krush cd, so i'll be able to listen to it in a couple of days. if you ever get interested, stevie wonder's "innervisions" and "hotter than july" takes his music in a much funkier direction than "songs in the key of life".

discoman,
Quote:

The list you guys gave me will take the whole summer to digest, with a few paycheque.

a few of those titles may end up having you explore more of what that artist has to offer. let us know which albums from your first few batches you really like, some here may be able to give narrow down recommendations for you.

regards,
carlo.

 

[FlurkingShnit]

Hey carlo, you're a mos def fan? Dope. It's nice to find another hip hop head here on the boards. If you ever need suggestions on good hip hop or have some suggestions for me just send me a pm or post here or something.

Did you ever listen to Black Star's album? It was called one of the best releases of the year it came out (99 I think or 98 or something). I never got the chance to get it but I did get the Definition single and I just love the beat and production on that song.

I'm not sure of the current Rawkus line up though. Soundbombing II seemed blah to me and it seems that with every new release it's getting worse and worse. Soundbombing one and the first lyricist lounge album will live forever though.

<sigh> At least there's classical and jazz music. That stuff never gets old.

 

[carlo]

Flurking,

in my opinion Mos Def has taken a very cool turn after establishing himself as a solo artist... i'm finding myself much more interested in his pure spoken word poetry (an artform i usually find pretentious) than his music lately. it's that aspect in his current stuff that makes me feel it's a step above his work in Black Star. but his sense of originality mixed in with social commentary is completely addictive. i saw flashes of that in q-tip's stuff, but he never seemed to get there for me.

i drift in and out of hip hop, i find it too difficult to find interesting material in the genre. my girlfriend has had me listening to mystic's "scars for life cuts for freedom", but the album loses energy halfway through, and i only find her stuff good because of her potential to be great.

you're much more informed about this stuff than i am - i'd love some recommendations. post them in this thread if you have time.

best,
carlo

 

[FlurkingShnit]

If you're looking for good instrumental melodic type hip hop I'd suggest DJ Shadow's work to you. Both Entroducing and Preemptive Strike are very solid picks.

As far as just hip hop in general (complete with dj'ing and emceeing)

The Roots - all of their albums are great so it's hard to go with whatever you can find from them. Kind of an organic hip hop band, using real instruments (drums, keyboard, and bass guitar, sometimes horns. Also home to two great beatboxers Rahzel and Scratch who can make any type of crazy noise with their mouths. Think of the Fat Boys, but to the nth degree. Being a beatboxer myself I love it.)

I'll make some suggestions from west coast (i.e. Bay area california) artists because thats where I'm from and where I grew up and was the first music I was into before jazz and classical and rock.

Jurassic 5 - Try to find their original 9 song EP and then get their full length debut Quality Control. Both are fantastic. They have a more early old school hip hop sound that may interest you.

If you're looking for something more like spoken word poetry and something real "out there" and abstract, I'd suggest Anticon. It's not really a group or a crew; the best way to learn about them is to go the site http://www.anticon.com

Look up music from the label Quannum. They were formerly known as Solesides but they recently changed the name. Very good combination of simple, solid hip hop production and off the wall type emceeing.

I'm going to go off the "underground" hip hop scene for a minute and suggest Jay Z's unplugged album. The reason for this is not for the lyrical quality of his songs but for the instrumental band back up he had for this mtv performance. He had the Roots with him and they made every one of his songs into magic. I suggest you at least download some of the songs to see what you think.

I have a trillion more suggestions for you but you can start with these and later tell me that I have converted you or tell me to shut up and stop with the dumb music recommendations. Either way I hope I helped. Peace.

 

[carlo]

rmszero,
sorry, totally forgot to borrow dj krush. i'll keep you posted though.

flurking,
thanks for taking the time to recommend titles. i'm actually very familiar with The Roots (a favorite) and have heard Jurassic 5 in passing (don't know which album), it didn't catch my ear. i'll look out for it and try to take another listen. my favorites in the genre are Roots' "Things Fall Apart" and "Organix", Wyclef Jean's "The Carnival", Method Man's "Tical2000", Lauryn Hill's "The Miseducation of", A Tribe Called Quests' "Low Down Theory", Public Enemy's "It Takes A Nation..." and "Live New York", Eminem's "The Marshal Mathers LP", and Kalib Tweli's "Reflection Eternal". if you have time i'd love for more recommendations. i'm sure i know someone with Jay-Z's "Unplugged", i'll let you know how it goes. i'm interested in "deep puddle dynamics - the taste of rain"... is it as good as it sounds?

incidentally, a bunch of friends and i spent 4/20 in the haight district... good times, good times.

best,
carlo.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by carlo incidentally, a bunch of friends and i spent 4/20 in the haight district...

You did go to Amoeba, right???

 

[carlo]

MacDef,

oooooh yeah. streetlight and rasputin's too. the wallet's still hurting but the turntable is very happy