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.Rai

By .Rai
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.Rai Newbie

.Rai

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Absence from this thread is largely from miscellaneous illness. GAWD IMMUNE SYSTEM. GAWD EUSTACHIAN TUBES. I'm gonna quickly sort out the remaining recommendations, and go back to analysis either today or tomorrow.

Based on your critique and suggestions you gave me on one of your earlier responses, I've listened to various tracks from the artists you recommended, mostly Imogen Heap (I already listen to Coldplay) and have found various tracks that I liked. I let one of buddies listen to it and recommended two songs that I like and think that you will like as well,
http://youtu.be/U7KuNLHOA1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKcozRG0bIk ( I already knew about this one)
Are there any further recommendations you can offer to me?


Kiiinda late, but I'd recommend The Lumineers and Of Monsters and Men. Both aren't exactly obscure bands, especially with some of the big singles they have, but there's some slightly lesser known songs they have which are worth checking out. Noah and the Whale might float your boat too.

How's Disclosure in general? Only heard F For You and absolutely loved it.
 
Rai oh Rai, recommend me stuff. I can honestly listen to everything but I have a thing for fun beats which is why I listen to a lot of rap/hiphop. gogo, here's some stuff from my current foobar playlist:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB7I7kpRn6A (whole album is sick)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxu02vp_Vm0 (tourist history is probably their best album imo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqV2vc6vRIk (this I like 90% because of the Kool and the Gang sample but whatever, song's pretty dope)


It's probably totally unnecessary, but obviously Kendrick Lamar if you haven't already. Same with Chance the Rapper, but I assume he's already on your radar as well. I can't think of any other rappers with similar production, but there's a couple of artists with a similar vibe: Toro y Moi or BANKS.

With Two Door Cinema Club, track Agro posted is a good tune. Try Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Bombay Bicycle Club or Metronomy, listed in order of stylistic similarity. They all have the same kind of breezy indie pop feel. You might enjoy The 1975 as well since they have similar plucky guitar riffs.
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Agro Newbie

Agro

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this song isn't exactly not well know, but I haven't been able to listen to anything else for the past 24 hours:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5osPtE7kXI

 

Until I remembered Ni No Kuni's ost:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN4uyBhOqQQ

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Tentacruel Newbie

Tentacruel

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Assuming you've heard it, what do you think of Mastodon's new album?  A lot of people are all bent out of shape cause it's not tr00 ku1t or whatever, but I just think they're finally getting to the classic rock vibe they were headed towards since the beginning. 

 

The vocal harmonies sound a bit awkward at times though.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6zU87xJoBk

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Susie Newbie

Susie

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hey Rai, have some fun with some really spastic mathcore
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X01H4icz5aU[/media]

Assuming you've heard it, what do you think of Mastodon's new album? A lot of people are all bent out of shape cause it's not tr00 ku1t or whatever, but I just think they're finally getting to the classic rock vibe they were headed towards since the beginning.


Mastodon were never considered as "trve kvlt" by elitists
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Tentacruel Newbie

Tentacruel

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hey Rai, have some fun with some really spastic mathcore
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X01H4icz5aU[/media]


Mastodon were never considered as "trve kvlt" by elitists

Well yeah, the elitists, but just in general a lot of people are pulling the "eww singing," thing. 

 

As for DEP, I have that album, great record, a bit hard to get into at first, but it's a great listen. 

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Susie Newbie

Susie

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Well yeah, the elitists, but just in general a lot of people are pulling the "eww singing," thing.

As for DEP, I have that album, great record, a bit hard to get into at first, but it's a great listen.


people are whinny babies when it comes down to their music


and i own One Of Us Is the Killer as well, its my second favorite TDEP album, Miss Machine still has a special place in my heart
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Night Newbie

Night

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[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IluRBvnYMoY[/video]

 

 

I'll add to the Daft Punk hype train, with my all-time favorite DP track:

 

http://youtu.be/aWpHRrXa9c8

 

It's definitely one that gets forgotten by most but I'm just oddly drawn to it, so much so that I legitimately hear it start playing in my head sometimes.

Such a gorgeous work of art.

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a bad post Newbie

a bad post

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUC_rzsiua8

 

One of my favorite songs on the radio right now. I can't but get up dance when I hear this song.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWE0nlhpdq8

 

Also this is one of my favorite boss themes, despite the fact that I despise this character (actually I didn't really like this game's characters in general, but that's another story.)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOxWeF0TY2E

 

The whole soundtrack for this game really just blows me away. Really loving this game too.

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Agro Newbie

Agro

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I'm going to post a Maroon 5 song. Even though I'd gotten sick of them. Because this new song sounds different... for them, at least.

 

Wondering what you think.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmw6fnvqOOM

 

Also, here's Tony Bennett singing with Lady Gaga.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnCeGPTo1ps

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.Rai Newbie

.Rai

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I'm splitting the songs in two batches. Weirdly, totally randomly so a few old ones are being left out: I'm aware, it shall be done soon!

[spoiler=IM SORRY IM LAZY (PART 1)]

Ohohohoh, while I'm here, (i mean why not add to what I already posted RIGHT?) let's talk Frank Ocean:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf79vG3yglk


Frank Ocean's super cool. I've always seen his thing as embracing hip-hop and R&B past, but totally refreshing the genre in itself. So much o what he does is totally up-to-date. Loved Sweet Life on the album, super chill. I do think that the most interesting thing he's done is definitely Pyramids, since that's just totally genre-bending and ridiculous, but everything he does has oodles and noodles of charm. Sweet Life's plinky-plonk piano through the track is lovely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsbRkAq9KgU


I saw in the Youtube comments that it's very Phoenix-esque and can get behind that. Very similar to basically any of Phoenix's stuff, which I love a lot. Very chirpy, mixed analogue synths and guitars has always been a slightly more interesting sound than the full-on guitar sound that so many rock bands employ (probably the same reason why I like Coldplay so much more than most people, because they have odd lead instruments in their songs like a guitar doubled by a xylophone). Personally, not really getting into the hook, but the feel of the track is breezy.
 

this song isn't exactly not well know, but I haven't been able to listen to anything else for the past 24 hours:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5osPtE7kXI
 
Until I remembered Ni No Kuni's ost:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN4uyBhOqQQ


Took me a bit to realise that's the guy from fun. Personally, not a fan of his voice, sort of blends into the pop scene invisibly. I do like how much more evidently innocently poppy this guy is compared to the stuff he does in fun. (which I assume is mostly the work of Nate Ruess). Kinda like Passion Pit's blend of pop without all the electronics. Marginally too generic for my taste (that standard blend of a rock kit, guitars and shouty vocals), although the chopped up piano is super cool. The chorus is just super catchy though. And kinda hilarious too, especially with that video.
 
Where does this even play in Ni No Kuni? It's been a while since I dealt with that game. Great, great soundtrack though. Compared to a lot of JRPGs, Ni No Kuni's music feels much sweeter, and homelier. It's also a lot more theatrical and melodic, rather than the textural, noisy approach that goes on elsewhere. The motif is super memorable which is great (most obviously at 3:00 in Another World), so good composing overall in the soundtrack.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTRvJ9fugM


Ah, good old CHVRCHES. Good band, I think I really got into them because I saw the name tossed around YCM a little bit. There's a growing trend of Scottish synthpop bands, it's cool. They have a really sharp pop sense on a lot of their singles: you don't hear this particular trick on The Mother We Share, but on other singles like Gun or Recover, they stick two different choruses into a track right after one another, for double doses of poppy hooks. Good stuff. Also, there's the case of how they contrast dark, enigmatic lyrics with these really chirpy, stadium-rock size, triumphant melodies. Clever, and adds some depth to their image. Obviously, their production is super on-point too. Despite taking massively from the 80s, their synths sound really fresh and brilliant.

[spoiler=Because I'm watching the show]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Add_M-eau8U
[/spoiler]


Oh my god, Baywatch. This theme. That post-80s, into the 90s sound is going on here. Big stadium rock beats, but with this totally ridiculous piano line just fluttering in every so often. Even got the classic random chorus of people singing the chorus going on there. The improv bit in the last third is quite fun too; almost all the pianos in 90s music sound like honky-tonk pianos for some reason. Bit odd.
 

Assuming you've heard it, what do you think of Mastodon's new album?  A lot of people are all bent out of shape cause it's not tr00 ku1t or whatever, but I just think they're finally getting to the classic rock vibe they were headed towards since the beginning. 
 
The vocal harmonies sound a bit awkward at times though.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6zU87xJoBk


I only really got into Mastodon with The Hunter. I don't know much of their past albums, but I've generally heard that The Hunter was more accessible, more rocky. I agree with that, and the stuff I've heard from their new album is good. Just polishing a lot of what they did on The Hunter, and I'm glad they're more accessible. It's certainly not sacrificed any musicality. Mostly in the guitar parts and drum parts admittedly, I agree that the vocal harmonies sound odd at times. Perhaps too cleaned up there, too much studio trickery on Chimes At Midnight.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY8OHhOmnvE[/video]


I do love this jazz-inspired hip-hop approach. There's even some polytonality going on here with the lead melody. Nothing really big to say here, but it's a really relaxed track with a great jazz groove. Kicks are crisp, the synth lead is drenched in gorgeous reverb and feels incredibly airy in general. 
 

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IluRBvnYMoY[/video]

 
Daft Punk! This was one of my favourite tracks off of Random Access Memories. Daft Punk are musical scientists. They absolutely know what they're doing with music technology, with a great eye for dance music. In general, Random Access Memories was just a celebration of their roots. It's dance music, but the historical precursor to their standard stuff, which is French house. Niles Rodgers does some serious work all over this track, and it's great stuff. It's difficult to be cynical about this, when it's so gloriously nostalgic. Adding collaborators to this album was one of the best things they could have done. Daft Punk are great and all, but their music can sometimes lack emotion, so a human touch helps. Give Life Back to Music is the most easy example on the album: plays into the same formula that Get Lucky and Lose Yourself to Dance played into, but to be honest, Pharrell's falsetto is damn weak. I prefer Daft Punk's vocoder trick any day. Simple chord progressions, simple singable choruses. Daft Punk stripped back on this album: pop is allowed to be uncomplicated, if it's catchy and fault-free.
 

I'm breaking my trend and posting two songs this time.
First, this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCL2J5ttX_4
Then this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY-h-sGn2XM


Victoria's Lab is one of the few tracks I'm aware of from the Little Big Planet franchise. Thought it does have a certain charm to it. I like the organic percussion in the track: pops, clicks, and tuts that feel pretty natural. Just produced right. Very fugue-inspired. 4 voices, with these interweaving melody lines are the sort of thing a lot of Baroque composers had going. Still, keeps a modern touch with a better pop sensibility. I like how the bass and mechanical crunches gives it a slight industrial feel.

Odd Swedish indie rock band? Cool. Feels really old-school actually. Sort of old Americana rock, with the super relaxed groove and Latin instrumentation. Enjoyable track (although admittedly very derivative of that genre, but not in a bad way at all). Folky, country-esque. The fanmade video was kinda hilarious though, if unintentionally. The number of random blue objects were brilliant.
 

I'll add to the Daft Punk hype train, with my all-time favorite DP track:
 
http://youtu.be/aWpHRrXa9c8
 
It's definitely one that gets forgotten by most but I'm just oddly drawn to it, so much so that I legitimately hear it start playing in my head sometimes.
Such a gorgeous work of art.


Really, my favourite DP track is Aerodynamic. Mostly because it's one of the cheesiest things they've ever done, and it's unashamedly so. Opulent, extravagant Baroque fugue textures and a badass guitar solo.

I mean, Human After All wasn't exactly the best album, so it's easy to see why a lot of people forget the stuff on there. Make Love's a nice cut though, especially with the piano in there. Not a lot of piano-led Daft Punk tracks, and this is more of a textural track rather than anything. Very tempting to take this track into something more developed, but it's far more hypnotic listening to that super gentle groove on repeat. Also, Daft Punk's classic vocoders take such a simple back role here: nothing more than few ad-libs dotted round the track. They should do this more often really (although they definitely took this relaxed approach a lot more on Random Access Memories).
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUC_rzsiua8
 
One of my favorite songs on the radio right now. I can't but get up dance when I hear this song.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWE0nlhpdq8
 
Also this is one of my favorite boss themes, despite the fact that I despise this character (actually I didn't really like this game's characters in general, but that's another story.)
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOxWeF0TY2E
 
The whole soundtrack for this game really just blows me away. Really loving this game too.


I do like Clean Bandit. They come from Cambridge, which is basically my dream university, so there's that. I see a lot of people (including themselves), trying to put them as revolutionary, fusing pop with Classical. I wouldn't go that far: they've dabbled, especially in their first track ages back, Mozart's House, but their Classical touch is subtle, basically limiting itself to replacing synth lines and countermelodies with string instruments instead. It generally works well, although sometimes a bit too clean. Too inert and characterless. Oddly. That said, Rather Be does it well, and was the perfect song to brighten up January this year when it came out. Good chorus-writing, good verse writing, good pre-chorus writing. Beyond anything, Clean Bandit have a good eye for songwriting. Extraordinary is almost a carbon-copy of Rather Be, but I love that track too because catchy choruses are just catchy. They've tried slightly more unusual dance tracks: Dust Clears is just odd, and has a proto-2-step breakdown in the middle.

I like Final Fantasy's music in general. There's never been much innovation in the Final Fantasy franchise in the musical realm, but they've perfected JPRG composition down to a tee. Never heard this battle theme, but it's surprisingly dancey for Final Fantasy. Slightly housey in parts, and a lot of synth action going on, including some funk organs. Simple theme, transposed a lot around a few keys, with classic truck-driver's modulations (you know, up a key melodramatically like in Livin' On a Prayer). There are these weird chromatic sections in the track, with this odd tense feel going on. Good track.

Remember Me track is almost drum 'n' bass. Almost, a bit too slow for anything truly in that genre, but it captures the same vibe. Nothing even akin to a catchy melody here, but it's clever dance music. This weird whirring, synth ostinato constantly on repeat, with these hard-drive glitchy industrial noises just going through. Love that; could be anything on Kanye's Yeezus with a bit of polishing. The second part of the track is interesting: replaces a lot of the glitchier instrumentation with proper orchestration. Nice.
 

I'm going to post a Maroon 5 song. Even though I'd gotten sick of them. Because this new song sounds different... for them, at least.
 
Wondering what you think.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmw6fnvqOOM
 
Also, here's Tony Bennett singing with Lady Gaga.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnCeGPTo1ps

 
No, I agree. Maroon 5 have gone off my radar. Songs About Jane is still the best thing they've done, although singles off of both Hands All Over (essentially their debut, but more polished and funky), and Overexposed (which was unashamedly poppy), were alright.

Weird-ass song. The most 80s thing they've done anyway. Synthpop-inspired, New wave, even a dance chord progression (basically the same as Coldplay's Clocks, which explains its dance-friendly cite). There's nothing inherently wrong with the track, but it manages to be about ten times less catchy than a standard Maroon 5 song. Possibly just a wrong choice of writer: comparing to their lead single for the upcoming album, Maps, the big writer there was Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic, Counting Stars fame) who always can write a good chorus, whilst the writers on this track seem to be based in the hip-hop world (producing and writing for a lot of rappers etc.). The stylistic divergence is clear. Don't think it quite worked out here.

The Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett duet is fine. Lady Gaga has a versatile voice tone, and she's always suited more theatrical styles: hence why she dabbles in such bombastic pop, why her best tracks are her romping in French or speaking nonsense, and why she looks like she was born in a Broadway theatre, not a surgical theatre. If you're going to get a pop start to sing with Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga's your woman. Good tune, since it's a classic. Uncomplicated arrangement, fairly faithful to the original, and some decent, although albeit short, improvisation.[/spoiler]
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Agro Newbie

Agro

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Where does this even play in Ni No Kuni?

Title Screen
 

Weird-ass song.

I should go back and count every time you respond with something along the lines of 'weird-ass song' to a song I like.

WHY DOES EVERYTHING I LOVE WEIRD!
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Madsen Newbie

Madsen

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQa8Rv-Vq-Y

 

I f***ing hate how addicted I am to this song. It's like when I first started listening to Gambino, didn't dig it that much until I relistened to it multiple times. Then got addicted to it.

 

Don't dig a lot of the dude's other s*** and I'm really not much of a frat rapper kinda guy except for Hoodie Allen who has been my guilty pleasure since my CoD days

 

edit: also, the video is really dope, I think his director is reeaaally good (Almost Famous, Been On, I Mean It)

 

edit 2: scratch that, absolutely addicted to most of this dude's shit now. fml

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