Music Worth Listening To?

[Oh Canada]

Hi all. I must say that radio in Southern Ontario is not what it used to be. Everyone's trying to act like Howard Stern and I'm not getting anything good to listen to.

Any suggestions on new music that's worth a purchase or download?

Right now I'm into all types: Crash Kings, Parlor Mob, Cold War Kids, Ray Lamontagne, Black Keys, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Would love some help.

[Billy Dat]

I like your taste, pretty eclectic mix of indie rock styles.

I suggest:

The Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You"

Broken Bells - "Broken Bells". This is a collaboration between the Shins' James Mercer and Brian Burton aka DJ Danger Mouse of "The Grey Album" mash-up fame and Gnarles Barkley fame.

St. Vincent - "Actor"

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - "Tell em what your name is"

Dirty Projectors - "Bitte Orca"

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I haven't heard the entire new Vampire Weekend album yet, but what I have heard, I like.

[Billy Dat]

I haven't heard the entire new Vampire Weekend album yet, but what I have heard, I like.

Agree, it's a fun album as is their last one. Think of how Paul Simon used South African music in "Graceland" but transferred to modern day hipsters singing about the preppy lifestyle.

[Dukeknights]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z__FHAG1Jk8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpsuY3lFZ-M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG-O0LI4Ako

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_SI2EDM6Lo

[A-Tex Devil]

The Dead Weather (Allison Mosshart and Jack Black)
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears (grittier James Brown)

[Oh Canada]

I will definitely give those a listen this weekend.

I forgot about the Dead Weather...have been listening to them since Christmas. Really love her voice.

[Acymetric]

I will definitely give those a listen this weekend.

I forgot about the Dead Weather...have been listening to them since Christmas. Really love her voice.

They're awesome live too...but then so are the Raconteurs...I guess the lesson is pretty much that Jack White is the man.

[jimmymax]

At work I alternate between streaming Radio Paradise, KCRW (Santa Monica) and WNCW. You'll get to hear all the bands already mentioned. Send them a few $ -- well worth it.

[doorsmats]

I've been streaming KCRW for ~10 yrs...absolutely top notch eclectic radio station out of Santa Monica, CA. "Morning Becomes Eclectic", one of their programs, is re-broadcast on different NPR affiliates around the country. I purchased an iPhone mainly because KCRW has an app and I can stream pretty much 24/7 now.

I'd also recommend KEXP out of Seattle.

Comparing the two, KEXP has more of an indie rock feel whereas KCRW is all over the map.

Happy hunting.

Also, to iPhone users, I'd highly recommend the iLike (concerts) app....it scours your music and lets you know when the artists (and others whom you might like) are coming to your area....for those of us w/ wide music tastes, a must-have free app!

[DevilAlumna]

I've been streaming KCRW for ~10 yrs...absolutely top notch eclectic radio station out of Santa Monica, CA. "Morning Becomes Eclectic", one of their programs, is re-broadcast on different NPR affiliates around the country. I purchased an iPhone mainly because KCRW has an app and I can stream pretty much 24/7 now.

I'd also recommend KEXP out of Seattle.

Comparing the two, KEXP has more of an indie rock feel whereas KCRW is all over the map.

+1 for KEXP. If I'm in the mood for hearing "new music," I listen to KEXP for about a week, then have enough new bands/songs to go find albums and explore on my own until the next fix.

[bfree]

But The Current is better. I really think it is the best radio station in the country:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/

And if you're looking for music suggestions... here are ten of my favorites from South By Southwest this year. My taste isn't that out there:

Brazos
Focus Group
Warpaint
Local Natives
Surfer Blood
Ray and Her Happy Hookers
Free Energy
Broken Bells
The Very Best
Here We Go Magic

[A-Tex Devil]

They're awesome live too...but then so are the Raconteurs...I guess the lesson is pretty much that Jack White is the man.

Agreed. We saw them waiting for Pearl Jam at ACL Fest this year as an afterthought. They killed it. Allison Mosshart is on my "list of 5" free pass list.:D

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

An Artist by the name of Nasir Jones, is pretty good.

[Billy Dat]

An Artist by the name of Nasir Jones, is pretty good.

See I come from Mississippi, I was young and runnin' wild
Ended up in New York City, where I had my first child
I named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him Nas
I told him as a youngster, he'll be the greatest man alive

[Mal]

I'm with bfree on this - the Current is pretty remarkable. Not only does it have as good, deep and wide-ranging selection and excellent DJ's as the others mentioned here, but it pioneered big-scale indie rock programming off the traditional public radio platform. Rather than being a college station or a more web-stream based, small time operation started in a basement somewhere, Minnesota Public Radio started it as an offshoot of its existing classical station, so it has serious resources (interviews and in-studio performances from big time artists, really great DJ's, etc.). Also, this is 24/7 music. No offense to KCRW, which is great, but that's basically NPR with some nighttime music and "Morning Becomes Eclectic" mixed in. No "All Things Considered" here.

Also, one of its DJ's is Paul Westerberg's kid sister, which is kind of awesome.

As far as new suggestions, the second collaboration between Ali Farka Toure (R.I.P.) and Toumani Diabate is pretty great, if you like African music at all. I've been belatedly listening to Neko Case's Middle Cyclone from about a year ago, too, and think it's well worth picking up. The title track features an ingenious inclusion of a toy piano and is just terrific. To get an intro to a broad base of newer artists, although not necessarily doing their normal thing since they're in collaboration with each other, you could do worse than to check out the Dark Is The Night album from earlier last year.

I'll cautiously second someone's recommendation on The Dirty Projectors above, but note that's they're a seriously acquired taste and a number of their songs are so intentionally dissonant and inaccessible as to turn off all but the most adventurous. I thought Bitta Orca a little uneven, but with some real gems. Something that still pushes the boundaries but isn't quite as afraid of letting you embrace a melody line for more than 4 seconds would be Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest, which was my favorite album of '09. FWIW.

[tecumseh]

Not new, actually not new at all I play music for my patients many of whom are octogenarians but Pandora has revolutionized my office music. It really works well and is free. I listened to Do Wop music this morning Okay maybe that is for 60 to 75 age group but it was great

[JohnGalt]

Hi all. I must say that radio in Southern Ontario is not what it used to be. Everyone's trying to act like Howard Stern and I'm not getting anything good to listen to.

Any suggestions on new music that's worth a purchase or download?

Right now I'm into all types: Crash Kings, Parlor Mob, Cold War Kids, Ray Lamontagne, Black Keys, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Would love some help.

If you're into something with a little bit of that country/southern rock slant, try the Magnolia Electric Co

specifically..."Dark Don't Hide It," "Don't this Look Like the Dark" and "North Star."

it's magic.

[DevilAlumna]

Anyone else here into Visqueen? I just downloaded their latest album, "Message to Garcia," and have been enjoying it. The friend who recommended them to me described them as, "Kind of like Green Day, but with a much better, female, vocalist."

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

Sit on your front porch and drink a lemonade (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGrmMOL3YCw&feature=related)

[Billy Dat]

Blues fans - you gotta check out the new one from The Black Keys - "Brothers", plus their entire back catalog. Face melting blue from a guitar/drum duo, like the White Stripes minues Meg White's feminine influences.

[theAlaskanBear]

Blues fans - you gotta check out the new one from The Black Keys - "Brothers", plus their entire back catalog. Face melting blue from a guitar/drum duo, like the White Stripes minues Meg White's feminine influences.

Seconded. the new Black Keys album is great. listening right now.