Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, chairman of the Swedish Skeptics Society, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
The increasing number of podcasts I subscribe to has tended to crowd music out a bit from my earbuds in recent months. But I do have some good albums to recommend. Here's what's on my smartphone right now.
- Fleet Foxes. Fleet Foxes. 2008. Folky guitars and complex vocal harmonies.
- Heavy Blinkers. Better Weather. 2002. Bacharach-obsessed orchestral pop.
- Jet. Shaka Rock. 2009. It rocks. And shakes.
- MGMT. Congratulations. 2010. Psychedelic New Wave.
- Midlake. The Courage of Others. 2010. More folky guitars and complex vocal harmonies.
I've run similar lists before in 2008 and 2009.
Then there's a long list of recent albums that I need to get but haven't yet, in some cases because the bands haven't finished recording them.
- Apples in Stereo. Travellers in Space and Time.
- Big Elf. Cheat the Gallows.
- Brimstone Solar Radiation Band. Smorgasbord.
- Cathedral. The Guessing Game.
- Coral. Butterfly House.
- Dozer. Beyond Colossal.
- Electric Soft Parade. No Need to Be Downhearted.
- Fiery Furnaces. Widow City.
- Howlin' Rain. Howlin' Rain and Magnificent Fiend.
- Introduction. Santa Sets Sail for Saturn.
- Mars Volta. Octahedron.
- Nashville Pussy. From Hell to Texas.
- of Montreal. False Priest.
- Starlight Mints. Change Remains.
Dear Reader, given the line-up above, what other bands should I check out?
For more about music from Aard, just check out the music archive tag.
[More blog entries about music, pop, rock; musik, pop, rock.]
Comments
I'd suggest Califone. Start with Roomsound.
Posted by: Regis | May 19, 2010 9:31 AM
I can recommend Oh My God Charlie Darwin by The Low Anthem (American folk, rock). Absolutely one of my best buys last year.
Posted by: Ismene | May 19, 2010 11:07 AM
I'm a bit surprised by the Big Elf and the Cathedral. How are you with the dronier end of things? I have lots of recommendations out that way. But irrespective of that, I need to make sure you know Kyuss, the oldest and bestest heavy blasted-desert stoner band there has ever been. If you don't, get Blues for the Red Sun and see. Also, if you can find it I expect you would rather like Sensilla by the Flyte Reaction, old-school British psych-pop.
For a while Amazon, whose recommendation engine I try to confuse as much as possible, were trying to sell me on that Fleet Foxes album. I am going to have to get it at this rate just to see what it is so many people seem to agree about...
Posted by: Jonathan Jarrett | May 19, 2010 4:32 PM
A Living Soundtrack.
Posted by: RSG | May 19, 2010 7:00 PM
Thanks guys, very interesting suggestings that I look forward to pursuing!
Jon, I don't have comprehensive knowledge of drone or stoner rock, but I love Sleep and there are certainly some fine tracks on Blues for the Red Sun. People keep recommending me Saint Vitus. QotSA is post-stoner, I guess, but they're among my faves too.
Posted by: Martin R | May 20, 2010 2:47 AM
Hi I'm a student at california state university northridge and I created this podcast about a skeptics club at our school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEFPn2tDEtM
Posted by: camilo | May 20, 2010 3:47 AM
I don't really get St Vitus myself, a bit too old-school metal, though one of the guitarist's subsequent bands, Spirit Caravan, are definitely worth a listen. I think my current favourite live band is Litmus, whose Planetfall is a genuinely awesome album, really high-octane apocalytpic space-rock, like Hawkwind but louder and with a sense of headlong flight from imminent doom about it. So maybe I'll leave the recommendations there for a bit, but believe me, I could go on...
Posted by: Jonathan Jarrett | May 20, 2010 4:45 AM
Thanks man! Also I have to check out some Dio hits. I really wonder what a "holy diver" is.
Posted by: Martin R | May 20, 2010 4:51 AM
Roll the Dice (they're Swedish!)
Posted by: tryptamine | May 20, 2010 6:27 PM
you should also check out Department of Eagles - "In Ear Park" ...it is a side project for one or two of the Grizzly Bear guys, loosly-folky and really good.
Posted by: Colin | May 24, 2010 11:35 AM