The Fancy Bastard Forum

So let me get things rolling. I'll start with a few acts that I think even non-fans could enjoy, just because of the content and ridiculous approach behind them.

Hip-Hop
Deltron 3030 - for the geek in every hip-hoper, this is essentially a space opera over laser-beam beats and pitched-up vocal samples. Del rhymes about mechsuits and quantum leaps in a dystopian future. Its not supposed to be taken too seriously, but they also never break character or stray from the album concept. It's completely bizarre and also one of the best things to come out of the early 2000s.

Dangerdoom - This is a collaboration between MF Doom and DJ Dangermouse, with the help of Adult Swim. MF Doom has about 1000 alternate identities in hip-hop, (check out Madvillain for some of his stronger work) but on this pairing he raps about Aquateam Hunger Force, Harvey Birdman and Sealab. He has a really loose rhyme structure that lets him pull impressive flows together about all sorts of general nonsense. Beats are cartoony and sample-rich, more textural than "banging."

Aesop Rock - Just about anything by Aesop Rock is great. He has 4 full-length albums and all of them are among my favorites. He is an extremely dense rapper, and most of the beats on his tracks are minimal to keep focus on his mile-a-minute rhyming. For first-time listeners, either Labor Days or None Shall Pass are good starting points. Labor Days has some of his more insightful work on it, very introspective and illustrative in tone. None Shall Pass has more musical depth, and songs that are less intense in their focus (a track lamenting the passing of Pluto as a planet, and a Pirate narrative, for example). Brilliant mind on this guy.

I'll stop there for now and come back with some other choice picks. Thanks for reading guys!

I am ridiculously old, so I think almost all music after 1997 is crap. Especially hip-hop. I LOVE old school hip-hop though, and I don't knock people for liking whatever speaks to them. Except polka music. I just don't get that.

Well as a lifelong rock fan I'd recommend Tool, but I sadly recognize that it's probably impossible to appreciate the musical complexity of a band like that as a sample of the genre. Past that I'd recommend Nirvana for Grunge, OK GO for... whatever you call that genre of rock. Punk? That doesn't sound right. They'd probably be a great segue into rock from hip-hop, without being too cheesy.

Past rock, my hip hop pick has to be MC Frontalot. Given your picks I'm guessing you've heard of him, but if you haven't he's the guy that invented Nerdcore as a genre.

Also listen to JoCo all day every day.

I always think that music is a bit cyclical. It was all about rap in the 90's, and then in the 2000's it was all that alt-rock, and now it's hip-hop and rap again.

ok i'll go out on a limb and say that it's obviously from podcast that Joel has made it clear that i'm older than most of you so here goes with my "old people music"

now i will start by saying that as a musician since a young age. i appreciate many types of music that require someone putting the music together and not canned radio music i hear these days...back in my day. when i "listen" to music i enjoy it for the parts and allows me to listen to it many times over. i am one of those people who can isolate the bass line or the second guitar parts. the more i can break it down in it's layers the more i can enjoy it. i believe that those kind of elements make music the kind of thing that engages you in great conversation....ok so enough with that

Wilco
If you listen to the podcast you know my obsession with Wilco from Chicago. They have been referred to as the "last American independent band". as independent they are not "indie". they are what i define as "Americana Rock" and get influences from Country "real country" and 60-70's rock all brought together with a modern take. they are a fun band to listen to from their early records and work your way to the current record. If you listen and enjoy Wilco then you should watch "I am trying to break your heart" which is the documentary of the making of their record Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. You get a good story but you get a sad look inside the record industry and what artists have to do in order to make art THEY want to create.

The Pixies
They were a heavy part of my music experience in high school and beyond. They created something that most people would not understand until they broke up. They build a soundtrack for a hidden crowd of those who enjoyed something different in music which would lead up to Nirvana. Many people don't know them and when they him them now they say "dude what song is that? is it someone new cause that's a great sound". 20 years after the fact they carry that influence.

i will add some more later when i have time but these artists are heavy in my rotation. i guess seeing that i control the sound track of podcasts, the artists i use are important in my life and creative process all together.

Wow, great responses so far! Thanks guys.

Not Mandatory - Understood, dude. Most music we hear on the radio is indeed crap. My hope with this thread is for people to shine light on the gems beneath the layers of poo. Old-school hip-hop is awesome but we also tend to venerate it because back then what was popular was also good. Today, what's popular tends to be formulaic, with a shit formula at that. Just like back then, there are artists today making original and inspired music.

Dram - I love Tool! Like many other posters, I was in high-school during the 90's, so bands like Nirvana and Tool absolutely defined "rock" for me. Also, MC Frontalot is rad (saw him live at the Penny Arcade Expo!). I'll check out OK GO, sounds interesting.

Eli - Thanks so much for your post; you handled it exactly like I was hoping people would. I will check out Wilco (I've been curious about them since you first started mentioning them). As for the Pixies, I only have Surfer Rosa / Come on Pilgrim, which I've been listening to more carefully the last few rotations. Which other Albums would you recommend?

Also, for those who's thing is multi-layered music, I'd like to recommend a couple artists:

Post-Folk / Folk Rock
Joanna Newsom - If you haven't heard this girl before please be aware that her voice is incredibly divisive. She is frequently compared to Bjork, but is not nearly as well trained. You either Love it or Hate it (I grew to love it over time.) Check out the album Ys. She is a Harpist/Lyricist, and plays epic-length story songs about fairy tale worlds. It's better than it sounds. The music is super rich and she is probably one of the best lyricists around right now. Alliteration, broken rhyme patterns, frequent changes in meter and cadence. She requires multiple listens (admittedly not everyone's thing) but its worth the challenge.

Sufjan Stevens - This guy is a multi-instrumentalist from Michigan. He makes concept albums about American States: [Come on, feel the] Illinoise is his most popular so far. With only a couple exceptions he plays every instrument and sings on every track. The feel is bittersweet, with poppy bits leading into moody string or woodwind sections. He was on the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack, if that's any indication. Like Newsom, his albums are best taken as a whole, even if there are standout tracks.

Sufjan is rad. You can tell by My Last.fm page that I listen to him a lot.

Joanna Newsom is quite divisive, and I can see why. I'm not a fan, but I know people who love her stuff. I know why they like it, I know why I don't, and that's alright with me.

I think Eli should try and get a Last.fm going for maybe what he listens to, or at least the stuff he has on rotation during the podcast, if that won't get his unemployed and therefore low on money ass sued. I hear a lot of Shins and Killers during the podcast.

With Wilco, I have listened to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and have heard about all the trials and tribulations they had to go through to make their album (ending in them buying the distribution rights from their label just to get their shit out, and it ends up being a super big seller/top ten/top all time album.) I don't know if I liked the album. I wanted so hard to get into Wilco, and maybe that skewed my perception of the album. It's not bad, and it has memorable stuff, but I'm not sure it's a top album for me.

I feel really cheesy recommending this, but Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" has always been lauded as a great album, and IMO rightfully so. You always hear it mentioned in top whatever lists, and until I heard it and researched it, I thought it was a recent album by a recent band. It turned out to be not recent at all, and the band has been broken up for many years.

Checking out Joanna Newsom right now. Wow, what a weird vocal style. It seems more like alternative rock style, but with a harp instead... it's really unsettling. I'm kind of getting into it though.

Edit: Been trying to think of what she reminds me of and I got it. Bob Dylan. What the fuck.

Posted By: DramChecking out Joanna Newsom right now. Wow, what a weird vocal style. It seems more like alternative rock style, but with a harp instead... it's really unsettling. I'm kind of getting into it though.I want to be a cowboy again, Marcelle.

The phrase I used and hear used to describe her is that she sounds like a child. Is it alright to lump her in with Regina Spektor? Not in terms of singing style, but in genre of music?

Also, Eli is only a few years older than the HE gang, from what I can tell. About 32, 33? I mean, he was born with the beard and went to Scientology school with the beard too, right?

edit: You know, I hear Pixies are great too. What do you recommend?

Also, too many bands break up before I hear of them. Like Guided By Voices broke up the year I found out they existed, and I still haven't heard much of their stuff.

Posted By: John DarcSufjan is rad. You can tell byMy Last.fm pagethat I listen to him a lot.

I think Eli should try and get a Last.fm going for maybe what he listens to, or at least the stuff he has on rotation during the podcast, if that won't get his unemployed and therefore low on money ass sued. I hear a lot of Shins and Killers during the podcast.

With Wilco, I have listened to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and have heard about all the trials and tribulations they had to go through to make their album (ending in them buying the distribution rights from their label just to get their shit out, and it ends up being a super big seller/top ten/top all time album.) I don't know if I liked the album. I wanted so hard to get into Wilco, and maybe that skewed my perception of the album. It's not bad, and it has memorable stuff, but I'm not sure it's a top album for me.

Move over, bananas! I've got a new source of potassium!

not low on money sir as i learned from Bush's mistakes awhile back that i should save money so i'm lucky i did...but anywho. i do have Killers and Shins on the podcast as i try to keep the background music what it should be...background music. i dont' want to use the podcast as a forum for my music tastes but the FB community as a collective. i also have to keep the mood of the room as some heavy ass metal or slow sad bastard music will bring down things. this also explains why you hear lots of similar music each week...and sometimes i'm just lazy.

as for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, i dont' want to come off as having to defending Wilco but no matter how i put it i will be so....that piece is very different and like a new food to your palette it takes some time. this is why i suggest listening to all their music in order of release. you really do hear a band coming into it's own. i can only say that something like Radiohead's records in order is something you can compare it to. it's obviously that both Radiohead and Wilco are not in the same food chain but what i mean is listening to a band come into a place they feel comfortable in. when you hear Pablo Honey you hear "Rock" but over time you hear something bigger and better that comes with getting your palette to adjust and enjoy. this is how i feel about Wilco and their evolution.

Posted By: Estereo_type

Eli - Thanks so much for your post; you handled it exactly like I was hoping people would. I will check out Wilco (I've been curious about them since you first started mentioning them). As for the Pixies, I only have Surfer Rosa / Come on Pilgrim, which I've been listening to more carefully the last few rotations. Which other Albums would you recommend?

dude...bro....it's all good. seriously i think they made good stuff while they lasted. it's almost as if they knew they would break up so they put in a good effort with all the records.

Posted By: Elinow i will start by saying that as a musician since a young age. i appreciate many types of music that require someone putting the music together and not canned radio music i hear these days...back in my day. when i "listen" to music i enjoy it for the parts and allows me to listen to it many times over. i am one of those people who can isolate the bass line or the second guitar parts. the more i can break it down in it's layers the more i can enjoy it. i believe that those kind of elements make music the kind of thing that engages you in great conversation....ok so enough with that

I agree. Being a musician since I was about four or five it's a lot easier to recognise musical depth and what it takes to create the music you listen to.

Estereo Type - I listen to Immortal Technique and I love Jay-Z's Black Album. That's about it for the Hip-Hop though, generally if I do listen to Hip-Hop it's very underground stuff.

I don't know what to recommend though, I've been listening to too much Elliot Smith to think about other Artists...

Speaking of Jay-Z, a friend linked to someone's mashup of Zelda and rap.

Here it is

Posted By: John DarcSpeaking of Jay-Z, a friend linked to someone's mashup of Zelda and rap.

Here it isMove over, bananas! I've got a new source of potassium!

That is fucking awesome...

70s glam rock has to be my all-time favourite subgenre. T. Rex/Marc Bolan is amazing, and definitely worth checking out.

As for my experience with the hip-hops, I readily accept anything that isn't overproduced radio trash (Jay-Z and some Ludacris are the exceptions) is fine in my book. Krunk music is awful and the embodiment of everything wrong with radio music these days. Sage Francis, MC Chris, KMD (MF Doom's old 90s hip-hop group), El-P, The Cool Kids, and The Roots are current favourites.

Can I get some love for Rachmaninoff up in here? Seriously, though, I don't listen to much music anymore.

Posted By: Mike BradyI don't listen to much music anymore

...I don't understand.

It's not too weird. As odd as I think it is, I know a lot of people who don't listen to music. Or at least say they don't.

Well, my radio slowly drifted over time from Classic Rock to Jazz, to Classical, and has finally settled on NPR. My iPod is too occupied with various podcasts to ever get around to the massive music collection I have on it. When I'm working on the computer there's either the TV or one of my wife's or daughter's video games on in the background. It's not like I'm actively avoiding listening to music - I just don't really have a place for it. I don't find myself engaged by most modern music, and I find my new awareness of current events (from NPR) to be more edifying than listening to the songs I know by heart. I do recognize how boring that makes me sound.

The one major exception is Rock Band. That's such a wonderful new way to experience music, and I can't get enough of it. My only regret is that I'm not daring enough (or maybe just too poor) to experiment with most of the music with which I'm unfamiliar.

That's the long way of saying that while I'd love to add something to the conversation, there's probably nothing I could add that hasn't been said decades (or even centuries) ago.

The thing about Rock Band is that the "fun" factor has already been tested. If it isn't fun, whether to play or listen to or mess up at, then it shouldn't be there.

You could always try random internet radio like Pandora.

If you haven't listened to Deltron3030 like Estereo_type suggested, DO IT. It got me to enjoy hip hop and rap. Sadly, I haven't found any other artists, other than Del, in that genre that I can listen to and appreciate as much... The only other time I've actually enjoyed rap or hip hop is when I was drunk and didn't care. D:

I'm really into the classic rock, but I do like a lot of jazz and such. One of my favorite artist in high school was Frank Zappa, but I wouldn't really recommend that for most people. One genre that I do wish was more popular is the music guys like Chick Core and Al Di Meola plays. I guess you would call it Jazz/Fusion... I don't like calling it that because there is a lot of stuff in that genre that I don't like, but I could listen to any thing by Chick Corea for hours on end. I would suggest any of his Return to Forever albums. Defiantly check out Al Di Meola's Land of the Midnight Sun. If you like classic rock and jazz, or just one of those, go listen to it.