OT: Music Recommendations for Some MGoBloggers

Submitted by chatster on
MGoBlog occasionally has offered me some nice introductions to music of all varieties from pop to hip hop, and from synth-rock/techno to country and everything else along the musical spectrum that I’ve never heard before, but that I’ve liked on first listen.  A few years ago, right before what some considered to be the ignominious final season for Michigan football's previous coaching regime, I discovered the band Rilo Kiley’s song A Better Son/Daughter thanks to a Michigan Football Hype Video that was posted on MGoBlog.
 
While reading here this morning that Damien Harris's ship might have sailed for Michigan Football, I got one of those mass email messages from Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley’s lead vocalist, alerting me to her new solo album called The Voyager, produced by Ryan Adams and available for preview on NPR.  One reviewer has called it a “tribute to the history of studio rock.”  She's performing tonight and tomorrow in Michigan. LINK
 
DISCLOSURE:  I do NOT know or have any personal connection to Jenny Lewis.  I am NOT affiliated with her record company, her producer, her management organization, her promoters, NPR or anyone who might gain from my posting this message. 

UMfan21

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^

I guess this is as good a place as any to post this.  I was hoping someone might consider using this in a hype video for the football team this year.

I've been following the Dirty Heads for over 5 years.  They have a pretty diverse sound that ranges from reggae to hip hop to slow acoustic jams.  Some songs have NSFW language while others are more like radio pop. 

 

This is the title track off their new album which was just released a few weeks ago.  I think there is a lot of imagery in the lyrics that could be used for our football team.

 

 

Voltron is Handsome

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:05 AM ^

I like a lot of stuff, which includes trance (my overall favorite and Above & Beyond are the best DJs in the world), classical, extremely minimal rock, rap/hip-hop (G Funk Era is the best and West Coast rap will always be better than that of East Coast AND Tupac is the greatest rapper ever), Irish, jazz, big band, and others I am sure I am forgetting.

Voltron is Handsome

July 22nd, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^

They're simply amazing. I have about five of their albums, but also download their weekly podcast from iTunes. I absolutely love their music. I know their Group Therapy (formerly Trance Around the World) show usually contains songs from other DJs, but I just love how they mix and the tracks they do themselves are fantastic, too.

gmoney41

July 22nd, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^

G funk had some definite classics and Pac is one of the greatest.  Above the Law's Black Mafia Life and Uncle Sam's curse are soo damn funky.  Dj Quik, SCC, Dre and Snoop, Warren G, Dangerous crew, were all dope.  Pac was one of the greats, and his first few albums, Strictly for my N*****, 2pacolypse and Me against the world are incredible.  I liked All eyes on me, but half of that album was garbage, the other half classic.  How can you diss the east coast though?  Give me Gangstarr, Wu-Tang, Rakim, Krs and Tribe any day of the week.  Even down south used to be dope as hell.  8ball and MJG, Scarface, Big Mike, UGK.  Every coast back in the early 90's was legit in my book

uminks

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^

Too many screaming women! I like rock music from '00s and before but in the past two to three years it has gotten worse. A few good bands are out there like five finger death punch but a bunch of junk is out there now!

Go.Blue.Hail

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^

If you like country I suggest Brantley Gilbert's latest album Just As I Am. I've gotten into country lately as a change of pace and have really enjoyed it.

Generic MGoBlogger

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^

I love when these threads come along... I'll recommend almost anything except country.

Alternative/Indie Rock: Spoon (new album dropping the fifth of Aug.), Cold War Kids, The Shins, Vampire Weekend, St. Lucia, Future Islands (more of a synth sound), Phoenix, Portugal. the Man, MGMT (trippy), Arctic Monkeys, Magic Man, Foster the People, Broken Bells, Bon Iver, Avett Brothers (folk/bluegrass rock sound), Bad Suns, Franz Ferdinand, and The Black Keys

In terms of synth rock: Chvrches, Broods, Purity Ring, John Maus, Rudimental, and the Naked and Famous

I saw the listing for hip-hop, so hopefully that includes rap... Not a huge rap guy, but here are the guys that I listen to: Danny Brown, Childish Gambino, Earl Sweatshirt, A$AP Ferg, and Kendrick Lamar.

chatster

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:28 AM ^

One of the advantages of having been born when Harry Truman was President of the United States is that I've enjoyed listening to the evolution of popular music and getting introduced to music from all over the world.

While I'm no fan of country, rap or opera, and the only classical album I've ever bought was one that had a recording of the 1812 Overture, I'll give almost any kind of music a try.

atom evolootion

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^

Danny Brown's alright... he's odd-looking, but he spits okay... earl sweatshirt's pretty nice lately, especially now that his voice has bassed-down a bit... I can't do anything with Kendrick Lamar, though... I'm trying to figure out what the hype is about... perhaps I'm too old to understand why his skills are seen as superior to and more marketable than somebody like pharoahe monch...

jrems

July 22nd, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^

If you're into folk/indie music, everybody should check out the new album from Australian duo, Angus & Julia Stone.

New album is produced by Rick Rubin and comes out August 1st (digital) or August 5th (physical).

Note: I can't make the same disclaimer OP did, but I'm confident in the quality of this record. It's one of my favorite albums of 2014 so far...

Committed

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:37 AM ^

That hype video was the start of hype videos for me...still watch it and "2010 michigan football pump up" before the season and games...still gets me, everytime

LSAClassOf2000

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:42 AM ^

It's probably not quite hype video worthy, but I have been rediscovering my rather impressive collection of Tangerine Dream albums lately, as well as Yellow Magic Orchestra. Definitely dated stuff by today's techno / progressive rock standards, but these two groups were innovators back in the day. I actually had Tangerine Dream's 1981 album "Exit" playing a little bit ago...

chatster

July 22nd, 2014 at 11:15 AM ^

Tangerine Dream reminds me a little of the Alan Parsons Project whom many sports fans may recognize from the old Chicago Bulls intro music, Sirius.

For hype video music I've suggested a song by Steve Wynn, a founding member of the Los Angeles based 80s band The Dream Syndicate, from his album Static Transmission with The Miracle 3, Amphetamine.

There's a good version of Amphetamine on YouTube from a live set played at SXSW in 2011.

 

atom evolootion

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^

If hip hop has gotten bland to you, a fresh voice that most people have never heard is homeboy sandman... no two songs he's made sound the same and he's quite the clever linguist... and you could always try Aesop rock (not a$ap fucking rocky), who's not new by any means, but is also lesser known commodity...

goblueram

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^

2014 albums I've bought:

1. Beck - Morning Phase
2. Black Keys - Turn Blue
3. Jack White - Lazaretto

Beck's and Jack White's are amazing.  Black Keys' is different from their norm...