Can you recommend a song, or artist, (not mainstream/in the charts) that you think everyone should hear?

Question

I think Yo La Tengo's version of 'The Whole of The Law' is hauntingly beautiful, as is anything by Nick Drake. Can be any piece of music from any country, period, genre etc. but something that you think should be appreciated by others.

Answer 1

If you like Nick Drake, who was a brilliant songwriter/musician..you need to explore Roy Harper, probably the most influential, in terms of other musicians, yet underrated songwriters/acoustic performers of the last 40yrs. Check out his web site and click on some of his audio clips from the 30 or so albums he's made. Lyrically he is poignant, provocative, enigmatic and humorous, musically he's a genius. Starting point has to be 'Stormcock' and album he made in the late 60's..enjoy

Answer 2

I think everyone should listen to music in the shoegaze genre, specifically the bands The Swirlies and My Bloody Valentine. They were around in the early '90s. It's very swirly, hypnotic, and dreamy music.

By the way, I do love Nick Drake's music. Yo La Tengo is one of those bands who I know I'd probably love, but I haven't had a chance to check them out.

Answer 3

Definately Karlheinz Stockhausen. Whilst other classical composers have their orchestras just sitting down in a big hall playing, he believes our ears are well capable of interpreting the movement of sound and that this movement should be used in his works to create more natural sounding pieces. One piece has members of the orchestra sitting on chairs which are flying through the air! In the piece Zyklus, the score is written so the pages can be played in a random order, can be turned upside down and the musicians could start in the middle of the page if they wanted. One preformance saw each of the orchestra grab a page, and then place in in a pile, some upside down, to create the piece order for the night. Other methods includeplaying the piece by using a special dice to select a page and the starting bar number.
Stockhausen is credited much in the music world for re-writing the rules, but his music is little played on mainstream channels and radio. Zyklus is one of my fafavourite pieces simply because it ignores the rules but is still beautiful. It agrees with my phlosophy that most classical music is scared to try anything like Stockhausen has.

Answer 4

Tom Waits -


Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night, Fumblin with the Blues, Heart Attack & Vine....the list goes on and on

Dollar in My pocket by the Come Ons (But this was recently used in a Carls junior commercial so it might be considered more main stream right now)

Shake Sugaree by Elizabeth Cotton and Grandaughter

I can list all day long. My entire mx collection has songs off the chart that are fantastic!

Answer 5

Gutworm's album, Ruin the Memory should be listened to. An awesome UK band that are really pushing the boundaries of modern Metal music

Alternatively anything by the following as they are all pushing Heavy Metal to a new level:

Lamb of God
Shadows Fall
Children of Bodom
Decapitated
Nile
Mastodon

Probably six bands that are doing more for Metal at the moment than anyone else

Answer 6

John Martyn

Answer 7

Steve Vai's Whispering a prayer

Answer 8

Lisa Lougheed - The Racoons, Run With Us

Answer 9

Holy Devil Trajek Blaqk illwill jimmy skitz soul nemesis ozee

Answer 10

this new song called "Tim McGraw" by Taylor Swift.

cause i can really relate to it,,cause my bf moved to texas,, I know it seems like it is going to be a song about she loves Tim McGraw & he was a little boy his dad was a baseball player and now he's a superstar and married to Faith Hill. It's nothing like that. It's about this couple falling in love because of a Tim McGraw song.& how they will always think of each other when they hear one. aint that sweet??...lol!!! She wrote this song herself. When she comes out you all will love her. She is only 16 years old!
its a country song..go to www.myspace.com/taylorswift to hear it!