cartera45

I like a lot of the stuff that Audiophile has mentioned. I am finding that I am listening to more of the new things out and my teenage daughter's current favs are Nirvana, The Cure, The Who and a whole bunch of stuff from the 80s. She has tons of my old CDs on her Ipod.

bz2010

I was freaked by that USAToday survey till I realized it was only American bands - I thought, "What - no Zeppelin?!"

Thanks for the link to WXPN radio. Listening to it right now. Until recently I usually streamed a radio station from Italy (Radio Capital) They play a lot of really great stuff & a lot of English-speaking tunes. Plus it's fun b/c you get to hear the DJs seaking Italian b/w the songs!

Here's a link to that if anyone wants to try it:
Radio Capital - Homepage

JHS

audio: Taha's MySpace page has four songs that are a pretty good cross-section of what he does, one from each of his last four studio albums. He's sort of world music -- after all, he sings in Arabic and French -- but there's a lot of electric guitar and recognizable rock attitude. If you liked Joe Strummer's solo work at all, you ought to respond well to Taha.

I forgot, before, to shill for my homies:

The Roots. Their new album, Rising Down, is a great return to form after a couple of disappointing releases.

Marah. Ten years ago, Marah were in exactly the same position that The Hold Steady was a couple years ago. Then bad luck, bad choices, and bad personalities derailed their ambition to be the greatest rock band on the planet, even if they managed to convince Nick Hornby that they were. But they keep writing good songs, and putting every last drop of themselves out there when they play.

Slo-Mo. Just what the world isn't ready for: A country-tinged r&b revue centered on a 40-something lap steel guitar player, with four singers (each of whom has been an almost-successful solo artist or lead singer), fronted by the most positive of positive rappers. My wife, who hates hip-hop, loves this. My daughter, who hates hip-hop and r&b, says, "They're adorable." Just really enjoyable, uncategorizable music.

audiophile

Will check out his Myspace, but I find it hard to judge music coming out of computer speakers.

Know of Marah from the Springsteen connection and have two of their albums. Ken Kweder & Robert Hazard were popular in Philly when I was there in the late 70s/early 80s and know they're both still around (and can recommend Hazard's latest acoustic CD "Troubadour" for fans of Dylanesque singer/songwriters). Both of those guys also just missed hitting it big.

JHS

Yes, the streets and bars of Philly are lined with people who just missed hitting it big, and a few who hit it big but less so than maybe they should have. All of which has been necessary to cosmically balance Will Smith.

emeraldkity4

I was freaked by that USAToday survey till I realized it was only American bands - I thought, "What - no Zeppelin?!"

Well they are called USA Today
No Who/Beatles/Stones/Cream/Pink Floyd/U2 either, but Zep was my favorite- I don't think I ever saw them live though- but then again, it would have been the 70's so I am not sure.

Red Hot Chili Peppers were more than strategically placed tube socks. Their most recent album, "Stadium Arcadium" is a masterpiece.

I like the Chili Peppers, but while Flea in particular puts on a great show, they aren't as good live. They just don't sound right

morandi

NPR just did a piece yesterday featuring some favorite bands of the "All Songs Considered" host. (CD's from this past year). Here's the link:

The Best CDs of 2008 (So Far) : NPR Music

really liked Bon Iver

churchmusicmom

Umm, not everyone. We (D, her dad and I) heard them play last August and I find their music to be pretty much the same....in other words, many of their songs sound alike. Catchy, yes, but once you have heard one, you have heard pretty much all of them, IMO. I personally like a bit more variety than they offer...

emeraldkity4

another band from Portland that is a little different - not sure what genre this would be. Indie /Alt is such a catch all term. I don't usually know from obscure but one of them worked for D. Glide mag compared them to GodSpeed
Strangers Die Every Day - PORTLAND, Oregon

MAKTUB Soul/Rock
lead singer Reggie Watts is multitalented plus has great hair.

JHS

churchmusic: If you saw Vampire Weekend last August, they have since doubled the time they have spent as professional musicians. I don't have the sense that they are a great live band (having only seen them on Saturday Night Live). The songs on the album don't sound all the same at all, and there's hardly any that doesn't have something to recommend it. WXPN is working its fourth Vampire Weekend single at this point.

emerald: I agree on Reggie Watts' talent AND hair.

audiophile

A few more:

Beck: This guy reinvents himself with every album (perhaps a modern Bowie?)
Arcade Fire: I picked up Neon Bible based on the title, really catchy stuff, later found out Springsteen was a fan of theirs
New Pornographers: more power pop
Fountains of Wayne: "Stacy's Mom" anyone? The rest of their stuff will also have you humming along.

lilygraces

The Clash, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beatles, The Who, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, The Bangles, Sufjan Stevens, Rocky Votolato, Tegan and Sara, Bjork, Muse, Amon Tobin, Jack's Mannequin, Flogging Molly, the list goes on and on and on.

alamode

the new coldplay is great

arctic monkeys--fantastic lyrics, try: Flourescent Adolescent, Riot Van, Too Much to Ask, Mardy Bum, Old Yellow Bricks, 505...I like all their stuff though

last shadow puppets--60's-like sound (arctic monkey lead singer's side project), try: My Mistakes Were Made for You, Calm Like You, Black Plant

locksley, try: It Won't Be For Long, The Past and the Present, Let Me Know, Up the Stairs

raconteurs, try: Many Shades of Black, Old Enough, The Switch and the Spur, Consoler of the Lonely, Salute Your Solution

muse, try: Starlight, Butterflies and Hurricanes, Bliss, Hysteria

weezer
vampire weekend
beck
the strokes
regina spektor
the shins
oasis
paolo nutini
kate nash
kaiser chiefs
foxboro hot tubs
the coral

CBBBlinker

My current favorite is Jason Mraz -- never heard of him until D "introduced" me. Some lyrics are pretty explicit, but I really like his music. iTunes classifies his most recent album as "Pop," but an earlier one as "Alternative."

Also Cas Haley, the runner-up in last summer's "America's Got Talent" -- his stuff is "Reggae." As S says, "just listening to him makes me happy!"