Various music recommendations

Old Roommate asked me for some music recommendations.  He also suggested that my responses might make a good blog entry.  And he's right.


I'm rapidly finding that my tastes aren't **everybody's** tastes.  So, just because I like this stuff doesn't mean that you will.

Here's what's on my recent playlist (so to speak) -- plus a few things that I like, but haven't listened to for a while.  In stream-of-consciousness order:


For some reason, female solo acts have been the "new bands" that I've been listening to.

Lisa Mitchell (song "Coin Laundry")

Jem (Welsh singer-songwriter) (song "They" and "Just a Ride")

Regina Spektor ("Fidelity", "Eet", "Better")

A lot of Aimee Mann's stuff -- but not all of it.

Material Issue is one of my favorite bands (1990s). Sadly, the singer/songwriter/guitarist guy killed himself after the fourth(?) major label album; so, that was that.

Guided By Voices no longer exists (1990s?) -- but they did a lot of quirky, catchy, lo-fi short little songs.

The Outfield (late '80s?) ("Since You've Been Gone", plus others you'll probably recognize from the radio)

Rush (Canadian; not for everyone) ("Tom Sawyer", "Temple of Syrinx")

Spiderbait is an Australian band (3 piece); sometimes the guy sings, sometimes the lady sings; they cover lots of different styles ("Black Betty", "F**ken Awesome")

The Ting-Tings (duo) ("That's not My Name", "Shut up and Let Me Go")

The Grates (Australian 3 piece, no bassist) ("19-20-20", "Trampoline", their breakthrough hit "The Message") (I only like their first two albums)

Operator Please (Australian, all were in high school when they did their breakthrough album) ("Just a Song About Ping-Pong")


--GG