Suggest for me some intelligent pop music

[ALago1]

I have a soft spot for soaring melodies and catchy hooks.

Here's a sampling of the type of such music I like. Keep in mind that I don't consider most of the stuff in the top 40 true pop music. To my ears, it's bland, derivative, and poorly produced. I'd like to discover some new artists in this vein:

Beatles
Brian Wilson
Barenaked Ladies
Apples in Stereo
Rufus Wainwright
Matthew Sweet
Talking Heads
Weezer
The Pixies
The Wondermints
etc. etc.

Any suggestions complete with quintessential albums will be greatly appreciated! :)

[Crazy Guggenheim]

1. From the 80's. The Fixx.

[EstimatedProphet]

56. I was just gonna mention them

They're playing here the end of the month

[pdx_prog]

74. Or Mister Mister

incredibly tight, although a little bubblegummy...

[ProfessorGAC]

82. You're My New Best Friend!

I've been a Fixxophile since the first album (Shuttered Rooms) I also had the EP that predated it, but after i had SR.

I think Reach The Beach (1983) is one of the five best albums of the entire 80's.

Those guys were utterly superb. Great groove, intelligent and metaphoric lyrics, great individual playing, and tight as tight can be.

I saw them live twice. Once in a very small room. (The Vic in Chicago.) OUTSTANDING.
The Professor

[Cocoa]

2. Del Amitri

[ALago1]

18. He sang "Roll to Me" right?

That was quite the catchy tune. Is he a one hit wonder or is the rest of his work just as solid?

[Cocoa]

32. they

Scottish Band, not Italian guy. :-)

They have a handful of catchy songs like that, not a real deep catalog as far as I know. "Tell her this" is another good one.

[ALago1]

35. Ha! Had no clue. Thanks! :)

n/t

[WCGreen]

126. Yep, there real good....

[Kerrytravelers]

3. U2

Pretty much all their albums work for me.
Dave Matthews. Again, all his albums are great.

[ALago1]

10. Hey There

I'm a fan of both of these two suggestions, but never really considered them to be "pop". I guess I'd lump them more into the rock type category.

Then again, I don't like splitting things off into genres that much...

[Kerrytravelers]

25. You're right. Not really pop.

I was thinking if the op likes the Beetles, they may like other groups that have catchy tunes and/or political messages.

[AlCzervik]

4. The English Beat, General public and the early stuff from

Fine young cannibals, pre "She drives me crazy"

[Crazy Guggenheim]

5. Good.

[AverageJoe]

6. If you like Brian Wilson & The Wondermints

Then you already have SMiLE. What else could you possibly need? :)

[ALago1]

16. Ah, of course I have SMiLE

And you're right, at the moment if I was sentenced to a desert isle and could bring only one cd with me, it would be SMiLE! Can't get enough of that disc...

[Mojambo]

7. Okay, how about

Beulah - When Your Heartstrings Break or Handsome Western States
Galactic Heroes - Every Sidewalk
New Pornographers - Anything, but especially Mass Romantic
Fruit Bats - Mouthfuls (more folk-pop but great harmonies and hooks)

[tigereye]

79. Fruit Bats

cool name. And they sound good too. Some nice tips in this thread.

thanks.

[Droopy]

8. Muse

I only have one album by them and it's called "Absolution." It's their latest effort. I think they have two other albums.

[derby378]

9. Crash Test Dummies (early to mid 90s)

These guys might be right up your alley - Canadian alternative-pop-folk.

[ALago1]

12. Interesting suggestion. Thanks.

I'm of course familiar with their big hit "mmm mmm mmm" and immediately liked their quirky sense of humor. If the rest of their stuff is just as good I really might like them a lot.

[derby378]

38. Check out AFTERNOONS AND COFFEESPOONS, among others

Off the album God Shuffled His Feet.

[patcox2]

90. Ohhhh, a Prufrock reference, they must be intellectuals.

That kinda stuff makes me laugh. Like Woodie Allan pathetically name dropping the few highbrow authors he is familiar with.

[Pale Blue Dot]

11. Neil Finn! Tim Finn! The Finn Brothers!

Also, try Martha Wainwright (Rufus's sister), Damien Rice, Ambulance Ltd., Aqualung...

[ALago1]

14. Finn Brothers, eh?

Any connection to your screen name? Never heard of them before but will check 'em out. Thanks!

[AlCzervik]

17. The split Endz, remember them?

[Pale Blue Dot]

20. And Crowded House, don't forget.

And yes, they are related to my screen name. :D

[AlCzervik]

29. i like crowded house a lot, i love both-can't pick a favorite

[Lady Effingbroke]

23. Split Enz, what a great band!

:thumbsup: :applause:

[Lady Effingbroke]

13. Al Stewart.

[Spider Jerusalem]

15. Air are quite good when it comes to intelligent pop.

Their albums "Moon Safari" and "Talkie Walkie" are, in my opinion, some of the best "pop" music of the past ten years.

[Enraged_Ape]

64. I forgot about them

"Moon Safari" is truly awesome. I never get tired of listening to it. Great, hooky tunes, amazingly produced.

[XNASA]

19. XTC, of course.

How could you not have said XTC. Andy Partridge is the most intelligent pop lyricist ...... ever.

Also Martin Newell, the Greatest Living Englishman.

And maybe Matthew Sweet.

[ALago1]

24. I've always wanted to get into XTC

For some reason I never have yet. Also Matthew Sweet is already a fave of mine, I added him to my OP. Thanks!

[AlCzervik]

40. i love XTC! I just got "The Upsy Daisy assortment" not too long ago

[ProfessorGAC]

87. I'm Shocked, SHOCKED(!) That You Would Mention Them!

Ok. I'm not shocked at all. However, i think Cy Curnin will give Andy a run in the lyrics department. (David Byrne's pretty clever too.)
The Professor

[NoSheep]

21. Alex LLoyd! He's Austrailian. Maybe you could find it on Amazon. etc.

You will NOT regret it. Beautiful voice, great lyrics, haunting melodies, intense and lovely!

[ALago1]

31. Because of your strong recommendation I'll check him out.

Thanks :)

[NoSheep]

123. Oh Goodie! Let me know if you can't find it and I'll see what I can do.

;-)

[sendero]

22. Even though they've only done a limited ..

.... number of recording, mostly long ago - if you've never listened to XTC I'm certain that, based on your list, you will love them.

[salin]

26. Talking Heads (just about any of theres fits)

same with Peter Gabrielle (sp).
Elvis Costello - Spike (lesser known -but very clever.)

[ALago1]

28. How could I have forgotten the Talking Heads????

Damn, I already am in love with them.

Elvis Costello I've heard many good things about. Another artist that I've for some reason never ventured to discover.

On edit: I've added TH to my OP. Thanks!

[tigereye]

77. Elvis C's catalog should keep you busy for quite some time!

and The Taking Heads were brilliant. I didn't realize it at the time, since they were so much fun and ubiquious, but, they were brilliant, esp. the Eno stuff.

[gmoney]

67. The Name of this Band is Talking Heads

Double live album... SO much better than Stop Making Sense, IMHO. It was unavailable forever, then snuck out a year or so back. Track it down. It's essentially TWO concerts, one from their early 4-piece days, and one from their Remain In Light large band days.

Outstanding!

[GOPisEvil]

27. The Decembrists.

[WCGreen]

127. A great new band.....

The Sporting Life.....

[MrScorpio]

30. I've got plenty

Zero7
4Hero
Herbalizer
Quasimoto
Lovage
The Roots
Guru's Jazzmatazz
Greyboy
Soulive
Yesterday's New Quintet
Minus 8
Micatone
Bertrand Burgalat
Wagon Christ
Digital Planets
DJ Mark Farina
Jill Scott
Ursula Rucker
Clara Hill
Jazzanova
Bobby Hughes Combination
Common
Mos Def
David Holmes
The Detroit Experiment
Erykah Badu
Handsome Boy Modeling School
Nuspirit Helsinki
Kyoto Jazz Massive
Madlib
Nicola Conte
Omar
Prefuse 73
St Germain
Thievery Corporation
United Future Organization


And Various Yam-Who? remixes

[ALago1]

33. Damn, that list will keep me busy for a while.

I know exactly 5 of those you listed:
Zero7, The Roots, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott...

Thanks for the extensive suggestions. Any recommendation on the best place to start?

[MrScorpio]

37. Check my David Bassin and Jazzmusique links

And I live on Limewire

[northzax]

88. i wouldn't call Thievery Corporation pop, so much

although I heart them- nice to see the local boys do well, they show up at randon DC bars and spin at times.

Try The Beautiful South

[derby378]

131. Jazzanova!

I heard these guys on Dutch radio. Wonderful chill vibe they've got going for them.

[pilsengirl]

34. Pop music with

soaring melodies, catchy hooks and smart-ass lyrics. The Beautiful South.

[LoZoccolo]

36. The song "Undercover Angel".

Which is NOT about masturbation.

[ALago1]

39. That isn't an Oasis song, is it? :)

J/K. If it is, I'll still check it out. They are pretty darn good if I do say so myself...

[liberalpragmatist]

52. haha, yay! at least some respect for Oasis

Oasis first two albums are great, so is their b-sides comp., the Masterplan.

That said, I know how the Lounge HATES Oasis! And anyway, there's still tons of other great stuff.

I like a LOT of Britrock. See my suggestions below. Post #55 (oh, and the song LoZoccolo mentioned isn't an Oasis track).

[liberalpragmatist]

54. self-delete

double post

[sendero]

41. oooohohhhh ...

... I see you've added a few bands.

Now you are getting down right adventurous.

Of course, the king, champion, professor of pop music is a little-know n Englishman by the name of Brian Peter George St. Jean le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, generally referred to as Brian Eno, who has created some of the most intelligent, original and interesting pop music ever. Talking Heads 3 best albums (More songs..., Fear of Music, Remain in Light) were in collaboration with him.

Now, he's done some "ambient" stuff that is pretty out there. But he's also done a lot of really great records. He has a new CD out that I really love, it's kind of downbeat but it is a commentary on the times and musically very anti-boring. It's called "Another Day on Earth".

Eno writes commentaries on politics and such now and then, he used to be a close friend of Tony Blair's but then they don't get on any more.

Anyway, maybe you could download it and if you like it (ADoE, give it at least 3 listens before you decide) then buy it. That's what I do. :)

[ALago1]

42. I am aware of Eno the producer

"Remain In Light" is one of my favorite albums and he is generally credited for a good portion of its genius.

Didn't know he had his own material, but now I'm definitely interested.

[sendero]

44. As a unabashed Enophile...

... let me suggest these recordings:

Another Green World (1975) - simply fantastic recording that is seriously a key lynchpin to everything interesting in pop music that followed.

Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (1975) - a quirky, quixotic effort that is also full of songs that are at once crazy and engaging.

Apollo (1983) - a completely "ambient" recording (no lyrics) replete with moods and atmospheres not of this earth.

All of these require more than one listen. Really good music sometimes takes time to absorb. In any event, Eno has certainly created some mediocre work in his time, but when he hits a home run, it is out of the park by a mile :)

[ALago1]

45. Awesome. They are added to my list. Thanks!

n/t

[tigereye]

78. yes

:thumbsup:

[ksilvas]

92. Eno's "Before and After Science" Side 1 Pop Side 2 into ambiant. Nice Comb

[derby378]

132. Funny Eno story here

A long time ago, just as the original EG pressings of Brian Eno's stuff were fading off the shelves, I bought Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) and my brother bought Music for Films. After we listened to each other's Eno CDs, we agreed to swap them.

[ALago1]

43. I just wanted to interject here...

...and say that this thread is awesome!! Thank you SO much everybody for your suggestions. I have a world of new music to explore now.

If anyone out there has some more recommendations they'd like to share I'd still love to hear them!!!

[Liberal In Texas]

46. Aqua

Great party song, "Barbie Girl":

Listen to a BRIEF excerpt, scroll down to Barbie Girl...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/clipserve/B000002P7Z001003/0/002-2493957-0009634



<edited for real bad previous information>

[ALago1]

49. Meh. Too technoish for me.

I'm familiar with this album as my sister had it and played it non-stop when it first came out. Not really my cup of tea. I appreciate the suggestion anyway :)

[omega minimo]

47. Squeeze

aka UK Squeeze in the early days, plus Glen Tilbrook (lead singer and stunning guitarist) solo.

BRILLIANT

Also second the nom for Del Amitri-- check out Twisted or the B-sides compilation.... for upbeat pure pop perfection, get Change Everything.

Sugar and Bob Mould solo. Look for Copper Blue. Gorgeous and rockin.

[Justin54B20L]

48. Blues Traveler, Reel Big Fish, O.A.R., Aquabats, TMBG

just to name a few i think you'd be interested in.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

50. Rilo Kiley

Appleseed Cast, The Decemberists, Beulah, The Delgados, Citizen Cope, Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura, Azure Ray...

[Omphaloskepsis]

65. Saw them a few weeks ago.. Rilo Kiley.. that is.

Great band..

[crispini]

51. if you're a fan of "smile"

then you totally need to check out the Polyphonic Spree. 24 piece orchestral pop goodness. How many rock and roll bands do you know with an 8 piece choir, a french horn, a flute, and a theremin. as well as the guitars and so on!

[ALago1]

60. This definitely piqued my interest

I will look into this group asap. Thank you.

[sundog]

53. Jack Johnson

most def

[liberalpragmatist]

55. The BOO RADLEYS (and other Britpop)

I'm a huge fan of Britrock, where I generally find a greater emphasis on melody.

One FANTASTIC band that is completely unknown in the US is a mid-90s British Indie-rock group called The Boo Radleys. Their two masterpieces are the albums Giant Steps and Wake Up! Check them out at allmusic.com, and if you have iTunes, switch your settings to the British store, and you can sample those two albums (although you won't be able to purchase them). They have gorgeous melodies, blend of the Beatles, The Beach Boys, plus a heavy dose of shoegazing elements and even some reggae touches (at least on Giant Steps). They have a new best-of compilation coming out next week, which I have on order called "Find the Way Out"

Other great Britrock acts include Blur - great group, extremely ecletic. I enjoy every one of their albums exc. for their debut - Modern Life is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994), Great Escape (1995), Blur (1997), 13 (1999) is okay, and I LOVE their 2003 album Think Tank.

The Stone Roses are great. Kind of spacey, vaguely danceable, kind of atmospheric way.

As for Oasis - haha, shouldn't bring up Oasis in the DU Lounge - but (What's the Story) Morning Glory? is a fantastic pop album, so is their b-sides compilation The Masterplan. Their debut is excellent but far more rocking - more punkish, very garage-sounding, so I don't know how you'd feel about that. Their newest album is actually very good - Don't Believe the Truth - although it's not as "sing-a-long" as their older albums.

Check out Teenage Fanclub, heavily influenced by American groups like Big Star. Really great stuff.

Another great British group is Idlewild. Their newer albums are a little like Coldplay's but in my opinion, better (and I DO like Coldplay).

Oh, and check out Suede and The Tears - Suede was a rock group of the early '90s, very theatrical, vaguely gay-themed (although none of the members were actually gay) - both Suede and Dog Man Star are great albums. The Tears is a reunion group of sorts - the original head pair - Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler have gotten back together and produced a fantastic collection of melancholy pop tunes.

Check out all these groups at allmusic.com

Do you like Bowie? Lots of great Bowie stuff.

[ALago1]

61. The Brits definitely put out some quality stuff

Oddly enough, I have heard of the Boo Radleys but never actually "heard" the Boo Radleys. Now I'm interested.

Blur is of course awesome and I really do like Oasis as well. Same goes for Bowie.

Teenage Fanclub I've also heard of but never listened to.

This list was invaluable. Thanks again!

[liberalpragmatist]

104. Yup - oh, and SUPERGRASS and THE VERVE

How could I forget those two? Two of my favorites. Supergrass is fantastic, they're a little punk, one of the most fun, most enjoyable pop-rock groups in the world and their hundreds... NO, MILLIONS times better than any of the pop-punk crap we get on American radio.

And The Verve are great. Their first record is a great shoegazing record, their second a mix of beautiful (though devastating and emotional) ballds and long, spacey jams. Their third album (their most popular) with Bitterwsweet Symphony is called Urban Hymns and is a more traditional atmospheric orch-pop album, but it's great - lyrically, musically.

Oh, and one that I haven't checked out but plan to - a Swedish group called the Shout Out Louds (or is just "Shout Out Loud"?) - anyway, I sampled some of their stuff and they sounded great as well - very much in the indie/pop category, but I plan to check it out and based on what it sounded like, you'd probably like it a lot too.

Definitely use allmusic.com - one of the best resources ever. Their reviews are great, balanced, and informative, and I've discovered so many of my favorite bands off that site.

[ALago1]

107. I really appreciate your enthusiasm

Your list will be some of the first I venture to check out. Thanks again!

[name not needed]

57. Here's some suggestions

Not all pop, but listen anwyay.

Thunderbirds are Now!, Rilo Kiley, and the following:

The Robocop Kraus

http://www.therobocopkraus.de/

SouthoftheBorderPaul's band, The 8th Grade

http://www.the8thgrade.com/

The World/Inferno Friendship Society, not pop, but definitely worth a listen

http://www.myspace.com/worldinferno

Paris, Texas

http://www.myspace.com/paristexasrock

[no name no slogan]

58. Anything by the Chameleons or Comsat Angels

Both are intelligent, underrated guitar pop bands who were a big influence on many of the early 90s "shoegaze" bands (like Ride, Slowdive, Catherine Wheel, etc.).

The Chameleons "Strange Times" (1987) is one of the lost guitar pop masterpieces of the 1980s, and still sounds as fresh and immediate as it did nearly 20 years ago.

You may also want to check out The House Of Love and the Chills, too, for finely-crafted guitar pop. Highly recommended! :hi:

[LoZoccolo]

59. Roxy Music

They were basically the forerunners of Duran Duran. They started off kind-of bizarre and ended up refined.

[auburngrad82]

62. Amos Lee, Bob Dylan, The Waterboys nt

[Enraged_Ape]

63. I love all those groups (Matthew Sweet not so much)

If you like Apples in Stereo, you will like the other Elephant 6 Collective group Olivia Tremor Control.

Other huge faves of mine:

Moonpools & Caterpillars
Badfinger
Big Star
The Raspberries
Dwight Twilley / Phil Seymour

[ALago1]

70. Awesome

Thanks for recommending the rest of the Elephant 6 catalog. I really do enjoy Apples In Stereo a lot so it never dawned on me to check out the rest of the label...

[Enraged_Ape]

73. Dusk at Cubist Castle...

by Olivia Tremor Control, is an absolute masterpiece, if you can find it.

[cleofus1]

66. Charlie Robinson

great fusion of country pop and other genres

My name is John O'Reilly
And my father worked the fields
In the hills of old Kilarny
Where I helped him turn the wheels
My arms grew hard as iron for a boy of 17
And I used my fists for gambling in those wet Kilarny streets

Well the ship left for America and I brought my pack aboard
Said goodbye to my dear Ireland said a prayer to my dear Lord
I fought those sorry guineas in the kitchen they called hell
I fought them for their dollar and those guineas paid me well

Chorus
Fair thee well fair Dover
Fair thee well your seasons turn
For my pockets will be jingling on the day of my return
The day of my return

I fought in New York City and I fought the Jersey shore
My gut stayed full of whiskey and my bed stayed full of whores
They called my right a cannonball and my left they called the same
I left em' all lyin' half in blood and half in shame

I met a man on '32 and he stuck out his hand
And he offered me a thousand if I'd fall before his man
I said it could be done but only for another two
He smiled at me and nodded as I stuck it in my shoe

Chorus
Fair thee well fair Dover
Fair thee well your seasons turn
For my pockets will be jingling on the day of my return
The day of my return

They rang the bell two times before I let him have my nose
And I let him work my left until my eye was swollen closed
Then I let loose a right that they still talk about today
For that guinea didn't know that I had bet the other way

They covered every dock and every port there on the coast
Looking for that double crosser who had turned into a ghost
But I was on a train my friend that rode the other way
And i'll sail from California back to Dublin one fine day

Chorus
Fair thee well fair Dover
Fair thee well your seasons turn
For my pockets will be jingling on the day of my return
The day of my return

[gmoney]

68. Spoon... funny name, great band (n/T)

[ghostsofgiants]

69. Some of my favourites...

Tegan and Sara - "So Jealous" or "The Business of Art"
Bright Eyes - "Digital Ash In A Digital Urn"
Sam Roberts - "We Were Born In A Flame"
Matthew Good - "Avalanche" (Not sure if that'd be considered pop or not, but whatever, it's a good album, haha.)
The Weakerthans - "Reconstruction Site"
Death Cab For Cutie - "Transatlanticism"
Phantom Planet - "Phantom Planet"

[patcox2]

71. Rock aint intellectual, its sexual.

Read a good book, then go mindlessly rock out.

Combining the too ruins both, for me.

The bar for being an "intellectual" pop artist is sooooooo low that its pathetic anyway. You get crap like Rush and John Lennon being adulated for their pathetic attempts at being "intellectual."

[ALago1]

86. I must disagree with you

I think popular music can be intellectual. Lennon was a genius and brought a lot of social consciousness to people through his music

And what about Dylan? You wouldn't dismiss his work as a "pathetic attempt" at being intellectual, would you? I think he's a real deal genius...

[patcox2]

89. Dylan was a musical genius.

Music can and should be intelligent. But it gets awful ponderous when it gets intellectual.

Lennon never said anything above freshman intro to philosophy level in his life. His songs are almost universally dirges with melodies on the level of nursery rhymes and football chants (except Imagine, don't know where that came from). For the life of me, his "genius" completely eludes me. He was intelligent and aware, very free in his thinking, and very spiritual (what a great advance that he stopped beating women, great topic to celebrate in song), and that made his music better, but a genius? Only when compared to run of the mill bonehead rockstars maybe, but not compared to real intellectuals.

[ALago1]

91. Well, when I think of the term genius...

...I don't necessarily think of someone who produced some grand piece of work that will be revered forever. Instead, I would classify geniuses as those who alter the course of a certain artform/skill/craft positively for future generations.

So, while I can respect (although don't totally agree with) your opinion that Lennon didn't necessarily produce something that will stand the test of time as a great work in and of itself, he did change the course of things to a great extent, positively as well. That earns him the label genius in my book.

[patcox2]

94. Well, I sometimes defensively go after John as a Paul fan.

Together I believe that they did produce a body of work that will stand the test of time and will be played 100 years from now.

I saw Paul three years ago, absolutely amazing, it must have been something to see them together.

[ALago1]

95. Paul equally deserves the genius term imo

From what I've read, John was fairly absent during the Beatles' most creative period (i.e. Sgt. Pepper). That was mainly Paul's baby, but John did contribute some gems.

However, never could get into a lot of Paul's solo work (especially during the Wings era). Would still love to see him perform live though.

[sendero]

110. And sex...

... is mostly in the mind. I'll have to disagree with you on that one. :)

[patcox2]

134. If you have managed a synthesis of appolonian and dionysian,

That would be great news and should be shared with the world.

I will remain convinced that great rock (not necessarily pop)is principally a Dionysian endeavor, both to create and to appreciate. As is great sex.

As the great philosopher Mojo Nixon once sang: "don't be afraid of fun, loosen up your ponytail, be wild, young, free and dumb, get your head outta your tail, Don Henly must die."

[sendero]

138. Don't worry..

.... I can get my freak on just fine :) But I've never really been a fan of straight-up simple-assed 3-chord rock. Sorry :)

[Rob H.]

72. Just a few off the top of my head...

Frisbie - The Subversive Sounds of Love

Sugarbomb - Bully (I was gonna wish you good luck finding it since it's out of print, but I just checked the iTunes Music Store and they have it! Yay!)

The Stereo - Rewind + Record

David Mead - Mine and Yours

Blue Cartoon - The Wonder of It All

Josh Clayton-Felt - Spirit Touches Ground

...and another vote for Teenage Fanclub--I had no idea there were so many fans of theirs here. :)

[MissMillie]

75. Aimee Mann

it's not chirpy pop. Her lyrics are decidedly melancholy, but smart nonetheless.

She has a way of saying what she has to say in a way that's never been said before, but when you hear it, you know it should have been said that way all along.

And she has her own independent label, so when you buy her stuff, you're not supporting music industry establishment that refuses to release anything that isn't "marketable".

[norml]

76. For something done this millennium try Ween.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ween&btnG=Google+Search

[tigereye]

81. the Dandy Warhols

The Throwing Muses, plus solo stuff by Kristen Hersh and her other bandmate, Tanya Donnelly - the band was Belly.

[ALago1]

84. Big Ween fan already

"The Mollusk" is a masterpiece, imo...

[sendero]

111. Well..

... you already seem pretty plugged in :) I love Ween also, but my favorites are Pure Guava and Chocolate and Cheese.

I have "the Mollusk", but only listened to it a couple times and it didn't grab me. Have to give it another shot !

[no name no slogan]

80. How could I forget my band?

See the link in my sig. We've been described as "The Cure on Prozac". Enjoy! :)

[ALago1]

85. Excellent. Will do.

n/t

[dajoki]

83. have you ever heard...

louden wainwrightIII, rufus's father, i think you might like him. try "attempted mustache" good album.:hippie:

[Lilith Velkor]

93. Cake

[dean_dem]

96. Sloan!

Pretty Together, Twice Removed, and even newer albums like Action Pact are excellent power pop.

And The New Pornographers' Mass Romantic. You should check them out.

[PunkPop]

98. Love the New Pornographers!

Not familiar with Mass Romantic. Is that a full CD? I have Electric Version. Looks like the new one comes out in August. Can't wait.

[dean_dem]

133. Mass Romantic is the album before Electric Version.

If you like that stuff, you should check out A.C. Newman's The Slow Wonder. It's Carl Newman of the NP's solo album. Very nice.

[PunkPop]

137. Ok, I see it now.

I wasn't reading their discography page close enough.

ON EDIT: http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/n/newman_ac/slow-wonder.shtml

Looks like my favorite new music resource agrees with you. Will definitely put that on my list.

[PunkPop]

97. The Shins

'Oh, Inverted World' or 'Chutes too Narrow'. Both great albums.

If you like the Pixies you'd probably like British Sea Power and Les Savy Fav.

Cat Power.

Oh, and one I just got, The Hold Steady, 'Separation Sunday'.

[jayfish]

99. No Radiohead?

No Cranberries? What gives? :shrug: And for the brave sole who mentioned Crash Test Dummies, good call.

Jay

[ALago1]

101. I love Radiohead

However, I would consider them quite the antithesis of "pop".

[jayfish]

102. As Of Late...

probably not. But their early stuff is most definitely pop.

Jay

[ALago1]

103. Yeah, you're right

Pablo Honey & The Bends certainly were. After that, not so much...

[jayfish]

109. The Bends Is One Of My Favs. -NT-

[bikebloke]

100. Zazie

Since she's French and it's Bastille Day.

Believe it or not, Tom Jones' Reload disque(European version)of cover collaborations is good.

Spliff's 85555

Split Enz

[lovelaureng]

105. You really need to check out

The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute. I really like it and would highly recommend it. Burn a copy of it, borrow it, or go out and buy it. You won't be sorry. Something newer and something different.

[ALago1]

106. Love the Mars Volta

Very refreshingly unique. Not to mention stellar musicianship.

Again, however, I still wouldn't classify them as "pop", per se...

[lovelaureng]

108. I agree,

not really pop, but I thought they were worth mentioning anyway. I just recently started listening to them myself and really like it.

[sendero]

112. A few other random ..

.... works of art!

Portishead - "Dummy". No way to even describe this. Sampler based music with achingly beautiful vocals about love and longing and darkness. Trip-hop.

Sublime - "Sublime". Their last and best record. Punk/reggea/ska/kitchen-sink

The Wolfgang Press - "Queer" English band mixes motown influnenced music, cynical 90s lyrics and comes up with an original masterpiece.

Brian Eno & David Byrne - "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" found sound "vocals" with African rhythms and percussion.

Boards of Canada - "Geogaddi" - Sampler-based pseudo-ambient from Scottish duo. Or really anything by these two.

Goldie - "Timeless" - first and best album from Goldie, drum&bass style with some soulful vocals and crunching beats.

Cocteau Twins - anything before 1992 - you'll either love them or hate them. I love them :)

[mvd]

113. My suggestions

I highly recommend these, who were already mentioned:

New Pornographers
The Shins
Rilo Kiley
Crash Test Dummies
Cat Power
Aimee Mann
Tegan and Sara
Neil Finn/Finn Brothers
Teenage Fanclub
The Decemberists
Martha Wainwright

Some others (that you might not have heard of. I love some artists like Michelle Branch, Green Day, Coldplay, and Avril Lavigne in the top 40, but I'm leaving out current top 40 here just in case) -

Hope 7
Anna Nalick
Kay Hanley/Letters To Cleo
Courtney Jaye
Marion Raven
Alexz Johnson
Fisher
Raveonettes
Shanti
The Postal Service
Annie
The All-American Rejects
Wallflowers
Ben Folds
Tuuli
Miss Mary
Sufjan Stevens
Sleater-Kinney
Bonnie McKee
Abra Moore
Jo Davidson
Laura Dawn
Penelope Houston
Elliott Smith
Butterfly Boucher
Maria Mena
Eisley
Joseph Arthur
The Corrs
Thea Gilmore
Cindy Alexander
Aslyn
The Doves
The Effection
Tracy Bonham
Megan Slankard
Go-Betweens
Maren Ord
Evan And Jaron
Leona Naess
Caesars
Keren
Garbage
Fountains Of Wayne
The Wrens
Wilco
Anne McCue
Of course, The White Stripes
Chris Isaak

I could go on and on..

Sorry, but I can't recommend the new Mars Volta at all. But it's worth a try.. some love it, and some hate it.

[ALago1]

115. Oooh, Fountains of Wayne another fave I forgot to mention

How is their new compilation release? Haven't heard much about it. I think it's called "Out of State Plates" or something like that.

[mvd]

116. I haven't heard it - sorry

Maybe someone else can answer. :hi:

[mvd]

117. BTW

Great topic - I've found some artists for me to look up, too. Even though from my list I MIGHT like more expansive pop than you do, I'm glad you recognize there is pop for all tastes. :hi:

[ALago1]

118. Thanks!

I'm very surprised and thrilled as to how this thread took off. I'm going to be sure and bookmark it for future reference in my musical explorations.

Just curious, what do you mean by "expansive" pop?

[mvd]

119. By that I meant..

I might like some more of the current radio-friendly pop. That's all.

[ALago1]

121. Ah I see

Well Green Day & Coldplay (as you had mentioned above) are a-ok in my book.

I actually owe Green Day an apology. When they first hit it big I wrote them off as a flash in the pan. They showed me up, especially with their latest release (one of my favorites of 2004).

[ALago1]

122. Ah I see

Well Green Day & Coldplay (as you had mentioned above) are a-ok in my book.

I actually owe Green Day an apology. When they first hit it big I wrote them off as a flash in the pan. They showed me up, especially with their latest release (one of my favorites of 2004).

[mvd]

124. That's great

I'm not crazy about Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears (like some songs,) Christina Aguilera, boy bands like Backstreet Boys, Ashlee Simpson, J-Lo, modern rap and hip-hop (actually all rap,) Creed, and Maroon 5 - but all 4 of the ones I mentioned IMO are making great hooks with worthwhile lyrics, even if the lyrics don't target me.

Take care. :hi:

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

125. OMG MEGAN SLANKARD

I second! I second that!

[mvd]

130. Cool, LPFF! You know about her

I didn't think anyone else would. It seems that we sometimes discover the same new artists at around the same time.

I'd also like to recommend Nina Gordon and The Painkillers to the opening poster. I'm sure I forgot more, too..

[chaska]

114. Sorry, but that's an oxymoron.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

120. Van Morrison, "Astral Weeks"

[WCGreen]

128. The Sundays......

The Format, real catchy pop tunes.....
Ben Folds
Joe Jackson
Garbage
Iron and Wine
Blanche
Devo

This is what I was listening to tonight......

[Squeech]

129. Ry Cooder's new CD, Chavez Ravine

It's been in heavy rotation at my house for a couple months now. It's Cooder's first project under his own name since he produced the Buena Vista Social Club project and its various offshoots. Now he's back home in Los Angeles, using the chicano music of the LA barrios (past and present) to tell the story of this one time neighborhood, Chavez Ravine, that was bulldozed in the 1950s as an urban renewal project, but ultimately the project fell apart and the land was signed over to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who were moving the franchise to LA, to build their new stadium.

The songs tell the story, obliquely, in both English and Spanish, and some of these tunes just groove relentlessly. In a fairer world, the tune called "Muy Fifi" would be a top 40 hit, it just kicks ass. There's a lot of nostalgia in it too; there's a tune called "Third Base, Dodger Stadium," based on the premise that the people that used to live in Chavez Ravine remember exactly where they lived and can point out their former homesteads on the diamond-- and the character singing this song now has the job of parking attendant at the ballpark, so he's grateful he's got a good job, but still...

Anyway, it's far and away my favorite record of the year so far.

[patcox2]

135. How about Jonathan Richman?

I recently discovered him, and I am in that "wild crush" phase with his music, as described by the Replacements in "Alex Chilton."

He records songs in spanish, french, and italian, and he sounds better in those lnaguages, in english his phrasing is wierd (as when he sang the narration in "Something About Mary")as well as english, but its all fun.

[mtnester]

136. If you were looking for good lyrics, I would not overlook Green Day or

the Black Crowes, "Southern Harmony & Musical Company" ("~The scars I hide are now your business~" from Hotel Illness) and Shake Your Money Maker ("~And the cross from someone she has not met, Not yet~" from She Talks To Angels)....really great lyrics lurking around, especially in the Southern Harmony album.

For some of the best though, John Cougar (so as not to totally date myself, insert Mellencamp in place of Cougar)....The American Poet. Go all the way back to "Nothing Matters and What If It Did" and just go from there..."Mr. Happy Go Lucky" is fantastic...the lyrics are just right there IMO.