[*shiny girl*]

Originally Posted by madelen So, I was listening to a few of Damien Rice's songs the other day and you guys are right. It is very rainy day...Somehow very, very sad IMO. Some of the songs just make me want to cry. Not as in 'they're bad', but 'cause the music is so emotional somehow...If you understand what I mean...? Love 'Amie' and 'Blower's Daughter'. Beautiful. ilovetheshins - thanks for the recommendation. I'll check Eisley out at amazon.com and listen to some clips.

Yes, I understand you, I don't even know how many times I cried when I was in a bad mood to a very emotional song... but ... well, I emotional music because it makes you always think of your life aso....Pia

[feist]

Originally Posted by madelen ilovetheshins - so what kind of bands/artists are Damien Rice, Kings of Convenience, Sufjan Stevens, Belle and Sebastian and Eisley? Anything like The Shins or Franz Ferdinand? Since I haven't heard of them before... Should I include them in my CD collection?

OH MY GOSH! Someone here knows Kings of Convenience and Sufjan Stevens?!? Those are some of my 2 freaking favorite music artists right now. Wow. This is cool.

Kings of Convenience- they get a lot of comparisons to Simon and Garfunkel. They're two cool Norweigan boys strumming guitar with mellow folk-ish songs and great lyrics. I just saw them live last week. It was magical. You can go on mtv.com and watch some of their videos to see if you're interested. Their newest album is "Riot On An Empty Street".

Sufjan Stevens- this guy is a genius. He has a really weird but cool plan to make a concept album for all 50 US states. So far he has Greetings From Michigan. It's really good. He is also folk-ish and mellow, but doesn't limit himself to guitar on this cd. On the whole, his cd sort of beautifully laments the demise of Michigan, his birth state. His second cd that I have is Seven Swans. It's more religious and quieter than Michigan, but equally as good in a different way.

Oh, and I have a recommendation. Feist. My username inspiration lol. She's a canadian singer with the most beautiful voice you could ever hear. Her wonderful debut album is "Let It Die".

If you guys have real player, BBC collective has some full length songs of these artists that you could hear:

Kings of Convenience: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A2731259
Sufjan Stevens: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A2799660
Feist: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A2821376

Sorry I went a little crazy with this post. I just got really excited because I never thought I would meet someone on Fan Forum to know of them.

Oh, and the New Pornographers rock too

[madelen]

Glad to see a new poster on this thread Christine! This thread has been a little abandoned lately...

This thread is the first place where I've ever heard of Kings of Convenience and Sufjan Stevens. But I really need to check them out. ilovetheshins and Airie are the music geniuses on this thread, I just follow their suggestions. And so far I've liked the suggestions. Like Damien Rice and The Shins.

I need to check out Feist too..She sounds great.

Btw, have you guys heard about this Swedish artist called Moneybrother? Don't know if his music is in your taste, but I just fell in love with his song They're Building Walls Around Us.

[ilovetheshins]

Originally Posted by feist OH MY GOSH! Someone here knows Kings of Convenience and Sufjan Stevens?!? Those are some of my 2 freaking favorite music artists right now. Wow. This is cool.Feist: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A2821376 Sorry I went a little crazy with this post. I just got really excited because I never thought I would meet someone on Fan Forum to know of them. Oh, and the New Pornographers rock too

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check out Feist sometime soon. Always on the lookout for new stuff.

Welcome to our board! It's always great to have new enthusiastic posters! Yes, so you are more than allowed to call me slightly fanatical. Airie and I have quite different tastes that occasionally overlap, but that is the beauty of GG fans. They have great taste and appreciation for music.

Currently, I'm giving The Frames, The Futureheads, Erlend Oye (of Kings of Convenience, but his solo album is ambient techno) and Pedro the Lion a listen. It's been hard keeping up and paying attention lately.

EDIT: Listening to Feist right now. Very chic and cute!! Her voice sounds a little mix of Isobel Campbell (of Belle & Sebastian, and The Gentle Waves) and the girls from Pink Martini.

Fiest, do you like in the UK?

EDIT #2: It's all your fault! OK, so complete impulse buy, but I just bought "Let It Die."

[feist]

madelen thanks for the welcome =D Moneybrothers? No, I'll check them out too! And Damien Rice actually...I've heard great things about his cd. Is it really good?

ilovetheshins- I'm so glad you bought Let It Die! I pretty much love every song on that cd, so it's def. worth it. She's also appears on 2 songs on Kings of Convenience's record Riot on an Empty Street. That's how I heard of her. And which of Erlend's cd are you listening to? Unrest or DJ Kicks? I've been meaning to listen to them, but I'm not sure how they sound like.

Could you recommend some other artists to me? I tend to go for the more mellower material.

No...I def. don't live in the UK. I'm from California yeah madelen , tis quite warm right now!

And you're right, it's VERY tough keeping up with all the great music hidden around everywhere.

[madelen]

Originally Posted by feist madelen thanks for the welcome =D Moneybrothers? No, I'll check them out too! And Damien Rice actually...I've heard great things about his cd. Is it really good?

I like it. Have you seen Closer? One of Damien Rice's songs is in that movie: Blower's Daughter (one of my faves).

Have you heard about Keane? They're definetly mellow, and they have some amazing songs.

[Airie]

Originally Posted by madelen I like it. Have you seen Closer? One of Damien Rice's songs is in that movie: Blower's Daughter (one of my faves).

I love that Mike Nichols decided to take that route again, of using one artist to theme the whole movie. He did that with The Graduate, too, but with Simon& Garfunkel. *pauses to think about how much she loooooooooooooooves that movie* I should try Closer. I love Nichols, I love Jude, and I love the fact that he's using the same soundtrack idea as The Graduate...I just have to get over how melodramatic the movie looks and how much polyamory makes me want to harm people and how the whole Jude/Julia pairing FREAKS ME OUT.

Ahem.

[ilovetheshins]

Originally Posted by Airie75 I just have to get over how melodramatic the movie looks and how much polyamory makes me want to harm people and how the whole Jude/Julia pairing FREAKS ME OUT.

The movie is about 4 very imperfect and flawed (translation: human) people who treat each other like dirt. Personally, I liked it (and if you like this, you will likely also like "We Don't Live Here Anymore") but don't really want to experience my hatred for the ugliness in this world over and over again. I actually think it's one of those uncomfortably great films.

Feist, I'm waiting for "Let It Die" to arrive in the mail. I have Erlend Oye's "DJ Kicks." I also tend towards mellower, most of the time. Damien Rice would be perfect for you in this case. Hrm, I think Pedro the Lion's "Control" is fairly mellow indie rock. The Frames' "Burn the Maps" is even mellower.

If you are into the smoother sounds, I would really recommend Madeleine Peyroux and Dave's True Story - they are both classified under "jazz," I would imagine, but I really like them. (Peyroux is French-Canadian, with a voice almost identical to Billie Holiday. Dave's True Story is a NYC-based outfit who has extremely amusing and literate lyrics - think along the veins of GG style, or Dorothy Parker style.) Also, there is Pink Martini, a Portland-based orchestral-ish ensemble of all styles of music (mostly covers) and languages. Their first album "Sympathique" probably features songs in at least 6 different languages. Their second album "Hang On Little Tomato" is just as good but slightly different in feel.

Hopefully that is a good start, but probably a broader, or genre-shifting start. If none of this floats your boat, come back, tell me so, and I'll try to head in another direction.

[feist]

Cool! I'll have to try all of them out! And how do you like DJ Kicks? Is it worth buying?

[madelen]

Originally Posted by Airie75 I should try Closer. I love Nichols, I love Jude, and I love the fact that he's using the same soundtrack idea as The Graduate...I just have to get over how melodramatic the movie looks and how much polyamory makes me want to harm people and how the whole Jude/Julia pairing FREAKS ME OUT.

It'a actually a really good movie. And like ilovetheshins said, very human. Nothing is glossed over in that movie.

I actually think it's one of those uncomfortably great films.

Yeah, it was definetly not a feel-good movie! It was uncomfortable to watch it at times, but you couldn't help watching...

[feist]

Woosh. Bumping this thread a bit. But I do have things to contribute!

ilovetheshins, have you listened to Let It Die yet? And how is DJ Kicks?

Plus, I am really loving Damien Rice! His cd is so...pretty. That was a very good recommendation. Do you have anymore? No more guys crooning and strumming guitar though...I have too many Kings of Convenience, Sufjan, Damien, Howie Day, and now Jens Lekman too.

Oh yes Jens. Got a new cd...maybe some you Europeans have heard of him...When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog by Jens Lekman.

[madelen]

No, I haven't heard of Jens Lekman? Where is he from? Have to check him out.

Fell in love with this song (and the video) "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. It's so cute!

[Airie]

I finally d/led "Mona Lisa" and heard the full thing.

OH.

MY.

GOD.

I'm just gonna be listening to this over and over for a couple months...

Also, the Mooney Suzuki are strange...but I like 'em. "Alive & Amplified" (song, not whole album) was fun.

[ilovetheshins]

Originally Posted by feist ilovetheshins, have you listened to Let It Die yet? And how is DJ Kicks? Plus, I am really loving Damien Rice! His cd is so...pretty. That was a very good recommendation. Do you have anymore? No more guys crooning and strumming guitar though...I have too many Kings of Convenience, Sufjan, Damien, Howie Day, and now Jens Lekman too. [/B].

Sorry for being so MIA! It's been a superhectic last few weeks. ARGH, there was a major SNAFU when I ordered Feist because they ended up sending me a CD single instead of the Let It Die, so no, I have not heard it yet. But I will get around to it, once I get settled. (I'm in the process of moving out of my place into a new one, and buying a new car, starting a new job, etc.)

I do like DJ Kicks a lot, but it is eletronic and not acoustic strummies. If you are into ambient house music with the soothing vocals of Erlend Oye (same guy as lead Kings of Convenience), then you will like it.

Have yet to listen to Jens Lekman, but I'll try to check that out as well. Lately, I've been listening to a lot of The Decemberists (new one just out) and Okkervil River. Just saw them in concert this past weekend.

[feist]

Originally Posted by madelen No, I haven't heard of Jens Lekman? Where is he from? Have to check him out. Fell in love with this song (and the video) "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. It's so cute!

He's a huge star in his native Sweden.

ilovetheshins, they sent you a single instead? Aw! iTunes currently has a free single from her, "One Evening". You can check that out. And she just won 2 Junos (canadian grammys)! Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album.

Ooohh, I've been hearing a lot about the Decemberists. I shall listen to them.