Bahamut Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 So, I know the other one a while ago has died out, but this is something I think anyone open-minded to exploring genres would be happy for. Just list a recommendation, and the genre, and I will edit it in or under this post under the appropriate genre mentioned (or corrected), as well as potentially some neutral/positive commentary & links to some music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted December 28, 2007 Author Share Posted December 28, 2007 Shoutout to Overcoat's thread here for free music: http://www.ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6241 (feel free to correct genres 'n stuff) Electronic Ambient Paul Schwartz - in particular, I would recommend his Aria & Aria 2 albums. They are home to some gorgeous ambient & trance opera. (forgive the fact that it's a link to a Sailor Moon AMV)Delerium - the unlikely side project of industrial band Front Line Assembly, this ambient & at times poppish project sports some interesting work, at times very emotive with the music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zytXVYr6Imw Trance zircon - our very own jdgfgt, his Antigravity album is a good entry point for progressive trance fans looking for some more than the stale cookiecutter untz untz http://cdbaby.com/cd/zircon3 (check the songs out from the embedded players on the left side) Trip Hop Massive Attack - the group credited with starting the genre with their Blue Lines album, which currently has grabbed me, Air - French trip hop/downtempo group, relatively low key, but they have made some pretty quality songs over the years Portishead - another one of the first trip hop groups, and probably the most recognized, definitely should be one of the first stops to check out for those curious about trip hop Downtempo Zero 7 - Big downtempo duo, they rose to fame from working on remixes of Radiohead and for consistent quality on their songs. I have not heard any negativity spoken about this group, which bodes well for a group that took advantage of the chances they got to prove themselves Chiptune virt - the famed video game music songwriter & remixer, his chiptunes exhibit a wide range of styles, and are certainly entertaining in general, especially live http://www.8bitpeoples.com/discography_gfx.php?artist=Virt#8BP071 Metal Power Metal Sonata Arctica - one of the Finnish giants of power metal at the moment, they have put out a lot of well received songs & boast of incredibly melodic based songs with a good dose of technicality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F7WG-2JX2k Symphony X - a popular progressive power metal band that has been maturing greatly with their past few efforts, this band keeps showing why it has such a strong fanbase with their music DragonForce - one of the benefactors of Youtube, this band rose to popularity almost completely on the merit of their speed. Despite being derided as the masters of one song, they have put out a few songs that merit listens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n34o4ed9ab0 Children of Bodom - one of the biggest names of metal (& also most misclassified), their blend of harsh vocals & aggressive guitar playing is unique to the power metal genre, and has garnered CoB many fans from outside those typically found in the genre, and even those typically found in metal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUOE9wYamfg Angra - incredible progressive/power metal band, they are brimming with quite a vision in song writing in general, especially after the vocalist change. (an instrumental display, the original song has lyrics as well)Machinae Supremacy - this band deviates from traditional power metal bands in that they make use of the SID sounds to take the place of the traditional keyboard role http://www.machinaesupremacy.com/ (click 'Releases' and then 'Webography') Helloween - the most classic band in this genre, they helped lay out the abstraction lyrically that is found rooted in developed concepts, although with the more later stuff, they changed over to the more technical edge found in most of the big name power metal bands http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKMZvTD78F4 Death Metal Arch Enemy - the melodic death metal band that sports a female vocalist that growls, this band takes a unique approach to the genre, and has planted itself firmly as a staple of it In Flames - probably the most famed & recognized band in the genre, this band laid down many of the standards in its works, although it has drifted away & returned to the genre in the most recent past http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ul-hqg_iPo Into Eternity - the Canadian progressive death metal band, it has the special elements that their vocalist mixes in clean vocals expected in power metal & growling typical to the genre, and deviates from the standard monotonous song structure that has stagnated much of death metal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm-RGms9Kn0 Rock Hard Rock S.S.H. - a favorite of many on OCR, this hard rock artist rearrangements video game music songs with the distinct flavor of Japanese synth rock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8S3B-8DSOI Thin Lizzy - one of the overlooked greats of the 70s & 80s, this metal & hard rock band has run the gamut with its music (although now it exists as purely a touring entity). It's a wonder why such a band that has put out this much good music hasn't been more popular http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yfkNcrNUO0 Folk Rock Splashdown - a very interesting fusion of electronic music & folk rock, not to mention featuring one of the members of Freezepop (Kasson Crooker, also the Audio Director of Harmonix). As Sinewav suggested, I'd definitely recommend grabbing the first album in the subsequent link, "Stars and Garters" http://www.sadena.com/music/splashdown/ Genre???? Shael Riley - our lovable Disk Masta Smokabitch, Shael has put out two albums in the past year or two or so, and captured much love for his catchy and random songs http://shaelriley.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1337 1 Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 I would have classed zircon as electronic, but let's face it, since "The World Circuit", I don't think he can be easily described by any one genre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soma Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Is this thread for "real" music or like videogame-ish music? Kidding.. har har. I've been listening to the band "air" recently, it's ambient electronia(maybe? guessing ) It's really relaxing and it makes me want to cry a little bit. The CD i have is called "Pocket Symphony", they have 2 other Cd's also but I haven't gotten to them yet. It's been a very long time since I've listened to a CD all the way through much less leave it on repeat for hours, and Pocket Symphony is one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLyGeN Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Tactical Sekt. If DDR went satanic, they would play this. That's not to imply that the sound is grating, but it's certainly not some japanese chick singing about sunshine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tensei Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 (Melodic) Death Metal Arch Enemy - Excellent Production values, arrangements of near-prog metal complexity, virtuosic instrumentalists and an AWESOME female vocalist make this band a must-hear for anyone who isn't instantly turned off by growled vocals. Also, they're catchy =) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4sk8Eyy-ns In Flames - The veterans of the genre, they're still going strong nowadays, except they've made their music a LOT more accesible (catchier lyrics and melodies, less emphasis on heavy riffing etc.). If you watch this video wait at least until the chorus before you decide it sucks, because it's just that damn awesome. Children of Bodom - By far my favorite band from this genre, perhaps even my favorite band period. Their music is a unique melange of different metal subgenres, but all that matters is that their music is absolutely stunning, their leadguitarist/vocalist has some incredible solo's up his sleeve, and yes, their songs are possibly even catchier than the previous two bands =) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J7iThdiXQ0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUOE9wYamfg Power Metal/ Synth Power Metal Dragonforce - How can you be on a forum centered around video game music and not suggest this band? They're loud, they're fast, and they try to mimic classical NES/c64/atari/whatever sounds with their guitars, so what's there not to like? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6cK-nDd_bI Sonata Arctica - One of the veterans of the genre, but judging by their latest single they're still awesome as ever. Amazing Synth & Guitar soloing, very emotive and evocative vocals & melodies are what defines this band as 'epic' =3 S.S.H. - Pretty much the artist that defines Synth Metal for me: Sampled guitars, incredibly high tempi and high energy synths are what he's all about. His sequencing is some the best I've ever heard and all his songs have an uplifting, energetic quality to them (hence why I put it under power metal). Known mostly for doing stunning remixes of videogame tunes, and adding several minute synth and guitar solo's to them, definitely check him out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojGDgnGAtTk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U75szPTGoBw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinewav Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Cool thread. Do I need to post in a particular format, or is just listing a few music acts ok? Here are some that I like. Splashdown This band is really good, but really hard to describe. Wikipedia says they are a "combination of electronica, rock, jazz, and Middle-Eastern influences." Since the band broke up, they actually encourage people to find their songs online and download them for free. I'd highly recommend the album "Stars and Garters". Our very own Shael Riley This is one of my favorite albums. No, I'm not joking. When I downloaded his album Toybox (which is also available online for free), I was expecting 12 tracks of Music of My Groin (not that it would have been bad thing). Instead I was very surprised to hear a very unique blend of chiptune and pop music which he calls "Bit Pop", and some of the catchiest melodies I've heard in a while. And of course all of this is done with Shael's special sense of humor. Machinae Supremacy This Swedish band, self-defined as "SID Metal", combines awesome riffs and solos with a lot of Commodore 64 SID chippage to back it up. Their vocals are very catchy and melodic. A lot of people I've talked to say the singer's voice grates on their nerves. They have several instrumental songs if this my be the case for you. Personally, I like the vocals, and if you take the time to get used to them, you'll wind up enjoying his unique style. They have 2 albums available for purchase (both of which I would recommend), but they have over 30 songs on their website for free download, in mp3 and ogg format. I'd recommend trying out some of the stuff toward the middle of the list and then check out the other stuff if you like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anosou Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 I'm joining the fun. Xploding Plastix Well-crafted, incredible sounding and moody IDM from Norway. You will not find a band I love more than Xploding Plastix. Ever. Every sound is fitting and the combination of instruments, synths and well programmed drums is just amazing. Sadly they're not that famous and these two were the only two songs I could find on youtube. There are better ones. - Donca Matic, synthetic atmospheric yet bouncy IDM - Joy comes in the morning, Sample based jazz/orchestral stuff. This is just too amazing.Familjen Swedish electro-pop with the greatest accent known to mankind, Skånska. Catchy, well made and so incredibly good. If this doesn't make you dance you suck. - Det snurrar i min skalle, the hit.Maps and Atlases Incredible math pop/rock. Sadly there aren't any good videos of their music as a band, only crappy live performances. Enjoy this solo performance by the singer instead. The Ongoing Horrible, beautiful song with some unorthodox guitar playing.Oysterhead Wonderful jam-rock from Les Claypool, Trey Anastasio (from Phish) and Stewart Copeland. Filled with funk, fun and straight up great music. Also they are fucking amazing live. really. http://youtube.com/watch?v=L5hu4WuJaAY - The army's on extasy jam part 2 - Great jam, really shows how great Stewart Copeland is. Did I mention he did the early Spyro the Dragon soundtracks? Les Claypool Really. One of the most creative bass players around. His solo work is just way better than Primus. - One Better, straight up funky. Great bassline.Hella Math rock. The best math rock you can possibly find. The craziest drummer in the world. This is super-technical but to me, still very musical and an amazing listen. Also the guitarist, Spencer, plays drums in The Advantage. You know the NES cover band? Isn't life great? - Biblical Violence, you will not find a more interesting live video, ever. Just LOOK at them play! - The Things That People Do when They Think No One's Looking, Hella as a bigger band and from the studio. Great sound and more listenable for everyone. Still crazy like hell though.Jeremy Ellis Detroit MPC-wiz, keyboard player and singer Jeremy Ellis recently did some demos for Propellerheads Reason (yeah, he uses it) and that's how I discover him. His albums are amazing but it's his improvisational skills that's the shit. - Improv with Reason, Jeremy Ellis improvises some beats live. Amazing keyboard player.Regina Spektor One of the most beautiful women alive and an amazing songwriter. Her music goes right to the heart with her peculiar singing and piano playing. This is pure musical joy. 20 years of snow, beautiful song with great lyrics.http://youtube.com/watch?v=9pKujuTgtL0 Us, another amazing song that also shows how beautiful she is :3 ok that's it for now, gotta go to work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imagist Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Is this thread for "real" music or like videogame-ish music? Kidding.. har har.I've been listening to the band "air" recently, it's ambient electronia(maybe? guessing ) It's really relaxing and it makes me want to cry a little bit. The CD i have is called "Pocket Symphony", they have 2 other Cd's also but I haven't gotten to them yet. It's been a very long time since I've listened to a CD all the way through much less leave it on repeat for hours, and Pocket Symphony is one of those. Air's released five studio albums, actually, including the soundtrack to a film called The Virgin Suicides. They're all pretty good, although I haven't heard Pocket Symphony yet. For those interested in them, Zero 7 is well worth checking out. They are in many respects similar to Air (enough so that many refer to them as "the Air of the other side of the Channel", although there are enough differences that such a claim is unfair). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalcyonSpirit Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 I'm surprised no one's mentioned this guy yet: Andy McKee Solo Acoustic Guitar Andy McKee is one of the most emotive acoustic guitarists I have heard play, if not the most emotive. His music is very detailed and yet so very easy to listen to. He plays both the 6-string acoustic guitar and the harp guitar with superb skill and care. It draws you in. Some examples of his music (you can find more on Youtube as well): Drifting Into the Ocean Art of Motion Nakagawa-san His three CDs are here, here, and here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted December 28, 2007 Author Share Posted December 28, 2007 Air's released five studio albums, actually, including the soundtrack to a film called The Virgin Suicides. They're all pretty good, although I haven't heard Pocket Symphony yet. For those interested in them, Zero 7 is well worth checking out. They are in many respects similar to Air (enough so that many refer to them as "the Air of the other side of the Channel", although there are enough differences that such a claim is unfair). I was actually thinking of Air & Zero 7 last night, but I was too tired to type out everything (& I don't think I've explored those artists enough, although I loved Air's "Talisman" and some of Zero 7's stuff as well)...genre classification is my bane and yet I feel it is the best way to organize music on a computer. I'll update the thread tonight with the suggestions so far & add some more of my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChloroPhil Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Dear dudes and chicks, I recommend the rock band Ozma for their great, pseudo-epic, rock music. www.myspace.com/ozma That is all. Sincerely, Your Mother Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar of Justice Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 I'd like to recommend two bands that do concept albums/songs First: The Protomen http://www.theprotomen.com Their only album (2nd one is on the way) is an epic retelling of Mega Man. Yes, Mega Man. In a dystopian future, Dr. Wily rules the masses. However, Dr. Light builds Protoman to free mankind. When Protoman is defeated and destroyed, and no one raises a hand to assist him, Dr. Light builds Mega Man and tells him to not get caught up in Protoman's fight. Mega Man then struggles to decide whether he can save mankind or not. The music is great, and you need to see them live if you ever get the chance. Second: Symphony X Symphony X is symphonic power metal. They have a song that is a metal retelling of The Odyssee and a concept album that is a metal retelling of Milton's Paradise Lost. Cool shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy In Rubber Suit Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Unexpect These Canadian metallers are just nuts. It's really difficult to pigeon hole them into a genre other than avant garde I guess. You should definitely download some songs from their website and give it a few lessons. It's very hard to digest this music. Kalmah Finnish melodic death metal, or power metal with harsh vocals as they're sometimes described. Really catchy riffs and melodies. http://youtube.com/watch?v=rqBexdo1CME Summoning Symphonic black metal that is heavily influenced by Tolkien. Their early stuff is synth heavy and reminds me of RPG music at times. http://youtube.com/watch?v=hUhEsuwp6g8 Agalloch Considered atmospheric dark folk metal or whatever. I really enjoy them. They're from Portland, Oregon. http://youtube.com/watch?v=z4ih3JVrRPE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anosou Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Lots of metal here. Yup yup, looots of metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinewav Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 The Protomen http://www.theprotomen.com Their only album (2nd one is on the way) is an epic retelling of Mega Man. Yes, Mega Man. In a dystopian future, Dr. Wily rules the masses. However, Dr. Light builds Protoman to free mankind. When Protoman is defeated and destroyed, and no one raises a hand to assist him, Dr. Light builds Mega Man and tells him to not get caught up in Protoman's fight. Mega Man then struggles to decide whether he can save mankind or not. The music is great, and you need to see them live if you ever get the chance. I was actually going to make another post and mention these guys. They're great. Besides the fact that it's a friggin' rock opera about friggin' Mega Man, it also is chalk-full of catchy, original riffs and melodies. All of the songs have a different sound, so it doesn't get too repetitive (except the 2nd track, which I don't particularly care for). Definitely one of my all time favorite albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Lion Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 Symphony XSymphony X is symphonic power metal. They have a song that is a metal retelling of The Odyssee and a concept album that is a metal retelling of Milton's Paradise Lost. Cool shit. I'll second the recommendation for Symphony X. If you're going for their concept work, then do not pass up "V: The New Mythology Suite". Also, for non-concept work, don't miss "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" and "Twilight in Olympus".As for my music recommendation... Fusion Planet X You should definitely check out their "Moonbabies" and "Universe" albums, which both feature Tony MacAlpine on guitar. Their latest album, "Quantum", is definitely their best work to date. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If-VkxUxxsg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchSQ5j9pEA T-Square Masahiro Andoh composed and arranged most of the music for the Gran Turismo and Arc the Lad games. But that stuff doesn't really showcase his great guitar work or his band's talent. Start with a few of their earlier albums, like "Blue in Red", "B.C. A.D.", and "Welcome to the Rose Garden". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiG8l3sg1LY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholestien Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 I recommend... Rob Dougan - not sure.. DJ Krush - trip hop Portishead - trip hop Massive Attack - trip hop Toshiro Masuda - Anime soundtracks Dopamine - Dance/Techno/Trance Wavetraxx - Trance Gatecrasher Immortal - Trance Shifty - London Rapper The Prodigy - not sure which genre.. Daniel Mudford - I like his normality soundtrack from shawn of the dead. Air - Chill out music Planet X - New Metal Shiro Sagisu - Anime Soundtracks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted December 29, 2007 Author Share Posted December 29, 2007 I have to say about Symphony X, I wasn't terribly impressed with most of their pre-The Odyssey songs. I think their latest album kicks major ass though and easily is my pick of album of 2007 so far. Here's one more for the thread as I get it updated: Angra - incredible progressive/power metal band, they are brimming with quite a vision in song writing in general, especially after the vocalist change. (an instrumental display, the original song has lyrics as well)Edit: I would have classed zircon as electronic, but let's face it, since "The World Circuit", I don't think he can be easily described by any one genre To be fair, trance isn't the most accurate classification of zircon's work for the most part - he generally has been doing big beat. However, with his latest album, it sports more trance & downtempo in it as well. I got sick of trying to recall what genre would fit the most there and just stuck him under trance. I'm sure Global Trance would be able to fix that real fast though if he saw the thread (as well as give us a dosage of more traditional trance artists to check out). Edit #2: Dear dudes and chicks,I recommend the rock band Ozma for their great, pseudo-epic, rock music. www.myspace.com/ozma That is all. Sincerely, Your Mother I did say I would add suggestions but...the first song I heard "Heartache or Heartbreak" featured some off key singing, which begs the question to all, should we set some guidelines here for what should be recommended? So far most of the recommendations here have been well worth mentioning, but of course that might not always be the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imagist Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 If we're going to touch some areas of music, such as, say, indie or garage rock, then we're likely to be delving into low-caliber vocals and relatively poor production values regardless. Personally, I don't think it's a matter of guidelines for music quality, but rather guidelines for recommendations--i.e., don't advertise a band as something it's not, and don't gloss over aspects of their sound that are key to the audience. The easiest way to guard against this would be to suggest that posters include, as ChloroPhil did, a link so people can listen first-hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILLiterate Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 David Axelrod - The man is brilliant, Songs of Experience is one of my favorite albums ever made If you haven't heard "This Binary Universe" from BT, you're missing out on some of the best music ever made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1337 1 Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 If we're going to touch some areas of music, such as, say, indie or garage rock, then we're likely to be delving into low-caliber vocals and relatively poor production values regardless. Personally, I don't think it's a matter of guidelines for music quality, but rather guidelines for recommendations--i.e., don't advertise a band as something it's not, and don't gloss over aspects of their sound that are key to the audience. The easiest way to guard against this would be to suggest that posters include, as ChloroPhil did, a link so people can listen first-hand. Agreed. After all, this thread is for , as Bahamut put it, "anyone open-minded to exploring genres". Generally speaking, that implies that you are going to find a lot of stuff that is inevitably not to your liking, for whatever reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy In Rubber Suit Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Angra - incredible progressive/power metal band, they are brimming with quite a vision in song writing in general, especially after the vocalist change. (an instrumental display, the original song has lyrics as well) I second Angra. My favorite power metal band. Larry Coryell This is for fans of melodic guitar jazz. This guy is freaking brilliant. I recommend picking up Spaces Revisited if you want to hear some incredible musicianship from the guitars, bass and drums. http://www.larrycoryell.net/page.php?2 (some music samples) Rodrigo Y Gabriela This guitar duo is absolutely astounding. They blend flamenco with rock elements all on acoustic guitars. Gabriela plays the guitar percussively while Rodrigo regularly provides the musical backup but neither is a slouch in playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirie Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 E.S. Posthumus - http://www.esposthumus.com Splashdown This band is really good, but really hard to describe. Wikipedia says they are a "combination of electronica, rock, jazz, and Middle-Eastern influences." Since the band broke up, they actually encourage people to find their songs online and download them for free. I'd highly recommend the album "Stars and Garters". I second this greatly. A Good friend of mine introduced me to them a few years ago and got me hooked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Electronic / Hip Hop Ratatat: myspace - official site I'm honestly not sure how I would describe the music of Ratatat (I've never been that good with genres). It's like an amalgamation of rock, electronica, and hip hop elements, and yet, it doesn't seem to fit in either of these categories. While their work is largely instrumental, they have released several hip hop remix albums, the latest of which is available as a free download on their web site. I first heard these guys in a , and after checking out the 'Classics', I was hooked. Their music has this... I don't know... enthusiasm, and always puts me into a good mood. Recommended songs: Lex (from Classics, 2006); Tacobel Canon (from Classics, 2006); Seventeen Years (from Ratatat, 2004) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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