What are you currently listening to?

[SMF]

Currently I'm listening to DevilDriver The Last Kind Words. Gets the blood pumping and its one hell of a CD.

[T2KFreeker]

Roxette - Fading Like A Flower

[T2KFreeker]

Anthrax - The Devil You Know (New Song from Worship Music)

[munchiaz]

Sebastian-Embody

[esteban]

Lately I've been into the newest albums from Astronautalis, Iron Maiden, f*cked Up, Patton Oswalt, and Erasure. Looking forward to the new Doomtree and Gift of Gab.

Damn, I must be a few albums behind on Erasure. Love them. I'll eventually catch up. I think I'm behind with the Pet Shop Boys, too (assuming they're still putting stuff out).

In many ways Erasure is the best they've ever been, but I think most of their fans gave up after the one-two punch of the cover album and the live album. Those two were...not so good. Their last four regular albums were really good though.

Pet Shop Boys aren't putting out as many "regular" albums as they used to. The last one was Yes (2009) which was...uneven. Some great songs, some other stuff that wouldn't pass as a b-side for them back in the day. Mainly everything from them lately is just too damned soft. I don't need a CD from them with 5 ballads on it. They are also doing stuff like soundtracks for ballets, Battleship Potemkin, etc witch is really cool, but again, not my thing.

Awesome, thanks for the scoop. I think we see eye-to-eye on this stuff (seriously!) so I'll just throw out a general "I concur" because I was nodding my head with every point you made.

It's funny, because I feel that Erasure, PSB, (let's throw Depeche Mode in there, too) have created some truly fantastic stuff after their 1980's height of popularity.

Anyway, I looked briefly at the Erasure and PSB discographies (plural spelling?) and I was relieved that only a handful of proper albums were released. This makes it much easier to catch up with.

Generally, I have never been too excited by albums chock full o' cover songs (be it Bowie, Erasure, Duran Duran, etc.)... but Martin Gore's EP (Counterfeit) is truly a gem (I'm betting you may have heard it already). I wish all cover songs could get my juices flowing like these tracks.

Also, to come full-circle: I remember really liking (OK, loving) Erasure's Abba homage (I ate it up when it was originally released). However, I must admit that I don't think think these Abba covers are nearly as great these days...perhaps because I now wish the covers were more inspired/creative...

Also, I wasn't as familiar with Abba back when I first heard Erasure's covers.

[end of tangent]



Back on topic: I have to get some new (to me) music.

[SMF]

Gloria Estefans Let it loose cd 

[esteban]

At this precise moment (9:14 PM), I am listening to:

[blueraven]

The Specials, Noisettes, Bad Brains, Operation Ivy, The Buzzcocks, The Damned, and the new record by Tom Waits.

[Arkhan]

[esteban]

The Specials, Noisettes, Bad Brains, Operation Ivy, The Buzzcocks, The Damned, and the new record by Tom Waits.

Random thoughts based on the list of bands:

Try Fun Boy 3 (1982) when you're sick of rut The Specials get themselves into (hey, I love 'em, don't worry, it's just refreshing to see Mr. Youknowho doing something so awesome like Fun Boy 3). Sadly, the other FB3 stuff is major suckage (barring an odd track here or there).

Speaking of "only one awesome album", Bad Brains fell into it as well. I Against I is one of the best albums of all time, by any band. Love that. If only they were able to harness 25% of that greatness and have some other decent releases.

Operation Ivy = Mario Kart because I used to play entire albums when playing marathon sessions on the SNES with family/friends. Negative Approach, All, Bold, Stevie Wonder, Depeche Mode, Yaz, Human League, Born Against, Moss Icon, Man is the Bastard, Gary Numan, Smiths, Talking Heads, etc. were all soundtracks for Mario Kart.

Yeah, I put too many hours into that game.

Strawberries is the best album by the Damned. Believe it. One of the best albums of all time.

I can't say much about the Buzzcocks because they have a billion songs. I know a decent amount of their catalog, but I still feel like I have a lot to discover, still, after all these years. Back in the day, I would usually put down a Buzzcocks album and pick up something else instead (like, say, The Fall) and I never did get around to checking out the Buzzcocks.

[blueraven]

when you're sick of rut The Specials get themselves into

It's really hard for me to get sick of ska or reggae. The former usually evolves into the latter.

Speaking of "only one awesome album", Bad Brains fell into it as well. I Against I is one of the best albums of all time, by any band. Love that. If only they were able to harness 25% of that greatness and have some other decent releases.

Yes, HR is a serious badass. Even if he is a bit crazy, the Brains is always one hell of an experience to see.

Operation Ivy = Mario Kart because I used to play entire albums when playing marathon sessions on the SNES with family/friends.

Great album to play Mario Kart to. That game also had endless replay value and has had more "mixtapes" made in its honor than most 16 bit cartridges.

Strawberries is the best album by the Damned. Believe it. One of the best albums of all time.

Two in a night!! Yes, Machine Gun Etiquette (1979) is my favorite Damned record by Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies and crew. They have the bass player for Souxie and The Banshees now. I saw them on Halloween in 2007 with Tiger Army Opening (meh) and I nearly blew my eardrums it was so loud. 

I can't say much about the Buzzcocks because they have a billion songs. I know a decent amount of their catalog, but I still feel like I have a lot to discover, still, after all these years.

Go get "Singles Going Steady" <--- Most important. As far as later stuff "A Different Kind Of Tension" is essential listening, as a lot of modern punk bands have pointed to it as a major inspiration. This was right before the band broke up in 1986. Then the S/T release from 2007: Buzzcocks is awesome as well.

[munchiaz]

some awesome hold music while im at work. It sounds like Al Dimiola

[geise]

A great band from Chicago called Russian Circles.  Great instrumental stuff.  Really need the headphones for full effect.  Way off from what I normally listen to.

[bartre]

I've been entranced with some Justice lately, but I stumbled on this:

[geise]

Rockin' to some more Joe Satriani.  He's usually in my cd player.  This is one of my favorites of his recent work.  The man sure as hell knows how to play and write emotional instrumental music.