I always listen to oldies stations, not for nostalgia, particulary.
I would love to have modern songs I could listen to.
In the eighties I could listen tto my kid’s music, but that era seems to be lost between the formats of radio.
So, what current singers/groups can I listen to?
I keep listening to the groups that appear on the late night talk shows, hoping some new one will work for me. But no.
I like songs you can sing. Words you can hear. Melodies you can distinguish and remember. Singers with some range to their voices. I’m not even fussy about lyrics - simple love songs or heavy polemics are OK.
I don’t like bands that drown out the singers.
Singers whose voices have so little range they seem to be straining, or even have their voice cracking on a release.
(Also, sadly, I don’t like country twangs. I often wish they would record in the 50’s bluegrass style, without the twang.)
Or is there no hope? Am I stuck with the 60’s until the 80’s become nostalgic enough to have their own stations?
Of the top of my head, you might like the band Coldplay. They’re fairly mellow, with very clear lyrics, a lead singer with a good, kind of interesting voice, though a bit high for a man.
That’s all I’ve got at the moment…I’ll try to come up with some more for you.
While I have nothing against them, I’m not really a fan of Barenaked Ladies (the band, that is), but I seem to recall them having a catchy, melody-driven tune a while back. Maybe “It’s All Been Done”? It had some nice, catchy chord changes and a good ear for structure. Can someone else chime in on whether that was typical of their music?
That’s all I can come up with. I don’t listen to commercial radio, so I really have no idea what’s out right now.
I’m a big classic rock fan, it’s what I grew up listening to, but I usually do listen to “new” music when hanging out with friends etc. Some of my favorites are Train, Matchbox Twenty, John Mayer, Smash Mouth, Green Day, Dave Matthews Band, Everclear, Goo Goo Dolls, and Sting. Also, my sister likes this group The Ataris that’s pretty good.
I was brought up on 60’s and 70’s rock, and although I am very much a child of the 80’s-90’s, the “oldies” sound has influenced my tastes a lot. I got frustrated with pop about five years ago, and for a long time I was stuck with no refuge but the oldies stations. Through the influence of some friends (and a subscription to Rolling Stone) I found out that music is still really good if you stay away from the trash they play on the radio.
I will join jackelope in recommending the Barenaked Ladies. They have a good solid rock sound, with just a touch of folk. “It’s All Been Done” is fairly typical of newer BNL stuff, and I recommend that you check out their albums Stunt and Maroon . Both are outstanding.
You may also want to check the following artists/groups: Hootie & the Blowfish (not really that new; mid-90’s), Jack Johnson (hell of an acoustic guitar player, and a good voice too), Jim White (neo-country without the twang), Phish (they have a reputation as a hippie band, but Trey Anastasio has a great voice, and if you stick away from their long live sets they’re fine. Try Hoist or Farmhouse), and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (no one blends funk into mainstream rock better; they used to be a harder band, but there newest two albums, Californication and By the Way are mellower and all-around great).
Finally, 80’s stations are starting to appear. There is a popular one in Rochester, WBUZ. I’m not a huge fan of 80’s music, but a lot of my older co-workers listen to it.
I’ll second everything lindarielle13 mentioned. A lot of those groups would probably be perfect. The only other one I thought up that hasn’t been mentioned already is the Wallflowers. They’re quite good. The front man is Bob Dylan’s son, actually. Not as good at songwriting, but a much more pleasing voice. Might want to give them a try as well.
I’ll second everything lindarielle13 mentioned. A lot of those groups would probably be perfect. The only other one I thought up that hasn’t been mentioned already is the Wallflowers. They’re quite good. The front man is Bob Dylan’s son, actually. Not as good at songwriting, but a much more pleasing voice. Might want to give them a try as well.
Maybe the Strokes? That last might be stretching it… the lead singer, Julian Casablancas, has a very distinctive voice, but you either like it or hate it. They have a slightly 70’s sound, catchy music, though some of their songs are very similar to others.
Oh, and Weezer, possibly?
And I’ll definitely second Red Hot Chili Peppers, particularly the later stuff. Amazing bass work on the part of flea, good, solid sound, great lyrics. Probably one of my favorite modern bands. Some of their earlier stuff might be a little too over the top for your tastes, Never Say Dice. I’d certainly check out By the Way, though. Not a bad track on it.
I’m going to go out on a limb and recommend Wilco. They seem to be fairly popular amongst people… well… set in their musical ways (as well as enjoying favour amongst those who like their music a little more contemporary). They play alt country, but there’s no twang, so they might make them palatable to you. They have experimented production-wise lately, but I feel that this improves their sound rather than making it inaccessible.
“Heavy Metal Drummer” is probably the catchiest song from their most recent album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. “I am trying to break your heart” is even better, though not as immediate, and “Jesus etc.” is probably a good #3 choice.
Check out Alison Krauss. She’s certainly “country”, but her voice hasn’t the slightest twang and it gorgeous beyond words. Did you watch Oh Brother Where Art Thou? She was the woman that sand “Down to the River”.
I think (early) Counting Crows is a good choice. They’re my dad’s favorite current band. Their first album, August and Everything After, is their best, although Recovering the Satellites and This Desert Life are also worth recommending. Their singles “Mr Jones”, “Round Here”, and “A Long December” are pretty representative of their style.
Their earlier stuff consisted of two guitars, a guy on bongos and wonderfully harmonizing vocals. Their latest album has a standard drum set and a bass player but keeps the vocals. They have intelligible lyrics and catchy hooks. They are a fun pop band.