Pink Poogle Toy Forum

Aww, I love Sufjan

Sufjan = r0x0rs. I think the closest I've come to any kind of description of him is 'the lovechild of Bruce Springsteen and Nick Drake listening to prog rock in an instrument shop', and that barely does him justice.

On a Sufjan-related note:
Half-Handed Cloud
(he's the trombonist for the Illinoisemakers)



He's reminiscent of Sufjan in some ways but he also reminds me of the Apples in Stereo and a little bit of Neutral Milk Hotel and The Decembrists (good grief you Americans have a mighty fine indie scene). Just weird, quirky little songs that sound at first listen a bit flippant and silly, but have much greater depth when you can make out what he's singing. My personal favourite at the moment is 'So Busted Before Your Righteous Throne', but I've yet to hear anything bad by him.

And in case anyone had perchance been wondering about what my avatar & sig were all about:

Manic Street Preachers



Quite possibly the least popular British band in America- you guys don't know what you're missing! Their overall style is typical indie-rock, but their sound changes with each album- from G'n'R-style rock-outs, through stadium-pleasers, gothic punk, stripped-down 'rawk' and delicate electronically-influenced melodies, the Manics cover so many musical bases, but what makes them special are the lyrics- lyrics like you've never heard before. This is a band who can write songs about Willem de Koonig, Paul Robeson and Emily Pankhurst, who wear their alienation and their emotions right out on their sleeves, but can still have fun and write with hope despite their tragic history (one band member has been missing, presumed dead, for eleven years).

Songs to check out: well, all of them, but I'd particularly recommend Motorcycle Emptiness, Stay Beautiful, From Despair To Where, La Tristessa Durera, Yes, Faster, A Design For Life, No Surface All Feeling, Ready for Drowning, You Stole the Sun from My Heart, Let Robeson Sing, Masking Tape, 1985 and Empty Souls. Enjoy!

that Sufjan guy reminds me of Tom Green for some reason.

Oh no, burntouttrash, you started so well! Not the Manics! No, please, not the Manics! Old Manics I can let you have, but the later stuff...nooo

Here's my recommendation

Matisyahu
Combining the sounds of Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach, yet remaining wholly original, Matisyahu's performance is an uplifting, powerful experience for all in his presence. His new album, Youth, is a compelling mix of ancient and modern sounds and ideas. The propulsive title track, with its rallying cry "youth is the engine of the world," draws upon Matisyahu's studies of Chabad Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn – as well as his own tumultuous past. "When teenagers rebel, the reason is because there is something wrong. Not with them, but with the environment around them. That song is about making the transition from being an angry teenager, to actually becoming a grown man or a woman, changing yourself and the system around you." (Taken from his Myspace profile found at ;http://www.myspace.com/matisyahu Click for some banging choons.

I love this guy he just fill's me with such a warm feeling, and he was in Sunday's Independent, what a guy.

Pfft, if by 'old' you mean 'with Richey', they've written some of their best songs since he vanished, particularly musically, and Nicky really has outdone himself on some lyrics (though admittedly he deserves a slap for some of them as well, but that goes for some early stuff too- 'Drug Drug Druggy'? 'Natwest Barclays Midlands Lloyds'?).

It doesn't count as thread ressurecting if the thread was alive last time I was here...

I'm going to throw a band your way that will blow your mind. Its french(oh shut up and deal with it, you pansies) and offer some fine quality garage rock. They're called Les Breastfeeders (oh shut up and deal with it, you pansies)and it will get you bopping and shimmying and doing the bop like it ain't no thang.

Check them out par ici: http://www.lesbreastfeeders.ca/musique/

Click on the links under the heading MP3 (pronounced emm pay trois). Roughly translated, that means mp3 in english. Thank goodness for my Canadian education.

Citizen Cope


Official Web: http://www.citizencope.com/home.cfm

I don't know much about this guy but from the few songs I've heard from him, it sounds really good. I highly recommend you check out "Son's Gonna Rise".. Love that song...

Anyway, his voice is really cool too. And his music, in my opinion, has so many different styles. Try radioblog with his name and you'll get a few songs to listen to.

Broken Social Scene



According to Wikipedia, they're a "Canadian indie rock supergroup", but they can't really be described as anything other than amazing.

My personal favorites are "Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl", "Swimmers", "Cause = Time", and "Pitter Patter Goes My Heart".


Stars



Another Canadian indie band, made up of Torquil Campbell, Chris Seligman, Amy Millan, Evan Cranley, and Pat McGee.

I absolutely love "One More Night", "Going, Going, Gone", "Your Ex-Lover is Dead", and "Calander Girl".


Metric



No way.. ANOTHER Canadian band. Emily Haines, James Shaw, bassist Josh Winstead, and Joules Scott-Key.

"The Twist" = love. "The Police and the Private", "Combat Baby", "Wet Blanket", "Grow up and Blow Away", and "Soft Rock Star" are amazing. Actually, the whole album is.


Is it me, or are Canadian bands asdfksdjfAMAZING?

First off, pengy you are 3 for 3. Well played ESPECIALLY for Metric.


Less actual recommendation, more asking for validation from my friends accross the atlantic.

Orson.

I've only heard a song or two. I know they've at least appeared in the UK and European charts. From the limited songs I've gotten a hold of, they seem to be headed in the same direction as my love/hate relationship with Maroon 5 in that they are fine examples of what pop should be: pretty, reasonably talented people singing catchy tunes.

Will someone please confirm my opinions and offer me external validation so that I can love myself. Thank you.

Canadian bands are amazing. If only I had caught on earlier- I missed concerts from Stars (I'm still kicking myself for that, but I had an important math test the following day) and Metric in the past year.

And Steven, I may not be from the across the pond, nor have I actually heard anything from Orson, but here's some, er, validation.

I hate Orson with a passion. But I also hate Maroon 5 with a passion, so you're probably on the right tack

On a sidenote, I honestly think Evan Cranley wants me to stalk him; he keeps popping up with music I like.

Bright Eyes

Acoustic boy wonder, and the dream date of many emo girls. Makes good music.


Giant Sand

Loud guitars, a scratchy/deep voice, and the occasional piano. Pretty cool.


Jason Anderson

Folky and plays the piano well, does a lot of stuff with Phil Elverum of The Microphones/Mt. Eerie. I listen to him a lot.


Neutral Milk Hotel

Really good lyrics, courtesy of lead singer Jeff Mangum (left). Lots of horns, banjos, and saws.


Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

The alter-ego of Will Oldham. Every song on I See A Darkness is perfect.


Galaxie 500

From the '80's. Dreamy.


Antony & The Johnsons

Probably one of the best vocalists of all time. Amazing.


Hellogoodbye

Upbeat and synthy. Catchy and fun.


Little Wings

Goes by the name of Kyle Field. A local newspaper in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho once called him (and Phil Elverum) "the two greatest singer-songwriters in America."

Ooh, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, if you want something particularly mental.

I recommend the band hinder...but, only if you are into...erm...hm..nickelback crossed with...say, some heavy stuff, but, if your not into that, then dont check out Hinder, lol.

I also like to suggest, Buckcherry...I love em, hehe...

So...

Hinder and Buckcherry