Mainstream Music Fan...Looking to become more "hardcore"

[JNello17]

Hey guys.

I recently recieved and iPod, and this has revitalized my interest in music. For me, I usually listen to music when its on, and on vacations, but usually not at home. The thing is, I really enjoy listening to music, I just usually never make it a priority(time and money wise).

I know of some bands I like, and CDs that I or friends own that I like, but its mostly mainstream stuff. For example, music I really like includes the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Some Barenaked Ladies, Coldplay is pretty good, some DMB as well. I also like some rap too i.e. D12 and all its solo stuff(ie Banks, 50 etc.), Jay-Z, and Outkast.

As you can see, I like whats out there on the radio etc, and I own little CDs. I have put music from my and my brothers' CDs, and I like whats on it.

I would really like to find some more bands to listen to. I would like to buy more music as well.

If anyone has any recommendations for bands I could try/might enjoy to diversify and expand my listening, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for reading a very long post. :D

[Abstract]

People are going to force "their" favourite bands on you, but I'll try not to. :o

I used to like DMB a lot, and I love Coldplay, so I think I can recommend a few things that you may like. Jack Johnson's 'Brushfire Fairytales' is an album many people enjoy because its so mellow. And just as a connection, he's very good friends with Ben Harper, who's good friends with Dave Matthews, so it says a lot about the guy. ;) Download "Flake" or "Times Like These."

Keane is a band that sounds like all the piano-driven songs by Coldplay. Download "Somewhere Only We Know" from Kazaa/iTMS.

How about The Black Eyed Peas album, "Elephunk"? I don't have it (because I don't want it), but the fact is that the 2003 Outkast double album that's oh so popular is actually quite overrated. Seriously, when it comes to stylish and just plain fun, then the BEP album was the better rap album in 2003. This is coming from someone who enjoys Outkast a lot.

Also try the album "Origin of Symmetry" by Muse. That album just stands out as a RHCP fan's type of album, while their other albums don't, imo.

Jay-Z and D-12 both suck. :p My Band is the worst song I've heard in years, I think. If you can download Danger Mouse's "The Grey Album", then do it, especially if you like Jay-Z.

To try something different, try an album by a UK rapper called 'The Streets' (I'm assuming you're not from the UK). His album "Original Pirate Material" has some sweet sweet songs on it. Download "Turn The Page" and "Has It Come To This". His new single is "Dry Your Eyes", a song from his new album "A Grand Don't Come For Free", in case you like the first 2 songs.

[Diatribe]

Ok, I am going to go ahead and force my favorite bands on you :D
Since I listen to almost everything I'll just tell you a couple of artists to consider. You'll have to check these out for yourself and decide if you like em.
Oh, and I am at work right now so I try to remember as many as I can of my 500 or so artists.

Rock/Pop/Soul/Electronic/etc.
- Natalie Merchant(Ophelia and many more)
- Eric Clapton (Unplugged) My all time favorite
- Tracy Chapman
- Nikka Costa (Everybody Got Their Sth.)
- Johnny Lang
- Al Greene
- Joss Stone
- Eva Cassidy
- etc. there are so many
- Portishead
- Dispatch (esp. Gut The Van)
- Nirvana (Nervermind for example)
- Faithless
- Phish(many people like them, I only like a couple of their songs, but they do have a lot of talent)

Italian music
-NEK
-Tiziano Ferro
-Laura Pausini

HipHop
- Nappy Roots
- Kanye West
- 2Pac(All Eyez On Me, Makkaveli The 7 Day Theory)

Hardrock
- Disturbed
- Godsmack

Classical
- Andrea Bocelli (Opera, actually one of the few I like)
and composers ranging from Mozart over Beethoven to Schubert or Wagner.

That should get you started. There are so many more and I am sure I left some important ones out but this should keep you busy for a while. If there is need I write stuff with my pb in front of me next time.
Broadening your horizon is always a good thing to do and for most people a pretty big step to take. So keep it up and have fun.

[acceber]

I like Coldplay and the Peppers as well. I'm more into rock and I've never found an album where I've loved every single song. I particularly like these:

- Muse
- 3 doors down
- Dido
- Evanescence
- Jamiroquai
- John Mayer
- Maroon 5
- Metallica
- Nickelback
- Radiohead

Tastes vary, so if Coldplay and the Peppers is anything to go by, you will probably like some of those. John Mayer and Dido aren't really rock, Jamiroquai is more funk but the others are definitely rock.

[JNello17]

Hey guys, thanks for all the recommendations. I will be trying them out very soon.

Just so you know..I'm not COMPLETELY inept about music. Most of the stuff you guys have recommended I have heard songs from.
Like Nickelback for example, I forgot to mention them as a fav as well. Same with Some tupac stuff.

Thanks though. Keep em coming.

[oreo]

it's good to just browse the iTMS, & look at iMixes. I've found loads of great stuff that way, songs I'd forgotten about, & new songs.

[bennok]

I tend to listen to more obscure music. Perhaps you should check out my DailyTunes music list:
http://www.dailytunes.com/user.php?action=viewuser&userid=22375
There you can hook up with iTMS and listen to samples and stuff. I tend to comment all the songs that I suggest on there, so you can click on the songs and get my comments on them.
Hope you find something you'll enjoy.

[yuc7zhd2]

hmm, as far as the BNL, DMB, coldplay acoustic/mellow type rock thing goes I'll recommend a few of the musicians I like in what I consider to be that type of category...
Aimee Mann - the magnolia soundtrack is brilliant.
Badly Drawn Boy - any of his work is good. The B sides are just as good as the album tracks, but don't listen to Have You Fed the Fish as an introduction to him - its his 'goofiest/ least typical' work.
Beck - I love Odelay, Mutations, and Sea Change. You can't go wrong with any of those.
Bob Dylan - you know who he is 40 years later for a reason.
Elliot Smith - Figure 8 is especially good, but all of his work is amazing. Out of all of my 'acoustic' recommendations he is probably most recommended for your tastes.
Neil Young - everyone knows about neil young, but not everyone really listens to him. If you don't check out after the goldrush. its my personal favorite.
Nick Drake - Elliot smith is like the modern american nick drake, so nick drake is recommended equally as the antiquated British nick drake.
Travis - I suppose you could describe them as 'like coldplay' but they came first, and they're better in my opinion.
In the rock category I recommend...
Blur - anything by blur is excellent. diverse music, innovators, genius.
Graham Coxon - you can listen to his stuff on the UK itms. Hes blur's guitarist and he's great. mix of styles similar to blur.
Carina Round - she's amazing. check out 'shoot' from the disconnection
Grandaddy - great output. listen to am 180, now its on
The Mars Volta - A bit too heavy for me most of the time, but good non the less.
Muse - I've got absolution. good album. Plus I love concept albums on the apocalypse.
Palo Alto - They've been around for quite a while. I mostly hate modern American rock, but heroes and villains is very good.
Pavement - Terror Twilight is an amazing album, one of the best from the last 10 years.
Starsailor - Brit Pop at its best. I recommend listening to silence is easy on itms.
Supergrass - Amazing collection of work. You've probably heard some songs off of 'Supergrass', but all of their work is great.
Walkmen - Bows + Arrows is my favorite straight forward rock album of the decade.
The Who - the ultimate collection is a great introduction to a great band.
Other Stuff I really like but you may or may not enjoy...
Aphex Twin - you can listen to richard d james at www.bleep.com along with any other warp records stuff.
The Album Leaf
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds specifically
Bjork - anything she does is amazing. her music gives me shivers.
Beta Band - Hot Shots II is good and Three EPs is also excellent.
Buddy Rich - drum battle
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
Autechre - warp records, listen on bleep
DJ Shadow / UNKLE Psyence Fiction - great DJ work
Four Tet - Rounds is absolutely stunning. LISTEN TO THIS.
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - just listen
Kid Koala - amazing dj work. hes like the eddie van halen of djing.
mogwai - all of their work is great.
Portishead - STUNNING BRILLIANT can't say enough good things.
Radiohead - but this shouldn't even be necessary. if you haven't listened to radiohead you're wrong. I listened to kid a for nearly 4 years straight.
Sigur Ros - listen to agaetis byrjun first.
Squarepusher - listen to go plastic. hes genius. listen on bleep.

I guess I'll quit now. Good luck.

[mkrishnan]

Along the lines of your liking Outkast, you might try Mystikal and Trick Daddy. They've both either done collaborations with Outkast or have some work that has a similar style. BTW, ditto to Diatribe mentioning K. West...he's a Jay-Z protege, but I think its one of the best albums in hip-hop in a while.

And then a few more classic hip-hop albums (which you may or may not like)...

Fugees -- The Score
Wu-Tang Clan -- The 36 Chambers (Enter the Wu-Tang Clan)
Nas -- Illmatic
The Roots -- Things Fall Apart

If you like anyone with commercial success, one other hip-hop album I was surprised by was Tupac: Ressurection...some of it is commercial and exploitative but there are a few songs I really like on it.

[applemacdude]

Get to know some Rammstein