What Music are you listening to? Discussions Welcome!

Funny you say that! Was just listening to London City. I prefer the original version with the direct sample from Kingdom Hearts rather than the version used in the music video where the producer had to remove the sample and call in a singer etc. to remake the whole thing as the rights-holders wouldn't let them keep the direct sample in there.

 
been collecting old music since i was young-ish (my dad's been a big influence)

then i saw that mafia 3 trailer and had the urge to play some 70s stuff
 
Speaking of Mafia, I remember the first game really got me into listening to Django Reinhardt - such a great soundtrack
 
For any that listen to UK Rap/Trap/Drill, I must say, I much prefer Ice City Boyz to 67. I like Nines and Skrapz individually but ICB seem to be much better as a collective.

Pressure is so good but their new 'All Out' tune is good also.

Pressure

All Out
 
Sia - Alive (makes me want to actually do something)

or

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal ("Annie are you ok?" parts gets right on my tits but I can't stop listening to it!)
 

So the new Avenged Sevenfold album dropped. I don't think I like it? It has it's moments, and I've only listened to it through once, so maybe it's a grower, but on first listen, I'm not impressed. My favourite song on it is probably Paradigm, as I think it's the one that sounds the most like an Avenged Sevenfold song. Aside from the title track and God Damn, the rest of the album seems like really, I dunno, weird. Considering A7X are normally this full aggro metal band, it's weirdly slow in places and I'm just not too hot on that. It also seems to flit from having these full aggro metal parts, then switching to a slow part, then more metal parts, and it makes the songs feel inconsistent and all over the place. Perhaps I'll like it more on subsequent listens, but as an initial impression, I'm a touch dissapointed.
 
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I've really struggled to find a metal album this year that I can really, properly get into - most years there's always at least one or two by this point.

I had hopes for the new Amaranthe record - but hearing the teaser tracks over the past few weeks, seems they've gone the route so many metal acts have been going down recently and they've gone pretty much pure pop (although tbf they were pretty pop in the first place).
 
I've been pretty into a few bands/groups from the 70's such as Supertramp, Sparks.

Just the other day I was looking into John Kongos on Disccogs (some of his tracks where used on Life on Mars) well low and behold he happened to
compose some tracks for TV including one for CATS Eyes in 85'
 
It's been nearly a year since the Indie Folk band Dry the River disbanded. It's a shame because they were one of my favourite bands in recent years.

Out of all of their songs, Lion's Den is my favourite. Starts slow but builds up to an epic ending.

 
Was a big fan of them too - definitely gone before their time. It's a shame as there was a lot of critical praise for them and a loyal core fanbase, but they never quite managed to tip over into the big time. Think they maybe came along perhaps a little too late, when the phase for guitar bands getting chart success had passed.
 
Figured I'll listen to some Poets of the Fall. To my surprise they released a new album recently and gave it a listen. Really enjoyed the first half but the second half is okay at least. The first half was much heavier.

Recommended picks: Drama for Life, The Game


Other picks from their earlier works I recommend are Lift and Late Goodbye (aka that song from Max Payne 2) from the Signs of Life album, Carnival of Rust from the Carnival of Rust album and War (aka that song from Alan Wake) from the Twilight Theater album.
 
I've been listening to the new White Lies album a bit this past week - nowhere near as good as their last one (which is probably one of my most-listened to albums of the past 5 years) - but good to still hear they've stuck with the super 80s-sounding vibe.
 

So ONE OK ROCK dropped the second song from their new album, their first on American label Fueled by Ramen, yesterday. I don't hate it, but it's literally the most generic song ever. Coupled with my ambivalence for the first song, and my confusion at the forthcoming collaboration with 5 Seconds of Summer on the new album, I'm tempted to write this album off already.

It really feels like the band is having it's soul sucked out of it by it's desire for American success, but FBR don't exactly seem like the most controlling record label, so I guess this is what they want... :(
 
I do wonder if they will actually have any chance at mainstream success. For years, the only Japanese acts that have had any kind of semi-mainstream relevancy in the West is metal acts like Coldrain, Crossfaith etc - and that's existing within the very specific metal niche, where there's much less bias about where an act is from.

I think it's great that more JP acts are actively looking to the West now - but I think I'll believe it when I see it in terms of say, I dunno, an act like One OK Rock getting a legit Top 40 hit in the US or UK. But they do seem to be making all the right moves though.

I think looking at the recent success of acts like Twenty One Pilots - it shows there's certainly scope for acts from outside the obvious pop sphere to break through to legit success with the right ingredients in place.
 
Lutga said:
I do wonder if they will actually have any chance at mainstream success. For years, the only Japanese acts that have had any kind of semi-mainstream relevancy in the West is metal acts like Coldrain, Crossfaith etc - and that's existing within the very specific metal niche, where there's much less bias about where an act is from.

I think it's great that more JP acts are actively looking to the West now - but I think I'll believe it when I see it in terms of say, I dunno, an act like One OK Rock getting a legit Top 40 hit in the US or UK. But they do seem to be making all the right moves though.

I think looking at the recent success of acts like Twenty One Pilots - it shows there's certainly scope for acts from outside the obvious pop sphere to break through to legit success with the right ingredients in place.
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I'm not sure they are making the right moves. Most of the recent successful pop and non-obvious pop acts have had their own personality that genuinely comes across in their music, whereas it looks to me like One OK Rock are having their personality lobotomised out of them. Even just looking at what Taka is wearing in the "Bedroom Warfare" video seems to indicate to me that's he's being deliberately styled to appeal to the teenage girl audience. There's nothing wrong with that, I just wonder if that audience would have appreciated songs like "Deeper Deeper" and "The Beginning".

It's interesting that you mention Twenty One Pilots, because prior to Blurryface, they released 4 albums that were more traditional electropop. It wasn't until they started playing around a bit more that things took off. Hopefully One OK Rock has a similar trajectory with FBR, with one traditional album and then one more playful one that takes off a lot more. (Though don't get me wrong, I loved Vessel at the time it came out and I still love it now.)

I like "Bedroom Warfare", but I genuinely don't know if I'll still care about it in a week, which is a huge disappointment for me.
 
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