I have a very ecclectic taste. But I can tell I'm the forums alt-rock and indie guy... but that's not all I listen to. My other passion beyond games is music. We're gonna jump around just a little here in sounds.
So far this year I've been loving Parquet Courts and Speedy Ortiz! Feels like the 90's all over again to me. My sister was a big alternative rock fan in the 90's and these two just scream inspiration of Pavement, Nirvana and Sunny Day Real Estate to me. Maybe I should bust out my SNES and play Super Metroid while listening to these to complete the effect...
Master of Mycraft - Parquet Courts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UFzde_Y_t0
Kaprow! - Speedy Ortiz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4-X-KlJiUk
Japandroids and Queens of the Stone Age are my two all time favorite bands. When I'm bored usually you can find me with their stuff playing in the background.
Younger Us - Japandroids (love this song because it reminds me of my best friend.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m6Ptx4CV6k
Another Love Song - Queens of the Stone Age (was listening to this a lot because of Halloween. QOTSA are good Halloween music.
Them and The Misfits.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ09znlHeng
I was gonna buy Arcade Fire's new album really soon. LOVE Reflektor. Really goorvy over all. You can tell James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem produced it and assisted with some of the song writing. His stamp is all over this song. Really love that about music. When you can instantly pickout someones calling card just by hearing it.
Arcade Fire - Reflektor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E0fVfectDo
My biggest surprise of the year so far has been Disclosure's fantastic self-titled album. I'm usually not into electronic music (save for Daft Punk) but this album has a lot of really wonderfully well written catchy songs. Astounding use of composition and using technology to do all sorts of weird things with sounds.
Disclosure - Latch (ft. Sam Smith)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ASUImTedo
Dat swimming note hold on Sam Smith's vocals before the second chorus. Good lord, that makes my head spin every time I hear it. Really good song and great record.
Of course I'd be remiss to not talk about Random Access Memories after mentioning Daft Punk... By Giorgio Moroder is probably the best song they've written. Not my favorite, but all the moving parts of that song, the way it builds up, every thing is just satisfyingly done. Not to mention I really appreciate it's a song about a guy who was a big inspiration on their lives but also features him talking about his early days and the moment he pretty much invented the electronic music scene. Pretty awe-inspiring stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m4ZkEqQrn0
And as far as metal goes, I haven't been too impressed with a lot of the metal scene lately. I'm from Atlanta, Georgia so I'm all into that nasty rumble that sludge metal provides. (I.E. Mastodon and High On Fire are my jam.) Really only two metal bands have made me take note this year.
Deafheaven's album Sunbather is a must listen if you like black metal and post-rock. Great fussion of those things done in a major key. (uplifting happy sounding metal that sounds like the singer from Mayhem is having an emotional fit!)
Deafheaven - Dream House.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWyVhIBmdGw
That intro alone might win this my personal album of the year. Feels good when those drums hit. >:)
In Solitude are like a mixture of metal and rock. But they do it all in the service of THE DARK LORD! \m/ These guys have lyrics ALL ABOUT them black mass rituals and satanic suicides. I think what attracts me to this is the same thing that really gets me when I see a good horror movie or play a good horror game. I appreciate things that can unsettle me. But then they hit those catchy rock and roll style choruses and I remember "It's just a song!
" It's no worse than when I listened to Opeth for the first time in middle school and that unnerved me with its song writing and subject matter. It's dark stuff! But that's what catches my attention about it. Really love the guitar riff in this. Sounds like it's up to no good. Mischeif and sacrifice abound! In Solitude - Death Knows Where.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frtslKbrokg
Sounds like what would happen if Black Sabbath were from Norway.
That's just what I've been rotating the most this year. Don't even get me digging in on what Lou Reed's passing away has gotten me listening to... lol
Good lord I love that album... Remember finding it in a music store and thinking the album art was crazy looking and the songs had cool names. Figured I'd give it a whirl. No regrets... also found Modest Mouse that way. Good News For People Who Love Bad News had JUST come out and was on the new releases rack. Hadn't heard anything off of it (Float On wasn't on rotation on the radio for a good month or two after I bought it) and loved every moment of it. Agalloch are criminally underrated.
"If you're going through Hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill.
