Can you recommend these bands? Part IV

[Futureman]

Two bands that many people seem to like that I have not heard a note of are:

Magnetic Fields
Guided by Voices (no joke!)

What say ye? I'm especially interested in 69 Love Songs, as I've ready many a good review.

Also interested in checking out M. Ward.

[Paul]

They're both pure crap! No, just kidding...both are excellent.

69 Love Songs suffers from bloating. It has good songs, but not enough to fill 3 discs. I'd start with Holiday.

GbV's Matador albums are all great (except UTaC, which is only mediocre). I'd start with...well, any of them.

[bitterfruit]

MFs "69 Love Songs" is beautiful. Get Volume 1 first and if you really, really love it, then buy the other volumes. You can buy them separately.

Get "Under The Bushes, Under the Stars" or "Bee Thousand" first. Then get "Isolation Drills" or "Earthquake Glue" second. If you really, really love those, then buy "Suitcase."

[johansen smith]

all three bands you mentioned are brilliant. nuff said.

[mancalledb]

Stephin Merritt (http://www.houseoftomorrow.com) does some truly amazing things. 69 Love Songs is a good solid cube of music. I personally liked disc two the most, but its all good.

All of M.Ward's stuff is amazing live. His albums are good but the best listen is probably the Transfiguration of Vincent. I haven't heard much off of his Duets for Guitars though so it could be better.

GBV does alot of good stuff and maybe I'm crazy but Alien Lanes is my favorite. Eesh. I feel like everybody's looking at me funny now. Maybe I better bump Universal Truths and Cycles to the top of my list. Its like picking you favorite child.

[bitterfruit]

"Universal Truths and Cycles" is not a good introductory album at all. It may even slant one's opinion of the band unjustly since it's just not as good as their other material.

[mancalledb]

no argument there. its not my favorite album. its just more indie to like the lesser albums. like i said, i prefer alien lanes.

[bitterfruit]

I don't really care whether it's "more indie" to like a certain album or not. Frankly, "Isolation Drills" is easily one of my favorites and it's up their with the big arena rock sound that sometimes is not very indie.

[johansen smith]

I'm with Bitterfruit, UTAC is a horrible starting point. any album that isn't UTAC or Do the Collapse is going to provide you with greatness, some more than others.

[mancalledb]

note to self: use italics to imply sarcasm for now on, genius .

note taken.

(impy!) (i shouldve stayed in bed today)

[johansen smith]

"That's right, I wrote the Impy and Chimpy!"

[Futureman]

Well, I looked for Bee Thousand for a long time. I'll have to order it, I think. I did just pick up Earthquake glue, and so far I'm not blown away. Has a comparison with The Who been made?

Anyway, I'll keep listening. I shelved Think Tank after a brief listen and didn't think too much of it until I pulled it off the shelf and gave it another chance. It's now one of my favs, so who knows.

[Ladt]

I don't know if this has been brought up anywhere, but are Songs:Ohia any good? I heardSwearing at motorists cover Being In Love and loved that song.

[bitterfruit]

Before Johansen pipes in and gives his obvious thumbs up, I'll tell you that I can't seem to appreciate them nearly as much as others.

[tinobeat]

I'm with bitterfruit

Songs: Ohia has done nothing other than bore me to no end. i don't really see the appeal... there's so many people who do what he does, but better.

WRT Guided By Voices:
I am of the "start with Bee Thousand or UTBUTS, the rest will fall into place" school of thought.

[Futureman]

Thanks tino.

Ladt, I like Songs: Ohia very much. If you dig the whole indie rock/alt. country think, then you'll like this band. I must say, however, that the two songs on the recent album with guest vocalists are my least favorite. One of the vocalists sounds like your typical pop country oaf. Yuck. Who is that guy?

[pabost]

That guy's got a great voice!

[johansen smith]

not to shill for my own site or anything, but if you want to see if you will like Songs: Ohia (or not, if you're "that" way), I have a live show up on my site: http://oftherecord.org
if you like what you hear, check out either "the Magnolia Electric Co." or "Didn't It Rain?"

[Ladt]

Thanks.

[Ladt]

I listened to the original of being in love, and I was amazed. Amazed that The Swearing at motorists was a succinct, touching version, and the one on your site was just over long and quite boring. Although I love the "I'm proof that the heart is a risky fuel to burn" bit, that is superb.

[johansen smith]

I'll be frank: I LOVE Songs: Ohia, but if you can't stand long songs, this is definitely NOT the band for you.

[tinobeat]

its really about what kind of long songs...

I love long psyched-out jams or something that engages me. Jason Molina just rambles on and on, though, which is quite different.

if a song's 15 minutes long cos it takes that long to sing all the lyrics, I'll probably be bored to tears.

[Ladt]

Yeah, I'm starting to find that out. I mean, I like songs with loads of different parts, fair enough, but I find it a bit repetitive.

[Ladt]

Also, does anyone have any views on the impossible shapes? I've listened to a couple of their MP3s but i@m not sure yet. They sound like a band near me called The broken family band. www.thebrokenfamilyband.co.uk. I don't usually plug bands but you won't actually know what they sound like otherwise.

[johansen smith]

I really wanted to like the Impossible Shapes, but they are SOOOOO boring. all their songs are impossibly dull, which was surprising.

[bitterfruit]

Originally posted by tinobeat
its really about what kind of long songs...

I love long psyched-out jams or something that engages me. Jason Molina just rambles on and on, though, which is quite different.

if a song's 15 minutes long cos it takes that long to sing all the lyrics, I'll probably be bored to tears.

Don't make me reiterate my disgust for Rush and Pink Floyd, but I'll do it if you tempt me.

[tinobeat]

when I was 15, Rush was the best band in the whole goddamn world.

they're not really anymore.

Pink Floyd, however, will always be one of the best bands of all time. Especially the album Meddle and the live disc of Ummagumma.

[groovekid]

i agree with futureman....the two songs on the latest songs: ohia album which molina didnt' sing kinda just sucked. molina's voice is what makes the songs. its haunting and eerie, and very intense.....listen to farwell transmission.....you'll dig.

[Ladt]

Yeah, I wanted to like the impossible shapes, I really liked the song they backed on the new Tobe album, really liked the instrumentation, but I downloaded perfect timing and naked bullrush and they're just not that good.