Follow-up: Compiled album recommendation list.

March 24, 2004 6:33 PM

I requested for MeFi'ers to recommend an album (or two or three) yesterday on Ask Metafilter, and got a total of 121 unique recommendations. [more inside]
posted by Quartermass to MetaFilter-related at 6:33 PM (40 comments total)

Here is a list of those albums, sorted alphabetically by music type (via Allmusic). An (*) means that it was recommended by more than one MeFi'er. Also, where an artist was recommended without a specific album, I chose the one on All Music with either the checkmark or the highest rating.

Thanks to everyone who responded, there are some great albums here.
posted by Quartermass at 6:37 PM on March 24, 2004

Alt Rock

Beautiful South -Carry On Up the Charts
Belly - King
Ben Folds - Ben Folds
Bettie Serveert - Dust Bunnies
Blur - 13
Cure - Join the Dots (bsides/rarities)
Five for Fighting - The Battle for Everything
Golden Palominos - This is How it Feels
Guadalcanal Diary - Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man/Jamboree
His Name is Alive - King of Sweet
Hum - So You'd Prefer an Astronaut?
* Keziah Jones - Black Orpheus
Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Maroon 5 - Songs about Jane
Mike Doughty - Skittish
Ned's Atomic Dustbin - God Fodder
* Pixies - Death to the Pixies
Polvo - Celebrate The New Dark Age
Rufus Wainwright - Want One
Three Mile Pilot - Songs From a Town We Once Knew
posted by Quartermass at 6:37 PM on March 24, 2004

Blues
B.B. King - Live at the Regal
Leather Cup Blues Band - Green Wish & Verbs

Classical
John Adams - Nixon in China

Country
Lyle Lovett - Live In Texas

Folk
Damien Rice - O
Indigo Girls, All That We Let In
Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
John Wesley Harding, Adam's Apple
Woody Guthrie - Ballads of Sacco & Vanzetti

Jazz
Charlie Hunter - Duo

Duke Ellington - Ellington at Newport 1956
Lonnie Liston Smith - Explorations
Nina Simone - The Tomato Collection

Pop
Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Meoldy Nelson.

Soul
* Al Green - I Can't Stop
posted by Quartermass at 6:38 PM on March 24, 2004

Electronica

Air - Moon Safari
Arabic Chillout - Various
Avalanches - Since I Left You
Fennesz - Venice.
Fila Brazilia - Brazilification
Four Tet - Dialog
Jazztronik - Nanairo
Squarepusher - Ultravisitor
The Coconut Monkeyrocket & Martinibomb SPLIT!
Zero Seven - "When it Falls"

Experimental
The Books - Thought for Food
Brian Eno - Music For Airports
* Tom Waits - Heart Attack and Vine
Tom Waits - Mule Variations
** Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place
Godspeed.You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists...
Mogwai - Young Team
Oysterhead - The Grand Pecking Order
Silver Mt. Zion = Born into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward
Tujiko Noriko - Hard Ni Sasete (Make Me Hard)
Arthur Russell - The World Of Arthur Russell
Do Make Say Think - Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord is Dead
Einstürzende Neubauten - Strategies Against Architecture '80-'83
David Byrne - Grown Backwards
posted by Quartermass at 6:40 PM on March 24, 2004

Indie

Blonde Redhead - Misery is a Butterfly
Cat Power
Destroyer - Yer Blues
Dilute - Grape Blueprints Pour Spinach Olive Grape.
Faraquet/Akarso - Limbless Split EP
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Limbeck, Hi, Everything's Great.
Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs
Magnetic Fields - i
Milemarker - Anaesthetic
Minus the Bear - Highly Refined Pirates
Minus the Bear - This is What I Know about Being Gigantic
* Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
Modest Mouse: Good News for People Who Like Bad New
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Papas Fritas - Pop Has Freed Us
Pernice Brothers - The World Won't End
Pinback - Blue Screen Life
Rainer Maria
Silkworm - Developer
Songs: Ohia = Didn't It Rain
Superchunk - Here's To Shutting Up
Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
* The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
The Essex Green -The Long Goodbye
The Lucksmiths - Why That Doesn't Surprise Me
The Mosquitos - The Mosquitos
The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed
* The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
The Shins - Oh Inverted World
The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone
The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows
Wilco - Summer Teeth
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
posted by Quartermass at 6:41 PM on March 24, 2004

Punk
Clash - Story of the Clash, Disc 1
Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
Gogol Bordello - (two-song sampler)
Mekons - Punk Rock
Murder City Devils - Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts
Saetia - Discography
The Librarians - This is Rockabilly Clash

Rap
Anti-Pop Consortium - Arrhythmia
* cLOUDDEAD - cLOUDDED
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
El-P - Fantastic Damage
Fugees - The Score
* Jay-Z & Danger Mouse - Grey Album
* Kanye West - The College Dropout
Outkast - Speakerboxx / The Love Below
Warsaw Pack - Stocks & Bombs

Rock
8stops7 - In Moderation
Andalusia - Around Three in the Morning
Annie Lennox - Bare
Burt Bacharach - Box Set.
Drive-By Truckers' Decoration Day
Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel
* Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
* The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
posted by Quartermass at 6:42 PM on March 24, 2004

I know this list isn't perfect, (with album choices or genres), but I have been finding it useful, so hopefully everyone else will as well.

I also find it interesting how heavily weighted certain genres are, as well as albums that have only recently been released.

Also, there really isn't anything MAINSTREAM here (save for a few mainstream choices that are still acceptable in the 'underground ie. Outkast or Maroon 5).

Thanks again to everyone.
posted by Quartermass at 6:45 PM on March 24, 2004

we rock! : >
posted by amberglow at 7:02 PM on March 24, 2004

I know it's not the place or the time, but I wanted to second Ted Leo up there. Check him out, and especially check out his older band Chisel. Absolutely incredible stuff.
posted by VulcanMike at 7:32 PM on March 24, 2004

I did not read that thread (never visit the green, I should start) but I second the Maroon 5 reccomendation. I love that entire CD. *shrugs*
posted by bargle at 7:37 PM on March 24, 2004

can anybody say "sideblog"??? this needs to be linked from the main site, i must say.

this is awesome. and i must say i'm thrilled to see my selections...even though this isn't an exclusive list, i still like it :)

there are a lot of albums up there where i'm like "oh damn...yeah, that's a great choice!!"
posted by taumeson at 7:38 PM on March 24, 2004

Oops, sorry I missed one of yours taumenson! D'oh!
posted by Quartermass at 7:48 PM on March 24, 2004

Frankly, I'd love to see this on AskMe about every 4-5 months, but I'm a music nut so I know not everyone would appreciate it. Thanks, Qmass.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:03 PM on March 24, 2004

Milovoo mentioned that it might be nice to have a MeFi "Reviews" section. I think that is a really great idea.
posted by Quartermass at 9:07 PM on March 24, 2004

Well, there is already a MusicFilter up and running, I think that would be a place for music reviews and this sort of thing.

And MusicFilter has CLINT EASTWOOD. Which is so much better.
posted by Salmonberry at 9:20 PM on March 24, 2004

Can I add Autechre's 'Amber' and Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambients Works Vol. II'?

Just 'cause.
posted by xmutex at 9:46 PM on March 24, 2004

Do we get to kick Quartermass in the nuts now, because he's followed-up an AskMe by using MeTa?

I ask only because I kind of missed out on the Keyer Soze nut-kicking for the exact same offense.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:51 PM on March 24, 2004

Do it - BUT MAKE IT QUICK!
posted by Quartermass at 10:23 PM on March 24, 2004

I do not want to kick anyone, but I really do not understand why this thread exists.
posted by thirteen at 10:25 PM on March 24, 2004

There is also music.metafilter.com, but it's sharing, not reviews.
posted by milovoo at 10:27 PM on March 24, 2004

I really do not understand why this thread exists.

It's actually sort of a feature request, albeit an oblique one.

After quartermass' question, I wanted to ask for favorite movie soundtracks, but music is such a vast topic and perhaps ask.me is not exactly the right form, maybe?
I don't know. Seems like a can of worms worth talking about.

Plastic has an interesting take on this in their classic album posts.
posted by milovoo at 10:39 PM on March 24, 2004

Of similar interest is this previous AskMe thread.
posted by dobbs at 10:46 PM on March 24, 2004

I like this thread and think it serves an important purpose, given that I contributed to the original thread and have a rather large ego.
posted by The God Complex at 11:09 PM on March 24, 2004

Once we get all of those albums available for download to members, this will be cool.
posted by Keyser Soze at 12:32 AM on March 25, 2004

This thread seems to exist only to snub me. </delusions of grandeur>
posted by Blue Stone at 3:37 AM on March 25, 2004

Review Filter sounds like a !!very!! good idea.
posted by Blue Stone at 3:40 AM on March 25, 2004

I really do not understand why this thread exists.

Then why are you here, why click the link? I'm not trying to be snide, but seriously. I don't understand why American Idol exists either, so I don't watch the show . . .
posted by tr33hggr at 6:34 AM on March 25, 2004

Blue Stone - Humble apologies. I had finished the list before your post, went back and added a few of the late comere, and missed you by mistake!

(/regrets opening this can of worms)
posted by Quartermass at 7:09 AM on March 25, 2004

Link to the ask thread please?
posted by sudama at 7:54 AM on March 25, 2004

No regrets Quatermass - not everyone reads Ask, and this is a fantastic list!
posted by tr33hggr at 8:04 AM on March 25, 2004

sudama
posted by tr33hggr at 8:06 AM on March 25, 2004

Where are the MELVINS?
posted by angry modem at 8:25 AM on March 25, 2004

Rehab, probably.
posted by jonmc at 8:48 AM on March 25, 2004

actually, i'd like these threads better if people said something about what they're recommending. listing the album title and artist and saying "I love this!" is pretty useless, in my opinion.

why do you love it? the lyrics? does the singer have a great voice which makes the overly simplistic songs really engaging? is the music very complicated and so there's something new every time you hear it? does it remind you of artist X and they're your favorite? do you love it because it's such a change from bands Q, R & S which you love but listen to too much?

i always liked CMJ because their Recommended If You Like lists were usually pretty close.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:51 AM on March 25, 2004

Do it - BUT MAKE IT QUICK!

OK...WHAM!!!
posted by soyjoy at 10:01 AM on March 25, 2004

How did you find that picture of me!
posted by Quartermass at 10:39 AM on March 25, 2004

Oh, and I second the link to musicfilter.com. Like MeFi, but music oriented! Tonnes of potential to be awesome.
posted by Quartermass at 10:41 AM on March 25, 2004

Where are the MELVINS?

Out to lunch, but ah the memories.
posted by hama7 at 11:33 AM on March 25, 2004

All this leads to endless potential slogans...

MetaFilter -- ecclectic, in a pussylike way
MetaFilter -- the little site that goes doot doot
MetaFilter -- Tom Waits yadda yadda yadda
posted by insomnia_lj at 7:55 PM on March 25, 2004

actually, i'd like these threads better if people said something about what they're recommending.

I was thinking that reviews in the style of the FPPs would work pretty well. Someone posts their album review and then the comments could be additional info, links or discussions.

If there were a specific music area then people could also post things like upcoming tours and assorted news.
posted by milovoo at 8:53 PM on March 26, 2004