36) Chemical Brothers ‘Exit Planet Dust’ (1995)
This was recommended by Greg, via Jill. From their more recent big hits such as ‘Push the Button’ this didn’t really meet my expectations, and I didn’t ever really get into it despite listening to it a couple of times
37) The Black Keys ‘El Camino’ (2011, recommended by Cameron) and ‘Brothers’ (2010, recommended by Mary A)
This is possibly one of my favourite bands so far. I again like the bluesy influences (this seems to be becoming a theme), and I love the riffs. There is some fantastic groove here! Of the two albums, I prefer ‘El Camino’. The first song had me hooked, and I wasn’t disappointed by the rest (although on a first listen I was listening while working so my attention kept wavering!) If I had to guess when this album was released I’d probably put it a few years earlier- it feels like the kind of music that was around when I was at school, so 2005ish. It reminds me of someone and I can’t work out who- hints of bands like ‘The Coral’ perhaps, but it’s a rockier sound. (Having looked on Wikipedia I have to agree with comparisons to the white stripes, however). 9/10 if I had to rate it! On the other hand, James really doesn’t like it.
38) London Grammar ‘If you Wait’ (2013) (Rosie, Mary and Jess)
Brodie described this as ‘like Florence and the Machine’, but I would beg to differ. There is a similar emotion in the vocals but they are distinctive (and I don’t like the vocal tone as much as Florence’s!) Also it is much more understated than Florence. I did like it and it was a soothing album for while working, and I can also imagine thumping mixes of some of these tracks making good club classics (not that I know anything about club classics)
39) Sigur Ros ‘Agaetis Byrjun’ (1999) (Jen P)
This is a popular one, and a band that I know a lot of people I know listen to. Sadly, I think I could only really appreciate it properly if I was lying by a lake, or up a mountain with lots of mist in a valley, and some really good clouds (preferably time-lapsed clouds, actually). It was just too mystical for Reading, and not in a good way that made me want to get out of Reading, just in a frustrating ‘I live in Reading’ kind of way. If I ever go to Iceland, New Zealand or Canada I promise to take it with me and I think I’d fall in love with it.
40) EST ‘Seven Days of Falling’ (2003)
This is another album that I fell in love with while driving, and I’ve therefore concluded that driving is the best way to listen to new music. EST stands for Esbjorn Svenssor Trio and this is jazz, although I’d say its kind of easy listening jazz, only that tag might make it sound boring and unimaginative, which it definitely isn’t. Since this isn’t the kind of music I often listen to, I can’t tell what particularly makes it stand out as ‘better’ (or more worthy of recommendation) than other music that might be similar, but I’m assuming based on the people that recommended it (Matt B and JB, who both know what they are talking about) that it does. Among other things I enjoy the way the album develops and the blend of sounds.
41) Dire Straits- Love Over Gold (1982)
My impression during ‘Telegraph Road’ was that while I don't know what I expected, I think I expected something heavier. Instead, it's a very classic sound, evocative of something but I am not sure what… I’d have to call it ‘old man’ music, yet I did like it. I enjoyed the long tracks, which actually felt they were going somewhere (which long tracks do not always). Thankfully Neil B, who recommended this, was not offended when I told him I thought it was old man music!
This was recommended by Greg, via Jill. From their more recent big hits such as ‘Push the Button’ this didn’t really meet my expectations, and I didn’t ever really get into it despite listening to it a couple of times
37) The Black Keys ‘El Camino’ (2011, recommended by Cameron) and ‘Brothers’ (2010, recommended by Mary A)
This is possibly one of my favourite bands so far. I again like the bluesy influences (this seems to be becoming a theme), and I love the riffs. There is some fantastic groove here! Of the two albums, I prefer ‘El Camino’. The first song had me hooked, and I wasn’t disappointed by the rest (although on a first listen I was listening while working so my attention kept wavering!) If I had to guess when this album was released I’d probably put it a few years earlier- it feels like the kind of music that was around when I was at school, so 2005ish. It reminds me of someone and I can’t work out who- hints of bands like ‘The Coral’ perhaps, but it’s a rockier sound. (Having looked on Wikipedia I have to agree with comparisons to the white stripes, however). 9/10 if I had to rate it! On the other hand, James really doesn’t like it.
38) London Grammar ‘If you Wait’ (2013) (Rosie, Mary and Jess)
Brodie described this as ‘like Florence and the Machine’, but I would beg to differ. There is a similar emotion in the vocals but they are distinctive (and I don’t like the vocal tone as much as Florence’s!) Also it is much more understated than Florence. I did like it and it was a soothing album for while working, and I can also imagine thumping mixes of some of these tracks making good club classics (not that I know anything about club classics)
39) Sigur Ros ‘Agaetis Byrjun’ (1999) (Jen P)
This is a popular one, and a band that I know a lot of people I know listen to. Sadly, I think I could only really appreciate it properly if I was lying by a lake, or up a mountain with lots of mist in a valley, and some really good clouds (preferably time-lapsed clouds, actually). It was just too mystical for Reading, and not in a good way that made me want to get out of Reading, just in a frustrating ‘I live in Reading’ kind of way. If I ever go to Iceland, New Zealand or Canada I promise to take it with me and I think I’d fall in love with it.
40) EST ‘Seven Days of Falling’ (2003)
This is another album that I fell in love with while driving, and I’ve therefore concluded that driving is the best way to listen to new music. EST stands for Esbjorn Svenssor Trio and this is jazz, although I’d say its kind of easy listening jazz, only that tag might make it sound boring and unimaginative, which it definitely isn’t. Since this isn’t the kind of music I often listen to, I can’t tell what particularly makes it stand out as ‘better’ (or more worthy of recommendation) than other music that might be similar, but I’m assuming based on the people that recommended it (Matt B and JB, who both know what they are talking about) that it does. Among other things I enjoy the way the album develops and the blend of sounds.
41) Dire Straits- Love Over Gold (1982)
My impression during ‘Telegraph Road’ was that while I don't know what I expected, I think I expected something heavier. Instead, it's a very classic sound, evocative of something but I am not sure what… I’d have to call it ‘old man’ music, yet I did like it. I enjoyed the long tracks, which actually felt they were going somewhere (which long tracks do not always). Thankfully Neil B, who recommended this, was not offended when I told him I thought it was old man music!
As an addendum, I should explain that I listened to 37-40 in
the same week, in mid-April, which is possibly cheating a bit, so I need to get
back onto strictly one a week rather than averaging one a week...
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