Off Topic What are ya listening to?

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2x 2001 SP20 323's
Gidday guys and girls, lets talk music!

What's on your playlist at the moment, any new discoveries? Any old favourites?

Streaming, CD, Vinyl? Any new gear? Let's see and hear it!

I've fallen in to a Ska and Ska punk rabbit hole lately, there's heaps of new material coming out and some older gems. The energy this style of music provides in intense in a positive, 'The world looks a bit crap but we got this' kind of way

Joystick - Gggghost
Streetlight Manifesto - The hands that thieve
The mighty mighty bosstones - The impression I get

And because last month was New Zealand Music month, here's some NZ music:
The Mutton Birds - Dominion Road (classic rock)
Reb Fountain - Don't you know who I am? (singer songwriter)
Supergroove - Sitting inside my head (mid 90's rock)

Any style, all genres welcome!
 
Great thread idea @LankyKiwi!

I've recently been listening to older rock/punk type music. Stuff like Foo Fighters, Our Lady Peace, Linkin Park, Thrice, The Prodigy.. even some emo stuff like Dashboard Confessional and My Chemical Romance. Occasionally I'll throw in some older hip-hop breakbeats like B-boy Document 99 and Al-Naafiysh.
 
Great thread idea @LankyKiwi!

I've recently been listening to older rock/punk type music. Stuff like Foo Fighters, Our Lady Peace, Linkin Park, Thrice, The Prodigy.. even some emo stuff like Dashboard Confessional and My Chemical Romance. Occasionally I'll throw in some older hip-hop breakbeats like B-boy Document 99 and Al-Naafiysh.
Nice!
Love Thrice, rediscovered them last year and there music seems to have matured so well

I need to expand my hip-hop ears, any other favourites to look out for?
 
The Cult, Alice in Chains, Pink Floyd, New Order, Willie Nelson, Drivin' N' Cryin', REM, The Police, Genesis, Staind, Disturbed, Johnny Cash, Steely Dan, Steve Winwood, George Strait, The Beastie Boys, Eagle Eye Cherry, Lit, Motley Crue, Candlebox, Pearl Jam, Bush, Yes, Styx, Nirvana, Kenny Chesney, Ice Cube, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin.

And more...
 
Just making a playlist for my first longer drive, so here are a few of the artists, which will make this trip perfect:

Depeche Mode, Phaeleh, Wagner, Nick Cave, Laibach, Kraftwerk, Bob Marley, The Doobie Brothers, Dire Straits, Snow, Token, NF, Hopsin, Joyner Lucas, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Thievery Corporation, Putumayo world music, Guano Apes, Skunk Anansie, FatBoy Slim, Groove Armada, Orbital, RTJ, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Gil Gilberto, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Jean-Michel Jarre, Holst (Planets), Beethoven, Beastie Boys, some local hip-hop and rap artists, The Prodigy, some soundtracks (Hateful Eight, Interstellar, Narcos ...), Keith Jarret, Alice in Chains, QOTSA, Nirvana, Busta Rhymes, David Bowie, Gorillaz, Gramatik, lamb, Lou Reed, Chemical Brothers, Fever Ray, Moloko ....

... to name a few :)
 
Hell to the yeah! I have several Telarc CD's including Tchaikovsky, Bach, and Beethoven. Telarc really takes their time in mastering their albums, and nothing really compares to those recordings. They are simply amazing.
 
Hell to the yeah! I have several Telarc CD's including Tchaikovsky, Bach, and Beethoven. Telarc really takes their time in mastering their albums, and nothing really compares to those recordings. They are simply amazing.
Makes sense to utilize the perfect speaker placement in the Mazda :) I have a few Marantz Test & Demonstration CD's and those are something else as well.

Speaking of sound quality, have you, or has anyone else for that matter, managed to compare flac, mp3 and other compatible digital audio sources? How noticeable is the difference?
 
Makes sense to utilize the perfect speaker placement in the Mazda :) I have a few Marantz Test & Demonstration CD's and those are something else as well.

Speaking of sound quality, have you, or has anyone else for that matter, managed to compare flac, mp3 and other compatible digital audio sources? How noticeable is the difference?
Flac is CD. Same thing! It's so perfect, take a hash of a wav, convert it to flac, then convert it back to wav. The hash stays the same. I have right at 400 CD's that I converted to flac on the thumb drive in my car. It's pretty awesome!

Me and some friends of mine did a blind comparison of vinyl, CD, and mp3 on his stereo in his basement. It's nothing fancy, just a decent mid-fi system from the early 90's with a Kenwood amp and JBL speakers. CD player is a Sony Carousel, the turntable is a JVC, but I'm not sure what cartridge he has in it. I'm nearly certain it's nothing uber fancy. The Phono preamp is a $25 Behringer. Again, nothing fancy.

We used Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, because it's recorded extremely well, and we had the vinyl, CD, and mp3's available!

Played the CD, sounded great, no problems. Just as you would expect.

Played the vinyl. Oh WOW. Now mind you, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the CD. But, compared to the vinyl, the CD just sounded, I don't know how to put it, clinical. Like, it was too perfect or something. The vinyl just sounded more human, more natural, more analog. More, I guess, kinda alive. I don't know how to describe it, but there was something on the vinyl that the CD didn't reproduce.

Played the mp3. GROSS. Eww. I honestly don't know how or why people can stand that crap format. There's no excuse to still be using that format. None.
 
But, compared to the vinyl, the CD just sounded, I don't know how to put it, clinical. Like, it was too perfect or something.
I know exactly what you mean. I have seen the rise of digital first hand and was thinking, are they kidding, who will listen to this? :D

Thanks! :)
 
Lots of awesome music in here!
I dragged a couple of university friends along to die valkyrie when the NZSO performed it a few years ago. Hearing it all in person was intense! Also impressive was the absolute quietness of the audience during the performance.

I got given an old pioneer SA-404 amp about 20 years ago, paired it up with Dads old NAD cd player and now with a Pro-ject debut turntable. Super simple to use but it sounds great.

This week has seen Karnivool's Sound Awake album played on repeat. If you like rich proggy metal in the style of Tool, this is for you. Plus Steve Judd's drumming is impeccable. Check out this cover as an example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5b8T_6eSfA&t=1s
 
But, still not Danny Carey! :cool:

Listened to that track, dude, you've introduced me to some serious goodness with Karnivool. Which album do you recommend to start with?
That album, Sound Awake is a good start! It's the most accessible in my opinion. Themata is a bit heavier and rougher and Asymmetry is a bit more Tool-esque and takes a few listens to get a grip on. Hopefully we'll see a new album this year too!
 
This week has seen two bands on repeat;
First up is We are the Union's new album Ordinary life

This is a super fun, bright album that's the counterpoint to their last album Self Care while still dealing with some pretty deep issues and themes. (Including the singer's gender and identity)

Second is, of all things, Primus


Slowly working through their discography and marvelling in the songwriting genius that is Les Claypool and co.

Anyone else listen to anything neat lately? Any new finds?
 
I don't even know where to begin!?! :D

A bit o my backstory, I suppose. I'm in my early 50's. Grew up in the 80's on that great 80's pop and HEAVY METAL. Fell in love with Alternative and Grunge. Alice in Chains is my all time favorite band.
I like guitars. I heard of this new guitarist named Kenny Wayne Shepherd and found myself one day at a concert where he was opening for this dude named BB King. Thus started my love affair with the blues. I have since seen BB 9 times. Pretty much into every kind of music these days except RAP/Hip Hop and most country. Some country music I can stomach but most I cannot.
My main point of bringing all this up is one of my biggest pet peeves in life: People that say "There's no good music today. There hasn't been any since *insert persons decade of high school*. It drives me nuts. I love the music from when I was growing up... but I want to hear NEW music. I don't want to hear Stairway to heaven ONE MORE TIME... Tom Sawyer.
There is good music out there for everyone today. New music. Your problem is: you stopped looking for it. Which is sad because today we have more ways to FIND new music then ever before. I don't care if you like the Beach Boys or Engelbart Humperdinck... someone out there is making music today that you would enjoy.
I also love female vocalists. If they can play, too? LOVE. Back in the day I discovered a talented blues singer named Susan Tedeschi and I've been in love with her ever since.

I'll talk about the HOW I listen later, but for now, let's jump right into some 'new' (to me) bands I've discovered over the past year or 2.

Let's start with Greta Van Fleet. These guys ROCK. I could totally hear Zeppelin playing this song back in the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxbT5jSxGJ0

I just discovered this band, Black Pistol Fire, and need to hear more of their stuff before I decide if I like them. But I love this tune, literally just came across it 2 weeks ago.
What's the opposite of "Well Spent"?
Well Wasted!

Another band recently found, only song I know so far: Grandson. Love the lyrics as a sort of self proclaimed tree huger.
Whatcha' gon do when there's BLOOD IN THE WATER?

Speaking of women with great voices that play mean guitar? How about some Hannah Wicklund, like a freaking BOMB THROUGH THE BREEZE! The part right after her solo gives me chills when I'm in the right mood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfMlZoRWwgc

Talk about an amazing voice. Y'all know Samantha Fish?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rbPZSM8R-o

You guys remember Cindy Loo Who from Jim Carey's live action Grinch film? She's all grown up now, and she's PRETTY RECKLESS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHBxJCq99jA

Something a little different. 20 yr old girl and work and I try and 'turn each other on'....
;)
TO NEW MUSIC! A little game we play. We leave sticky notes on each others computers with a song name. This is my favorite that she's turned me on to, so far. My 10 yr old son hates it because I sing this to him. Loudly. (But he likes the song, too)
DON'T I MAKE YOU CRINGE?

As I said, my all time favorite is Alice, but I also have current favorites that change frequently. My current #1 is: Volbeat, which has been a favorite for awhile.
This is the first song I heard by them that turned me on to them. They say it was inspired by one of their inspirations: Johnny Cash (who I also love).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mV_HHL-h6g

I could go on, and I will later. And I will listen to some of the stuff you guys posted. I'll leave you all with something a little less heavy, something .... I bet most anyone of any age might enjoy: Soulshine by Gov't Mule.
Let it shine, friends:

Thanks for starting this thread LankyKiwi.
 
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Rediscovering some older songs today. Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way - believe it or not, I first heard this song from the Rock Band 2 game - super fun song to play on the fake drums! Also listening to Ortopilot's cover of Bob Dylan's Make You Feel My Love, and Linkin Park's live performance of One More Light on Jimmy Kimmel.
 
I listened to The Wall again the other day.

I can't tell you how many times I've listened to that album, yet it's still fresh every single time.
 
@sm1ke: I have very good memories of blasting Fleetwood Mac through Dad's stereo :D That Ortopilot cover is lovely too. Love hearing songs interpreted in a different manner to the original!

@theblooms: What a great album! I'm more partial to Animals but The Wall is just amazing, like you said, still fresh today. I need to re-listen to that soon!

@7eregrine : Ohhhh boy! Lots of tasty tunes! Love the grandson track too. New music has never been easier to find! That's almost the problem, there's so much to sample from so many different sources it can get a bit overwhelming. My favourite thing is to plug a random song in to youtube, listen to it and then pick the most interesting thumbnail and repeat. Eventually the algorithm gets confused and it throws up real gems like S+C+A+R+R

I reckon you'd probably like Bones

And Skating Polly

That Volbeat song is cool too! Serious psychobilly vibes! I dig it a lot
 
That's just ok. The video is damn brilliant though. Very cool.
I reckon you'd probably like Bones
Better. Not quite catching me though.
And Skating Polly
OK, now we're talking. This I like and will make me look into this band more. :D

That Volbeat song is cool too! Serious psychobilly vibes! I dig it a lot
Yea, boy. Love me some Reverend Heat.
 
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