The How Do I Get Into _____ Thread

Taevis

Taevis

Active Member
Unless I’m blind, this thread doesn’t already exist. This is a thread where you if you want to get into a certain artist’s music or genre of music, you can ask for recommendations on albums to start with.

I’ll go first: How do I get into Sonic Youth?
 
Taevis said:
Unless I’m blind, this thread doesn’t already exist. This is a thread where you if you want to get into a certain artist’s music or genre of music, you can ask for recommendations on albums to start with.

I’ll go first: How do I get into Sonic Youth?
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This is a great idea for a thread! However I can't help because I'm in the same boat as you. Never got into Sonic Youth....
 
Taevis said:
Unless I’m blind, this thread doesn’t already exist. This is a thread where you if you want to get into a certain artist’s music or genre of music, you can ask for recommendations on albums to start with.

I’ll go first: How do I get into Sonic Youth?
Click to expand...
You need to have an understanding of where the band is coming from. The 70s and very early 80s saw artists and art-school types flock to a rough part of lower Manhattan that was a very inexpensive to live. Bands there were started by people who were not necessarily musicians but who were artists expressing themselves through music, essentially performance art (think no-wave). The mindset was that rather than copy musical styles that were already done, it became "what is possible music-wise?"

Now think of the influences of no-wave - both style-wise and philosophically what-is-possible-wise, think of the dissonance and dystopian sounds coming from Swans, think of the energy and rawness of hardcore like Minor Threat, then think of the imagination and creativity of a guitarist like Glenn Branca. Now imagine what already talented guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo could do with extremely open minds and such a wide range of influences. What kind of sounds could they coax out of their guitars?

This is an analog band, particularly at the beginning. You gotta listen on vinyl to 'get' it. Start with Confusion is Sex. It was released on Branca's Neutral label.

Disclaimer: I like no-wave, Minor Threat and Swans. You may not, and you may not enjoy Sonic Youth. And that's okay!
 
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High Rant District said:
You need to have an understanding of where the band is coming from. The 70s and very early 80s saw artists and art-school types flock to a rough part of lower Manhattan that was a very inexpensive to live. Bands there were started by people who were not necessarily musicians but who were artists expressing themselves through music, essentially performance art (think no-wave). The mindset was that rather than copy musical styles that were already done, it became "what is possible music-wise?"

Now think of the influences of no-wave - both style-wise and philosophically what-is-possible-wise, think of the dissonance and dystopian sounds coming from Swans, think of the energy and rawness of hardcore like Minor Threat, then think of the imagination and creativity of a guitarist like Glenn Branca. Now imagine what already talented guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo could do with extremely open minds and such a wide range of influences. What kind of sounds could they coax out of their guitars?

This is an analog band, particularly at the beginning. You gotta listen on vinyl to 'get' it. Start with Confusion is Sex. It was released on Branca's Neutral label.

Disclaimer: I like no-wave, Minor Threat and Swans. You may not. You may not, and you may not enjoy Sonic Youth. And that's okay!
Click to expand...
I like early Swans work such as Filth, so I think I like no-wave. I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy it.
 
Taevis said:
I like early Swans work such as Filth, so I think I like no-wave. I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy it.
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the difference between the no wave of say swans compared to sonic youth is sonic youth was more focused on things like noise rock whereas swans were more like an industrial band...

i'd say other no wave artists like say half japanese's debut might be just as important for it (its also really good, but dont listen in full because its literally 2 hours and 12 minutes)


if you like that stuff, listen to bad moon rising
 
Well looks like I’m the only one who uses this thing, but yesterday I listened to “A Crow Looked at Me” by Mount Eerie. It was an experience to say the very least. It made me revisit the Glow Pt. 2 by Microphones, another Phil Elverum project.

What next steps should I take in Phil Elverum’s really huge discography?
 
Taevis said:
What next steps should I take in Phil Elverum’s really huge discography?
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Well you've covered the two most popular, so I don't think it matters too much where you go next. Now Only is probably next closest to ACLAM, but as far as I know this is a new and fairly different arc for him so that's about it for that sound.

If you liked The Glow Pt2 I think I would look at both The Microphones and Mount Eerie discographies and listen to the albums closest in age to it.
 
Taevis said:
Unless I’m blind, this thread doesn’t already exist. This is a thread where you if you want to get into a certain artist’s music or genre of music, you can ask for recommendations on albums to start with.

I’ll go first: How do I get into Sonic Youth?
Click to expand...
Where to start with SY depends on your tastes. Like winding, sprawling dissonant songs? Daydream Nation fits that bill. Prefer more immediate, accessible songs? Then Dirty is a good place to start (I never liked Goo). A mix of the two? Either Sonic Nurse or Murray Street. More no-wave influenced? I’ll have to rely on what other say, as this is the one phase of SY that eluded me, and that’s Confusion Is Sex.
 
imtheocean said:
I'll play - How do I get started on King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard? They've got a ton of albums and I don't know where to start.
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I saw this on Reddit and was going to give it a go. @Enaz Fox is this legit?



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