Best Ever Albums

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

RoundTheBend — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 20:26:10 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 04/13/2016 00:26

Much appreciated! Community thought is not to be discounted, especially when the responses are unique and intelligent.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

SuedeSwede — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 14:58:43 GMT

Author: SuedeSwede

Posted: 04/12/2016 18:58

I use RYM mostly. Sometimes get some recs from word of mouth, BEA charts, etc. But I rely greatly on RYM's overall and friends charts (the latter being an "as rated by my friends" option which is helpful because I usually add people who have similar or interesting tastes). I've found using RYM is better to filter out what I want to listen to and I can usually get a good grasp of what an album will be like from the people who rate it (and there's helpful genre tags and all). So yeah, not a very wide variety of sources but it gives me more than enough to listen to. I too have so many Notepad files knocking about of things I need to listen to

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

Skinny — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 14:17:24 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 04/12/2016 18:17

I use plenty of sources for recommendations (mp3 blogs, music sites, record shop mailing lists, BEA charts, RYM charts, magazines, word of mouth), which results in an ever-expanding mental list of albums (often broken down into smaller - though no less random - lists that I keep in strangely-titled Notepad files which litter my desktop) that I want to listen to at some point, and I generally just pick something from there that I feel I might be vaguely in the mood for at that particular moment in time. If after a few songs I'm really not enjoying the album (which doesn't happen too often, largely because I seem to have a fairly good instinct for what I might find interesting, and what I'm in the mood for listening to), I either decide to return to it at another time when I'm in a different mindset, or decide that it's not for me and forget about it. I don't really have any tips, in that sense, besides just doing what you want to do. Find some sites that cater to your tastes, check them on a semi-regular basis, and don't waste time with records that aren't offering anything that interests you at that particular moment in time.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

alelsupreme — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 14:05:22 GMT

Author: alelsupreme

Posted: 04/12/2016 18:05

Honestly I very rarely use personal recs to discover stuff (I like to think this means my taste is simply too unique and estoeric for anyone to possibly think of anything I like yeah that's it). and mostly go for stuff from artists I've either heard before and want to explore more deeply or albums I've simply seen a lot and am interested in. I find RYM to be useful for this as they bold something like the top 2000-10,000 releases in the RYM overall, so it can serve as a good guideline as to what by an artist is essential. My listening also very often follows a theme - during the BYT it was stuff from the year charts of whoever was playing a certain year, recently it has been Blue Note in preparation for the BLT (if that ever happens), in 2014 it was... well, largely 2014 albums.

I also tend to aim for a certain amount of new music i.e. 3-4 hours at any one time but I'm fairly sure that's just me.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

meccalecca — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 13:42:48 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 04/12/2016 17:42

carpents wrote:

I will also look for a specific label, or look sometimes at producers. Yeah, if Steve Albini or Bob Weston produce an album I'll give it a shot -- no guarantee that I'll like it, but sometimes they can pull a great album from a mediocre band. And they have decent taste in bands.

I find producers to be tougher to trust, because they're pretty dependent on making money. They can only be somewhat selective, and their abilities don't always complement the artists they work with.

I find small independent labels to be mostly dependable because they're all pretty much broke and therefore releasing records that they really believe are worth their time and money. And with only one or 2 tastemakers calling the shots there, they're usually pretty reliable.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

carpents — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:31:20 GMT

Author: carpents

Posted: 04/12/2016 15:31

I too use Spotify to sometimes find 'Related Artists' but I wish there was something like what I had in Rdio (now defunct streaming service) with their 'Recommendations'. Spotify has a 'Discover' section but it's not as good IMO.

Pandora's streaming radio can occasionally find bands too, but I haven't listened to that in years. In addition to the annoying commercials, I like to listen to albums and hate the demise of the thought-out long player.

I will also look for a specific label, or look sometimes at producers. Yeah, if Steve Albini or Bob Weston produce an album I'll give it a shot -- no guarantee that I'll like it, but sometimes they can pull a great album from a mediocre band. And they have decent taste in bands.

There is also often a web of interconnections between bands that might help you discover new sounds. Allmusic is a great resource for following those.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

AMBNTnoises — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 10:22:13 GMT

Author: AMBNTnoises

Posted: 04/12/2016 14:22

sethmadsen wrote:

This is a thread to talk about how you find new music you truly love and then actually has staying power... meaning it wasn't just a good find and got your jones' and then moved on next month, but something you found last year and it will stay with you for the rest of your life.

For me, spotify has been the best tool and helpful resource I have ever used in regards to finding new music. I will go to artists like Dawes, who constantly puts out timeless and fantastic records. Then, I click on related artists, and judge them by their name. Then I start listening to oldest albums first. I will jump through a few songs, and if I like what i hear, I listen to the whole thing. I do that with just about every band that I listen to a lot. Often times, I find music that really sticks with me.

Beyond spotify, I do a lot of research and follow social media sites and BEA to find newly released albums and fairly new music. It works for me, an I haven't been bored of any of the music that I listen to since I started doing that.
This method doesn't always provide timeless jewels, but it does provide music that is new and not bad by any means.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

Jimmy Dread — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 09:42:59 GMT

Author: Jimmy Dread

Posted: 04/12/2016 13:42

One thing that's not really been addressed so far in relation to the OP is how we all find the music we love as opposed to how many listens one should give a specific album before you realise it's either genius or garbage (or more than likely somewhere between the two).

Aside from the obvious (charts on BEA, sites like Pitchfork et al), I wholeheartedly concur with Mecca's 'go with the label' stance, especially if what you're into is niche or you're looking for something specific based on previous discoveries. In fact for certain genres (indie-pop/twee especially) it's the easiest way of discovering something of the oeuvre of what you've enjoyed before, and more than likely will enjoy this time.

Bar that though, the other obvious place to go is the new releases page on any one of a number of on-line record stores. Not the obvious ones like Amazon, but the more specialist or independent retailers. I check the 'latest 100 arrivals' page for Ladbroke Grove's Honest Jon's on a daily basis, and enjoy having a flick through my regular list of the week's new releases that Rough Trade send me every Friday morning.

The other major source of new discovery for me since I joined BEA has been dubtrack and plug - if you click on my 'love letter to BEA' link below you'll see just how much of an influence it's been thanks to my BEAutiful friends from far and wide (and Nottingham).

To add my 2p worth to the 'how many times should I listen' argument, as I've got older and time's become more precious I've found that unless there is something to cling onto - a riff, a lyric, a beat - on first listen I'll less than likely bother with it again. I'll listen to every track of an LP just in case there's something buried deep down in the tracklisting that worth plundering for a homemade compy, but if it does nothing for me I'll very very rarely give it another go. And no way will I persevere with a record just because it's critically acclaimed or everyone else seems to like it. There's a number of LPs - mainly hip-hop - that do zilch for me, and would never have the urge to give another listen to no matter how many others told me how great it was.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

RockyRaccoon — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 08:56:10 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 04/12/2016 12:56

I would say that 90% of my listening during the year is current-year albums. Like almost everything I'm listening to is 2016 stuff right now. I have a list of albums that I hear about from a variety of sources and I keep that list on my phone and move methodically through it.

Luckily I'm able to listen to music while I'm at work, so it gives me a lot of time to listen to albums. Generally I'm able to listen to like three-four albums a day at work.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

Grzywa — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 02:51:15 GMT

Author: Grzywa

Posted: 04/12/2016 06:51

Tap wrote:

Oh I mean more like there's so much going on in music right now, and for the stuff that you hear that does nothing for you, like you can probably tell that from just a song and you don't even need to bother with the album, who cares if people are talking about it, people talk about lots of things.

Sure, I wouldn't give so much of my precious time to every single album I happen to dislike on the first listen. Much less do I care about "general' opinions.

However, one thing that attracted me to BEA in the first place is the voice of its regular users that I often try to verify and frequently find treasures here that I'm thankful for (like that Joe McPhee record you recommended a while ago).

So the thing that made me wonder is just this couple of highly rated albums on this site that couldn't click with me.

I obviously realise they might not be up my street, but then there's always the possibility of I might be missing something that bothers me somehow. Perhaps just giving it a try at a later point will make sense.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

Tap — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:53:33 GMT

Author: Tap

Posted: 04/12/2016 04:53

Oh I mean more like there's so much going on in music right now, and for the stuff that you hear that does nothing for you, like you can probably tell that from just a song and you don't even need to bother with the album, who cares if people are talking about it, people talk about lots of things.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:48:17 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/12/2016 04:48

sethmadsen wrote:

Tell me more 😄

What thoughts go into choosing when?

The choices cannot be taught because the information you need lies entirely within yourself. Learn to listen to yourself, and the choices will become more clear.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

RoundTheBend — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:21:24 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 04/12/2016 04:21

Tap wrote:

I'd say the most important thing to it is to be ok with not having an opinion on lots of things. If you don't really care about something, then why prolong your apathy? There's a lot of worthwhile music in the world and no one can have an opinion on all of it.

So almost like a Zen approach?

Like just be in the now with the music and it's not what you think about after it... it's just doing it now?

I like this overall idea and approach... it's almost like living life better and not the F'd up way I do.

But then how do I meet my goal of finding debuts after 2010 that I like?

And the obvious answer is you don't... (whether that be because I'm not having an opinion or I don't even try)

haha

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

RoundTheBend — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:17:36 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 04/12/2016 04:17

Allabaster wrote:

In exploring new music, I find the greatest challenge is not in selecting music to listen to or deciding how many times I listen, but rather in choosing when to listen to what I've chosen.

Tell me more 😄

What thoughts go into choosing when?

I mean there's obviously, does this have my attention kind of thing. Is that it?

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

RoundTheBend — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:14:31 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 04/12/2016 04:14

Grzywa wrote:

Going further, how many listens does it take to decide something is really not your cup of tea ?

Wonderful question that probably doesn't have an easy answer.

Some things you grow to love... honestly I think it's the listener not how often the record spins... if you don't like it after 3 spins... you won't like it any time soon and probably need to give it a year or two to see if you have changed and are ready to receive it.

Other times... you NEVER will like something.

This last time I listened to David Bowie's The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars was the first time it kind of clicked with me... two/three years ago when I listened to it for the first time... I couldn't stand it. I think even the Stones albums' I couldn't stand (I was a Hot Rocks fan), and it took like maybe 10 listens and a year... and I was already a fan of the band... then some of it clicked... some of it still doesn't (hence their lower rankings of albums, but a 97/100 on their Hot Rocks collection.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

RoundTheBend — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:08:36 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 04/12/2016 04:08

zdwyatt wrote:

I certainly don't give every album three chances; I'd never get anything done. What I do is listen to the first track in its entirety. I should be able to get a sense of what a band is about from the lead track. In the case of record where the first track is a throwaway (looking at you hip-hop) I often jump straight to the second cut. If the first track grabs me, I will listen to the first 30 seconds of the remaining tracks. Note that this does not require that the songs are necessarily my taste. I try to be somewhat objective and focus on "compelling" rather than "good." If I hear enough interesting things, I add the album to my queue of albums awaiting a full listen.

Each album in that queue earns at least one full play-through, start to finish, no skipping. It gets one fair listen. Sometimes I can tell I am just not in the mood, or that an album deserves something besides a listen at work (e.g. played through headphones or blasted from the home stereo). Those I will come back to later. But I don't labor over albums trying to convince myself I like them. I listened to Aeroplane Over the Sea once and I found absolutely nothing to like. No need to try it again just because it's so popular.

If an album is good, I will just want to revisit it. Almost every day I wake up with some song in my head. It might be an older song (today it was Soul Asylum's "Misery") or it might be something from my new album queue. Either way, that it a sure sign that an album is sticking with me. Even though I make lists of the best 50+ albums each year, very few of those have staying power. Realistically, each year only offers up maybe half a dozen albums that will last for me. Last year there were only three.

Also very helpful to quickly identify what's worth spending time with. Sometimes I rely on top rated track or the singles... but those aren't always a good identifier. I think limiting to a song or two to identify if it "grabs" you and then from there move on (even if you aren't sure it is good).

Dig it.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

RoundTheBend — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:05:02 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 04/12/2016 04:05

meccalecca wrote:

I have a queue of new releases that I filter through. Everything gets at least a listen. Ultimately an album moves on into a folder of albums I like, or they get deleted. This doesn't happen until I feel I've gotten enough of an impression to make this decision for myself. Some albums linger there for weeks or months. Others take only a couple listens. It can sometimes only take a listen to move something into the keeper folder, as I know I'll return to it there many more times.

As far as finding new stuff, I rely heavily on labels I've grown to love and trust as well as various friends and outlets whose opinions I hold dear. I go through periods of time in which I listen almost exclusively to new stuff, but also long stretches of time where I listen to stuff I already know and love. I try not to force it. I'm pretty aware of my moods and what will work.

For all the revival/retracing of old ideas and sounds, there's a plethora of new records that sound totally fresh, even to the most fickle of ears.

Thanks, I find much of this very insightful/useful methods.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

RoundTheBend — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:02:26 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 04/12/2016 04:02

alelsupreme wrote:

Yeah 3 listens is like a fundamental rule for me, with the exception of albums that really just don't need it (You don't exactly need 3 listens for like an early rock'n'roll LP or something) or ones I simply cannot bear to listen to again (Hello The Wall!). I don't feel anything less is really enough to really formulate a proper opinion on it (I don't say informed cos none of my opinions are informed I don't know shit about shit my guy).

hahaha... actually alelsupreme is totally who I got the three listens from.

@Grzywa
No... I haven't done a 3 times listening rule for almost any of my 50s, 60s, and 70s music :(. Mostly because I am "quickly" reviewing albums. There have been maybe 20 of the 610 I reviewed of those eras that I shamefully skipped a few songs to half the album on because I just couldn't do it.

Rain Dogs is one album though that now that I'm doing the 80s that I want to relisten to. I gave it an 82 rating, but feel that another listen and it'd grow on me even more. I think I may have listened to maybe 3 or 4 albums twice to re-assess my opinion.

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

SuedeSwede — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 22:13:26 GMT

Author: SuedeSwede

Posted: 04/12/2016 02:13

Allabaster wrote:

In exploring new music, I find the greatest challenge is not in selecting music to listen to or deciding how many times I listen, but rather in choosing when to listen to what I've chosen.

this tbh. there's endless amounts of music I need to listen to and there's shit I've had on wishlists for like 2 years and still not gotten to and I imagine I won't for another few years. deciding how many times I listen is just not a thing I do and I'll revisit an album when I get the impulse to, I guess.

however with so much music I just don't know how to fit it all in. it can be a bit overwhelming with all this great stuff at your fingertips and you have a night of "ooh I really want to listen to a load of new stuff" - and bam here's literally over a year's worth of music - now which one of these are you going to listen to?

Re: Tips for those listening to new music

JOSweetHeart — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 21:06:01 GMT

Author: JOSweetHeart

Posted: 04/12/2016 01:06

For the past six months its been nothing but the late beautiful precious Billy Joe Royal for me. I most definitely don't get discouraged when I listen to him. If I am not smiling, I am bawling because of how long it took me to find him. Sure its better late than never at all, but with him being gone now, its too late for me to tell him what it is that I think of him and I hate it. 😢 😢 😢

God bless you and his family always!!!

Holly

P.S. I don't see myself ever getting tired of hearing him either, I love him so much!!! 😢 😢 😢