This is a general thread for recommending albums that you like and think others may like as well.

I often find that the albums I enjoy the most and which stay with me for quite a while are those I have bought on a whim after hearing one song and find to be pretty damn smashing, it happened with Interpol, Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens, all of which I love now as much as I did when I first heard them. An album I bought recently which really surprised me and which I have found to be very enjoyable is James Dean Bradfield's debut album ''The Great Western''.

I'm not a Manic Street Preachers fan by any means; my interest in them lies solely with The Holy Bible and a few of their singles but apart from that they have never really impressed me. As such I was not fussed when they said James Dean Bradfield would release his own album but after hearing the sumptuous and rather upbeat single ''That's No Way To Tell A Lie'' I thought I'd check it out. It was far better than I was expecting. The musical side of things is quite lovely, featuring many of the better aspects of the Manics that have made them so successful; an epic sound, gorgeous string arrangements (though mostly made on synths) and strong guitar work that, whilst anthemic is not cloying or hamfisted.the album also benefits from being quite but shorn of the things which I feel really hindered the Manics since about 1995; Nicky Wire's lyrics and a workmanlike attitude to making albums.

No offense to Manics fans but I find that their lyrics can be really pretensious at times. Nothing wrong with that when the songs work, but a lot of the time they tend to drag down the songs with empty sloganeering and wordy exploration of not particularly interesting subjects. The lyrics on the Great Western, having been written solely by Bradfield, are more down to earth and enjoyable and the whole album is genuinely very fun to listen to and you get the feeling that Bradfield had fun making it seeing as there is little if any of the occasionally suffocating sombreness found on the last few MSP albums.

A really enjoyable album that doesn't really push back any boundaries or do much that hasn't been heard before but is still fun.

those are three fantastic albums, arcade fire was stunning, definately my album of last year, interpol i thought a bit boring at first but uts really grown in me an now i love 'em, and sufjan stevens is just beautiful, i hope he gets his act together and manages to get out an album for every state, three in five years or whatever aint lookin promising though...

panic! at the disco - a fever u can't sweat out

people may be pleasently suprised!! i was!!

I love the JDB solo album. And being a Manics I've said before about my dislike for The Holy Bible, so I won't belabour the point any further. I've never really been overly bothered by the pretensiousness of their lyrics, even if they can be rather depressing at times, but I will probably to view them in a slightly different light now, in the wake of Bradfield's solo effort. Overall the tone is somewhat less melancholic than Manics at their miserable best, and while some of the melodies do still have that minor key element, they are as gorgeous (if not more so) than much of the Manics' best work, not least the beautiful closer, 'Which Way To Kyffin' - there is a general sense of joyous euphoria about the album that you just can't miss, and like Maian rightly said, there is a bit more 'fun' involved.

I've long felt that Bradfield's breaking-out as a solo artist has been overdue for some time. Whether this signals an eventual breaking-up of the Manics (as I understand Nicky Wire's solo album isn't far off completion) or not, who knows. I had hoped this would be worth the wait, and although I was a little worried it may not be as good as it deserved to be, it has easily exceeded my expectations. Certainly one of the better albums I've acquired this year. I'm going to put it on now, actually.

Can someone tell me if it's naff to like Captain? I'm sure it is, but their single Glorious reminds me of Deacon Blue in their heyday. Which is nice.

Not really ''naff''. They're getting some positive things said about them, they haven't been overplayed or over-hyped just yet and have just got down to making nice pop music. They fit nicely into the category of ''hotly tipped new band'' and so are okay to like.

Thank you Ed, I will take your opinion and have it as my own.

*Has thoughts sucked from head by Jessop's mind-sucker''

That was weird. Who are Captain, then?

I like what i've heard of Captain also.

Other than my well-documented recommendation of Guillemots, a band I strongly recommend at the moment are an American group called Midlake, who produce interesting tracks with touches of electro, pop, rock and 'emo' to form and original, innovative sound.

The only band I can think of that are similar to them in terms of sound would be The Eels.

Well if a young panther like yourself likes them, I am happy.

I read that as ''young partner'' and conjured up some disturbing mental imagery....





*pictures Hobbes as a lawyer closing down an orphanage*

*Shudders* You evil bastard, Luke! Where will they go now?

I've already mentioned this seperately to a couple of people here, so for all fans of Daft Punk/Basement Jaxx I would like to recommend Chromeo - a New York electrofunkpop duo whose album She's In Control is damnably catchy.

It plays like a hybrid of Daft Punk's album Discovery, and Les Rhythmes Digitales' Darkdancer - if you liked either (or both), you will surely love this. Plenty of vocodery vocals, all seasoned with a nice mid-80's retro funky house flavour.

I love those guys! I got to interview them (well, I was one of the people interviewing them) in my first year and they were some of the funniest guys I've ever met. We played their stuff to death. One of my co-hosts on a radio show even made up dance routines to a few of their songs and performed them in public whenever we were doing outside broadcasts.

That's fantastic! Nice work, sir.

I've got to dig out their album now. I haven't listened to it in aaaaaages.

Tapes 'n Tapes album The Loon is a great record.

The band describe themselves as the illegitimate step-child of Frank Black and Stephen Malkmus.

I don't think I can fault them there.

I recommend Headland.

Check out their stuff at www.headlandmusic.org

I've mentioned him a few times on here over the last few months so I thought I might as well write a bit about him in this thread. The man I am alluding to is the mighty Sufjan Stevens.

Quite frankly there are no better songwriters alive in the world today, certainly none from the current generation. Certainly there are none with the same amount of ambition as him; he has said that he will write one album for every state in America. So far he is up to two; Michigan and Illinois. The second of these, Illinois (or Come On Feel The Illinoise if you prefer) is officially the best album of 2005 as determined by looking at hundreds of reviews of albums released last year. It is a breathtaking piece of work that it beautiful, funny, heartbreakingly sad and many more hyperbolic phrases that I could spend hours belting out. He takes events from the history of Illinois and weaves them seamlesly into more personal events from his own life and his faith.

It is this last aspect that I feel needs addressing seeing as a ot of people seem put off by so-called ''Christian Music''. Whilst there is certainly a lot of Christian allegory in his music (most notably on the Seven Swans album, a side-project of songs about Christianity) the same could also be said of hundreds of other artists over the years. Much like Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash, Stevens uses religious images to make a point in his music rather than to convert anyone. I mention these names because they are all artists whose faith has informed and influenced their best work, but also because I genuinely believe that Sufjan Stevens is in the same league as these great figures of song.

Anyway, of his 5 studio albums to date (plus one out-takes record) I would recommend that people buy Illinois. As with many great artists, Stevens has grown in ability over the years, experimenting with folk, rock and electronica, and this album represents a glorious culmination of his work so far and a tantalising indidator of where he can go in the future.

And if that bit of rhetoric hasn't swung you, both Sostie and pots are also fans. Surely enough of a recommendation for anyone.

I've been listening to a lot of comedy recently; Norm MacDonald's new sketch album, Ridiculous, is really, really great, and unlike other sketch records holds up really well to multiple listens. Demetri Martin, who I don't really like live or on tv, is actually pretty amazing on record (just don't watch the accompanying DVD, you'll be let down).

Musically, aside from our own recent releases (plug will happen below, so you can skip it if you wish), I've mostly been listening to the recent Cursive album, old Samhain records, and Zoe Keating, a cellist who makes some of the most rewarding music I've heard in a long time. She used to play with Rasputina and is now doing solo work using just her cello and a box of delays and samplers. It's haunting. www.zoekeating.com


The plug/whoring bit:

Patrick Porter, Polly Panic, Minmae, LKN.

XTC.

Criminally overlooked. 13 studio albums covering 25 years. Good staring points are the albums Skylarking, Black Sea, English Settlement and Oranges and Lemons. An aqcuired taste but once they're under your skin you can't do without them.

I'd not heard of Captain when JJJ first posted this but now, having heard the briefest of snippets of their album for the first time on a TV advert a couple of days ago, I must say I was immediately taken by what I heard - a very nice 80's retro pop sound that should suit me just fine. I shall be making further investimagations.

Devendra Banhart! He's at the forefront of the "Freak-Folk" or "Psych-Folk" or whatever you want to call it movement, and his 2005(?) album Cripple Crow is fantastic. Rambling, self-indulgent, sometimes lazily shifting mid-verse into Spanish, but beautiful, tender and fun at the same time....

Apparently his live gigs are also a fantastic ride, he often invites audience members up to play whatever songs they might have written, and he is accompanied by a scruffy, bearded band of gypsy-ish minstrels. What a guy. What a beard.

captain sound a lot like prefab sprout. (and prefab sprout's first album "swoon" being one of the 10 best albums ever, that's no bad comparison)

Yes indeed, that's another good comparison. I still haven't got round to hearing more. So much music, so little time.

I preferred Steve McQueen, but hell, if it's like Swoon, I may well investigate myself.





Prefab Sprout...like The The & Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, one of those bands you forget how great they actually were until someone mentions their name

Neutral Milk Hotel.

I've done a quick search and pots and ThirtyHelens both listen to them. 'In The Aeroplane Over The Sea' is the best thing I've heard in a very, very long time - it's making my review of JJJ's loop CD difficult to write as it's all I want to listen to. There's also quotes on the back from Franz Ferdinand and Arcade Fire saying how brilliant it is.

Not as outre as the other bands mentioned, but if no-one has heard Robert Plant's version of 'Song to the Siren' beg, steal, borrow or download legally or illegally. This version (imho) is even better than Jeff Buckley's or even This Mortal Coil's versions. Just beautiful

Silent Shout by The Knife - the best album of 2006 bar none! Swedish eerie dark techno/electro with poppy leanings... simply brilliant.

I recommend.. My Chemical Romance. Seriously, they are unpredictable, yet everyone seems to have their minds made up about this band and it seem cool to dislike them. My 36 year old music manager friend (who is male) got me into them. Their new album 'The Black Parade' is like a cross between Queen, Blur, Radiohead and Status Quo. And come on, that combination at least has to be something to admire!

All I'm saying is.. if you don't like them that is cool, fair enough. But LISTEN to them before you make your mind up. Plus they are the nicest band in the world. They never have a bad word to say about any other band, and they are geeks (Gerard Way is a comic artist, there is a documentary where he talks about his latest comic characters, and it's sooo similar to Tim in Spaced it's almost not funny...)

Other musical recommendations are all friends of mine..:

WINNERS!
computerman;

Enter Shikari

and OK I don't know these guys but they are gud..

Mew

Gail x

i recommend les cowboy fringants. they are awesome. really cool french folk, rock, country stuff. the energy in their music is just amazing. i have trouble describing it but once you listen to it you will get it.

they are indeed... the best band in Denmark!

My friend's just started a band.
Have a look at The Tabloid Press & check out their songs... I particularly like 59%.

They sound quite like Art Brut... good stuff though.

I love so many different types of music its hard to say. But I have been listening to a lot of albums by The Orb, and The Future sound of London lately.

A couple of Aussie bands to get into...
Decoder Ring
They put out a cracker of an album (self titled) a few years back, all live guitars and drums teamed with drum loops, keyboards and electronic sounds a-plenty. Mainly instrumental, but a few songs had lyrics. Then they did the score for an Australian film, Somersault. It was set in some snow fields and documented a young woman's mental and physical growth (sounds like a porno, right?). The soundtrack was just sublime. Gone were the guitars and drums, to be replaced with gentle, frosty beats and delicate melodies. The next album they released, Fractions, was a return to their previous sounds - stomping dancefloor tunes, uplifting pop, a real rollercoaster of an album. It also brought something new to the group: Lenka, a full time female vocalist (who also dances like a demon). They still do instrumentals, but more songs have lyrics, and live she complements the amazing soundscapes created by the rest of the band.

Wolf & Cub
Add another name to the glut of bands with 'wolf' in their title. Every one claims to have something different, and so do these guys - 2 drummers. I've never heard of it before, and it's intoxicating to watch them live. The symmetry and syncopation is mesmerising, let alone how it sounds. One guitarist and one bassist complete the quartet, who play psychadelic rock you can dance to. Their album, Vessels, was released last year to a lukewarm reaction, but like a lot of bands they really shine when on stage.

i love him!!!! most awesomest man of life. also good is mason jennings.

If we could step into Bizarro World for a moment...

I like Lemon Jelly and Mr Scruff lots (although not so much Mrs Cruff - perhaps it's a grower).
I like Mint Royale, Saint Etienne, Air, Portishead, Massive Attack, Chemical Brothers and Black Box Recorder (do they count?).
I like most of Amorphous Androgynous but I'm less keen on Leftfield.

I might like LCD Soundsystem too, but I've borrowed them off a bloke from work and only listened to it once.

Where do people suggest I go from here?

That's some eclectic stuff there. Have you tried Death In Vegas, Daft Punk, Orb?

For a Saint Etienne flava I'd suggest Intasteller.

You know of course the J-Man is probably the best to help you out here.

J to the essop did do a little list a few months ago. I shall have to try and find it again.

I did cast my eye over Death In Vegas, I'll investigate a bit further.
Daft Punk I like some of, but others annoy me greatly.
Jessop recomended the Orb too. Again, I shall have a looook.

Fluke is one that I criminally forgot to mention.

Some friends of my brother have a band called More Silage. It's countryside funny folk-pop ("I'm a Man" and "Dairy Factory" are the choice picks on the MySpace page) and they've recently supported The Wurzels (I know, big leagues!). Currently finishing their debut album "Farmer...Farmer No!".

Lucky Bastards!!

A band that I started to listen to is The Moldy Peaches, there an anti-folk band out of NYC some of their I like are
Lucky Number Nine
Steak for Chicken
Anyone else but you

Can anybody recommend some really nice summery music?

I've been listening to Belle and Sebastian and Manu Chao so more of that sort of thing please!

Not really "that sort of thing" but for me top summer listening recommendations would be

Any good Motown/Atlantic Soul compilation
A good Trojan Ska compilation
The Stone Roses- The Stone Roses
Air - Moon Safari

Again, not really very Belle and Sebastian and Manu Chao, but Mr Scruff's Big Chill Classics is very summery.

I harp on about him a lot, but Sufjan Stevens' music can be very summery, particularly on his last album Illinois. The album is a mix of uptempo numbers and more contemplative stuff, but the upbeat ones are some of the most life-affirming songs I've ever heard.

Apart from that, I'd highly recommend Peter, Bjorn and John, a Swedish act whose third album, Writer's Block, would have been a perfect summer record had it not been released last Autumn. It's a cool blend of just very lovely pop music, and their song ''Young Folks'' was easily the best single of 2006.

He ain't wrong you know.

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS was made for summer and why not try out gruff rhys. Orbital always sound better in the sunshine, I always think.

to be honest, you should be listening to sufjan all the year long anyway though it does work well as a summer record, especially with tracks like chicago which are wonderful.

guillemots, similarly, have a big mix of stuff, but big orchestral happy numbers like we're here or sao paulo go down well in summer, as well as the singles: made up love song #43, trains to brazil and annie, let's not wait.

i'd also suggest one of my favourite bands, limbeck, as essential summer listening. they are a very chirpy alt country band from southern california who might well be the happiest lads to ever grace my stereo system. they are a brilliant summer band, largely because they spend a lot of time singing about the sun and smallish towns in sunny southern states. i love them.

out of interest, what belle & sebastian in particular have you been listening to? i'm a big fan and am interested.