You should be listening to...

LetGo23 wrote:
Everyone should be checking out Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective; both released excellent albums this year.
(and I know all the hipster elitists are all saying that, but these albums actually were really, really good).

Since you mentioned Animal Collective, you might want to give Our Brother the Native a listen.
http://www.myspace.com/ourbrotherthenative

Others:

La Dispute - http://www.myspace.com/ladispute
You.May.Die.in.The.Desert - http://www.myspace.com/youmaydieinthedesert
Yndi Halda - http://www.myspace.com/yndihalda
We Made God - www.myspace.com/wemadegod
This Will Destroy You - www.myspace.com/thiswilldestroyyou
School of Emotional Engineering - www.myspace.com/schoolofemotionalengineer
Sea Wolf - www.myspace.com/seawolf
Russian Circles - www.myspace.com/russiancircles
Red Sparowes - www.myspace.com/redsparowes
Made Out of Babies - www.myspace.com/madeoutofbabies
Kaneda - www.myspace.com/soundsofkaneda
Johnnytwentythree - www.myspace.com/j23music
Jesu - www.myspace.com/officialjesu
Immanu El - www.myspace.com/immanuelband
If These Trees Could Talk - www.myspace.com/ifthesetreescouldtalk
I Was a Cub Scout - www.myspace.com/iwasacubscout
Fighterpilot - http://www.thesirenssound.com/2009/05/20/fighterpilot-between-homes-and-travels/
The Evapatoria Report - www.myspace.com/theevpatoriareport
Battle of Mice - www.myspace.com/battleofmice
Atlantis - http://www.myspace.com/atlantissound
The Ascent of Everest - www.myspace.com/theascentofeverest
Antennas to Heaven - www.myspace.com/antennas
The Antarcticans - www.myspace.com/theantarcticans
The American Dollar - www.myspace.com/americandollarband
Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson - www.myspace.com/youthpictures
Blueneck - www.myspace.com/blueneck
Caspian - www.myspace.com/caspiantheband
I Hear Sirens - www.myspace.com/ihearsirens

Some folk(ish):

DeVotchKa - www.myspace.com/devotchkamusic
Entire Cities - www.myspace.com/entirecities
Fleet Foxes - www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes
Right Away, Great Captain! - www.myspace.com/rightawaygreatcaptain
The Rural Alberta Advantage - www.myspace.com/theraa
The Snake the Cross the Crown - www.myspace.com/snakecrosscrown
Frightened Rabbit - www.myspace.com/frightenedrabbit

I've recently started listening to this awesome band called Amos The Transparent.

Check them out: http://www.myspace.com/amosthetransparent

So far I have gotten two really good suggestions from this site . . . thank you! I just bought Circa Survive and Deer Hunter (edit: also bought the dear hunter as per Ars - wow I need to pay closer attention. either both are good and completely different:). I'm impressed so far . . .

Here are my suggestions (oldies but goodies):
1. Paradise Lost: a band that had some turns musically, I strongly suggest listening to Icon (1995 or so), In Requiem (2007 or so) and Paradise Lost (self titled about 2008 or so). Their more recent efforts are pure gold to me especially In Requiem. Watch out, they took a big turn with the album One Second (which I liked) and the next two or three albums before returning to form with the two later albums mentioned.

2. The Flower Kings - big time prog-rock here, but completely awesome (imho). The main man is Roine Stolt who is from the sixties/seventies and has/does play with many notable musicians (dream theater). Check out Paradox Hotel, which is a heavy album to digest both lyrically and musically. Standout on that album is Monsters & Men. Give them a chance and I think you will find yourself humming the melodies sooner rather than later.

3. Mana - spanish rock group that churns out hit after hit. Not a dredg or anything, but a great rock band that has a good sense of melody and more importantly energy (I have seen them live 4 times). Recommend Suenos Liquidos, Amar Es Combatir, y Revolucion De Amor. You don't need to speak spanish to enjoy them. Lots of people don't like this, but I do. Best song ever is Como Te Extrano.

4. Others that may have been mentioned: Sigur Ros, Pelican, and Type O Negative.

Atlacoya wrote:
I'm a sucker for anything with banjos and ukuleles that manages not to suck.

Then you should check out William Elliott Whitmore.

Atlacoya wrote:

AnewKINDofFEELIN wrote:

Atlacoya wrote:
I'm a sucker for anything with banjos and ukuleles that manages not to suck.

Then you should check out William Elliott Whitmore.

Checking out "Diggin' My Grave" now. This is pretty damn good. His voice reminds me of Fred Eaglesmith.

The time that I saw him, he didn't have his banjo with him. I was disappointed, but he was still great.

Good Old War

One of my new favorite bands... I completely envy any of you who are gonna be able to catch them with dredg =( ; great band!

I agree that Maps & Atlases are good times!!!

Mt. Helium
Damiera
The Alaya Concious
Maps & Atlases
Kenna

^ I love me some Death By Stereo.

Good stuff.

Mystery is Beauty wrote:
I agree that Maps & Atlases are good times!!!

Mt. Helium
Damiera
The Alaya Concious
Maps & Atlases
Kenna

I haven't listened to Mt. Helium all that much. That's the new project from former Apex Theory, yeah?

Also, Kenna is awesome. New Sacred Cow was an awesome album. It was stolen from me many years ago, though. -_-

Anyway, bands to be listening to:

The Awkward Stage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzwCJ4VuG-E
The Stills http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viX7LovqaEo
Mother Mother http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP7TEGLuPM0
Black Mountain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHxqTpK3lPE
Spoon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1hZVDLkJDc
M83 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCkk0-az5TA&feature=fvst
Los Campesinos! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc4GethJnBg
Spiritualized http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOL1291ryKM

That's all for now.