The Smiley Smile Message Board

Who are your favorite artists that have emerged in the last decade? I don't mean your favorite albums(which could be from old hands like Dylan...or Brian Wilson for that matter) but your favorite NEW artists?

Some of these artists may have been around before '99, but here goes, in no particular order:

Fountains of Wayne
Camera Obscura
The Postmarks
Animal Collective
The Decemberists
Daft Punk
Feist
Blink 182
The Thrills
Rilo Kiley
Neko Case
New Pornographers
Wilco
Yellowcard
The Fleet Foxes
Jason Mraz
Arcade Fire
Coldplay
Rise Against
Anti-Flag
NoFX
Modest Mouse
MGMT (one of their members grew up in the town north of mine)

I must be getting old.

I definitely am, which is why I'm asking. My music collection sort of drops off after 98 or so, reasons being that my life got in the way and then I moved to Europe and was effectively cut off from popular culture for long time...but I want to hear new, good music. I can't plumb the past forever.
So thank you Alex. Some of those artists I know, but I'll see if I can't get my virtual hands on some of the others.

Haha, yes. I wanted to fill in: 'Mercury Rev', and 'The Flaming Lips', and 'Massive Attack', until I realized that.... ah, you'll know what I mean.

Exactly...

You'll definitely love Sufjan Stevens. pick up his Illinoise album, it's just insane.
Sigur Ros you've probably heard of, but worth mentioning.
Animal Collective are worth a shot
Bat For Lashes might fit the bill as well.
And i can't believe no-one mentioned the SFA, but they don't really fit into your time band

Who are the SFA?

Super Furry Animals. A very lovely Welsh band.

Oh, yeah. Actually I have three or four of their albums.

Oh, and I found one, at last. Around 1999, there emerged an enigmatic guy who played splendid live shows and made very fine albums.

His name?



















Brian Wilson

I have all his albums actually, except the Christmas one, which is oddly the only one I've seen sold in these parts.

He's good, innit? I predict a great future for him. If he can stay off the drugs, that is.

I would add El Perro Del Mar & Loney Dear.

Most of the ones usually talked up around here don't do it for me at all: Animal Collective, Sufjan Stevens, Fleet Foxes, etc.

I'd say the ones I like most who are either mostly or entirely post-'99 are (in no order) Herman Dune, Half-Handed Cloud (a Sufjan band member, and far more interesting to me), Heartless Bastards, the most recent Polyphonic Spree (but not the earlier couple), Iron & Wine, Of Montreal, Voxtrot's EPs (but not the album), the Shins first couple albums, the Fiery Furnaces, Belle & Sebastian, the Delgados, Arab Strap (those latter three are all mostly or entirely defunct). I liked Jenny Lewis's first solo album, but not the more recent one. M Ward has done some cool stuff, but I'm not a fan of everything by any means.

And frankly, some of the best music in this decade does come from some much-older artists: Tom Waits far and away most of all, with Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello in the picture, too.

But of course a Brian Wilson fart sounds better than anyone else's best song ever, I suppose. Or at least that's what is bound to be dragged up.

Hi Luther -

I agree with your wit&wisdom. Waits and Dylan are great. Dylan is like a vintage red wine, in fact. There is a sweet melancholy mood that pervades all of his latterday albums. And the latest one was released yesterday in this neck of the woods...

Was it? goshdarn you and your neck and your woods. I've got to wait till Tuesday.

Belle and Sebastian are too old, I'm looking for newer stuff, thank you for the rest of your suggestions, though, Luther.

Of course several old artists are still going strong! But I don't need to be pointed in their direction, I guess--I mean...I've heard plenty of Bob Dylan and B and S and Waits, more interested in bands I haven't heard of at least  in this thread anyway.

I wasn't trying to point you in that direction. Or any direction. In fact, I don't give a damn what you listen to. I was talking about my favorite subject: myself.

Gorillaz is the only one I can think of.

Does Lambchop count? I am fond of that band.

They once sold an EP at some of their concerts entitled "Pet Sounds Sucks". Liked both Nixon and Is A Woman quite a bit.

Ooof... either it is tongue in cheek or else... (*looks up both Kurt Wagner's e-mail and an Exorcism Manual...)

Lambchop, never heard of em. I guess thez would count.

Alright, so in ten years, Ill come back and ask about 2009--2019, as I will spend the next ten years acquiring the bands from the last ten years.

Luther, I apologize if my post came off as snide...though I have heard of Bob Dylan. That part was true.

Move to LA and see Jon Brion on Fridays.  And get his album, and all the boots you can find.

But I am getting frustrated at his lack of studio output for himself...

Coming late to this thread, but I'd like to include The National and The Broken West as two of my favorites from this decade.

The new St. Vincent album (Actor) is very good.

I love the Flaming Lips! The Soft Bulletin has got to be one of the top 5 best albums of the '90s!! The only reason I didn't put 'em on my list is because they were around waayyy before '99.

Since the 90s?  That is a short list for me.

I can only think of Neko Case.....Joan Osborne, and , well, mostly female artists who have emerged in the last 15 to 20 years.   

Frankly the old guys (and gals) are still putting out such good stuff that I haven't bothered trying to acquire a taste for stuff written by people half my age.   Their subject matter is stuff of my past.  I'd rather hear Ray Davies or Dylan express their thoughts in music.  That stuff I can relate to.

I really appreciate that sentiment from people who say it--much like you do here--without being condescending about new music. There is nothing wrong with people not bothering with newer pop. By the same token, there is nothing wrong with younger people getting absorbed into their own music without getting into the worship of "their elders." I think both are wholly natural and valid.

Neko Case...ahhhh...that voice...that firey red hair...[drool...]  :p :p ;D ;D ;D

How about the new Neko album?   Good but didn't knock my socks off like Fox Confessor.

Haven't heard it yet. The only Neko album I've heard in its entirety is her first one, The Virginian. I love "Thanks a Lot", "Bowling Green", "Karoline", and especially "Honky Tonk Hiccups". Catchy as hell!

I really like Wheatus.  They have a pretty normal indie story.  A moderate hit in the late 90s but then became disenfranchised with the industry and now records and releases all of their stuff themselves.  The frist two albums are pretty average (but still catchy and likable) retro-pop but I really like their last full album Too Soon Monsoon.  They put on a great live show and are supposed to be releasing a series of EPs through their website this summer.

I know it's against the spirit of the thread, and I know I tend to champion new music as much as anyone on the board. But I can't help but note that two dinosaurs have been among the most consistently brilliant pop artists in this 1999-2009 decade: Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. I was just checking Waits' Letterman and other appearances on youtube and was reminded.

Fuckin' brilliant. Both of them. There is a ton of great, wholly enjoyable music from newer artists in that decade. I write about them all the time. But really ... those two are near the top.

I thought of someone else for this thread:  Ben Kweller.  Check out his album Sha Sha, I really like that one

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, although plenty of their music was pre 1999. So let's say GZM and Euros Childs. It's hard to imagine people who like the BBs (especially quirky mid 70s BW stuff) not loving them.

Kasabian*
The Libertines/Babyshambles/Pete Doherty (I just group them all together really..)
Bloc Party
The Strokes (one great album, but that debut was all they needed)
Arctic Monkeys ("fun" debut album, not sure about the rest..)
The Horrors (rubbish 1st album great 2nd album)

That's all I can think of, I'm sure there are a few others but I'm stretching it as it is. 

*I know what you are going to say my fellow Beach Boys fans, but rest assured they were being stupid kids and the band name shouldn't put you off who I think are the top Rock n' Roll band at the moment.

Do you know what I think is fun? (And I mean this honestly and literally: no sarcasm.) When a list of favorites is almost entirely the opposite of what I would say. That Sciencefriction list is one of those--I am at best ambivalent about, but mostly actively dislike every one of those bands. Really, as long as people are listening to music--and especially new music--it's fine by me.

Haha, interesting Luthor, but you put it nicely and I appreciate that.  It's hard for me to list new bands, and to be honest with the only bands in that list I really like are Kasabian and Pete Doherty.  Most people seem to dislike both, but it doesn't bother me. 

Does Pinback count?  I can't recall, but certainly System's Officer does?  That was a great EP.  Fleet Foxes and Patrick Wolf are also interesting, but nothing I listen to much.  Oh, and The Veils recent album was okay too.  This last one is cheating, but Bad Lieutenant is something I'm looking foward to.  It's the newest project by the remaining members of New Order (Hooky quit!).  :)

Since 1999:

The Fence Collective (e.g. James Yorkston, The Aliens, King Creosote, Lone Pigeon)
Animal Collective
Fleet Foxes
Burial
Antony & The Johnsons
Fiery Furnaces
Clinic

Little bit earlier:

Lambchop
Matmos
Bonnie Prince Billy
Mercury Rev

 Dr. Dog

 They have great Harmonies and are very Beatle-esque. Plus their onstage energy ROCKS!!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b2-KNH5EWM&feature=related   "My Old Ways"

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP7kk21HYsw&feature=related    "Keep A Friend"

 Check these out!

 Bri

I've listened on and off to Dr. Dog since Easy Beat. You're right that they're a natural for Beatles fans. I always feel a little let down in that I think they sound better than they write. The music isn't similar, but to me they are like Wondermints in that regard. Good arrangements, great performances, but I never get into the songs themselves much. I know others disagree, though, and our local public radio station (which skews heavily toward indie pop and rock) really backs them.

 I agree Luther, to me it's their "Energy" which comes across much stronger than the actual music.
Their main selling point is their Enthusiasm as they play the songs. Good band......but not a Great band.

Bri

I hadn't noticed this, but now am glad to see it. They are, to me, a little like Zappa in that they've released just a TON of material (quite a few albums, but more than that, a ton of content on each one) and a substantial portion of it misses the mark with me. But some of it is just fuckin' brilliant. For me, Blueberry Boat, EP and Rehearsing My Choir was a trio of near-masterpieces. I'm looking forward to their next one, scheduled to be out in a couple weeks.

I was just flipping threw the pages again and I noticed you mentioned St. Vincent Luthor, I agree her new album is very good.  I'm debating whether or not to drive 2 hours to see her with Andrew Bird in Columbus, or just to see her in Cleveland.  I like Andrew Bird, but I'm not sure how long of a set St. Vincent will get w/Bird.  I'm also getting into Paul Banks solo album, but still not sure about how much I like Interpol.  I think I would probably buy a greatest hits by them in the future.  Does Pinback count?  If not then Systems Officer who I love.  I can't wait to hear his new album in September!  Also, I quite like S PRCSS and hope something new appears from them eventually.  This is all.

Two hours for that show? Yikes. Glad I live in Minneapolis, where my trip to such shows is usually 10-15 minutes. If it were me, I wouldn't go that far to see the Bird/St. V show. But that depends on what, if anything, is closer to you.

That's not the worst, trust me.  It's an hour to go see St. Vincent be herself, so I might do that.  I'm looking at going to a couple of gigs that are going to be around 3 and 6 hour drives respectively.  I always end up living in places where I have to travel for live music!  I like St. V more than Bird, so I'm not sure if I really want to see Bird that bad.  It's a little less than half the price to see St. V by herself too.  Hmm..

To see Bird, just come here to Mpls. He's wandering around Uptown all the damn time, as he records here quite a bit. He's here constantly.

Haha, I would if I could but it's a 13 hour drive.  He really wonders all the time?  Huh.  I see that his last album charted really well and that's a surprise.  At least he's more enjoyable that most "indie" music that gets thrown my way.

Yeah, you can see him walking around Nicollet Ave between Franklin and Lake quite often. He's at shows and such, too. Remember, most indie "celebs" aren't anything near celebs.

Oh yes, good point.  I've only met Keith from We Are Scientists back in 2006 and that was cool.  I've never been starstruck, I just like chatting, asking about equipment, records- just silly things like that.  I suppose I could add We Are Scientists to that list, but they only really made one decent album. 

Speaking of music that fits in these years, I just got the new Fiery Furnaces album. I know I mentioned them somewhere earlier among my favorites of the past decade. The past few albums have been pretty stubbornly obtuse, but this one is really a little simpler a listen. And in some cases, it works better for it. The opening track, I'm Going Away, is fantastic. One of my favorites they've done, with a Beefheart-like riff behind Eleanor's "I'm goin' away, I'm goin' away. I'll be back some ol' day."

I haven't listened to them much, but now that you mention they're new one does sound good.  Thanks again Luther, I'll check them out.  Maybe I should try to catch them live sometime too.

If you see them live, be ready for something wholly different than what is on the albums: they reinvent their songs for their shows to the point of being almost unrecognizable at times. They also recombine them into suites (even when they may have been presented in wholly different combinations on the records). It's crazy. But after their Blueberry Boat album, they put on one of the best shows I ever saw.

Interesting, I'd definitely like to see them now if I got the chance.  It sounds like they put on a really great show.  I know it doesn't sound like it, but I'm pretty selective with who I see live.  Poor college student, etc, etc, so I don't have a lot of time or money.  I could probably catch them in Pittsburgh in a couple weeks though, hmm.

Not to turn you off the idea, but the second time I saw them, it was entirely forgettable. (That was probably in part because the first show was a tiny, packed bar. The second was in a much larger local club that wasn't more than 1/3 full, and being the good Scandinavians we are in Minnesota, the crowd mostly kept toward the rear and left the band playing to 30 feet of empty space...)

You might want to check out some youtube examples of them live before you pay for a show if you're selective. But I can't imagine the tix would be more than $15. (The beauty of non-major label music!)

Ah, good point, thanks Luther.  You guys are very informative here.  It would be easier for me to just wait for them to tour again closer to me or something like that.  This fall seems to be full of good shows and it's like "I don't have money for that, can't some of your tour in the winter too?!", you know?  I am looking forward to Julian Casablancas solo album though, I hope it's better than the last Strokes album.

Gotta ask, what's with the "Luthor" spelling? Accidental, Lex Luthor reference or what? (No offense taken or anything, just wondering.)

Accidental, sorry about that!  Incidentally, I do love comics and Lex Luthor, but I wouldn't call you Luthor over Luther!  Haha. 

As far as live "indie" music is concerned, I'm waiting for the big Neutral Milk Hotel reunion tour!! And maybe a comeback album that'll blow Aeroplane out of the water. We don't need to send Landy after Mangum to get him off his ass and make some "cult hits" now, do we?? But (semi-) seriously, when is Mangum going to "really stretch out and blow some minds" and grace us with a "Neutral Big Ones" album followed by an "NMH Loves You"-type record??!!

That's where things fall apart from a consumer perspective: NMH never made a lot of money, and Jeff Mangum wasn't and isn't going out of his way to succeed in that regard. He did some shows with the E6 holiday tour last fall and winter, but if you anticipate some kind of behavior akin to what a major-label has-been would do, you'll be waiting a while... There may be some new Mangum product at some point (he has, after all, done the Major Organ album and some eastern Euro folk music collages after Aeroplane), but anyone waiting for Aeroplane pt II is going to be waiting an awfully long time. It's not going to happen. Ever.

I was pretty much kidding about "getting Mangum off his ass"...but if, IF, NMH ever comes back, whether they put out another Aeroplane or 80 minutes of white noise accompanied by Julian Koster's singing saw, I'll eat it right up!! It's all about baby steps. The E6 holiday tour was a good starting point...  Maybe my optimism is a little naive, but just like with the BBs, I wasn't "around" for the heyday (well, technically, I was 12 when Aeroplane came out, and I'd never even heard of NMH until I was 19 or 20, and never heard any of their music until I was 21...in 2007!).

I WAS around for the heyday of all that E6 stuff and it was wildly hit or miss.I saw NMH live around '98 or '99 and they were great, really amazing. I also saw Mangum play with the Circulatory System (drums) maybe 5 years ago,and it kinda felt like a burned out hippie-fest.  The only consistently good band from those days was Of Montreal, though I'm not familiar with their new stuff...

I agree: e6 was overrated, both then (ooh, the next big thing! a collective!) and now (mostly because of NMH). And the purportedly experimental stuff was mostly annoying as hell. The song-based acts (Of Montreal, NMH, Apples in Stereo, maybe Elf Power) were the most interesting. Even now-revered OTC was at their best--by far--when they veered toward pop songs.