@Romeo Alfa: I agree that 'Sleeping with Ghosts' is a great record, but what bugs me with Placebo is that they're getting increasingly electronical. It's not a bad direction, but still, I prefer the two albums before the current one.

By the way, can anyone tell me what all the fuss is about with The Darkness? I feel like the only person in the world who hasn't got the joke. Sure, they're entertaining, and they're a good live band (I saw them at a local festival), but seriously, what's so great about them? The fact that they sing about genital warts?

Bands I generally like listening to include Tool, System of a Down, Metallica, A Perfect Circle, The Foo Fighters, Green Day, The Living End, Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden, Placebo, Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, The Strokes, Matchbox 20, Powderfinger, Sofia (or is it Sophia?), Phoenix, Something for Kate, some small independent bands whose name eludes me and much much more that doesn't spring into my mind right now.

I also tolerate some Rap, Big Beat and Dance, but that's few and far between. I despise and spit on ultra commercial music and everything that has little talent and a big marketing campaign behind it, e.g. Boybands, Blonde Horrors (Spears, Simpson, Aguillera and so on), Divas (Carey, Dion and Houston; big voices, pathetic music) and so on.

If there are some Aussies reading this, the radio station I like listening to the most is Triple J, especially their breakfast program. Wil Anderson has to be one of the best comedians this country has to offer

Since we're here on recommending stuff, 'Absolution' from Muse is awesome. I can't think of another band that has this much talent, not only regarding the level of technical skill, but also the use of fresh ideas which are then combinined to create music that is so unique. This album has almost everything, from something with a small orchestra that vaugely resembles waltz, to heavy rock numbers, electronica, and rock songs with a piano substituting the guitar, which by the way works surprisingly well because of the dynamic way the instrument is played. Overall, very diverse and highly recommendable stuff, but not for someone who doesn't like their music to be too polished.

The only great thing about The Darkness is that they are entertaining, and that's that. What I like about them is how they revive the rock of the 70s with loads of kitsch and irony. It's all in bad taste, but that's good taste, really. Things like the huge wall of Marshall amplifiers in the videos, the glitter suits, the typical poses during the solos... Perhaps not worth it buying their records, but a nice band to have around nonetheless, amidst some of the free-of-any-sense-of-humour pop acts. And what's pop/rock anyway, apart from entertainment?

Also, I think you have to be cautious when saying someone like Christina Aguilera isn't talented. You may not like her music (neither do I), but there are awfully few people who could do what she does. Proof of which: numerous Pop Idol, Fame Academy... tv shows, with thousands of participants who can't keep tune and have the stage presence of a Mazda Demio. There are quite a few (sadly) famous people who are no doubt untalented, but I don't think that goes for Christina, no matter how commercial her music is. To sum it up with a cliche rap line: "don't hate the player, hate the game".

Yeah, I guess you're right about The Darkness, they're quite the exemption in a business that's too serious anyway.

Regarding Aguillera, no matter if she's a great singer or not, and regardless if her music is commercial or not, most people seem to forget that vocals amount to just a fraction of the whole that is called music. Same goes for the Divas I mentioned. Celine Dion's singing is amazing (although I have to say that I don't like the sound of her voice), but the rest is just plain crap that is held together with a keyboard and some strings, and I'm not even going into songwriting. That's at least my opinion, for what it's worth.

I also really hate the Darkness, they are really disgusting. They're all also incredibly ugly, and they make a horrible noise, not music. I can't bear 10 seconds of them without getting an instant headache!

Another 'band' I'm totally disgusted by are 'the Sugababes', they're DISGUSTING!!! They only make covers, and they're all total crap and pain to my ears! And they're really ugly as well... 'Girls aloud' are crap as well, but at least they look pretty good. And I actually like the new Britney Spears song, I've always been disgusted by her as well, but she has improved somewhat. And I like some of Christina Aguilera's songs.

I also like Phoenix and their new song, don't know what it's called, I think they're French.

Oh, and I hate Eminem and 50 Cent and the rest of Dr. Dre's posse. And I like Dido.

I also like S.O.A.D., but they're music is a bit too heavy for me, I get a headache even though it's really good. I also like PJ Harvey a lot, and Fiona Apple.

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Originally posted by mattlisk:
how the hell could i forget the whitestripes!!

they rule also..

Romeo Alfa... i have a question..

u say u hate punk and ultra commercialized shithop...

isnt that what missy elliot, DMX, and basically all the rest of the hip hop bands were that you listed?? maybe im just dumb....

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I don't think Missy and DMX (and N.E.R.D.) are ultra-commercial, of course they're also in the business of making money, but IMO they all have a lot of talent and they've made it on their own (talent). Eminem and 50 cent are much more produced, their music is made by Dr. Dre and has little to do with their talent. Eminem is a good rapper, but 50 Cent only mumbles. They are the 'voice', Dr Dre is the 'music'. They're exactly like Britney Spears and all girl- and boybands. They don't make the music themselves, they only 'sing' it. It's very produced and incredibly commercial.

i don't mind if it's produced or not...as long as it sounds good and/or the girls go crazy i'm with them :P

i dont know much about music, but i like hoobastank, black eyed peas(good weekend starter ), bob marley, kenna, pillar, prodigy (breathe and firestarter) blah blah blah...anything, thats nice and interesting. Also hot hot heat is pretty cool (mattlisk showed me them).

I dont like to argue about music or politics, i think its sorta pointless, cuz its just an opinion and it goes in circles forever :/

@Romeo Alfa: Yeah, Phoenix are French, and the song's called 'Everything' I believe. A little tip regarding listening to Heavy Metal: Don't play it too loud and get used to it slowly, or else you'll feel sick.

Ya, but when your crusing around town or down the highway, and a good metal/rock song comes on, you HAVE to blast it

Ya, I guess you do have to take it easy when listening to metal, and slowly get louder...

RATM's political views are awesome...anyone agree with what they say?

And Tom Morello is doing a political side project, and he's known as "The Nightwatchmen" or something like that. I've only heard "House Gone Up in Flames", but still awesome (btw, its acoustic)

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Originally posted by Wisniewska:
Regarding Aguillera, no matter if she's a great singer or not, and regardless if her music is commercial or not, most people seem to forget that vocals amount to just a fraction of the whole that is called music.

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I was trying to say that you have to judge her differently. You see, what is "the whole that is called music"? It's all dividable into art and entertainment (just like movies, books...). A piece of art would be Tom Waits' Rain Dogs, a late Mozart symphony... while I rate Christina's music as entertainment. Art is about portraying emotions and thoughts, skill, originality... Entertainment is targetted more at our primary instincts. Light music is a thing of all times, but its big scale commercialisation is a more recent phenomenon. It really got on a "roll" with mid-50s rock 'n roll music. Records like Jerry Lee Lewis' Whole Lotta Shaking Going On caused a big fuss, simply because they were about sex, which could be heard in the lyrics as well as the music. And to make it worse, these acts were aimed at teenagers (a first). Watch a Beyonce video and you'll notice that not much has changed.

So, in this business, other skills are required. It's about image, presence... and simply the talent to entertain. That's why Romeo Alfa actually got away with saying the Sugababes are crap because they're ugly. However sad it is, he has a point. In art these things shouldn't matter, but in entertainment all the more. Taking all of this into account, I would say that Christina Aguilera is a very talented girl. You may not like what she does, but she does it well. Avril Lavigne has to be the most despicable thing of the past few years, as she is marketed as a greater artist than Aguilera. She goes on in interviews about how her music is deeper and more sophisticated than Aguilera's etc., while it really is the same thing (entertainment), but not even half as well executed. It was a clever move by the record company, but it never ceased to disgust me.

You say you like Green Day... I'm sorry, but what's the difference with most chart pop? I haven't heard their recent records, but Insomniac and everything before that has no greater value to me than Britney's latest. It's all just music you can party on and sing along to, no? The only difference is how it's marketed.

Sorry for a long post. I should just also note that the line between entertainment and art can't always be drawn clearly, and that not everyone will see it the same way. I just have a feeling that my judgement in this has some value, as I have been interested in music for numerous years, have listened to a lot of music in all sorts of genres spanning the last 1000 years or more (though mostly western: european/american), and have read about it and studied it. But that's not to say my word is final.

And lastly (I promise), Romeo Alfa... Ever heard the Slim Shady LP? Part of it is S.S. EP material, and it wasn't produced by Dre. In fact, they hadn't even teamed up at the time of the EP. The later S.S. LP is still produced mainly by FBT Productions, with just some added songs by Dre. Just the Two of Us ('97 Bonnie & Clyde) is actually one of the best things Eminem's done... certainly more interesting than The Eminem Show or the music to 8 Mile.