Sunday, November 19, 2006

Commercial radio sucks: 50 better albums to get you started

Call me a snob, but it's hard to believe anyone is still listening to commercial radio. There's so much great music out there today, and the internet makes it so easy to explore and find.

I assume most people reading blogs like this one have already broken away from commercial radio to discover what they really like. But I'm sure you know someone who listens to the radio every day! PLEASE send them this list so that they can begin to explore some of the wonderful music out there. There is more to modern music than Justin Timberlake and Coldplay!

Please add your suggestions in the comments.

Here we go... 50 albums to get you started. If you made a mix of the best of these, you'd never go back to commercial radio again.

In alphabetical order by artist. Click on links to preview in itunes.

1. Beck - Sea Change Beck: Sea Change
2. Beck - The Information Beck: The Information
3. Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress Belle & Sebastian: Dear Catastrophe Waitress
4. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (Bonus Tracks) Belle & Sebastian: The Life Pursuit
5. Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs Ben Folds: Rockin’ the Suburbs
6. Blur - Parklife Blur: Parklife
7. Bob Dylan - Blood On the Tracks (Remastered) Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks
8. Cake - Pressure Chief Cake: Pressure Chief
9. Cake - Prolonging the Magic Cake: Prolonging the Magic
10. David Byrne - Look Into the Eyeball David Byrne: Look Into the Eyeball
11. Death Cab for Cutie - Plans Death Cab for Cutie: Plans
12. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism Death Cab for Cutie: Transatlanticism
13. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts Decemberists: Castaways and Cut-Outs
14. Dido - No Angel Dido: No Angel
15. Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations Eels: Blinking Lights
16. Elliott Smith - Either/Or Elliott Smith: Either/Or
17. Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel
18. The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin
19. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Robots
20. Fugees - The Score Fugees: The Score
21. John Linnell - State Songs John Linnell: State Songs
22. Johnny Cash - Unearthed Johnny Cash: Unearthed
23. Kaiser Chiefs - Employment Kaiser Chiefs: Employment
24. Los Lobos - Kiko Los Lobos: Kiko
25. M.I.A. - Arular M.I.A.: Arular
26. The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs
27. Morrissey - You Are the Quarry Morrissey: You Are the Quarry
28. The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely Mountain Goats: Get Lonely
29. The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree Mountain Goats: Sunset Tree
30. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee Mountain Goats: Tallahassee
31. Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily Natalie Merchant: Tigerlily
32. Nellie McKay - Get Away from Me Nellie McKay: Get Away From Me
33. The Postal Service - Give Up Postal Service: Give Up
34. Radiohead: OK Computer
35. Ron Sexsmith - Other Songs Ron Sexsmith: Other Songs
36. Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters: Scissor Sisters
37. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
38. The Shins - Oh, Inverted World Shins: Oh Inverted World
39. Sly & The Family Stone - The Essential Sly & The Family Stone Sly & The Family Stone: The Essential
40. Stephen Stills - Manassas Stephen Stills: Manassas
41. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise Sufjan Stevens: Illinoise
42. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche - Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album Sufjan Stevens: The Avalanche
43. The Band - Stage Fright The Band: Stage Fright
44. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come for Free The Streets: A Grand Don’t Come for Free
45. They Might Be Giants - Factory Showroom They Might Be Giants: Factory Showroom
46. They Might Be Giants - The Spine They Might Be Giants: The Spine
47. Tom Petty - Highway Companion Tom Petty: Highway Companion
48. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan
49. Wilco - A Ghost Is Born (Tour Edition) Wilco: A Ghost is Born
50. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

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Posted by Kevin at 7:23 AM
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6 comments:

Stouff said...

You can add to that anything by the Beta Band.

November 20, 2006 12:08:00 PM CST
Anonymous said...

you've picked crap albums from good bands

November 21, 2006 7:38:00 PM CST
Josh said...

This anonymous guys makes a good point. "Sea Change" is a fine album, but he has other albums that are much more accessible.

November 23, 2006 7:20:00 PM CST
Jim said...

I agree about commercial radio so we helped start an alternative to commercial radio and RIAA music called Whole Wheat Radio up here in Talkeetna, Alaska. Like you, I can't, and don't, listen to commercial radio at all any more.

November 23, 2006 11:46:00 PM CST
Anonymous said...

you're kidding me, right? Almost all those bands are played on the radio.

November 25, 2006 3:18:00 AM CST
Anonymous said...

You would like Stars.

November 25, 2006 5:06:00 AM CST

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