I know, we aren't allowed to like Oasis, its ok. If we didn't conform then we would have to look at naked people all day. Its fine.

I got a new band for you fin' folks to look into. Actually not new at all, i think the band died about 10 years ago. Remember "The Verve"? Maybe, maybe not. They had one hit song in the United States back in, lets say 1997, called "Bitter Sweet Symphony". Not exactly my kind of music but if you like it, thats cool. Before their one hit song came out they had a few albums from the early 1990's that seem to be an interesting fusion of grunge, psychedelic, space rock, dream pop, and every genre that can make you feel like you are tripping on some sort of wonderful substance.

I am going to give you two songs two download, if you feel like it. Just click the links and you should find a "download" button. The link stays good for one week, so if you are conflicted, take your time, think it over, it should be here when you make up your mind.

Star Sail

Already There

Love The Verv. Love Bitter Sweet Symphony. Love Richard Ashcroft (lead singer).
Listening to Star Sail as I type and loving it!
You are aloud to like The Verve, Jack. But if that means that you are precluded from looking at naked people, then feel free not to.

They were bigger in your country weren't they. They had one hit in the United States but i would venture to guess that people in the UK would actually remember them.

Yeah, they were very big here for a time. Though that was during the years when I was either drunk, high, stoned or hung-over/coming down, so I have some very vague memories of those years.
I remember this one tough - The Drugs Don't work (Ironically enough!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4XCGeckA-E...feature=related

You've got me wandering down memory lane now Jack!
This is probably my favorite, and should cheer you up after listening to the last one

Lucky Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyO6zDFFXcQ...feature=related

I remember the verve, not to be confuse with the verve pipe.

Then again, I worked at a music store in '97...

they still play bittersweet and lucky man now and then.

it was a weird thing - i liked them, so did my mother...?

"Urban Hymns" is one of my (many..) favorite albums.

"Lucky man" is brilliant, and an all-time favorite song.
Really good band, and Richard Ashcroft's songwriting was great, a bit grim, but very succinct.

I'm a massive fan also of David Baerwald, and his album with David Ricketts, called "Boomtown", by David and David. This goes very well with the style of "The Verve", lean, sophisticated, slightly stoned and wide-awake in dreamland...

It's from a fair way back, anyone here remember it ?
All of David Baerwald's solo albums are great, too, and he was a huge influence on Sheryl Crow's "Saturday night music club."

The lyrics are my thrill with these groups, Jack, compared to Oasis.
Hey, if you like Oasis, seriously, that's cool. I like Robbie Williams.....

You really need to hear Mary Prankster.

Mmmm. I really like this, I'm listening to "Irresponsable woman". I'll hunt some of her stuff down next time I'm lurking in my favorite indy record store....thanks, Jubal.

Jubal, have you ever listened to any Johnette Napolitano of "Concrete Blonde" ? She has some awesome solo stuff out as well, as "Vowel movement", and is someone who's view of America and her social commentary move me like very few do. I think you may enjoy her stuff, if you like Mary Prankster.

"Concrete Blonde" has a special place in their enormous hearts for Native Indian culture, and a fondness for Mexican and Spanish influence, despite the seeming contradiction.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_Blonde

http://www.johnettenapolitano.com/

My most favorite favorite group, I've travelled thousands of km just to stand in struck awe as they roared onto the stage, flinging the darkness back......hmmm, do we have a gushing, hopelessly star-struck smiley here ?

I like Concrete Blonde. I'll have to check Napolitano's solo work. Glad you like Mary. She's a really wonderful person, and takes no prisoners. She occasionally brags that, before she went big-time, she was kicked out of every bar in Annapolis, Maryland for her musical stylings.

Well that may be an overstatement. I like one of their albums and to be more specific, seven songs on one of their albums. The songs from them that i like are similar to the one posted here last month. I basically like their psychedelic stuff (they seem to have followed a similar path as the beetles, no?), which consists of about seven songs. I've looked at their other stuff, i just don't like it. It's too basic and boring.

With all of that said, do i really seem like the kind of person who worries that others won't like my music? Right now, i'm just sending stuff you kids might find interesting.

And Rousseau, did you ever find more Flaming Lips stuff?

Its ok. I think i have heard it about 75,000 times in my life. Wasn't largely plagiarized from a rolling stones song?

By the way, Karen i have all of their songs sitting on my computer right now, so if you or anyone else wants me to post a track for download, just let me know.

This post clears up your taste a bit for me...

strings, not horns...

Yeah, Jack, I've ordered up a copy of "Yoshimi battles the Pink Robots" and the latest, "At war with the Mystics."
If my man-who-can get's the copy's of Mary Prankster's "Roulette girl" and "Tell your friends" in, I'll do a town-trip (I live a bit out in the stix....)

Ever heard of these guys ?

http://www.lepeupledelherbe.net/

I think you may enjoy this. Your pal who is fresh out of pokey may REALLY enjoy them. One of the best French underground groups on the alternative trip.
If you like something a bit harder, try Noir Desir, altermondialist statesman and hard as nails vocals, a few songs in English, but I'm fairly sure that you can find some translations for the lyrics. To be honest, the music speaks without needing lyrics. The wiki article is a bit "sec", dry, and gives possibly the wrong impression about the death of the singers girlfriend, but the links are worth following, especially knowing that the group were spokesmen for a generation which may just see the French government turned on it's ear...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noir_D%C3%A9sir

he might enjoy rinocerose, too...
then again, maybe not

they weren't what I expected, but they grew on me quickly.

Thanks Jack! That's a kind offer, but my niece set me up with a LimeWire account (yes, I needed the help of a thirteen year old! ). I can get pretty much anything I want there free and easy.

Have you ever come across a band called The Longpigs? Great band who were big here for a sort time in the nineties. They defined quite a few of my moments during that time... Very cool!
Here's a taster...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0dowFS--gE