Recommend Me Weirdo Pop (Like Kate Bush's "The Dreaming")

R. Stevie Moore?
Nick Nicely?
The Associates?

i need these recommendations too thanks!

planningtorock "have it all"

Yes on planningtorock in general, actually.

Depends on your definition of "weirdo pop." Stereolab? Stereo Total? Lemon Jelly?

i've actually heard some Lemon Jelly and it sounded so good!

planningtorock i liked a lot but something about it threw me

Depends on your definition of "weirdo pop."

his definition of weirdo pop is kate bush's the dreaming

lemon jelly has nothing to do with that

*watching planningtorock's "When are you gonna start?" video for third time in a row*

they don't, actually, do they

does anything REALLY sound like the dreaming?

yes, planningtorock's "have it all"

end thread

the associates "sulk" is accurate too

any of the patrick wolf albums

some jane siberry may appeal

when i heard planningtorock they sounded a lot poppier. no?

does anything REALLY sound like the dreaming?

This is what I see as the real problem here.

i mean, not on the vocal stylings, but all the percussive instruments -- pretty unique or no?

excuse me *not only

the associates "sulk" is accurate too

Accurate beyond description.

well that's exciting, i'm going to be disappointed if it sucks

It so does not suck. Billy Mackenzie's career was a mix of up and down but his best moments are indescribable and that whole album is just a masterpiece. I've gone on about it elsewhere...in fact, let's see:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ajfpxqwkldae

There. There you go. I'm only scratching the surface.

i find this very exciting ned!

I'm always interested in how folks hear Billy's work the first time through. Initially I was rather put off by his vocal extravagance -- this would have been 1992 or so -- but within a year or so he was an all time favorite. I remember being crushed when I heard about his suicide. A telling comparison made by various folks has been to Bjork, and she's said she's a massive fan, which makes perfect sense -- both pretty much love trying out whatever and seeing if they can make it work.

Anyway, if you'd like to scrounge some more on here about them, I definitely recommend this thread:

The Associates: Have the years been kind?

There are others.

Various YouTube links on that thread and there's a new batch of things that went up (or were reupped) recently that I can dig up.

i would venture to say clouddead's "ten" as well

One last think about Sulk for now, which I posted on the thread I linked:

It's also a case where all the stories about the recording and the run up to it, what went into it, what they tried, etc. all make sense. You read PR guff all the time about how some band's third album (which Sulk sorta was if you count Fourth Drawer Down's singles comp as the second) is going to be the Experimental Shift in Style What Is Different or soundbites about 'there were no rules in the studio, we decided to come in fresh' or whatever and they create something with a boring drum loop and keyboard part. Then there's this.

Think, thing, anyway.

i'm watching Skipping and kind of loving the sound.... also why is he such a cutey???

sry, i know that's not the point.

wow, this is nuts! the end of the song when he just keeps screaming SKIPPING is superb

sry, i know that's not the point.

No, it is in part! Billy was big on presentation, always was. Had a crazy life, lived it large. There's a great biography by Tom Doyle The Glamour Chase which I strongly recommend, you can get it on Amazon for cheap I think.

And yeah, "Skipping" is one of those high points. When you hear the main singles from Sulk -- "Party Fears Two," "Club Country," "18 Carat Love Affair" -- you'll be amazed that they charted. And they were substantial hits!

Just scrounge up the performances of those songs on Top of the Pops, you'll see what I mean. Alan Rankine performing with a handmade chocolate guitar...

yes i definitely saw the presentation bit, right away

listening to club country now

"Refrigeration keeps us YOUNG I'M TOOOLD!"

ok i'm scaring my coworkers now, but uh i need to amazon

I am v. happy.

:-)

ughuhgurhugrhgu Kate Bush. It's like music for drama club kids who grow up to eat those weird "all natural" breakfast cereals they sell, like Khali Good Friends or whatever the fuck.

Associates -Sulk is downright classic, though. It's weird, everytime I listen to it I get a headache.

yeah that's totally what kate bush is like! a cereal bar!!

OK, half of that image was taken from Tori Amos who tried to be the 90s Kate Bush

ok, tori amos, maybe. but uh, let's not confuse the two too much

actually i can definitely see that w/ regard to tori, hahaha, lol

burt you are a fucking moron

reactionary yet fucking clueless

gee burt you must be the first person ever to make that tenuous tori amos / kate bush connection, kudos.

Thanks, elmo

As far as "weirdo pop" of that era goes, Teardrop Explodes - Wilder is good, but it took a while to really appreciate it.

I had Kashi cereal for breakfast the other day, but it was the berry one, not the sexual-tension "Good Friends" variety. There were no Frosted Flakes left. Also I was in drama club and enjoy The Dreaming. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Burt Stanton.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2cl9vf

Tom Waits

Some suggestions:

Gina X Performance - No G.D.M.
Simple Minds - Naked Eye
Jane Siberry - The Very Large Hat
Fleetwood Mac - Not That Funny
Happy Rhodes - The Issue Is
The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health
OMD - VCL XI
Destiny's Child - Independent Women Part II
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Obsession
Lene Lovich - Lucky Number
Animal Collective - Peacebone

I've always said Happy Rhodes is the artist people really should complain about when they say (in observance of some ancient patriarchal ritual) that Tori Amos copied Kate Bush. Here are two tracks from 1984 or so:

The Issue Is:
http://www.zshare.net/download/116356476f64f378/

Baby Don't Go:
http://www.zshare.net/download/1163525414d90277/

I'm just having fun anyway, I like a bunch of Kate Bush. Also thanks nabisco, I had absolutely no idea anybody actually ate that Kashi stuff. You into Muselix?

kashi is good and muesli in general is awesome. i think a lot of people eat kashi

his name is alive 'the dirt eaters' ep, a lot of their stuff from the first two albums, maybe.

Maybe some of Peter Blaegvad's 80s solo albums?

What about this?

omgosh

this is just great... that voice is very strange

Kashi has a bunch of fairly normal-tasting heart-healthy cereals, including one with whole raspberries and big-ass slices of strawberry in it. I don't exactly eat it often, but it's kinda handy to have around the house if you ever find yourself needing fiber as badly as Burt usually seems to.

Stepping into present day, I really enjoy Karl Blau's solo albums for this vibe. Xiu Xiu as well though the quality is highly highly highly variable. And Caution Curves are quite bracing though it can wear thin upon repeated exposure.

The Fiery Furnaces, of course!

maybe it's time i finally gave the fiery furnaces another chance after totally forgetting about them 4 years ago.

Bobb Trimble?

ugh fiery furnaces

Nancy Nova? Kinda like a new wave Kate Bush on helium.

I just heard the Associates for the first time last week. Most excellent indeed. :) and cutty otm - nay on fiery furnaces.

"maybe it's time i finally gave the fiery furnaces another chance after totally forgetting about them 4 years ago.

-- Charlie Howard, Thursday, May 8, 2008 6:12 PM"

I just did this about a month ago. It wasn't revelatory or anything, but I like them a lot more than I used to.

Dogbowl
Bongwater
Jad Fair & Kramer
R. Stevie Moore
Fred Frith's "Cheap At Half The Price"
Alex Chilton's "Like Flies on Sherbert"
King Missile (totally weird)

i'm listening to the Dreaming now...

big creepy house feeling

whoa there's this instrumentation on the verse of HOudini that i had never noticed before! the squeaky percussion sound

cool

orchestral maneuvers in the dark otm

yeah biglurks, i'd say it's about that time. particularly given the band has been so prolific and all since i gave up on them.

i love playing Get Out Of My House in the office

that's such a pearler of a song

Final Fantasy

i agree w that

last time I listened to the Dreaming, it reminded me a little of Art Bears (The World As it is Today, in particular) -- go for that, as it takes off from the more experimental aspects of the Dreaming, while still being songs

ugh fiery furnaces

-- cutty, Thursday, May 8, 2008 1:53 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Link

Ugh trebled

As thread starter I'm just gonna pop by to say thanks for all the great recommendations so far.

And leave the Fiery Furnaces alone. They fucking rock.

is anyone familiar with Veda Hille that could recommend a good starting point?