Discovering New Music.....


In attempts to discover new artists/music, I typically surf Amazon.com by typing in one of my favorite artists in the search function and seeing what music other buyers have purchased as well.

Everyone has different musical tastes so I figured I'd list some of my favorite cd's. If you like any of my selections on my top ten list, I'd like to know some of your favorite cds/artists as well. There's nothing like learning about new music from others who have similar tastes in music.

Here's my list:

Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily
Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat & The Well
Billy Bragg - Workers Playtime
Sarah Mclaughlin - Surfacing
Jason Mraz- Mr A to Z
KD Lang - Hymns from the 49th Parallel
Linda Ronstadt - Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
David Grey - Life in Slow Motion
Carly Simon - Coming Around Again
Sarah Brightman - Dive
calgarian5355
I second Pandora.com - great web site. I've created 5 stations and already found several bands that are new to me worth looking into more closely.

Great site!
Raytheprinter: If you liked Julie, try Tres Chicas, "Sweetwater," featuring Caitlin Carey, late of the altcountry classic Whiskeytown. Top of my playlist right now. J
Hey guys...thanks to pandora, I've discovered yet another great female artist: Rachael Sage! Awesome!
calgarian
I just ordered Julie Miller,(Broken Things)very good!Marco ,Ill check out Patty Griffin tonight,,ive heard the name more than a couple times ,but cant recall hearing her music,,thanks!
If you like Julie Miller, and I do, DEFINITELY check out Patty Griffin..."Living with Ghosts", "1000 Kisses", the live album "A Kiss in Time" actually has Julie Miller and her husband, Buddy, backing up Patty...Great stuff!

Marco
Jmd,Ive not heard Julie Miller,ill look her up tonight!I think are taste in ladys runs very close!Have you heard (The Ditty Bops)?You may like them,i have thier cd (What is the Time)Thanks,Ray
Thanks Ray, I'll look for Kasey's new one. If you like her sort of "little girl" delivery, do try Julie Miller, "Broken Things," if you've not already.

jmd
Im really enjoying Pandora!Thanks Bignerd and Marco!Jmd,Kaseys new CD is out i believe!Im a big fan!
Hello Calgarian,Concord Music Group,Concord Records,Record label,huge catalog,great music,visit the site.I will have to check out Pandora!
To everyone that replied...THANK YOU!
FYI, I already own a few of the suggested cd's:
Tori Amos, Annie Lennox, Lorenna McKennit, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, and the Cowboy Junkies.

There were many suggested cd's that I will certainly seek out as well. I'm heading off to the record store this afternoon!

Thanks for the Pandora website recommendation as well! WOW! is all I can say! Amazing site! I'm hooked!

Raytheprinter, what is the concord site? I've never heard of it before.

Again, thanks everyone!
calgarian
If you don't know Cowboy Junkies, definitely worth a spin, as Qdrone says. I might start with Caution Horses, but lots of nice stuff, like Miles from Our Home (but note the music runs to a fairly homogenous sound, across discs).

Other female vocals:

Kasey Chambers, "Barricades and Brick Walls," "Wayward Angel"

Stacey Earle, "Simple Gearle" (Yes, Steve's sister, I think)

Gillian Welch, "Time"

Wailin Jennys, "40 Days."

Robinella, "& CC String Band"

Lucinda Williams, "Carwheels on a Gravel Road" (!) (!)

All the above alt.country-ish.

A lovely jazz voice now starting to be heard nationally belongs to Erin Bode (erinbode.com), as on "Don't Take Your Time"

jmd
I forgot to mention a truly wonderful cd: Jane Siberry, "When I Was A Boy." The last song on Kd lang's cd is from the JS cd. You won't regret this one.
Also, for some experimentation you could try cdbaby.com.
I also discover a few by going to the Concord website ,they have a huge catalog,picking out a list then listening to samples on Amazon ,
I think you would enjoy the first 3 Cowboy Junkie albums but start with Trinity Sessions and then The Caution Horses then their FIRST album Whites Off Earth Now.
The first 10,000 Manics album will give you a hint of what Natalie Merchant was about before she went solo.
Joan Osbourne's Relish Cd is killer,remember If God was One Us...
I see a number of female vocalists in your list. Take a look at Roseanne Cash (especially the stuff produced by Jon Leventhal), plus anything by Rosemary Clooney, Delores Keane, Aimee Mann, Bonnie Raitt, Maura O'Connell, and the first 5 releases by Mary Black.
Have fun.
If you tend to female vocals with a bit of country/americana, I strongly suggest Shannon McNally, "Geronimo," and "North American Ghost Music." Compares favorably with the recent best of people like Lucinda Williams, Emmylou, and Julie Miller (her "Broken Things" is not be missed). Which is to say, I like Shannon's stuff a lot. "Pale Moon" is the best new cut I heard this summer.

jmd
Great way to start a thread. Your tastes are really much the same as mine. I am listing "must hear" artists/recordings.

Wood Brothers "Ways Not To Lose"
Wayne Hancock "That's What Daddy Wants"
Karan Casey "Songlines"
Iris Dement "Infamous Angel"
Kelly Hogan and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts "Beneath The Country Underdog"
Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Sessions"
Ray Wylie Hubbard "Crusade Of The Restless Heart"
Guy Clark "Cold Dog Soup"

and just for fun:
Lou Reed "Rock and Roll Animal"
Little Feat "Waitin' For Columbus"

really!!
Pandora is wonderful.

Hear other artists that match the style of artist or group that you select, or the style of song that you select. You will also hear whole songs in decent quality, and not just a 30 second snipet.

Can't believe it's free!
I listen to Hymns from the 49th Parallel frequently. Wonderful album.
Some suggestions:
Rosanne Cash, "Interiors."
Beth Orton, "Daybreaker."
Patrick Park, "Loneliness Knows My Name."
"A Nod to Bob," a complilation of Bob Dylan songs rendered by artists on the Red House Records label. Besides being a fantastic disc, this one introduced me to some wonderful lesser known artists.
And I heartily concur with the Joni Mitchell and Annie Lennox recommendations.
Absolutely, try Pandora. It does Amazon one better as long as you have the time to listen.

From the list you've shared, here are a few artists/albums that come to mind that you may also enjoy:

Damien Rice, "O"
Tori Amos, Too many selections to pick just one, but try "Little Earthquakes"
Ray La Mantagne, "Trouble"
Jack Johnson, "Brushfire Fairytales"
Annie Lennox, "Diva"
Ben Harper, "Fight for your Mind"
Lorenna McKennit, "The Visit"
Emmylou Harris, "Wrecking Ball"

Marco
Hi,

A few ideas:

Joni Mitchell - early/middle period
Norah Jones
Diana Krall - All for you, Love scenes

If you feel like branching out of female vocals, I'd recommend:

Bill Evans - almost anything
William Ackerman - solo guitar albums
Glenn Gould - any Bach album

Enjoy!

Also, there's a great site - yourmusic.com - you can do the same thing there that you do on Amazon.
Another Audiogoner posted about Pandora. It is an awesome site for discovering new music. I'm addicted.