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  • Showing only topics in ~music with the tag "ask.recommendations". Back to normal view / Search all groups
    1. Recommendations for music players for macOS

      Hi everyone! I've been using Vox for about a year now to listen to music and while there are some good qualities to it, I'm honestly fed up with the lack of volume normalisation and having to...

      Hi everyone!

      I've been using Vox for about a year now to listen to music and while there are some good qualities to it, I'm honestly fed up with the lack of volume normalisation and having to constantly adjust my volume manually (There's heaps years old of threads on their forums requesting or complaining about this). So here I am looking for a replacement and was wondering if anyone has a setup that I could copy. Here are the requirements that I have:

      • I can stream my own music library of high quality music (FLAC format).
      • It provides volume normalisation.
      • I can set my whole library to shuffle.
      • Native macOS client.

      I've been doing some looking around and so far the most likely solution will be for me to set up a Gonic server at home and use Strawberry Music Player on my laptop. A close second contender was Youtube music but they don't provide a native client and I currently use a combination of keyboard shortcuts and applescripts to manage playback (I found media keys insufficient but that's a topic for another post).

      I am currently paying a subscription fee for Vox so I don't mind if I have to pay for the new player, I'd prefer a service like that for ease of use rather than rolling out my own.

      Update
      For posterity I'm posting what I ended up doing. I tried Roon and while it looked and felt amazing, the ability for streaming out of home is very limited, it's intended to stream within a local network. It appears you can only do remote streaming to a mobile device and requires a custom port to be forwarded, I wanted to put this behind a reverse proxy but was not able to do that (Seems it's not supported).
      I did not try Plexamp, after all the work I did to get Gonic set up properly it felt like I was doing too much work myself to pay for a solution. Ideally I wanted something that would "just work" even if it wasn't free but no solution did that. If I had access to a free trial I would have probably tested it as well.
      I already had Gonic working within my home network going into this but setup of it is still trivial. The bulk of the work came in setting a dynamic DNS set up, and a reverse proxy (NPM) inside my network to provide HTTPS support with Letsencrypt certificates for Gonic (It's only HTTP). I spend too much time trying to have a secure setup (Crowdsec + Cloudflare) but after ditching that, I'm still happy with it and looking at logs it does not appear there's any significant risk to my network (I'm also using a geoip block to outright block requests from some countries).
      As far as clients go, I settled with Strawberry. Tried the following:

      • Sonixd: It had limited hotkey functionality and doesn't seem to be actively developed anymore.
      • Submariner: Did not work.
      • Clementine: Current version crashes on launch, rc version complaints about wrong credentials when connecting to the server.
      7 votes
    2. AlbumLove recommendations thread: June 2023

      Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What is this? It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each...

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Previous posts in series


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      27 votes
    3. Haunting covers, or something like that

      Hey folks, A few years ago I went in to the basement room where the cool kids hung out while they did video conversions and such. They had a playlist in the background of "Haunting Covers" or...

      Hey folks,

      A few years ago I went in to the basement room where the cool kids hung out while they did video conversions and such. They had a playlist in the background of "Haunting Covers" or something like that. It was a take on all different music, but played in a really chilled, gothic style and by a mix of un/lesser-known artists.

      Does anyone have some recommendations? To give you an idea, one of the more known tracks I heard while I was there was Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit but covered by Tori Amos.

      Thanks.

      10 votes
    4. AlbumLove recommendations thread: May 2023

      Meta note: this series has been restarted by request. Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What...

      Meta note: this series has been restarted by request.

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Previous posts in series


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      6 votes
    5. AlbumLove recommendations thread: July 2022

      Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What is this? It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each...

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Previous posts in series


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      6 votes
    6. AlbumLove recommendations thread: June 2022

      Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What is this? It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each...

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Previous posts in series


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      5 votes
    7. AlbumLove recommendations thread: May 2022

      Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What is this? It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each...

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Previous posts in series


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      12 votes
    8. Give me your party music!

      I'm making a big fat party mix. Right now its mostly house and related genres Walker & Royce, VNSSA - Rave Grave Salvatore Ganacci - Horse Mikey Lion - Burn with Me I don't really know anything...

      I'm making a big fat party mix. Right now its mostly house and related genres

      I don't really know anything about these genres, so I'm tumbling down the rabbit hole and adding anything that seems alright.

      Anyway, give me your party jams. I'm totally cool with more indie dancey stuff like Toro y Moi's Freelance or El Guincho's Bombay -- this is stuff I actually listen to, so there will be a bunch of this.

      Any help is appreciated! If you're listing EDM stuff and can also include genres, that'd be super handy. This is still a cultural blindspot for me.

      10 votes
    9. AlbumLove: a new social music discovery series on Tildes

      Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Additional Details What is this? It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the...

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      29 votes
    10. Radio streams! I need more.

      I did a fresh install of Foobar2000 [1] for the first time since it came out. I'm rebuilding playlists and figured I'd do some digging for some new ones. My old list had a bunch from somafm,...

      I did a fresh install of Foobar2000 [1] for the first time since it came out. I'm rebuilding playlists and figured I'd do some digging for some new ones. My old list had a bunch from somafm, Luxuria, the BBC ones, and a few others. Here's a list of some ones I dug up tonight. If you have any other good ones that are indie, hip hop, jazz, exotica, or really well-curated EDM, list 'em up! Bonus points for direct links to the stream.

      [1] my foobar2000 setup with a custom W10 high contrast theme

      With the default interface, foobar2000 has some ugly white panels like this. I could patch uxtheme.dll, but its a pain if you forget to restore it before an update kicks in. To get around this, I made my own high contrast Dracula theme, which looks kind of like a UI you'd see on TV.

      This system only runs Kodi and Foobar2000. I would recommend this route for anyone who actually wants to use the system due to high contrast themes taking over the entire color scheme for everything.

      8 votes
    11. How do you manage your music collection?

      Hey everyone! This year I've started getting into music collecting, and I'm wondering what everyone around here uses/recommends to manage a music collection. Basically what I'm after is software...

      Hey everyone!

      This year I've started getting into music collecting, and I'm wondering what everyone around here uses/recommends to manage a music collection. Basically what I'm after is software where:

      1. I can pick the albums that I own.
      2. I can pick albums that I want to own.
      3. I get notifications when one of tmy tracked artists releases a new album.
      4. Should not be a mobile exclusive app.

      I've looked at Discogs but this one goes a level of complexity beyond what I need (It tracks all the different releases of a same album) and MusicBrainz which seems more what I'm after but not sure if it does #3; though I could supplement that with a different service. Looking for suggestions on software available online or self-hosted.

      9 votes
    12. Recommend some upbeat / high-energy music that, if I listen to it in my car, will make me want to roll the windows down and drive at unsafe speeds

      Spring is here (at least in the northern hemisphere, sorry Aussies and Kiwis) and it's now warm enough where I live to roll the windows down while driving. I'm looking to expand my playlist of,...

      Spring is here (at least in the northern hemisphere, sorry Aussies and Kiwis) and it's now warm enough where I live to roll the windows down while driving.

      I'm looking to expand my playlist of, like I said in the title, music that will make me want to roll my windows down, turn the volume up, and exceed the speed limit.

      For an idea of what I'm looking for, here's some tracks on my current playlist. This skews towards metal because of my own personal tastes, but I'd welcome recommendations from any genre:

      17 votes
    13. Song suggestions about: Cars, driving, trucking, racing, police chases, etc

      Might be a weird one, but I like the uh..... aesthetic? I guess? Some examples would be: Artist Album Song Megadeth So Far, So Good...So What! 502 The Presidents of the United States of America...

      Might be a weird one, but I like the uh..... aesthetic? I guess?

      Some examples would be:

      Artist Album Song
      Megadeth So Far, So Good...So What! 502
      The Presidents of the United States of America Love Everybody Highway Forever
      Deep Purple Machine Head Space Truckin'
      16 votes
    14. What two songs don't feel like they should be from the same artist?

      Maybe that atmospheric death metal band you like recorded an acoustic folk cover of a Rihanna song. Maybe that bubblegum pop artist you follow made an experimental post-rock album. The goal is to...

      Maybe that atmospheric death metal band you like recorded an acoustic folk cover of a Rihanna song. Maybe that bubblegum pop artist you follow made an experimental post-rock album.

      The goal is to highlight range: try to find two songs that are as "far away" from one another as possible while still being from the same artist.

      Link the songs here, and identify what makes them so different.

      13 votes
    15. Where to get music in a downloadable format (other than iTunes)?

      So currently I get most of my music from soundtracks ripped from games and from Bandicamp. However, quite a few artists that go through traditional publishers are not on Bandicamp. Now, while I...

      So currently I get most of my music from soundtracks ripped from games and from Bandicamp. However, quite a few artists that go through traditional publishers are not on Bandicamp.

      Now, while I could go through the hassle of installing iTunes on Linux through WINE, I dont want to because:

      • WINE can be a hassle, especially if the app does some strange things.
      • Id rather not support apple in any way if I can

      So, are there any major platforms that allow downloading .mp3 or better yet, .flac files, especially for artists going through bigger publishers?

      13 votes
    16. Last call for the Tildes best music of 2020 roundup

      The first roundup thread is right here. This is the last thread before I make the playlists. If you've got any 2020 albums to share that didn't end up in the last roundup, please share them here...

      The first roundup thread is right here.

      This is the last thread before I make the playlists. If you've got any 2020 albums to share that didn't end up in the last roundup, please share them here in the new thread. Any album you like enough to spin repeatedly or buy released in 2020 should make this list. We're not collecting enough votes to matter on the albums, so don't worry about sharing multiple albums in a single comment this time. Plug as many as you like.

      Since we're past Jan 1st, all the other music publications have their bestofs out there, and many forums and websites have long threads with people sharing their favorite records. I'd also appreciate links to any of those lists or threads you've found where people are sharing their favorite albums. Just leave them in the comments and don't worry if it gets messy, I'm quite used to it. :)

      I'll let this float for a week to collect any late submissions and then build the final list with links for easy listening.

      The final set will look something like this.

      16 votes
    17. Share a link to good singing in a language that you don't understand

      I thought maybe we'd play this game again? This time the "iron chef" ingredient is good singing, but in a language that you don't understand. Ground rules: One song per comment, so we can vote for...

      I thought maybe we'd play this game again? This time the "iron chef" ingredient is good singing, but in a language that you don't understand.

      Ground rules:

      • One song per comment, so we can vote for them individually.
      • One top-level comment per user, so pick your favorite song.
      • If you want to post more than one song, reply to yourself to add more comments.

      Previously in this series:

      19 votes
    18. Share a link to a song that tells a story

      This time the "iron chef" ingredient is storytelling. What's a song you know that tells a good story? Ground rules: One song per comment, so we can vote for them individually. One top-level...

      This time the "iron chef" ingredient is storytelling. What's a song you know that tells a good story?

      Ground rules:

      • One song per comment, so we can vote for them individually.
      • One top-level comment per user, so pick your favorite song.
      • If you want to post more than one song, reply to yourself to add more comments.

      Previously in this series:

      15 votes
    19. Share a link to a cover song with an unusual instrument!

      A bit over a week ago, I posted share a link to a happy song and it seemed like fun, so how about we play again? The “iron chef” ingredient this time is that it should be a cover song with an...

      A bit over a week ago, I posted share a link to a happy song and it seemed like fun, so how about we play again?

      The “iron chef” ingredient this time is that it should be a cover song with an unusual instrument. (How you interpret that is up to you.)

      Ground rules:

      • One song per comment, so we can vote for them individually.
      • One top-level comment per user, so pick your favorite song.
      • If you want to post more than one song, reply to yourself to add more comments.
      12 votes
    20. What is some noteworthy music that is quarantine/COVID-specific?

      I'm curious to know what music is out there that: is explicitly about the world's current COVID-related situations, or had its recording/production significantly influenced by those situations....

      I'm curious to know what music is out there that:

      • is explicitly about the world's current COVID-related situations, or
      • had its recording/production significantly influenced by those situations.

      Examples of the former would be Koffee's "Lockdown" or Chromeo's Quarantine Casanova, which have their influences right there on the label.

      An example of the latter would be Charli XCX's How I'm Feeling Now (mildly NSFW album art), which was created in self-isolation while collaborating over Zoom with producers and fans.

      I'm interested in seeing what's out there, not necessarily getting specific recommendations for music, so you don't have to consider anything you post an endorsement.

      13 votes
    21. Looking for albums/artists with a rough, imperfect production style

      Here's a couple of examples of what I mean from The Voidz' 2014 album Tyranny: Father Electricity Take Me In Your Army Mainly looking for electronic and rock, but any genre from any century is...

      Here's a couple of examples of what I mean from The Voidz' 2014 album Tyranny:
      Father Electricity
      Take Me In Your Army

      Mainly looking for electronic and rock, but any genre from any century is welcome.

      13 votes
    22. Your favourite songs to dance to?

      I'm looking for some new material for my ice dancing playlist. Anything decently musical and rhythmic is good. Current favorites: weapon of choice, stop the bot, uptown funk, blackheart (tsfh),...

      I'm looking for some new material for my ice dancing playlist.

      Anything decently musical and rhythmic is good. Current favorites: weapon of choice, stop the bot, uptown funk, blackheart (tsfh), burn (Goulding).

      9 votes
    23. What are some good recommendations for ambient background music?

      This thread can be used for general recommendations for everyone, so feel free to recommend anything that fits. For me specifically, I'm looking for soundscape-style music that has the following...

      This thread can be used for general recommendations for everyone, so feel free to recommend anything that fits.

      For me specifically, I'm looking for soundscape-style music that has the following properties:

      1. no lyrics
      2. very "low motion" (the music feels smooth, slow, and uneventful -- no fast or abrupt sounds, rhythms, or melodies)
      3. euphonic (the music has an overall pleasant sound and feel to it)

      A lot of the ambient and drone music out there hits 1 and 2, but doesn't often hit 3. Much of what I've found tends to have a darker or more neutral tone than what I'm looking for, and some of it comes across as a bit grating. I instead want something that's sort of persistently, mildly pleasant, if that makes sense.

      EDIT: Forgot to mention that I'm specifically looking for music that I can fall asleep to and read books to, which is why the fact that it should be almost completely unobtrusive is so important!

      20 votes
    24. Looking for melodic instrumental metal bands!

      Little disclaimer: I posted this on reddit too! I love melodic music and often prefer instrumental bands. So far I only know Demetori. (Don't judge it by the anime pictures if you're not into...

      Little disclaimer: I posted this on reddit too!

      I love melodic music and often prefer instrumental bands. So far I only know Demetori. (Don't judge it by the anime pictures if you're not into that.) They make covers of music from a game series, so it's bound to be melodic. And they're really good! Here's another great one from them. They make some lighter stuff, too.

      Another example: The Black Mages. Again, they make video game covers. But Nobuo Uematsu is a member of the band, so they're awesome too!

      One more example is Akira Yamaoka, but his style is more like rock.

      Are there any melodic but instrumental bands out there? Progressive style is always a bonus.

      11 votes
    25. Looking for albums that are both beautiful and melancholic

      This is hard to describe, but I'm looking for albums that I can kind of wallow in a bit emotionally, but that are also beautiful musically, aesthetically, or lyrically. Because it's difficult to...

      This is hard to describe, but I'm looking for albums that I can kind of wallow in a bit emotionally, but that are also beautiful musically, aesthetically, or lyrically.

      Because it's difficult to put into words, here's an example of a song that kind of has the vibe I'm going for: Snail Mail's "Deep Sea". It's sad but not too sad, and I find the arrangement and melody to be resonant and, well, beautiful. I want something that feels like this, but across a whole album (note that the "feel" doesn't apply to the genre of the song so much as it does my emotional response to it).

      I'm open to any suggestions. Bandcamp preferred, but not required.


      UPDATE: A huge thank you to the community for all your recommendations! I have a lot of wallowing to look forward to.

      22 votes
    26. Exercise montage music

      I'm building a playlist with that classic exercise montage aesthetic. Right now it's a bunch of new retro wave, montage tracks from Rocky, Top Gun, Rad, Karate Kid, etc. Temporary playlist track...

      I'm building a playlist with that classic exercise montage aesthetic. Right now it's a bunch of new retro wave, montage tracks from Rocky, Top Gun, Rad, Karate Kid, etc.

      Temporary playlist

      track listing
      • Robert Parker - Hardbody
      • Flash Arnold - Flash Workout
      • Frank Harris - Training Sequence - Orig '85
      • Wishing On A Star on - Montage (From "Team America: World Police")
      • Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out for a Hero - From "Footloose" Soundtrack
      • King Kobra - Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)
      • Bill Conti - Gonna Fly Now
      • Carlos Knight & the Bay City Boys - Champion of My Heart
      • Dennie Christian - Push It to the Limit (Scarface)
      • Vince DiCola on - Training Montage - From "Rocky IV" Soundtrack
      • Europe - The Final Countdown
      • Cheap Trick on - Mighty Wings - From "Top Gun" Original Soundtrack
      • Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
      • John Farnham - Break The Ice
      • Robots With Rayguns - Sweat It Out
      • Craig Wedren, Theodore Shapiro on - Higher and Higher / Wind
      • Joe "Bean" Esposito - You're The Best
      • Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone - From "Top Gun" Original Soundtrack
      • The Midnight - The Equaliser (Not Alone)
      • SilverHawk - Pumping Iron
      • John Farnham - Thunder in Your Heart
      • Muscle - Feel The Steel
      • Mitch Murder - Guile's Theme
      • Vincenzo Salvia - Extreme Pizza Power
      • Flash Arnold - The Final Chase

      If you have any suggestions for tracks that maintain this aesthetic, it'd be appreciated.

      6 votes
    27. What are your best Bandcamp buys?

      What are your favorite albums/bands available through Bandcamp? I've used the platform a bit but certainly not to its full extent, and as Google Play Music is slowly winding down, I'm thinking I'd...

      What are your favorite albums/bands available through Bandcamp?

      I've used the platform a bit but certainly not to its full extent, and as Google Play Music is slowly winding down, I'm thinking I'd like to get more into a platform that better supports artists. It also helps that I'm kind of sick of my music library, as I've been listening to the same stuff for years now.

      Give recommendations for any genre, as I don't want this thread to be useful to just me but to anyone who's interested in new music.


      EDIT: All of these recommendations are so good! Thank you everyone, and feel free to keep them coming! I've already bought a couple of these, but I'm waiting on the next Bandcamp Friday to really go on a shopping spree.

      11 votes
    28. Is there a search engine for streaming services?

      Basically, an equivalent of JustWatch.com for music. I just tried looking up an obscure song to see if any streaming services had it and am amazed I can't find some sort of dedicated aggregator. I...

      Basically, an equivalent of JustWatch.com for music. I just tried looking up an obscure song to see if any streaming services had it and am amazed I can't find some sort of dedicated aggregator. I remember someone posting links in previous threads to a website that had various streaming options for each particular song recommended but I can't even remember what site that was.

      8 votes
    29. What 'classic' bands or artists do you think are overrated? And can you suggest any alternatives?

      You know how sometimes there's that hit song (or artist) that's super popular but you just don't like it? Sometimes it's because it's ubiquitous to the point you begin to resent it, but sometimes...

      You know how sometimes there's that hit song (or artist) that's super popular but you just don't like it? Sometimes it's because it's ubiquitous to the point you begin to resent it, but sometimes it's actually because the song isn't really that good. Those songs will be considered classics in a couple decades though, and there probably won't be too much push back on that from people who were around when it first came out. Some of my uncles used to be DJs, and they've put me onto old bands I'd never heard of before, but by all accounts the music they think was the best was popular back then too.

      I'm sure we can all name examples of current music hits/acts that probably will perhaps undeservedly achieve that classic status in the future, but what about past music? Personally, I'm all about the deep cuts, and sometimes I wonder if I would have liked some of the bigger acts if I came up during those eras. For example, no matter how I try I can't really get into the Beatles, but I'm not sure how much of that is taste and how much is just being from a subsequent era that had already absorbed all the changes they made to pop music.

      Of course, radio was a lot more important in the old days, and people having a lot less access to their own choice of music back then as compared to now would have shaped their tastes, but let's try to leave that aside.

      Edit: I'm not just talking about rock music, btw. If you think Chopin is overrated, by all means, make your case.

      13 votes
    30. Let's talk music to sleep to

      I listen to music throughout each day but one of the most challenging things for me is finding good music to unwind and fall asleep to. What do you listen to before bed or while trying to fall...

      I listen to music throughout each day but one of the most challenging things for me is finding good music to unwind and fall asleep to. What do you listen to before bed or while trying to fall asleep?

      These are currently on my sleep rotation:

      Sigur Ros - ( )
      Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place
      River Boat Sleep - Guided Meditation

      I've tried listening to a lot of piano and classical but I get so invested in what they are playing that I can't fall asleep.

      13 votes
    31. Resources for music composition?

      I'm curious if anyone has any good resources for learning music composition. My situation is that I've studied music for years, including being a music student for my first 2 years of college. I...

      I'm curious if anyone has any good resources for learning music composition. My situation is that I've studied music for years, including being a music student for my first 2 years of college. I got out of music for a while, and am getting back into it now. I'm interested in learning more about music composition, but have been unable to come up with good resources on the internet. I know a lot of music theory (though have probably forgotten a lot, too), and have done some basic counterpoint exercises in the past. I can string together some nice chord progressions, and sometimes even a decent melody, but developing a musical idea into a full-blown song or other piece of music is more difficult for me lately. So I'm looking for something along those lines.

      If it makes any difference, I tend to like instrumental music with American pop sensibilities. I play piano, cello, and tenor ukulele.

      If this would be better under the "music" group, feel free to move it there. I was unsure as the music group seems to be oriented towards listening rather than creating.

      6 votes
    32. Where to start with Mozart?

      Reading the excellent "Cave in the Snow", a biography of Tenzin Palmo, I learned of her love for Mozart and it got me thinking. For whatever reason my classical knowledge is limited, mostly...

      Reading the excellent "Cave in the Snow", a biography of Tenzin Palmo, I learned of her love for Mozart and it got me thinking. For whatever reason my classical knowledge is limited, mostly leaning towards more experimental contemporary composers (Cage, Pärt, Reich etc) and so I know very little about what you might call the classical heavyweights (Mozart, Chopin, Bach). With that said, where is best to start with Mozart?

      9 votes
    33. Recommend me a song based just on one line (or couplet) in its lyrics

      I'm interested in finding more great songwriters across different genres and I want to defeat my own bias, so don't tell me the artist or genre (or maybe put it in <details> tags). Here are a few...

      I'm interested in finding more great songwriters across different genres and I want to defeat my own bias, so don't tell me the artist or genre (or maybe put it in <details> tags).

      Here are a few of mine -

       

      Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds

      Song infoBob Marley - Redemption Song

      If you're really as tough as your defenses, you'd let them fall

      Song infoJimmy Eat World - Stop

      Tried to deceive me, you only deceived you; what you thought was invisible was only see-through

      Song infoOne Be Lo - Decepticons

      I said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time"

      Song infoOasis - Falling Down

      Emotional luggage, nothing of it, I don't check bags; I just carry on, leave that bullshit in the past

      Song infoCurren$y - Airborne Aquarium

      Nothing no scary like a gunman voice when people beg a gunman think twice, and him say no

      Song infoDamian "Junior Gong" Marley - Gunman World (Is It Worth It?)

      To turn your sick soul inside out - so that the world, so that the world can watch you die

      Song infoGil Scott-Heron - Home Is Where the Hatred Is

       

      Coincidentally, not all those songs are necessarily at the top of my recommends, but they are the first memorable one-liners that came to mind. I won't mind if your picks aren't the greatest songs of all time either if the line still hits.

      21 votes
    34. Suggestions for a Starter Synth?

      I feel like I have gotten as far as I can playing around with my keyboard and LMMS, so I was wondering if anyone here has any recommendations for a synth that I could start out with. As much as I...

      I feel like I have gotten as far as I can playing around with my keyboard and LMMS, so I was wondering if anyone here has any recommendations for a synth that I could start out with. As much as I really want to buy a OP-1 or OP-Z I don't think I can justify it just yet. I would like something in the style of the OP-1 or OP-Z, i.e. quite small, with they keys laid out like a piano, and controls for modifying the sound on the synth, although it doesn't need an included sequencer. I'm also pretty open to drum machine ideas, just have never really played around with them at all. My budget is like $200 max.

      10 votes
    35. Latin Music lovers

      Are there tildies that like latin music? I'm just getting back into it after a long excursion into electronic genres. Do you know and want to share with us some favourite tracks? Some of my...

      Are there tildies that like latin music? I'm just getting back into it after a long excursion into electronic genres.

      Do you know and want to share with us some favourite tracks?

      Some of my favourite stuff, from wildly different genres:

      Devine - La Chica Colombiana
      Calypso Rose - Calypso Blues
      Chica Libre - sonido amazonico
      Pericos - Los Pericos
      Tigrillios - Cameleon
      Dinastya Angelito Y Su Sabor Costeño - Con La Botella En La Cabeza
      Mister Cobra - Baila

      I'm looking especially for traditional styles and good cumbia

      6 votes
    36. Feature a band/artist in three tracks.

      Here's the idea: feature any artist you love, especially those you think deserve more attention (though that's not a requirement--anyone is fair game!). Give the artist/band, their genre(s), and...

      Here's the idea: feature any artist you love, especially those you think deserve more attention (though that's not a requirement--anyone is fair game!).

      • Give the artist/band, their genre(s), and three songs that give a good introduction/overview to their sound and style. Think appetizer, entree, and dessert. (Or just three appetizers--it's good to get us wanting more!)

      • Include a brief description of the artist and each of the tracks. Include any other information you feel is relevant.

      Feel free to feature more than one band/artist, but in the interest of organization, make each its own separate top-level comment.

      (See my example comment below to get a better idea of what I'm going for.)

      19 votes
    37. Recommend me a song that _________.

      Top level comments should fill in the blank with some sort of descriptor identifying a kind of song you would like suggestions for. Be as generic or specific as you want. Replies can then...

      Top level comments should fill in the blank with some sort of descriptor identifying a kind of song you would like suggestions for. Be as generic or specific as you want.

      Replies can then recommend songs to that individual.

      Hint: Use the "collapse replies" button to view only top-level posts.

      See previous posts of this type: books, games

      13 votes
    38. If you had to point out a song in a foreign language either for its catchiness or content, what would it be?

      I'd like to hear something different, and am curious about what both the current and past trends have been so anything's welcome really! Honestly it doesn't even have to have any sung parts;...

      I'd like to hear something different, and am curious about what both the current and past trends have been so anything's welcome really!

      Honestly it doesn't even have to have any sung parts; lately I've been getting in Berlin's indigenous techno scene and found myself with lots of remarkable material to listen to.

      Here are a few spotlights of mine:

      • A particularly good DJ session of Dirty Doering. His music is what's really pushed me to dip my toes into the techno scene; went to few of his nights and never regretted it so far.
      • Songs such as Le Temps de la Rentrée by France Gall, La Mer specifically sung by Julio Iglesias and Champs Elysees by Joe Dassin are some of my go tos when I'm cooking something.
      • HaifischNikez Allstar is a really good trashy song, pleasant in its own way in my opinion. Watch it as there's a jumpscare at the beginning of the video.
      • Any song by Caparezza. I won't link a specific one cause they're not exactly "melodic", moreso they are extremely clever in the wordplays he makes in each and every one. If i had to suggest an album of his I'd go for Museica.
      • Heard a number of catchy tunes while visiting Israel but ended up not knowing any specific title cause while there my phone died...

      edit: pointed out jumpscare

      18 votes
    39. Songs that move you (towards positivity)

      After reading a thread on AskReddit requesting songs that made people cry, I thought about my favorite music and realized that most of the songs that made me cry were because they were uplifting...

      After reading a thread on AskReddit requesting songs that made people cry, I thought about my favorite music and realized that most of the songs that made me cry were because they were uplifting in one way or another. So here I am today, asking you this: what songs move you to tears because of positive emotions? Here are a few of mine:

      The Beatles - Let It Be. It's almost embarrassing to put this one first, but a simple three word phrase has never been filled with so much meaning. "Let it be" is practically my motto, and it's the philosophy which has most helped to steer me towards sanity. The music accompanying the lyrics just resonates with my heartstrings and it always makes me feel relieved after listening.

      Yoko Kanno - Gotta Knock a Little Harder. People often describe music they like as being written for them. To me, this song feels like my very essence was put into sound. Its a song about breaking free of depression and loneliness. The thing I love about it is how honest it is; breaking through that door is brutally difficult. I love how there isn't an extra verse telling you how much better the narrator's life is after breaking through the door (or even that they made it through), instead implying it through choral swells and a little bit of the listener's imagination.

      Arto Lindsay - Counting the Roses. This one may be cheating a little, because it's really the context of the song that makes me cry. It was written for a video game called D2, where a tragic character named Kimberly wrote the lyrics after a particularly terrible day. While the song is beautiful by itself, what affects me is the concept that it represents: even in an ugly, poisonous, depressing world, pure and beautiful things can still be found.

      9 votes
    40. Looking for Eagles-style rock recommendations

      Hey all. I've been listening to the Eagles for a while and love their stuff (born a couple of decades too late to really appreciate them though). I do enjoy the newer styles of rock (ethereal(?)),...

      Hey all. I've been listening to the Eagles for a while and love their stuff (born a couple of decades too late to really appreciate them though). I do enjoy the newer styles of rock (ethereal(?)), but I'm looking for a new-ish band that sticks to the old guitar/drums/etc of classic/country rock. Any recommendations for me?

      7 votes
    41. Synthwave

      In a bit of a synthwave haze at the moment and craving some more, does anyone have any good artists? Current list: Fm84 Gunship Freeweights September87 Timecop1983 Dance with the dead Lebrock...

      In a bit of a synthwave haze at the moment and craving some more, does anyone have any good artists?

      Current list:

      Fm84
      Gunship
      Freeweights
      September87
      Timecop1983
      Dance with the dead
      Lebrock
      Scandroid
      Droid Bishop
      Turbo Knight
      Neon nox
      GOST
      Pertubator
      0edit
      Dav Dralleon
      Dynatron
      Power Glove
      Lazerhawk
      Magic Sword
      Starcadian

      14 votes
    42. Who are some artists that have only released great albums?

      Greatness is tough enough, but consistent greatness is nigh impossible. I'm curious as to who are some musicians/bands out there that have always delivered and never stumbled, putting out great...

      Greatness is tough enough, but consistent greatness is nigh impossible. I'm curious as to who are some musicians/bands out there that have always delivered and never stumbled, putting out great release after great release for their entire careers. It doesn't mean they've never had a bad song or a gaffe or anything like that--just that their main releases have been solid from start to finish.

      14 votes
    43. In a music world where rap/hip-hop are more prevalent than ever before, what rock bands are trying their best to innovate or keep it real?

      It's neat that Rap/Hip-Hop is having a renaissance of sorts. However, I don't really like any of it. In an industry that claims rock is dying (or at least has been for several years), what rock...

      It's neat that Rap/Hip-Hop is having a renaissance of sorts. However, I don't really like any of it. In an industry that claims rock is dying (or at least has been for several years), what rock bands have been killing it, spinning it in a new direction, or paying inspired and original homages to their rock forefathers?

      14 votes
    44. What music blogs are still worth following?

      I miss music blogs. I mostly used them for piracy in the past but plenty of them (pirate and non-pirate) have been great sources for curated lists of new good music. I'd like to add some more...

      I miss music blogs. I mostly used them for piracy in the past but plenty of them (pirate and non-pirate) have been great sources for curated lists of new good music. I'd like to add some more variety to my music discovery methods for this new year, so what blogs do you still follow / respect?

      Some previous semi-related threads that might be of interest:

      How do you discover music?

      How do you keep up with new music?

      Music Blogs & Mini Station Rant

      6 votes
    45. Looking for artists/bands/albums that feature a piano

      I just love good piano, whether alone, with vocals, or with other instruments. Two of my all-time favorite artists are Vienna Teng and Regina Spektor, both of whom use it to great effect in their...

      I just love good piano, whether alone, with vocals, or with other instruments. Two of my all-time favorite artists are Vienna Teng and Regina Spektor, both of whom use it to great effect in their music. Anyone have any good recommendations? I'm open to any genre.

      Edit: Awesome suggestions, everyone! I've got quite the playlist right now that I plan to explore over the coming week. Thanks all!

      14 votes