The 10 Best Albums at Emusic.com (Part 1)
I've been an Emusic.com subscriber for about three years. Emusic isn't a typical music download site: The music is all independent. You won't find the latest from Gnarles Barkley, but for those who are passionate about music, there is plenty here to be discovered.
In the early days, Emusic charged a flat subscription fee and you were allowed to download everything you wanted. This system encouraged experimentation, allowing the music consumer the opportunity to download complete albums without any financial penalty. A couple of years ago, Emusic changed their policy to allow a fixed number of downloads, depending on how much the consumer was willing to pay. Now the music fan has to do some research to make sure that each download is worth the money. My subscription allows me to download 60 tracks each 30 days. But I am a completest - I only download full albums, as I want to hear every track, not just the hits. So I snag 5 or 6 albums each month for about $15. Not a bad deal!
Today I'm going to offer up five of my favorite all time Emusic albums. Tomorrow I'll give you another five. Enjoy!
The Arcade Fire: Funeral
The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
One pop music trend in the 21st century involves the creation of complex, orchestral rock music. It's typically referred to as "indie pop," as the bands that create it are independent of any large corporate label, which allows the freedom to create music without preconceived boundaries. The Arcade Fire, who are a multi-piece outfit from Canada, put together a heavenly sounding mixture of guitars, strings, percussion, and vocals that bring to mind XTC or The Talking Heads. The music is powerful but not indulgent. The lyrics actually mean something, but it's the melodies and hooks that will keep you coming back.
Belle and Sebastian: The Boy With the Arab Strap
Admittedly not every one's cup of tea, Belle and Sebastian represent a more gentle side of the indie pop scene. The vocals are often rather "twee" sounding- light and airy, but repeated listening does uncover an underlying tension and sincerity. The instrumentation is mostly acoustic, but the music is quite lively, This is pop for fans of The Housemartins or The Beautiful South.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch: Hedwig and the Angry Inch Soundtrack
How about a concept album about a guy who suffers a botched sex-change operation? This soundtrack was taken from the indie film of the same title (often played on IFC). The music is 100% glam rock. You'll hear echoes of Bowie, T-Rex, and Mott the Hoople as you cringe to lyrics that discuss the loss of a favorite male appendage.
Ian Hunter: Rant
After quitting his job as the front man of Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter released a fairly successful batch of solo records. Rant finds Mr. Hunter in a dour mood as he discusses the condition of his home country England and the morons that surround him. This is a nearly perfect classic rock album - there are songs with raging guitars, there are tender ballads. Hunter was never the best singer, but he knows how to use his voice and lyrics to really get at the emotional core of an issue.
Tomorrow: Five more from Emusic
In the early days, Emusic charged a flat subscription fee and you were allowed to download everything you wanted. This system encouraged experimentation, allowing the music consumer the opportunity to download complete albums without any financial penalty. A couple of years ago, Emusic changed their policy to allow a fixed number of downloads, depending on how much the consumer was willing to pay. Now the music fan has to do some research to make sure that each download is worth the money. My subscription allows me to download 60 tracks each 30 days. But I am a completest - I only download full albums, as I want to hear every track, not just the hits. So I snag 5 or 6 albums each month for about $15. Not a bad deal!
Today I'm going to offer up five of my favorite all time Emusic albums. Tomorrow I'll give you another five. Enjoy!
The Arcade Fire: Funeral
The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
One pop music trend in the 21st century involves the creation of complex, orchestral rock music. It's typically referred to as "indie pop," as the bands that create it are independent of any large corporate label, which allows the freedom to create music without preconceived boundaries. The Arcade Fire, who are a multi-piece outfit from Canada, put together a heavenly sounding mixture of guitars, strings, percussion, and vocals that bring to mind XTC or The Talking Heads. The music is powerful but not indulgent. The lyrics actually mean something, but it's the melodies and hooks that will keep you coming back.
Belle and Sebastian: The Boy With the Arab Strap
Admittedly not every one's cup of tea, Belle and Sebastian represent a more gentle side of the indie pop scene. The vocals are often rather "twee" sounding- light and airy, but repeated listening does uncover an underlying tension and sincerity. The instrumentation is mostly acoustic, but the music is quite lively, This is pop for fans of The Housemartins or The Beautiful South.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch: Hedwig and the Angry Inch Soundtrack
How about a concept album about a guy who suffers a botched sex-change operation? This soundtrack was taken from the indie film of the same title (often played on IFC). The music is 100% glam rock. You'll hear echoes of Bowie, T-Rex, and Mott the Hoople as you cringe to lyrics that discuss the loss of a favorite male appendage.
Ian Hunter: Rant
After quitting his job as the front man of Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter released a fairly successful batch of solo records. Rant finds Mr. Hunter in a dour mood as he discusses the condition of his home country England and the morons that surround him. This is a nearly perfect classic rock album - there are songs with raging guitars, there are tender ballads. Hunter was never the best singer, but he knows how to use his voice and lyrics to really get at the emotional core of an issue.
Tomorrow: Five more from Emusic
Labels: indie music
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