quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:

quote:

Originally posted by keylimetrev:
Have you tried East River Pipe yet RL? Since you like the Eels Electro-shock blues alot, you might like some of East River Pipes music.

I didn't like his 2005 album much.

I assume you're talking about 2006's What Are You On?. That wasn't very good. But, his '90s output is nothing short of fantastic, especially his first three. I'm not sure where I'd rank it on the sadness scale, but like the Eels, it walks the line between poppy and melancholy.

I'd also recommend Townes Van Zant and Gillian Welch.

I would check out Pajo (his self-titled album) if i were you. He's got a more western-sounding Elliot Smith thing going.

Also, Neutral Milk Hotel is pretty sad as well.

Xiu Xiu is depressingly sad, so you might want to check that out.

quote:

3. Joe Henry - Trampoline

I hadn't noticed that you recommended this album Eric. I've really been enjoying Henry's three jazzier albums trampoline, fuse, and scar lately. He really deserves more credit for his albums and his production work. I have not heard his last album Tiny Voices yet, do you have any thoughts on it?

I'll second previous remarks abou Tom McRae's debut. Really dark instrumentation and vocals despite the fact that the lyrics are sometimes over-thought/forced. (RIYL Elliott Smith)

Alex Lloyd is also good mostly acoustic singer songwriter but a little bit on the poppier side. Some good minor keys stuff though.

I don't know how many people here heard Red House Painter's Old Ramon but it is by far my favourite Mark K. release.

Grandaddy's Sophtware Slump was pretty good and pretty sad if you are a robot or have robot empathies.

Dntel's Life is Full of Possibilities is an awesome electronic cd that is also organic and pretty sad. I thought, though I may be mistaken, that you said you enjoyed Nathan Fake RL. If so and you haven't heard this album, just know it is much better though slightly different.

Idaho's Levitate is a piano driven indie record with good drumming and guitar as well. One of my all time favourite minor key albums. Highly recommended.

Swell's Too Many Days Without Thinking is really good and really sad and has some really good indie guitarisms. It is kind of older but I like all Swell's stuff for the most part. Kind of reminds me of Sparklehorse, or maybe I just started listening to them at the same time. It's A Wonderful Life is a good one from the latter.

Joseph Arthur is pretty much my favourite artist and his first two records are his best as well as his saddest. So good. It is really dark and quite quite good imo.

Other notables:

Max Richter - Blue Notebooks
Cub Country - High Uinta High
Mum - Yesterday Was Dramatic-Today is OK
Silver Mt. Zion - Anything/All Good
Pedro The Lion - Control
Adem - Homesongs
Rachel's - Anything/All Good
Chad VanGaalen - Infiniheart

quote:

Originally posted by keylimetrev:

quote:

3. Joe Henry - Trampoline

I hadn't noticed that you recommended this album Eric. I've really been enjoying Henry's three jazzier albums trampoline, fuse, and scar lately. He really deserves more credit for his albums and his production work. I have not heard his last album Tiny Voices yet, do you have any thoughts on it?

I only own the three you mentioned, and of those, I only really like Trampoline and Fuse, both of which I'd highly recommend to anyone. By the way, the design of the insert on the Fuse CD is awesome. The graphic designer nerd in me was so awestruck when I got that album.

Scar had a few high points, namely his version of "Stop", which was originally recorded by his sister-in-law Madonna and retitled "Don't Tell Me". Joe's gritty tango version sounds like an outtake from Tom Waits' Rain Dogs. I listened to a couple tracks from Tiny Voices, but they didn't really do anything for me, so I never bought the album.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: EricG75,

YOu know, I love Mark Kozelek, but I've never really liked Old Ramon at all. Sophtware Slump is great, but far from entirely sad. I bought an Idaho CD from the library once, but didn't like it. Dntel sounded like, I don't know, boring and too ambient for me.

The Blue Notebooks is pretty good, though some of the longer songs suck. Adem's first one is awesome. VanGaalen is one of those guys that Cokemachineglow goes nuts over that I can't understand at all. I guess it's their Canadian bias. Mum have been steadily declining, but that first one is really good still. Thanks for the other recs though.

quote:

I only own the three you mentioned, and of those, I only really like Trampoline and Fuse, both of which I'd highly recommend to anyone. By the way, the design of the insert on the Fuse CD are awesome. The graphic designer nerd in me was so awestruck when I got that album.

You should try his earlier country records. Pretty much completely different from the three you have, but they are good. I especially like Kindness of the World. Also, I agree about the liner notes design in fuse. How someone who probably wasn't making a ton of money for his label talked them into putting packaging out like that I don't know. He must be a pretty good talker.

After listening to a couple Nina Nastasia albums, I gotta say that they're too happy for me at this moment.

What if you try slicing an onion while listening to it?

That's such a pretentious thing to say, eric.

Maybe Im missing the point but more than half of the bands mentioned in this thread hardly deserve to be considered 'sad'.

from 2006:

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - Melody Mountain

William Elliott Whitmore - Song of the Blackbird

oh and of course

I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends

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William Elliott Whitmore - Song of the Blackbird

I really like this album as well. I was really looking forward to seeing him open for Lucero the other night, cause I've heard he puts on a good live show, but for some reason he isn't on the tour anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by Rubberchicken:
Maybe Im missing the point but more than half of the bands mentioned in this thread hardly deserve to be considered 'sad'.

Yeah, I don't think so either, but they're doing their best.

Song of the Blackbird isn't too terribly sad, but I do enjoy it. I'm gonna have to check out some of his older stuff.

WTF is the fascination with sad & depressing music? I've heard a few people around here comment that they prefer sad & depressing music. And I don't really get why it matters. I don't think I've ever bought albums based on the mood they were likely to create. A good album is a good album, and like most people, I'm capable a feeling a wide array of emotions. Would you really take a mediocre "sad" album over a well-crafted album that featured some other moods? Doesn't it get draining listening to sad song after sad song? It'd be like only being able to watch the Hallmark Movie Channel all day. I think after awhile, you'd be jonesing to tune in to Comedy Central.

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Originally posted by ericg75:
It'd be like only being able to watch the Hallmark Movie Channel all day.

I could totally do that. Sarah, Plain and Tall kicks ass!

The new Gregor Samsa and either Red Stars Theory releases.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
WTF is the fascination with sad & depressing music? I've heard a few people around here comment that they prefer sad & depressing music. And I don't really get why it matters. I don't think I've ever bought albums based on the mood they were likely to create. A good album is a good album, and like most people, I'm capable a feeling a wide array of emotions.

See, most of the time, I'm not really capable of feeling a wide variety of emotions. It's something that really sucks and nothing to be proud of, but I just don't feel that good very often, so I just relate so sad stuff more. And yes, most of the time I'll take a fairly well done sad album over a very well done happy album.