This was reposted in its original form during the launch of the new WordPress blog in October 2009. Original comments made to this post back in the day (if any) are reposted at the bottom.
I made this list about a year ago, and posted it on my Norwegian page. Then I realized that it was getting really (really!) old, considering the huge amount of music I’ve discovered since then. This is the updated version, in english this time. Just a glimpse of my taste in music at the moment, and the content of my music collection. I’m sure I’ll have to update this again soon. In addition there was a need for moderation, so there might be some artists missing, and not everyone gets a lot of introduction. This will be a blog in 4 parts, starting with the artists beginning with the letters A to G.
A
Let’s start with Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire. I don’t remember exactly when and where I was introduced to them, but it was definitely a while after Funeral (2004) was released. They were also helpful in trigging my recent fondness for Canadian bands (in addition to a Canadian acquaintance). I believe Cold Wind, which was featured on the last Six Feet Under Soundtrack, has been played the most. Either way, an excellent band! From indie rock to Norwegian singer/songwriters, which is a category Ane Brun would fit perfectly in. A Temporary Dive from 2004 made her well known in Norway, and since then she’s become on of the most sought after female voices. The new album titled Duets will be released in the end of November, and consists of 10 duets with several artists. I was lucky enough to experience Anna Ternheim live as support for Kent, at their concert in Lillestrøm this summer. The similarities between Anna Ternheim and Ane Brun are many, which means; If you know one of these, check out the other! If you know both; Well… then you probably agree with me.
Alexi Murdoch came into my life through the wonderful song Orange Sky from the 4-track EP titled Four Songs (2004), which has been featured on the soundtrack of multiple TV-series lately. One of the best albums of 2005 comes from Antony and the Johnsons and is called I am A Bird Now. Definitely worth checking out. Speaking of good albums from 2005; Athlete‘s Tourist is worth mentioning, together with Andrew Bird‘s Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs, which gave me one of the most pleasant discoveries this year. Being a Norwegian I also have to mention A-ha, considering the amount of time spent listening to them through the years. They’re still great too. The same goes for Air, even though their earlier days were better they certainly improved themselves with Talkie Walkie (2004). And last, but certainly not least, there’s The Album Leaf. The album In a Safe Place from 2004 is a perfect place to start if you’re feeling in the mood for some calm and good music.
Others: Aimee Mann, Alanis Morissette, Ambulance LTD, American Hi-Fi, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Andy Stochansky, Ani Difranco, Anja Garbarek, Anneli Drecker, Annie, Arab Strap, Archer Prewitt, Aqualung, Ash, Audioslave, The Ark, The Amber Room, Architecture In Helsinki, Art Brut, Autolux.
B
I went to see Bright Eyes live in Oslo this year (February), after a couple of months of intensive listening, especially after the release of two albums in January 2005. I’ve never been a fan of country, or country inspired music, but after experiencing I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning (which is one of the 2005 albums) live, and by giving myself some time to appreciate it, I’ve gotten more aware of the brilliance of country inspired music. Conor Oberst, the man behind Bright Eyes (or like some might say; the man who IS Bright Eyes), has been referred to as a bit of a wonder boy, and I’m not about to disagree. He’s got something special which I think is just as easy to love as hate. Another artist worth mentioning as a part of the letter B is Broken Social Scene, consisting of a revolving cast of well established Canadian musicians. The album You Forgot It In People from 2002 stands out, although the recent self-titled album follows close behind.
For an indie/alternative music lover like myself, it’s considered mandatory to like Beck. At least I would imagine so, even though that’s not my reasons for including him on this list. Mellow Gold (1994) and Odelay (1996) are albums you must hear/buy. I can’t say the exact same thing about Bloc Party and Bell X1, but I will say this; I like them. Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm (2005) might not be innovative, but I like it anyway… The same goes for Bell X1′s Music in Mouth (2004). The only Norwegian band/artist lucky enough to be included in this list is Briskeby, which started off nicely with Jeans for Onassis (2001). The two albums released since then went by pretty much unnoticed, with a couple of good tunes on each, although the recent album Jumping on Cars (2005) was hyped as somewhat of a comeback. I just found it to be kinda blah.
And artist which isn’t blah at all is Ben Folds. The weird thing is that I didn’t really take the time to listen to any of his music, as a solo artist or as a part of Ben Folds Five, until I heard his tribute to Elliott Smith (called Late) on his latest album Songs for Silverman (2005).
Others: Belle & Sebastian, Blonde Redhead, Broadcast, Björk, Beulah, Ben Lee, Baxter Dury, Beth Orton, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Brendan Benson, The Beta Band, The Beatles, The Bravery.
C
Not long ago I got to experience Coldplay live for the first time. Parachutes, their debut from 2000 will always be my favorite album, which really makes me regret not going to see them live earlier. This time around, there’s too much entertainment and propaganda related to their existence, which pretty much ruins the experience for me. Now don’t get me wrong, I support their cause, but I’m there for the music, and want to be given the choice to support the case without being pushed into it. There are a few good tunes on A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and X&Y (2005) too, but I doubt they will be able to top their debut without reinventing themselves. The focus seems to be elsewhere these days, which is a shame.
One of the pleasant surprises in terms of artists beginning with the letter C this year was Clor. Their self-titled debut album blew me away, and had me listening all summer (especially while mowing the lawn). Another great album to mention this year is Clap Your Hands Say Yeah‘s self-titled one, which I believe will be featured on a lot of Best of 2005 lists. While on the topic of recent discoveries I find it appropriate to mention CocoRosie, and just simply say; They’re weird, but great. Other discoveries the last year or so includes Clinic, Cat Power, and Camera Obscura. Not that much to say about them, just mention them and emphasize that they fit perfectly into my collection in terms of musical taste.
Others: Coheed and Cambria, Christian Kjellvander, Cursive, Cut Copy, Calexico, Cyndi Lauper, The Cranberries, The Coral, The Clash, The Cardigans, Counting Crows, Crowded House.
D
This is an excellent letter when it comes to picking music from my collection. I might as well start with the only D-artist I’ve seen live; Doves from Manchester, UK. I caught them at the Quart Festival in 2002, after the release of The Last Broadcast, and I ended up seeing them live again in Oslo later that year. Some Cities from 2005 is also worth checking out, together with their first album Lost Souls (2000). So basically everything is worth a listen! The same goes for Devin Davis‘ album Lonely People of the World, Unite! from 2005. It’s such a brilliant album, where almost all instruments are played by Davis himself. It’s a mixture of a lot of things, one of the reasons to love it even more. It’s special, and definitely one of my favorite albums of 2005.
Since D is such a good letter, I have to mention The Devlins as well. With 4 albums, situated in the genre of alternative pop/rock, they’ve become one of my favorites. I’d say Consent from 2002 is a good place to start. I discovered them when the song Waiting was featured in the HBO series Six Feet Under pilot, and have been loving them ever since. The same goes for Death Cab For Cutie, which also was featured on Six Feet Under, but which I discovered through a completely different TV series; FOX’s The O.C. (I’m probably not the only one). They are both great examples of my ability to discover music while watching TV.
The Dears on the other hand was discovered through my previously mentioned Canadian acquaintance together with a pile of other artists. No Cities Left from 2004 is my definite favorite. Another favorite of mine, is Damien Rice, and his 2003 release O in particular. He’s a perfect example of how I like my singer/songwriters. And while we’re on the topic why not mention David Gray. Although he’s one of those artists that have a tendency to sound the same over and over again, his album White Ladder (1999) deserves a mention. And to wrap it up I’ll mention the band behind one of the best albums of 2005, The Decemberists. The album is called Picaresque and is magnificent!
Others: Dave Matthews Band, Delays, Dogs Die in Hot Cars, Division of Laura Lee, Death From Above 1979, Damien Jurado, Dios (Malos), Dungen, Dido, The Dandy Warhols, The Dirtmitts, Devanda Banhart, The Delgados, The Dresden Dolls.
E
Elliott Smith is my favorite when it comes to male singer/songwriters. And although some people find it cool to like him because of his rather short life which ended abruptly in 2003, my reasons are more complex than that. I admit my interest and knowledge was pretty limited while Elliott was still alive, but the events lit a spark to go back and reinvestigate his music. The thing about his music is that it requires more than simple listening. For me it has required a lot of reading as well, and more than anything thinking, reflection (oh, I just had to add it), and analysis. His music can really touch you if you give it a chance, so let me tell you were to start. Either/Or (1997) and XO (1998) represent some of his best work, my all-time favorite is without doubt the beautiful song Between the Bars, and the album released after his death; From a Basement on the Hill (2004) reveals that he had much more to give…
The similarities between Elliott Smith and Eva Cassidy are many, although the differences probably are even more. While Elliott got to experience his music being loved by the audience, Eva Cassidy was hardly known at all before her death. Her version of Sting’s Fields of Gold stands out, being truly beautiful. If you’d like a tip on a certain album I’d say the compilation Songbird (1998) includes her best and most appreciated recordings. While on the topic of beautiful voices I find it relevant to include the Norwegian female pop-trio Ephemera, which has released great albums such as Balloons and Champagne (2001) and Air (2003). The latter brought them into the mainstream Norwegian music scene.
Some years ago (I don’t even remember how many) a friend of mine sent me Novocaine for the Soul by Eels. When I hear something that good I automatically run for the nearest record store (or go surfing the giant web). So go check out the mentioned song, or the album Electro-Shock Blues (1998), which in my eyes is the best.
Others: Eisley, Engineers, Elbow, Earlimart, Embrace, Eskobar, Ed Harcourt, Echo & The Bunnymen.
F
Let’s start with Feist, a Canadian girl by the name of Leslie Feist, known from previously mentioned Broken Social Scene, but also known for a very good solo album titled Let it Die from 2004. The same year Franz Ferdinand released their self-titled debut album, an album which I believe was one of the highlights that year. If you went through the summer of 2004 without hearing Take Me Out you should feel special. Their mission is to create rock music that girls can dance to, and I believe they’ve done pretty well at that. The recently released You Could Have it So Much Better is trying very hard to be there too, but don’t quite manage. While on the topic of great albums from 2004, I have to mention the indie rockers The Futureheads, and their self-titled album. It’s not innovative, but it’s still okay.
Another great band starting with the letter F is Foo Fighters, which actually released a pretty good album this year, titled In Your Honor. It’s certainly better than One by One (2002), and almost as good as The Colour and the Shape (1997). I also have to mention one of the songs I’ve been listening to a lot this recent year, Feeder‘s Frequency from the album Pushing the Senses (2005). The album itself is not bad either. Frequency certainly works as car music! I’d also like to mention The Flaming Lips, which is an excellent band with albums such as The Soft Bulletin (1999) and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot (2002). They go further back than that, it’s just that these two albums are the ones I know and like best.
Others: The Fiery Furnaces, Fischerspooner, The Faint, Frou Frou, Fountains of Wayne.
G
For over a year I had this song on my mp3-player without ever wanting to replace it with something else. The song was He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot by Grandaddy. There’s just something about that song that never gets me tired of it. It’s from the album The Sophtware Slump (2000), which I would point out as Grandaddy’s best. Guster I got into a couple of years ago, when I got hold of Keep it Together (2003), which I have to say is the best of their four albums. They manage to press just the right buttons when it comes to creating music that people will like instantly, without making it tiresome after a while. There is also something in their music that reminds me of Crowded House and The Devlins (which does imply that it’s a good choice, right?).
I also have to mention a Norwegian band; Gåte (Gaate), which really is one of the most innovative and exciting things to come out of Norway in a while. Being the new hot thing though, can only last for a while, so apparently they are taking a break from music. They released two albums; Jygri (2002) and Iselilja (2004), and I prefer the debut where everything was new and exciting. Definitely worth a try if you want to check out something different. And… Can’t be writing a list of artists starting with the letter G without mentioning Garbage. Although there’s been a while since they released something really good, they still deserve a place in my list. The best release has to be Beautiful Garbage (2001) or Garbage (1995), closely followed by Version 2.0 (1998), which was my first introduction, and perhaps the reason why I like it so much. I think pretty much everyone agrees that the newest album, Bleed Like Me (2005) was a bit of a let down. To wrap up the entire first part of my list (which might turn out to be huge), and the letter G, I’ll mention this really cool band from Scotland called Geneva, and tell you to check out their first album; Further (1997). The vocals are amazing, and there are a few really good tunes on it. You might also want to check out The Go! Team and their 2004 release titled Thunder, Lightning, Strike, which was one of the highlights of 2004 in my opinion.
Others: Gemma Hayes, Goo Goo Dolls, Gush, Galaxie 500, Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
That’s it for now! It seems that A, B, and D are the best letters in my collection so far. Check back later for the rest of the list! If you know any artists starting with the letters A-G that you think would be of interest to me, please let me know 
CFone wrote:
OK it’s gonna sound stupid but the band A-ha is still alive, big surpris for me. Had always thought that after their big succes of the eighties the band had stop or something cuz I never heard of them after Take On Me. My sister was a huge fan of them at the time. Now gonna go and take a look on some of the name on your list. See ya
And not knowing that isn’t stupid at all BTW.(posted by reflectme 2005-11-24, 21:12 GMT)
lostinside wrote:
Damn! and i thought i knew some bands lol but you are too much RM 
Im waiting for you to continue so i can learn more 
(posted by reflectme 2005-11-27, 20:46 GMT)
zesty wrote:
Again reflect, great thing you’re doing here. I keep on checking so I can see what’s been added since I entend on being a dedicated follower. Non-mainstream music is something we both love and I know when I read what’s written here it’s gonna feel like home. I have so many bands listed under the letter ”S” that I wonder what are the bands/artists you’ll have listed when it comes to that letter. Cool stuff girl, keep up the good work.
