The CB half of CBGB claims that she no longer listens to new music because nothing good is being made these days (or something like that), that music was better in the early 90s. Of course, she knows that it’s more about our exposures; back then we had cool friends in dorms handing us copies of obscure bands like Nine Inch Nails or Smashing Pumpkins, and channels like MuchMusic were targeting us. Nowadays we’re definitely not in those crosshairs, and our friends are all old and married and uncool. But I’ve decided to show her that it’s still there…you just have to look for it. Or, you know, read someone’s blog. And so, CB, a few suggestions, just to get you started:

1. Bright Eyes. Coner Oberst is looking a little like a modern-day Dylan these days: folk-rock singer from the midwest making a name for himself at a young age in New York. Not as political as Dylan, but much better looking. Start with I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning.
2. Explosions In The Sky is what would happen if you took classical musicians and told them to play rock music. It’s all instrumental, but they manage to convey more emotion and intensity with their instruments than you’d expect. Everything is swells and lulls, and it’s all beautiful. Either of their full length albums (Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live or The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place) would be a great place to start. They also did the Friday Night Lights soundtrack, but it’s not as complete a piece as either of their studio discs.
3. Bonnie Prince Billy is about as stark as they come. His music is usually sung alone with a guitar or two, maybe with a singer doing harmony, maybe not. He could be Johnny Cash, give or take an octave. Best album to start with: Master And Everyone.
4. The Arcade Fire. In my opinion, the best album of last year. By a landslide. Innovative & hopeful & energetic. Start with their breakthrough disc from last fall, Funeral.
5. The New Pornographers, made up of musicians from various Vancouver-based bands, and named by leader Carl Newman after something ridiculous Jerry Falwell once said, have recorded two discs (the best of which was their debut Mass Romantic). On about half of their songs they’re lucky enough to be accompanied by the lovely & talented Neko Case.
6. Speaking of Neko Case, her latest studio disc (Blacklisted) is a great one to check out. She walks to the intersection of blues, torch, rock and twangy country and camps out there for the night. And a good night it is.
7. The Be Good Tanyas and/or Jolie Holland. Either will do. The Be Good Tanyas are more about folk music & harmonies, whereas Holland (an original member of the Tanyas) is more about stark melody and a practically impenetrable voice. Start with Blue Horse by the BGTs or Escondida by JH.
8. For music that’s cool in spite of the fact that you’ll hear it at dance clubs check out LCD Soundsystem. The self-titled LCD Soundsytem disc has genius pieces like “Losing My Edge” and “Yeah”, and it’s smart enough that you won’t feel like a club kid whose heels are taller than her book collection.
9. While we’re on the topic of “smart”, Grandaddy released two albums since the dot com crash and, while his music isn’t directly about that, it’s related. Or, more accurately, it’s pointed at the ongoing effects of us occasionally losing our minds in the face of technology. The dot com crash was just the backdrop that inspired the albums. The Sophtware Slump is a good place to start.
10. Finally, you have your choice of Snow Patrol or The Reindeer Section. Gary Lightbody, leader & singer of both groups, spread his influence around and the two sound kind of similar. Snow Patrol is a band, whereas The Section is a collective made up of many musicians, and whose first album was influenced heavily by The Folk Implosion (as you can see in the liner notes). If you decide to check out Snow Patrol, have a listen to Final Straw; if it’s The Reindeer Section, either of their studio discs (Y’All Get Scared Now, Ya Hear! or Son Of Evil Reindeer) are good beginner material.

Just have GB there fire up ye old bittorrent and have a listen; if you like what you hear, pick up the CD and impress your friends at parties.