Progressive pop bands?

[snipelfritz]

Skeletal Lamping is one of my favorite albums ever!

If you haven't, listen to Hissing Fauna: Are You the Destroyer? by them. It's the previous album/kind of a prequel (part of the Georgie Fruit mythos). Slightly more manic pop at times but practically as expansive of an album. Their next album, False Priest, is pretty good but much more a collection of songs than a cohesive album. Album after that, Paralytic Stalks, goes full off the deep end with weird trippiness. Definitely worth a listen. For me those four albums (and Sunlandic Twins before all of those) make up the quintessential golden age of Of Montreal. There's good stuff before and after, it just doesn't hit the cohesive amazeballs that Skeletal Lamping and such.

If you haven't listened to MGMT's first couple albums, I'd recommend you check them out. The second half of Oracular Spectacular gets pretty out there. I'd also really recommend you check out the Metanoia EP. MGMT is one of few bands that actually went from poppy to less accessible just as they became really hip.

I'll keep thinking on this. I'm sure there's more I can come up with.

[casecandy]

All of of Montreal's discography is amazing, in its own way.

For example, who couldn't love "Tim, I Wish You Were Born A Girl"? I've laughed, I've cried

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQSd9q1OSPg[/youtube]

Fun fact: of Montreal aren't actually from Montreal, they're from Athens, GA, and are part of a loose collective of like-minded experimental pop bands. Chief among these bands are Elf Power, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Apples In Stereo.

You cannot go wrong with anything by Neutral Milk Hotel. Both full-lengths are literally perfect.

Anyone who's a member of a website called "I Love Fuzz" but doesn't own In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is living a lie.

[casecandy]

Okay, so, as promised, Canadian pop music with an experimental or progressive bent.

Let's use one person as a nexus here: Leslie Feist.

Born in New Brunswick and raised in Nova Scotia, Feist moved to Toronto to further her musical career.

If you look at the bands she was involved with, they're all great.

First off, By Divine Right. Great little indie rock band who "have so much soul." Similar artists: Joel Plaskett, Sloan, The Sadies.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onn4J3czYXw[/youtube]

Next, she and the bassist of BDR, Brendan Canning, as well as another Toronto musician by the name of Kevin Drew, got together with all of their friends to form Broken Social Scene, who were noted for their album You Forgot It In People (2003) and the single, "Lover's Spit," probably the only hit song ever that's explicitly about semen. This is exactly the kind of music you're looking for. Similar artists: K-OS, Young Galaxy, Apostle of Hustle, Stars.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uev2J_cBHjQ[/youtube]

Then, of course, there's her incredible solo career. Her album Let It Die is some pretty smooth R&B/folk, but then out comes The Reminder, which landed her in an iPhone commercial and wins her four Grammys. The astonishing thing is, she didn't sell out at all to make that happen. The music industry actually appreciated an independent Canadian pop artist just for the quality of her music. I don't think it's happened since. Similar artists: Metric, Basia Bulat, Amy Milan.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwjn8YaaB1Q[/youtube]

Anyway, that's just one musician... what about The Hidden Cameras?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcdeiSzOJBM[/youtube]

Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, The Arcade Fire, and Titus Andronicus?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQrIR2nngXw[/youtube]

The New Pornographers and Neko Case?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHQZB8ZCw9o[/youtube]

Honestly, just get into Canadian indie music and you are beyond set.

[PeteeBee]

I blame feist's solo career success for the demise of broken social scene, so I will forever begrudge her haha

[casecandy]

I blame feist's solo career success for the demise of broken social scene, so I will forever begrudge her haha

Don't blame her awesomeness for their wishy-washiness!

Also, was Forgiveness Rock Record that bad?!

EDIT: I am listening to it right now and can confirm that it is not

[snipelfritz]

I super-love You Forget it in People except for that one track, Anthems for 17yo grrrl whatevs. Shit was boooorrrriiiinnnggggg

EDIT: Other than that track, it's an A+, #1 album of the year.

[Twangasaurus]

Also, was Forgiveness Rock Record that bad?!

EDIT: I am listening to it right now and can confirm that it is not

Hell no it isn't. Equal best album with ol' You Forgot It In Peeps. S/T on the other hand definitely ain't all that.

[Twangasaurus]

Also, the Assbringer herself?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJn-nUCzQLk[/youtube]

[casecandy]

I super-love You Forget it in People except for that one track, Anthems for 17yo grrrl whatevs. Shit was boooorrrriiiinnnggggg

EDIT: Other than that track, it's an A+, #1 album of the year.

LOL, my favourite track from that album, literally, I swear I'm not trying to fuck wit you

As used in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World as Knives Chau's theme

Related fun fact: in that (awesome) movie every band has music made by some corresponding real-life band. For example, Sex Bob-Omb is really Beck, The Clash at Demonhead is really Metric, etc. Okay so this band, Crash and the Boys, is actually Broken Social Scene More like Crash and the Fuckbois amirite

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-YQmuUVpzY[/youtube]

[jrmy]

If Buke and Gasse counts, I'm guessing Menomena will as well:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cA0aJaU7kw[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AEFrTMa9qs[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T86wGGLfGYo[/youtube]

And maybe Hooray for Earth?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEj3jn1csxE[/youtube]

[Inconuucl]

I feel like a lot of Math Rock edges on this territory, actually.

Having said that...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGAAWs5ZfYY[/youtube]

and (saw this guys live not too long ago, it was hella tight)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaPqnonZ67c[/youtube]

[casecandy]

+1 for Menomena, great band, sortof like, if Brand New were an indie band

[OddKnowledge]

I feel like a lot of Math Rock edges on this territory, actually.

yeah, i was just shy of posting a big list of math rock / math pop bands with vocals, but decided to chill.
I haven't listened to of Montreal since Sundlandic so i have no clue what they sound like now and don't know what the original frame of reference is.

[frodog]

I used to listen so hard to many of these bands like +/- 10 yrs ago. Of Montreal (like ^ fell off after Hissing/Sunlandic Twins), Menomena was cool, BSS, Feist, Architecture in Helsinki, Los Campesinos (still like them). But often I can't bear all the snazzy melodies, varied instrumentation and general lack of aggressive guitar noise for too long. I'm more partial now to stuff like The Fresh & Onlys, Ganglians, Thee Oh Sees, Gap Dream... I'll throw on a tape of "progressive/twee pop" every onceinawhile. I can never do the embed.. here's a recent one I got that's good; Werevolves' What Kind of Pet Defines You?

http://werewolves.bandcamp.com/track/wh ... true-metal

[casecandy]

But often I can't bear all the snazzy melodies, varied instrumentation and general lack of aggressive guitar noise for too long.

I literally feel the opposite of this! I get tired of guitar and ultimately want more varied instrumentation and melody. If I'm bored of something, it's almost certainly because a) it's tonally consistent for a long period of time and b) it's lacking in flamboyant melody.

Diff'rent strokes bruh!