MEW and Kent

    The first, a great, etheral band from Denmark that could be considered to be "progressive" in the modern sense--especially when you listen to their latest album "AND THE GLASS HANDED KITES" which is a phenomenal album...their vocalist is like nothing I've heard before--he can reach very high and very low notes and retain the overall beauty his voice possesses. Great band--very spacey.

MEW Myspace
Specifically listen to Am I Wry No and The Zookeeper's Boy
MEW Purevolume
listen to Special


As for Kent, they are an ongoing Swedish rock act and they are the best I've heard in terms of creating great hooks with great melodies and throwing on great vocals to boot. Seriously one of the absolute best bands I've ever heard and well worth a listen. Check out the album "Vapen och Ammunition". Fans of Sigur Ros will like the Swedish language, and fans of "The Bends" era Radiohead will enjoy pretty much anything and everything Kent has to offer.

Kent Myspace
listen to Dom Andra and then look around for more tracks. The song from the B-Sidor album isn't bad either...

I highly suggest you check out Kent other than the myspace, which for some reason features some of their most lackluster songs...(Dom Andra is great however)

Both are massively popular here in Finland (which should automatically exclude them from being prog, of course ).

Seriously though, they're both quite alright, but can't say I listen to them very often.

enteredwinter wrote: As far as Kent goes, do you happen to know if their album "Isola" is good? That's the one I was going to start with first based on other people's opinions of the band and its albums.

"Isola" is a good choice, IMO.

Mew are huge here in Denmark, esecially about a year ago they got played constantly on the radio, tv, everywhere... I guess they're ok, but i personally find their music rather boring, and i don't listen to them.. That said, i believe their "frengers" album has got a couple of nice songs like "156", "snow brigade", and especially the long instrumental "comforting sounds"..

I definatly prefer Kent and i think it's great that they sing in swedish, sounds nice..  I own their latest album, and it's pretty decent.. If you want to know the band i would reccomend you listen to songs like "dom andra", "musik non stop", "400 sl*g" and especially "om du var här" which is imo one of the best pop/rock songs of the 90's..

yes i knew that--but isola--the english version is the only version still in print (as far as i'm aware), whereas hagnesta hill both english and swedish versions are avaible...every other album is in swedish, but it was rumored for awhile that they were making an english version of "vapen och ammunition" which is my favorite album...

as for therm being a "teen" band...maybe in denmark or something, but i think now-a-days, they are no more a teen band than maybe radiohead or porcupine tree would be considered a "teen" band...but that's just me.

then again, i am a "teen"...but my father likes them, and i actually know many adults taht enjoy them.

I always hear Mew being referered to asd Dream Pop. 

king volta wrote: yes i knew that--but isola--the english version is the only version still in print (as far as i'm aware), whereas hagnesta hill both english and swedish versions are avaible...every other album is in swedish, but it was rumored for awhile that they were making an english version of "vapen och ammunition" which is my favorite album... as for therm being a "teen" band...maybe in denmark or something, but i think now-a-days, they are no more a teen band than maybe radiohead or porcupine tree would be considered a "teen" band...but that's just me. then again, i am a "teen"...but my father likes them, and i actually know many adults taht enjoy them.

Well, the last track on their latest albums is about graduation from high school, and  many of the lyrics on Vapen och ammunition are very directed at youngsters.
What's your favourite song from V&A, then? :)

    oh hah. I wasn't suggesting they be included at all. I don't think they're prog, just that they have some prog tendencies and are progressive (insofar) in development. Listen to the differences between "Frengers" and "And the Glass Handed kites" ... besides the vocalist, they could be different bands...

EDIT: This was directed at the quote from mickey about just picking up a mew album...
    

Edited by king volta - January 21 2007 at 20:27