Your favorite "discoveries" of 2009?

What artists did you get turned onto this year? Doesn't have to be a 2009 release, just something that you started listening to this year.

I discovered Porcupine Tree....and I'm MUCH happier because of it. More of my picks later.

Dominance and Solitude (two thrash bands from the 80s/early 90s whose demos were reissued by Divebomb Records) kicked my ass this year. I get sent a lot of shit to review for Detritus 'zine but those two were actually keepers!

And oh yeah, thanks to Spec's Rock-It Records I finally heard "Vulture" so I could hear what all the fuss was about. Good stuff.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Dominance and Solitude (two thrash bands from the 80s/early 90s whose demos were reissued by Divebomb Records) kicked my ass this year. I get sent a lot of shit to review for Detritus 'zine but those two were actually keepers!

And oh yeah, thanks to Spec's Rock-It Records I finally heard "Vulture" so I could hear what all the fuss was about. Good stuff.

Hmm, Ill have to check those two out Freddy, as I havent heard of those re-releases. Glad you got to hear Vulture! Easier To Lie is such an awesome record.

Porcupine Tree was a good one for me, re-discovering King's X and Morbid Saint was quite a bonus as well though.

Electric wizard, and witchcraft being the biggest two, but also shit like medieval steel etc. Got into alot of new stuff this year!

Stender wrote:

Electric wizard, and witchcraft being the biggest two, but also shit like medieval steel etc. Got into alot of new stuff this year!

Witchcraft is AWESOME. Started listening to them in 2008, plus saw them play a great gig here in Austin with Graveyard opening for them. Those Swedish bands have it together!

Goatsnake and Witchcraft were some great finds too.

John Mayer
Foo Fighters

I rushed out and got everything from both of them right away. I'm not much for what's popular but I liked both.

I'm not a huge Foo Fighters fan, but I've almost always liked what I've heard. Some them in concert back around 2004 or so (memory a tad foggy) and they put on an excellent show. Didn't know many of the songs but it didn't matter.

Porcupine Tree would probably rank at the top of my "new discovery" list. And even though they've been around since the Civil War, I'd say that 2009 was the year that I finally "got" both Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa and appreciate their brilliance.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Porcupine Tree would probably rank at the top of my "new discovery" list. And even though they've been around since the Civil War, I'd say that 2009 was the year that I finally "got" both Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa and appreciate their brilliance.

Rockin'! Sounds like a GREAT year!

I really made a conscienious effort to restrict my music purchases to stuff that's on my "official want-list" or to artists that I'm already familiar with and want to know more about. Less blind purchases overall. And purging out some older material, it's really been giving me more of a chance to get to know the music I have and enjoy it more.

Porcupine Tree excellent band, heard of them for years but not actually heard them.

"new" discoveries for me this year:

Porcupine Tree - this could be the single most important DISCOVERY that I've made since I first heard King's X back in 1988. This band has immediately become a part of my life that I cannot live without, Wilson's songwriting, production and instrumental chops are the most impressive I've run across this side of Robert Fripp. I could go to a desert island with only PT albums and survive.

Opeth - I remember initially sampling some of Opeth's catalog last year on last.fm, but at that point I was turned off by the death metal vocals and really didn't pay any attention to it. Then early this year I watched the Lamentations video on Netflix and was just blown away by the melodic setlist, I couldn't believe how good the vocals were when he sings clean. I then started delving into the heavier material a little bit at a time, in the beginning kind of "tolerating" the death metal vocals but even that ceased to bother me after awhile. Not unlike the progression of Rush, Opeth has gone from death metal, to progressive death metal, to progressive rock over the course of their career...all the while sticking to their artistic vision. I think it's probably time to drop the death metal vocals though, the don't really seem necessary on the more recent albums like Watershed...that album would actually flow better without them. But that's a small complaint for a band this damn good.

Pelican - Now, I know that there are quite a few bands playing this style (Isis, Russian Circles, Baroness, etc)...but there is a special feeling to this band. I haven't heard an instrumental band this in love with melody in many years...they really don't play solos at all, just weave together beautiful layers of guitar and bass.

Mott The Hoople - thanks to DC for hipping me to Mott. manny hooked me up with the Greatest Hits disc late last year, but I didn't really "get" them until Greg hooked me up with the first 3 albums. Those are SPECIAL and I finally caught the Mott bug.

"re-discoveries"

Frank Zappa - Another big thank you to DC for re-igniting the Zappa thing. It had been years since I had listened to Zappa, revisiting the insanity has been pleasurable and healthy!

JAZZ - I had spent many years listening to mostly jazz, but in the past 2 or 3 years I just was almost never in the mood to hear it. I was burnt out on most of it and had been focusing my attention on revisiting the whole metal upbringing. But all of a sudden my ears have re-opened to this amazing artform and I've been primarily listening to jazz for the past couple weeks.

adding Goatsnake to this list...

After being a little burnt out on Christian music (mostly b/c of the sub par musicianship of most bands, and the same lyrics on almost any song) I rediscovered Third Day and I'm glad I did.


After being burnt out on the Blues, The Grateful Dead and Bob Marley & The Wailers I rediscovered them also.

Dark Half, thanks to Mr.Stendah! An old DM band I was unaware of that just TOTALLY rips.

A couple of "new to me" discoveries for last year:

Woven Hand - I got the Mosaic album and flipped out! Really atmospheric...great vibe...main guy is from Sixteen Horsepower. It's got a bit of that Southern/Appalachain vibe like 16HP, but with a bit of Pink Floyd blended in (maybe not exactly, but that's the best I can describe it).

Sixteen Horsepower - always heard of them, never paid them much attention. But last year, after Woven Hand, I decided to give them a listen and loved them! I love that dark, "Country Noir" vibe...very raw, old-timey instruments, blend of OLD Country, Blues, Appalachain music with a dark, gothic (not "Goth") vibe...very haunting.

Hmmm...that sounds pretty cool, I'll need to check that out.

Detuned wrote:

Hmmm...that sounds pretty cool, I'll need to check that out.

Let me know when you do...hardly anyone talks about them online that I can find...haha! I want to share how awesome these bands are w/ someone...

Detuned wrote:

Hmmm...that sounds pretty cool, I'll need to check that out.

Did you ever check them out?