Artists whose new releases you buy automatically without thinking about it first

I think I'm down to Marshall Crenshaw, if he made a new album.

Auto-buys of the recent past that I've started to let slip include

Todd Rundgren
Lucinda Williams
Rancid
Bob Dylan
Richard Thompson
Tom Waits

I would go out of my way to listen to those artists' new albums and evaluate for a buy, of course. But not "auto."

 

I think he's just finally able to enjoy being a musician since Oasis broke up. He obviously always enjoyed the rock star aspect of it, but it's draining to be forced to be in a band where you and the lead singer aren't even on speaking terms for years. His interviews are always worth reading...I don't think he means half of what he says, he just knows stuff he says will make for good quotes and has fun with it.

 

He's done a series of EP's with new and re-recorded old songs, and...man, I hate to admit this, but it's been a long time since he's written stuff that I've been able to get excited about. The melodies and whatnot just aren't really there on anything he's done in the last 10-15 years, IMO.

 

The Beatles

 

Richard Thompson, John Hiatt, Suzanne Vega.

I've rarely been disappointed but they will release the occasional clunker.

 

These days there is absolutely nothing I would buy blind. Even with ELO's 'Alone In The Universe', which in the past would have been an automatic purchase, I had to hear it first. I chose to not buy it.

 

Coldplay.
McCartney.
Dylan, although I haven't bought Triplicate.
John Cougar Mellencamp.
Costello, although I did miss the one he did with the Roots a few years back.
Ian Hunter since Shrunken Heads in 2009.
I bought every new Stones album since Some Girls back in 78 with the exception of Steel Wheels and Babylon.
Bruce Springsteen since Born In The USA back in 1984.

 

They're very prolific as a live band and, to be honest, their studio releases (while certainly 'worth buying') have been weaker since Mantis. I want to get Zonkey in due course but, being on the 'wrong' side of the Atlantic, I found the price too heady when it launched. So while I'd still describe them as in my top three current bands, even UM doesn't get a free pass these days.

 

The Beatles
Paul McCartney
The Beach Boys
Brian Wilson

 

Belle & Sebastian
Gillian Welch
Ed Kuepper
Tom Waits
The Necks
Mark Lanegan
Lambchop
PJ Harvey
Joe Henry
Calexico
The Church
The Who Trio
Eve Risser

 

Goldfrapp or Ron Sexsmith - they both seem to be very good at what they do, so that's all I need to know.

 

The Rolling Stones used to be on my list, but after Bigger Bang, they are no longer on the list.

My current list of artists I automatically purchase every new album:
Geri Allen
McCoy Tyner (although there has not been a new album for many years)
Melissa Aldana
Kurt Rosenwinkel
Helen Sung
Tedeschi Trucks Band

 

Tom Waits
Nick Cave
Bruce
Richard Thompson
Patti Smith
The Who (Ha!Ha! - I love compilations!)

 

Roger Waters
Tori Amos
Wende (Dutch singer/songwriter)

 

Julian Cope

 

Peter Gabriel
Joe Jackson
P-FUNK and George Clinton & Bootsy Collins Releases
Talking Heads and David Byrne Solo
Spiritualized
Suede
BLUR
Echo & The Bunnymen
MUSE
Arctic Monkeys
U2
Franz Ferdinand
Earth, Wind & Fire
Steven Wilson(and all Porcupine Tree)
The Cure(except never bought 'Wild Mood Swings')
Afghan Whigs(and new album will be released on May 5th) & Dulli' past band, The Twilight Singers(although skipped the first album, but will get it eventually)
Radiohead(although I was about to give up after The King of Limbs, but A Moon Shaped Pool will keep me on the auto buy).

Post Death:
Bowie
Prince
Jeff Buckley(except not the album released last year as seemed like finally had scraped the bottom of the barrel with his post death releases).

 

For better or worse, I always buy new releases from:
Pat Benatar
Rickie Lee Jones
Bjork
Bob Dylan
Alison Moyet
Prince
Nina Hagen
Maria McKee
Heart
Cyndi Lauper
U2
Annie Lennox/ Eurythmics
Aretha Franklin
Blondie/ Debbie Harry
Kate Bush
PJ Harvey
Patti Smith
Madonna
Bruce Springsteen
Marianne Faithfull
Johnette Napolitano
Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks
Tori Amos

I'm sure there are probably a lot more, but that's just off the top of my head!

 

You've probably heard Zonkey already, but it's kind of a throwaway for me. Cool idea, great execution, but it's not something I go back and listen to much.

 

Cheap Trick
Mr Big
Rush
Gaslight Anthem
Brian Fallon
Therapy?

 

I think I'd like it because I've always liked their mash-ups a lot, but in general I think they've been treading water somewhat: they've never done a bad studio album but their last three studio albums have seen too much bolstering from tracks that were already well represented in the live catalogue such as "Hajimemashite", "Bridgeless" and those on The London Session.

 

Given this some thought and probably only Tom Waits these days. Tom never lets me down.

Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams used to be like that.

 

Pink Floyd & solo stuff.
Shearwater.
and up to now Sigur Ros.
But getting a bit bored with the Icelandic band. So I'm not sure if I will buy the next one.

 

Let's just say that I used to have more disposable income than I do now, and back in the day I'd buy anything from Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Rickie Lee Jones and others.

Nowadays, the money factor combined with some spotty releases by my favorite artists tend to make me a bit more hesitant to buy without thinking first.

 

So far. . . I've purchased every Roger Waters rock record, and I will purchase the new one.

 

Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Frank Zappa, Rodney Crowell, Willie Nelson. I purposely don't listen to them until I buy them. I want the full effect (good or bad).