My brother dips a toe back into rock music

1. Radiohead - "The Bends"
2. Sufjan Stevens - "Come On Feel The Illinoise"
3. Arcade Fire - "Funeral"
4. Jane Siberry - "When I Was A Boy"
5. Regina Specktor "Begin To Hope"
6. Rosanne Cash - "Interiors"

That should keep him busy. I enjoy these threads as I always find something new along with the originator.

GREAT post,

I EMPHATICALLY suggest the following three artists for new music:

1. Chris Jones "Roadhouses and Automobiles" (FABULOUS and fits the bill for what your brother is looking for)

2. Alexi Murdoch "Time Without Consequence"

3. Judith Owen "Lost & Found"

Then, I cannot help myself, from the old school side I am a HUGE Tower of Power fan but it IS old school funk/jazz/horn band music and may not appeal to your brother - but it has INCREDIBLY well written, tight horn playing and a fantastic rythym section!!!

If decides to audition Tower of Power's stuff, he could start with "Back To Oakland" (circa 1973) and even their newer offering "Oakland Zone" (2004)

Radiohead and rock music do not go in the same sentence!

Okay, he may have heard of some of these; but going on...
Moody Blues, He probably needs Peter Gabriel and Tull, Steely Dan.
Dont forget Dave Matthews, Midnight Oil, (Blue Sky Mining) R.E.M.
Epodimous and Out of Time. Wouldn't he want Kate Bush, Dreaming,
Hounds of love, or that Whole Story? He's got to get some Police, and
Dire Straits D.S. and the Brothers discs; (?), U2, Achtung Baby, Pearl Jam
"X", STP Plush, Fleetwood Mac
Self Titled and rumours and that concert rather recently; Try cowboy Junkies, Trinity Sessions (how can ya pick just 5?). Jack Johnson,
Satrianni Surfing with the Aliens; Al DiMeola Elegant gypsy, Yes Fragile,
Most of Staind's work, Sarah McLaughlin's Stumbling, Neil Young's Decade, and believe it or not Michael hedges *Taproot, and Michael Oldfield's Greatest.

Thanks all, great feedback.

I should note that my brother is 56 (my oldest brother is 58). My bad!

FWIW, he called me from a record store so I was time constrained and limited to stock on hand. My recommendations:

Townes Van Zandt:

First 2 cd compilation "Late, Great TVZ and "Lost Highway"(?). I thought this was a direct historical successor to dylan/joni/ Buffalo Springfield and more interesting than most others from that period.

Richard Thompson;

"Action Packed" Best of Capitol years. I first suggested "Watching The Dark', but the store didn't stock it. I wanted a segue into more rockin' music, but one that still had a folk based songwriter's feel to it. This choice also allowed some screamin' guitar into the mix. In some ways these later songs may prove easier for him to relate to.

Paul Westerberg:

"Best of". I thought Westerberg's solo music mixed songwriting craft, straightforward emotion, and a certain drunken rocker's mindset to the list. Replacements music might have gone too far.

Lindsey Buckingham:

"Gift of Screws". I wanted one recent recording and this is my personal favorite of the new millenium. Carefully crafted, easily accessible, yet rocks like little else.

I thought that many of your ideas were inspired and all were interesting at some level. If he asks again, I'll likely go with a few of your recommendations. Other choices are unfamiliar to me and I'll look to chase them down for my own benefit.

Either way, thanks again for your input.

Marty