Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with recommendations and suggestions

How do I get into noise music?

maryrosecook — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:36:23 -0800

How do I get into noise music? I like early Sonic Youth, late Tarentel, am very well versed in grind and brutal hardcore, like Team Brick, don't like Oren Ambarchi. I prefer shrieking feedback to long drones, distorted guitars to electronic instruments, beats to no beats. I think I prefer the specific to the abstract. For example, I don't understand minimal techno. What are some good noise artists and albums to start with?

What should I do in Vienna?

howgenerica — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:41:53 -0800

I'm going to be in Vienna from September 26 (early morning) - 29 (afternoon). I'm 18 years old and will be traveling with friends. What should we do/ see? I've been put in charge of figuring all this out, but apart from the obvious tourist things I don't know what's good. I guess I'm looking for more off-the-beaten-path stuff. Thank you! This can be anything: cool museums, restaurants, bars, discos, shops, historic sites, areas to walk around; anything. I'd just really appreciate recommendations from those who've been/ lived there.

Off the shelf HTPC recommendations?

MaxVonCretin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:02:40 -0800

Does anyone have any recommendations on off-the-shelf WMC HTPCs? I've been searching high and low, and virtually all the information on the intertubes seems to be about building HTPCs. I know that's the more cost-effective route, but I just don't have the time. Here's what I'm itchin' for: - Stereo component form factor
- HD Recording Capable
- Oodles of storage & memory (min 1TB/4GB)
- Blu-Ray drive/ DVD-RW
- Integrated cable card
- Super-quiet! (perhaps liquid-cooled)
- On-board wi-fi
- Wireless remote/keyboard

I guess I like the idea of having a small touchscreen on the unit itself, thereby eliminating the need to turn on the big TV every time you want to change the music. But does anyone have any opinions on the relative merits of the touchscreen?

I've checked out the websites for VidaBox, VelocityMicro, Niveus, Alienware Hangar 18 - but don't really know anything about those brands. Anyone have any good experience with them - or can recommend others? I can't seem to find any comparison reviews for such off-the-shelf systems.

Any insights, suggestions much appreciated.

LA LOCAL MUSIC

klangklangston — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:55:27 -0800

LOS ANGELES LOCAL BANDS, recommend me. I used to cover local music in Ann Arbor. Now that I've moved to LA, I'd like to engage in some more blatant localism, to cop from JFA. I read the Weekly, City Pages, Onion and Record. I keep up with a couple of local blogs. Still, I want more, especially based on the WEST side, including West LA, Westwood, Santa Monica, Venice and Culver City.

Please tell me: Their name, where they're based, WHAT THEY SOUND LIKE, whether they have shows coming up, whether they have records out, WHETHER THEY HAVE FREE SAMPLE MUSIC UP ANYWHERE.

I tend to favor weirdo punk like No Age, Crystal Antlers, Underground Railroad to Candyland, as well as pop, hard rock, jazz (preferably freakout/skronk jazz), metal and rap. But the important part is that they're local and they're playing out, and, ideally, I don't have to drive for an hour to see them.

Little Pig, Little Pig, let me in!

beautifulstuff — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:15:09 -0800

What are the best movies in which the action revolves around protagonists under siege in an enclosed space? More specifically, I’m looking for movies that feature people inside some kind of fortification fighting off attempts by baddies to gain access. So for example, Assault on Precinct 13, or Panic Room rather than Under Seige or The Siege. Something like Rio Bravo would be okay but would suit this question better if John T. and Dude had spent more time holed up in the jail with Stumpy.

Oh cover your eyes!

hannahq — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 17:23:14 -0800

Can you name some good movies (preferably comedies) that are appropriate to watch with a nun? In a few days, I'll be visiting a friend who happens to be a nun. She requested that I bring some movies along to watch. I was thinking something along the lines of "What About Bob". But I want to have a small selection to bring.

I'm looking for more suggestions of good, clean fun. Something with LITTLE profanity, drugs, sex, nudity or violence. Better if it's not present at all. She's still young. Under 40, and really liked Mean Girls. Does that help?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Internet Television

god particle — Tue, 29 May 2007 13:10:09 -0800

Looking for suggestions for comedy web-series. I enjoy the webseries Red vs Blue and have watched it for quite a bit. I'm now looking for other shows that are similar or worth checking out. Specifically, I'm looking for shows that are available online (preferably downloadable, but if not, that's fine) and for free. The shows do not have to be machinima like Red vs Blue is - animation, real people, it doesn't matter. Also, the show doesn't have to be based on gaming or internet culture - so far, those have been the only kinds I've found.
I've watched the show PurePwnage which wasn't really too my liking. I have also watched Rooster Teeth's other two shows, The Strangerhood and PANICS. I didn't really like the former, and the latter only lasted a few episodes. Any shows I should look into?
Feel free to suggest any webseries that shouldn't be missed, regardless of whether or not it is comedy.

Maximizing Broadband

kenaman — Fri, 11 Feb 2005 05:52:57 -0800

I just recently signed up for a 3 months broadband trial and was wondering what online resources I could access to get the best value out of it. I am looking forward to the great choice of Radio Stations and archived programmes, but what other value could I get from it to make it worthwhile. I dont have a television and would like to get max entertainment value from it as well as anything else you think worthwhile.

Looking for Historical Fiction Recommendations (Newer is Better)

Johnny Assay — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 10:28:14 -0800

What are your favourite historical fiction novels? [more inside] One of my relatives put "historical fiction" on their Christmas list this year, and aside from once giving a friend a Kenneth Roberts novel that they'd asked for, I know next to nothing about the genre. Newer stuff is probably better, as he's less likely to already have such things.

And yes, I realize that this question is a pretty broad one. But that just gives y'all the opportunity to go nuts with recommendations.

What are your recommendations for electronica and ambient music?

scody — Tue, 22 Jun 2004 12:46:13 -0800

Help for my burgeoning interest in electronica/ambient? [Nope. There's no more inside. Don't even bother looking.] Heh. I kid!

First off, please forgive any misuse of terms -- I'm generally a indie/mod/punk/etc. kinda girl, so this is kind of new territory to me. Anyway, I've put my toe in the electronica/ambient waters now and then over the years, and now I'd like to perhaps wade in a little deeper. Most recently, I've become enamoured of George Sarah's extraordinarily pretty string and piano work, and I adore the weird avant-rustic alt-country broken electronica of Califone. Any other vaguely related stuff that I know and like is pretty much from the late '70s to early '90s -- Bowie/Eno stuff on "Low" and "Heroes," early Gary Numan/Tubeway Army, Ultravox (some John Foxx stuff, but primarily the first two records with Midge Ure), and "Utd. State 90" by 808 State. And oh yeah, my ex burned me a copy of one of Spaceheads' releases, which I liked too. With the exception of 808 State, none of this is really hard, dancey stuff (sorry, I'm at a complete loss as to the subgenre names here). Any suggestions of other things I might like?

Fantasy novel recommendation needed

grumblebee — Tue, 23 Mar 2004 10:10:51 -0800

Please recommend fantasy novels for someone who doesn't like fantasy novels (more inside). I'm generally not into the whole swords-and-scorcery thing. But I somehow picked up George R.R. Martin's first "Ice and Fire" book and got hooked. Now I'm trying to wait for the fourth book in the series, but It's taking him a really long time to finish it.

I'd like to read more fantasy, but most of the books I find are bad Tolkein or Harry Potter rip-offs.

But since I loved the Martin books, I'm guess that my dislike of the genre is based more on lack-of-education than problems with the form itself. I just don't know how to find the good books.

In order for me to like it, a fantasy MUST be well-written. I'm talking about prose style here. I can't stomach hack writing, no matter how good the plot is.

I'm not really into jokey stuff, so I don't respond all that well to Harry Potter. I know that there's a serious side to those books, but they're a little too full of silly names for my taste.

I also don't want to read parody or allegory. I want to be transported to another world -- not reminded of this one is some clever way.

In addition to Martin, I've also read Tolkien, the Philip Pullman books, C.S. Lewis, Watership Down, and most other well-known "classics."

What books am I missing?

Can you suggest a stylish alarm clock under $40?

thebwit — Wed, 03 Mar 2004 05:53:10 -0800

I have an old alarm clock. And I replaced it before for the problem that I have. Sometimes it decides that it isn't going to go off. Now I have tested this awake and it isn't just me hitting off or anything like that. So the alarm was replaced before, but then its replacement got broken in a move and I went back to the old one. This morning it decided to not work. I want to get a new alarm, but I want something that looks good. Not just a standard hotel alarm or anything like that. I remember places like Service Merchandise used to carry all kinds of alarms, but unfortunately they are out of business here. Any suggestion on a store to go to and/or websites that have better looking alarms? Its hard to describe what I want because I haven't really looked for anything. Oh yeah, I want to spend max $40 on the alarm.