Are there any more intelligent pop bands around than...

[ducati chorus]

Elbow and The National?

Both make sublime, mature, intelligent pop music and keep getting better with the compositions, subtle arrangements, clever but not over-the-top lyrics, engaging vocalists. Elbow's The Take Off and Landing of Nearly Everything should appeal to most prog fans, and it comes as no surprise that The National's Bryce Dessler has an academic degree in composition and works in the modern classical field too.

Both bands have long outstripped that prog-pop mantle that Arcade Fire and The Decemberists used to wear. Almost Slapp Happy good.

Discuss.

[Harbottle]

Field Music
School of language

[SuperTed]

Also

North Atlantic Oscillation
Warm Digits

I might even add Sanguine Hum to the mix as well!

[iguana]

what is pop?

[jkelman]

Sweet Billy Pilgrim

[aith01]

Field Music
School of language

Definitely!

And might I add The Week That Was to the list as well?

[Sunlight Caller]

I like both Elbow and The National, and have followed them through their development. We have discussed Elbow here recently and Guy Garvey has a real love of the classic progressive rock of the 70's so it is no surprise that this imbues their music with a touch of progressive sensibility.

I would not say they necessarily eclipse Arcade Fire and The Decemberists though, there doesn't seem to be any need to have such a competitive slant on popular music. I was disappointed with the latest Arcade Fire release, I loved them from Funeral onwards, but just could not get into the new direction. However having played it a little more, it is starting to open out to me more and more, and so it is not the write off I first thought. The last Decemberists took a more straight forward song approach, but I thought it was a great album.

I like the suggestions for Field Music and Sanguine Hum, the latter though are to my ears one of the best recent prog-tinged bands around, and both albums are brilliant.

When I think of artists in my collection who have produced excellent recent music, a couple of long staring names worth exploration are Prefab Sprout and Tindersticks... A couple of more recent names that I love are Alt-J and Django Django.

[Phlakaton]

Funny thing about "Pop" === These days I call Cheer-Accident my pop music. They do birth poot out some incredible pop music occasionally. People are Props being one I love.

[PeterG]

Intelligent pop for me was exemplified by the lyrics of:
Squeeze, Cardiacs, Magazine, Costello, XTC, The Stranglers, Kate Bush and suchlike.

[Staun]

Honestly, I don't know as I've pulled the plug on it a long time ago. This is not to say that there arn't any pop bands or songs I would not like. Right now, I could not tell you what the #1 pop song, album or band is unless I looked it up. No, I'm not turning my nose up at it. It's simply that I like prog. There are so many different types of prog, old and new and so much of it to absorb, it takes all but a very small percentage of my listening time. I still have so far to go and discover to even consider pop as a change of pace.

[PeterG]

Honestly, I don't know as I've pulled the plug on it a long time ago.

Me too, hence my list of old artistes. I lost interest in pop/radio-pop/indie/idol,factory,talent,x-factor pop in the mid-90s as Brit-pop was turning into the mainstream, and as garage & grunge bands started playing skate-punk, ska-punk and other types of boring toothless music, and as old indie bands thought they'd have a crack at being difficult and proggy - Blur, Radiohead etc.

[battema]

I happen to favor Mew. Dutch band, quite young, very creative with their lyrical work and songwriting.

[bill g]

M Coast (say it in slang) is amazing intelligent 'pop', very well written album. Other bands I think might fit:

Local Natives
Dungen
Life on Earth!
Smith Westerns
Toro Y Moi
Beach House
Freelance Whales
Tame Impala
Tennis

and I'll second 'Field Music'

[Scrotum Scissor]

Funny thing about "Pop" === These days I call Cheer-Accident my pop music. They do birth poot out some incredible pop music occasionally.

Have you heard their purely pop records - The Why Album and What Sequel?? Belive me, this is *GREAT* pop/rock music, yet still adequately intriguing to enhance any casual perception of the term.

These New Puritans is probably one of the most advanced and experimental "pop" bands around today, although some of their recent music goes into wholly different quarters.

Dirty Projectors used to be awesome.

[battema]

These New Puritans is probably one of the most advanced and experimental "pop" bands around today, although some of their recent music goes into wholly different quarters.

Their last album was really great, but agreed that it's not what I'd normally think of as "pop" in the conventional sense (whatever that would mean).

[thedunno]

I happen to favor Mew. Dutch band, quite young, very creative with their lyrical work and songwriting.

Mew are a Danish band. Good band though.

For some interesting Dutch pop music I recommend the album Wende - Last Resistance

[battema]

Mew are a Danish band. Good band though.

The important thing is that I don't sound like an idiotic American on that one

Apologies...I was going from memory on that one. Should've checked my facts before posting. Thanks for the clarification.

[trurl]

Hey, they both start with D.

[Bungalow Bill]

Elbow and The National?

Both make sublime, mature, intelligent pop music and keep getting better with the compositions, subtle arrangements, clever but not over-the-top lyrics, engaging vocalists. Elbow's The Take Off and Landing of Nearly Everything should appeal to most prog fans, and it comes as no surprise that The National's Bryce Dessler has an academic degree in composition and works in the modern classical field too.

Both bands have long outstripped that prog-pop mantle that Arcade Fire and The Decemberists used to wear. Almost Slapp Happy good.

Discuss.

Personally, I think The Decemberists are the best of this bunch. The Hazards of Love is classic.

I like Spoon quite a bit.

Shearwater is OK. Elbow's singer is great.

I've really enjoyed most of The Flaming Lips's post-2000 releases.

The XTC catalog is something not to skip.

I find Charlotte Church's recent EPs to be some of the best pop/alt rock I've heard in a long time. (Seriously...especially ONE and THREE....)

Someone mentioned Mew. I'd love them...if it weren't for the vocals.

How about Yo La Tengo?

If you like Tame Impala, try Dungen, who are better at that game.

Lots of very cool Japanese stuff, too. (There's an older thread somewhere about those artists.)

One of the most interesting older bands I've heard is Jellyfish. Clever stuff.

[Mister Triscuits]

Intelligent pop for me was exemplified by the lyrics of:
Squeeze, Cardiacs, Magazine, Costello, XTC, The Stranglers, Kate Bush and suchlike.

Great list, but I might lose Magazine and would definitely add Sparks.

[Neptune]

Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin.

[chalkpie]

My buddy convinced me to see Elbow in NYC in May (or June - can't remember)....we'll see what the fuss is all about.

[walt]

The Amazing

[Rarebird]

Nits

[aith01]

As mentioned already, Mew are a great band. In particular on their last two albums they have really stepped things up. If their recent single is any indication, their forthcoming album should be very interesting.