Greer's Ears

Music is a universal language; it's the most powerful tool human beings have to communicate emotion. It's easy to slip into the habit of only listening to artists who speak our native tongue—but there is so much more  to be discovered. If you're looking to broaden your horizons, this is a great place to start. I've compiled a list of eight incredible foreign artists/bands that I've been listening to recently. This list is not in any particular order. # 1 - Sigur Rós I'll just go ahead and get this one out of the way. If you're a big fan of indie music, you've likely already heard of Sigur Rós. The critically acclaimed Icelandic post-rock group released their debut album Von in 1997; while this album went relatively unnoticed, it laid the groundwork for future releases like Ágætis Byrjun  and () which launched the group into superstardom. To this day,  Ágætis Byrjun is one of my favorite albums of all time. This band's music isn't just ...

2016's  The Colour in Anything  found James Blake in an alarmingly dismal state of mind; the album centered around miscommunication, heartbreak, and despair. These somber themes, accompanied by Blake's intricate and melancholic instrumentation, resulted in a wonderfully poignant and captivating record. Admittedly, however,  Assume Form 's drastic and romantically charged shift in tone is a breath of fresh air. The album's title track, "Assume Form," serves as a felicitous introduction to the record .  Amidst the glimmering piano chords and arpeggios, Blake expresses that he's finally found someone to help bring him out of what he calls "the ether" (likely a reference to the depressive state of mind we were introduced to in  The Colour in Anything ). About halfway through the song, Blake even samples a line from "Depression"—a poem written and performed by slam poet Rage Almighty: "[Depression] feels like a thousand pounds of w...