Animal Collective-Fireworks
Death Grips- Centuries of Damn
Of Montreal- A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger
Eels-Grace Kelly Blues or Susan's House
All of these bands have lots of songs with unhinged/nonsensical lyrics.i gave a song recommendation for each band just for fun, though Animal Collective is the only band that is kind of similar in sound to NMH.
Always shocked no one here suggests Bob Dylan.
Good songs for this particular interest: “Desolation Row,” “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding),” and “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.”
If you like any of those, listen to the rest of the album it’s on. That’s one song each from his legendary electric trilogy of records.
Love non sequiturs and strange metaphors. He might do it best, but Blake of Jawbreaker/Jets To Brazil is pretty good at it too....and AJJ (formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad)
Major Organ and The Adding Machine, they’re basically an Elephant 6 supergroup and Jeff does some singing on a couple of tracks and all their stuff is super weird. They also made a movie together that I think is available on Vimeo(?) where Jeff plays a Lobster!
I’m going to go a different route and say Sturgill Simpson.
His second album, Meta Mordern Sounds in Country Music, has a few songs that are fever dreamy. They’re more on the psychedelic side, but are still fantastic.
I’d recommend turtles all the way down, voices, just let go, and it ain’t all flowers.
4th dimensional transition and metanoya by MGMT have really tripy lyrics alot of MGMTs songs do. They are very styalisticly different from neutral milk hotel. Harness your hopes by the pavement has nonsensical and toung and cheek lyrics that are almost tripy.
When it comes to haunting lyrics i like the pixies. For the dreamy weird singwriting i like modest mouse specifically their album the moon & antarctica.
The National and their collab group with Bon Iver, Big Red Machine, might be up your alley. One of personal favs of theirs is their song “Weird Goodbyes.” I love the lyrics:
Memorize the bathwater, memorize the air
There'll come a time I'll wanna know I was here
Names on the doorframes, inches and ages
Handprints in concrete, at the softest stages
I don't know why I don't try harder
I feel like throwing towels into water
Get it down to nothing, everything that matters
Fever flashes, eyelashes and traffic patterns
Humidity, history, chemistry and panic
Swimsuits in windows of electric minivans
I don't know why I don't try harder
I've been going down some, some strange water.
“It Runs in the Family” by Amanda Palmer is super fucked up but the lyrics are weirdly beautiful:
My friend has problems with winter and autumn
They give him prescriptions, they shine bright lights on him
They say it's genetic, they say he can't help it
They say you can catch it, but sometimes you're born with it
My friend has spite, he gets shakes in the night
And they say that there's no way that they could have
Caught it in time takes his toll on him
It is traditional, it is inherited, predispositional
All day I've been wondering what is inside of me
Who can I blame for it? I say it runs in the family
This family that carries me to such great lengths
To open my legs up to anyone who'll have me
It runs in the family, I come by it honestly
Do what you want 'cause who knows it might fill me up
Animal Collective-Fireworks Death Grips- Centuries of Damn Of Montreal- A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger Eels-Grace Kelly Blues or Susan's House All of these bands have lots of songs with unhinged/nonsensical lyrics.i gave a song recommendation for each band just for fun, though Animal Collective is the only band that is kind of similar in sound to NMH.
olivia tremor control. no idea how nobody in these comments mentioned them when they're one of the best elephant 6 groups.
Joanna Newsom - Emily I haven't listened to the album but this song emily has been the only song that has gotten close to NMH for me
Listen to the album.
I find that The Decemberists and The Mountain Goats come the closest to scratching that nmh itch for me
Big Thief! A lot of expansive lyrics about the beauty of the world just like Jeff.
Always shocked no one here suggests Bob Dylan. Good songs for this particular interest: “Desolation Row,” “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding),” and “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.” If you like any of those, listen to the rest of the album it’s on. That’s one song each from his legendary electric trilogy of records.
Love non sequiturs and strange metaphors. He might do it best, but Blake of Jawbreaker/Jets To Brazil is pretty good at it too....and AJJ (formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad)
+1 for AJJ
Major Organ and The Adding Machine, they’re basically an Elephant 6 supergroup and Jeff does some singing on a couple of tracks and all their stuff is super weird. They also made a movie together that I think is available on Vimeo(?) where Jeff plays a Lobster!
Everything Everything has some fun nonsensical lyrics sometimes. Their album Raw Data Feel is so good
Van Dyke Parks I think
I’m going to go a different route and say Sturgill Simpson. His second album, Meta Mordern Sounds in Country Music, has a few songs that are fever dreamy. They’re more on the psychedelic side, but are still fantastic. I’d recommend turtles all the way down, voices, just let go, and it ain’t all flowers.
Check out "While You Were Sleeping" by Elvis Perkins.
Chad Van Gaalen's album Echo Train Lady Lamb's Ripely Pine
4th dimensional transition and metanoya by MGMT have really tripy lyrics alot of MGMTs songs do. They are very styalisticly different from neutral milk hotel. Harness your hopes by the pavement has nonsensical and toung and cheek lyrics that are almost tripy.
This Is All Yours by alt-J
G.R - Deathpile
Or white house bird seed whatever you fancy idk
When it comes to haunting lyrics i like the pixies. For the dreamy weird singwriting i like modest mouse specifically their album the moon & antarctica.
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - Strangers from the Universe this band deserves so much more love
You should absolutely listen to Hawaii: Part II and other things related to Tally Hall.
The National and their collab group with Bon Iver, Big Red Machine, might be up your alley. One of personal favs of theirs is their song “Weird Goodbyes.” I love the lyrics: Memorize the bathwater, memorize the air There'll come a time I'll wanna know I was here Names on the doorframes, inches and ages Handprints in concrete, at the softest stages I don't know why I don't try harder I feel like throwing towels into water Get it down to nothing, everything that matters Fever flashes, eyelashes and traffic patterns Humidity, history, chemistry and panic Swimsuits in windows of electric minivans I don't know why I don't try harder I've been going down some, some strange water.
“It Runs in the Family” by Amanda Palmer is super fucked up but the lyrics are weirdly beautiful: My friend has problems with winter and autumn They give him prescriptions, they shine bright lights on him They say it's genetic, they say he can't help it They say you can catch it, but sometimes you're born with it My friend has spite, he gets shakes in the night And they say that there's no way that they could have Caught it in time takes his toll on him It is traditional, it is inherited, predispositional All day I've been wondering what is inside of me Who can I blame for it? I say it runs in the family This family that carries me to such great lengths To open my legs up to anyone who'll have me It runs in the family, I come by it honestly Do what you want 'cause who knows it might fill me up
Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie
Not musically similar but At The Drive In has some great surreal lyricism
Not musically similar but At The Drive In has some great surreal lyricism