Can you recommand some new music for me?

[Campaspe]

I am not a very musical person at all and have quite a limited range and taste, but I've reached the stage where I'm fed up with playing my albums and feel ready to branch out into something different.

I really like melodic, literate pop. My favourite artists are Lloyd Cole, the Divine Comedy, the Beautiful South. I also like Vampire Weekend and some Madonna and Robbie Williams (my DH who is a prog-rock fan is horrifed!)

I don't like: heavy music, really long songs (blush), guitar solos, inane lyrics, lack of strong melody.

Can anyone recommend some new artists or even individual songs for me to try on Spotify?

Thank you.

rem
fleet foxes
Noah and the whale(they are fab my most fave recent find)
hot chip
elbow as others have said
maximo park

my all time fav album in the world is grace by jeff buckley brilliant.90's but amazing.

At current moment am listening to Eva Cassidy "live at blues alley" album.It is pretty MOR but she has an amazing voice,don't think you can categorise it,blues/jazz/folk prob but does great cover of fields of gold I know she is usually known for over the rainbow which does nowt for me but this album is an absolutely great one.

another vote for Camera Obscura

if you like literate pop why in hecks name are you listening to Robbie Williams?! I doubt he could even spell 'literate'

i thought the O/P was asking for new music?

If not, I'll do my usual thing and plug Sandy Denny!

what's 40 years where good music's concerned anyway?

If you mean new as in released this year then try the new Decemberists album 'The King is Dead', jaunty melodic indie with epic tales.

And the poptastic Jenny and Johnny album 'I'm Having Fun Now'

The new Belle and Sebastian album is alright but not a patch on previous ones.

Older stuff try a band called the Shins, especially the album called 'Chutes Too Narrow' (yes I am a bit biased, given my username )

I have very Strong Opinions that no one should listen to Mumford and Sons. Try Bright Eyes, or Wilco if you like that sort of thing.

Agree, Marillion more accessible early Steve Hogarth period stuff to either the Fish era or the more recent material.

Holidays In Eden a good album.

Agree with Marillion, brilliant band. Im a big (closet ) fan of Robbie and Marillion can have a similar heartstrings sound so you should like it. Holidays in Eden is a good start so is Afraid of sunlight.
Maybe try some "within temptation " for a twist, dutch operatic rockband. I also like Rob Thomas solo album and all the Matchbox Twenty albums. Good strong sounds with decent lyrics.
To throw a last one in , surprisingly Mick jaggers solo album is one of my favourites, and I cant stand the stones. Its worth a listen. N

My favourites at the moment:

Prince Dred (Sven Love remix) - Freak Like Me

oldie but gold - Cassius - La Mouche (& Brotherhood, Love you so, Les Enfants etc)

Flinke Namen - Wolken

Frankie Knuckles - The Whistle Song

Loads of really lovely Kate Bush B sides on youtube - Ne t'enfuis pas, You Want Alchemy, Ran Tan Waltz, The Empty Bullring, Warm and Soothing...

De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig - Buma in mijn Zak, Pappa is Thuis, Een Barkie

The Opposites - Op een Level, Dom Loop en Famous

Yelle is an absolutely brilliant French electro pop singer who's done three stellar albums and is popular in the US (she still sings in French though!)- here's a 0 of Complètement Fou by 20Syl

And Daft Punk, but their early stuff - Teachers is a fun track

Cassius's whole album 15 again is a bit of a masterpiece too.

oh christ I see I've already posted on this thread, under an old moniker - groovy but slighty cringy recs!

The War on Drugs
The Middle East
Phosphorescent
Lord Huron
Mountain Man
First Aid Kit
One Hundred Waters
How to Dress Well
Admiral Fallow
Happy Particles
The Staves
The Unthanks

All very strong on melody and harmony

Been around for yonks but brilliant
King Creosote
Mark Lanegan
The Decemberists
Calexico
My Morning Jacket
Iris de Ment
Emmylou Harris
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

The Pierces. I particularly like the album You & I.

New..... Florence and the Machine, The Civil Wars, Lady Antebellum, Yes to Ed Sheeran