Simplifier

If you love the big, exciting energy of Queen, you should try listening to **Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)**. They make songs that feel like a giant, colorful party in your ears. Their music is full of bright sounds and catchy tunes that make you want to move, much like the "sunny day" feeling you get from Rex Orange County. For those times when you want to relax, like when you're listening to Rex Orange County’s smoother songs, give **Mac DeMarco** a listen. His music feels like sitting on a porch on a warm afternoon with nothing to do. It’s very laid-back and uses simple, jangly guitar sounds that help you just breathe and unwind. If you enjoy the deep, thoughtful, and sometimes sad feelings of Radiohead, you might like **Bon Iver**. His music is like a quiet walk through a foggy forest. It uses soft voices and interesting sounds to create a mood that is perfect for when you want to sit with your thoughts and feel something a bit more serious.

Music Theory Professor

For a "happy" selection that bridges the gap between Queen’s theatricality and Rex Orange County’s jazz-pop sensibilities, I recommend **Ben Folds Five**. Their work, particularly on *Whatever and Ever Amen*, utilizes sophisticated piano-driven counterpoint and diatonic clarity. The harmonic language often mirrors Freddie Mercury’s penchant for Vaudeville-inspired circle-of-fifths progressions, while the vocal delivery maintains the earnest, suburban vulnerability found in Rex Orange County’s arrangements. For a "chill" experience that satisfies the Radiohead enthusiast’s demand for textural depth, look to **Mild High Club’s** *Skiptracing*. This project employs a high degree of harmonic "slippage," utilizing extended chords—specifically major 9ths and 13ths—and modal interchange that echoes the lush, non-functional harmony of *In Rainbows*. The production favors a lo-fi aesthetic, but the underlying structural integrity relies on jazz-inflected voice leading that provides a stable, yet hallucinatory, listening environment. Regarding "melancholic" recommendations, **Elliott Smith’s** *XO* is an essential study in chromaticism and minor-key sophistication. Smith’s use of secondary dominants and unexpected modulations creates a sense of harmonic inevitability and descent, much like Thom Yorke’s more somber compositions. The arrangements often feature multi-tracked vocal harmonies that possess a chamber-pop density, offering a bridge between the intimate songwriting of Rex Orange County and the grand, tragic architecture of Queen’s minor-key ballads.

Independent Music Blogger

If you live for Queen’s theatrical grandeur, you absolutely must unearth **Klaatu**! Their 1976 self-titled debut is a symphonic pop explosion so meticulously crafted that rumors once swirled it was a secret Beatles reunion. It’s got that same "happy," over-the-top vocal layering and whimsical storytelling that makes *A Night at the Opera* so iconic. It’s pure, unadulterated joy hidden in a crates-deep time capsule! For the Rex Orange County fans seeking that perfect "chill" bedroom-soul vibe, let’s look toward the 90s Shibuya-kei movement and the band **Sunny Day Service**. Their record *Fancy Songs* is a masterclass in breezy, lo-fi romanticism. It