Interpol is great, as are many of your other choices. I also highly recommend: the new Folk Implosion album (which is called, appropriately enough, "The New Folk Implosion"), Massive Attack's "100th Window."

Spoon, Mirah, Angelo Badalamenti, Lamb, AK1200's Drowning (the cheesy electronica I never tire of), Esthero, Deathcab for Cutie, new Missy Elliott.

Poor Old Lu's The Waiting Room, sugary pop rock from Mae, Pearl Jam's Riot Act, and Sloan's Four Nights at the Palais Royale.

A few more: Beth Orton's "Daybreaker" (the song "Paris Train" alone is worth the price of admission), Richard Ashcroft's "Human Conditions," and New Order's "Retro" box set (although I suppose that one is more for the hardcore fans :-).

I am currently listening to:
Society's Finest - They are still together. I hope I actually get to see them sometime.
William Elliot Whitmore - I have a cd he recorded and burned and sold at his show for 5 bucks. I believe he's form Iowa. He plays banjo and guitar.
Dillinger Escape Plan
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

Oh yeah, hardcore feelings right now.

I'm amazed at how many of the artists listed above are also on my playlist. I'll add to the mix: Black Box Recorder (lyrics worth paying attention to), Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Morcheeba, Sondre Lerche, Thunderegg.

Yeah, yeah, I'll second Black Box Recorder! Um--I'm not like following this conversation or anything. OK, I admit it: I have no life :-).

Johnny Cash "When the Man Comes Around"; Beth Orton "Daybreaker"; John Mayer "Room for Squares"; The Flaming Lips "The Soft Bulletin" and "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"; and, uh, actually, well, uh, Avril Lavigne "Let Go"

New-ish Nada Surf Let Go, Sondre Lerche, Soundtrack of Our Lives, new Steve Malkmus & The Jicks.

If you like that Postal Service album and the newest Scneider TM album (Zoomer), you will love the latest album by The Notwist (Neon Golden).

If you like that Interpol album and the Doves, you just might like the new album by The Thermals (on Subpop).

lately, I've been really enjoying Devandra Banhart, Denali, Boom Bip, new Yo La Tengo (and new DUMP!!!), new Cat Power, Gravy Train!!!!, Moving Units, and Cody ChesnuTT.

Nina Simone and Piano! Cat Power's You Are Free. Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool. Prince Prince Prince.

New Radiohead = Brilliance

2+2=5 is my new favourite Radiohead song

I also heard Yankee Hotel Foxtrot recently, but I'm from Canada so it probably doesn't count ;)

the new califone record. they toured with wilco last year, and i think that along with jim o'rourke they were a major influence on YHF (my first impression of that album was that it was very califone-y). actually, i'd go so far as to say that they make YHF seem boring by comparison and that their past few records are much more deserving of all of the praise that wilco have gotten over the past year.

also: the new throwing muses, andrew bird - weather systems, and the black keys.

Ever since I caught them live (first time I ever heard them), I can't stop listening to Rilo Kiley, both their new album and older one (it's going on four months of daily listening without pause). Other stuff I've been enjoying includes: Brandon Benson, Ben Kweller, new White Stripes, new Radiohead, John Vanderslice, Cat Power, The Bens, Spoon, the Amelie soundtrack, the undercover brother soundtrack, and American Hi-Fi.

New radiohead? 2+2=5?

Not only the yahoo stockbroker has a time travel machine I see.

also the new white stripes.....The violet burning....evanescence.....new linkin park......I heard the Wilco CD at Barnes and Nobles a while back....but never bought it :/

Recent spins on my turntable include, yes, Interpol and also the latest Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, which is probably his most mellow and relaxed effort to date. I also had Bang Bang's Je T'aime Je T'aime on heavy rotation once again last month.

Arab Strap "Monday At The Hug And Pint"; The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up "Homemade Drugs"; Broken Social Scene "You Forgot It In People"; Smog "Supper"

Grade, Grade, and more Grade. And Coalesce. And Avail. And A Reasonable Place to Park.

sleater-kinney, radiohead, cat power, jim o'rourke, pearl jam bootlegs, postal service, Röyksopp, Sea and Cake, Mum, Kings Of Leon, The Real Tuesday Weld, bjork's greatest, modest mouse, snake vs. wizard, ben harper, damien rice, my morning jacket

Eschewing the "obscure new bands that make me cool cause I listen to them" format for one moment... I present "obscure old singers that make me cool because I listen to them even though they're long dead."

Current favorites include Robert Johnson, Charlie Parker, and the odd Thelonius Monk tune. Oh, and I just recently came off a month-long Magical Mystery Tour kick, but it's not quite obscure, is it?

What is this Requiem for a Dream Remixed stuff? I love the regular soundtrack.

While on the topic of remixes, I have been listening to the Shirley Bassey Remixed album which is amazing. I am also enjoying the Beth Gibbons, Rustin Man collaboration cd Out of Season.

Try some Beulah. And some good old-fashioned Pavement.

Both will cheer and soothe the soul.

Bebel Bilberto - Tanto Tempo remixes
Les Nubians - embrasse / Princesse Nubiennes
Amon Tobin - Out From Out Where / Supermodified
Laurent Garnier - Unreasonable behaviour
Asian Dub Foundation -

The Detroit Experiment, "Tora Bora" by Tok Tok, "Galactic Gigolo" by Savas Pascalidis and "My Way" by Akufen. An electic electronic mix with a twist of jazz.

Songs: Ohia -- "Magnolia Electric Co." is the best thing out right now.

seconds for cat power (been way too long), nada surf (you don't get second chances like this, boys, take it and run), folk implosion (omg yes, thank you. when i saw FI open for smashing pumpkins in rochester, ny, they stole the show. i lay most of the blame for this on the arena security, who allowed no moshing, sp seemed sapped of energy as compared to their shw in buffalo earlier in the year, where all hell broke loose)

might i suggest: a band called "the sun", currently touring with hot hot heat. also, ben kweller, who took me fresh off YHF; i was smitten. listened to 'sha sha' daily for months. see if you can find mp3s of his new supergroup, the bens (feat. ben folds and ben lee) (what, was ben harper not available?). lesser recommendations: les savy fav, the cardigans.

p.s. my desert island song, dance category (c'mon, gimme categories. what is this, communist russia?) is revolution 909 - roger sanchez mix.

erland øye's solo album unrest is wonderful - and you can hear it all
at erlendoye.com(of "kings of convenience" and also vocals on
the røyksopp album). for more scandie electronica check out
flunk.

interpol is tragically overrated - sounds like 2nd hand psychedelic furs to me. spend your time on the originals instead ( ie early simple minds&ultravox, gang of four, magazine etc).

I downloaded the latest Radiohead this week-end, and found the time to listen to a handful of the first tracks. 2+2=5 is by far the best so far. I was at the San Sebastian gig last year and didn't think much of the new songs (too much pseudo-IDM + too much Pyramid Song-like piano-chords-based songs for my taste), and pretty much lost faith in Rh's creative ability after two hafl-albums (yeah, I did burn my own Kid Amnesiac, thank you). I feared for the new album.
Therefore, 2+2=5 was a nice surprise (even if the beginning is kinda boring AFAICR, the drums-kickin'in part really make up for it), the rest seems very much Kid Amnesiac-like for me (= average). Yeah, I fear Rh has become another average band. But I guess I'm only one of the few thinking this...
(and yes, I used to be a hardcore Rh fan: here.

I keep assuming I'll get tired of Pavement some day, but can't seem to, and not for lack of trying Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain has somehow invaded my DNA. Favourite single from last year was Hanging Around by Gemma Hayes chord changes to tear your soul out. While it seems Belle and Sebastian have in them one huge, wimpy song that has been eking out in small increments over several albums, I think the best of these is The State I Am In from Tigermilk. Around the World is an excellent desert island song, though one may observe it has something less than six degrees of separation from The Ketchup Song, by way of Rapper's Delight and Good Times by Chic: a bass riff by the debbil hisself. Also Sk8Er Boi is deliriously hooky. Can't we just admit that and move on? Who the hell is Placebo? Why is it, at the same time I want to punch them in the nose, I can't get The Bitter End out of my head? Artie Shaw's clarinet solo in the 1941 recording of Stardust is all the evidence you'll ever require of a higher being in this life, though that would be Artie Shaw.

hmmm. where to start? how about subpop: postal service, fruit bats, holopaw, iron & wine. also, the faint's danse macabre remixes, charlie hunter quintet's right now move, matthew shipp's equilibrium, ARE weapons, codec + flexor, calexico's feast of wire, the american song-poem anthology (seriously, check it out. amazing!), dirty three's she has no strings apollo, the robot ate me's they ate themselves, aphex twin's 26 mixes for cash, howe gelb's (of giant sand) listener, m ward's transfiguration of vincent, cursive's the ugly organ (if you're down with the rilo kiley, be sure to check out saddle creek records' new compilation, 50...features an unreleased track from RK, as well as great stuff from all other SC bands, such as the faint, cursive, bright eyes, desaparecidos, etc.), minus 5's down with wilco (wilco members play on almost every track), air & baricco's city reading, tommy guerrero's soul food taqueria, celso fonseca's natural, the stratford 4, two guys' recorded (i cannot stress the brilliance of this album enough) which, of course, leads to pinback's blue screen life, also; kaada's brilliant new album thank you for your valuable time.....

ok. i think that's all i can do now. should tide you over 'til tomorrow.

The Majesticons - Beauty Party
DJ Scud - Ambush!
Nettle - Build A Fort, Set That On Fire
El-P - Fantastic Damage Instrumentals
Newcleus - Jam On This!
Aaliyah - We Need A Resolution (single)
and I second Luke's Beth Gibbons recommendation

If you're into Wilco, do you know Howe Gelb, John Convertino and Joey Burns ... they feature in Giant Sand, OP8, Calexico, Nick Luca Trio, Friends of Dean Martinez, and I'm sure there's another project or two that they're busy with ...

You've got to love the write ups on amazon for Giant Sand No need to even listen to the music ...

Audio Bullys

The Strokes

The White Stripes

Goldfrapp

Hot Hot Heat

Junior Senior

Electric Six

The Coral

Blur

Massive Attack's 100th Window, Radiohead's Kid A, and various Portishead B-sides/remixes. Additionally, lots of breaks and beats stuff that flows past me without getting specifically listened to. If you know what I mean.

A really nice playlist. I'd like to add:

Feeder-Comfort in Sound
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
My Vitriol - Fine lines

I'm listening to an old Chet Baker album too ("Chet Baker sings - It Could Happen To You") and the new one from Nicholas Payton. Both absolutely sublime.

Damn, I feel like a college kid who just showed up to class in the first time in months! Furiously scribbling down notes for things to look for in the record store...

I'll always be addicted to Soul Coughing (and now Doughty's solo work), alternately: The Magnetic Fields, Elvis Costello, and The Red Elvises (for New Yorkers out there, they're playing at the Elbow Room on Bleeker on Thursday the 4th. I suggest you check them out)

Simple plan: Check out kexp.org and choose just about anything on the Morning Show playlist.

i i <3 the new radiohead

Hmmmm... in my current playlists:
- Ani Defranco, Revelling/Revealing
- John Adams (L.A. Philharmonic): Niave and Sentimental Music
- Kelly Joe Phelps: wide eyed mister zen
- Mogwai: Fear Satan EP
- Miles Davis: Tribute to Jack Johnson / In a Silent Way / 4 and more, live in 1964
- henry gwiazda: notnotesnotrhythms
- random live john mayer, victor wooten, ben folds, mahavishnu orchestra, not necessary in that order
- the bens (yum)
- Lisa Girard: Duality
- various and sundry non-destracting and pleasant ephemera from the Cafe Del Mar collections to work by
- Corelli Trio Sonatas

Sorry, i guess I"m a little square. :)

four tet - rounds
broken social scene - you forgot it in people
richard maxfield/harold budd - the oak of golden dreams
friends of dean martinez - on the shore
alejandra and aeron - bousha blue blazes
joan of arc - in rape fantasy and terror sex we trust

Love a number of stuff listed above, but nowhere did I see The Bad Plus. Anyone who can do a Jazz cover of Nirvana and pull it off has my vote.

Check em out

In Flames - Clayman
Slayer - God Hates Us All
The Delgados - Hate
The Wondermints - Mind if we make love to you?

Now I just have to pick a few titles for my MeFiSwap selection =)

Hot Hot Heat, Dntel, Postal Service, Interpol, Notwist, Hood, Atmosphere, Happy Apple, Low, Travis Morrison. Oh, and 50 Cent when I want to feel like a gangsta.

Kerry...I see that The Bad Plus have been getting a lot of press lately. Rolling Stone, Spin, Time all have had articles. It's too bad it's drummer Dave King's least inspiring project. Oh well.

Har Mar Superstar anyone?

this band from chicago called pelican. their first ep was just rereleased on hydrahead records. their first full-length will be out this year i think on hydrahead as well. awesome stuff.

black dice - beaches & canyons
the blood brothers - burn, piano island, burn
lightning bolt - beautiful rainbow
mitchell akiyama - temporary music
boards of canada - in a beautiful place, geogaddi

Polkapocalypse - the Slutskaya EP

Björk's greatest, Massive Attack's 100th Window, Ronny Jordan's Antidote, Antonio Carlos Jobim's Wave, U2's Joshua Tree, Miles Davis's Kind of Blue.

new LP's from:
lucksmiths 'naturaliste' - housemartins+belleseb only way more clever and witty. One of the best unheard bands on earth. You should have been into them 3 years ago!

early day miners 'jefferson at rest' - a band that makes images out of sound.

cat power 'you are free'. - not quite as moonpix but lovely.

hidden camera's 'ban marriage' 7" - um...

I also can't stop playing that goddamn Memphis ep 'a good day sailing', it sounds like Wham! and, of course, I hate wham but it also sounds like a summer day spent listening to Sarah Records.

I am either way out of touch, or you people are making up band names on the fly. Sadly, I suspect the former.

The best album, by far, of the last 12 months is Porcupine Tree's In Absentia. I've long been a PT fan and could honestly listen to all of their CD's in a big loop (and at times, I have).

Though I realize that neo progressive rock isn't exactly "hip" or "trendy", Spock's Beard's Snow is an impressive piece of music in the "Concept Album"/"Rock Opera" genre.

And, though I find their politics distasteful, I continue to be astounded by System Of A Down's Toxicity. I've never been a fan of the harder edged music, but it's hard to ignore this CD.

I believe music is a personal issue. Nobody's wrong, nobody's right. That said, I was surprised to see so many people listing the Strokes or the White Stripes. Those two bands, combined with others like The Hives, have conspired to make some of the most derivative, insipid, completely unredeeming music in the last decade. If you like them, good for you, but nothing will get me to change the channel faster than a White Stripes "song".

some albums that keep finding their way back to my stereo, over and over again:

- etienne de crecy - 'tempovision' (one of daft punk's most major influences)

- gotan project - 'la revancha del tango' (funky french fusion)

- st germain - 'the tourist'

- jazzanova - 'in between'

- quantic - 'apricot morning'

- groove armada - 'another late night' (possibly the finest selection of beats and tunes I've ever had the pleasure of listening to)

- mr scruff - 'keep it unreal' or 'trouser jazz' - worth it for the website alone...

- rae and christian - northern sulphuric soul (blended hip-hop, funk, soul and trip-hop, the most innovative producers working in the uk today)

[nb apparently quantic and groove armada are both playing sets in nyc as part of US tours in the coming month - having seen them live, I cannot recommend them enough - live dates on their respective websites]

I forgot - I've also been listening to Quasi's "Featuring 'Birds'" quite a bit.
But for good measure, I also spin The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland from time-to-time.

New stuff: Evan Dando, Blur, Kait0, Deerhoof, Malkmus & Jicks, Radiohead, Cat Power, Johnny Cash

Old stuff: Thin Lizzy, Camper van Beethoven, Sam Cooke, Pharcyde, Depeche Mode, The The

myself, i've been enjoying the everloving hell out of Real Tuesday Weld's "I, Lucifer" (the soundtrack to the book). brilliant

Right now I'm into Iron & Wine, Holopaw, Kings of Convenience and this bizarre Harry Nilsson album called The Point. It's a children's story told through music about alienation and isolation, leading to redemption. For me it has all kinds of applications to what's going on in the world right now. Plus it has Lennon-esque melodies and adorable lyrics.

For anybody already into the DJ Shadow thang, pick up a copy of RJD2's Deadringer. Addictive stuff. I think the track "Ghostwriter" is now my own personal soundtrack.

And if you're not, go pick up a copy of Shadow's Brainfreeze with Cut Chemist.

The Weakerthans and The New Pornographers (sample from their new long player here) have been constant companions this past year. Just got Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted Luxe & Deluxe reissue, which has some good live tracks. Seconds to the Doves and Interpol. I think Mogwai's "2 rights make 1 wrong" is the song I'll never tire of.

the moldy peaches, black box recorder, godspeed! you black emperor, the new radiohead. dealership is really very good, thanks for dropping their name months back.

Jenny Toomey Tempting
The Vandermark 5 Airports For Light (best jazz record out right now)
Caetano Veloso Fina Estampa en Vivo

ID&T Radio (www.id-t.com) its a german? radio station that plays some electronic mixes and technonic music 24/7. click to their homepage or put in the address http://62.250.12.54:8000/ into your favourite media player (winamp :) as for when im driving in my car I can't get enough of flogging molly, the drop kick murphys, and many varied chillout albums imported from england.

elvis costello [when i was cruel, and also the indie band, first ever elvis tribute disc, Almost You, the songs of elvis costello], nick drake, dan bern, ani difranco, rose polenzani, the cure, saul williams, blackilicous, and the soundtrack from Frida--burn it baby, burn it blue.

still haven't heard the new radiohead, damn this cultural wasteland i live in.

and for those of you who haven't discovered the wonderful
bbc.co.uk radiosite. the blue room, john peel and
bruce dickinson's freak zone is always worth a listen.
great archive sessions and now they're doing some programmes on the musical scenes of different cities -
among them bristol (pop group, portishead, massive attack) , canterbury (robert wyatt) and sheffield (cabaret voltaire and human league).

A special (minimal) BBC version of real player is available as a
download .

Hal - happy to pay my license to the beeb, it's well worth it

I've been re-listening to some old classics from my youngerish years. Check out The Cure's "Boys don't cry" and "3 Imaginary Boys", i've sort of combined the 2 albums into one. It's great stuff. Most of you will be turned off by the title song, no doubt, but there are some brilliant moments on this album(s), check for "So What", "Grinding Halt" and "Accuracy". So Good!

Other good albums from the "yeah I sold that cd back in 11th grade to buy crappy hip-hop records" collection: The Pogues "If I should fall from grace with God" (check Shane's biopic on Sundance - awesome and tragic at the same time!), First Violent Femmes record (punk jazz?), The Dead Milkmen "Big Lizard in my backyard", Leonard Cohen "More best of...", The Housemartins "London 0, Hull 4", The History of Trojan Records.

and last but not least: Mia Doi Todd "Golden State", Jude "No One is Really beautiful", Tenancious D and everything by Elliott Smith, Manu Chao.

the new radiohead album, downloadable at a link somewhere in the message board of their website :)

some records i've been spinning lately have been:
if the twenty first century didn't exist it would be necessary to invent it (a great compilation of 5 Rue Christine-affiliated artists);
numbers - numbers life;
the blood brothers - march on electric children!;
troubleman mix-tape (another comp, this time from the new jersey based label troubleman unlimited);
pixies - surfer rosa (for some reason i felt like listening to this today);
minutemen - the punch line (it was d. boon's birthday yesterday, god rest his soul)

I'm glad to see other mentions of Iron & Wine - it's music I never would have thought I'd be enjoying right now, but between Iron & Wine and Interpol, I've been a happy musical camper lately. Oh, and for whatever reason, I've been into old Rolling Stones songs - some of the oddball ones like "Shattered" and "Emotional Rescue." And a "me too" - Daft Punk's "Around the World" consistently makes me bounce in my chair or feel like moving. It never seems to get old.

stereophonics, yeah yeah yeahs, red violin soundtrack

1. "Standing In The Shadows of Motown" soundtrack - the fact that this film did not even get nominated for an Oscar...GRRRRR!
2. "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots," The Flaming Lips - excellent in the car.
3. "Scarlet's Walk," Tori Amos - oddly nostalgic, not too bizarre compared to last few records. I unintentionally bought the fancy-packaging version, with pewter charm and fake Polaroids, looks like it was designed by an obsessive teenage freakboy, pretty funny.
4. "Have You Fed The Fish?" by Badly Drawn Boy - easy pop without being obvious.
5. Guilty Pleasure: new Elton John Greatest Hits 2-Disc set...and I bought it at Target! :-0

While perusing these comments iTunes served up: Fugazi, Hot Water Music, The Explosion, Jets to Brazil, New End Original, Orange 9mm, Dead Kennedys, more Fugazi, Dismemberment Plan and Jawbox.

phish!

cmon people.. no one here likes jam bands?

No, I think I will have been the last one to have heard Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

"Yanqui U.X.O." by Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a real symphonic guitar sqaull treat. I've been following it up with a dose of Kinski "Be Gentle with the Warm Turtle."

Both Elvis Costello's latest, "When I Was Cruel" and the tribute album that phil namechecked. (cool! my friend Jonathan is in the band that covers Riot Act -- glad to see them on the disc.)

Wilco's "Summerteeth", 'cause I was the third-to-last person to listen to YHF, and liked it so much that I picked up their previous album. (The movie is really good, too.)

Also: Deltron 3030, Superchunk, Pixies, Aimee Mann, Tom Waits, His Name Is Alive, R.E.M.'s "Document", Jimmy Smith's "Back at the Chicken Shack" (*great* Hammond-organ jazz), B.B. King's "Live at the Regal", Baaba Maal, Otis Spann, Otis Rush, Mojo Nixon, Lyle Lovett.

moe...i'm all about makin' that ass clap.

C'mon--you can't *all* be the last person to have heard "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." I haven't seen so many people claim to be the last person to experience a pop-cultural phenomenon since "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" :-).

Since you mentioned "Requiem For A Dream - Remixed", would you mind noting which song from that album is the one we hear in the "LOTR - The Two Towers" trailer?

Hem - Rabbit Songs (so mellow yet so good)

Aisler's Set - How I Learned to Write Backwards (poppy goodness)

Maplewood (desert rock from brooklyn - whatever that means - mp3s on their site)

If anyone listens to this stuff and likes it, let me know.

url edit:

Maplewood (desert rock from brooklyn - whatever that means - mp3s on their site)

Konstantinos: the song in the LOTR trailer is "Lux Aeterna." Incidentally, a sample of the same song is featured in the Paul Oakenfold song "Zoo York" (from his album "Bunkka").

I would definitely be interested to hear more about this remixed version, though...

Buzz, thanks for the tip.

Liars, The Rapture, Cursive, Cap'n Jazz, Les Savy Fav, French Kicks, Modest Mouse, and Hot Snakes. Do you really need anything besides that? Answer: no.

Here's a link to the Requiem for a Dream Remixed album at Amazon.

NOFX best.band.ever.

Try Centaur's new one. Its Matt Talbott's (from Hum) new album. Its pretty awesome.

well, if you like the flaming lips and the like, please check out great local (to me) band, el gato. really. they rock.

g. love and special sauce and nada surf.

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
Bond - Shine

I just recently bought Yankee Hotel Foxtrot myself. Don't feel so bad. I've been playing it constantly.

Also in heavy rotation lately:

1. Brainwashed - George Harrison
2. Any and all Boards of Canada

And though I kind of hate to admit it (having never been a Smashing Pumpkins fan), I really love the new Zwan album.

Old faves always on the player: Syd Barrett, King Crimson, Beatles, and Olivia Tremor Control.

Ok, without disappearing into obscure indie dance as a lot of these posts consist of, here is what the little laser has transmitted into my earholes lately.

1. Early Nine Inch Nails (and associated artists including Coil and early remix discs such as Fixed)

2. KISS (click here to here acoustic version of Sure Know Something with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra from Australian tv - the 'KISS SYMPHONY' show was great.)

3. John Butler Trio - 'Living'

4. I second Tori Amos' 'Scarlet's Walk' (and b-side Tombigbee downloadable here.

5. Live disc in Tool's 'Salival' boxset.

And finally lots of Bowie, from Ziggy to Heathen, its a goooood.

In My Hands by Natalie MacMaster, particularly the title track and "Space Ceilidh." Assorted Great Big Sea. Assorted Captain Tractor and Ashley MacIssac. Ayumi Hamasaki, but only the fast stuff (and not the stuff remixed by Europeans, who seem to miss the point and dub in the same four loops as appear in every other song they do). Le Tigre. Mortal. The Origa track from the GITS: SAC soundtrack. Later-stage VoL. And some populist crap.

'Course, mostly I just listen to CBC Radio One from home.

Calexico! If you like a mellow combo of Alt-country and vaguely latin sounds.

Sianspheric - all their albums are quite good.

Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - A really sharp side project with the lead singer of Mazzy Star and the drummer from My Bloody Valentine

Layo & Bushwacka - nice

Stevie Wonder / Songs In The Key Of Life - How can you go wrong?

Britney Spears (I was the last person in American to hear ...Baby One More Time).

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead has been my fav band for over a year now. i can't believe they're playing NYC soon. i'd give my friends left arm to see that show.

I saw the Trail of Dead in Toronto about a year ago (it was the day before WrestleMania X8 - what a weekend!). They were excellent live. The drummer threw a beer bottle at me (he missed, just).
Explosions In The Sky, who were also on top form, opened up for them.

Here's what I am listening to: Interpol (still not sick of that cd), new Radiohead, old Blur (modern life is rubbish), new Linkin Park (hey, I know it's trendy), 50 cent, the Datsuns, Supergrass....

Nothing new.
The Rheostatics (all ten albums, but emphasis on Melville, Introducing Happiness, Whale Music, and Night of the Shooting Stars)
Ani Difranco's Revelling/Reckoning
The Pogues (mostly Hell's Ditch)
McEnroe (and other excellent hip hop from western Canada)
Sarah Harmer
MC Solaar
Black Eyed Peas
Eminem (guilty pleasure, but there's something to it, or something)

The Syndicate.

I have been listening to what I really feel is a truly great album by Mull Historical Society. I have also grown extremely fond of Brendan Benson

50 Cent!!! Represent

50 Cent!!! Represent

50 Cent!!! Represent

as for wilco: anyone who enjoys yankee hotel foxtrot should also check out wilco's being there. it's a little more on the alt-country side of things but it is a BRILLIANT double album that never got any credit outside of critics.

currently listening to:
the delgados, hate
wilco
bright eyes, lifted
the frames, for the birds
quasi, featuring birds
the thermals
tool, lateralus
jude, no one is really beautiful

Sounds like my playlist! Going to the Postal Service / Cex show on Monday night. yay!

check out the URB next 100 issue, on stand now. got some great new talent in there. i just checked it out. very cool. now i wish i woudl have listened to them last year when they had The Streets in there. If you don't have that album already, go to amazon and get it now. very very good!

Tragically Hip, the Jesus and Mary Chain, random bad 80s music from the local 80s station. Also Foo Fighters, because I'll be seeing them in concert this month. Whee!

i'm completely hooked on broken social scene and do make say think.

explosions in the sky
godspeed you black emporer!
the sea and cake
medeski martin & wood

lets heard a yeehaw for good music.

David Bowie. Is there need for anything else?

interpol|catpower|spoon|augiemarch|thecure|thewaifs|phoenix|benharper (who i'm seeing tonight in melbourne...can't wait!)

Hey, Wilco and Sonic Youth are playing Central Park Summerstage!!! (My tickets just came today, thus the triple exclamation point.) You're in New York, now, so you can go! Besides those bands, I second OP8, which also features Lisa Germano (she kicks butt and has a new album coming out this month). Others: Tosca, a French band called Paris Combo, the last three REM albums, the "Stealing Beauty" sountrack, the "Vanilla Sky" soundtrack, and a CD of music from Man Ray (yes, the restaurant) -- I can't afford to eat there on a regular basis (or, like, at all) but the music makes a damned good background for a dinner party. ;)

Pulled together a text-based list of all the bands in this post without commentary. (Yes, I was bored.)
A-Z Order.
Commentary Order.

nix:
(...)
wilco
Wilco (I was the last person in American to hear Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
(...)
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
YHF
(...)

A bit of sort to be done, but a nice idea nonetheless.
Not bored enough to kill duplicates ? =)

Jeeeez, you're all so cool. I'm listening to Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Strauss, JS Bach, Gustav Mahler and Giacomo Puccini.
Be classic, feel chic.

-The Shins
-Aimee Mann
-Mason Jennings
-Joseph Arthur
-The Doves

-Verbena La Musica Negra
-Year Of The Rabbit  EP
-My Morning Jacket  At Dawn
-Autolux EP
-Imperial Teen On

*Ella Fitzgerald's Songbooks (I never knew just how brilliant she was)

*Bent's Programmed to Love (reminds me of the first time I heard Air)

*The undeservedly obscure Tiger Lillies (why haven't they caught on more?)

one word: yanni.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

Listen to me. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (billed as "Ted Leo / Pharmacists").

Their second most recent album, "The Tyranny of Distance", is one of the best indie rock albums I've heard in years. Years.

I've just gotten the new one, "Hearts of Oak", and I'm on my initial listens.
Signs are good.

just saw Godspeed You! Black Emperor tonight live...great band. Could've been a little bit tighter, though...there were points where I wasn't sure if they were being artsy or just lazy with flubbed drum rolls, etc...

I just found my Death In Vegas Dead Elvis cd...what a great chill cd. dZihan and Kamien stuff is great too. Broken Social Scene needs to get more attention, too.

Goldfrapp's Felt Mountain is a gem.

A lot of these have been mentioned already but there's a few I haven't seen mentioned here - new Blackalicious, Iron & Wine, Colin Hay, and the Shins. You can listen to some samples.

I'm still listening to the "old" (their second album?) White Stripes, since I just got it 3 months ago. But I'll have to get the new one soon.

right now I like:
Television - Marquee Moon
india.arie
Ray Charles
Beck - Sea Change (10 years ago, people called him the next Dylan... but I think he's the next Bowie)
Everything by Dylan (except those christian albums from '78-'87 or so)
Everything by Bowie (except Pin Ups, Heathen, and live recordings)
Pavement - S&E Deluxe. I also can't stop listening to Pavement.
Wilco - Summer Teeth (please avoid the album "Being There"... it has "Monday" but is otherwise really their only flop)
Sex Mob - Din of Inequity
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Rev. Horton Heat
X
N.W.A.

Also, Pedro the Lion

roxy music (avalon), randy newman (little criminals), and flaming lips (yoshimi) always do the trick. saw the lips in brussels last month. they were out of this world.

I just got an advance copy of the new Cobra Verde album "Easy Listening," which is fantastic. It's kind of like Hives + Roxy Music, only messier, if that makes any sense.

Also oft-played on my .mp3 queue:

Spoon
Hot Hot Heat
the Washdown
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Rilo Kiley
Oranger
the Oranges Band (not the same as Oranger, heh)
the Anniversary
Radio 4
Black keys
Gene Defcon
divine comedy
Brendan benson

... and loads of other stuff, but those are the first that occur to me.

Gillian Welch- Time, The Relevator
Patty Griffin

The best folk song writin', singin', strummin' era in history is right now, and these two women are shining examples of the genre.

Golden Smog.
Old 97s.
Wilco.

I have an old 3cd changer and that's what's on right now. Great stuff.

Lisa Germano does indeed kick butt. I am glad I am not the only one to know this.

Buckethead - Colma
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Trey Anastasio Band - Plasma
Ernest Ranglin - Ranglin at Noon
Slayer - Reign in Blood

Don't forget the blissful Pernice Brothers, who make pop music for sadly happy people. It's great stuff.

Kula Shaker - Peasants, Pigs, and Astronauts
Ron Sexsmith - Blue Boy
Rufus Wainright - Poses

Love Johnny Dowd, and despair.

John Maxfield: Loss Time Accident.

Absolutely fucking perfect.

Radiohead: OK Computer, The Bends, Kid A and the new album.
Alice In Chains. (my great permanent favourite)
Massive Attack.
Soundgarden.
Blind Melon. (the first album)
Tool. (Maynard James Keenan is an alien...)
Nine Inch Nails.
Grooverider.
Aphex Twin.
Lamb.

...and many more, for example a sweet little song by a Hungarian band, Kispál és a Borz: Búcsúzó Nap. (In English Small Paul and the Badger: Sun Saying Goodbye:)