A few months back I got a couple of recordings of Gyorgy Ligeti's piano etudes: one a complete recording of the first and second books played by a human (!!!), the other a compilation of several of his pieces played by mechanical instruments, which contained only a few of the etudes. I'm quite shocked and intrigued by them. While I've only listened to them a couple of times through (they can be a laborious, though a pleasantly awkward labor, listen for the ear), there's something about their confounding complexity that makes me go into a trance.

Probably why I also have a couple albums of the often-bashed Music of composer Sorabji. Sure, he was a pompous ass, but his Music is so damned interesting.

Another artist who's new to me (and everyone else for that matter, as her debut album came out earlier this year) is Jesca Hoop. Her seemingly effortless transition from kooky-carnival, a la Tom Waits--for whom she nannied--in Rain Dogs, to floating melodies reminiscent of a more experimental Loreena McKennitt, to gypsy-tinged pop is astounding.

Just discovered William Elliott Whitmore and have just been blown away. He sounds like a road-weary bluesman at the ripe old age of thirty (or like Tom Waits circa "Mule Variations"). I picked up two of his albums, "Hymns for the Hopeless" and "Ashes To Dust" which have been in constant rotation. "Hymns" is more raw blues, whereas "Ashes" has more creative instrumentation and more modern folk tunes. His lyrics are brilliant and for any fans of Waits or old time blues he is a must listen.

Whitmore has been a relatively recent discovery of mine as well. In addition to the ones you mentioned, I'd highly recommend Song of the Blackbird and the EP he did with Jen Hoyston, Hallways of Always. The first song off of Song of the Blackbird, "Dry," is my favorite Whitmore tune.

"Dry" is one of the best songs I've found in the past year. I haven't really heard anything else of his that really struck me (I've only tried two songs, maybe). But "Dry" is amazing.

I felt just like you, Shadrach, for a long while, but over hte last year or two my tolerance for traditional-sounding stuff has really increased, and I've come to love a lot of stuff that sounded formulaic and too old-fashioned to me before. Hyms of the Hopeless remains my favorite Whitmore album.

Well, it seems to me like our little RL is growing up!

That brings up an interesting question. Has anyone ever heard what happens to the taste of avid music listeners as they mature? We know, to a degree, what happens to mainstream music listeners' taste (aka easy-listening), but what is the trend for those "in the know"? Is RL's burgeoning acceptance of more traditional types of music the norm, or the exception among music-heads?

I'm not sure a sweeping statement could be made in that respect. One's relationship with Music, to me, is one of the most personal and individual journeys one can embark upon... I know that's like corn-filled cheese, but I honestly believe it. I think for casual Music-listeners a statement could be made that could be generally true, but for those of us who live in large part for the discovery and enjoyment of soundscapes, it's just too varied of a playing field--there are as many fields as there are players in our game.

To the Dogs or whoever by Josh Ritter is quickly becoming one of my favorite songs of the year.

"The Joys of Losing Weight" by The Real People (aka Zach Condon of Beirut) is pretty good. I guess he recorded it when he was in his mid-teens, which is very impressive. I'd recommend checking it out.

New Order, Joy Division, The Replacements,The Stooges, MC5, The Dammned, Gang of Four, Television, Etta James, Radiohead (who'da thunk it eh?) Wilson Pickett
and of course one of my favorites now...BRUCE!!!!!!!!!!!
just SOME of the old bands that have come into my life in 2007

That reminds me, I need to listen to some more Springsteen. I've heard Born in the USA, Nebraska, and Ghost of Tom Joad, but that's pretty much it. I know there's a lot of other great stuff he's done. Devil's and Dust is actually lying around our house somewhere, so that one might be first.

Les Savy Fav is my major "New to Me"

I had never ever heard of them, and I've ended up just grabbing everything I can find by them. Their quickly becoming one of my favorite groups, all thanks to "Let's Stay Friends."

And the critic's said it wasn't as accessible as their earlier albums... Pssh...

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
That reminds me, I need to listen to some more Springsteen. I've heard Born in the USA, Nebraska, and Ghost of Tom Joad, but that's pretty much it. I know there's a lot of other great stuff he's done. Devil's and Dust is actually lying around our house somewhere, so that one might be first.

I was just thinking exactly that while I showered this morning (not that I was thinking about Bruce while I showered, you understand). I was never into Springsteen, and I didn't like "Streets Of Philadelphia", which kind of put me off him at a young age, but I got We Shall Overcome, and Devils and Dust last year, and I liked them very much, particularly the former. I know I have Born To Run on my ipod, but that's about it.

There has to be other stuff worth hearing in his back catalogue, right? I'm definitely gonna get Magic. What else do I need?

You need Tunnel of Love

Spoon...you know outside US not many people know anything about them.fist Gax5 n then in a few weeks i v got their whole discography).
&
Les Savy Fav

quote:

Originally posted by Sideshow Bob:
You need Tunnel of Love

Is that a proposition?

LCD Soundsystem; I finally decided to listen his album titled "Sound of Silver" since it got a lot of hype and I thought the album was great; It might end up in my top 10 albums of 2007

quote:

Originally posted by Borachon:

quote:

Originally posted by Sideshow Bob:
You need Tunnel of Love

Is that a proposition?

You bring the hot wax, I'll bring the nipple clamps.

pretty much everything indie...