It's just marketing. I like this album (at least the first CD - the second CD is godawful crap), but it's mastered WAYYYY too hot. Between the loudness/compression and Christina's aggressive vocals, it's a pretty fatiguing album to listen to.

I probably average $250/month on music, although there have been recent months in which I got 60+ new CDs per month. Maybe I should spent more on my system and less on CDs so I actually have time to listen to everything I get!

There's plenty of out-there avant-jazz and -rock that don't eschew accessible rhythm. For instance: A good deal of Tim Berne's work, especially with drummer Tom Rainey - try Feign, The Sublime And., Unwound (no Rainey but this is a 3-disc live set with an absolutely killer rhythm section in...

my top 10 so far this year: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - In Glorious Times Do Make Say Think - You, You're a History in Rust Dälek - Abandoned Language Alamaailman Vasarat - Maahan Nadja - Touched Tin Hat - The Sad Machinery of Spring Nels Cline/Andrea Parkins/Tom Rainey - Downpour Cato...

Saw them last year and they were stupendous. Like someone said, they played a good mix of their noisy and poppy stuff, but they really shone on the noisy material. Ira Kaplan's guitar freakouts were jaw-dropping at times. If you're a fan you won't want to miss them (especially if you like their...

I'm always on the lookout for blogs like this, but sadly there just don't seem to be too many. Outer Space Gamelan is a good one; here are a few others: Avant Music News covers avant-garde rock and jazz, mostly, with a sprinkling of contemporary classical and other styles. It's purely a news...

I dig this album too, be aware though that her others are nothing like it (though many of them are just as good). This is kind of her dance-pop album whereas the rest are more acoustic vocal folk.

I wouldn't really call Nektar Krautrock. UFO and Magma, even aside from not being German, are definitely NOT Krautrock. Magma is an absolutely awesome band, though. I second the reccos for Amon Duul 2, Neu!, Can, Faust, Agitation Free, Guru Guru, and Popol Vuh. Some other good ones...

Quote: Originally Posted by keanej6 i'm looking for an album that is refreshing and 'out there', yet not so 'out there' that it's just plain wierd. Something that bridges my metal collection and my post-rockish collection...sometimes i find headphones too engaging for metal and the...

for me, from great to greatest... Wilco - Nels Cline really makes them an awe-inspiring live ensemble, even more so than before. Maja Ratkje & POING - classical? folk? noise? jazz? totally uncategorizable stuff but also totally fascinating. Yo La Tengo - Ira Kaplan owns. Nels Cline &...

Quote: Originally Posted by stewgriff You know, Jimmy Page personally mastered the Led Zeppelin albums to CD, and we know how that worked out... I have the 21st Century Condensed Guide compilation, and have since gotten the 30th Anniv of ITCOTCK, Larks' Tongues, and Red. Good music...

Ha, I had a really similar experience to the OP's - when I first heard KC they hit me harder than any group I'd yet heard other than Pink Floyd. Also, I share a disdain for bombastic proggy-prog like ELP. With that in mind, I strongly recommend the trilogy of classic 70s albums - Larks' Tongues...

I've barely started scratching the surface of 2006 jazz, but here are some of my favorites so far... Bassdrumbone - The Line Up Tim Berne - Livein Cognito Nels Cline - New Monastery The Vandermark 5 - A Discontinuous Line currently working on Steve Swell's Nation of We - Live at the...

Here are the shows I saw in 2006 in roughly chronological order (all in the Washington DC/Baltimore area): Thee Maximalists The Avett Brothers Make a Rising The Vandermark 5 Charming Hostess The Claudia Quintet Animal Collective and Storsveit Nix Noltes Annie Isis, Dalek & Zombi...

Jumping in here late... I'm a big Isis fan, Panopticon is my favorite by far. Was a bit disappointed by ITAOT, but still enjoy it. Quote: Originally Posted by J-Pak What do you guys think of the Isis and Aereogramme collaberation? I like it; though the third track loses me a...

Adding to the chorus... big fan of eMusic here, especially given that I got in at the old rate and mostly download jazz and avant albums anyway that often comein at 5 tracks or so per album. That's a lot of music in 40 downloads a month...

I really think all their albums are about equally good, and I can't pick a favorite at all. If I was pressed I might say Her Majesty the Decemberists, but only by a hair. I also second the recommendation of The Tain if you like "The Island" - just one 20-minute proggish epic.

Quote: Originally Posted by I3eyond Thanks for all the help guys! Unfortunately, out of the first 5 or 6 replies, Best Buy didn't have a single CD listed. Looks like I'll be ordering online... http://www.theendrecords.com/webshop

I second ALL of Packgrog's suggestions, especially SGM and Ephel Duath ("The Painter's Palette" is the one to go for imho). Nice list. Also: add Pan-Thy-Monium ("Khaooohs and Kon-Fus-Ion" is their best by far) and Enslaved (closest to Opeth I think, so maybe you'd get bored of them too, but...

Quote: Originally Posted by lionel marechal Just found a video of the sextet playing khebar on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duOTEGOdVkE And the string trio playing from thesame concert : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT_yyYXska8 And if like me you are do not know john...

Looks like you're really into the newer stuff. Check out some King Crimson - the classic 70s stuff like Red and Larks' Tongues in Aspic should be up your alley. Of the current batch of prog bands, the first name that came to mind was Indukti, you'd like them for sure. They've got kind of a...

Quote: Originally Posted by lionel marechal Trying Zorn/Masada for the first time : So Far : Definitive Keepers : 50th Birthday Vol1 String Trio 50th Birthday Vol4 Electric Masada You will definitely like #11 (Bar Kokhba Sextet) - it's my favorite of the series and has a...

right now my top 10 looks something like this... 1. Joanna Newsom - Ys 2. NeBeLNeST - ZePTO 3. Univers Zero - Live 4. Espers - Espers II 5. Tanakh - Ardent Fevers 6. NIMBY - Songs For Adults 7. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass 8. Isis - In the...

Quote: Originally Posted by lionel marechal Any recommendation there for somebody who would want to try that ? Thanks Lionel Just for the sake of simplicity (and availability) I'll point you to the 50th Birthday Celebration series - #7 is a pretty solid acoustic Masada...

First thing that came to mind for me was Time of Orchids - skewed avant-metal on Tzadik (as was Kayo Dot, for one album). I especially like Early as Seen in Pace, but Sarcast While, their latest, is very good too. The members of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum have participated in all kinds of...