Here are a few that may challenge conventional tastes. These are probably love it or hate it. So don't go ordering any of these without listening as you may really hate them. Needless to say, I love these...
More serious bass, from one of my favorites. This is probably one of her more accessible albums:
From one of the most innovative and original bands that defy classification -
There's not much in the realms that approach rock that interests me anymore, but 16 Horsepower are an exception - I have every one of their albums and never tire of any of them. Here's a video directed by Brother's Quay of 16 Horsepower, doing, Black Soul Choir - great video!
Sadly the band broke up in the mid 2005. David Eugene Edwards went on to form Woven Hand, which I find a bit darker. Their version of, "Ain't no Sunshine (When She's Gone)", is absolutely devastating in a slit your wrists kind of way. This is a great one for headphones (assuming you enjoy the rendition). Anything Edwards is involved in probably has some pretty complex layered elements of musical texture and sound.
16 Horsepower and Woven Hand were always more popular in Europe. Here's a collaboration by Woven Hand and Ultima Vez
Another entirely original love or hate, who is a musical genius as far as I'm concerned:
I love all his stuff - On headphones in the later work, again, lots of layering and musical and acoustic texture going on. I love the spoken piece, "Circus" on this album, and a great live version on, "Glitter and Doom." A lot of folks just don't like Tom's vocals - I find them entirely appropriate for the material. But if you prefer something more approachable, go back to my Holly Cole recommendation of her album, "Temptation" which is entirely covers of Tom Waits, as is this one by John Hammond Jr.
Moving on...again, love it or hate it material...
And for some seriously polarizing music, there's always Jeff Mangum.
I love his lyrics...
Quote:
Oh Comely
Code:
Oh comely I will be with you when you lose your breath Chasing the only meaningful memory you thought you had left With some pretty bright and bubbly terrible scene That was doing her thing on your chest But oh comely It isn't as pretty as you'd like to guess Oh comely All of your friends are letting you blow Bristling and ugly Bursting with fruits falling out from the holes Of some pretty bright and bubbly friend You could need to say comforting things in your ear But oh comely There isn't such one friend that you could find here Standing next to me He's only my enemy I'll crush him with everything I own Your father made fetuses With flesh licking ladies While you and your mother Were asleep in the trailer park Thunderous sparks from the dark of the stadiums The music and medicine you needed for comforting So make all your fat fleshy fingers to moving And pluck all your silly strings And bend all your notes for me Soft silly music is meaningful magical The movements were beautiful All in your ovaries All of them milking with green fleshy flowers While powerful pistons were sugary sweet machines Smelling of semen all under the garden Was all you were needing when you still believed in me And I know they buried her body with others Her sister and mother and 500 families And will she remember me 50 years later I wished I could save her in some sort of time machine Know all your enemies We know who are enemies are Goldaline my dear We will fold and freeze together Far away from here There is sun and spring and green forever But now we move to feel For ourselves inside some stranger's stomach Place your body here Let your skin begin to blend itself with mine
