Post your favourite bands
<div class="IPBDescription">and reasons why the hell we should listen to them</div>Well since the other thread posted by some new guy is just a pointless spam thread, and music is actually something which interests me, here's an all new, spangly favourite bands thread.
First off, this isn't a spam post or a lists post. If you're just going to drop your last.fm profile or a short list of some random bands, don't bother posting, it's not contributing and, well, it's just thread ######ting. Keep your lists short, make it only bands you really would consider your favourite, not just a list of bands you might just like at the moment, and also post either a description of the band, why you like them, recommendations for listening and possibly comparisons between other bands so people can get a feel for what they're like if they've not heard them before.
Now, to start out.
<b>The Aquabats</b>: I think it was our own AllUrHive who put the bandname in my head before now, but they're a band that i fell in love with so quickly. The Aquabats, to put them as uninspiring and ill-fittingly as possible are a ska / punk band. That's not a very good description at all for The Aquabats, but it's the only one that's fairly consistant with them. Yes they play ska, yes they play punk, they also play a lot more stuff too. If i were to describe The Aquabats properly, the only term that would fit would be either "Serious Awesomeness" or "Super Rad." Ok, they're super heroes. They fight off nefarious villains like Powdered Milk Man, they never swear, they're almost always upbeat and they never, ever fail to make me smile. Recommended watching - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yf5G_PAUlJM" target="_blank">Pool Party</a> (On some kids' show, Yo Gabba Gabba that MC Bat Commander made) - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=z4tw6vBbwVY" target="_blank">Fashion Zombies</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=uRghSUb7NMg" target="_blank">Super Rad</a>.
<b>Streetlight Manifesto</b>: A little easier to pigeonhole this time, Streetlight are a ska band. Formed from the ashes of Catch 22 they skanked their way into my heart. The arrangements of their songs set them apart from most ska bands, it's a little more complex and they actually have a proper brass section that rather than playing boring little harmonies with keyboard or guitars, they actually have their own fully fledged part, something that more ska bands really need to do. They're maybe not the best ska band in the world (see: aquabats) but they are extremely competant and write absolutely amazing songs. Recommended watching - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=u9VO-w3djsA" target="_blank">Point / Counterpoint</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=r9k2KfvuiGA&mode=related&search=" target="_blank">A Better Place, A Better Time (live)</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=yOFkcj4iDvM&mode=related&search=" target="_blank">A Moment Of Silence</a>.
<b>Gogol Bordello</b>: This is a fairly recent obsession of mine. Gypsy punks through and through they make ridiculously offbeat punk that just really sets themselves apart with eastern european influences. It's like Borat had his very own band. I'm not going to ramble on about them, i'm not sure what else to say, just watch, appreciate and wonder what the hell is happening. Recommended watching - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=p_81l4DXlwM" target="_blank">Start Wearing Purple</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=wJlGutqFqfg" target="_blank">Not A Crime</a>.
<b>The Levellers</b>: This is a band that's always stuck with me. My first ever live gig was to see The Levellers play. They're a bunch of activist, hippy ######s who are always trying to stick it to the man, but they write such great music to back up their ordeals. Some people have compared them to stuff like the Lemonheads or The Mission, but screw them, this is the Levellers, crusty alternative folk. Recommended watching: <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=XScq7NLRnYU" target="_blank">One Way Of Life</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=lru4VG_yX98" target="_blank">Carry Me</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=zmYSMU3TKNQ" target="_blank">Julie (live)</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=RgM69vR5rQE" target="_blank">Hope Street (live)</a>.
Anyway, i may add more lately, but get watching get appreciating music you may not have heard before. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
First off, this isn't a spam post or a lists post. If you're just going to drop your last.fm profile or a short list of some random bands, don't bother posting, it's not contributing and, well, it's just thread ######ting. Keep your lists short, make it only bands you really would consider your favourite, not just a list of bands you might just like at the moment, and also post either a description of the band, why you like them, recommendations for listening and possibly comparisons between other bands so people can get a feel for what they're like if they've not heard them before.
Now, to start out.
<b>The Aquabats</b>: I think it was our own AllUrHive who put the bandname in my head before now, but they're a band that i fell in love with so quickly. The Aquabats, to put them as uninspiring and ill-fittingly as possible are a ska / punk band. That's not a very good description at all for The Aquabats, but it's the only one that's fairly consistant with them. Yes they play ska, yes they play punk, they also play a lot more stuff too. If i were to describe The Aquabats properly, the only term that would fit would be either "Serious Awesomeness" or "Super Rad." Ok, they're super heroes. They fight off nefarious villains like Powdered Milk Man, they never swear, they're almost always upbeat and they never, ever fail to make me smile. Recommended watching - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yf5G_PAUlJM" target="_blank">Pool Party</a> (On some kids' show, Yo Gabba Gabba that MC Bat Commander made) - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=z4tw6vBbwVY" target="_blank">Fashion Zombies</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=uRghSUb7NMg" target="_blank">Super Rad</a>.
<b>Streetlight Manifesto</b>: A little easier to pigeonhole this time, Streetlight are a ska band. Formed from the ashes of Catch 22 they skanked their way into my heart. The arrangements of their songs set them apart from most ska bands, it's a little more complex and they actually have a proper brass section that rather than playing boring little harmonies with keyboard or guitars, they actually have their own fully fledged part, something that more ska bands really need to do. They're maybe not the best ska band in the world (see: aquabats) but they are extremely competant and write absolutely amazing songs. Recommended watching - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=u9VO-w3djsA" target="_blank">Point / Counterpoint</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=r9k2KfvuiGA&mode=related&search=" target="_blank">A Better Place, A Better Time (live)</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=yOFkcj4iDvM&mode=related&search=" target="_blank">A Moment Of Silence</a>.
<b>Gogol Bordello</b>: This is a fairly recent obsession of mine. Gypsy punks through and through they make ridiculously offbeat punk that just really sets themselves apart with eastern european influences. It's like Borat had his very own band. I'm not going to ramble on about them, i'm not sure what else to say, just watch, appreciate and wonder what the hell is happening. Recommended watching - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=p_81l4DXlwM" target="_blank">Start Wearing Purple</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=wJlGutqFqfg" target="_blank">Not A Crime</a>.
<b>The Levellers</b>: This is a band that's always stuck with me. My first ever live gig was to see The Levellers play. They're a bunch of activist, hippy ######s who are always trying to stick it to the man, but they write such great music to back up their ordeals. Some people have compared them to stuff like the Lemonheads or The Mission, but screw them, this is the Levellers, crusty alternative folk. Recommended watching: <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=XScq7NLRnYU" target="_blank">One Way Of Life</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=lru4VG_yX98" target="_blank">Carry Me</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=zmYSMU3TKNQ" target="_blank">Julie (live)</a> - <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=RgM69vR5rQE" target="_blank">Hope Street (live)</a>.
Anyway, i may add more lately, but get watching get appreciating music you may not have heard before. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Comments
Why am I even posting in this thread? I can't lie, and I didn't read anything you wrote past the first paragraph. I never do. I like listening to classical music while playing video games. In particular, violent video games. There is something humorous about the contrast between mozart and shooting somebody in the face with a shotgun. I like it.
with all that in mind, some bands I like: Ladytron is awesome. electronic, kinda retro sounding, kinda pop-y, generally very sweet. Frou Frou/Imogen Heap is also awesome. she does some terriffic things with her voice (this video was discussed on these here forums in an earlier thread: <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=pSIbfzK2spg" target="_blank">http://youtube.com/watch?v=pSIbfzK2spg</a> ). Also Portishead is great. I'll just stop here because I don't have time to name drop forever and I don't have the music vocabulary to do any artists justice =p I have a thing for trance-inducing female vocals, not much more to say.
with all that in mind, some bands I like: Ladytron is awesome. electronic, kinda retro sounding, kinda pop-y, generally very sweet. Frou Frou/Imogen Heap is also awesome. she does some terriffic things with her voice (this video was discussed on these here forums in an earlier thread: <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=pSIbfzK2spg" target="_blank">http://youtube.com/watch?v=pSIbfzK2spg</a> ). Also Portishead is great. I'll just stop here because I don't have time to name drop forever and I don't have the music vocabulary to do any artists justice =p I have a thing for trance-inducing female vocals, not much more to say.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Heh, seems like you've taken the opposite route to angry music. I love trip-hop, it's beautiful in it's own way, but i'll be damned if its not some of the most depressing music ever, especially Portishead.
That's just for normal people music, though. Most of the time I listen to more obscure stuff, which basically consists of soundtracks to movies and sometimes games. John Williams, Jason Horner, Jeremy Soule, Michael Giacchino, Hans Zimmer, Harry Greggson-Williams, David Newman, etc. Some songs I don't even know who composed them, like the soundtracks to Mechwarriors 2: Mercenaries, Starsiege: Tribes, No One Lives Forever, etc, but they're some of my favorite songs. I can have the entire Crimson Skies album on my playlist but I don't want more than a couple songs from, say, Queen.
As to what I'd recommend, well, it obviously depends a lot on taste, but here goes:
<a href="http://soundtracks.mixnmojo.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lucasarts/ Lucasfilm Games Soundtracks</b></a> mostly by Clint Bajakian and Michael Land. The "must listen" soundtracks are the first 3 Monkey Island games, the "The Dig" soundtrack, Grim Fandango, and Outlaws. Absolutely spectacular stuff.
<b>Darling Violetta</b>: They're not really a popular band I guess but I heard their song "A Smaller God" on the Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines soundtrack and enjoyed it. They're on Pandora so you can search for them and similar stuff via that.
<b>The Beatles</b>: These guys are an old British rock band, sort of hippies but it's good music - wait, you all know about them. Right.
<b>Some sort of movie soundtrack</b>: The first time through listening to a soundtrack you hear a ton of stuff that there's no way you could ever have caught during the movie, not to mention you hear the audible parts unobscured. Even something you think you know pretty well like the <i>Star Wars</i> soundtrack picks up huge amounts of nuance and variation when you just sit and listen to it. Epic orchestral stuff is pretty well represented in good movie soundtracks, but there's a ton of variation, like the techno sort of stuff you get in The Matrix, or the mix between classical and, uh, something else in something like Ratatouille, or jazz in Catch Me if You Can, etc. Pick a movie that's got a soundtrack vaguely related to a soundtrack you like and you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
hehe, funny.
Favorite band: Muse.
Very easily my fav just because they are the total opposite of generic in my mind. Very talented musicians, not just because they play their instruments well but because they play them with just enough of a new angle that they make it sound fresh. Mathew Bellamy is also practically a concern pianist (ok not quite, but he's very good) and when he's playing keyboards or piano is just adds to the variety of the venue. Granted every some shares the same vocal style, but it's one that I personally love. Sometimes it's a Queen-esque a capella thing, or it's just very melodic. They have both punchy songs and more relaxed ones, but always with a core tune that sets the bar high in my mind.
Reasons you won't like them: if you don't like the vocal style, you won't like their music. period. It's also often got a synth element to it, and sometimes a bit of grunge (voicebox thingers that take out the highpass of the sound). So if you're more of a traditionalist with your music style and instruments these guys might be a bit too, for lack of a better word, advanced.
e/ examples of their stuff. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV1bRfLHA3A" target="_blank">Knights of Cydonia</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsp3_a-PMTw" target="_blank">Supermassive Black Hole</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFk386A4dRw" target="_blank">Butterflies And Hurricanes</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ig9omS0DWs" target="_blank">Blackout</a>
If you didn't like the first couple the last 2 are a bit more mellow, especially blackout.
You've probably heard something by them, you may or may not like it, but they are my favorite. The music drifts from place to place, even within the same album, but somehow is always recognizable. The main reason for my affinity is the time I discovered them was during my adolescence. Their often nonsensical lyrics maintaining the barest forms of sentence structure appealed to me, and still do. Bands that take themselves too seriously are just boring.
I've been listening to trip hop and some rap recently as well, specifically anything produced by Dan the Automator:
I first heard his hand in the background beats to Deltron 3030, which is enhanced to no small effect by Del the Funkee Homosapien's lyrics. However the beats themselves are great to listen to, spacey as well as spooky, and were released in an instrumental album. He also produced Kool Keith's Octogynecologist which I like less as an album compared to Deltron 3030 but the instrumental version is better than the original in my opinion and on par with Deltron.
Probably the best progressive rock band still making new music, they've really been innovating and providing some of the most unique experiences you'll ever hear- combining Mahavishnu Orchestra with a more mariachi flavor, grand, complicated rhythms with powerful melodies, and only the best performances from some of the world's best musicians(its hard to not be in complete awe of what the drummer, formerly Jon Theodore but now Thomas Pridgen, can do), their music lives up to every definition of epic in the book.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJj4uORutwc" target="_blank">Roulette Dares, live from The Big Day Out</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjc9DiLhkNk" target="_blank">Concertina live, from The Electric Ballroom</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPeSbITit5U" target="_blank">Televators, music video</a>
Circle Takes the Square
The only hardcore band I can claim to like, their screaming isn't as thickly indistinguishable as many bands- instead surprisingly clear as to let you hear the brilliant lyrics. Twisting melodies full of the trade off between the male and female singers, crushing moments of doom followed by the best grandiose feeling of brilliance, its hard to figure out why these guys aren't more popular. Whats more, me and my buddy are the webmasters of their official fansite.
Lyrics from the end of In the Nervous Light of Sunday,
<!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--> From six states away, five years of guilt postmarked four days before my escape.
All I ever asked was for a clean break.
In the first nervous light of the day, collecting the novels whose scribes sought to keep me contained.
My dad's favorite novel on top of the pile, in the self conscious first light shake the memory of his smile,
igniting these volumes, igniting these volumes I'm warmed by the flames.
Alter the deafening earthen tones... In the nervous light, I dance in the nervous light and I'm warmed by the flames.
Dance to the sound of his weight bearing back ######ing breaking.
Alter the pitch of his weight bearing back breaking,
dictate the pitch of his weight bearing back breaking,
Alter the tone of your weight bearing back breaking,
we can mend all the seams that were torn during our backs slowly breaking.
In the nervous light...<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
Its hard to find good live recordings, but their site, www.circletakesthesquare.com , has a few song's complete tracks. I reccomend the above, and also the Same Shade as Concrete.
The only live recording with a decent audio quality I could find was this(still not the best): <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R83buze3DvI&mode=related&search=" target="_blank">Interview at the Ruins, live from Austin, Texas '06</a>
<b>Queens of the Stone Age</b>
One of the most popular bands formerly of the stoner rock genre, they defined their style early on by "drilling the sound in you until it felt good to tweak it", they now are perhaps one of the best pure ol' rock bands in the world. Complicated guitar rhythms that feel like solos strewn throughout, and a brilliantly different sound from every song, they're a perfect band for rocking out.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nz6Rq1Pvh0" target="_blank">Go With the Flow, music video</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB3KD3pDozw" target="_blank">Song for the Deaf, Live at Rock Am Ring 2003</a>
More to come in a later post.
Many people have run across their song "Nemo"
Many people have run across their song "Nemo"<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Just to throw out some suggestions, if they whet your whistle, give Lacuna Coil, Theatre of Tragedy, The Gathering or Nevermore a try, you might like what you hear. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Also, Come Cover Me by Nightwish is probably the funniest song ever.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->you were
the only answer
my plans
spun all around you
five years in the wrong, i am assured
my name to you is just another word<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
it's hard not to feel that...
<a href="http://www.mikedoughty.com/music/lyrics/97" target="_blank">Down On The River By The Sugar Plant</a> is another one of my favorites... he describes girls in a lot of his songs, so vividly, like a portrait artist with words instead of a brush. I've listened to this song on repeat for like an hour at a time <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />
One of the most popular bands formerly of the stoner rock genre, they defined their style early on by "drilling the sound in you until it felt good to tweak it", they now are perhaps one of the best pure ol' rock bands in the world. Complicated guitar rhythms that feel like solos strewn throughout, and a brilliantly different sound from every song, they're a perfect band for rocking out.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nz6Rq1Pvh0" target="_blank">Go With the Flow, music video</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB3KD3pDozw" target="_blank">Song for the Deaf, Live at Rock Am Ring 2003</a>
More to come in a later post.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
got my vote on that one. If you like them you may like A Perfect Circle too. Other obvious mainstream artists that would be on my 'best of' list: Tool and NIN.
Tycho, have you listened to the hitman blood money soundtrack? It's operatic, orchestral and part drum beats, I think you'd like it, if not the whole thing than one track called Apocalypse (sortof a monk choir/ deep brass component). The intro music isn't included in the album, but it's also worth a look. you can find it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0_KWZ_Atbw" target="_blank">here</a> on youtube (read the description).
I think you may also like stuff by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDi9OeJqwG4" target="_blank">Rob Dougan</a>. That youtube link is misleading though, because there's instrumental versions to all his songs. Just try and ignore the vocals.
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They are going to split up after this tour so see them while you can. They are excellent musicians. In particular, Chris Thile is probably the best mandolin player in the world. There stuff isn't always the most refined lyrically, but I admire them for their technical virtuosity, and simple musical genius. Chris Thile has been known to periodically throw in snippets of Bach in the middle of his mandolin solos, and then slip seamlessly into "Jungle Boogie." Also check out the band that Chris Thile has been forming recently: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/christhile" target="_blank">http://www.myspace.com/christhile</a> They are tight as hell and their instrumental numbers are brilliant. They've taken me to places I've never been before musically, even within a the familiar context of bluegrass.
Indian Ocean.
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In that video you are watching the Tabla player beating on the bass player's strings and passing the rhythm back and forth with the drummer. That should give you a sense of the intensity of their live performances.
Unfortunately they don't have full mp3s online, but here are snippets of two of my favorite songs of theirs:
<a href="http://www.indianoceanmusic.com/mp3/kandisa2.mp3" target="_blank">Kandisa</a>
<a href="http://www.indianoceanmusic.com/mp3/bhor.mp3" target="_blank">Bhor</a>
edit: what things I do tend to listen to: classical, certain electronica, some jazz, a little tiny alternative, a smattering of other things, not country or hardcore or rap. Really depends a lot more on the song itself than the band or genre most of the time.
You really can't nail down what I'll listen to but there are some things that I simply don't like.
Then The Gathering and Lacuna Coil may still be up your alley, neither of them are any more metal than Nightwish, really.
[Edit] I also like nuptial. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Kyuss (some offshoots like the desert sessions)
Acid Bath (and offshoots like Agents of Oblivion)
Tomahawk
Alice in Chains
These bands all had the biggest on my musical life, and the way I see music. And while they did spark my interest on a first listen, its that they took me a few months to really appreciate all of the songs - kind of like learning to bhop lol
Kyuss for their low tuned grunty guitar riffs, some songs the way the music just builds up and then keeps an awesome mood is just well, awesome - a must for anyone driving a car for more than 5 minutes. Especially Album "....And the Circus Leaves Town" Track 1, 5, and 10 (but the whole album has its moments)
Acid Bath "Pagan Terrorism Tactics" album
Songs 1-4 mainly
Very morbid lyrics, to some powerful (but not necessarily aggressive) sludge guitar riffs. Dax Riggs is one of my favourite singers of all time - deep, smooth vocals are just hypnotizing.
Probably not the best band if you are on anti depresents lol
Tomahawk "self titled" and "Mit Gas" Albums
Formed from members of other bands (that i dont really like lol) Its very much a science project for mike patton (ex faith no more singer) I found out about this band just at the right point in my life - when I thought that music could produce nothing new, i thought that it all had been done, and then I was blown away by what I heard. All of the tracks (except for some of the more electronic ones on Mit Gas) are amazing.
Check out track 1 from Mit Gas - infact listent to every song with some headphones , have a beer or whatever takes your fancy and just listen to every little sound.
Alice in Chains
Seattles best of the grunge , awesome vocals, clever guitars riffs(at the time) Fav songs
Album Facelift - Track 1
Album Unplugged - Track 8 or 7 (which ever one is "got me wrong")
Sadly except for Alice in Chains all of these bands never "made it" which is probably a good thing for us listeners as they remain hidden treasures.
I would suggest to everyone that says they don't like bands but certain songs to switch of the radio and throw it in the river - you won't find any real music there, unless its a station that plays exactly the genre that you like. EDIT - the "I like all music" isnt a genre.
I won't go into why pop/radio music is bad for your soul (and good for record companies wallets). thats for another thread.
Well, the Guitar Hero 1/2 soundtracks generally only have a single song from each band. <a href="http://xkcd.com/132/" target="_blank">>_></a>
And I haven't been able to find a song called Surrender that Quiet Riot did. Maybe they covered Cheap Trick's song by that name? <a href="http://www.cheaptrick.com/" target="_blank"><_<</a>
And I haven't been able to find a song called Surrender that Quiet Riot did. Maybe they covered Cheap Trick's song by that name? <a href="http://www.cheaptrick.com/" target="_blank"><_<</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah actually a lot of the "one off" songs I like come from the Guitar Hero soundtracks. After watching some people play the games I thought I had discovered huge amounts of music that I loved, but it turns out I mostly only like the songs included in Guitar Hero. Figures.
And apparently Surrender is by Cheap Tricks. Weird. I'm not really up, or down, or with, all the music stuff. I would have trouble naming which genre certain famous bands belong to, for instance. Oh well.
Godflesh (Industrial)
Cursive (Indie)
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (Rock/Post-Rock?)
Einherjer (Viking Metal, pretty much)
Isis (Post-rock/metal?)
I've got a lot of bands I like, but I tried to select the ones that have a more distinctive sound.
Probably the best progressive rock band still making new music,<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I believe the phrase you're looking for there is <b>King Crimson</b>.
Not that the Mars Volta aren't great though.
There's a video on YouTube which plays 20 seconds or so of each song.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k38Sg2LRWt8" target="_blank">You can view it here.</a>
Apparently the new Nightwish album ("Dark Passion Play" ?) is good too
but I haven't had a chance to give that a try yet.
Yonder Mountain String Band has been a huge favorite of mine lately. They're (obviously) a string quartet, and they play some really great folk/bluegrass. They're a young bunch of guys but they keep it pretty traditional, at the same time adding their own modern-ish touch.
Plenty of stuff to listen to here: <a href="http://www.yondermountain.com" target="_blank">www.yondermountain.com</a>
Not that the Mars Volta aren't great though.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I've been trying to find *any* full songs of King Crimson ever since I heard their song in Children of Men, "Court of the Crimson King", then saw a few on Youtube. No one has any of their albums though, illegally or legally. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
I trust you're familiar with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpX71RZeev4" target="_blank">this song</a>?