[gretsch]

I just love the Reigning Sound!!!! Rockin', gritty, soulful... and lyrics that are really personal. Every listen, I get something new out of their stuff.

How's that new My Morning Jacket stack up against their past few releases? I got hooked on "It Still Moves" but since then, I haven't been exactly knocked out. Their show in Athens last summer was mind blowing tho!

Hey Whammy bar, you are darn tootin' about "Pink Flag"! Still sounds fresh even twenty years after I got my mitts on my copy...

[humanist77]

I've been taking advantage of iTunes lately-they give recommendations of other music based on other people's purchases, and also a 30 second clip of all the songs so you know if you'll actually like it.

I discovered a musician called Bibio, who makes gorgeous, complex instrumental music-there really is no genre for it, but it brings up a wealth of emotion and insipiration when I hear it.

And I've also gotten back in touch with muscians that I've always liked, but never got around to buying a full album-like Mazzy Star-her music was so so so beautiful, and her voice is just magic. Some of my favorite songs of hers are Free, Into Dust, Roseblood, Hallah, Ghost on a Highway, and Taste of Blood. Some of her music sounds almost like Patsy Cline-it has that dreamy, vintage-country music sound to it, but more ambient.

If anyone likes Siouxsie and the Banshees, you must hear Faith and the Muse. I've been listening to them for a long time, but I finally got to hear a couple more albums of theirs, and they only get better. They are a Scottish band, but a lot of their music has celtic influence, and it is mostly really beautiful, dark/gothy music. It ranges from industrial/electronic, to celtic folk music, but most of it is not categorizable. The lead singer has such a stunning voice-similar to Siouxsie's, but even more striking, full, and accented. I think she has one of the most gorgeous voices in music, ever.

And I have to mention Cocteau Twins-I didn't discover them on iTunes, but if you have not heard them, then for your own good, please check them out! They are no longer together, but they were around in the 80's and 90's. They are also a lot like Siouxsie, but I can't really categorize them, other then a very thick, sometimes heavy and grinding, sometimes light as a feather, ambient sound, and another amazing female vocalist (Elizabeth Fraser). Since the band broke up, she has done some guest vocalist work for other musicians. She sang on the Massive Attack song 'Teardrop'. The other major part of that band was the musician Robin Guthrie, who created the amazing music to accompany her vocals. He now does very cool solo 'ambient' music that is reminiscent of Cocteau Twins. I love pretty much all of their albums, but "Heaven or Las Vegas" is my least favorite. Treasure is still my favorite, and the others are all just as fabulous.

Ha, I wish I could write much better music reviews, because these musicians deserve much better descriptions, but all I can say is go listen! I won't let you down!