This is where we ask people to reccomend releases as good starting points for a band, based on our individual tastes

Acid Mothers Temple-Pataphysical Freak out, etc.
Flaming Lips-The Soft Bulletin (for the sounds, rather than the melodies)
Rovo-Imago
Manitoba-Up In Flames
PATE-Mo Psycho

I basically want something with interesting sounds, and a little more challenging than some of the stuff above, Acid Mothers without the fear, maybe?

Air - 10,000hz the Legend
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Barafundle / An introduction to... / 20
Fourtet - Pause
Schneider TM - Zoomer
Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale
Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

meh, not too sure though

Dog Latin, I've never heard of those last two - what are they?

Kilian - your turn, then!

Electric Wizard is doom/stoner stuff. Probably not what you're looking for at all actually.

for an idea of their current direction maybe yes but this is probably their worst album thus far, inlcuding The Virgin Suicides soundtrack.

You might like: Parson Sound, Can's Tago Mago, recent Boredoms, Agitation Free's Malesch, the first two Kraftwerk records, Faust's 71 Minutes

I don't own any dancemuzik (not really), considering I love:

Can - Tago Mago
David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
Modest Mouse - the Lonesome Crowded West
La Düsseldorf - Viva
16 Horsepower - Sackcloth 'n' Ashes

(i do dance to these records, though!)
what dance should I discover first?

Elvis Costello - This Year's Model. Forget about the borderline-tweeness of My Aim is True, and forget about the Cute Hitler metaphors of Armed Forces. This one gets everything right. His only great album.

Early- A Certain Ratio
Can't help but think "Remain in Light" also, which you probably already own.

You could do worse than pick one of the many Fabric or Fabriclive compilations as they all seem to represent a different style of dance on each one. I've been digging the Radioactive Man compilation for some time now and I'm still not bored of it.

Sorry to interrupt..

Antipop Consortium - Arryhthmia
Talib Kweli - Quality
Pocket Dwellers - Digitally Organic
RJD2 - that newish one
Mix Master Mike - Spin Psycle
k-os - the Exit

some things that I've been told I should like, but didn't:
Roots
Common
El-P
Jurassic 5 (actually, I kinda liked it, but they seem to be to rap what Lenny Kravitz is to rock, not necessarily a bad thing, in fact can be a lot of fun, but not all that, or whatever the term currently is)

Can - Monster Movie
Cluster - Zuckerzeit
Harmonia - Deluxe
Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
La Dusseldorf - La Dusseldorf
Moebius (+ Plank) - Rastakrautpasta
Neu! - Neu 75
Roedelius - Jardin au Fou
Michael Rother - Flammende Herzen

heh, don't. PSF 15/16 is a dbl CD. there is another dbl live (PSF 3/4) that first came out as dbl LP in '89 but was reissued as dbl CD in 97/98. I have both dbl CD sets and its best psych I've heard (I have to control myself, I don't want to say its the greatest thing ever released).

the orb- uf orb
susuma yokota - sakura
autechre - incunabula
spiritualized - laser guided melodies
yo la tengo - i can hear the heart beating as one
massive attack - mezzanine

also,i got a sampler for leaf records in tower a while ago for a fiver
its called lost for words,and has (as well as yokota) great tracks by murcof and manitoba,both of which you might like

Anyway, I'd try Avery tare and Panda Bear's 'Spirit They've Gone Spirit They've Vanished' if you're after indie vocals over big trance-like washes of synth and little glitches and ticks.

(been listening to a lot of mingus and some other jazz,for some reason i have it in my head that i'd like alice coltrane,i must have heard something somewhere...)

Nick - thanks, I've heard some Orbital at a party of a former roommate and liked what I heard, so...

dave225 - I don't know any "A Certain Ratio" what's it like? And yes, I do know the greatgreat "Remain in Light" (as I own every single regular Talking Heads album except that one with the song that gave Yorke&co their name)

this IS a great thread. will try to help others as i get back later...

You might check early Sabbath, early Blue Oyster Cult, Jethro Tull, Raspberries, Thunderclap Newman. Non-"classic rock" bands that you might also dig from the same ballpark would be Amon Duul II and Les Rallizes Denudes.

I can't afford it :(

sundar, Phoenecia's 'Brown Out' is a lovely, detail rich listening disc worth checking out. a slow start but six tracks in, voosh. I also think Lesser's 'Gearhound' is criminally underrated, but it's another record that starts with a punishing, extended (wonderful) attack to clear the novices out... the last track, 'decomposing jockey' is beautifully twisted.

& yup I have yet to get fennesz either really, it's wallpaper. pita's '7 tons for free' and 'get out' though, those are impressive...

I want something sweet, but I'm too lazy to walk to the corner.

and no, i don't think you'd like it.

Given the Badfinger, Oasis, Strokes thing (good choices!), I might recommend Big Star and Sloan.

If you haven't already heard them, you might also try:
The Fire Show
Lifter Puller
Blonde Redhead
Unwound
Blumfield (German-language band, somewhat Pavement-y)
Larsen
Ludus
Associates

rockist- The fact you don't like soft bulletin prob means you might not like yoshimi. why ddin't you like 'soft..'?

Mirah - Advisory Committee
Cynthia Dall - untitled (over her 2002 2nd album)
Tarnation - Gentle Creatures, or pref. I'll Give You Something to Cry About if you can find it
Lois Maffeo's last two collaborations, with Brendan Canty & in Owl & The Pussycat

ok.

Together-So Much Love To Give

Linus Loves-The Terrace

Basement Jaxx-Acid Love (if you can find it on mp3 or whatever)

I could go on all day.

ROLLIN'S BAND
EXTREME NOISE TERROR
AQUA
MACABRE
NWA
BURAZUM
ANAL CUNT

I REFUSE TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU WEAK WILLED SWINES RECOMMEND ME BUT FUCK YOU ALL MAY AS WELL TRY!!

FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

ps. no need to shout.

X-section:
nick drake, shannon wright, mary timony, nina nastasia, neko case, moonshake, TFUL282, songs:ohia, dead can dance, lida husik, geraldine fibbers, dirty three, rachel's, bjork, carter family, magnetic fields, kate bush, kurt weill, echo and the bunnymen, th faith healers, francoise hardy, e. european/near eastern/nordic folk.

Things I've been looking into:
gentle giant, king crimson, shirley collins, deerhoof, piano magic, gang of four, neutral milk hotel, patti smith, sally timms, billie holliday.

My tastes seem to run a bit folky and/or pompous and I tend to prefer female voices. I just feel my music collection is lacking a sense of history. I don't have a good radio station anymore to introduce me to new things, or money to buy tons of records.

King Crimson: "In The Court Of The Crimson King" (yes, it's the obvious one, and ususally I try to steer people away from that one towards "Discipline" but I have a feeling it'll be more up your street)
Neutral Milk Hotel: "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea"
Patti Smith: I think you'd be best off starting with "Wave" and work your way backwards from there.

Oh and is it too late to say: Sasha, "The Monochrome Set (I Presume)" wasn't the Monochrome Set's first single, in fact it wasn't actually a single: "He's Frank" / "Alphaville" (RT006) was first, then "Eine Symphonie Des Grauens" / "Lester Leaps In" (RT019) then "The Monochrome Set" / "Mr Bizarro" (RT028).

After that they left Rough Trade and signed to Virgin. The ".... (Slight Return)" verion of their theme song was included on their debut album "Strange Boutique".

The best staring point for The Monochrome Set imho is a budget-line CD release by Virgin called "Tomorrow Will Be Too Long", which actually contains the whole of "Strage Boutique" and their second album "Love Zombies".

I fookin' luv The Monochrome Srt, me!

Ronan... I would start out with the first album, called "Modern Lovers", which has Roadrunner, and also a number of other excellent tracks. my favorites are "I'm Straight", "Dignified and Old" and "Government Center". I dont know what is released in UK/Ireland, but here the album is on Rhino. It might be OOP (not listed on Rhino website) but I bet that it is sitting in a bin somewhere.

I really love the Bark Psychosis album btw, thanks keith.

my new list for help:
Japan: Tin Drum
Associates: 4th Drawer Down
Nico: Desertshore

(obv i can check out other albums by these people)

I also am enjoying "My Name Is Joe" by Joe. What else should I get?

1) Some really good soul or jazz

I like:

O.V. Wright
Marvin Gaye
Freddie Scott
Pharaoh Sanders

2) Something in the same rock family tree as the following:

Velvet Underground
Galaxie 500 / Luna
The Clientele

you need an al green record--you can't go wrong with "let's stay together", "i'm still in love with you", or "call me", or you should be able to find a greatest hits cheap.

as for the other one, young marble giants' "colossal youth" is very similar in mood to the better galaxie 500/luna stuff and third album velvets that you seem to be looking for. you'd also be well-served by the big star twofer that combines "#1 record" and "radio city".

bob dylan
neil young
early beatles
beach boys
rem
jonathan richman
decemberists
wilco
flaming lips
alison krauss

there is a special place in my heart for storytelling lyrics