Comfort and Challenge

I think my world would be a better place if I thought about this more. I rarely have any idea of what I want to happen when I put on a new album and am therefore often disappointed. Having said that, I have stopped reading record reviews because they usually give me such a clear picture of what a record should sound like that I'm disappointed when the record doesn't sound anything like the review.

I love music to bend my head a little, make me think in a different way, just present me with something I'd never thought of. When I buy an album and listen to it for the first time, that's probably what I'm looking for. However, when I'm doing the washing up or trying to read, I just don't want Trout Mask Replica in the background, okay? And I think this goes for most people who aren't fanatical about music.

I actually hope to have an orgasmic experience. I have yet to experience this. Hence my record buying seems to be an addiction. This is something that the media planted in my brain.

I have wondered whether it is buying the album I crave rather than actually listening to it. This is particularly true of mp3s; I got a small kick out of downloading four album's worth of mp3s yesterday but then found it a chore to actually wade through them afterwards.

Funniest quote I've ever seen (courtesy 'Metal Sludge') - "Why would I want to familiarise myself with something I don't know about"?

No reflection at all on my tastes BTW, I just found that amusing for some reason.

Maybe this is just me, but it's an age thing. When I was younger, I would voraciously seek out challenging new music, scour the music papers for reviews that talked about 'experimental', 'challenging', etc. But in those days, my life was busy, less fraught. Today, I want music that comforts - well, not just comforts, but soothes me, inspires me and, particularly, affects me emotionally. Maybe that means, to some eyes, that my tastes have become more conservative and mainstream. Possibly that's true. I still have all the old cassettes of weird, wonderful, challenging stuff - it's there for listening to when I choose to do so (but, significantly, that isn't very often).

I think comforting music is stigmatized by critics and challenging music is unfairly rewarded. Critics are afraid to be enthusiastic about comforting music because they don't want to be seen as stuck and they're afraid to be harsh toward challenging music, because they don't want to miss the boat on the next big thing.

Music that's too stuck on challenge as an end unto itself produces a lot of silly shit - like the worst excesses of jazz or prog or psych. There's good stuff to be had in any genre, but when artists feel like they have to "blow your mind" every 90 seconds, things can get contrived pretty quick.

Death before boredom. Better to die on your feet than live on your knees. Better to lead a life writhing in aural torture to get to that one second of ecstasy than to indulge yourself in comfort for even the shortest period and grow weak and atrophied and move out to Zone 6

The answer that comes out instinctively is that if the music isn't challenging in some way, I don't like it. However, I would hate to be put under hypnosis and discover that I don't actually believe this. I think people sometimes can mistake their tastes (which may seem "difficult" to others) for their openness to new things.

For example, one of my favorite bands is Ruins. I do not like Staind. Although Ruins is by most accounts the "more difficult" band to listen to, I would sooner be driven crazy by Staind. I'm honestly not sure if that's because Staind is too boring, or too different for me.

Does "challenging" always = "difficult"? Is it not possible for something to be challenging, in terms of being, say, deliberately obfuscatory... or, rather, you, the listener not "getting" the point of the album at first listen. This does not necessarily mean the process of e.g. getting said point is painful or uncomfortable in any way.

::

expectations from music? well, that's The Question, really, isn't it? Regarding Tom's first sentence - I'd never think I listen to music to be "entertained", but I suppose in part that depends on your definition of entertainment.

I'm an easy man to please, I just don't want to be bored.

Just give me the mental hit. I don't care what form it comes in or what it does, just give me the hit. Surprise and familiarity are two sides of the same coin.

My hope when I take that first listen is that I'll feel a tingle and say to myself, "That's beautiful." If this doesn't happen, it doesn't mean that I won't feel it later. But I always hope for that feeling when I listen to a record for the first time.

I don't think about words like "challenging" or "difficult" really. I want some kind of "in" when I hear music, some point of entry, which I feel anything of quality has (even harsh, grating noise). Maybe that point of entry does have to do with familiarity.

Sadly Tom, I've gone well pass the stage of hoping to be astonished. "Routine" might now be the horrible word I'd use to describe my music buying and listening. I don't think you can ever regain the initial blissful thrill of getting into great music for the first time, the ears unaffected and unpolluted by too much knowing and information, not having reached the stage of having to put everything in the context of the overall pop cultural cake.

I've been buying records and CDs regularly since 1988 and the interminable stack of product has since continued to breed prolifically without much interruption. Oh yes, I've been one dedicated fucker alright, (mis)spending most of my youth gathering varicose veins from innumerable hours standing at magazine stands, throwing all my earnings over record store counters, my brain almost permanently ensconced in rock, pop, and dance literature (reading ILM being the latest compulsion).

12 years down the line however and the passion has very gradually dissipated into more of an addiction thing, still conscientiously doing my best to stay in touch but starting to question whether I should be as interested anymore, finding the preciousness of new stuff is just no longer evident. A big problem nowadays is there's just too much music, too much product stuffing the shelves – the complexity of the system of genres and micro genres (esp. in dance) has become overwhelming. This was exemplified by DJ Martian's picks on the 2001: Half Year Gone thread. Like where the fuck to you start. The music buying process even for fanatics hads become much more selective. You just dip your fingers in where need be allowing for money and time constraints - a bit of glitch here, a Blood & Fire reissur there, maybe the new Missy Elliot abbum or will it be a Neu CD instead this week. Things need to become simplified again, the battle lines more distinct.

With me anyhow, I still have lot's of appreciation but not enough obsession.

That's funny, David, because I bought 'Neu! '75' and 'So Addictive' in the same week. ;-)

This is a great question.

I look for comfort in back catalogues and new releases from musicians I love. Is it worthwhile to do this? I don't know. Mike J once wrote on this topic about Stereolab, a band for which an ongoing obsession would be difficult for me to understand. But it's what you put into it, right? A negative way to interpret this response is You can get used to anything.

How to incorporate this critically?

Do those refinements and variations matter? (A return to the depth vs. breadth question? But I don't mean to put one against the other. The answer could be that they don't matter enough.)

Too bad Josh doesn't post anymore. Otherwise, he could tell us about listening for the challenge. I find it harder to concentrate when listening to jazz and classical music. There's that part in Tropic of Cancer where he goes to the concert and his mind starts wandering... It is possible to find a point of entry, or rather several, each time your thoughts are jolted back to the music... Piecing them together is hard work.

i just want to smile while listening. difficult is an adjective people use to dismiss everyone else who says it is crap.

re: big problem nowadays is there's just too much music This is true there is more choice of creative music made in 2001 than ever before certainly in any year that I can remember since following leftfield/alternative music from 1985 onwards. Re: Comfort - yeah I know what I am going to get from say The Cure - Bloodflowers and New Order - Get Ready... and I enjoy it.. because they are good at what they do and I respond to the sounds, you still want to consume - i scoffed twix bars at 15 and still do at 31 - I masterbate at 15.. etc .... So it is similar enjoyable experience but I still enjoy it - if feels good ..why stop? Only stop If you don't enjoy it anymore and move on. Re: Challenge and choice - I also want to listen to music that is different, distinctive and creative - music that reaches out and that explores different sounds - if the artist produces it and they get something creative in the production fine - I have no control over this as a listener - it my response to the consumption/listening of the sound that is important to me e.g this year enjoying albums by Ulver, Clouddead, 310, The Boredoms, Prefuse 73, Isis, Vladislav Delay, Four Tet, Mice Parade and Minus and the bonus reissue of Cex - Role Model. Each in their own way have added to my listening experiences, i.e I am not merely experiencing direct facsimiles/ and carbon copies of what I already listen to/ have previously experienced. [although yes there are times when a new artist - will remind me of several artists from the past and that is a comforting experience - it can draw me in - again if I enjoy it then what is the problem! - I am not consuming/listening to music for anyone else but myself]. None of the above examples are artists that are going to make a dent on radio playlists, NME front covers or chart success - but they are much more interesting to me than the slop that NME and Kerrang and the charts/radio 1 serve up on as weekly basis in terms of high profile coverage. In terms of being challenged by music the debut album by the avant garde post black metal band Solefald - Linear Scaffold - in 1997 is an album i just keep coming back to.. it is a unique experience: philosophical lyrics and range of vocal style, tempo changes, the atmospheric extremity and scope of sounds, the injection of electronics and piano - the music just ungulfs you - it takes over. Similarly last year my favourite album on the year was Red Harvest - Cold Dark Matter - because the elements combined were uniquely packed together like semtex you have a grid of powerful guitars that have industrial,techno, jungle, ambient injected into the mix - the atmospheres combined are pure detention - it just hits you - everytime I play it. Its a force. However albums by David Sylvian: Gone to Earth, Talk Talk: Spirit of Eden and Bark Psychosis: Hex - are albums that challenge but maybe also comfort at the sime time - By now I know the responses to what these albums do for me. You get lost in the music, the deep space - the drift - as Simon Reynolds would say, atmospheric qualities, ebb and flow of the music. Another point that needs to be addressed if the complexity of challenging music and confusing sub genres choice for esoteric music is at a peak in 2001, why is radio and television so narrow minded and narrow focused, unimaginative and repeatitive. Where are the maverick DJs, radio shows and stations? Where are the ideas? What Simon Williams did on radio back in 1997 on Xfm - was my idea of music radio - every track handpicked, no fillers a music enthusiast that thought a weekly show was a privilege to put together - not paddling through the same playlist rubbish - for the sake of filling time! Why are so called alternative commercial radio stations in the US and in London xfm so ghastly and run by control freak executives intent on delivering radio playlist that instead of promoting creative music deliver the lowest common denominator generic muck? What is needed is more mavericks on the radio - who are not restricted to narrow casting - inspirational guides - there are stacks of albums this year - that I would like to hear - if I had more money and time - but the order of deciding what to buy next - would be improved and accelerated - if radio was better - yes there are web reviews, weblogs, print reviews, mp3 samples - but nothing matches hearing something on the radio - and being inspired to follow up and buy and then consume. for the benefit of those don't read my weblog DJ Martian here is the latest list I have put together of interesting album releases in 2001 so far Tracking the year so far: the best albums of 2001 up to September 3rd. 1. Aarktica - Morning One (Ochre)
2. Abigor - Satanized (A Journey Through Cosmic Infinity) (Napalm)
3. Dan Abrams - Stream (Mille Plateaux)
4. Accelera Deck - Digital Headrest (Neo Ouija)
5. Accelera Deck - Shadow Land (Scarcelight Recordings)
6. Acid Mothers Temple - New Geocentric World (Squealer)
7. Adult - Resuscitation (Ersatz Audio)
8. The Advent - Time Trap Technik (International Deejay Gigolo)
9. Air - 10,000 Hz Legend (Virgin)
10. Agalloch - Of Stone, Wind and Pillor (The End Records)
11. Akercocke - The Goat of Mendes (Peaceville)
12. The Album Leaf - One Day I'll be on Time (Tiger Style)
13. Alder And Elius - Parental Guidance (Skam)
14. Oren Ambarchi - Suspension (Touch)
15. Amber Spyglass - Amber Spyglass (Own)
16. Ambidextrous - Errorism (Shaped Harmonics)
17. Amp - Saint Cecillia Sinsemilla (Space Age)
18. Appliance - Imperial Metric (Mute)
19. Atlon Inc - Main Things (Force Inc)
20. AndOceans - A.M.G.O.D (Century Media)
21. Angels of Light - How I Loved You (Young God Records)
22. Anyone - Anyone (Roadrunner)
23. Aphelion - Aphelion I-iV (Iris Light)
24. Appendix Out - The Night is Advancing (Drag City)
25. Arab Strap -The Red Thread (Chemikal Underground)
26. A Quiet Revolution - A Quiet Revolution (Poptones)
27. Assemblage 23 - Failure (Gashed)
28. Astrobrite - Crush (Clairecords)
29. Atomsmasher - Atomsmasher (Hydrahead)
30. Aubrey - Unscrambled Memories (Textures)
31. Autechre - Confield (Warp)
32. The Avalanches - Since I Left You (XL)
33. Bad Company - Digital Nation (Bad Company Recordings)
34. Badmarsch & Shri - Signs (Outcaste)
35. Bardo Pond - Dilate (Matador)
36. Basement Jaxx - Rooty (XL)
37. Bed - The Newton Plum (Ici d’ailleurs)
38. Below The Sea - Loss of Our Winter (Alice in Wonderland)
39. Beneath Autumn Skies - Enki Dus Mono (Hefty)
40. Justin Berkovi -Transit (Music Man)
41. Beta Band - Hot Shots II (Regal)
42. Black Faction - Internal Dissident Part 1 (Soleilmoon)
43. Blue Foundation - Blue Foundation (April)
44. Philip Boa - The Red (Import)
45. Bogus Blimp - Cords.Wires (Jester)
46. Bolz Bolz - Human Race (Feis) German Import
47. Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun (Birdman)
48. Bows - Cassidy (Too Pure)
49. Frank Bretschneider - Curve (Mille Plateaux)
50. Bridge & Tunnel - Without Ghosts (Harmsonic)
51. Bronx Dogs - Enviro (Marble Bar)
52. Paul Brtschitsch - Venex (Frisbee)
53. Burnt By The Sun - Burnt by the Sun (Relapse)
54. Cage Decay - Radio Penetration (Syncromesh Productions)
55. Calla - Scavengers (Young God Records)
56. Cane141 - Garden Tiger Moth (Décor)
57. Cannibal Ox - Cold Vein (Def Jux)
58. Nick Cave - No More Shall We Part (Mute)
59. Cex - Starship Galactica (555) CD Ep
60. The Chameleons - Why Call It Anything (Artful)
61. Chris Clark - Clarence Park (Warp)
62. Nels Cline - Destroy All (Atavistic)
63. Clouddead - Clouddead (Big Dada)
64. Club Off Chaos - Par Et Impar (Eternity)
65. Andrew Coleman - Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt (Thrill Jockey)
66. Coloursound - Auspicious Beginnings (Space Age)
67. Loren Muzzacane Connors - Portrait of a Soul (FBWL)
68. Continous Mode - Disinformation Design (Klang)
69. Cortizone - Selling out for the Sucker (Virgin)
70. Couch - Profane (Kitty Yo)
71. Crane A.K - Pink Eyed Pony (Force Tracks)
72. Cranes - Future Songs (Dadaphonic)
73. CRUNCH - Nullpluz.Nz (Musik Aus Strom)
74. Daft Punk - Discovery (Virgin)
75. Dashboard Confessional - The Places You Have Come To Fear the Most (Vagrant)
76. Defenestration - One Inch God (Dream Catcher)
77. Delarosa and Asora - Agony (Schematic)
78. Delicate Awol - Our Genome (Day Release Records)
79. Vladislav Delay - Anima (Mille Plateaux)
80. Depeche Mode - Exciter (Mute)
81. Richard Devine - Lipswitch (Warp)
82. Diablerie - Seraphyde (Avant Garde)
83. Diabolical Masquerade - Deaths Design (Avant Garde)
84. Dillinja - Cybotron (Ffrr)
85. Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (Nuclear Blast)
86. DJ Shufflemaster - Exp (Tresor)
87. Downer - Downer (Roadrunner)
88. Dream Disciples - Asphyxia (Resure)
89. Drowningman - Still Loves You (Equal Vision)
90. Dureforsog - Exploring Beauty (Kool Arrow)
91. Durutti Column - Rebellion (Artful Records)
92. Dykehouse - Dynamic Obsolescence (Planet µ)
93. Eblake - Limit (Deluxe)
94. Echo & the Bunnymen - Flowers (Cooking Vinyl)
95. Elbow - Asleep In The Back (V2)
96. Electrelane - Rock it to the Moon (Let’s Rock)
97. Electric Company - Slow Food (Planet mu)
98. Electro Group - A New Pacifica (Omnibus)
99. Eltro - Velodrome (Absolutely Kosher)
100. Brian Eno & J Peter Schwalm - Drawn From Life (Virgin)
101. Ester Drang - Goldenwest (Burnt Toast)
102. EU - Reframing (Pause 2)
103. The Ex - Dizzy (Touch & Go)
104. Exodus 77 - Just Time (Regal)
105. Exos - Strength (Force Inc)
106. Fantomas - The Directors Cut (Ipeac)
107. Perry Farrell - Song Yet to be Sung (Virgin)
108. Felix Da Housecat - Kittins And Thee Glitz' (City Rockers)
109. Fennesz - Endless Summer (Mego)
110. Fidel Villeneuve - Kill Life (Digital Hardcore)
111. Fischerspooner - Number One (International Deejay Gigolo)
112. 5IVE - 5ive (Tortuga) Import
113. Flesh Field - Belief Control (Matric Cube)
114. Flowchart - Wishworm (Endorphin)
115. Flux Information Sciences - Private / Public (Young God Records)
116. Foetus - Flow (Nois O Lution)
117. Four Tet - Pause (Domino)
118. Burnt Friedman - Burnt Friedman Plays Love Songs (Nonplace)
119. Frolic - To Dream, Perchance to Sleep (Projekt)
120. Funckarma - Solid State (Dub) US Import
121. Funk D’ Void - Dos (Soma)
122. Further Seems Forever - The Moon is Down (Solid State)
123. Future 3 - Like (April Records)
124. Anja Garbarek - Smiling & Waving (Virgin Norway)
125. Geiom - Sellotape Flowers (Neo Ouija)
126. Gimmik - Slow Motion Process (Worm Interface)
127. Gnac - Biscuit Barrel Fashion (Poptones)
128. Gorodisch - Thurn & Taxis (Leaf)
129. Grade - Headfirst Straight to Hell (Victory)
130. Gridlock - Trace (Possesive Blindfold)
131. Hanged up - Hanged up (Constellation)
132. Haste - When Reason Sleeps (Century Media)
133. Haujobb - Polarity (Metropolis)
134. Hellfish - Meat Machine Broadcast System (planet mu)
135. Herbert - Bodily Functions (Studio K7)
136. Him - New Features (Fat Cat)
137. Howie B - Folk (Polydor)
138. Jori Hulkonnen - When One is Watching (F Communications)
139. Human League - Secrets (Papillon)
140. Icarus - Squid Ink (Output)
141. The Icarus Line - Mono (Crank)
142. Ikon - On the Edge of Forever (Metropolis)
143. Isan - Lucky Cat (Morr Music)
144. Isis - Celestial (Hydrahead) European Release
145. Isis - SGNL.05 (Tortuga)
146. Jan Jelinek - Loop Finding Jazz Records (~scape)
147. Tomas Jirku - Immaterial (Substractif, Canada)
148. John B - Future Reference (Beta Recordings)
149. Juno - A Future Lived in Past Tense (de Soto)
150. Kammerflimmer Kollekief - Maander (Temporary Residence)
151. Kante - Zweilicht (Kitty Yo)
152. Karaboudjan - Sbrodj (Relapse)
153. Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down (Peaceville)
154. Keelhaul - Keelhaul 2 (Hydrahead)
155. Inigo Kennedy - The Bigger Picture (Missile)
156. Kettel - Dreim# CD (KracFive)
157. cEvin Key - The Ghost of Each Room (Metropolis)
158. Kinski - Be Gentle With the Warm Turtle (Pacifico)
159. Alexander Kowalski - Echoes (Kanzleramt)
160. Labradford - Fixed Context (Kranky/Mute)
161. Ladytron - 604 (Invicta Hi fi)
162. Landing - Circuit ep (Music Fellowship)
163. Landing - Oceanless (Strange Attractors)
164. Laptop - Old Me Versus the New You (Trust Me)
165. Leafcutter John - Microcontract (Leaf)
166. Hakan Lidbo - After the End (April)
167. Hakan Lidbo - Tech Couture (Poker Flat)
168. Leisurehive - Spasm (Operative Records)
169. Life Without Buildings - Any Other City (Tugboat)
170. Lift to Experience - The Texas Jurasalem Crossroads (Bella Union)
171. Lightning Bolt – Ride the Skies (Bolt)
172. The Lithium Project - Passo Fundo (Hydrogen Jukebox)
173. Llips - Dos Partes (Subdeviant)
174. Longstone - Static (Ochre)
175. Low - Things We Lost in the Fire (Kranky)
176. Lowsunday - Elesgiem (Projekt)
177. Lu - Lu (pulCec/Darla)
178. Machine Drum - Now You Know (Merck)
179. Madder Mortem - All Flesh is Glass (Century Media)
180. Mahogany - The Dream Of A Modern Day (Darla) US Import CD
181. Jake Mandell - Love Songs for Machines (Carpark)
182. Manitoba - Start Breaking My Heart. (The Leaf Label)
183. Manual - Until Tomorrow (Morr Music)
184. Markant - Infam (Markant)
185. Martin - Male Caucasian (Skint?)
186. Marumari - Supermogadon (Carpark)
187. Matmos - A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure (Matador)
188. Maudlin of the Well - Bath (Dark Symphonies)
189. Maudlin of the Well - Leaving Your Body Map (Dark Symphonies)
190. Chris McCormack - There are Better Ways (Potential)
191. MD - Between Gaps (Merck)
192. Meat Katie - Long to Belong (King Size)
193. Melodium - QuietNoiseArea (Disasters by Choice)
194. The Mercury Program - All the Suits Began to Fall off (EP) (Tigerstyle)
195. Robert Merdzo - Wide/Out (Disko B)
196. Merzbow - Dharma (HydraHead)
197. Metamatics - Dope for Robot (Hydrogen Dukebox)
198. Mice Parade - Mokoondi (Fat Cat)
199. Mimi - Enthusiast (Cross)
200. Minus - Jesus Christ Bobby (Smekkleysa)
201. Mira - Apart (Projekt)
202. Mogwai - Rock Action (Southpaw)
203. Monolake - Gravity (Ml/i)
204. Monomorph - Departure Can’t Wait (Nature)
205. Roy Montgomery - Silver Wheel Of Prayer (VHF)
206. Christian Morgenstern - Future Is On Fire 2 (Kanzleramt)
207. Christian Morgenstern - Hawaii Blue (Forte)
208. Moonspell - Darkness & Hope (Century Media)
209. Ikue Mori - Labyrinth (Tzadik)
210. Morsel - Para Siempre (Small Stone)
211. Mouse on Mars - Idiology (Domino)
212. MR Tobacco - Endless Night (Spotlight)
213. Mus - Aida Bliss Out V.17 (Darla)
214. Narcissus - Becoming Leviathan (Takehold)
215. National Skyline - This = Everything (Exit 13)
216. Nebula - Charged (Subpop)
217. Need New Body - Need New Body (Cenotaph)
218. Neotropic - La Prochaine Fois (Ninja Tune / Ntone)
219. Neurosis - A Sun that Never Sets (MFN)
220. New Order - Get Ready (London)
221. The New Year - Newness Ends (Touch & Go)
222. The Nine - Dreamland (A Different Drum)
223. Joseph Nothing - Dummy Variations (Planet Mu)
224. No Man - Returning Jesus (3rd Stone)
225. Raz O'Hara - Reality (Kitty Yo)
226. Old Man Gloom - Seminar II: The Holy Rites of Primitivism Regressionism (Hydrahead)
227. Omni Trio - Even Angels Cast Shadows (Moving Shadow)
228. Ooioo - Feather Float (Kool Arrow)
229. Opeth – Blackwater (MFN)
230. Optic Nerve - Pharaoh’s Doorway (Delsin)
231. Orbital - The Alltogether (ffrr)
232. Roland Orzabal - Tomcats Screaming Outside (Eagle)
233. The Other People Place - Lifestyles Of The Laptop (Warp)
234. Oval - Ovalcommers (Form & Function)
235. Ovuca - Wasted Sunday (Rephlex)
236. Pallas -The Cross and the Crucible (SPV)
237. Panoptica - Panoptica (Certificate 18)
238. Pan Sonic - Aaltopiiri (Mute)
239. Paradise Lost - Believe in Nothing (EMI Chrysalis)
240. Andrea Parker - The Dark Ages (Quatermass)
241. Penfold Plum - Scribbled I Infant (Wichita)
242. Penumbra - Skandinavien (Iris Light)
243. Laurent Pernice - yypah (Moloko)
244. Phoenecia - Brown Out (Schematic)
245. Phonem - Hydro Electric (Morr Music)
246. Piano Magic - Son De Mar OST (4AD)
247. Pilote - Do it Now Man (Certificate 18)
248. Plaid - Double Figure (Warp)
249. Planetary Assault Systems - Atomic Funkstar (Peacefrog)
250. Anton Price - Collapse of the State Vector (Audioview)
251. Portal - Tristesse (Alice in Wonder)
252. Pressure Drop - Tread (Columbia)
253. Prefuse 73 - Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives (Warp)
254. Project Pitchfork - Daimonion (east west germany/Metropolis)
255. Proem - Negativ (Merck)
256. Stacey Pullen - Today is the Tomorrow you Were Promised Today (Science)
257. PSI Performer - Art is a Division (Kanzleramt)
258. Pub - Do You Ever Regret Pantomime (Ampoule)
259. Rabies Caste - Let the Soul Out and Cut the Vein (Earache)
260. Radiohead - Amesiac (Parlophone)
261. Rainer Maria - A Better Version Of Me (Polyvinyl)
262. Re: Mnant - Remnant (Constellation)
263. Rechenzentrum - The John Peel Session (Kitty Yo)
264. Red House Painters - Old Roman (Sub Pop)
265. Regular Fries - Blueprint For A Higher Civilisation (Soft City)
266. Retina - Volcano Waves (Hefty) US Import
267. Rollerball - Trait Of The Butter Yeti (Road Cone)
268. Rollercone - Sirkus (Sirkus Records)
269. Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me (Big Dada)
270. ROTOR+ - Aileron (Statra Recordings)
271. Rothko - In the Pulse of the Artery (Bella Union)
272. Rovo - Imago (Incidental)
273. Esa Ruoho (Lackluster) - Spaces (Undercover)
274. Ed Rush & Optical - The Creeps (Virus)
275. James Ruskin - Into Submission (Tresor)
276. Safety Scissors - Parts Water (Plug Research)
277. Salvatore - Clingfilm (Racing Junior)
278. Janek Schaefer - Above Buildings (Fat Cat/Bubble Core)
279. Schlammpeitziger - Collected Simple Songs Of My Temporary Past (Domino)
280. Scratch Pet Land - Solo Soli IIII (Sonig)
281. 2nd Gen - Irony Is (Blast First)
282. Sensational - Get On My Page (Ipeac Recordings)
283. Sense - View From a Vulnerable Place (Neo Ouija)
284. Duncan Sheik - Phantom Moon (Atlantic)
285. The Shipping News - Very Soon, And In Pleasant Company (Quarterstick)
286. Shudo - Shudo (Quatermass/555)
287. Shun - Michael in Reign (Own)
288. Shur-i-Kan - Advance (Freerange)
289. Si Futures - The Mission Statement (Mute)
290. Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape (Century Media)
291. Silo - Alloy (Swim)
292. Simian - Chemistry Is What We Are (Source)
293. Sirius - Spectral Transition - Dimension Sirius (Nocturnal Art)
294. Sister Sonny - While Others Dance (Sister Sonny)
295. Skindive - Skindive (Palm Pictures)
296. Skitz - Countryman (Ronin)
297. Skycamefalling - 10:21 (Ferret)
298. Slam - Alien Radio (Soma)
299. Slicker - The Latest (Hefty)
300. Smart Alex - Straight A'S (eukahouse)
301. Somatic Responses - Augmented Lines (Hymen)
302. Sonna - We Sing Loud Sing Soft Tonight (Temporary Residence)
303. Soulu - Soulu (Plug Research)
304. Soulwhirlingsomewhere - Please Sennd Help (Projekt)
305. South - From Here on In (Mo Wax)
306. Spacek - Curvatia (Island)
307. Peter F Speiss - Crystal Polymorphs (Klang)
308. Squarepusher - Go Plastic (Warp)
309. Stakka & Skynet - Clockwork (Underfire)
310. Stanton Warriors - Stanton Sessions (XL)
311. Starflyer 59 - Leave Here a Stranger (Solid State)
312. Mikael Stavostrand - Reduce (Force Inc)
313. Styrofoam - The Point Misser (Morr Music)
314. Sunshine - Necromance (Day After)
315. Supersilent - 5 (Rune Grammofon)
316. System of A Down - Toxicity (Columbia)
317. Systematic - Systematic (Elektra)
318. Nobukazu Takemura - Hoshi no Koe (Thrill Jockey)
319. Dave Tarrida - Paranoid (Tresor)
320. Tarentel - The Order of Things (Neurot)
321. Tarwater - Not The Wheel (Kitty Yo)
322. Third Eye Foundation – I Poo Poo on your Ju Ju (Domino)
323. Thorns - Thorns (Moonfog)
324. Thread - Abnormal Love (Middle Pillar)
325. 310 - After All (The Leaf Label)
326. Thursday - Full Collapse (Victory)
327. Andreas Tilliander - Ljud (Mille Plateaux)
328. TLM - Electrastars (Hydrogen Dukebox)
329. Tool - Lateralus (Music For Nations)
330. To Rococo Rot - Music Is A Hungry Ghost (City Slang)
331. Tortoise - Standards (Warp)
332. Devin Townsend - Terria (SPV)
333. Trance to the Sun - Atrocious Virgin (Precipice Recordings)
334. Twerk - Now Now I'm Rendered Useless (Force Inc)
335. Twig - I Sweat Tobasco (Rabid Badger)
336. Twine - Circulation (Komplott)
337. Ufeari - Killing Time (Isolated)
338. Ulver - Perdition City (Jester Records)
339. Underwater - This is Not a Film (Submarine)
340. Unearth - Stings Of Conscience (Eulogy)
341. Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You (Matador)
342. Ilpo Vaisanen - Asuma (Mego)
343. Gez Varley - Bayou Vardis (Force Tracks)
344. Vert - Nine Types of Ambiguity (Sonig)
345. Violet Indiana - Roulette (Bella Union)
346. Void Construct - Estramay Aleph (Cyronica)
347. Vitriol - I-VII (Neurot Recordings)
348. Otto Von Schirach - 8000 B.C (Schematic)
349. Wagon Christ - Musipal (Ninja Tune)
350. Way Out West - Intensify (Instinctive)
351. Rufus Wainwright - Poses (Dreamworks)
352. Saul Williams - Amythest Rock Star (Columbia)
353. Winds - Of Entity and Mind (Avantgarde)
354. Windy & Carl - Consciousness (Kranky)
355. Woe - Last Stop (Some)
356. Xploding Plastic - Girlfriends Go Proskirt (Beatservice)
357. Susumu Yokota - Grinning Cat (Leaf)
358. Susumu Yokota - Will (Leaf)
359. Yellow 6 - Music For Pleasure (Rocket Racer) US Import CD
360. Kevin Yost - Road Less Travelled (Distance)
361. Zao - Self Titled (Solid State)
362. Zero 7 - Simple Things (Ultimate Dilemma)
363. Zorn - The City's Collapsing (But Not Tonight) (Lux Nigra)
364. Zoviet France - The Decriminalization of Country Music (Tramway)
365. Zyklon - World OV Worms (Candlelight)
Q From the list Which albums should Pinefox get first? to comfort and challenge.

Hey Martian, I'm a little curious: how many of those albums do you own? And how many listens or how much time do you spend on each one?

Give me something I'll like enough to want to listen to again, but which will challenge me enough to repay those repeat listenings for years ahead. No small order.

By the way, some things which are most "comforting" upon first listen become the most "challenging," and vice-versa. As the man said above, just don't bore me!

I look for music that fills up my mind and gets me excited. Usually this is an album by a band I really love with songs I've downloaded or something totally new that strikes me. It's very rare for me to end up liking "challenging" music, i.e. music I don't like in the first three times I hear it. I'm in distress this month because I can't find any music to be obsessive about and distracted by.

Oi Mars, you missed these out:-

Acid Mothers Temple - La Novia

Bjork - Vespertine

Alicia Keys - Songs In A Minor

Kurupt - Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey (sic)

Missy Elliott - So Addictive . . .

Mercury Rev - All Is Dream

N*E*R*D - In Search of

'NSync - Celebrity

Oxide & Neutrino - Execute

Evan Parker/Jah Wobble - Passage To Hades

Slipknot - Iowa

Taku Sugimoto - Italia

and, I'm afraid, it has to be said:

White Stripes - White Blood Cells

Well I liked 'em anyway.

i own 12 of martians list. that is the opening score, anyone else think they can beat that, step up

Sorry Gareth, 14, and I haven't even bought that many records this year.

I've got 15.

I feel like an ass saying as much, but I have 33 of those; probably received about a dozen as promos.

I want Scott's job. Mistah P- I've got a spec article about how my couch resembles Cameron Diaz's earlobe, will this get me a job at Stop Smiling?

Blimey: 4!! I genuinely thought it wd be zero. I shall call myself DJ Mercurian.

The amount of CDs I own from Marcello's list is double the number I own from Martian's list

Curses! I need coffee.

I look for comfort in back catalogues and new releases from musicians I love. Is it worthwhile to do this? I don't know. Mike J once wrote on this topic about Stereolab, a band for which an ongoing obsession would be difficult for me to understand. But it's what you put into it, right? A negative way to interpret this response is You can get used to anything.