Parenthetical Girls - Safe as Houses
Xiu Xiu - Tu Mi Piaci
Xiu Xiu - The Air Force
Yellow Swans - The name escapes me.
Danielson - Ships
Madlib - The Beat Konducta 2

That's about it.

I forgot about a few I guess.

Cat Power - the Greatest
Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing In The Hands
Islands - Return To The Sea

touché!! hahahaha. to my defence, i like pretentiousness that borders on the comedic and not on the self importance. i was never for spoken word-style music actually so that might have more to do than it being pretentious, everything that sounds like that seems pretentious, the arrogant egotistical pretentious, to me. hell, a year ago i didn't like folk and folk-based styles of music, now i like most of it alright, there are still some fringe limits, though...

i like earth covers earth alright, actually, that and black ships... are the only c93 i've heard so far but ece i really like.

it would have been better to say it's not my cup of tea.

I think you might be better sticking to the scary electronic soundscapes of their early years, like Nature Unveiled or Dogs Blood Rising.

comets on fire - blue cathedral
morrissey - live in earls court.

Hey i've read your your article on The Velvet Underground this morning and i've found it really interesting.

kazuki tomokawa - yume wa hibi genki ni shinde yuku
its the first album of his ive bought and i love it. as soon as i obtain a small fortune i plan on ordering his entrie catalog on psf.
ive also been listening to kan mikami alot, which is nothing new.

i always feel like i'm missing out when i listen to those guys because i can't speak japanese, so i've never really got into them

i think they both have alot going for them aside from their words. i get the same feeling listening to alot of kan mikami's music that i get from listening to say... country blues. he has this really intense lonely sound that comes straight out of the blues, which to me translates with or without words. its certainly nice to be able to appreciate the poetic quality of the songs, but i think if you listen to it enough the sheer sound of it will eventually have you hooked.

Flying Luttenbachers- Cataclysm
Joy Division- Closer
Xiu Xiu- nothing in particular, just can't stop listening to 'em
Refused- The Shape of Punk to Come
ATD-I- Vaya
Mogwai- Mr Beast
Silver Mount Zion....- Horses in the Sky
Varge!- Must Lunge
Wolf Parade- Apologies to the Queen Mary
The Doers- Whatcha Doin'?

i suppose that is a top ten.

The Go has an album with the same name

those bastards. the Doers are better.
plus, did the Go ever play with Mike Watt?? nooooo. did the doers? yeeeeeeh!

thanks for reading, man!!!

Kan Mikami was a hard nut to crack for me as well, due to language issues. I used to have that massive box set with 13 CDs in it, and I had trouble getting into most of it because I knew the words were of such importance to him and to most of his fans. I liked a couple of the albums soundwise, but ultimately felt I should pass the box on to someone who could appreciate it more.

Dr.Dre - The Chronic

yeah, normally i wouldn't be concerned by not being able to understand the lyrics, and it some cases i think not being able to understand is more enjoyable. but mikami and tomokawa seemed to fit in the same bracket as bill callahan, i.e. lyrics are key to understanding.

MEDICINE - shot forth self living/
MEDICINE - the buried life/
HOOD - cold house/
BELLRAYS - grand fury/
DRESDEN DOLLS - the dresden dolls/
HELIOS CREED - kiss to the brain/
HELLA - the devil isn't red/

Akron/Family - Akron/Family
Dirty Three - Horse Stories
TVOTR - Return to Cookie Mountain

Parts & Labor - the Great Divide
Sonic Youth - rather Ripped
Charles Mingus - ah Uhm

I am so pissed that return to cookie mountain has not been released in the USA. I fucking LOVE TV on the Radio, and I need the new album BAD