I used to post a lot more music recommendations on this blog, and it's something I'd like to get back to doing, so here we go: music I'm listening to when I'm not trying to write my own.

Feel free to make your own recommendations — I often find myself in a desperate, desperate rut and needing new things to listen to. Seriously, educate me.

(All links are to Lala.com, which has almost every album in the universe and smartly allow you to listen to full-length songs once for free. (And no, they don't pay me.))

Ear Candy by King's X. I still love this album, their last on Atlantic. Sadly also the last one I really paid attention to as I grew tired of the metal-with-harmonies thing.

100 Broken Windows by Idlewild. Our hosts Andy and Laura played some of this for me when I was visiting Nottingham and I had to track it down. Very Monster-era R.E.M. sound, but released in the mid-00's.

Hollow of Morning by Gemma Hayes. Apparently I missed both this and her second album, geez. Songwriterly stuff + noisy rock in the vein of MBV. Love it.

Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot by Sparklehorse. This album went over my head the first time out and I was far more aware of Mark Linkous' drug problems than his music. Trying to catch up.

Demons and Lakes by Ravenna Woods. Discovered via Seattle Show Gal, a newly-minted freak-folky local act I can't stop listening to. Great melodies, acoustic chops, no snare!