UltraNormal

While working this week, I've been trying to go back and listen to some of the 20 gigs of music on the uberMac I haven't touched in a while. Here's a quick recap of great bands and albums rediscovered:

• INXS: Listen Like Thieves - This album flat out rocks, Eighties style. Solid horn work, good beat, and punchy vocals. I really wish Michael Hutchence hadn't killed himself. He had a perfect rock n' roll voice. It's hard to believe, but this album is even better than Kick, one of the first albums I ever bought with my own money.
• Thievery Corporation: DJ Kicks - This is laid-back lounging perfection. It makes me think of sweaty people dancing the tango slowly. A great album to throw on if you have a headache.
• Morphine: Yes - The band's weirdest and rockinest album, this one takes some getting used to. The first song will get you on your feet, jumping around the room until you accidentally trip over a lamp and strangle yourself with the headphone cord. The end of the album stumbles into weirdness, like Marty Feldman after a three day bender... but the first two thirds more than makes up for it, right up until the weirdness (which starts with The Jury). The album ends up redeeming itself with the super-depressing Gone for Good, which was used in the movie Two Days in the Valley (it was actually good if you haven't seen it - Jeff Daniels plays a depressed cop, and James Spader is creepy).
• Ben Folds Five: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner - I don't think any songs from this album ever made it to the radio, but it's great. All the normal things to love about Ben Folds are there: great piano work, alternating pithey and touching lyrics, all wrapped up with a beautiful little bow. Overlooked, but worth listening to.

Oh, and one more time, please go check out nonDependant. I'll cry if you don't.