Here are a few albums that I find enjoyable in different circumstances.
Dirty Three: Cinder
My take: A beautiful, mostly instrumetal (guitar-drums-violin) album. Very mellow and relaxing.
Usage: Good for reading late with candles lit and a beverage you want to sip.
Dusted says: "With a solid emotional through-line and a few sonic surprises, Cinder is a musical novella, whose narrative compels you to its last luxurious line."
The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike
My take: Active and fun beats, hip-hoppish, often lined with cheerleader background vocals. A thrill-ride of an album that induces foot-taping and head-bobbing throughout. Check out my family video that includes two clips from the CD.
Usage: When you feel like jumping on the bed or dancing in your underwear.
musicOMH.com says: "Effortlessly cool and implausibly inventive, Thunder Lightning Strike is that rare thing, an instant classic. Let The Go! Team become the new soundtrack to your lives."
My take: Dream-inducing, magical, haunting, and enveloping songs. Thoroughly blissful. I can't stop playing it.
Usage: Close the door, put on high-quality headphones, turn it up slightly too loud, dim the lights nearly off, put your feet up, and head off to neverland.
musicOMH.com says: "Takk's songs are...epics of over seven minutes that generally take at least half of that to get going, and they evoke euphoria, delight and wonder."
Free music downloads; videos ("Glosoli" is incredible)