Ani Difranco.
That’s my list, recommendations and opinions FreeJooky??
Have you heard of Interpol? You might like them.
Armin van Buuren
Tiësto
Ferry Corsten
Nightwish is another band that sounds similar to (but better than) Evanescence. Faster, crunchier guitars, more of a sense of melodrama with fantasy-based lyrics, and beautiful vocals by the lovely Tarja, a classically-trained opera singer. They’re a metal band, no doubt about it, from Finland.
The only similarity I hear between Nightwish and Evanescence is that they’re both female-fronted metal bands. Other than that, they sound very different to me.
The Gathering might be more appropriate for fans of Evanescence or Lacuna Coil.
Agreed. Nightwish has a unique sound all their own, and IMHO don’t sound a thing like Lacuna Coil. A truly excellent band in their own right.
BTW, heed ultrafilter’s on that Porcupine Tree album, In Absentia. I couldn’t stop listening to that album for weeks.
More electronica, I presume? Good, good… electronica’s one genre where it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, 'cuz any dolt with a synthesizer can put out bad '80s beats… ::shudder::
Few things are better than excellent electronica, but few things are worse than bad electronica.
I love listening to Nightwish, but I can’t help but feel that most of their music is so cheesy and repetitive. Are there any better groups with the same general idea as them out there?
After Forever, Epica, Lullacry, Sinergy, Gathering, Lacuna Coil, etc.
Cheesiness and repetitiveness are kind of embedded in the genre, though, so don’t be expecting wonders here.
::gush::
I had to bump this thread to say thank you, stpauler, for recommending Cheryl Wheeler. I am listening to “Different Stripe” for the first time and she is just wonderful!
I’ve found so much good music from threads like these.
Freejokey, I have always loved Russ Ballard’s music. Do you know of any similar artists? Secondly, why didn’t Russ ever “make it” as a performer in his own right?
Based largely on inspiration from this thread, I went over to Amazon and went a bit nuts. True, I hadn’t bought a CD in probably 7 years, so it’s not so bad. Here’s what I got:
Jackson C. Frank - Blues Run The Game
Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Tricky - Maxinquaye
Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
Beastie Boys - To The 5 Boroughs
All in all quite a decent mix. I still haven’t really digested it all yet but so far it’s a lot of fun checking out all this new music at once. Thanks!
Woohoo! I’m glad you like it! Make sure to catch her live or see her video “What Do I Care-I Don’t Have Any Kids Construction Company, Inc”, she’s got a fun sense of humor as well.
I’ve got some great stuff from this thread too, thanks to:
Freejooky for Blossom Dearie and Devendra Banhart’s “Rejoicing in the Hands” (was that recorded in a bathroom?!?!)
Big Bad Voodoo Lou for The Shins
Nightime for Orange Juice
Can you recommend some good, modern prog rock? I love Queensryche and Rush, think Dream Theater and Blind Guardian are peachy, and am starting to get into Fates Warning.
Also, do you know of a band that could fill the void left by Stabbing Westward? I need some depressing music for sitting alone in dark rooms 
Today, Carnac the Magnificent turns the tables and stumps Freejooky and all other dopers.
My good man, I like the sophisticated background cocktail music I hear in the old movies of the William Holden era: sparkling piano, brushed drums, string bass, no vocalist.
Blossom Dearie is about a million miles from my tastes. Ditto the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies, Harry Connick Jr., Bing Crosby, etc. Please, none of that cheesy “martini” music that made the rounds 7-10 years ago here in the States. I’m talking sophisticated, not snoozy, cheesy, or kitschy. Music you can imagine David Niven might have listened to when the cameras stopped rolling. (Yes, I am a relic.)
Mind you, Freejooky, I’ve challenged plenty of experts in the past. If you can hook me up, I will make you a very, very wealthy man. 
Check out George Shearing and let me know what you think
Sounds like you’re looking for more prog metal–which is good, cause I know fuck-all about prog rock. Still, you owe it to yourself to check out Radiohead’s OK Computer if you haven’t heard it. Check out Porcupine Tree’s In Absentia, Katatonia’s Viva Emptiness, Ayreon’s The Human Equation, Evergrey’s Recreation Day, Opeth’s Damnation, Pain Of Salvation’s The Perfect Element, and Orphaned Land’s Mabool.
There’s nothing more depressing than Evoken’s Quietus. Evanescence might be more up your alley.
I commend you for your earnestness, my dear chap. Shearing is almost there. Not quite, but almost. Jolly good show.
Keep it up and I’ll bequeath you a consolation Jaguar.
Try Mars Volta and Coheed & Cambria for starters.
Do you know Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s work per chance? Try either The Blessing or Inner Voyage. The music is absolutely sophisticated, not cheesy in the least. Gonzalo Rubalcaba is an amazing Afro-Cuban jazz pianist with the best chops of any piano player I’ve ever heard. Maybe you’re looking for something a little more straightforward, but people will bow to your awesome taste when they hear any of his records.