I have long claimed there is nothing good on the radio these days. It’s not that I’m one of those angry old music critics that has become jaded (I’m not old), I just like music that carries something more than just a catchy rhythm or a sticky chorus. To me, music is a medium by which one communicates pure emotion. And let’s be frank, there ain’t much emotion in the crap they fill the radio waves with these days.

So, as a service to the Dabbler.ca readers, I’ve compiled an introductory list of music that will broaden your horizons and take you to places you’ve never been before.

First up is Sigur Rós. This quartet from Iceland have created a genre all their own, melding ambient moods and classic melancholia into something that defies regular description. A favourite amongst critics for years, they are only now beginning to reach a mainstream audience through the use of their music in movies and trailers, most notably Hoppípolla in the Children of Men trailer and Untitled 5 in the Invasion trailer. Their three latest albums Ágætis Byrjun, ( ) and Takk… are all masterpieces in their own right and I really can’t recommend one over another. The albums are pieces of art best enjoyed in their entirety, the dreamy songs are long and often meld together. I’d recommend these albums to anyone looking for something new.

Next we have the British singer Goldfrapp and her album Felt Mountain. The first time I heard this, I wasn’t quite sure what I was listening to. Again, this album defies description. Felt Mountain is an experiment in vocal acrobatics and electronic mayhem. Songs like Utopia and Felt Mountain bring a feeling of being in a vast open space surrounded by nature. Sounds odd, but it works. Sadly, Goldfrapp’s later releases were over-commercialized and frankly quite bad. Stick to the original.

Have you seen the ad for the new TLC medical show called Diagnosis X? It features the song Wires by the British band Athlete from their debut album Tourist. To be brutally honest, this is the best song on the album but the song is so strong it justifies buying the entire album anyway. You won’t hear me say that very often so…

Another ad featuring some interesting music is the Geico commercial with the Neanderthal on a moving walkway in an airport. In the background you hear a guy singing “Everywhere I go, there’s always something to remind me.” The song is, not surprisingly, called Remind Me and is by Röyksopp, an electronica duo from Norway. It can be found on their debut album Melody A.M. I’m not particularly fond of electronica and I really hate one of their other songs but as a whole, the album is great – especially as background music for a dinner party. It carries a weird quality of relaxedness. Also worth mentioning: The music video for the song Remind Me is amazing.

This is an odd one: Cranes – Wings of Joy. I’m always apprehensive about recommending this album because I know not everyone will appreciate it. To call it strange isn’t quite enough. Bizarre might be a better description. It’s like listening to a group of people who have fantastic musical talent but can’t really play their instruments. The singer’s voice is shrill and you don’t understand a word of what she’s saying but there again is that undefinable something that makes it worthwhile. The two tracks Tomorrow’s Tears (worst video EVER. Please just listen to the music. Trust me!) and Adoration are breathtaking in their magnificence. Unfortunately their other albums are not worth the plastic they are printed on. But like I said, this one is a gem, if you like dirty badly cut gems that have an inert beauty.

Several years ago I watched a live show in Sweden featuring Esbjörn Svensson Trio (or E.S.T.). Their extreme approach to jazz and use of unconventional methods like a distorted stand-up bass and guitar picks in a piano intrigued me. A true live band, their albums don’t fully capture the magic but From Gagarin’s Point of View gets pretty close. Much of their material can be found in the crossroad between jazz and trip hop. Dodge the Dodo is a perfect example.

When Sekiden‘s Junior Fiction dropped into my mailbox, I didn’t quite know what to think. Normally I’m not into the whole lo-fi scene but the cuteness and naive innocence of this act got to me. There is something to be said for people who don’t take themselves too seriously and songs such as Stay are just good clean fun.

Apart from having the best cover ever made, Mike Patton‘s side project Peeping Tom is a must-have for the serious record collector. The project is a collaboration between Patton – often referred to as a modern Frank Zappa – and a bunch of different artists. The music fits awkwardly into the trip-hop genre with some overtones of heavy metal and experimental rock. It’s also the only time you’ll ever hear Norah Jones swear repeatedly on a record. Take a listen to Mojo and see if you like it, but be warned; Patton treats music like an extreme sport so there are plenty of unexpected turns and surprises here.

Here’s another band best enjoyed live, if nothing else, for its sheer size. Norwegian jazz act Jaga Jazzist is a massive jazz orchestra that has taken the genre to a whole new realm. I didn’t fully appreciate their ingenuity until I saw them live at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival but from then on I was hooked. Their album The Stix is an exploration of the outer realms of big band jazz and ambient rock with a heavy dose of brass. Sounds weird but sounds great. Oslo Skyline is not on this album but gives you a good idea of what’s in store.

Finally there is Seigmen’s Total; in my view, the best album ever recorded. The Norwegian goth-metal act redefined melancholia and goth rock with this masterpiece and changed the face of Norwegian music forever. Like Sigur Rós’ albums, Total is an art piece more than an album in the conventional sense – the perfect example where the whole is more than the sum of its parts. The songs are in Norwegian and the music is heavy, dark and melancholic but for a true music lover, this is as close as you will ever get to perfection. The success of their reunion tour 6 years after the band’s breakup was a statement to the band’s timeless relevance. Unfortunately, simply hearing one song like Döderlein doesn’t give you a complete picture. To truly understand the greatness of this band, you have to hear the whole album in one sitting, preferably in a dark room where you can immerse yourself in the sound.