It had to happen eventually. I couldn't spend the rest of my life stuck in the sixties (and seventies, to be honest.) I almost made a breakout in the nineties when grunge appeared. Honestly, I tried to get out, but they pulled me back! But streaming music eventually opened my eyes: there's more out there than classic rock (and blues rock.) Than old music. So here is a list of my current (and recent) musical obsessions, with notes where appropriate. If you look through, and especially if you list to, this list, you might think not much about my musical taste has changed. To some extent that is true: I still love a blazing guitar solo. But this list is composed of music that is more expansive and eclectic than music could be in the sixties. Prog rock, love it or hate it, has had its influence. Metal -- progressive, heavy, death or "nu" -- has both gone mainstream and explored the more obscure corners of the musical world. The result is a musical oeuvre that is sometimes impossible to classify. This list includes music that is clearly progressive, but without the baggage of prog's roots. And without the contraints. There is also work that could be considered pure metal, hard rock, psychedelic and even "stoner" rock. The walls were always thin and the overlap has become more real. Envelopes have been pushed, boxes have been moved outside of. There's a new musical world that, if you look past the (always present) commercial and "pop" arenas, crackles and pops with the excitement of exploration.
Some of the bands here have acheived commercial success. Others remain in relative obscurity. As far as I can tell, there's little correlation between commercial success and quality of musical output, at least not a positive one. Some "successful" bands -- think of Opeth or Tool -- have done some of the best work. So have some you haven't heard of.
Not all of this is cerebral, intellectual or breaking new musical ground. But all of it goes beyond in some way. You may not like all of it, but it's here because is has some quality that sets it apart. One thing I have found is that there is a lot of music out there. So don't expect this list to be in any way comprehensive. I haven't heard every band. I haven't given a careful listen to every album or song by bands that are included. And what's on this list now may not be on the next update. I have songs here that it took me a number of listenings to appreciate. There are others -- mostly no longer on the list -- that blew me away on the first listen, but whose appeal faded on repeat playings. I can't promise that everything here with stand the test of time -- even if they have so far.
Music is personal. What you like often depends on what you were doing, who you were with and what was going on in your life when you first heard it. So listen with an open mind, preferably with headphones or a good sound system that you can turn up when you need to. Listen carefully, because although in life the devil is in the details, here there may be angels.