@Francesco
It's pretty nice. Western RPGs tend to go down 2 routes when it comes to music. There are the big operatic scores like in Kingdoms of Amalur and there's the lighter music of Skyrim. Baldur's Gate, definitely the former.
On a side note, I screwed up the Portal 2 hyperlink. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikjwby0AVvI

New Rush album! WHEEEE!!!!

Its called Clockwork Angels. For us heathens, there are many references to Dawkins' blind watch maker. Neil does a great job of writing in nice barbs against faith, and Geddy and Alex are playing better than ever. If you've ever enjoyed a Rush song, I really recommend picking this one up.

Wormwood:

Diablo Swing has been reviewed on some music blogs I follow. Haven't picked it up yet...it is very "interesting"

Baldur's gate music are awesome Darwin, if u want to get a sample:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U88zyFLzIXQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf4Omv0W6Gc&feature=related

Ah, my childhood!

I have gotten into video game music in a huge way in the last year. I was also obsessed with movie soundtracks before that. For me music is made that much more meaningful when it is tied into the struggle of a character or a great experience.
For starters check out the music to the Assassin's Creed games. There's Tour of Venice and there's the theme to AC: Brotherhood.

There's also Far Away from Red Dead Redemption, which, IMO, is one of the greatest Western stories ever told, second only to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

And the music to LA Noire including this great song.

I also like this song from the excellent Portal 2.

And last the music from Skyrim by the incomparable Jeremy Soule. I could not possibly list all the great tracks from this game, so I'll let this and this do it for me.

@ Wormwood

Welcome!

Reminds me of Serj Tankian's most recent stuff.

Been lurking for a couple years now, and don't know why I've decided to post now. Probably won't post much after this point either. Anyway, I haven't seen anyone mention Diablo Swing Orchestra.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByLuiNcKo8s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnsie5jqXiA&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk_1yz0cETM

What do you think?

dark clouds...pretty darn appropriate for his music, LOL!

"Moricone" was an ancient italian word to describe dark clouds.

Google "Joe Btfsplk" to find out what happened to the American branch of the family. ;)

np, altough what Katie is said is true. Other similiar italian surname exist, like Morriconi, Moriconi, Moricone, Moriconne and so on. If I recall correctly "Moricone" was an ancient italian word to describe dark clouds.

Oops. did not Google the correct spelling, Francesco. My bad.

Vowels are hard. Everyone misspells my name or pronounces it wrong too. I read somewhere that until fairly recently, spelling a name was not standardized well. If you think your name is fixed in history with its current spelling or pronunciation, you may be surprised that it has been modified and spelled a variety of ways. Oh well, my name is misspelled by everyone because it doesn't make sense in English, and it's mispronounced because I don't know why I pronounce it different than it's spelled. I'm sure many Americans with the same last name have pronounced it more like it looks just because it's easier than correcting 99% of people who pronounce it the same "wrong" way.

I don't have anything to add for the music except I had a song I thought of and can't remember what it was to look on youtube. Nothing new though.

It's called Ennio Morricone brian. Don't know why everyone misspels my surname (yes I've got his same surname)

Resurrecting the thread because I had a most excellent music experience this week.

I discovered a new young band from Tuscon, Arizona last week called Young Hunter. "Desert Doom Metal" basically Black Sabbath + Ennio Morrecone (Spaghetti Westerns) + maybe Johnny Cash????.

So...they were having a show in Sacramento, which I missed. BUT...I found a reference to another show in Oakland on Tuesday night. "Unknown venue"./ Saw a reference to a second band, sent an e-mail, found out they were playing at a small live-work loft space in the industrial belt of Oakland. Went to see them, they had an amazing show...the live sound blows away the recorded version. I felt like a geezer at this place, but who cares!

http://younghunter.bandcamp.com/track/young-leaves-on-ancient-branches

Anyway...check them out here on Bandcamp:

OK. All kinds of awesome. Take Jethro Tull. Black Sabbath. A female singer with great deep pipes. And an awesome 70s groove sensbility...and you have

BLOOD CEREMONY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmDUCikadtc&feature=related

I was almost skipping down the street at lunch! And a plump 49 year old low level bureaucrat does not normally "skip" anywhere!

Tomorrow night is the GWAR show in my city. It will be interesting to hear them as a four piece, and I wonder what the future holds for the band.

That said, I can't wait to see the cavalcade of monsters, celebrities, and political figures decapitated and disemboweled, and then to be covered in their fake blood. I hope they do the presidential candidates as they usually do in election years.

As for "selling records"...these are fringe movements which appeal to contrarian misanthropes.

Alcest filled the club (admittedly a smallish club) on a sunny afternoon, so they must be selling some records.

Mark: The whole dark folk thing is an acquired taste for sure (you did like Alcest, though). There is a lot of dark folk out there that is definitely NOT Satanic. Some of it has "other" problems, though, such as, for example, the tinges of "white nationalism" in Douglas Pierce's "Death in June" project. (of course, his problem may be more than Nazi regalia, from a purely design standpoint, is sorta kinda cool. Just from a design standpoint). Tenhi is more Finnish "pagan" in a nationalistic, "we love the forest" way tied to Finnish history. Not really Satanic in any way, but certainly pre-Christian.

American folk music is different, of course. More Christian in heritage or specifically leftish/hippyish political. The newer "Americana" movement has roots in Country and Western or Bluegrass. The inimitable Wovenhand is extremely dark in character, but he is also very much a dark, dour Calvinist. The music is so awesome I can overlook his fantasies of divine punishment and doom. LOL.

Xandria is way too "pop" for me, but she has quite a set of pipes.

Probably, but that's also the reason why everyone loves pirates

You only say that because you weren't there.

Eighties style was AWESOME!

Cyndi Lauper did have spunk. But she dressed badly, even by the relaxed standards of the Eighties.

I've also been listening to a fair bit of Sting and Cyndi Lauper recently. Normally I dislike '80s music, but I'm starting to become fans of them.

As terribly bourgeois as it is to admit, I really loved The Dream of the Blue Turtles growing up. I reacquired it recently, and it holds up surprisingly well. Sting was an impressive lyricist, whatever his other qualities. No, you don't get to guess what Huey Lewis and the News album I intentionally inflicted upon myself.

And Cyndi Lauper had spunk. Spunk goes a long way.

Xandria are kinda lame, IMO. Alcest are great though.

I'm addicted to "Niggas in Paris" by Jay-Z and Kanye West. My girlfriend even recorded me dancing like a goofball to it. And I've also pretty much been repeating the lyrics "Ball so hard mutha****** wanna find me- that shit cray", which has annoyed pretty much everyone in close vicinity with me. I'm so in love with that song. Also, if you get a chance listen to "Christian Dior Denim Flow" by Kanye West too. As you can tell, I'm a big Kanye fan.

I've also been listening to a fair bit of Sting and Cyndi Lauper recently. Normally I dislike '80s music, but I'm starting to become fans of them.

@BrianK: I gave Tenhi a listen. It's not my thing, but the song 'Pojan Kiiski' sounded quite nice. It sounds weird, but I always associate that kind of dark folk music with Paganism and Satanism. Not that I have a problem with those things though, haha.

Does the whole Black Metal, neo-folk thing actually sell records?

Oops/ Double posted on Tenhi without even realizing it. what a goof!

The singer from Xandria has a great voice.

Even as a geezer, I still like to see concerts. Went to see ALCEST on Saturday in San Francisco. Great show!

Well, I have some news too:

Frist of all listen to Xandria. They are a symphonic metal, I was at their concert here monday.
Second, I'm starting to get interested in film sountrack, so if you want to feel epic, search for Two Steps from Hell

Resurrecting this thread because I have made some major recent musical "discoveries".

I am a big "Finnophile" I love the countryside, the history, the architecture, the urban planning, the social safety net, and I love the toughness and sense of stoic reserve. Most relevantly, I love me Finnish metal...and folk music.

TENHI is an amazing neo-folk music project that has just put out a fantastic new album, Saivo. You can read a review at the excellent extreme music websize Chronicles of Chaos. If anything, I like Saivo even more than the reviewer does!

A brand new discovery today, American doom metal from OCCULTATION. This is utterly EPIC doom metal with a deep throated, sexy as hell female vocalist, great drumming...no, epic drumming...and one of my favorite metal guitarists (from Negative Plane). Available from Amazon.

OK. Major new discovery. I listened to two longish albums repeatedly (three times) yesterday afternoon and was pretty much captivated.

TENHI is the name of the group, and they play a very very beautiful and very sombre romantic style of folk music with accoustic guitars, violin, rock drums, bass, flute, etc. Like nothing I have ever heard before. Chilling and so emotional. Two of the best albums I have heard this year.

You do have to accept lyrics in an incomprehensible language (Finnish), but their website does offer translations. Amazing stuff. Available on iTunes, but the album art work is so beautiful I may end up buying hard copies. http://utustudio.com/

@BrianK

Oh thanks! I´ll take a look!

Very nice setup Justin!

Ok, I was listening through my collection today, and a great song came on. Tomorrow, Wendy is simply a fantastic song. Here it is if you don't know it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqpYqTtIhVs

Anyways, one set of the lyrics got me thinking about this thread. The line:

I told the priest, don't count on any second comming.
God got his ass kicked the first time he came down here slumming.
He had the balls to come, the gall to dye and then forgive us.
No, I don't wonder why, I wonder what he thought it would get us.

I was comparing that to the song I mentioned earlier from the Headstones where they sang:

God loves me, same god loves you,
Same god loved Hitler man, and them six million Jews.

So my question, what lyric have you heard that is the best slam against god? I really love these two that I quoted, because they echo Hitchen's when he says that its good that God doesn't exist, because if he did, he would be a bastard.