The Unicorns (http://www.theunicorns.net/)
The Books (http://www.bombus.org/thebooksmusic/)

There was a whole article about what they wear (rainbow robes) in a magazine I read recently. Sort of a silly topic for an article, I thought.

I'm no help...I'm so far ouside the music loop, although I do have Interpol tickets for next month...they're cool, but you probably already know that.

i'm going to see the pixies next month! yay!!

last night max suggested i might like the danielson famile.

i'm listening... and so far, i do.

also, the danielson famile have their own fluevog shoe! gotta love that!

http://www.pastemusic.com/news.asp?page=2

You might like Sufjan Stevens' "Seven Swans."
http://www.soundsfamilyre.com/soundsfamilyre/ss/

And maybe even the Fiery Furnaces.
http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com/ (@ the Cradle on 10/28)

Ewald

this has been very interesting... thanks, y'all, for the suggestions. some i liked and some i didn't. ;-)

it might help to be more specific about what draws me to the polyphonic spree. the chorus, primarily, i think. the rich-sounding orchestrations. a variety of instruments (piano, harp, theremin?).

of course, i just heard norah jones for the first time and i really liked that, too, so go figure. (i *told* you i'd been out of the loop!)

and (AND!) i just saw tom waits on letterman and i'm totally excited that he has a new album. his performance on the show was great.

dang! i knew there was something i wanted to record tonight while out AV geeking... Did they mention on-air that the band backing Waits was the Blues Explosion? Was it in fact the Blues Explosion? While I was reviewing the new (JS)BE disc for XDU I found their site and they had this hilarious post about how Tom Waits was replacing Spencer as frontman for the BE for 1 night only because CBS said that Spencer and Waits couldn't be on the show at the same time cos that was TOO funky...

no mention was made of the backing band at all. i wouldn't know the blues explosion if they bit me in the butt; it's been almost 10 years since i've seen them.

if asked, though, i could recognize the bassist in a line-up. he was very memorable, with a bushy goatee thing going on. the drummer maybe looked a little familiar. big cury hair. and the guitarist looked like he *belonged* in the blues explosion, all suave and grungy glam.

i wish i would have taped it. it was foolish of me to have not; tom's live appearances are so rare. i guess it's the lack of sleep catching up to me... i'm getting absent-minded. (moreso than usual.)

Oh boy... here's a few to try (with a suggested song, which tho not necessarily the best, was the first I ran into in itunes)

Vienna Teng (Shasta)
Badly Drawn Boy (Above You, below me)
Guster (Careful)
Chicane (Autumn Tactics)
Mark Erelli (Call You Home)
HEM (Half Acre)
Joseph Arthur (Honey and the Moon)
Island (Ben Taylor Band)
The Jayhawks (All the Right Reasons)
John Cale (Paris 1919)

Am assuming you know Aimee Mann and Beth Orton and maybe Tift Merritt.

Let me know if any of these tickle your fancy... have GOBS more where that came from. :)