Tomorrow: Inauguration Day. (Or maybe it should be Coronation Day, since the president's power is so unchecked he should actually be an Absolutist Monarch!) 
Avoid the news media like the plague.
Picked up the Dresden Dolls' CD today, and it fucking rocks! They have the most unique sound I've heard in ages, and that makes me happy!
Having recently discovered KMFDM, I'm also going thru a bit of a German goth/industrial phase at the moment. I'd love to find some new shit to get excited about musically, because it looks like Radiohead are going to be on hiatus for quite a while. They're currently without a record deal, and not even going into the studio until later this year. Plus, Jonny Greenwood's got this 3-year gig as resident composer for the BBC Concert Orchestra. But when they finally do return, I want them to fucking gobsmack me. Come up with something I never imagined I'd hear from them. That's where Hail to the Thief left me cold, good album though it was. It sounded like what one would expect them to do after Kid A/Amnesiac.
If you have any recommendations for new and exciting stuff, please let me know! Otherwise, amuse me with tales of your travel adventures!
Avoid the news media like the plague.
Picked up the Dresden Dolls' CD today, and it fucking rocks! They have the most unique sound I've heard in ages, and that makes me happy!
Having recently discovered KMFDM, I'm also going thru a bit of a German goth/industrial phase at the moment. I'd love to find some new shit to get excited about musically, because it looks like Radiohead are going to be on hiatus for quite a while. They're currently without a record deal, and not even going into the studio until later this year. Plus, Jonny Greenwood's got this 3-year gig as resident composer for the BBC Concert Orchestra. But when they finally do return, I want them to fucking gobsmack me. Come up with something I never imagined I'd hear from them. That's where Hail to the Thief left me cold, good album though it was. It sounded like what one would expect them to do after Kid A/Amnesiac.
If you have any recommendations for new and exciting stuff, please let me know! Otherwise, amuse me with tales of your travel adventures!
Other than that I've got a ton of new punk CD's from people's recommendations at my livejournal.
Mclusky, Social Distortion, and Avail are all great. So are the Ramones, I'm sure you've heard of them. Fugazi and Minor Threat are both very good. Clutch is very good, a little more blues-rock than just straight punk, just like Social Distortion has a definite indie country sound.
I personally think Mike Doughty rules, lyrically, and his music has kind of a bounce to it that I really like. However, he's not the least bit goth or dark. Soul Coughing might be more appealing in that respect. That is the band Doughty was the lead singer for in the '90's. Look especially for Ruby Vroom. Its heroin music basically, avant-garde hip hop rock. Could be a hit. However, there are very few people out of my friends that have been at all turned on by them.
If you like art rock, King Crimson has put out several albums in the past few years which kick ass. Think math rock meets classical music. Its weird crap, but I'd love to have someone else listening to them. Look for "The Power to Believe."
You might like Opeth as well. There is a Steve Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) produced one which is mostly acoustic, and then the rest of their catalog is apparently death metal. I'm not into death metal generally, but I remember that KMFDM is really hard, so take it for what it's worth. My friend Dave in Colorado likes their melodic stuff. The acoustic one is titled Damnation.
Portishead would probably do it for you, I'm sure you've heard of them. If not, they sound like a cross between Massive Attack and a Quentin Tarantino film. In fact their first and best album was a soundtrack to a film noir movie.
I love Radiohead too. I managed to pirate Amnesiac through the library, gave the CD back, kept a copy on my hard drive. I have listened to that Amnesiac CD 30 times in the past month. Their sound was so cutting edge. I think Hail to the Thief was forgettable. I couldn't tell you a line from a song on the CD, where I have other songs on Radiohead CD's memorized.
Let me know if you like electronica, and I will give you a bunch of other recommendations for that category. Your profile makes you look like mostly a rock and roll lady though so I'll leave all that stuff out for now.
Bowling for Columbine rules by the way. I am currently ignoring the Conflagration while I type this comment.
Looking forward to meeting the C-bus people, take care.
Tim.