So apparently fluxblog, said the gramophone and ILM are shortcuts to becoming a music insider. I appreciate the sentiment, Hugh, I really do. And I wish it were true. Matthew may have his ear to the ground, but as for my listening habits, they're reviled by hipsters ("What, you like Jay-Z!?") and post-hipsters ("What, you like Coldplay?!") alike. Also, it seems my exuberant prose makes me a bit of a circus freak. Still, enjoy!

I made a naive post on ILM looking for some drone recommendations, and my needs were returned a hundredfold. Now I just need to find an afternoon to explore Aquarius Records, AMG, and, uh, CD Esoterik. Does anyone here have thorough drone recommendations? What albums make your body thrum like a tuning fork?

Right, so -- Moody Week continues! This time, with Manchester mopers Elbow. Elbow's a terrific band, absolutely unknown on this side of the Atlantic. Their greatness stems mostly from Guy Garvey's vocals, on-key and earnest, and Richard Jupp's exciting, unexpected drums. Furthermore, they make grand use of electric guitars, organs and synths, samples, vocal harmonies, and indeed, piano. When I saw them open for Goldfrapp a couple of years ago, they blew my hat off: they rose louder, fiercer than anything on their record.

I considered presenting a couple of b-sides, or one of the more interesting tracks from Elbow's debut ("Newborn," esp.), but ultimately I decided I'd rather share some of the highlights from their excellent 2003 LP, Cast of Thousands. (Cast of Thousands was #13 on my Best of 2003, btw.) Rest assured that the band's back-catalogue is also worthy of exploration, should these cuts strike your fancy.

Elbow - "Grace Under Pressure". The big epic ra-ra-ra from Cast of Thousands, this slow-starting celebration boasts the Glastonbury audience on backup vocals, and a glorious, high-energy battery of drums. It's really just the repetition of a single vocal theme, a reassuring mantra, trite but only if you don't feel like giving Elbow the credit.

Elbow - "Switching Off". A different sort of track, and probably more representative of Elbow's typical tone. Dark blooms of organ flower behind Garvey's voice, and his lyrics are something extraordinary. It's pre- and post-breakup at once, resigned and devastatingly nostalgic. Beautiful.