By the request of my pally Idolores, it does seem like we're long overdue for another one of these threads.  So, what have you been listening to this summer?

I had picked up Canadian-based Birthday Massacre's Looking Glass album largely for the new rendition of "I Think We're Alone Now", but the rest of the CD is pretty solid too.  Now I'm curious aboot their past albums, which I'll undoubtedly pick up sometime down the line.

Birthday Massacre - I Think We're Alone Now:
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/angie_liu … c.&.view=l

I finally got around to watching Celine Dion's A New Day: Live In Vegas DVD, which was a superb concert.  This version of "I'm Alive" paled in comparison to her amazing Divas At Vegas 2002 one, though.  Aside from that, it's been a steady diet of summer blockbuster movie scores, including Crystal Skull, Dark Knight, Kung Fu Panda, and Speed Racer.  Speed Racer, in particular, I listen to religiously -- and is still on track as being my favorite soundtrack of 2008 so far.
 
On the VGM front, I'm digging the Gyakuten Saiban Orchestra Concert 2008 ~GYAKUTEN MEETS ORCHESTRA~ for its more authentic instrumentation and differing (and generally superior) arrangement strains from the '06 CD.  Metal Gear Solid 4 has a lot of lasting power, and Manabu Namiki's work in Trauma Center: Under The Knife 2 colored me absolutely delighted.

Oh, and The Simpsons' third TV collection album, Testify.  Nothing beats the "We Are The Jockeys" song from the Furious D episode.  I still say the line should've been ...."We'll eat your face."  More grotesque than 'brain', I admit, but face does rhyme with the preceding word "race", after all.  It would've flowed better.

Simpsons - We Are The Jockeys
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/angie_liu … c.&.view=l

*laughs* About damn time.

Breath of Fire III OST has been in heavy rotation in my PS2 (don't have a CD player ), as has been Project Sylpheed OST. While both are excellent, I think I prefer the jazztastic stylings of the BoF soundtrack, and the sound it offers. Like them both, though.

Downloaded the Siren 2 album at the indirect behest of several STCers. I've enjoyed what I've heard so far, but I don't know if it's enough to warrant a follow up purchase. Would love to play the game, though.

Thinking about checking out the Soma Bringer soundtrack. Several people seem to think poorly about Mitsuda as of late, and I thought I'd give what I think is his latest effort a chance to see if it holds up to his work on Xenogears and Chrono Cross (both of which rank high on my list of favorite soundtracks).

Also, Baroque OST kicks ass. Lots.

Which one?

As for Soma Bringer, I'm actually pretty impressed.  I think it's the closest Mitsuda's been to his Playstation days... since his Playstation days.  Good stuff.  I really want to play the game to see how well it works in-game.

As for me, I'm loving the mp3 disc playing ability that my car has.  I'm having giddy fun doing things like putting all the Shadow Hearts discs onto one CD (SH1+2+FTNW+n.d.e.+special disc).  I also burned the Kingdom Hearts boxed set as one disc and have been listening to those in the car.  Next up will probably be the complete Star Wars scores, if I can find which box they're packed up in.

Original Saturn/PSX score. Not that apparently dumbed down one for Wii, or whatever they had goin' on.

Eh? What's that? I can't hear you over the roar of hockey sirens.

Bah! The Wii/PS2 Baroque OST, I like chorus metal and electronica; the original version of that album was too ambient for me.

Otherwise,

Seiken Densetsu ~ Dawn of Mana
Shadow Hearts II ~ Covenant
Wild Arms 4

Short answer: Everything

Long answer: I bought an iPod and am sifting though all the music I have... going to take a while to sift everything out.

Rush - Was never a massive fan before, but damn Rock Band's luck and the fact their songs are probably the most interesting to play (enough that I don't feel ripped off buying a slightly upgraded version of "Working Man" to go along with the original), I've had basically their entire 80's catalogue and their debut in steady rotation. They almost have TOO much to sift through. They could drop a whole Guitar Hero: Rush on me and I'd preorder the thing and count the days until it's release (unlike GH:Aerosmith, which I'm fighting myself to get into). Can I please get New World Man, Lock and Key and Distant Early Warning as DLC, please? (we know we'll be seeing these if the games ever implement keyboards)

Guilty Gear OGS - You know...The more I listen to this thing, the more I like it. No small feat, considering this was essentially the disc that got me listening to metal/rock (or at least started me on the path). When I find myself listening to "Keep Yourself Alive" for close to an hour, the original and a tune I should have thoroughly memorized, there's something up.

Warbringer/Fueled By Fire - New quality thrash bands that seem to have popped up overnight to combat the evils of mallcore. I greatly enjoy both of these groups' debuts, as well as seeing the revival of both Testament and Death Angel (though they have been back for awhile now, but 2008's Killing Season is a much stronger album than 2004's Art of Dying to me) and me finally getting to that copy of Seasons of the Abyss I've had for ages now. Now can Metallica make a decent contribution to the cause this year?

Ratt - Also supposedly making a revival and a new album, I'm having the dilemma that I end up more or less indifferent to all of their hits (save for Round and Round) and totally addicted to everything else on their albums. The songs I'm Insane (Out of the Cellar) and Looking for Love (Dancing Undercover) are essentially hard rock crack to me right now.

FFV - Maybe I just needed to give this one time or maybe it's the glut of say-nothing RPG soundtracks out nowadays that helps it stand out better, but it's sticking its claws into me and I'm enjoying it more than I ever did before. Even Gilgamesh, a track I've logged at least 1000 listens on over the years. Similar happening with Lufia 2's OST at the moment (and Battle 1 playing the role of Gilgamesh)

Just finished listening to all the stuff I got that came out in Q208.  Lux-Pain OST was a big let down, but the Luminous Arc 2 OST was a lot better than the LA1 OST, so that was a plus.  I didn't like the SeiQ2 Super Arrange as much as the first super arrange, but Valkryrie of the Battelfield OST was quite good.  The other stuff I got was all in the middle I guess.  I'm currently listening to ayu-mi-x 6 SILVER which isn't game music.

VGM: 

SaGa Frontier OST
Echochrome OST
CONCERTO
... and GFF's got their "Best Song 2008" contest going on, so a pretty eclectic mix of VGM

Non-VGM:

HORSE the Band - The Mechanical Hand (again)
Textures - Silhouettes
Scar Symmetry - Hollographic Universe
Omnium Gatherum - Redshift
Diablo - Icarus
Marionette -Spite

...and I thought 2007 was a great year for Metal, F***!

Binecks,,

Daita (former guitarist from Siam Shade) has a new band.
he doesnt shred quite as much as in SS, but his distinctive sound is there...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2XfgeRYUYc

I'm currently giving Baten Kaitos II OST a spin, and I'm still enjoying my personal classics - lots of RE:UC, Blue Dragon and Granado Espada recently.

Glad to see someone enjoying this soundtrack... I've logged so many hours on the game since it came out it isn't even funny

Currently listening to the Rhythm Tengoku Gold game rip. I'm practically hearing the music 24/7 now. When I'm not playing, I'm listening to the game rip, and when I'm not listening to the game rip, I have the music playing in my head anyway. I was literally humming a song from the game as I went to sleep last night.

I'm also strangely infatuated by Pachislot OSTs lately, with Daito Giken's Shin Yoshimune and Shake II on the top of my list. Shake II in particular is awesome because it comes with a second, nonstop disc that sounds like a PaRappa/Um Jammer Lammy medley. I just found out that Daito are also doing a 24 pachislot game (yes, based on the TV show), so I'm hoping for remixed 24 tracks in the future.

On the dance music front, Hime Trance Speed has been keeping me pumped up as of late. Also, Abbacadabra's We Love Abba a must-have compilation for Abba lovers. Their cover of "If It Wasn't for the Nights" is my summer anthem for sure.

Brandish Piano Collection
Brandish 2 OST
Ys III J.D.K. Special
Siren 1 and 2
Silent Hill 2

More heavily with Brandish and less so with the others.

Definitely listening to a lot of Eri Kawai now. She was a superb vocalist who will be missed.

I absolutely loved her contributions to Soma Bringer and Kirite.

Aside from that, still listening to a lot of Sound Horizon in anticipation for their new album and some Motoi Sakuraba and Yasunori Mitsuda (can't get enough!).

Also listening to Daft Punk recently as well as other electronica focused artists such as Imogen Heap and I am Robot and Proud.

lol

Not much VGM listening going on for me.  That'll all change once I (finally) get my No More Heroes and Chocobo Dungeon Wii OSTs.  Other than that, the following discs are in heavy rotation:

Immortal Technique - "The 3rd World"
Nas - "Untitled"
Gnarls Barkley - "The Odd Couple"

Just picked up "The Outer Rim", Nirohiko Hibino's experimental jazz effort. Very good, smooth, atmospheric stuff even if the often comical dialogue-infused tracks could've, maybe should've been left to their own (skippable) tracks. The album should be considered a supplement to No More Heroes, a game I still need to pick up.

Ape Escape 3 ost - Pink Chimpette Battle.

Is that because of the one arranged No More Heroes track on the album? I'd say that the NMH Dark Side OST is more of a supplement to the NMH OST - that disc also has the Outer Rim remix.

And, yes, you do need to pick that game up.

Here's 4 selected vgm tracks which I'm 94% sure you've never heard before.
Samples! Go!

Quirky arrange Kizzuritaan by a little band called 2SP+C'K

Rampage! gives Ibara a run for it's money.

Femme Fatale wearing Perfect Perfume.

Forrow me for a hot Bassline.

That's pretty rockin', man! What album is that song from?

EDIT: Hold on... this is from Tobi Tsukihime OST, right? I knew I heard that track before somewhere.

No More Heroes, Street Fighter Tribute Album, and Streets of Rage Remake.

Tribute Album has grown on me after awhile, Remake's Jungle Beat mix is plain awesome, and for some reason I can't go a full day without putting on Stop Hanging DJs.

Hang the Dj, Hang the Dj!!

He has a MeSpace if you're into that scene..

They should collaborate with INTERLACE

..in Monochrome Dreams...

Funny. Not a fan of rap and hip hop in the least, but I've always loved Nas. How would you say his recent efforts compare to his work on "I Am . . ."? That was the last album I listened to.

He should've just changed it to 'Nigga' instead of 'Untitled'

oh well.

Zane: Yep, good call.  *thumbs up*

I had  It Was Written and I Am, but Hip Hop is Dead was the first Nas album (of the ones I listened to) that really impressed me.

My biggest criticism of Nas was that he straddles the fence between socially conscious hip-hop and that radio-friendly, hip-pop trash.  I don't knock him for this anymore though, as I understand how great of a strategy it is.  I also wasn't a big fan of his beat selection, but he's certainly gotten a lot better in this regard.

Irregardless, the outrage would've still been just as loud.  I think Untitled works really well though.  Personally, I thought Nas was losing his mind when he tried to rationalize his original 'N-word' title.  Now that I've heard the album and love it, I still don't see how that title would've been relevant to the album in any way.

I just picked up Leona Lewis' Spirit album.  I still like "Bleeding Love" lots, but the rest of the album is tremendously lacking.  I think The Guardian.co.uk sums it up pretty well: "Beautiful in theory but absurdly overwrought.  Lewis's voice is impressively elastic throughout but lacks any grit or style."  In short, her voice is amazing, but she's basically playing to a frightfully manufactured album.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/nov/04/popandrock1

Bleeding Love plays a lot on the radio, which typically means I dislike it, but in this song's case, I really like it a lot. Scores better than what is getting airtime *glare's at "I kissed a girl"*.

"To The Left" makes me want to hurt my radio something funny.

But that song feels so wrong, it feels so right - but it don't mean I'm in love tonight.