Best CD I've heard so far 2011.........

Brian Eno's Drums Between the Bells. If you can meet him half way on the spoken poetry accompaniment-- well composed and electronically enhanced, btw-- Eno has brought his full palette to the music. Well worthwhile.

I'm really enjoying the new CD by The Dead Kenny G's "Operation Longleash". Caught their live show last week and it was spectacular!

I'll vote for Bon Iver as of now. i won't classify it as rock though, so will leave it in this thread.

Glad you enjoyed the show, Jax. They are in St. Louis in Sept. Maybe I'll try again on the supposition that your experience was more representative than mine; could be one or both of us was having an off nite. John

Well, that'd be two off-nights for me, and if that's an off-night, I hope to have many more. Definitely give them another chance - I'll look for your response come September. Meanwhile, here's a vid to offset that 'slow' comment...when you hear this live, it knocks you back in your seat and you realize you've got a big stupid grin on your face that you didn't remember having when you walked in. The chemistry between the two of them is just addictive. I can understand the comment as it applies to some of their tunes, but not the bulk of the show. Certainly not to either show of theirs I've seen. I do think their newest CD is mostly slow material though, and that it could have used a better balance that way. I also had good seats in a good venue (same one both times). I've heard one or two of my favorite artists entirely ruined by a bad venue. Yes, and certainly by an off night. I hope you have a better experience of them next time.