what u playin' fool?!

here's some early 2005 gems for you:

Marsen Jules - Herbstlaub [city center offices]
German Martin Juhls creates some of the warmest drones to invade your ears. Less cut up than Basinski's Disintegration Loops but similar in melancholic sweetness.

Red Sparrowes - At The Soundless Dawn [neurot]
I know some people really digged Isis' Panopticon but were a little put off by Turner's raw vocals. This right here is what you're looking for then. Members of Isis, Neurosis and Halifax Pier team up to deliver a chiming and rattling soundscape full of mighty crescendo's and aggressively built up climaxes.

Built Like Alaska - Autumnland [sweat of the alps]
I'm a sucker for the playful melancholy Grandaddy showcases on their albums. The bearded drummer put together this fine group of Grandaddy soundalikes. Quirky keyboardmelodies, vocals that linger between sad and happy and pretty big guitarexplosions. Not as instant hitting as Grandaddy tunes but more than satisfying.

Doves - Some Cities [capitol]
Unexpectedly I'm really liking this. Doves have a knack for creating dark and brooding melodies full of cinematic atmosphere. The first half of the album would be Top of the Pops material if the world made the slightest bit of sense. The rest drifts off towards hazy dreamgrounds.