A few recent favorites (artist names, unless in italics):
The Most Serene Republic - Pretty awesome Toronto indie rockers Andrew Bird - Okay, not quite so recent a favorite, unless you count the entire last two and a half years. Friendly Fires - Cool English dance-rock. (similar niche as Franz Ferdinand, actually, but not quite the same) Metric - slightly-electro rock Chick Corea - Jazz Pianist of great awesome. I don't know if I've heard anything of his I didn't like. His Duet album with Hiromi Uehara is particularly good. The New Pornographers - The ultimate in Power Pop. Not quite as fond of their older stuff, but Challengers and Twin Cinema are great.
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The Most Serene Republic - Pretty awesome Toronto indie rockers
Andrew Bird - Okay, not quite so recent a favorite, unless you count the entire last two and a half years.
Friendly Fires - Cool English dance-rock. (similar niche as Franz Ferdinand, actually, but not quite the same)
Metric - slightly-electro rock
Chick Corea - Jazz Pianist of great awesome. I don't know if I've heard anything of his I didn't like. His Duet album with Hiromi Uehara is particularly good.
The New Pornographers - The ultimate in Power Pop. Not quite as fond of their older stuff, but Challengers and Twin Cinema are great.