I've heard some interesting stuff this year from newer artists
•Jamie Lidell - Multiply
IDM producer gone soul singer. Has gotten widely mixed reactions from people, but I really like it. If possible, you should try to hear it before buying (you can hear samples at
Bleep).
•Jesu - s/t
Isis-type sludge metal band that occasionally shifts into shoegazey feedback atmospherics. Pretty cool, but it took me a long time to get into (and the album itself takes quite a while to listen to).
•Wilderness - s/t
Just picked this up today on a friend's recommendation. I have mixed feelings about the vocals, but overall this seems to be a pretty cool record. As my friend described it, think Explosions in the Sky fronted by PiL-era John Lydon. It might not end up being one of my favorite releases this year, but I think it's something a lot of people on here would really like.
•Orthrelm - OV
This one's definitely not for everybody, but I love it. (I'll make a weak attempt to describe it, but you're probably better off looking up some reviews.) This album is one 45 min. long track performed by a duo - guitar and drums. Think Lightning Bolt but with less frantic drumming, and no bass (although it does manage a "full"sound). The track consists of segments of repeated riffs (sometimes only a few notes repeated for nearly 3 minutes, other times, more towards the end, the riffs are more fleshed out and change and transform much more rapidly) that slowly mutate and sometimes abruptly shift, sometimes put you in a trance and other times just rock out. It really plays with your head, and it's definitely the most interesting thing I've heard this year.