Who needs lyrics?

I don't. I suspect the reason why I prefer English songs to German ones is that ignoring the lyrics is easier. I also tend to skip songs/poems inserted into stories, but before I go off on a tangent too far, here's the point: I'd like to make some music recommendations, including lastfm links where I could find them.

First, I love soundtracks. Y'know, the score kind.

Probably my favourite bit of soundtrack from recent years is Up is Down from the third Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, by Frank Zimmer. It's from the "rocking the boat" scene. The contrast between the lighthearted and more dramatic bits is well balanced, and over all it jut makes my feet tap every time I hear it.

Another piece I fell in love with is the title theme of the fifth season of Babylon 5. There's a spirit of big things ahead captured here. I eventually found it on the CD The Ragged Edge. Unfortunately it's very short; when I cut it out two other bits it was stuck to, only 1:30 were left.

One thing I claim occasionally is, "Everything is better with e-guitars". It's why Metallica covering Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold sounds pretty awesome to me.

Mind, electric violins are wonderful, too, and since they're not quite as common can be a nice change.

There is, of course, Vanessa Mae. I got the album The Violin Player cheaply some time ago, and my favourite song is Classical Gas.

One musician I discovered recently is Ed Alleyne-Johnson. He acconpanies his own playing by recording bits and looping them, and it just sounds awesome. He has both original compositions and covers of pop/rock songs. Of what I heard, my favourites are Sweet Child o'Mine and Zephyr Song, both covers (of songs by Guns N' Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, respectively). Of the original compositions I quite like Orange.

One of the few musicians/bands I ever saw live was Charlie McMahon and Gondwana. Didgeridoo and whatever else. Unfortunately there is hardly anything on lastfm, but maybe you can find it on your own if you're interested. Swarm - which is a very loooong song, only gets started properly 3 minutes in - from the album Travelling also features an electric violin, and the rhythm combined with the burr of the didgeridoo and the sweeping violin melody puts flight in my mind. (Like "flying", not like "fleeing", OK? OK.)