I've been trying to find new music but I haven't found any good automated music recommendation. So I figured I'd ask here.

In roughly descending order, this is what I think I like:

Symphonic and/or unusual sounds in rock music

Not sure how if there's some sort of umbrella category here. Basically any rock music that makes prominent usage of non-standard instruments, with a preference for an atmospheric background.

Music I recognise

Most of the time I discover something "new" that I listen to a lot, it's actually something I may have heard on the radio years ago. Most of this stuff was what I listened to in my parents' cars before I more or less stopped listening to the radio, so that's about the early to late 90s. They listened to fairly mainstream stuff, so it's a matter of songs mainstream enough to fit into here and the first category.

Music with interesting lyrics

I find my view of a song can drastically change based on more careful interpretation of its lyrics. Banal and/or romantic lyrics are a negative. For instances, Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues is the sort of song I would probably like a lot if it wasn't for its "I love you" chorus. Cryptic, artistic lyrics are good. Best of all are lyrics with a hidden or double meaning. For instance, Got to Get You Into My Life by The Beatles is something I would never like had I not know that Paul was singing about marijuana. Song 2 by Blur is meant to be a satire of grunge - I don't even think it's good satire, but it makes me like the song a lot more.


Some songs I like

An attempt at getting a small, relatively representative sample:

Kashmir by Led Zeppelin Probably my favourite song of all time.
Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve - Probably helped by its 1997 release date
Every Breath You Take by The Police - Decent song in its right, put over the top by the fact its lyrics are stalkerish while a lot of people think it's a typical love song.
Movie themes - Due to their atmospheric qualities I tend to like a lot of them, but Ennio Morricone's themes for 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' and 'For A Few Dollars More' are notable.

What about Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung by The Flaming Lips?

Metallica's S&M album seems like a no-brainer to at least check out here.

carry on my wayward son?

or at least that's what i thought of based on your liked songs.

^First thought as well.

If you like hard rock, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is a very interesting album to me.

Danzig's How the Gods Kill is one of my harder personal faves, as well, with an escalating atmosphere throughout.

However, Pink Floyd is the GOAT band for lyrics with meaning. Pick any album and you can't go wrong, but The Final Cut sounds like it would suit you well.

Wolf Parade is a well known indie band with sometimes unusual sound that might appeal to classic rock fans like yourself. I'll Believe In Anything, Language City, and Call It a Ritual would be good starting points.

Beirut's Postcards from Italy might suit you for a more melodic indie song featuring horn section that sounds like it should be the soundtrack of summer.

For sheer fun, I can never resist sharing Freedom Fries (Fuque the French) by Oxymoronatron, a former Dayton OH band with a sense of humor. That doesn't meet your specs, but fun.

For a deep indie winner, Jack Falk Project's Tribute to Hendrix is my favorite instrumental of all time--very melodic and might suit you based on your likes. Don't know if you can find it anymore, though.

Covers would be another easy way to meet your criteria.

Yeah this

Camper van Beethoven might be to your liking. Maybe Rancid or Butthole Surfers too.

Pandora and the music genome project are helpful too in finding new music.

+1 to Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe in Anything"

My suggestion is "Evil" by Interpol. Besides being their best song, not many people know that it's about the serial-killing couple Fred and Rosemary West.

"Melodramatic" music imo
Arcade Fire
Band of Horses (some of it, some is a little on the mellow side)
Built to Spill, again kinda guitar-driven

Sounds like maybe prog rock is to your liking, mayyybe?
Tool, etc.

You might like Beta Band as well. Actually, anyone who doesn't like Beta Band can gfoad

Matthew Good Band (Beautiful Midnight)
SOME Massive Attack, but that's a bit electronic
Menomena is sorta artsy, and only somewhat accessible, but try "Friend and Foe"

Do you like K'Naan's song "Waving Flag?" Yeah, I thought you would.
Maybe TV On The Radio's "Return to Cookie Mountain."
The Editors "The Back Room" has a not-dissimilar-from-Interpol vibe.

I could keep going forever...
the second half of Ritual de lo Habitual is exactly what you want to hear.

But I'll stop now.

Another +1 to Metallica's S&M

nice thread, some overlapping area's with my own mucis taste

is it weird i dont listen to lyrics in songs all that much? i mean the thing you mentioned with nights in white satin would never happen to me, because i dont find the lyrics that important

I sometimes like a song for it's beat and melody, and don't pay close attention to the lyrics.

I have abandoned some songs I liked because I actually listened to the lyrics one day and didn't like the message behind them. But I'm a nit.

Muse

Sounds like you might like King Crimson. My personal favorites:

Starless

Epitaph

The Court of the Crimson King

Fallen Angel

Good site for finding new music, especially non-mainstream stuff: www.rateyourmusic.com

Good (free) site for listening to streaming music: www.grooveshark.com (although King Crimson happens to be one of the few bands whose music isn't on there)

Alan