First, I should pass on the love to all you EA people. Because your quirky, smart-assy, but ultimately very credible references and recommendations somehow won me over, I've listened to some things the past year that I'd never have thought to listen to. That said, I want more from you people.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't get my work done to music that rocks you like a hurricane. Well, I might be able to do it, if it's something I've heard thousands of times over. But jarring rhythms are unconducive to productivity with me.

That said, complete silence distracts me even more.

What do you listen to when you're trying to read and concentrate on something other than the music itself?

Here's what's been playing at my house:

Arvo Part, Alina
Brian McBride, When the Detail Lost Its Freedom
Chihei Hatakayama (sp?), Minima Moralia
The Dead Texan
Stars of the Lid, all of it.
Scott Joplin, some compilation I have.
AC/DC, Highway to Hell sometimes works.

Help me out folks. I'm on the final push of this thesis, and the drudgery is getting drudgier.

Dead Texan, sweet. Try Casino v.s. Japan if you haven't already.

i like electronic or ambient stuff for when i'm working.
for me, brian eno or ellen allien do the trick.

I find Blind Lemon Jefferson and vol. 4 of Harry Smith's folk anthology really good for studying. Happily I don't study anymore though. I was just thinking about how happy that makes me but 30 seconds before reading your post!

I was going to say Eno too...Music For Airports or Eno/Budd The Pearl. Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works II. Also, Nurse With Wound's Soliloquy for Lilith.

I mentioned Morton Feldman in the "What are you listening to" thread, and I'll stand by that--particularly "Crippled Symmetry," "Patterns in a Chromatic Field," "For Samuel Beckett," and the Rothko Chapel piece...ah, hell, pretty much every Feldman I've heard.

Otherwise, seconded on the Pärt, the Eno, the Budd, electronica etc. Also some of the gentler Autechre can do it for me.

Mick Turner - Moth
Biosphere - Substrata, Cirque, or Dropsonde
Tetsu Inoue - World Receiver, Ambiant Otaku and Yolo
Plastikman - Consumed
Susumu Yokota - Sakura
Gas - Pop
Shuttle 358 - Anything by this artist
Basic Channel - s/t
Pub - Summer
Pole - There are 3 releases I like: the blue, red or yellow ones are all cool
Roedelius - Wenn der Sudwind Weht
Rafael Toral - Anything by this artist

Anything instrumental. Vocals disturb my thoughts and make me work less.

Except, oddly, with Nina Nastasia. Her voice makes me work even better.

The only time I've ever written anything to music was to Mozart's Requiem. Worked for me.

Tom Petty's new album "Highway Companion" I love it for background music while i'm doing stuff!